Despite a few technical hiccups with the projector, the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Historical Society and Cornwall Community Museum officially launched their brand-new website at Schnitzels European Flavours on April 30, unveiling a major step forward in how the museum engages with the public.
Developed by Bernadette Lapierre of Dragonfly Web Creations, the new site enhances accessibility, features a mobile-friendly layout, and introduces tools for online membership payments, searchable archives, and upcoming exclusive member access to the Standard-Freeholder photo negatives collection.
“It was a large project that began back in December,” said Lapierre. “Brent had the vision. I just pulled it off as best I could. There’s so much content—from permanent exhibits to historical blogs—plus accessibility features for screen readers and mobile devices.”
Senior Curator Brent Whitford emphasized the broader vision. “This website doesn’t just promote our exhibits,” he said. “It’s also about giving people tools to engage with our collections from wherever they are. Whether it’s blogs, archived newsletters, or a digitized research library, it’s about preserving the past and making it useful in the present.”
President Dona Cruickshank echoed the sentiment, adding, “The existing website was useful for researchers, but this one tells the full story of what we do. We want to bring the museum outside its walls and into the community.”
A highlight of the new site is the upcoming launch of a members-only portal granting access to the Cornwall Community Museum’s vast Standard-Freeholder photo negatives collection, featuring over 500,000 images spanning 60 years, from 1948 to 2008. The Cornwall Community Museum owns the physical collection and also holds the non-commercial distribution rights.
As part of new marketing initiatives following a December brainstorming session with members, the launch also marked the debut of exclusive art prints created by local artist Pierre Giroux for this project. Featuring historic illustrations of Cornwall and SDG, six different prints—each signed by the artist, framed or unframed—are now for sale to support museum fundraising efforts, with more designs to be released in the future.
“My goal is to make history more visually compelling,” said Giroux. “These prints all began as watercolours, carefully researched and painted, then digitally enhanced to bring out the detail. They’ll be sold online and at the museum, with all proceeds supporting its mission.”
Also teased at the event were three new museum-themed T-shirt designs featuring vintage local logos like Cornwall Street Railway, the Mayor Horovitz Annual Picnic, and Eddy’s Barbershop. Attendees were invited to place advance orders, with general sales expected soon.
Looking ahead, the museum plans to host public porch events this summer, including a Loyalist Landing reenactment on June 6, and a Canada Day activity highlighting the historical Cornwall Canal. A heritage garden launch is also in the works with support from the local horticultural society.
“We’re just getting started,” said Cruickshank. “Whether it’s through events, prints, or T-shirts, the aim is to connect people with our history in ways that are creative, informative, and meaningful.”
The new website is live and accessible to all athttps://cornwallcommunitymuseum.com/.
