Digital Panel Presentation

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Grand Bend, ON - Have you wondered how the current pandemic compares to the influenza that gripped the world at the end of the First World War? A panel of local historians will address this question and more in a special digital presentation, Living Now & Looking Back: "Spanish Flu" in Sarnia-Lambton on Thursday, May 28.

"This is not the first time we have been gripped by a public health emergency," notes Dana Thorne, Curator/Supervisor at Lambton Heritage Museum. "Our panel has been researching the local impact of the Spanish Flu in 1918. How were the lives of ordinary people changed one hundred years ago?" Each panelist will speak about a different aspect of the Spanish Flu crisis and share stories from residents in different parts of Lambton County.

Additionally, the session is an opportunity to reach out to the community for their assistance in documenting the current crisis. "Our local museums and archives are interested in your experiences," explains Thorne. "We want you to share how COVID-19 has impacted your life. By gathering this information now, we ensure that this unique moment in history is documented for future generations."

The digital panel presentation will be moderated by Erin Dee-Richard from the Oil Museum of Canada. Speakers include: Dana Thorne, Lambton Heritage Museum; Nicole Aszalos, Lambton County Archives; David McLean, Forest-Lambton Museum; Kailyn Shepley, Sombra Museum; Glenn Stott, Arkona Lions Museum; Greg Stott, Historian, University College of the North; and Alan Campbell, Ontario Genealogical Society. The museum representatives are part of the local Heritage Sarnia-Lambton network, which connects our community museums through shared resources and reciprocal membership programs.

The session will take place May 28 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. You must pre-register for the free event online through Zoom. If you are unable to attend the live event, the panel presentation will also be recorded and made available online at https://www.lambtonmuseums.ca/heritage-sarnia-lambton/.

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Please contact:
Dana Thorne
Curator/Supervisor, Lambton Heritage Museum
County of Lambton
519-243-2600 ext. 3151
dana.thorne@county-lambton.on.ca