The Lambton Heritage Museum is inviting the community to learn more about local waterways.
The new exhibit "Bluewaterland: Dive Into the Depths" is an in-depth exploration of how the lake and St. Clair River have impacted life in Lambton County.
“There are different aspects of the history of the two bodies of water that we'll be looking at, but pulling a lot of different artifacts from the museum collection, there are some interactive activities if people want to bring their families, and things that kids can enjoy as well," said Curator/Supervisor with Lambton Heritage Museum, Dana Thorne. "We have some artifacts from shipwrecks that are kind of off the coast of Lambton County, and pictures taken of shipwrecks as well. I know that's a topic that people get really excited about. We're also talking about the rum runners. So these were individuals who were smuggling alcohol across the St. Clair River during Prohibition."
The exhibit also explores early nautical navigation techniques that were used when people first started to explore the great lakes.
"We also talk about early mapping of the Great Lakes area and early navigational techniques. And we even have a section about the surf culture here in Lambton shores, something people are sometimes surprised to hear about, about the surfing that happens here in Lambton County, but we highlight that as well."
To add to the artifacts on display, there will also be a selection of speakers to accompany the exhibit.
"It's going to start in mid July and run for on Thursday nights for four months. And some of the topics in the speaker series include shipwrecks and turtles that you'll find in the area. We have one about the great storm of 1913 and one that focuses on the rum runners as well. So a good selection of speakers if people want to dive into those topics with a bit more detail," said Thorne.
The Exhibit opens on May 13 and runs until October. More details about who is speaking and when can be found on the Lambton Heritage Museum website.
