Haldimand County Museum & Archives is pleased to offer four exciting events in January. Residents will have the chance to learn about a famous inventor from Haldimand, cultural cooking, Haldimand’s Black History and winter pastimes enjoyed by our ancestors. All programs will be held at the new Cayuga Library & Heritage Centre; registration may be completed online or in-person at any County office.

Life & Times Series: “P.L. Robertson” – January 14 (6:30 pm)
This special talk will highlight the life and times of Peter Lymburner Robertson, from Seneca, the inventor of the Robertson screwdriver. In 1907, while demonstrating a new slot headed screw driver for a Philadelphia based tool company, Robertson cut his hand badly when the driver – as it had time and time again – slipped out of the slot.  Always a tinkerer, he set himself the task of inventing a new screw that would not only be safer, but faster and more efficient than its outdated predecessor. Pre-registration is required for this program; the cost is $10/person. Code: 10323.

Exhibit Opening Talk: “They Came in the Night” – January 15 (1pm)
This talk will kick off the museum’s latest exhibit on the history of the Underground Railway and black settlements in Haldimand County. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early-to-mid-19th century. This network was used by African-American slaves to escape into free states and Canada, with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. Pre-registration is required for this program; the cost is $10/person. Code: 10324. The Exhibit will be open until March 25.

Workshop “Cultural Cooking” – January 22 (1 pm)
Shopping local is not a new thing. Our early ancestors had to adapt their cooking skills to what food was available. The food traditions that they brought with them from their homelands were adapted to work with what was on hand in Canada. This workshop will explore some of these early dishes and how they form what we now call ‘Canadian Cuisine’.   Pre-registration is required for this program; the cost is $10/person. Code: 10343.

Heritage Series “Winter Pastimes” – January 25 (1pm)
This talk will focus on the winter pastimes our ancestors enjoyed and how our various cultures influenced our traditional games.   Cost $10/pp   Code: 10407

For more information contact the museum at 905-772-5880 or email: museum.archives@haldimandcounty.on.ca. Haldimand County Museum & Archives is located within the  Cayuga Library & Heritage Centre, 19 Talbot St W, Cayuga.