Event Details

This application is for the “H.M.S. General Hunter Exhibit” and special programming that will take place at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre from June 18 to December 15, 2012. This exhibition has been designed by the General Hunter Shipwreck Working Group, which has been working since 2001 on the archaeological excavation of the British naval Brig H.M.S. General Hunter. It will be composed of up to 11 storyline sections that will display artifacts, illustrations, interactive displays, descriptive text, etc. The sections will include (1) “War of 1812 Overview with an emphasis on naval aspects”; (2) “Warship construction on the Lakes – The Hull of the General Hunter”; (3) “Battle of Lake Erie – The role of the General Hunter”; (4) “The H.M.S. General Hunter – a new role for the British built brig”; (5) “Final Days of the General Hunter – ‘cast away on the Canadian shore’”; (6) “The Archaeological Excavations, a Community Project”; (7) “Shipwreck artifacts and archival research, keys to the wreck identification”; and (8) “Raising and Conserving the General Hunter Hull – The proposed plan”. The centrepiece of the exhibition will be the possibility for visitors to have an immersive, interactive experience of navigating with a computer Marine navigation simulator.

Special and ancillary programming for this project are (i) the collaboration on Southampton’s second annual Marine Heritage Festival around the weekend of Canada Day; (ii) a marine-heritage themed Lecture Series for War of 1812 visitors, programmed by the Museum exhibit designer and his team; and (iii) the hosting of the annual conference of a Great Lakes Marine Heritage preservation organization.

Partners include the County of Bruce (of which BCM&CC is a department), and local Marine Heritage societies (Chantry Island, Propeller Club, Bruce Coast Lighthouse Partners, Lake Huron Shoreline Partnership, etc.).