Programs, Events & Exhibits

Schools can book the following programs through the Edinburgh Square and Heritage Centre. For more information contact our museums team or call 905-765-3134.

Our Town Hall

Students will learn about the founding of Caledonia, stories of early settlement, and explore the development of the community through hands-on activities.

Details:

• Grade level: K-3
• Curriculum connections: Our Community
• Location: On-site
• Cost: $3.75 per student

In-class presentations

Teachers can choose from a list of presentations for museum staff to deliver in class at their school.

Available presentations include:

• The History of Caledonia – Famous People and Places
• Black History of Haldimand County – Our Story
• Using primary sources for school projects

Details:

• Curriculum connections: Various
• Location: In-class
• Cost: $57.00 flat rate

Badge programs

Custom badge programs are available. Contact us to tailor a program for your group.

Details:

• Location: On-site
• Cost: $3.50 per participant (Leaders are free)

The Heritage Centre offers a variety of programs for both elementary and secondary levels. All programs can be tailored to suit your needs and incorporate the archives and artifacts for a hands-on experience.

The cost for all programs is:

• $3.75 per student for on-site programs
• $57.00 flat rate for in-class programs

All programs can be organized for on site or in class.

For more information contact our museums team or call 905-318-5932, ext. 6613.

Elementary programs

A Trip to the Past

Grade level: SK-1

Students will learn about a prominent Canadian and their past. They will explore how the past impacts events in their lives and how rules and responsibilities help protect the past and influence the future.

Celebration of Christmas Past

Grade level: K-8

Students will be transported back in time to a Christmas from the past. The program will focus on family traditions and celebrations.

Family Origins, Traditions, and Celebrations

Grade level: 2

Students will have the opportunity to trace their origins and discover events in the histories and cultures of Haldimand families.

Pioneer Life

Grade level: 3

Students will learn how and why people settled in this area, and explore the lifestyles and roles within a pioneer settlement.

History and the Environment

Grade level: 5-6

Students will learn how the natural environment shaped the lives of settlers in Haldimand and surrounding communities along the Grand River.

British North America

Grade level: 7

This program focuses on the war of 1812, the relation of the American Revolution to the settlement of United Empire Loyalists, and the impacts they had on Haldimand and surrounding communities.

Confederation

Grade level: 8

This program centres around the Fenian Raids and the impact the formation of volunteer militias had on the community and Canada’s confederation.

Changing Society

Grade Level: 8

Students will learn about Haldimand’s involvement in World War I, and the impact of war on families, communities, and the country. They will explore how society changed between Confederation and 1918 and the lasting effects.

Secondary programs

WWI – Brock’s Rangers

Grade level: 9-10

Students will learn about the Haldimand area’s involvement in WWI, find information on individual soldiers using archive materials.

Changing Roles of Women

Grade level: 10

Utilizing artifacts, the archives, and hands-on learning, students will explore how women’s roles changed with WWI.

Haldimand’s Early Settlement

Grade level: 11

Students will explore the relationship between the Loyalists and Indigenous peoples, and how this impacted the settlement of Haldimand. 

School Days Past

The Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum offers students a unique look into the past with their School Days Past program.

Students will experience a typical day in a one-room, rural school. Costumes, role-playing, lessons, and games are used to help modern children learn about their heritage and the history of education.  

There are two program lengths available:

• Full-day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. focusing on curriculum
• Half-day, 10 a.m. to noon or noon to 2 p.m. focusing on general interest

The cost for the program is $6.75 per student (full-day) or $3.50 per student (half-day). Teachers and adult helpers are free.

For bookings or more information contact our museums team or call 905-776-3319.

Prominent People of Haldimand County

Grade level: 6-8

Students will examine the lives of two prominent figures in Haldimand County:

• David Thompson I – a soldier, politician, and businessman responsible for building Ruthven, laying out the town of Indiana, and serving in the Legislative Assembly.
• Wilson Pugsley MacDonald – a celebrated lyric poet born in Cheapside who Albert Einstein once referred to as “the greatest thing I have found in Canada.”

War of 1812

Often overlooked in the history books, a significant skirmish took place in Nanticoke during the War of 1812. This program has students use role-play to explore the thrilling events of this battle including the capture of traitors, burned buildings, citizen harassment and the murder of a militia officer.