Our next member is Leah-Ann Logel of the Port Hope Archives.

Leah-Ann is new to this position as she just started in February 2014, replacing Erin Walsh while she is off on maternity leave. She completed her honours degreee in history from Trent University and earned her diploma in Museum Management and Curatorship from Sir Sanford Fleming College.

What do you do at the Port Hope Archives? 

I am the Archivist at the Port Hope Archives. As the archivist I am responsible for caring for the collection, meeting with and assisting researchers, outreach and education and many other administrative duties.

Why did you choose this career?

When I was in fourth year university, a professor of mine suggested that I apply for the Museum Management and Curatorship program at Fleming College. During this program, I was exposed to a number of different areas of museums and worked on a variety of different projects. My passion has always been history and now I am surrounded by it every day!

What is your favourite part of your job?

My favourite part of my job is that I learn something new each and every day. Whether I am completing research for a display or an article, assisting a researcher, or working with the collection, I am always learning something new about residents of Port Hope, and the Municipality itself.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of your job?

The most challenging part of my job is when a researcher is looking for information about their family or a property and we do not have what they are searching for. While we do have many resources at the archives, it is unfortunate when researchers leave without finding the information they were hoping to find.

How did you get into the archival field?

After completing my internship at the Prince Edward County Museums as part of the Museum Management and Curatorship program at Fleming College, I worked in Guest Services at the Waterloo Region Museum. While working there, I applied for the Temporary Archivist position at the Port Hope Archives and I was hired. I have only been working here for about six weeks but I have been enjoying my time so far!

What is your earliest memory of the Port Hope Archives? OR What is your favourite memory of the Archives?

My favourite memory from the Port Hope Archives was when I had the opportunity to view film reels from the 1950’s. It was interesting to look at Port Hope from that time period and see the ways it has changed and stayed the same since then. In my opinion, viewing these film reels was a lot different than looking at photographs and I am glad I had the opportunity to see these.

Do you have a favourite artifact or collection?

My favourite item in the archives collection is a welcome package that was given to new residents of Port Hope during the 1960’s. The welcome package was titled “Hi Neighbour” and was used to introduce new residents to local businesses and amenities in Port Hope. Inside the package, coupons were provided, by businesses or other residents, such as a discount at the barber or a freshly baked pie.