2010

YCW in Ontario 2010
On-site with Young Canada Works

For over ten years, the Heritage Canada Foundation, in partnership with the Department of Canadian Heritage and other delivery organizations, has administered financial contributions under the Young Canada Works (YCW) program. This summer HCF assisted 64 employers in providing employment to students in the field of heritage conservation.

The YCW coordinator visited several participating employers, including two in L’Orignal and Iroquois in Eastern Ontario. Here are a few snapshots of their activities:

The Old Jail of L’Orignal (L’Orignal, Ontario)

The Old Jail of L’Orignal is a designated historic site located in the centre of a small, largely francophone community about 100 km east of Ottawa. The site operated as a jail-house from the time it was built in 1824 to 1998, when it was closed for some years before reopening as a museum in 2007. YCW student Victoria Conway worked as a heritage interpreter with enthusiasm, leading tours of the facilities where visitors learned what prison life was like during the 19th and 20th centuries. Victoria was able to combine her academic interests in history with an opportunity to learn more about her community’s heritage. The YCW program allowed Victoria to gain important work experience in the heritage field while providing assistance to the Committee of the Old Jail, the volunteer-based group that operates this important museum.

Carman House Museum (Iroquois, Ontario)

The Carman House Museum is a designated historic site and well-known landmark along the St. Lawrence River to the south of Ottawa. It remains one of only three historic homes from the area that was not forced to relocate when much of the land was flooded to create the seaway during the 1950’s.

Through the YCW program, student Leah Droppo was employed throughout the summer, giving her valuable experience in the many aspects of running a historic site. When not working as tour guide interpreting the physical elements of the museum along with the social and economic history of the area, she was engaged in researching and cataloguing the history of Carmen House. This gave her the opportunity of working directly with historic documents and artifacts. Through the YCW program, Leah has gained important first-hand experience and developed new skills in the heritage field. Without the grant, the volunteer group who run the museum could not have filled this important position.

HCF accepts applications for both the YCW in Heritage Organizations program and the YCW at Building Careers in Heritage. Applications are completed online and are due in early 2011. To find out more about YCW and the application process, please visit www.youngcanadaworks.gc.ca.