Collecting Memories for the Future:
​COVID-19 Rapid Response Collecting

The Sault Ste. Museum is looking for your help in documenting the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is affecting the people and communities in the Algoma District. The Sault Ste. Marie Museum aims to collect the stories and artifacts of the city of Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma District, with emphasis on items that were made by or used by our community. We are looking for your help to document and illustrate how COVID-19 has affected us close to home. While everyday has become a significant time in our personal history, we are asking for your help to document this time.

​The possibilities are endless. Take a photo, put together an album, write a journal or letter, make artwork, record music. Help us tell future people about the history of today. Your contributions will be kept at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum for future research and exhibition. We understand that this is a difficult time for many, so participation is voluntary and has no timeline. The Sault Ste. Marie Museum will continue to collect and preserve this history for current and future generations to remember and reflect on this difficult time.

Send your submissions to collections@saultmuseum.ca

Check out this interview with ICI-Radio Canada to learn more about this project! 

Consultez cette interview avec ICI-Radio Canada pour en savoir plus sur ce projet ! ​

​Frequently Asked Questions

How can I submit my photos, questions, ideas, etc.?
Send us an email at collections@saultmuseum.ca

Why are you collecting ideas and perspectives now, while we are in the middle of the pandemic?
The team at the museum knows and feels how sensitive this project is. This is a difficult and unprecedented moment for everyone. Our team is part of the community and share the community’s worries and fears, so this project includes time for reflection and self-care. We recognize this is a historic period, so we’d like your input on how we capture and reflect on this difficult time. 

Can I submit physical objects (e.g. hard copies of signs, recipes, home-school schedules, etc.) now?
Not quite yet. Once we are open again to the public and are sure of the safety of staff and visitors, we will have a better understanding of how to proceed with this. We will be providing more information in the future.

In the future, will you accept personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, gloves and face shields?
Possibly, but only from health authorities and organizations so we can be sure they are sterile. Please do not send us your own homemade PPE.

Have you done this kind of collecting before?
We have not undertaken rapid response collecting like before, but we are ensuring that we are able to undertake a project dedicated to an event as widely impactful as the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are your ethical guidelines around this kind of collecting, especially as the pandemic is still occurring?
The Sault Ste. Marie Museum will do nothing that exacerbates the crisis, detracts from the emergency response or distracts those who are involved in it. We will respect that working on this project may affect staff and collaborators directly and could cause harm, and we will ensure that we provide support to those from whom we collect, when appropriate.