Institution: Scugog Shores Museum Village and Archives
Story: The Scugog Shores Museum Village and Archives (SSMVA) is a local history museum and archives in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada. SSMVA acts to preserve, research, interpret, and exhibit items to illustrate and promote the history of the Municipality of Scugog and the Lake Scugog area. The collection includes objects, artwork, photographs, and archival documents relevant to Scugog history.
With the efforts from staff and volunteers, a digitization project was started at SSMVA to ensure the preservation, growth, and accessibility of the archive. Tasks included scanning and photographing artifacts, editing images, updating the museum’s database, and uploading images to the digital exhibit platform Google Arts & Culture. The exhibit “Leisure by the Lake” is the first of many stories to be shared with the intention of supporting the history of the Scugog area.
Leisure by the Lake
Swimming, boating, fishing, and more is how residents and visitors could spend their time on Lake Scugog. In 1940, the Grand Trunk Railway Company advertised Port Perry as a pleasure resort, the perfect spot on the water for a leisurely holiday. Many steamboats travelled Lake Scugog for business and pleasure. The last steamboat to be built on Lake Scugog was Cora. Built in 1902 by Captain John Bowerman, Cora made a weekly trip to Lindsay and accepted other charters where requested. The Port Perry Standard tells of the Third Annual Excursion on Lake Scugog at the cost of 50 cents a ticket in June of 1867. This event saw hundreds of pleasure seekers across multiple steamboats with bands playing on board. The Anglo Saxon was one of these vessels. The boats landed at Scugog Island and visitors ‘sang,…enjoyed swinging, went fishing, swimming, boating, etc’. The bands continued to play as visitors hiked and picnicked before returning home at 4:00 pm.
For those who stayed on land, sports was a pastime taken up by many people seeking fun! Hockey was a popular choice in Scugog. Scugog youth participated in various organized sports at Port Perry High School from the early 20th century. Basketball and hockey were popular choices for both girls and boys. Curling was also a well-loved sport in Scugog with Curling Clubs in Blackstock and Port Perry. Port Perry has had various arenas used for curling with the earliest on Casimir Street, c.1900. A skating arena with two pads for curling on Lilla Street, now Scugog Street, opened in 1922. A new arena on Water Street opened in 1946, and the current curling rink on Bay opened in 1958!
Some talented Scugog residents preferred to have fun by gathering in bands and sharing their merry music with eager listeners. Bands included the Port Perry Band and the Bethel Church Orchestra, but there were many more! Music was being made at Port Perry High School, and at home with friends.
Scugog Shores Museum Village and Archives focuses on local people and personal stories. “Leisure on the Lake” is just one story so far. This year, SSMVA is building the story “Mark Making” about artists who lived in Scugog or were inspired by the beauty of the area. Keep an eye out for updates, and in the meantime dive into the whole story of “Leisure by the Lake” on Google Arts & Culture https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/scugog-shores-museum
Archives Collection, Scugog Shores Museum Village and Archives, Port Perry, Ontario, Canada
