OMA at the National Culture Summit

OMA ED Marie Lalonde was invited to Ottawa to represent Ontario museums at the Department of Canadian Heritage's National Culture Summit, "The Future of the Arts, Culture, and Heritage in Canada." The OMA joined a number of our provincial and territorial museum association (PTMA) colleagues, the Canadian Museums Association (CMA), other organizations and representatives of the culture sector to amplify the needs and potential of our members to the national level. Livestreaming allowed representatives to join and participate in the sessions of the Summit from all across Canada.

We look forward to providing more information on the outcomes of the National Culture Summit: The Future of the Arts, Culture, and Heritage in Canada and the discussions on items of interest to museums. 

The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, has accepted the premier's advice to sign a proclamation dissolving the 42nd Parliament of the Province of Ontario. 

Pursuant to the provisions of the Election Act, the Lieutenant Governor also called for the issuance of writs for the general election to be issued May 4, 2022 and naming June 2, 2022 as the date of Ontario's next general election. 

Read the News Release HERE. 
Read more about the Ontario Election process HERE.

• Ontario Nonprofit Network
• Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario
• Ontario Public Service Employees Union

Free Webinar
Thursday May 12, 2022
1:00pm to 3:30pm ET

Guest Partners: ROM Community Access Network and Pathways to Education (Kingston)

Cultural heritage is so much more than a recreational past time, but offering real impacts and implications for health and wellbeing within our communities.

This event explores how resiliency, wellbeing, community, and cultural heritage intersect. We begin with a film screening Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with guest partners discussing their work in building community connections through engagement, trauma-informed practices and social prescription.

Read more and register HERE.

On the eve of a long-sought federal government apology, the Amherstburg Freedom Museum is presenting framed photographs of the No. 2 Construction Battalion to local Legion branches for display.

The No. 2 was an all-Black unit formed in July 1916 and sent overseas during the First World War to build and maintain roads and bridges needed to transport supplies to the front lines. According to local historical records, more than 125 Black men from the local area volunteered for deployment with the battalion.

Read more HERE. 
Listen to a radio interview with the Museum's vice-president HERE.

After months of work on years of stories and centuries of history, 101 Experiences and the Timmins Museum have launched In The Footsteps of Jocelyne Saucier, a tourist excursion to take through Northern Ontario by an active drive and informative virtual map.

Saucier's award-winning books often ground themselves in the real experiences and landscape of the area while telling emotional stories of more fictional figures. They established the basis for a literary and historic exploration of the culture and heritage of nine communities in the region, including Timmins.

Read more HERE. 
See the virtual map HERE.

As museums across Ontario face the challenges of reopening safely and renewing relationships with your communities, the OMA is here for you. The OMA successfully advocated for federal emergency support funding through the Museums Assistance Program, the early and streamlined release of Community Museum Operating Grant (CMOG) funds in 2020 and 2021, and for an additional $2 million to support digital activities during pandemic closures. Your support, participation, and membership make our work possible.

Representing the interests of over 700 museums, galleries, and heritage sites across the province, the OMA offers regular webinars and professional development opportunities and resources for pandemic recovery. An OMA membership connects you with our network of over 1000 members, provides you with the tools and resources that support your professional practice, and keeps you informed of breaking news about funding opportunities and policy changes via the ONmuseums weekly newsletter and timely eNews alerts.

If you are already an OMA member, thank you! Please renew your membership when you receive an email reminder.

If you are not yet a member, please consider an individual, institutional, or commercial membership for yourself, your colleagues, or your institution. You can find information about member categories and benefits on our website.

You can make a donation to the OMA on our website or through Canada Helps. Every contribution adds to the collective strength of our sector. You can help us build a more resilient museum sector. Thank you for your support!