Questions & Answers

Keep in mind that information submitted is intended to be made public. You may wish to exclude references to personal health information. If you are sharing personal information about others, particularly health information, you will need to have their permission to include that information in the material to be donated to the BCM&CC. The BCM&CC will review all content and if material is considered inappropriate, we will be in touch with the creator.

Facts about government and health unit announcements have been collected in our COVID-19 Chronology, available at the bottom of the What to Document page. 

As our perceptions are shaped by our personal experiences, we welcome both facts related to events, decisions or initiatives in your community, business or family, as well as your personal opinions and responses to those events and initiatives, including provincial and federal announcements and actions.   Opinions may also be described through feelings, such as I felt frustrated, frightened, inspired, relieved etc. by this decision or initiative because …

If this experience has caused you to think about other community, provincial, national or global issues, you may also include information about those thoughts and perceptions, if you wish.   

Individuals may feel free to write in whatever way they feel comfortable.  There are no short or long length restrictions, nor is there a preferred writing style.  Essays, short stories, brief paragraphs relating a particular experience, poems, reminiscences, and more are all welcome. 

Unless submittors include restrictions in their submission forms, some images or quotes from stories may be added to Brucemuseum.ca or the Museum’s Facebook page to inspire others to contribute and share, and to give the community a sense of what stories are being captured.  Items would be made available to the public to view once the Museum building re-opens.   

If creators would like to restrict public access to the items they submit, for a period of time, or would like to require their permission before the Museum provides reproductions to researchers for uses other than personal research and study, they may indicate that in the “Restrictions” section of the submission document or Deed of Gift.   Please feel free to contact the Archivist with questions concerning restrictions:  226-909-2426, archives@brucecounty.on.ca

For more information about how the submitted items may be used, visit the Use of Documents page. 

The project is open ended as the situation continues to evolve.  Please document for as long as you are willing and able.  You may make multiple submissions over time, or make one submission when you are ready.   

At this time, we appreciate submissions in electronic format (Word or PDF or Text files, for example, or typing directly into the submission form).  We will accept hardcopies as well, particularly if people prefer handwriting to typing!  Visit the Share Your Experiences page for information about donating by mail or in person (when the Museum eventually re-opens and announces a process for in-person donations).  

Yes, the BCM&CC will eventually be accepting objects and other materials that help share the story of our experiences during the pandemic.   

Most of this collecting will occur when the Museum is again open to the public.  In the meantime, we invite you to consider what items you may wish to speak to us about donating in the future. 

Examples of items may include: 

• New products developed by Bruce County businesses in response to the pandemic
• Home-made masks
• Business communications with clients or posters concerning changes to business practices 
• Drawings or sketches depicting unique aspects of life during the pandemic time