Our brewery, once the home of Kenora’s Fire Department, has long been a driving force in bringing our community together—especially when it comes to supporting local families during the holiday season. For decades, firefighters have stepped up to help gather toys, raise funds, and ensure every child feels the magic of Christmas.
Thanks to archives from The Muse and the library’s digital newspaper archives, we’re able to look back on some of the incredible initiatives that shaped this event.
One standout moment comes from December 1969, when the Fire Department placed special focus on the annual Empty Stocking Fund. This fund served as Kenora’s primary method for raising money to support children in need each Christmas—and the firefighters went above and beyond to make it special.
That year, they hosted a Community Monster Skating Party at the recreation centre. The event was a massive undertaking: 135 prizes—valued at more than $1,800—were donated and given away to attendees. The skating party became a highlight of the season, drawing families together in support of a meaningful cause.
The Empty Stocking Fund would continue for years as a cherished community effort, rooted in generosity, togetherness, and the dedication of Kenora’s Fire Department. Their commitment to helping local children is a tradition that still inspires today—reminding us that even the smallest acts of giving can light up a holiday.
Online Newspaper Archives: https://listview.kenora.ca/LibraryNewsList.aspx
The images below as well as the featured image are courtesy of The Muse: Lake of the Woods Museum and Douglas Family Art Centre.
The Lake of the Woods Museum
The Kenora Town Council founded the Lake of the Woods Museum in 1964. In that same year, the Land Titles building was transferred from the Province to the Town and served as the first Museum.
When the Museum was established, the collection centred on the artifacts of Captain Frank Edwards, an Indian Agent in Kenora from 1920 until his death in 1945. As the collection grew, the display and storage facilities in the original Museum proved to be inadequate and by 1982 serious consideration was being given to a new building. In August of 1986, as a result of a successful fundraising campaign and grants from the Town of Kenora, the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture, and the Government of Canada, the new Museum building was opened to the public.
Today the Museum is a dynamic cultural asset in the City of Kenora. The collection numbers in excess of 25,000 articles and photographs. Many displays are changed annually and feature Indigenous and pioneer artifacts, natural history, minerals, pictorial and archival material, all illustrating the human history of Lake of the Woods and the surrounding area. In addition, the temporary exhibit area is changed five to seven times a year and features travelling, in-house and community exhibits.
The Douglas Family Art Centre
The Douglas Family Art Centre opened to the public in December of 2019. The creation of the Art Centre was prompted by the generous offer of two longtime lake residents, Nicki and Bryce Douglas. They have been collecting the Lake of the Woods themed colour woodcut prints, watercolours, and engravings of Canadian artist Walter J. Phillips for over 30 years. Because of their connection to, and love of, Lake of the Woods and Kenora, they have gifted their collection of 67 pieces, to the City of Kenora through the Art Centre.
Their gift presented a wonderful opportunity and initiated a process of establishing an Art Centre in Kenora, the community’s first public art gallery. Bryce Douglas put words to their vision for the Art Centre: “We would like to see a vibrant art centre that would present opportunities for students of all ages to learn about art and for the arts community to share ideas and develop their talents. As well, it would be a place to display not only the Walter J. Phillips collection but the work of local artists, Indigenous artists and aspiring artists.”
With the generous support of local and lake residents and all levels of government, the dream of an Art Centre in Kenora has come to fruition.
Together the Lake of the Woods Museum and the Douglas Family Art Centre are well positioned to move into the future, offering inspired exhibits and exhibitions, quality programming, and enriching experiences that make the most of the significant synergies that exist between them.
300 Main St S, PO BOX 497, Kenora, ON, P9N 3X5 – (807) 467-2105
224 Main St S, PO BOX 497, Kenora, ON, P9N 3X5 – (807) 467-2201
WINTER HOURS – Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 5pm / Sunday to Monday CLOSED
