Virtual Museum of Canada announces approval of 11 new projects

June 23, 2016

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

Gatineau, Quebec, June 23, 2016 — The Internet is about to get a little more Canadian. The Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) is investing in 11 new virtual exhibits highlighting Canadian history, heritage and culture through the Virtual Exhibits Investment Program. Now in its 15th year, the program provides museums and heritage organizations with funding to create new online content.

“The Canadian Museum of History, which manages the Virtual Museum of Canada, is thrilled to promote such an important initiative,” says Canadian Museum of History President and CEO Mark O’Neill. “Helping Canadians develop their own online voices is a key activity for a national organization such as ours, and we are enormously pleased with the projects the VMC has selected this year.”

The new virtual exhibit projects highlight Canadian culture and history in content that is both iconic and offbeat. Cape Breton coal miners become skilled tunnel-makers during the First World War; Canadians build salmon canneries along British Columbia’s coastal waters; underwater explorers discover shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Superior; First Nations and Inuit youth celebrate their identity in Quebec; and contemporary Inuit artists discover new meanings in historical Cape Dorset prints.

The range of institutions and organizations developing these exhibits reflects the diversity of the country — linguistically, geographically and culturally. From established museums such as the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (Kleinburg, Ontario) to experimental design initiatives like those at La Boite Rouge vif (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi), VMC grant recipients are located across the country.

The Virtual Exhibits Investment Program invests up to $250,000 in individual proposals, with a total investment of approximately $2 million during each call for proposals. The commitment is ongoing: the 2016 call for the Virtual Exhibits Investment Program opened on June 22.

The projects approved — described below — are all currently in development and will go online between 2018 and 2019 as they are completed.

APPROVED PROJECTS (Note: Some titles are subject to change.)

Archaeo-Saga: The Original People of the Eastern Townships
Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum

Archaeo-Saga showcases exciting new archaeological discoveries that are making it possible to study Quebec’s earliest peoples, who arrived in the province some 12,000 years ago. The exhibit features a wealth of information that is sure to interest general audiences, as well as experts and educators alike.

Cape Breton Island in Service: Nurses and Tunnellers During the First World War
Beaton Institute

Explore Canada’s involvement in the First World War through the lives and stories of the Cape Breton nurses who treated the sick and wounded in field hospitals, as well as the stories of coal miners who worked as tunnellers overseas. Packed with original archival content, this dynamic and interactive experience is presented in a graphic-narrative style and includes a field hospital re-enactment.

Francophone Life in the Capital, 1867–2017
Centre for Research on French Canadian Culture

Explore the little-known Francophone history of Ottawa in this exhibit. Through 50 events, both large and small, well-known scholars reflect upon the dreams, desires and prominence of Ottawa’s Francophone community. This series of events is supported by a unique collection of images, text, sound recordings and film clips.

From Vimy to Juno
Juno Beach Centre

In anticipation of the Centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017 and the upcoming 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019, From Vimy to Juno will bring two nation-defining events to life for a new generation. This large-scale interactive exhibition explores Canada’s role on the world stage from 1914 to 1945 through a rich and immersive virtual environment.

Hanging Out
La Boîte Rouge vif

Enjoy a dynamic virtual encounter with Quebec’s Indigenous and Inuit communities. Through meaningful exchanges with Aboriginal youth, visitors will be invited into their hangouts for lively cultural exchanges. This event constitutes a warm, festive and immersive interaction within a cultural milieu whose roots date back thousands of years.

Partners in Design: Understand/Discover/Explore
The Liliane and David M. Stewart Program for Modern Design

In the late 1920s, two young curators discovered “modern” in Europe and the world changed forever. Partners in Design uses the power of digital experiences to tell the story of Alfred Barr and Philip Johnson and to engage visitors in a conversation about how design affects their lives every day. The experience includes an interactive activity helping visitors to assess the quality of design in their own environments.

Photostories Canada, 1955–1971
National Gallery of Canada

This exhibition will feature images created by some of Canada’s foremost photographers. These unique pictures from the National Film Board’s Still Photography Division reflect an essential chapter in the history and practice of documentary photography in Canada and are an important part of Canada’s visual arts heritage.

Sanaunguabik (The Place Where Things Are Made)
McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Sanaunguabik (The Place Where Things Are Made) is the Inuit name for the print shop in Cape Dorset, where drawings were transformed into prints for sale in the South. In 1992, the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative in Cape Dorset transferred 100,000 drawings and prints to the McMichael Collection in Ontario for preservation and accessibility. This unique exhibit will give Inuit artists, youth and elders a platform to interact with the collection and share their virtual curatorial projects.

Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston

Some of Canada’s most intriguing and historically rich artifacts lie at the bottom of the Great Lakes, inaccessible to the average Canadian — until now. In this interactive exhibition, visitors will become virtual archaeologists, diving beneath the waves to explore real Canadian shipwrecks, as they learn more about the art and science of underwater archaeology.

Stories from BC’s Salmon Canneries
Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society

Developed in partnership with the North Pacific Cannery and the Canfisco Fishing Company, this exhibit will present fascinating historical information and archival documents related to the salmon-canning industry, along with interactive maps, timelines and a “Build Your Own Cannery” game.

Wilfrid Laurier: Father of Modern Canada
Laurier Museum

Across Canada, numerous streets, bridges, performance halls and even a university bear Wilfrid Laurier’s name. The likeness of this memorable Prime Minister even appears on Canada’s $5 bill. But what do we really know about this important public figure? Discover the man behind the headlines in this fascinating exhibit.

The Canadian Museum of History operates the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian War Museum and the Virtual Museum of New France. Together, these Museums function as centres for research and public information on the history of Canada. Their principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity. Work of the Canadian History Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

With more than 500 virtual exhibits, the Virtual Museum of Canada is the largest source of online content and experiences shared by large and small Canadian museums and heritage organizations. These online exhibits explore history, culture, science and the arts, and feature fascinating stories and treasures from communities across the country. A wealth of learning resources is also available to teachers.

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Media contacts:
Stéphanie Verner
Media Relations Officer
Telephone: 819-776-7169
Email: stephanie.verner@historymuseum.ca

Éliane Laberge
Social Media and Media Relations Officer
Telephone: 819-776-7097
Email: eliane.laberge@historymuseum.ca