Museum’s Exterior Exhibits get a Federal-Provincial funding boost

Two historically-significant exterior exhibits at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre (BCM&CC) are set to receive funds from the Community, Culture and Recreation stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

The Museum is about to receive $36,420 in funding to replace the roofs on the 1875 Log School House and the 1850 Log Home, as well as addressing other issues such as windows and window-casing replacements.

Both buildings are located immediately behind the Museum and are important, functional examples of early Bruce County history.

“Both of these buildings are important exhibits in the Museum’s collection and we are happy to receive this funding that will contribute to their continued longevity,” says Cathy McGirr, Director of Museum & Cultural Services.

S.S. 10 Amabel School – Click for larger image

The one-room 1875 Schoolhouse, S.S. 10 Amabel, was used as a school until 1892, and then for many other purposes until it was purchased by the Bruce County Elementary School Teachers in 1967 as a centennial project. The school was moved and re-assembled on the BCM&CC grounds where it has remained as a key exhibit.              

New cedar shake roof for the 1892 school

The two-bedroom 1875 Log Home was built by Donald McKenzie, where he lived with his family of nine children in Kinloss Township. More than a century after he built it, the Women’s Institutes of Bruce County purchased the house and, in 1958, had it moved to the BCM&CC site.

For larger view, Click on Image

“I’m happy to see this important infrastructure project moving forward,” said Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker. “The Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre’s 1875 Log School House and 1850 Log Home are two of our most important historical resources and I’m thrilled that this funding will help preserve them for future generations.”

Open from May to October, both buildings are popular with visitors and also with students on field trips as they each provide a glimpse into early Bruce County history. The funding from Infrastructure Canada will allow for rehabilitation work to ensure the structures continue to remain structurally sound.

Discover more about the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre at brucemuseum.ca.