GREAT LAKES MUSEUM WINS GOLD IN BEST OF KINGSTON & AREA CONTEST

The Great Lakes Museum is proud to announce that it has been awarded gold in the Museum category by the community in the Best of Kingston & Area Contest.

Published: Friday, January 23, 2026 9:00 am

KINGSTON, ONTARIO – The Great Lakes Museum is proud to announce that it has been awarded gold in the Museum category by the community in the Best of Kingston & Area Contest. The Museum is honoured to receive this recognition and extends its heartfelt thanks to the community for their continued support. What a great way to kick off 2025!

This award comes after a landmark year for the Great Lakes Museum, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in September with a birthday party attended by hundreds of members, volunteers, and community supporters. The year also brought national and international recognition: in July, the S.S. Keewatin was awarded Museum Ship of the Year by the Steamship Historical Society of America; in September, the Museum was named Top Small Museum by Attractions Ontario; and Museum Curator Doug Cowie received the prestigious C. Patrick Labadie Award for Historic Preservation from the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History.

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this recognition from the Kingston community,” says Executive Director Bep Schippers. “This award is a testament to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and board members who work tirelessly to preserve and share the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that our efforts resonate with the community, and this honour inspires us to continue creating meaningful experiences for all our visitors.”

The Great Lakes Museum invites the community to visit and explore Canada’s only museum dedicated to the history of the Great Lakes, located at 55 Ontario Street, Kingston.