Pictured is a railcar which was used by mining crews at the Black Donald Mine | Mik Horvath/MBC
Glenn Charron, curator and manager of the McDougall Mill Museum, has been busy lately with a modern archival project; digitizing the stories of Renfrew and area.
The project is in partnership with Bloomberg Connects, a digital service which provides virtual exhibits online and includes material such as audio clips to help enrich artifacts.
That’s the idea Charron had when applying for this partnership; he simply wants to broaden access and provide more content for museum goers.
The digital guide, which will be named “McDougall Mill Museum: A Chronicle in Stone” can include additional text, photos or audio to enhance the visitor’s experience and to provide greater accessibility which Charron holds in high importance.
Adding Bloomberg Connects into the equation means patrons can either view exhibits through the app or an online browser,
Charron hopes to highlight the basement and second floor exhibits which he thinks host some of the most fascinating pieces in the museum’s collection.
The milk sleigh is just one of the museum’s extremely interesting artifacts Charron wants to provide more context on | Mik Horvath/MBC
This project also incorporates the community; Glenn Charron and the McDougall Mill Museum needs Renfrew’s help to fill in the gaps.
Charron wants community members who have memories of certain artifacts and historical Renfrew moments to record these memories in audio format and include them within the storyline.
A topic Charron is specifically interested for example is the reconstruction of Renfrew’s Swinging Bridge.
He said discussions with those who lived through these times is a direct perspective on how life once was which will become increasingly rare as time goes on.
The project is expected to take about 13 weeks to complete and the museum staff are very excited to roll it out.
Charron said using audio and visuals creates a more digestible viewing experience.
As this is an ongoing project Charron wants anyone with these community stories to come forth and share it whether it’s a memory, journal entry, photograph or letter.
Anyone with a story to share, or knows someone who does, can contact Glenn Charron directly at gcharron@renfrew.ca.
(Written by Mik Horvath)
