LAFONTAINE'S LIVING MUSEUM
ABOUT
Lafontaine's living museum brings to life the experiences of our ancestors so that new generations can explore them in meaningful ways. The living museum is a week-long event that includes school group visits, community events, and an exposition of artifacts from the community.
The museum is the village of Lafontaine, and the village of Lafontaine is the museum. It's living because it involves a sharing of the community's collective memory from one generation to another.
La Meute Culturelle : Prix d'histoire du Gouverneur général 2012
LIVING MUSEUM 2018 - NOËL AU VILLAGE
It was on November 24 that La Meute culturelle de Lafontaine in partnership with the Township of Tiny organized
«Noël au village». The theme of Christmas trees was exploited and the festivities took place throughout the week. The festivities began on Saturday, November 24 with the Tiny tree lighting event and the official opening of the Living Museum of Lafontaine 2018.
During the week, professional caller Jean-François Berthiaume toured several Francophone schools in the region to give folk dance workshops. The lucky ones learned square sets like their grandparents and great-grandparents danced.
Here are the students from École Secondaire Le Caron who are taking part in the workshops.
At the same time, several school groups traveled to Lafontaine to visit the Living Museum and learn about the Christmas tree industry in Tiny Township. Everyone took part in a guided tour of the Museum, a song workshop with Michel Payment, a workshop to create cookies like in the old days, and a workshop to create Christmas ornaments (including macaroni angels and garlands of popcorn and cranberries). On Wednesday evening, the doors of the Living Museum were open to the public. Nadine Lalonde told The Tale of the Christmas Wolf and there was a cocktail reception with bites of meat pies!
Friday evening, the Christmas festivities in the village ended with a great dance evening led by the caller Jean-François Berthiaume. Accompanied by his musician Louis-Simon and several fiddlers and local musicians, the party started! Several members of the community were there to participate and reminisce about their childhood memories!
LIVING MUSEUM 2015
In the fall of 2015, as part of the 400th anniversary of Champlain's visit here, the Living Museum created a week-long event to invite schools and the community to view an exhibit and participate in various events. The Museum authorized an evening of storytelling and literature (Marcel Bénéteau, Suzanne Desroches, Daniel Marchildon), a Maurice family cooking party, a tribute to Bernard Laurin, and several exhibitions (including the baby's room, the sewing and the beard, the radio, the vinyl records and the camera, the spinning wheel, the butter churn, and the school and the telephone exchange). The videos below testify to the richness of the material and the quality of the Living Museum of Lafontaine!
Le musée vivant
Le musée vivant
Le moulinet à pêche
La chambre du bébé
Party de cuisine
LIVING MUSEUM 2016
The 2016 edition of the Living Museum of Lafontaine commemorated the games and pastimes of yesteryear. Exhibitions, chicken pot pie dinner, bazaars, mural painted by Iréné Marchand who has been the background of many wedding photos for decades, and more!
Classes from schools all over the county came for a ride during the week. In addition to seeing the treasures on display, they played games from back in the day. After all, games are for fun!