NOTL Museum, Landscape of Nations receive federal funding

Niagara Centre and St. Catharines MPs Vance Badawey and Chris Bittle visited the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum today to announce $1.3 million in funding for 11 tourism-related organizations and projects from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Among the recipients of funds are the Landscape of Nations at Queenston Heights Park ($180,000) and the NOTL Museum, which will receive $100,000 toward permanent exhibitions focusing on Black and Indigenous history. 

Representing federal minister Filomena Tassi, Badawey said, “Organizations like the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum play a critical role in telling the stories of our region and serve as vital cultural hubs to an enriched community while attracting visitors from all over.”

Badawey said he has become a bit of a “museum buff” in recent years, enjoying spending countless hours wandering around buildings like the one on Castlereagh Street that houses a collection more than 54,000 strong. 

“Organizations like the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum are finding innovative ways to enhance their tourism offerings,” said Badawey. “This museum boasts one of Ontario’s most significant local history collections. The stories preserved within these walls play a major role in telling the history of Canada.”

Referring to his eight- and six-year-old kids as “museum-obsessed,” Bittle added that museums “preserve and share the rich history of the area, contribute to the local economy, support educational initiatives and enhance the overall tourism experience.”

The $100,000 grant will help the NOTL Museum create accessible displays developed in collaboration with local historians that will include technology to feature untold stories of Niagara, especially those encompassing the region's rich Black and Indigenous histories. 

“We have been looking at hands-on interactive options,” museum managing director and curator Sarah Kaufman told The Local. “Virtual reality headsets to put people into an experience for things like the Chloe Cooley and the Solomon Moseby stories. Niagara-on-the-Lake has a significant Black history that tends to get pushed aside and we need to bring it out into the open.”

Kaufman added that she continues to work with staff and museum board member Tim Johnson (senior advisor to Plenty Canada and Niagara Parks) to bring in more of the Indigenous story as well. 

“And we welcome many visitors who might have physical or other disabilities,” Kaufman continued. “We want to make the museum as welcoming as possible to everyone. This funding is a huge help in our process of doing that.”

Last fall the NOTL Museum launched its $5 million Building History - Strengthening Community expansion and renovation campaign headed by campaign chair Sean Simpson, who was at today’s announcement. The original expansion plans, however, are being revisited in light of the museum’s acquisition of the Janet Carnochan house next door at 25 Castlereagh Street this summer. Kaufman said that the new plans will be made public pending a separate government funding announcement sometime soon. 

“This exhibition,” Kaufman explained, “will be in the link building and into Memorial Hall. The expansion planned for the back will house our temporary gallery space. With this announcement, this exhibit will move forward quite quickly this year.”

Museum president Mona Babin could hardly control her excitement at today’s announcement. 

”We have a very good relationship with both MPs, but the fact that they chose to have the announcement here is so great,” said a beaming Babin. “And I was surprised that all these people came today for this. Wow! This is a big thing.”

Badawey also explained that the $180,000 going to Landscape of Nations, represented at the event by Johnson, will go toward developing and implementing Indigenous experimental tours in Niagara. 

Other grants announced today included: 

• $30,000 to the City of St. Catharines to develop and implement a strategic plan for their newly created Destination Marketing Organization in partnership with the Town of Lincoln
• $40,000 to The Foster Festival to extend its performance season with a new Canadian production in St. Catharines.
• $100,000 to Heartland Forest Nature Experience to install augmented reality Indigenous interpretive exhibits in Niagara Falls.
• $100,000 to the  Niagara Parks Foundation for the development of a new outdoor artificial ice skating loop in Niagara Falls.
• $78,000 to Niagara's South Coast Tourism Association to develop Indigenous tourism products and experiences in south Niagara.
• $200,000 to Pumpkins After Dark to expand the pumpkin festival in Milton. 
• $120,000 for The 13th Street Winery in St. Catharines to complete facility improvements and develop pedestrian pathways.
• $250,000 to the Town of Lincoln to support the creation of the Sho'aríshon Indigenous Cultural Park.
• $120,000 to Beamsville’s Urban Tractor Farm Winery to enhance its visitor centre, add amenities and extend tourism activities to all seasons.

Bittle added that applications for another round of funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, expected to be announced later this year, are being accepted until Sept. 17.