905-309-0796

Preserving and Sharing Grimsby's Past For the Future
Preserving and Sharing Grimsby's Past For the Future
Hours at the GHS Archives
Monday and Friday 9am-1pm
Research Requests can be submitted
via email to info@grimsbyhistoricalsociety.com
GHS Speaker Series
presents....
Sarah OatleyGrimsby Public
Art Gallery
"Celebrating GPAG's
50th Anniversary"
Thursday April 10, 20257:30pm-9:00pm
Livingston Activity Centre18 Livingston Ave
Grimsby, Ontario
GHS Members: complimentary admission
Guests: $10.00 payable at the door
GHS Speaker Series
presents....
Sarah Oatley
Grimsby Public
Art Gallery
"Celebrating GPAG's
50th Anniversary"
Thursday April 10, 2025
7:30pm-9:00pm
Livingston Activity Centre
18 Livingston Ave
Grimsby, Ontario
GHS Members: complimentary admission
Guests: $10.00 payable at the door
Sarah is an art historian and researcher working as a program assistant for the GPAG's 50th anniversary. She has conducted research and produced exhibits across Canada including the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, the Bachinski-Chu Print/Study Collection and the Fashion History Museum.
Presentation features the history of the foundations of the art gallery from basement beginnings to the new building. Highlighting significant moments in the gallery's history including prominent exhibiting artists, interesting and unconventional programming, permanent collection features and vault storage upgrades

Click on the video to
discover the GHS Archives!
The GHS has created a special video, in collaboration with Geet Collective, showcasing who we are, what we do, and how the community can get involved.
Whether you're interested in joining, volunteering, or simply learning more about our rich history, there's something for everyone to discover!
Let's come together to celebrate and preserve our collective heritage!
GENEALOGY:
Ancestry ($) - www.ancestry.ca
Blacksheep Ancestors - www.blacksheepancestors.com (linked to Ancestry however you may get a couple of weeks free)
British Home Children - www.britishhomechildrenregistry.com
Britsh Newspaper Archives ($) - www.britishnewspaperarchives.co.uk
Canada Census recores 1842-1921 -
Cyndi's List - www.cyndislist.com
Family Search - www.familysearch.org
Family Search Wiki - www.familysearch.org>wiki
Find My Past ($) - www.findmypast.com
Grimsby Research Links:
Grimsby Chautauqua - Grimsby Chautauqua
Sweat Equitiy - The Grimsby Co-operative 1953-1956
Ready to Start your Research?
Ready to Start your Research?
MAPS :
($) - may require a subscription
Changing Shape of Ontario - 1788-1899
Fire Insurance Maps (Goad) - Fire Maps
Historical Map Websites - www.oldmapsonline.org
Niagara Navigator - https//maps.niagraregion.ca
MILITARY:
Library and Archives Canada Military Heritage - Military Heritage
Library and Archives Canada - First World War- WWI
Fold 3 ($) - US Military - www.fold3.com
Ships sunk by U-Boats - uboat.net
OUR ONTARIO GRIMSBY NEWSPAPERS:
Grimsby Independent copies from 1885-1949 - OurOntario
The Grimsby Chautauqua
The Grimsby Chautauqua
According to an article written by Dorothy Turcotte, local historican and GHS Archive volunteer, and published in Niagara This Week (July 2018) the Chautauqua Institution was founded on 750 acres at Chautauqua, N.Y. in 1874 as a place where Methodist Sunday School teachers and others could go to learn about the Holy Land and enjoy the restful beauty of the lake.
In that same year, it is believed, Noah Phelps visited Chautauqua and returned to Grimsby determined to establish a similar institution here. A strong Canadian connection developed. There were regular excursions from Chautauqua to Toronto. Chautauqua had a baseball team which sometimes came to Canada to play games.
So what happened to the Canadian Connection? According to Jon Schmitz, archivist and historian of the Chautauqua Institute in New York, it was the demise of the Temperance movement in both Canada and the United States.
After all, the Methodist church had been built largely on support for temperance. In Canada in 1925, it joined with the Congregational Church and some Presbyterians to become the United Church of Canada. By that time, the Ontario Methodist Camp Meeting Company had been disbanded, and Grimsby Park had become Grimsby Beach, a quiet summer community.
Check out the Grimsby Chautauqua collection that was developed in partnership with the Grimsby Historical Society, Grimsby Public Art Gallery and the Grmsby Public Library and made available thanks to the financial support from the Government of Ontario.