Hang some winter warmth on Museum’s Mitten Tree

Join the tradition and warm hearts and hands this holiday season with a donation to the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre’s Mitten Tree.

The museum’s annual Mitten Tree campaign is currently underway, running through Jan. 5, 2025, with donated new and used winter clothing items being accepted in support of Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold and Start Me Up Niagara.

The public is invited to bring their winter clothing donations, such as mittens, gloves, toques, and scarves, to hang on the tree set up in the museum anytime over the next month during the museum’s operating hours.

“The Mitten Tree provides the Museum and our visitors an opportunity to help those in need in our community,” said Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and Curator. “Seeing the generosity of those who bring in donations for the tree is a heartwarming way to get into this season of giving. We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the Mitten Tree this year and to the Museum throughout the year.”

After dropping off donations, visitors can check out the museum’s exhibit galleries, including the most-recent exhibit highlighting the city’s military history. The museum, located at 1932 Welland Canals Pkwy., is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, and will be open throughout the holidays, except on Dec. 25 and 26. Admission is by donation.

The Museum’s permanent gallery includes exhibits on the Welland Ship Canal, A Town Growing Into Note, The Historic Welland Canals W.H. Merritt Exhibition Gallery with its large selection of artifacts, engineering drawings and stories of the people who built the canal, Building a City: Isabella Frampton Hawken Exhibition Gallery exploring the history of industry, manufacturing, tourism, transportation, emergency services and more, and In Service: James “The General” Grant Exhibition Gallery, which pays tribute to the men and women of our community who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice with stories and objects from the War of 1812 to the Korean War.

Check out the Museum’s temporary galleries before they disappear: Last Stop: In Their Own Words, and Food, Glorious Food!

Last Stop is a people-focused view of how St. Catharines acted as a ‘last stop’ for Underground Railroad-supported Freedom Seeker refugees. Food, Glorious Food! features many food-related items in the Museum’s collection, including more than 30 photographs, menus and recipes, tea cannisters, food packaging and tools.

For more information on the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, visit stcatharines.ca/Museum.