Community Waterfront Heritage Centre (CWHC)

Celebrating the Marine, Rail and Industrial Heritage of Owen Sound, Ontario

Community Waterfront Heritage Centre Hours

Open By Appointment

Notices and Announcements:

New events for November

We’re excited to announce two new events coming up in November! On November 2nd we will be celebrating our very own piece of Canadiana: The Ancaster. Entry to this event will be by donation.

Then, on November 17th, join us for a Country Christmas Dance Party! The dance will feature the Ridge River Ramblers at the Legion with doors opening at 1:00 pm. Tickets for this event are $20 and can be purchased at Bayshore Country Feeds. You can also get tickets ahead of time here. If you have any questions, email us at info@waterfrontheritage.ca.

Open By Appointment

Our 2024 season has ended and we no longer have regular hours. We continue to be open by appointment. To book a visit after this date, please call 519-371-3333 or email info@waterfrontheritage.ca. Regular hours will resume in spring of 2025.

Last Updated on October 12th, 2024

Community Waterfront Heritage Centre
1155 1st Ave W,Owen Sound, ON N4K 4K8

Call Us: 519-371-3333
Email: info@waterfrontheritage.ca

CWHC is a registered charity:
# 839177177 RR0001

CWHC is a member of the Ontario Museum Association and the Ontario Historical Society.

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A graphic with the text "Announcing Social Prescriptions Engage Cultural Seniors Project." A graphic at the bottom indicates that the project is supported by the Federal Government's New Horizons Program.

Introducing "SPECS"

The Community Waterfront Heritage Centre is pleased to acknowledge that we have received funding from the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). This funding has allowed us to start our new project: Social Prescriptions Engage Cultural Seniors (SPECS).

To learn more about SPECS and keep up to date on its developments, click here or go to waterfrontheritage.ca/specs.

You can find a listing of SPECS events on our calendar here.

Adopt an Artifact

Have you found any favourite artifacts on display since we opened for the season? If you have, you might want to adopt and artifact! The CWHC’s Adopt-an-Artifact program provides a way for you to directly contribute to our mission of preserving and presenting local history.

When you adopt an artifact, you’ll receive an adoption certificate and a full write-up that tells you all about its history. In the museum, your support will be included with the artifact on display. Artifacts can be adopted at four tiers: Bronze ($25), Silver ($50), Gold ($75) and Platinum ($100). Adoptions last for a 1-year period.

To inquire about adopting an artifact, email curator@waterfrontheritage.ca or call 519-371-3333.

Country Christmas Dance Party

Join us on November 17th for a Country Christmas Dance Party! The Ridge River Ramblers will be playing at the Legion from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, so don’t miss out on this great event!

Doors open for the Dance at 1:00pm at the Owen Sound Legion, 1450 2nd Ave W. Tickets are $20.. You can pay at the door or buy tickets ahead of time here.

For questions, you can call us at 519-371-3333 or email info@waterfrontheritage.ca. We can’t wait to see you there!

This event is funded in part by the Federal Government’s New Horizons For Seniors Program as part of our SPECS initiative

The $1 Tugboat

On November 2nd we will be celebrating our very own piece of Canadiana with an event at the CWHC where you’ll be able to find out all about how our little Russel Brothers tugboat ended up on the last Canadian $1 bill.

The afternoon will feature two speakers. Local historian Steve Briggs will tell you all about Russel Brothers and the significance they held in the local community. Manuel Parreira is the Regional Director for the Bank of Canada’s Ontario Regional Office, and will be speaking about how the Ancaster and Missinaibi ended up on the final Canadian $1 Bill.

Entry to this event will be by donation. You can register for the event here.

About CWHC

Learn all about the Community Waterfront Hertitage Centre

The Community Waterfront Heritage Centre celebrates and preserves Owen Sound’s heritage on the waterfront. It focuses on the marine, rail and industrial history of the City and surrounding communities.

Our Vision

The CWHC enlivens community connections and experiences through sharing collective stories.

Our Mission

The CWHC honours the legacy of “The Waterfront” community hub by sharing stories, presenting fun and educational experiences and offering unique opportunities to explore the curiosity of area residents and connect the imagination of visitors to our collective history

Our History

The Community Waterfront Heritage Centre is located in the historic CN Rail Station, on Owen Sound’s harbourfront. The Marine Rail Heritage Centre was first established in 1978 by a volunteer group of history enthusiasts who wanted to preserve and expand upon Owen Sound’s history as a thriving port. It preserves the area’s marine, rail and industrial history. It opened to the public in 1985.

On June 28, 2014, the Centre officially opened under new management. We hope you will visit us regularly, whether in person or virtually.

Housed in a former Canadian National Railway Station, the museum features artifacts, scale models, archival photos and interactive stations. It also showcases exquisite ship models made by skilled artisans, along with CNR and CPR memorabilia. Each season, it hosts temporary special exhibits. The former CN station is now listed on the city’s Heritage Register.

Ask to see the working model railroad, or if you’re there at 12 or 5 p.m. enjoy the sound of the historic Kennedy Foundry Whistle.