Canadian Language Museum facts for kids
| Le Musée canadien des langues | |
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Exterior building that houses the Canadian Language Museum
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| Established | 2011 |
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| Location | Glendon College, 2275 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Language museum |
The Canadian Language Museum (in French: Le Musée canadien des langues) is a special place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a museum and a registered charity. Its main goal is to help everyone understand and appreciate all the different languages used in Canada. It also shows how these languages have helped shape the country. The museum started in 2011 and opened its main gallery in 2016.
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Discovering the Museum's History
The idea for the Canadian Language Museum began in 2007. A linguist named Elaine Gold, along with other Canadian language experts and students, started it. The museum was officially founded in 2011. This happened at a meeting of the Canadian Linguistic Association. They created a plan to guide what the museum would do.
For its first few years, the museum was like a "museum without walls." It didn't have its own building. Instead, its exhibits traveled to different places all over Canada. In 2015, it opened a small office in Toronto. Then, in 2016, the museum moved into its permanent home. This new home is at Glendon College, which is a bilingual (French and English) campus of York University. Having a permanent space allowed the museum to host guest speakers, educational events, and even other traveling exhibits.
The museum also connects with people online. Its website lets interested groups borrow exhibits. It also helps promote languages that are at risk of disappearing. The museum shares the work of Canadian linguists and language research. It does this through social media and its blog. The blog features interviews with people who work to protect and promote Canada's languages.
Where the Museum Is Located
The Canadian Language Museum is inside Glendon Hall. This building was once the large home of the Edward R. Wood family. The museum is on the eastern side of the building. It is located next to a beautiful rose garden.
Exploring Museum Exhibitions
Since it started, the Canadian Language Museum has created a new exhibit each year. These exhibits are in both French and English. They include traveling exhibits, temporary exhibits, and online exhibits. The museum has also shown exhibits from other groups and artists.
Traveling Exhibits Across Canada
When the museum first began, it didn't have its own space. So, it decided to create exhibits that could travel. This was the best way to share Canada's language heritage. Some of the traveling exhibits have included:
- Canadian English, Eh? (2012)
- Speaking the Inuit Way (2013)
- French in Canada (2014)
- Cree: The People's Language (2015)
- A Tapestry of Voices: Celebrating Canada's Languages (2016)
- Read Between the Signs: 150 Years of Language in Toronto (2017)
- Beyond Words: Dictionaries and Indigenous Languages (2019)
- Sign Languages of Canada (2021)
Students from the University of Toronto Masters of Museum Studies program help create these exhibits. Experts and community members also support them. The exhibits are shown at the Canadian Language Museum. They also travel all over Canada. You can find them in schools, universities, libraries, and other places.
Special Temporary Exhibits
The museum created a temporary exhibit called Yiddish Spring in 2019.
Online Web Exhibits
The museum has two exhibits you can see on its website:
- Messages from the Mosaic (2018)
- Anthem: Expressions of Canadian Identity (2020)
Hosted Art Exhibits
The museum has also hosted art exhibits by different artists:
- Coolie Hauntings by Amar Wahab (2019)
- Legacies: Our Heritage Through Our Grandmother's Eyes by Gina Valle (2019)
- A Newfoundland Treasury of Ice and Snow by Marlene Creates (2018)
- From Smoke to Cyber Signals by Nadine St-Louis (2018)
Supporting Indigenous Languages
A very important part of the Canadian Language Museum's work is to help Indigenous languages. These languages have faced many challenges over time. The museum makes sure to include Indigenous languages in its programs and exhibits. This is a key part of its mission.
The museum works with people who speak these languages fluently. They also work with language experts. This helps them create exhibits in a respectful way. In 2019, the museum published a booklet called Indigenous Languages in Canada. It was made to celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages. This booklet talks about the special features, writing systems, and ongoing life of Indigenous languages in Canada. You can find it on the museum's website.
See also
