L.R. Wilson Heritage Research Archives

08/29/2026

Walking through History Cemetery Tours

Sat Sept 26 9:30 am Oakwood Cemetery

Sat Sept 26 12:00 pm Overholt Cemetery

Join us for a walk through history as your guide takes you through the oldest sections of the cemetery. You’ll hear stories about the local people and the local community and learn about how the customs and rituals around death and burial have changed over time.

Please dress appropriately with good walking shoes. $10 donation per person. Pre-registration required, contact: [email protected] to book your spot!

08/25/2026

NOTICE:

The Roselawn Centre and L.R. Wilson Heritage Research Archives will be closed to the public on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 for staff training.

The Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum and Arabella's Tea Room will remain open for their regularly scheduled hours.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or 905-834-7604.

08/24/2026

Exciting News! The L.R. Wilson Heritage Research Archives will be offering 2 bonus Urban History Walking Tours this September:

⚓Sept 5th, West St Tour at 9:30 am

⚓Sept 12th, Tennessee Ave Tour at 9:30 am

Join us for fun and informative tours about Port Colborne’s urban history. Hear some stories about the places and people, and learn about the unique history of this community built around the Welland Canal.

Contact [email protected] for more information and to sign up today!

08/06/2026

There's still time to lace up your walking shoes and discover the history of Port Colborne on an Urban History Walking Tour this summer!

Provided by the L.R. Wilson Heritage Research Archives, the tours explore historic locations around the city and provide an insight into how Port Colborne has grown!

⚓West St. Tour - August 7, 10:00am
⚓Main St. Old Humberstone Village Tour - August 21, 10:00am
⚓Tennessee Ave. & the Humberstone Club Tour - August 28, 10:00am

Contact [email protected] or 905-834-7604 today to sign up and learn more!

06/03/2026

Due to some rainy weather in May, we have rescheduled our tour of Oakwood Cemetery to this Saturday, June 6th at 9:30am.

If you are interested in joining us for a walk through history, register in advance by calling the Port Colborne Museum (905) 834 7604 or by email [email protected]

All tours last approximately 1.5 hours
Suggested donation minimum $10 per person

05/22/2026

Archives Assistant, Julianna was at the Port Colborne Farmers' Market this morning sharing the exciting news that the L.R. Wilson Heritage Research Archives' Urban History Walking Tours will be returning for another summer!

Lace up your walking shoes and explore historic locations around the city and gain insight on how Port Colborne has grown 🚶

Swipe to see upcoming tour dates and contact [email protected] to book your spot now!

05/09/2026

Join us for a Walk through History on our Cemetery Tours as we explore the people, culture, and history of our local community.

All tours last approximately 1.5 hours
Suggested donation minimum $10 per person

Tour sizes are limited and participants are asked to register in advance by calling the Port Colborne Museum (905) 834 7604 or by email [email protected]

04/30/2026

Z is for . . . Zavitz!

Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Zavitz Steele and her husband, David Steele sat for this photo c.1870. Both the Zavitz and Steele families were among the earliest settlers in the area.

Featured: PCHMM 2017.10.5

04/29/2026

Y is for . . . YouTube!

Check out this video on the history of Steele Street School, produced using research and analysis by our Archives staff.

5 likes. "Building History: Reports on Port Colborne's Architectural Legacy ~ Ep. 1 Steele St. School"

04/28/2026

X is for . . . Xylography!

Woodcut of the Bluenose. The artist, Evern Earl Bailly (E. Earl Bailly) is best known for his paintings. This woodcut was produced to help pay for Bailly's passage on the Bluenose to the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. Bailly (1903-77) lived in Lunenburg, N.S.

At the age of 3 he contracted polio and lost the use of his hands and legs. He learned how to paint by holding a brush in his mouth, and graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art in 1954.

Featured: PCHMM 2010.8.11