NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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The Simcoe County Museum has partially re-opened to the public following a small fire that occurred on April 21, 2018. Outdoor exhibits and sections of the main building (main gallery, interpretive rooms, conference/meeting areas) are now operating on regular hours. The original section of the main building, where the small fire occurred, remains closed until further notice.
Additionally, the museum will host the 16th annual Simcoe County Heritage Fair today (Tuesday, May 1). The fair was rescheduled from Tuesday, April 24 due to the closure of the facility. Students representing 17 schools across Simcoe County will showcase their projects on Canadian heritage and culture. Opening ceremonies will take place on Tuesday, May 1 at 9:45 a.m. Project adjudication begins at 10 a.m. Unfortunately the fair will not be open for public viewing this year. Media and residents are invited to join us for the awards ceremony occurring Tuesday, May 8 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Details about the small fire that occurred on April 21, 2018: The facility was closed April 21 to April 27 due to a small fire that occurred in the main building. The fire was contained to a small section of the Living and Working gallery (Military section) located in the north east corner of the main building. While this section of the building requires repairs, damage to artifacts was minimal with water damage to only one WWI Billboard, an original linen backed paper billboard that depicts a soldier standing at a grave, with the words “If ye break faith – we shall not sleep”. This billboard features prominently in the Military section of the gallery. A handful of other artifacts within the gallery also received minor smoke damage.
County of Simcoe is composed of 16 member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
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