Lambton Heritage Museum

10/14/2026

If you're coming to our Lambton Fall Colour and Craft Festival this weekend, make sure you take advantage of the opportunity to tour our recently completed Canatara Cabin!

We added some very special finishing touches when selecting the artifacts for display in this space.

The delightful sun hat belonged to the Spaulding family and protected the heads of multiple generations as they basked on Lake Huron's beach.

The children's bowl and pitcher featuring nursery rhymes were also used by the Spaulding family over the years.

It's the perfect break from shopping and like stepping into a portal from the past!

10/13/2026

Classroom and homeschool teachers, it’s not too late to book a Holidays @ Heritage field trip!

You will:
🎄Learn about Christmases long ago and holiday traditions around the world
🕯️Make holiday crafts to take home
☕Taste warm spicy wassail with a costumed interpreter
🏠Visit six historical buildings, including the restored Canatara Cabin
🚜Take a hayride
🗺️ go on a scavenger hunt
and more!

The program is available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from November 24 to December 16 for students from kindergarten through grade four.

There are more than 20 different stations to explore. Go to https://loom.ly/IFxe9NQ to request a booking or contact the museum for more information.

10/10/2026

This season, we’re living in technicolor! We invite you to join us as we indulge in an enriching experience that highlights some of the vibrant colours from our collection. From red to violet and everything in between, come along as we follow the rainbow!

Milk paint is one of the oldest known finishes. It was made by mixing sour milk or buttermilk with lime. The natural binder in milk is called casein. It's dissolved by the lime, which acted as a preservative. The chemical reaction helped the mixture cling to porous surfaces like raw wood and plaster. Water was also used to dilute the mixture depending on the desired effect.

Milk paint was a cheap option that created a durable finish. The plain paint was white with a matte, velvety finish. However, natural pigments were often included to add colour and character. Blue milk paint was a popular colour, though pigments were often harder to source. Depending on the availability, this colour could be achieved by adding pigments such as cobalt, ultramarine, indigo or smalt.

The results vary depending on the type of pigment added. Traditionally, blue milk paint is often a muted blue grey colour, similar to the colour used on the shutters of the Canatara Cabin.

10/08/2026

Have you walked along the beaches of Lake Huron in cold windy fall weather? Waves storming the shore? This is the perfect time to cozy up with a book or two from our gift shop.

Discover tales of underwater mysteries in "Great Lakes Shipwrecks" and "The Wreck of the Griffon". You may also enjoy "Weather Bomb 1913", a detailed account of the Great Storm of 1913.

Pick up your copy during our regular museum hours Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

10/05/2026

When selecting themes for our "Bluewaterland" feature exhibition, we wanted to share about some of our more recent history in addition to ways local residents have experienced Lake Huron in the past.

We worked with local surfer Bo Ma to explore the surf culture here in Lambton Shores. Bo is a surfing enthusiast and co-founder of Siren Section A women and q***r surf and skate club, Siren Section is a safe, inclusive space offering monthly workshops, socials, and private lessons.

Bo conducted oral history interviews and collected photographs from local surfers that have been involved in the scene since the 1980s. This celebration of local surf culture also explores themes like water safety and the best time of year to catch a wave on Lake Huron! 🌊

Visit us by October 18 to explore "Bluewaterland", and learn more at https://loom.ly/TwbKF3k

10/02/2026

Have an idea for sharing Lambton County's history, heritage or culture in a new way?

The Creative County Grant Program can help new and expanding projects get off the ground, with funding available for up to 50% of project costs.

From community heritage initiatives to cultural events and creative projects, we're looking forward to seeing what Lambton County creates next.

Applications are now open for the Creative County Grant Program.

Planning an arts, culture or heritage project in Lambton County for 2027? The Creative County Grant Program supports new and expanding initiatives that strengthen our creative community and enrich life in Lambton County.

Eligible applicants can apply for funding to cover up to 50% of project costs.

📅 Applications open: October 1 at 9:00 a.m.
📅 Deadline: November 9 at 4:00 p.m.

Learn more and apply online: lambtononline.ca/creativecounty

10/01/2026

Are you a team looking for a unique volunteer opportunity with added benefits?

Lambton Heritage Museum is seeking an organized team of adults or older teens to help us with parking operations during the Lambton Fall Colour & Craft Festival.

We're looking for a group that works well together, such as a sports team, service club, youth organization, or recreation league, to help direct visitors and keep traffic moving smoothly during one of our busiest events of the year. In exchange, Lambton Heritage Museum would be pleased to provide your group with a financial donation.

Shifts are needed from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18.

Call Marketing & Events Coordinator Jessica at 519-243-2600 ext. 3153 to learn more about this opportunity.

09/30/2026

Inside our recently restored Canatara Cabin, our curatorial team has included many personal touches from the Spaulding family that lived there from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Framed in one of the cabin's corners are two archival pictures that would have had special significance to the Spaulding family. On the left is a picture of Front Street in Sarnia at the turn of the century. On the right is an image of the Rosedale neighbourhood in Toronto. The Spauldings lived in this famous Toronto neighbourhood for most of the year, spending their summers at this cottage on Lake Huron in Sarnia.

09/28/2026

Teachers, it’s the perfect time to plan a festive Holidays @ Heritage field trip for your students!

Students from kindergarten to grade four will discover holiday traditions from around the world and learn what Christmas was like long ago. Over 20 different stations are available to explore. Take part in themed activities like scavenger hunts, games, and candlemaking. Create holiday crafts to take home. Visit six historical buildings including the newly restored Canatara Cabin. Hop on the hayride and warm up with a glass of hot wassail with a costumed interpreter.

Field trips can be booked on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from November 24 to December 16. This popular program will fill up quickly. Go to https://www.heritagemuseum.ca/visit/plan-your-visit/group-tours-field-trips/ to request a booking or contact the museum for more information.

09/25/2026

Southwestern Ontario is home to many fascinating and threatened species of turtles. As part of our "Bluewaterland" exhibition, we wanted to celebrate these very special reptiles.

Back in 2024, the Grand Bend Art Centre held workshops where students learned about turtles and made their own clay turtles. Grade four and five students participated from Bosanquet Central Public School, Hillside School, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary School, and Grand Bend Public School.

The Grand Bend Art Centre's artistic team took these turtles and created a beautiful sculpture called "Emerging Turtles" to help teach the public about these beautiful creatures and the threats that they face.

Come and see "Emerging Turtles" as part of our "Bluewaterland" exhibition, which is available until October 18.

Learn more: https://loom.ly/TwbKF3k