In this episode we explore the rise and eventual decline of Collingwood’s Grand Opera House, a vibrant venue that welcomed international stars to local talent alike, hosting everything from plays and musicals to public meetings and community fundraisers.

Following the story we invite our listeners to join us in celebrating Archive Awareness Week, and call for your assistance in a very special opportunity connected to it. We also invite everyone to come to the museum and take in our newest Community Collectors Exhibit “Hidden for A Century: Inside Collingwood Collegiate’s Time Capsule.” You won't want to miss this one!

Episode Picture:

An interior view of the Grand Opera House. Date unknown. [Collingwood Museum Collection, X969.636.2]Research:

The Bulletin, June 29 1890

Cowley, Christine. Butchers, Bakers, & Building the Lakers. p.16.

Arp, Barbara. Reflections. p 110.

Collingwood Public Library Local History Files

Collingwood Bulletin May 31, 1917.

Enterprise Bulletin May 1, 1947.

Links:

"A Day of Tall Work and Many Tears" Season 1, Episode 10 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/A-Day-of-Tall-Work-and-Many-Tears-e18694q

"Preserving the Past and Ensuring the Future" Season 5, Episode 7 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/Preserving-the-Past-and-Ensuring-the-Future-The-Birnie-Sisters-e3fgf18

"The Kiltie Band" Season 2, Episode 8 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/The-Kiltie-Band-e21c3f4

"Letters to Mother" Season 3, Episode 3 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/Letters-To-Mother-e2bajjv

"A School on the Move" Season 5, Episode 4 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/A-School-on-the-Move-The-Story-of-Collingwood-Collegiate-Institute-e3bfckr

"Eddie Bush" Season 4, Episode 5 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/Eddie-Bush-e2t0dsm

In this episode we invite you to step back in time and discover the remarkable story of two sisters whose lives left a lasting mark on their community and beyond. Elizabeth “Annie” Birnie, a beloved Collingwood teacher and accomplished artist, and Amelia “Jessie” Birnie, a medical doctor and pioneer in infant health. Each followed a different path, and both left a powerful, lasting mark on the world around them.

Research:

The Saturday News. September 3, 1910.

Collingwood Bulletin, July 28, 1921.

“These Mural Paintings are from the brush of Elizabeth Annie Birnie” informational pamphlet accompanying the brass tablet erected at the Collingwood Carnegie Library in 1921.

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~canqbogs/pdf_files/Brearley_Female_Physicians_Toronto.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1214952287303228&id=100063654036098&set=a.501284082003389

Episode Picture:

Several members of the Birnie family pose for a photograph outside of their family home on Pine Street. [Collingwood Museum Collection, X969.509.1]

Links: "The Museum that Wasn't" Season 1 Episode 23 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/The-Museum-That-Wasnt-e1ig37a

"Lilies for the Soul" Season 2 Episode 7 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/Lilies-For-The-Soul-e1vqft3

"The One that Flew Away" Season 2 Episode 9 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/cwoodstories/episodes/The-One-That-Flew-Away-e2336ii

The death of young Gloria “Glory” Whalen in May 1903 sent shockwaves through Collingwood and drew widespread attention throughout Ontario, with newspapers across the province reporting on the investigation into her death. In this episode we examine the community impact of one of Ontario’s longest running cold cases.

Episode Picture

This illustration of Gloria Whalen was published in a 1903 newspaper.

Research

Collingwood Bulletin. June 4 1903.

Enterprise Messenger,June 11, 1903.

Toronto Star October 17, 1903.

Adams, Morgan Ian. Glory: A Lamentable Condition of Affairs. McNulty Printing, Collingwood ON. 2007

Enterprise Messenger. November 19, 1903.

Links

The Country Doctor who Organized a Town. Season 3 Episode 6 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/nuHKh11mc0b

The Elegant Lady who Built our Town Season 2 Episode 1 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/uQRN9y9mc0b

Off the Rails Season 2 Episode 10 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/LhXUt78mc0b

Born in Collingwood before it was even a town, Captain James McNabb grew up alongside the waters that would shape his remarkable life. In this episode we explore the story of Captain McNabb, a lifelong Great Lakes mariner whose career was filled with legendary adventures, hard-earned experience, and unforgettable moments on the water.

Following the story we give the listeners a glimpse into some exciting changes coming soon to the museum and we begin the new year with a few well deserved thanks!

Episode Picture:

Fishing shacks dot Collingwood’s shore in the 1870s [Collingwood Museum Collection, X973.582.1]

Research:

McNabb, James. Short Stories of Vessel Days on the Great Lakes, by Land and Water. c. 1910

Sandell, Marion. Keepers of the Light. The Print Shop Colingwood Ltd. 1993.

The Collingwood Bulletin. Nov. 20, 1913.

Links:

https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/il59H0nmjZb

This episode takes a deep and thoughtful journey through the history of Collingwood Collegiate Institute, from its beginnings in the mid-1800s to the vibrant school community we know today. Whether you walked the halls yourself or simply love learning about Collingwood’s past, this episode reminds us how a school can anchor a community.

Following the story we invite our listeners to consider supporting the work of the museum in making Collingwood’s history accessible to everyone. Donations help us protect artifacts, develop meaningful exhibits and provide hands-on educational programs.

Episode Picture:

Collingwood Collegiate Institute, 1874-1923 [CollingwoodMuseum Collection, X976.622.1]

Research:

Collingwood Collegiate – A History – 1857-1993

Collingwood Enterprise January 7, 1926.

Enterprise Bulletin. April 1, 1954.

https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/local-news/after-2-high-schools-confirmed-in-wasaga-trustee-pushing-for-cci-replacement-10793471

Links:“The Museum that Wasn’t” Season 1 Episode 23.https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/V6tI9yvGAYb

“Coming Home ... Again” Season 1 Episode 16.https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/X2a02CvGAYb

As we open on the month of remembrance, this episode shares one soldier’s extraordinary experience during the Second World War. It serves as a moving reminder that those who served were, for the most part, everyday sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and friends and neighbours who faced unimaginable circumstances with courage and resilience.

Following the story we invite the listeners to join us on the Museum grounds on Tuesday November 11 not only for the town's annual Remembrance Day service, but for a special tour of the grounds and their history of those who served our town and our nation.

We also invite everyone to join us later in the month for a joint evening at the Collingwood Legion for a special collector's event. The event takes place in the Legion's Military Museum on Wednesday November 19 from 7-8:30 pm and is a wonderful opportunity to share personal stories and find out a little more history of those medals and military items your family may have sitting at home.

Episode Picture:Cenotaph Ceremony sometime between 1932 and 1965 [Collingwood Museum Collection X2014.47.1]

Research:

https://48thhighlanders.ca/actions/lamone-crossing/

Collingwood Public Library Historical Files

https://legionmagazine.com/operation-chuckle-no-laughing-matter-army-part-87/

https://www.assoknowledge.org/freedom-for-italy/operation-chuckle-and-1st-canadian-corps

Links:

"An Officer, A Gentleman, and a Spy" Season 4 Episode 3 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/LNlZQoB1PXb

"Letters to Mother" Season 3 Episode 3 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/2nSZVVH1PXb

"The Ridgway Brothers" Season 2 Episode 3 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/dtWyR9K1PXb

"Coming Home ... Again" Season 1 Episode 16 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/QRW7EEO1PXb

On April 4, 1915, a fire sparked by faulty wiring tore through the Bryan Manufacturing Company’s factory located on Huron Street. The fire consumed the building, but fortunately, no lives were lost.

The bigger blaze came afterwards, in the days and weeks of public debate between the company’s owners and the town over what would rise from the ashes. Much of that drama played out in the opinion pages of local newspapers.

Episode Picture:

Bryan Manufacturing Company’s newly constructed warehouse on the north side of Huron Street, 1894. [Collingwood Museum Collection, X972.8.1]

Research:

The Messenger, July 1915

The Messenger July 20, 1915

Enterprise Messenger August 1915

Commercial Directory, Collingwood Bulletin, 1906

Shaw, Melissa. Then and Now: Huron Street Business rises from ashes of 1915 fire. Collingwood Today, November 24, 2023. https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/then-and-now/then-and-now-huron-street-business-rises-from-ashes-of-1915-fire-7874769

Canada Lumberman. March 15, 1935.

MacMurchy, J.T. THe Growth of the Town, Enterprise Bulletin, date unknown.

Links:

Tornaveen. Season3 Episode 5 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/NvgROvOM3Wb

A Day of Tall Work and Many Tears. Season 1 Episode 10 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/VNqrEITM3Wb

The season begins with a special collaboration with our friends at the Craigleith Heritage Depot, highlighting one of the many stories that connect the histories of Collingwood and the Blue Mountains. Join host Ken Maher and guest co-host, Josh Skelton as they dive into the history of early skiing in the region and trace the rise of Blue Mountain Resort.

Following the Story we invite listeners to join us at each of our museums for some exciting upcoming events. Collingwood Museum's Annual Shipyard Social and Craigleith Heritage Depot's Daughters of Aatenstic: Life Lessons from Seven Generations. Check out their respective Facebook pages for more details. https://www.facebook.com/collingwoodmuseum ; https://www.facebook.com/CraigleithDepot

Episode Picture:

In this pre-1940 photograph, people stand in line for a sleigh ride at the Bayview Ski Trail entrance. The sign to the left reads: “Welcome to Bayview Ski Trails, No Entrance Fee, 1000 Foot Tow, Owner and Operated By Doherty Brothers [Collingwood Museum Collection, 988.7.4]

Research:

Arp, Barbara. Editor. Reflections. 1983

Hall, Fred. Editor. Fifty Years of Skiing in Southern Ontario with the Toronto Ski Club. 1974.

Shannon, Bill. Editor. An Illustrated History of Collingwood Township. 1979.

Wieder, George. Blue Mountain. 1990.

Archival Sources:

2016-011-S04-F12 Bill Shannon Fonds, Craigleith Heritage Depot Collection.

Research Files, Craigleith Heritage Depot.

Research Files, Collingwood Museum.

Web Sources:

https://collingwoodsportshalloffame.ca/?paged=8&cat=28

https://collingwoodskiclub.com/about-us

https://www.bluemountain.ca/mountain/history

Links:

"The Smart Brothers" Season 3, Episode 10. https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/bXBtGxe0cWb

"The Terminals" Season 4, Episode 1. https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/lMwmSve0cWb

"Never Miss an Opportunity" Season 1, Episode 6. https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/7sOBFpt0cWb

"Off the Rails" Season 2, Episode 10. https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/KtJXuxp0cWb