The Ottawa Catholic School Board Collection now at the Canadian Museum of Civilization

Posted on: 08/12/2010

The Ottawa Catholic School Board Collection now at the Canadian Museum of Civilization

Gatineau, Quebec, December 6, 2010 — The Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) has recently enriched the national collection with two centuries’ worth of classroom treasures, thanks to a donation from the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB).

The Ottawa Catholic School Board donated the entire contents of its Museum Classroom. The acquisition includes about 1,800 books and 500 artifacts, including workbooks, writing instruments, provincial exams, inkwells, slates, desks, maps, globes, lunchboxes, school uniforms and much more.

These items are a treasure trove for curators and historians seeking to shed light on Canada’s 350-year history of formal education. The many classroom objects, notebooks and textbooks provide a wealth of information about teaching methods, school subjects, the portrayals of boys and girls in educational materials, and the rules of classroom etiquette, to name just a few examples. The material is especially valuable because it provides a fresh perspective on the history of education as experienced by students.

The OCSB gift came at an opportune time, as Museum curators were developing the new Toles School exhibit in Canada Hall. They chose specific artifacts and books and incorporated them into the Toles School classroom displays.

The Toles School module depicts a one-room schoolhouse in rural Alberta and describes the history of a group of African-Americans who immigrated to Western Canada just before World War One.

Media Information:

Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: 819 776-7167

Media Relations Officer
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: 819 776-7169

Fax: 819 776-7187