Michelle welcomed the new Board Members.
Curtis, from the IT department, and Michelle have been working with Turn Key Security Solutions to install an 180 degree security camera with a paging horn. It will monitor the pavilion and Tea Room area. The sensitivity, volume, message, and activated hours can be set for the horn.
We are still waiting on a quote for the accessible automatic door for the Heritage Resource Centre. Tim Anderson said the work should start around mid-December.
Katelynn submitted another application for the Museum Assistance Program for a Collection Care Assistant to complete the collections management project in the Heritage Resource Centre. This grant would be to complete an inventory of both the 1st and 2nd floor. Katelynn also submitted a second application for the Museum Assistance Program, as she is familiar with the program and has successfully received two grants from them so far, but this time for the Access to Heritage stream for a Francophone Exhibit Designer. This grant would allow the transcribed interviews of the Francophone community to be implemented into an exhibit.
Due to the Canada Post strike, the winter newsletters and invites to the volunteer appreciation Christmas party have been hand delivered to the Port Colborne life members, members, and volunteers only. Meghan has put a message on our social media for out-of-town members and volunteers to contact the Museum with an e-mail address to be able to receive a digital copy.
Susan Nicholson is currently on a leave of absence due to a personal matter. Garry Turner, one of the Library assistants, has been hired to fill in on reception and the gift shop in her absence.
As part of her projects with her Young Canada Works Internship, Elyse has been working with Obsidian Manufacturing to have a new travelling exhibit case designed and built. It is modular and will be able to be used in exhibits at other facilities and institutions.
Michelle reported that the Archives' last two Speaker Series events went very well. The October 25 presentation on Explosions in Port Colborne was very well received. The November 9 lecture was also the kickoff event for the Welland Canal Bicentennial Travelling Lecture Series and was a great success with over 50 people in attendance. Great comments were received about our facility, and even some of the local canal "experts" remarked that they had learned a lot of things they didn't know before.
For Remembrance Day, some of our resources were highlighted on our social media, including the newly-scanned Port High School Second World War scrapbook. This will be made available on the ourontario.ca website very soon.
The scanned yearbooks are currently being uploaded, so far, all of them up to 1986 have been uploaded. It is a very time consuming process. Once they are all uploaded, they can be opened to the public.