A Workers’ City – Workers’ History

Beneath its identity as the nation’s capital and a tourist destination, Ottawa is a working class town.  From its early days as Bytown to the amalgamated City, Ottawa has always been home to working class people and their families – people who created our city as we know it today.  Their stories – about ordinary people like stonemasons, teachers, nurses, carpenters, and government workers – are often those forgotten by history books and museums.

Workers’ Heritage Centre (WHC) Museum

Countdown to 2010:  The Workers' Heritage Centre website, the first step in addressing history's omission

The Workers’ Heritage Centre (WHC) museum will fill that gap in Ottawa’s museum network.  As a museum and interpretation centre it will recognize, honour, preserve and interpret the experiences and contributions of working people – their work, home life, and their cultural and political contributions to our city.  These are the stories of majority of the city’s population at any given time, and for the first time they will be heard in a museum of their own.

Established by the Workers’ Heritage Committee of the Ottawa and District Labour Council, the WHC operates as a not-for-profit corporation and is directed by a volunteer board of directors.  In 2006 the WHC as part of the City of Ottawa Arts & Heritage Master Plan undertook the development of a new museum in a City owned heritage building at 306 Cyr Ave. in Vanier.

The Ottawa and District Labour Council Workers' Heritage Committee (WHC) is a not-for-profit corporation with a volunteer board of directors.  In 2006 the WHC, as part of the City of Ottawa Arts & Heritage Master Plan, received financial assistance to develop a new museum at 306 Cyr Ave. Vanier, a city owned heritage building.  The Workers Heritage Centre Museum will open in 2010.

WHC Objectives:
The development and preservation of workers’ heritage through creative interpretation, proactive safeguarding, community involvement and synergy between the community and its visitors.

• To present, promote and preserve workers’ heritage and culture in Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley.
  
  
• Operate a Museum to present workers’ heritage.

• Increase awareness of workers’ heritage among the public and target groups.
  
  
• Create long-term local and regional expertise on exhibiting workers’ heritage.
  
  
• Promote workers’ heritage in collaboration with the cultural, educational and tourism fields.
  
  
• Interpret and preserve the cultural heritage of workers in our community.
  
  
• Develop a concerted effort between the cultural, worker heritage and tourism fields. 

(Top)