Written By Jan Sims
MIDDLESEX CENTRE - It will be a busy time for the Middlesex Centre Archives now, and in the coming months. From February 1st to 5th, the Archives held its annual online fundraising auction, with support from local businesses and community members. Everything from toys to balloon rides was up for grabs. “The community residents and businesses have been extremely generous with their donations this year,” says archivist Carol Small.
On March 29th, the Archives hosts its annual Heritage Fair at the Delaware Community Centre. The event brings together groups to help people learn about local history. The doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. “The admittance is free and there is a lunch booth and that requires cash only. The invitations to the vendors are out. Response has been great with the familiar groups returning and a few new groups attending too. It looks like more than a full house! So lots to see and do. It really is a showcase for the heritage of Middlesex County and area,” says Small.
The Archives are also celebrating a milestone with the London Township Centennial Photo Archives Project. All of the images have now been scanned as TIF’s for preservation. “This project began in 1984 to celebrate Ontario’s Bicentennial. A committee of heritage minded individuals (some who would go on to be founders of MCA) created a committee to collect images to photograph, making an archival copy to be kept by the Township. Most of the originals were returned to the original owner. Over time, the enclosures these photographs were in were no longer photo safe. The scanned images make the collection much more accessible,” says Small.
More than 1,600 images were scanned and rehoused. But there’s still work to be done in terms of database entries. People can check out the Middlesex Centre Archives on Facebook to see some of the images.
