Government of Ontario

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Ministry of Government and Consumer Services




Travelling Exhibits at the Archives of Ontario

The Archives of Ontario maintains an exciting travelling exhibits loan program that showcases the Archives' holdings in a variety of subject-based exhibits. These exhibits are available free of charge to any institution that wishes to borrow them. The exhibits enable thousands of people from around the province to view selections from the Archives' holdings in an informative and accessible format.

There are currently 12 exhibits circulating among heritage, cultural, and educational institutions throughout Ontario. Current exhibits available for loan are shown below. Click on "PDF" to download a pdf version of the exhibit, or click on "Online Exhibit" to go to the companion online exhibit where available.

Family Ties: Ontario Turns 150

Family Ties: Ontario Turns 150

Discover how the lives of five family groups in Ontario during the Confederation Era intersected with larger historical forces, and how genealogy can bring you into intimate contact with the past!  [Online Exhibit]

Agriculture in Ontario


Driving a Massey-Harris tractor, International Plowing Match
Whether living on a farm, enjoying a farmer’s market, or tasting delicious foods, Ontarians take great pride in their agricultural heritage. This new exhibit examines how farming in Ontario has transformed the land and created communities, and how food reaches our tables.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit] [Check Availability]

Dear Sadie – Loves, Lives, and Remembrance from Ontario’s First World War


Dear Sadie – Loves, Lives, and Remembrance

Telling the stories of four diverse Ontarians, this exhibit highlights the impact that the war had on individual lives. It features a love story told through letters between a soldier and his sweetheart, the heartwarming correspondence between a frontlines surgeon and the patients whose lives he saved, and the remembrances of a veteran who returned to the battlefields 20 years later.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit] [Check Availability]

Ontario's Sporting Past


Detail of photograph showing people sailing on the ice
View images from the collection celebrating Ontario's athletic heritage, including those leading moments and personalities in Ontario sports history, and the citizenship of those businesses that supported and promoted sports and fitness for Ontario and Ontarians.


[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

Enslaved Africans in Upper Canada


Tintype photographic portrait of black couple with their young baby
Many people do not know that slavery existed in Canada. Produced in partnership with the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Enslaved Africans in Upper Canada, touches on the lives of enslaved Africans, and focuses on the actions they took to resist their servitude.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

Medical Records in Ontario


Detail of a photograph of a hospital ward room, focussing on a nurse writing on a chart
Canadians and Ontarians take great pride and interest in their health care system, and the Archives of Ontario is proud to hold an important key to the province's heritage through the health-related records that it acquires, preserves, and makes accessible to the public. Medical Records at the Archives of Ontario is an exhibit that explores the variety and scope of medical records held by the Archives of Ontario.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

Ontario's Movie Theatres


Photograph of the stage, curtains and screen in an old movie theatre
Do you remember the excitement of that special night out at the movies? Was it your first evening show as a - Do you remember the excitement of that special night out at the movies? Was it your first evening show as a child, the first date with your future spouse, or maybe just the thrill of seeing the best movie ever? The theatre regulatory files held by the Archives of Ontario tell stories of the theatres, their owners, and sometimes even their patrons.

[PDF]

A Lifetime - Day by Day, Five Women and Their Diaries


Photograph of a stack of diaries, all written by women, telling of their lives in early Ontario
Diaries provide an immediacy and intimacy provided by very few types of records. A Lifetime - Day by Day, Five Women and Their Diaries provides important insights into the every day lives of early Ontario pioneers.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

Yours to Discover - Tourism in Ontario through Time


Detail of a photograph of a cruise boat motoring between islands
Ontario is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Yours to Discover - Tourism in Ontario through Time is an exhibit that explores tourism in Ontario from the early settlers to the travellers of the current day, using documents and images from the Archives' collection.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

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War of 1812


Detail of an oil painting of Major General, Sir Isaac Brock
The War of 1812 had long term effects on the economic, social and political life of the province. This exhibit showcases some of the personalities and locations that played a role in the war and explores the events of that conflict as told through the correspondence and diaries of those who lived it.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

The Promotion of Healthy Living in Ontario


The Promotion of Healthy Living in Ontario
The government of Ontario has always tried to help Ontarians live longer, healthier lives. This exhibit explores the history of health promotion in Ontario.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

David Thompson


David Thompson

David Thompson (1770-1857) fur trader, astronomer and surveyor, mapped more of North America than anyone else. His journals, letters, maps and autobiography provide detailed insights into the fur trade, the Native People he encountered, the lands he explored, and milestones in his life.

[PDF] [Online Exhibit]

All of the exhibits have been produced on easy to erect panels that are approximately 2' by 7' in size. The exhibits range from three to five panels.

The length of time the exhibits can be borrowed can range from one to three months. The Archives of Ontario, however, will consider longer or shorter loan periods depending on the needs of the host institution or event.

For more information:

Tel: 416-327-1600
Toll free: 1-800-668-9933 (Ontario residents)
Email: reference@ontario.ca