​Bruce County Museum honoured for newspaper digitization project

The Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre has received the esteemed 2022-23 Dorothy Duncan Public History Award for its expansive newspaper digitization project, as announced Tuesday (Dec. 12) by the Ontario Historical Society (OHS).

“We sincerely thank the OHS for this award in recognition of the newspaper digitization project,” said archivist Deb Sturdevant (above). “This work provides new opportunities for students, educators, genealogists, and anyone interested in local history, to discover the rich history of our communities, province, and country by enabling on-line access to historic newspaper content.”

The award is presented annually to an organization or individual that has demonstrated excellence and innovation in sharing Ontario's rich history with the public.

The newspaper digitization project, which began in 2019, represents a significant milestone in the preservation and dissemination of local historical information. The initiative involved the skilled and meticulous digitization of a vast collection of newspapers spanning several decades of Bruce County history.

“This well-deserved recognition underscores the museum's commitment to preserving local heritage through initiatives like the newspaper digitization project,” said Bruce County warden Chris Peabody. “This award not only honours the hard work of museum staff, but also emphasizes the cultural significance and vibrant history of Bruce County.”

To date, more than 13,000 historic newspaper issues (more than 90,000 pages) of historic Bruce County community newspapers, many of which are no longer in print, have been digitized. The newspapers can be searched by title and location across local municipalities. Content can be searched by keyword, but casual browsing is encouraged, with accessibility found anywhere with an Internet connection. The digitized papers can be accessed at brucemuseum.ca/research.

This project was made possible by grant funding from the Province of Ontario through the Municipal Modernization Program (Intake 2), and with additional funding provided, in part, by the Federal Museum Assistance Program.