Welcome to Canada Day at Museum London!
All programming is free for all ages and abilities
Canada is a multifaceted nation, celebrated for its breathtaking scenery, diverse cultures, and inclusive ethos. It also confronts enduring injustices and disparities, met with unwavering resilience. As we mark Canada Day, let's contemplate our history and our present, while striving towards a future of equity and unity.
All exhibitions will be open to the public from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Visiting Deshkan Ziibi by Sheri Osden Nault
Self Guided Audio Water Walk
QR Code available and accompanying zine in English and French
11:00 am to 5:00 pm, bring your headphones/airpods.
Visiting Deshkan Ziibi invites participants to walk along the Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River, which is also known by its colonial name, the Thames River). They will be accompanied by audio recordings created by Métis artist Sheri Osden Nault, which listeners can stream or download onto a personal device. Crossing the temporalities and physical locations of multiple visits, Nault shares stories, reflections, and observations, as though they were walking alongside participants. The artist’s relationship to animals, plants, and the land itself–as other beings, relatives and teachers, with enmeshed lives and futures–gently invites visitors to reflect on the river, the land, and their own relationships to both human and non-human beings.
Wildflower Seed Bombs
Front Lawn, 12:00 to 4:00 pm (weather permitting)
Join the wildflower revolution with seed bomb making! Blend seeds, clay, and soil into compact spheres. A delightful, hands-on activity for all ages, fostering environmental stewardship and a love for nature's beauty. Let's scatter joy and biodiversity together.
*Please note that the initial participants will receive seeds from artist Christina Battle to take part in her ongoing project, seeds are meant to disperse (2015-ongoing). seeds are meant to disperse is an ongoing project where Christina Battle grows, saves and shares seeds. Seeds take time to grow, to harvest, to prepare, and to share—an act that she sees as a gift as much as necessity and survival. As such, the seeds are offered as trade or gift, in an attempt to encourage and support alternative systems of exchange. As the seeds are gifted and grown they are meant to help others imagine building a world different from the trajectory it is currently on.
*In receiving these seeds you will be asked to send a response in return (a story, image, or reflection) of the seeds after you have planted them. The artist, Christina Battle will contact you with further instructions and creative prompts via email.
Christina Battle: Under Metallic Skies is on display until November 3.
Seeds donated by Christina Battle.
Recycled Clay generously donated by Clayworx.
Sun Print Bookmarks (weather permitting)
Front Lawn, 12:00 to 4:00 pm
Bask in the sun's rays as you arrange objects on light-sensitive paper, unveiling intricate blue and white designs. A fun and educational activity for all ages, bringing a touch of nature's beauty to your summer reads.
Hydration and Snack Station
Atrium, 12:00 to 4:00 pm
Exhibition Tours
Free family friendly exhibition tours every 30 minutes from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Meet in the main lobby. Length of the tour is approximately 45 minutes.
Short Film Screening by Sheri Osden Nault
touching, knowing 2024
In this 15-minute film, Sheri Osden Nault captures the beauty and intimacy of the hide tanning process, highlighting the deep connection and learning it fosters. The interior patterns of the skin resemble the capillary waterways, while the exterior of the hide displays scars from encounters with barbed wire and other lived experiences.
This video was created at the artist's home near the Deshkan Ziibing (Thames River) in London, Ontario.
Editing by Sheri Osden Nault
Music by Skin
Beaded Turtle Charms with Sheri Osden Nault and Mikaila Stevens
Art Studio, 12:00 to 1:00 pm
Join Mi’kmaq beadwork artist Mikaila Stevens of Flourish and Grow and Two-Spirit Métis Artist Sheri Nault to create your own beaded turtle charm.
For some Indigenous Nations in Canada, the turtle symbolizes wisdom, longevity, and connection to the Earth. As a revered figure in creation stories, the turtle represents protection, support, and the foundational role in sustaining life on Turtle Island, also known as North America. In Ontario, seven of the eight native turtle species are at risk. Six of these species and the more common Midland Painted Turtle live in the Deshkan Ziibi / Thames River watershed.
Anishinaabe Language Lesson with Melissa DeLeary
Centre at the Forks, 1:00 to 1:30 pm
Join in on an opportunity to learn about the Ojibwe language and culture. Melissa DeLeary is an Urban Anishinaabe artist, language explorer and musician who teaches basic words, phrases, and the cultural significance behind them. Participants discover the beauty of the language and gain insight into Anishnaabe traditions and heritage.
Sheri Osden Nault and Mikaila Stevens Artist Talk and Touch Table
Centre at the Forks, 1:30 to 2:30 pm
Hides have been used in Indigenous communities for clothing, shelter, and art - discover how today’s artists are keeping these traditions alive and bringing new ideas to them, preserving cultural heritage while adapting to the modern world. Feel samples of deer hide and fish skin leather at various stages of the tanning process.
Beaded Fish Charms with Sheri Osden Nault and Mikaila Stevens
Art Studio, 3:00 to 4:00 pm
There are nearly 100 species of fish found in the Deshkan Ziibi / Thames River, the second largest river in Southwestern Ontario. These waters were extensively fished, and continue to be used, by First Nations people for personal, community, and ceremonial purposes.
On this day, we asked staff members and volunteers to wear orange as a display of allyship with the Indigenous Community. The colour orange is a symbol of the many losses experienced by thousands of Indigenous children, their families and communities, over several generations through the residential school system. By wearing the colour orange on Canada Day, Museum London honours the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, celebrates resilience, and affirms a commitment that every child matters.
