As each generation is lost to the sands of time, so, too are many of their stories. Among these are the histories of everyday life and ordinary people.
For Joanna Rickert-Hall, local history prior to the 1973 creation of Waterloo Region is no different. In her book, “Waterloo You Never Knew,” Joanna shares the long-forgotten histories of ordinary people who lived their lives on the very margins of mainstream society. Come and meet the victims of an enigmatic cholera plague in Galt or others who were forgotten in life and death at a local Poor House. There is also a body-snatching doctor who sold skeletons for profit in Waterloo, a séance loving politician and a sorcery-practicing healer who was also a Mennonite!
Join us as Joanna reveals why she wrote this book, who it’s for and what it means for those who live here.
This workshop and all others in THEMUSEUM’s 55 & Better series are made possible by our partners, Chartwell Retirement Residences.
This is a FREE event but registration is required to attend.
Joanna Rickert-HallJoanna Rickert-Hall is a social historian who specializes in the local history of Waterloo Region. She holds graduate degrees in Anthropology, Religion & Culture, Heritage Planning and of course, History.
Recently retired from a long and storied career in the field of Public History, Joanna continues to teach and consults for various museums and heritage education projects. By her own admission, Joanna loves a good mystery, and she often finds herself on an unending search for overlooked histories, particularly those stories that need to be told.
“Waterloo You Never Knew: Life on the Margins” is Joanna’s first published book (Dundurn: 2019) and her second, “Unseen Hands, Hidden Faces: The Darker Side of Waterloo You Never Knew” is currently in production and is expected out next year, in 2024.
Registration is required. Please register below.