Historical Beer: Black Creek Brewery

For Christmas I gave my partner a membership to a beer of the month club.  Since January we have been enjoying the surprise of randomly selected craft beers delivered to our door.  This month’s selection included two beers from Black Creek Brewery. After reading up on the brewery I was surprised to discover that it … Continue reading Historical Beer: Black Creek Brewery

Community Space: Craft Show at the Bushplane Heritage Centre

Yesterday the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre hosted the second annual holiday gift and craft show.  Held inside the museum the show featured over 100 local craft and artisan vendors.  This was my first time attending the show, it was a great way to spend a couple of hours on a rainy Saturday.The event brought hundreds … Continue reading Community Space: Craft Show at the Bushplane Heritage Centre

Museum Visitor Experience and Learning Styles

The majority of my visits to museums, art galleries, and other heritage sites are undertaken with people I'm connected with through work, by myself, or with my partner.  These visits are normally slow paced and allow for plenty of time for reading and contemplation.  I enjoy looking at displays, reading text panels, checking out different … Continue reading Museum Visitor Experience and Learning Styles

First Nations and Inuit Collaboration In Museums

As my recent post on "Community Engagement in Commemoration" mentioned I've been thinking a lot about community involvement in the practices of museums and heritage sites.  The recent issue of Muse contains a short piece, "Redefining First Nations and Inuit Involvement in Exhibit Planning," by Jameson C. Brant that focuses on similar questions of engagement. … Continue reading First Nations and Inuit Collaboration In Museums

Rolling the Dice With Guided Tours

Our group with our tour guide at the Ermatinger SiteInterpretation can make or break a museum visit.  Context, signage, and interpretation strategies are essential to creating a heritage environment which is inviting, educational, and ultimately enjoyable.  Properly trained interpretive staff can infuse a visit with enthusiasm, context, and information that isn't always accessible to the … Continue reading Rolling the Dice With Guided Tours

Hands-On: Experiential Learning at Heritage Sites

The idea of experiential learning (the process of learning through doing) is being heavily promoted in education systems right now. Hands on activities, active involvement in learning exercises, and anything other than listening to people talk are all types of experiential learning. Living history sites are excellent examples of heritage organizations which utilize experiential learning.  Visitors … Continue reading Hands-On: Experiential Learning at Heritage Sites