Upper Ottawa Valley Heritage Centre

09/01/2026

We are excited to welcome our community partners at the Pembroke Public Library for this weekend's upcoming speaker series. Join us to hear about Karthi, Anusha and Olena's experiences as immigrants in Canada. Saturday, September 5 at 1:00 p.m.

Join us for the Speaker Series at Upper Ottawa Valley Heritage Centre! Our staff Anusha and Olena, together with CEO Karthi Rajamani, will be there to speak about their experiences of life in Canada.

08/31/2026

Marion Turcotte also photographed changes to Pembroke's commercial landscape. Here is one example of changes that took place on the south side of Pembroke St. East between Elizabeth St. and Fraser St. Marion labelled her pictures with information about the businesses photographed.

08/29/2026

Jam Concert
Lisa, Alan and Carol performed a wonderful concert yesterday evening at the UOV Heritage Centre as a fundraiser for the museum. Beautiful music, a very attentive audience and a historic setting made for a great evening of entertainment. Two special guests also performed--Gilles Babin and Carla O'Brien. Alexis and Hilary, our student staff, looked after the refreshment and raffle tables. Our thanks to the donors of the raffle prizes and congratulations to the lucky winners. Also many thanks to Lisa Swarbrick-Gambell, Alan Gambell and Carol Macfarlane for supporting the UOV Heritage Centre once again with a performance of Ottawa Valley music. Here are some photos of the event.

08/28/2026

The Museum will be open Saturday, August 29th, from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

Apologies for the inconvenience!

08/27/2026

Swing by the Library and check out this newly-updated museum display, courtesy of the Upper Ottawa Valley Heritage Centre.

The "Childhood Toys in the Ottawa Valley" exhibit showcases some vintage toys and games that many of our relatives enjoyed when they were kids.

Come let us know if you spot anything familiar!

08/25/2026

This Friday, August 28th, at 7:00 p.m. Homemade Jam will be sharing a night of music at the Heritage Centre. 🎶 All proceeds support the Heritage Centre's mission to preserve and celebrate the rich history of the Upper Ottawa Valley.

Alan Gambell, Lisa Swarbrick-Gambell, and Carol Macfarlane who make up the ensemble, are experienced local musicians offering a feel-good mix of pop, soft rock, country rock, and folk classics, with six and twelve string guitars, ukuleles, banjoleles, melodica, and hand percussion.

🎟 Tickets: $20/person. They are available at the museum via cash, debit, or e-transfer.
🚪 Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
🍿 Concession stand will be open before the show and during intermission.
📍 1032 Pembroke St. East, Pembroke, ON
📞 613-735-0517

Come out for a great night of music and a great cause! 💛

08/25/2026

A special thanks to the Pembroke Heritage Murals committee for donating their mural postcards to be used at our Kids’ Day Camp this summer! 📧

The kids got to let their imaginations run wild as we used the postcards in a collage craft; the possibilities were endless. They got the opportunity to write their own postcards, learning the importance of writing and mailing. We also got to use them in our Museum Mystery day for a puzzle to help them crack the code! 😸

We couldn’t have planned these super fun activities without Pembroke Heritage Murals’ generous donation. Thank you for making the summer even better! ✨

08/24/2026

🥁Anddd that's a wrap on Kids’ Days 2026! 🥁

Final Fiesta was an absolute blast; so many activities and not enough time! We had an afternoon packed with a bouncy castle, face painting, crafts, a piñata, and so much food. 🎉

It’s been a great summer of memories at Upper Ottawa Valley Heritage Centre, and this year’s Final Fiesta was a perfect way to end the summer season. ☀️

Huge thank you to our sponsors: Alice and Fraser Recreation Centre, Beachburg Lions Club, Royal Canadian Legion, and Kiwanis Club, for making our Kids’ Days possible!

Special thanks to Ry-J’s for lending us the bouncy castle for Final Fiesta; it was definitely the highlight of the day.

Finally, thank you to all the incredible staff and volunteers who’ve helped run this year’s camp; you’ve added so much joy to this summer.

See you next summer! 😺

08/24/2026

Alex Lowe frequently photographed the construction of local buildings/additions. He was also often hired to photograph the progress of construction projects by M. Sullivan & Son Limited. Here are some photos of various construction projects in Pembroke and area from 1955 to 1985.

08/20/2026

Before vs After! A huge thank you to our summer maintenance staff member who took apart and restored our bench. It looks fantastic! 🎉