About Us
The St. Joseph Museum & Archives is maintained and operated by volunteer members of The St. Joseph Historical Society, St. Joseph, Ontario. We are society members of the Ontario Historical Society.
The St. Joseph Historical Society's mandate is to:
- preserve and celebrate the unique history of the area
- promote this history
- educate the public on this history.
Activities
Through membership dues, fundraising activities and donations, the unique history of St. Joseph, Ontario is preserved for the good of the community and presented to tourists, students, schools and historians.
We hold monthly meetings to discuss projects that promote our mandate and to enjoy presentations on local history. We partner with the Huron Tourism Association and the Huron Arts & Heritage Network to promote heritage and culture along Ontario's West Coast. This includes display setup at local events and the promotion of same to the local community through the media.
We enjoy the support and involvement of many local groups, institutions and businesses in our events and meetings, such as the Royal Canadian Legions of Hensall, Grand Bend and Exeter, St. Peters' Roman Catholic Church and the Bluewater Rest Home. We also share information with the Huron County Historical Society and the Ontario Historical Society.
Join Us - New Members Always Welcome
We're always pleased to welcome new members. If you're interested in finding out more about the St. Joseph Historical Society, either as a volunteer or supporting member, please contact us at stjosephmuseum@hay.net.
Single Membership: $15.00
Family Membership: $20.00.
Milestones
- 1997 — St. Joseph Historical Society established
- 1998 — Incorporated
- 1999 — In partnership with the Millennium Bureau of Canada, created the St. Joseph Historical Park. The park displays a statue of St. Joseph holding Baby Jesus. Historical informational plaques tell St. Joseph's history. Memorial plaque for Brother André. Walkway memorial and commemorative plaques of local families and supporters of the Historical Society. Veterans commemorative monument.
- 2002-2003 — Consolidated and housed the historical archives at Hessenland Country Inn to better preserve historical materials and offer increased access to the public. A Trillium grant enabled the organization and cataloguing of the archives. Provided materials and assistance to local playwright Paul Ciufo in his efforts to create a play about the St. Joseph local history.
- 2008-2009 — Provided expertise, artefacts and personnel to set up an historical display called "Innovative Huron" at the Huron County Museum in Goderich. Created and launched this website to further publicize the St. Joseph Museum and the activities of the Historical Society. Hosted and aided the Head Archivist and Editor-in-Chief from The Oratory in Montreal in their process of compiling information about Blessed Brother André in the process towards sainthood.
- 2010 — Playwright Paul Ciufo and Director Duncan McGregor worked on the development of a historical play about St. Joseph and Narcisse Cantin.
- 2010 — Support for this website was received from the Huron Heritage Fund.
- 2011 — The Historical Society proudly presents "Narcisse", an outdoor theatrical event July 19 to 23 and 26 to 30, 2011. Tickets sold through The Blyth Festival Box Office. Narcisse tells the story of arguably one of Huron County’s most colourful residents – Narcisse Cantin – best known for his audacious plan to create a mammoth canal cutting across Southwestern Ontario, connecting Lake Huron to Lake Erie from St. Joseph to Port Stanley. Cantin turned St. Joseph into an early 20th Century boomtown on speculation of the canal’s construction. This charismatic promoter forged friendships with prominent people including American steel magnate Charles Schwab and recently-canonized Brother André, founding cleric of St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal.
Board Members
- President - Mike Miller : Lakewood Garden Centre
- Past-President - Marc Cantin : great-grandson of Narcisse Cantin; Cantin Design & Build
- Treasurer - Liz lhrig : The Hessenland Country Inn
- Executive Director - Frank Ihrig : The Hessenland Country Inn
- Secretary - Gery Valentine
- Director - Joan Karstens : Brentwood on the Beach
- Director - Pauline Cantin : Cantin Design & Build
- Director - Martha Mungar
- Director - Joseph L. Wooden : author of A Drum To Beat Upon. Book available for purchase from this website. Much of this website's content has relied upon Joseph Wooden's historical research and materials.
- Director - Tracey Whitson-Bahro
Members At Large
- Jean-Paul Cantin : grandson of Narcisse Cantin; retired
- Paul Ciufo : published author and financial adviser with Godbolt, Ciufo Insurance & Financial Services
- Bob & Delphine Ballantine
- Frank & Nancy Moore
- Phil & Patty LaPorte
- Pat Rowe
- Mark & Diane Tucker
