Friends of the Museum

The Friends are looking for volunteers to help with the food trailer – food service experience is preferred. Please email the Friends if you are interested. 

If you attended the “Wheels & Tracks in Motion” event held at the Simcoe County Museum on Saturday, June 13, 2026, when the sun was warm overhead you would have seen each one of those miniature construction vehicles being maneuvered by small hands. Perhaps the children were building a road or paving a street. Maybe they were plowing sand or digging a hole. Maybe they picked up sand at one spot, moved it to another spot, dumped it out and did it all over again. Perhaps vehicles ran into each other or accidently lost some of their load, but it was all part of the merriment!

On Sunday, the second day of the event, this miniature construction site was silent. The rain kept the children away, but the men who operated the heavy equipment were there in their yellow rain slickers and their soggy sneakers as the steady drip of raindrops slid off the brims of their hats. They operated the levers and the pedals of the machinery so that, perhaps with a clang or a burst of steam or some other sound or sight, a piece of Canada’s construction heritage equipment was on the move!

Who are these men so willing, rain or shine, to showcase this classic equipment that contributed to the building of our county and our country? As members of “The Historical Construction Equipment Association of Canada” (HCEA Canada), they are the beating heart of this annual event traditionally held the weekend before Father’s Day.

The Museum, also the location of HCEA Canada’s national headquarters, “is the home of a greater combined fleet owned by the Club, the Museum and private members. The club is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the fleet, working in unison with their ‘preservation partners’ … the fleet has grown at an astonishing rate over the last ten years … a vast reference library of technical material and archives is housed on site.” (HCEA Canada Brochure)

Are you thinking you know someone who would be interested in becoming part of this valuable heritage project? They can find out more by emailing hceacanada@gmail.com or visiting hceacanada.org.

The members of “Friends of the Simcoe County Museum” were delighted to provide refreshments for the Association’s members and to all the visitors who wanted a snack or a drink as they followed the trails to the exhibits. Of course, they didn’t provide any ice cream because that was being made the old-fashioned way as one of the exhibits. What a sight to behold – gears moving this way and that and out of the keg, a delicious treat that was enjoyed even in the rain!

“Friends” is a not-for-profit organization that supports this Museum that brings history to life. We have the opportunity to discover, explore, and experience our heritage. Are you longing for the peace our world is missing just now? Walk the Museum’s trails. You’ll find it!