With a loud “toot” of its whistle, a vintage 1922 Erie B Steam Shovel officially kicked off an old-fashioned groundbreaking for the latest expansion at the Simcoe County Museum this afternoon in Midhurst.
Tuesday’s event marked the first phase of the project, which will include the 5,000-square-foot Mathews Innovation and Transportation Gallery with a mezzanine and a 2,300-sq.-ft. space for the museum’s curatorial requirements.
“The museum is so important to our region as one of the few cultural assets. The museum itself has several iterations going back to its origins in 1930, but the current location and facade you see dates back to 1962,” said Allan Greenwood, the county’s director of public affairs.
The last museum expansion was undertaken in 2006.
Located on Highway 26, the museum is currently home to approximately 30,000 artifacts, antique historical equipment and multiple heritage buildings. It also includes five distinct galleries inside, as well acres of trails and a new pavilion. The facility regularly offers educational programs for children.
“The museum is a true fascination centre for everybody,” said Greenwood.
This latest endeavour is being made possible in part thanks to a $5-million donation from longtime museum supporter Charles Matthews, who died in December 2016 and bequeathed $4,438,000 to the local museum.
The Matthews Innovation and Transportation Gallery plan includes a number of upgrades to the existing museum over a seven-year period, including improved gallery space and visitor experience, an environmentally friendly design with a zero-carbon building, heightened security for temporary exhibits, as well as a more efficient room for meetings and special events.
The overall project is estimated to cost around $16.6 million and will include 11,200 sq. ft. of space. Additional space will be dedicated to curatorial functions and collection storage, among other elements.
The first phase of the project is anticipated to be finished by February 2026, with the entire project slated to be completed by 2030.
“This would not happen without Charles Mathews," said Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke. "This was one of his favourite shows, to watch the old equipment going, and I believe some of his old equipment is going to be here at the museum. He understood how important it is for future generations. He saw something special in this museum that we all see.
“It’s so easy to get focused on the hard services ... and lose focus of some of our heritage," the warden added. "Roads and bridges depreciate in value. These artifacts go up in value, but when they’re lost they are lost forever. Thank you for knowing enough to invest and keep our history so we can show the heritage to the next generation and tell the stories of our forefathers.”
Tuesday also served as a significant milestone for the museum, said curator Kelley Smith Jones.
“I have seen the value of what the museum brings in terms of programming, collections, exhibitions and the impact it has on residents and visitors to our area,” she said.
The $5-million donation is something they could never have expected, she added.
“It was just something that doesn’t happen in museums very often and we are certainly so grateful that it happened for us … and for county council’s support as well," Swift Jones said. “This space will allow us another location to really showcase the stories of innovation and the great history Simcoe County has and be able to share with … everyone in the community and share our rich and unique history in this area.”
