Remember this? Guess how old we are?

You know what's old?

The museum itself.

First created in 1920, it wasn't until 1951 that the city-sanctioned board got its own space (Pictured above. Thanks for the furniture Sir James Dunn!) at the Pine Street Armoury for a library/museum.

Interested to know how the museum got to be where is now at the corner of East and Queen? Read on, as the Sault Ste. Marie Museum tells its own story.

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On August 10th, 1920, an organizational meeting was held attended by twelve interested members of the community. 

At a subsequent meeting held on August 17, 1920, in the council chambers of City Hall, a constitution was adopted and a slate of officers elected.

Between the years 1920 and 1923, several applications to the Ontario Government for financial support were denied.

The Society however continued to collect and preserve the local history of our city.

On January 26th, 1951 the Society again became more active.

Lt. Col. Derrer had persuaded the Department of Defense to approve the exclusive use of a room in the Pine St. Armoury for a library / museum. 

Subsequently, a meeting held in the council chambers of City Hall, led by original members of the Society, led to the formation of the “Sault Ste. Marie & 49th Regiment R.C.A. Historical Society”.  

Although the Department of Defense had allocated space for the museum, the Society was responsible for its furnishings. 

Sir James Dunn, then president of Algoma Steel, furnished it handsomely in all details. 

But the museum lacked storage or repository space for museum records, the exhibits were confusingly labeled, and the historical context of artifacts was not clearly demonstrated. 

Therefore, in 1956 a part time secretary / treasurer / curator was hired to alleviate this situation. 

However, over time the physical limitations of the space became more acute, added to which access by the public was difficult.

On March 17th, 1962, the Sault Ste. Marie & 49th Field Regiment R.C.A. Historical Society became incorporated through affiliation and membership with the Ontario Historical Society.

In 1980, with the introduction of museum standards by the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation as a requirement for funding, the need to find alternative space became imperative.

The “Old Post Office” building which the museum currently occupies was identified as the most promising site.  

In 1982 the City of Sault Ste. Marie purchased the “Old Post Office” building from the federal government. It was agreed that the Sault Ste. Marie & 49th Field Regiment R.C.A.

Historical Society would move into the building and operate a community museum called the “Sault Ste. Marie Museum”.

On December 10th, 1983 the museum was officially opened in its current location.

Find more entries here, and check out what the museum has to offer at www.saultmuseum.com

You can also check out LOCAL2's new Friday feature, The LOCAL2 Time Machine, which features historical images and video courtesy the Sault Ste. Marie Museum.