Canadian Museum of History facts for kids
| Musée canadien de l'histoire | |
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The museum from across the Ottawa River
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| Established | 1856 |
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| Location | 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada |
| Type | Anthropology, cultural, ethnology, and history museum |
| Architect | Douglas Cardinal |
| Owner | Canadian Museum of History |
| Canadian Museum of History Corporation network | |
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The Canadian Museum of History (French: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a big national museum in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It teaches us about Canadian history, different cultures, and the study of human societies (called anthropology and ethnology).
The museum's main goal is to share Canada's amazing past and support research about it. The building itself is huge, about 75,000 square metres (807,293 sq ft), and was designed by a famous architect named Douglas Cardinal.
The museum started way back in 1856 as part of the Geological Survey of Canada. It grew over time, adding a section for studying people and cultures in 1910. In 1927, it became the National Museum of Canada. Later, in 1968, it split into different museums. The parts that focused on human history became the National Museum of Man.
In 1989, the museum moved to its current spot in Gatineau. The next year, it changed its name to the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Finally, in 2013, it got its current name, the Canadian Museum of History. Its mission also changed to focus more on Canadian identity and history.
Today, the museum has over three million items and documents! Some of these are always on display in the museum's main exhibits. The museum also creates special temporary exhibits, ones that travel to other places, and even online exhibitions you can explore from home, like the Virtual Museum of New France.
Contents
A Look at the Museum's Past
How the Museum Started (1856–1968)
The Canadian Museum of History began with the collections of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). This group started in 1842 in Montreal. In 1856, a law was passed that allowed the GSC to open a museum. This museum would show off items found during their trips to study geology and old artifacts. It first opened in Montreal.
From 1862 to 1863, the museum held its first exhibit about different cultures. It showed stone tools and pottery pieces made by First Nations people. By 1877, the museum's job officially grew to include studying modern animals and plants, as well as human history, languages, and traditions.
In 1881, the museum moved from Montreal to downtown Ottawa. The new building, called the Former Geological Survey of Canada Building, soon became too small. By 1896, the Royal Society of Canada asked the government to build a new, bigger museum. Plans for a new building started in 1899, but construction didn't begin until 1906.
The next year, in 1907, the museum's management moved from the GSC to the Department of Mines. Its job officially expanded to include studying human cultures. The new museum building, the Victoria Memorial Museum Building, was finished in 1910. It opened to the public in 1911.
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In 1910, the museum officially created an anthropology division, led by Edward Sapir. Another anthropologist, Marius Barbeau, joined him the next year. This division was in charge of saving the cultural heritage of people in Canada. They collected objects related to these cultures. At first, their research focused on Aboriginal communities across Canada. They believed these cultures were changing quickly. The museum's first exhibits on human cultures were put together by Sapir and his student, Franz Boas. Since then, the museum has been a key place for Canadian anthropology. Many famous anthropologists, like Diamond Jenness, worked there after the Second World War.
In 1927, the museum part of the Department of Mines was renamed the National Museum of Canada. In 1950, its management moved to the Department of Resources and Development. In 1965, the museum split into two main parts: one for natural history and one for human history. The museum's role continued to grow. It started managing the Canadian War Museum in 1958. Its human history part also created a history division in 1964.
Museum of Anthropology and History (1968–Present)
On April 1, 1968, the parts of the National Museum of Canada officially became separate museums. The Canadian Museum of History came from the human history part. It was first called the National Museum of Man. The natural history part became the National Museum of Natural Sciences (now the Canadian Museum of Nature). The science and technology part became the National Museum of Science and Technology (now the Canada Science and Technology Museum). A new group, the National Museums of Canada Corporation, was created to manage these national museums, including the National Gallery of Canada. Even though they were separate, the National Museum of Man and the National Museum of Natural History still shared the Victoria Memorial building for a while.
In the 1970s, the museum's staff wanted to make its collections more open to the public. But the Victoria Memorial Museum building didn't have enough space for the museum's growing collection. So, the collection and staff were spread out across 17 different buildings.
In 1980, the management of the National Museums of Canada Corporation moved to the Department of Communications. In 1981, the government decided to move the National Museum of Man into a new building. This plan was announced to the public in February 1982. After looking at several possible places, a spot in Gatineau was chosen. This location was already public land, connected to Confederation Boulevard, and had a great view from the Ottawa River. It was also chosen because officials wanted to develop the area into an urban park. On February 10, 1983, the new museum site was announced. Douglas Cardinal Architect Limited was chosen to design the building. His design was approved in 1983.
To avoid using old-fashioned language, the museum's name was changed to the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1986. The new building in Gatineau opened in 1989. However, it only had two permanent exhibits ready: Canada Hall and the exhibits on the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. This was because there wasn't enough money to open all the planned exhibits.
In 1990, the Museum Act was passed. This law created new groups to manage Canada's national museums of Canada. The Canadian Museum of Civilization corporation was formed on July 1, 1990, to manage both the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum.
The 21st Century at the Museum
In 2007, the museum worked with the National Museum of China to create a special exhibit called Treasures from China. As part of this deal, the Canadian Museum of Civilization also sent Indigenous Canadian artifacts to be shown in Beijing.
In 2012, the government announced it would provide $25 million to update the museum and renovate Canada Hall. The goal was to reopen the updated gallery in 2017, for Canada's 150th anniversary. Many people across Canada were asked for their ideas about the updates. The museum also talked with groups focused on women's history, Indigenous history, and different time periods.
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In December 2013, a new law, the Canadian Museum of History Act, was passed. This law changed the museum's main goal. Instead of just collecting things about Canada, its new job was to improve knowledge of Canadian history and identity. It also expanded the museum's focus to include social and political history. The law also officially changed the museum's name from the Canadian Museum of Civilization to the Canadian Museum of History. The Canadian Postal Museum, which was inside the museum, closed in 2012 because of this change.
Some people worried that the new focus might only highlight certain parts of Canadian history, like military achievements. However, the museum said that new exhibits would cover many different topics, including the country's "dark episodes" or challenging times. The updated gallery cost about $30 million and opened on Canada Day in 2017.
The Museum's Location and Building
The museum is built on a large piece of land, about 9.6 hectares (24 acres), which used to be called Parc Laurier. It's the first Canadian national museum to be on the Gatineau side of the National Capital Region. It's also the first one right next to the Ottawa River.
The museum site is bordered by the Alexandra Bridge to the west, the Ottawa River to the east, a paper factory to the south, and Laurier Street to the west. The land slopes down towards the Ottawa River. Because of this slope, the museum building had to be built closer to Laurier Street.
The museum building has two main parts, or wings. These two wings curve around a large, round entrance area. This area has places to eat, a lounge, a library, and underground parking. The open space between the wings is meant to look like the "plains over which mankind migrated" over thousands of years. A big staircase goes down from the entrance area to a lower plaza and gardens next to the river.
There's also a path for walking and biking along the riverfront. This path continues north into Jacques-Cartier Park, which is a city park.
The Building's Design
The museum building is 75,000 square metres (807,293 sq ft) and was designed by Douglas Cardinal. He wanted to create a "sculptural icon" for Canada. The building was the first in the capital region to include designs inspired by Indigenous architecture. Cardinal's design was greatly influenced by how he saw Canada's geography shaping its history and culture.
The museum building has over 25,000 square metres (269,098 sq ft) of exhibit space. This is more than any other museum in Canada! Besides exhibits, the building also has three restaurants, a gift shop, and two theatres for live shows. One of these is a 500-seat theatre. There's also a 295-seat 3D theatre.
The building uses water from the Ottawa River to help heat and cool it. Its electricity comes from two power stations in Gatineau, with two backup generators just in case.
Outside the Museum
The outside of the building is covered with 30,000 square metres (322,917 sq ft) of Tyndall stone. This stone was chosen because it's strong and connected to glaciers.
Cardinal wanted the building to look like it was "flowing with the contours of the land." He used simple lines and shapes to show movement. The building's design uses Art Nouveau styles to show Canada's landscape after the Last Glacial Period, when the land was mostly flat. Some parts of the building look like igloos, earth lodges, and longhouses.
The building has a northern wing that sticks out, which is where the museum's collections are kept. The southern wing holds most of the public areas, like the galleries and theatres. The northern wing is designed to look like rock formations from the Canadian Shield. The southern public wing, with its glass-fronted Grand Hall, is meant to look like a melting glacier. The copper roof of the southern wing represents plants growing back on land once covered by ice. This copper roof is nearly 11,000 square metres (118,403 sq ft) and weighs about 90 tonnes. Both wings are curvy on the river side to blend with the landscape. However, their street-side walls are more angled.
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The building's design had to follow certain rules. For example, it couldn't block the view of the Ottawa River or Parliament Hill. Because of these rules, the buildings are low so they don't block the view for buildings across the street. From some angles, the museum looks like two separate buildings, with an opening between them that gives a clear view of Parliament Hill from Laurier Street. The windows are special, with three layers of glass and a film to control heat and block harmful sun rays. The Grand Hall was designed so that direct sunlight only hits it in the morning.
The building was also designed to create "ever-changing patterns" of shadows on its surface. Most of the outside lights are kept dim so you can see deeper shadows at night.
Exhibitions and What You Can See
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The museum has many permanent and temporary exhibits about human cultures, different groups of people, and history. You can see artifacts from the museum's huge collection in these exhibits. Sometimes, special exhibits that have traveled from other places are also shown here. The museum has also created several online exhibitions, like the Virtual Museum of New France.
Some of the main exhibits you can always see include the First Peoples Hall, Canadian History Hall, the Canadian Children's Museum, the Canadian Stamp Collection, and two exhibits about the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in the Grand Hall. The First Peoples Hall is on the first floor, while the Canadian History Hall is on the third floor.
Many of the exhibits designed in the 1980s were influenced by the museum's director, George F. MacDonald. He really admired the art and culture of the Pacific Northwest Coast. In 2017, the museum changed its approach. It reopened the Canadian History Hall with Indigenous exhibits woven throughout the main history story.
First Peoples Hall
The First Peoples Hall opened in 2003. It explores the history and cultures of Canada's First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This exhibit covers about 3,500 square metres (37,674 sq ft) on the ground floor. It has more than 2,000 objects on display! Most of the space is used for changing exhibits. This helps keep up with new ideas about traditional cultures and current issues. However, some parts of the First Peoples Hall are for long-term exhibits. These parts cover topics that don't change much, like ancient history, Indigenous languages, and the history between Indigenous and European cultures. The exhibit is divided into sections like "Ways of Knowing" and "An Ancient Bond with the Land."
The exhibit was designed to help visitors understand history in new ways. It addresses stereotypes about Indigenous identity and shows the many different cultures among Indigenous nations. Many exhibits connect identity to Indigenous land claims in Canada. They also show Indigenous peoples as living people in today's world. Old artifacts in the First Peoples Hall show that Indigenous peoples have lived on this land since time immemorial (a very long time ago). This reminds us that Canadian history is long and complex, even before Europeans arrived.
The museum worked closely with Indigenous communities across Canada to decide what to include in the First Peoples Hall. An advisory committee of 15 Indigenous members helped shape the exhibit's themes and messages. This means the exhibits show many different points of view. They combine ideas from archaeology, the study of cultures, and traditional Indigenous knowledge.
Canadian History Hall
The Canadian History Hall is a huge exhibit that tells the story of Canada. It covers about 5,050 square metres (54,358 sq ft) and uses over 14 projectors and 58 screens. The exhibit has three main galleries and a long, curved walkway that leads to them. The walkway is decorated with 101 images of Canadian symbols and activities.
The Canadian History Hall's galleries are built around a central area designed by Douglas Cardinal. It looks like Chaudière Falls. This central spot has a giant image of Canada on the floor, measuring 15.5 by 9.5 metres (51 by 31 ft). This image is made from 121 satellite photos taken by the Canadian Space Agency.
The exhibit covers over 15,000 years of history! It's split into three time periods:
- Early Canada: From the earliest times to 1763
- Colonial Canada: 1763 to 1914
- Modern Canada: 1914 to today
The first two galleries are on the same floor, and the third is on a level above them. The galleries show important events and "turning points" from each time period using videos and artifacts. Each gallery is also divided into six smaller "vignettes" or scenes. These scenes have different themes but are all connected. They mostly follow a timeline, but some focus on a specific part of Canadian history. The exhibit teaches about Canada's political and economic history, and especially the experiences of Indigenous peoples. According to the exhibit team, the relationship between Indigenous peoples and newcomers is a very important theme throughout the Canadian History Hall.
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The "Early Canada" section talks about Indigenous history before Europeans arrived. It also covers early Canadian colonies like New France. You'll see Indigenous artifacts and stories about how Indigenous peoples interacted with Norse, English, and French explorers. It also explains the North American fur trade, the spread of diseases among Indigenous populations, and the Beaver Wars.
"Colonial Canada" explores Canada under British rule after the French were defeated. It also covers Canada after it became a country up to 1914. "Modern Canada" covers recent history, right up to the arrival of Syrian refugees in the 2010s. These later sections tell detailed stories about the Seven Years' War, treaties signed between Indigenous groups and the Crown, the push for responsible government, Canadian Confederation, the world wars, the Canadian Indian residential school system, Quebec nationalism, and multiculturalism in Canada.
There are over 1,500 artifacts in the Canadian History Hall! Some cool historical items include:
- An ivory carving from 3,600 to 3,900 years ago, believed to be the oldest human face found in Canada.
- James Wolfe's coat.
- Handcuffs worn by Louis Riel.
- Maurice Richard's hockey jersey.
- Terry Fox's T-shirt.
- Tommy Douglas's hat.
- The table where Queen Elizabeth II signed the Constitution Act, 1982 in 1982.
- Randy Bachman's guitar.
- The sewing machine Joan O'Malley used to sew the first Maple Leaf flag.
There are also 40 short films shown in the exhibit. One, called Origin Stories, tells how the Anishinaabe people believe the earth was formed.
The way the exhibits are built means the museum can easily change or add new parts. There's even space reserved for future exhibits in the three galleries.
Before 2017: The Old Canada Hall
Before the big update, the Canadian History Hall was called Canada Hall. It opened in 1989. The original exhibit was divided into 23 sections that followed a timeline, starting with the Norse colonization of North America. This gallery wanted to show Canada's many cultures. It told a story of immigrants moving from east to west and how different groups succeeded in Canada. However, these sections didn't go deep into pre-colonial Indigenous cultures.
Canada Hall closed in September 2014 for renovations. It reopened in 2017 with many changes. Almost all the life-sized scenes were taken apart. St. Onuphrius Church, an actual early-20th-century Ukrainian church from the Canadian Prairies that was moved to the museum, is the only life-sized scene left.
Canadian Children's Museum
The Canadian Children's Museum is Canada's largest exhibit space made just for kids! It has over 3,000 square metres (32,292 sq ft) of space. The museum uses more than 15,000 items for its exhibits and programs. These include art, clothes, games, photos, and toys. The museum has an International Village and Canadian-themed attractions that were added in 2007.
In 2018, the museum announced it would update the children's museum in January 2020. They said the changes would show how children play and learn today. It reopened in May 2022.
Canadian Stamp Collection
The Canadian Stamp Collection has over 3,000 stamps. It includes every Canadian stamp ever made since 1851. This collection used to be at the Canadian Postal Museum. When that museum closed in 2012, the stamps moved to the Canadian Museum of History. In 2014, the Canadian Museum of History opened a permanent exhibit for the collection, working with Canada Post. The stamps are shown with artifacts that either inspired them or were used to make them.
Grand Hall Exhibitions
The Grand Hall has two permanent exhibits about the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast: First Peoples of the Northwest Coast and From Time Immemorial — Tsimshian Prehistory. These exhibits feature amazing totem poles and other artifacts. They were created by museum experts working with Indigenous cultural specialists in the 1980s.
In 1993, a large painting called Morning Star was added to the domed ceiling of the Grand Hall. This painting was created by Alex Janvier. It represents Indigenous life and history. Besides the permanent exhibits, the Grand Hall is also used for big events and temporary exhibitions.
Museum Collections
As of June 2021, the Canadian Museum of History has more than three million artifacts, documents, artworks, and other items in its permanent collection. This includes over one million photos, 72,000 sound recordings, and 18,000 films and videos. The collection takes up about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of shelf space! About 218,000 artifacts have been put online so people can see them from anywhere.
The museum's collection started with the Geological Survey of Canada in the 1860s. It has grown through the museum's research programs. The first collection of Indigenous items was started by the Geological Survey of Canada. Other parts of the collection were gathered by government officials and missionaries. The collection kept growing after the anthropology department was created in 1910.
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The museum's collection of Indigenous items is the largest in Canada. It's the only major collection of its kind that covers the whole country. The museum also has the world's largest collection of totem poles. The Sacred Materials Project was created to help care for Indigenous sacred items. It also helps return certain items to their communities. This project provides money for Indigenous representatives to see the museum's collections. They can discuss returning sacred items and identify other objects that need special care.
The museum's permanent collection includes several smaller collections. One is the Windfield Farm Collection. The museum got this collection in 2013. It has documents, photos, souvenirs, and trophies, including the Kentucky Derby trophy won by the famous horse Northern Dancer. The museum also has the largest collection of flags in Canada.
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Other cool items in the museum's collection include:
- A Contempra phone, the first telephone designed and made in Canada.
- Cough syrup from the 1918 influenza pandemic.
- The original plaster model for Bill Reid's famous sculpture Spirit of Haida Gwaii.
- Ten large sculptures called The Queen's Beasts.
- A royal gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II during her visits to Canada.
The museum also has many ice hockey items. These include game-used National Hockey League sticks, hockey cards, and the world's oldest existing ice hockey stick. This old stick dates back to the mid-1830s. The museum bought it in 2015 for $300,000.
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Besides its own collection, the Canadian Museum of History also works with other groups to manage collections. In 1999, the museum teamed up with the Canadian Nursing Association (CNA), the Canadian War Museum, and the National Archives of Canada. They created the Canadian Nursing History Collection. This collection has over 9,000 photos, 1,600 videos, and many written records. About 950 items from this collection are kept at the Canadian Museum of History. These include 167 nurses' caps from 1895 to 1983. In 2021, the museum also agreed to keep and care for items from Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Library and Archives
The museum has a special resource centre with a library and archives. As of 2015, the museum's library has more than 60,000 books, over 2,000 journals and magazines, and over 1,000 DVDs, CDs, and video tapes. The museum's collection of rare and old books includes Refus Global (1948) by Paul-Émile Borduas and Histoire et description générale de la Nouvelle-France (1744) by Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix.
Research at the Museum
The museum's collection helps support research in many areas. These include anthropology, archaeology, Indigenous peoples in Canada, languages, material culture, different cultural communities, social and political history, and how museums work in Canada. The museum also publishes its own academic journal called the Mercury Series. This journal covers history, archaeology, and anthropology. It has been published with the University of Ottawa Press since 2012. The museum also publishes another journal, Material Culture Review, with the Canada Science and Technology Museum. This journal shares research about historical items collected by Canadian museums.
How the Museum is Managed
| Musée canadien de l’histoire | |
| Corporation overview | |
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| Formed | June 1, 1990 |
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| Headquarters | Gatineau, Quebec |
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| Parent department | Canadian Heritage |
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The Canadian Museum of History is run by a federal Crown corporation (a government-owned company) with the same name. It falls under the Department of Canadian Heritage. This corporation manages two national museums: the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum. It also runs the Virtual Museum of New France, which is an online exhibit of the Canadian Museum of History. Plus, it manages the Virtual Museum of Canada, a program that helps other museums create online projects.
The corporation is managed by a board of 11 trustees. These trustees are chosen by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. The board then chooses the corporation's president and chief executive officer. The corporation reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. The museum's mission is set out in the Museums Act.
The corporation was first created as the Canadian Museum of Civilization in June 1990 by the Museums Act. This law was later changed in 2014. The corporation got its current name in 2013. This Crown corporation was one of several that took over from the old National Museums of Canada Corporation, which used to manage most of the country's national museums until it closed in 1988.
Images for kids
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The museum from across the Ottawa River
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Vitrines filled with items for a temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Canada in 1912
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A plaque inside the museum commemorating the opening of the new building by the governor general of Canada in June 1989
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Signage outside the museum bearing its new name in 2016.
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Aerial view of the site, with the curatorial wing in the foreground and the southern wing in the background.
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The museum's lower plaza. The staircase in the background leads to the museum's entrance plaza.
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The atrium adjacent to the museum's theatre
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The building's exterior, clad with Tyndall stone
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Curatorial/northern wing
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Southern wing
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A temporary exhibition on Haitian Vodou at the museum in 2012
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A Canadian History Hall exhibit that incorporates Indigenous topics in its content.
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Exhibits at First Peoples Hall in 2018
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An exhibit in the "An Ancient Bond with the Land" section of First Peoples Hall
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The entrance hub of Canadian History Hall, with a large map of Canada adorning its central area
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An exhibit on the Great Canadian flag debate in Canadian History Hall, with the sewing machine Joan O'Malley used to sew the first Maple Leaf flag on display.
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St. Onuphrius Church in Canadian History Hall in 2018. The early-20th-century Ukrainian church is the only remaining life-sized diorama from the former Canada Hall exhibit.
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Exhibits at the Canadian Children's Museum
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Exhibitions in the Grand Hall
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A Coast Salish funerary box from museum's collection
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Totem poles on exhibit in the Grand Hall
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The Queen's Beasts are heraldic sculptures in the museum's collection
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The original plaster for the Spirit of Haida Gwaii by Bill Reid, on display in the museum's Grand Hall
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See also
In Spanish: Museo Canadiense de la Historia para niños
- List of museums in Ottawa
- List of museums with major collections in ethnography and anthropology
- National museums of Canada
