Carmichael-Stewart House Museum

  86 Temperance Street
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

1-902-752-5583
carmich@eastlink.ca

Position Title: Assistant Museum Curator
Position Type: Seasonal (35 hours per week for 10 – 12 weeks)

Wage: $16.00 per hour
Closing Date: 30 April 2025

Overview:

The Pictou County Historical Society is a registered charity, incorporated in 1964 with the goal of preserving the history of Pictou County through education and conservation. As part of its mandate, the PCHS operates the Carmichael-Stewart House Museum, Pictou County’s de facto history museum. With a collection of thousands of artifacts from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, the museum welcomes hundreds of visitors annually. The Assistant Museum Curator serves as an integral team member in the delivery of summer programming.

Key Responsibilities:

The Assistant Museum Curator will work under the direct supervision of the Museum Committee of the Pictou County Historical Society and will be required to perform a variety of duties. These include:

Ø  Leading museum tours and offering interpretation of exhibits / collections

Ø  Opening / closing the museum

Ø  Assisting with artifact and exhibit curation

Ø  Planning and coordinating events

Ø  Conducting historical research

Ø  Data entry and cataloguing

Ø  Grounds maintenance (lawn and garden care)

Ø  Building maintenance (cleaning)

Ø  Clerical and other miscellaneous duties

Ø  Reading and following all museum policies and procedures

Ø  Outreach to local media / posting to website and social media accounts

Ø  Completing Association of Nova Scotia Museum training as required

Ø  Operation of ‘Collective Access’ museum database software

Ø  Working collaboratively with museum committee to complete projects and tasks

Given the short term of employment, the Assistant Museum Curator is expected to quickly familiarise themselves with the museum collection and the general history of Pictou County – to that end, the Curator will provide orientation and suggested reading lists.

Qualifications:
Essential:

Ø  Interest in or knowledge of local history, geography, and culture or willingness to learn

Ø  Comfort with public speaking and experience in giving presentations / interpersonal skills

Ø  Enjoy engaging with people from various backgrounds, cultures, and age groups

Ø  Must be fluent in English, with strong verbal and written communication

Ø  Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills, with keen sense of responsibility

Ø  Ability to work both independently and as part of a team

Ø  Strong computer literacy skills (e.g. Microsoft Office, social media)

Ø  Ability to meet the physical demands of the job – mowing grass, climbing stairs, etc.

Desirable:

Ø  An educational background in history, archaeology, anthropology, or museum studies

Ø  Knowledge or experience of a museum environment or heritage research

Ø  Experience working with artifacts and museum databases

Ø  Fluency in French

Working Conditions:

The successful applicant will be expected to work during the open hours of the museum – these are usually between 9:00AM - 4:30PM although they may be altered for special events and programming. The museum is open from Monday to Saturday – thus, applicants must be willing to work at least every second Saturday. On occasion, staff may be asked to work off-site for the purposes of research, programming, or other such work as required by the museum committee. Routine duties include tasks requiring light to moderate physical exertion and the use of stairs.

Requirements:

Applicants must be able to prove their eligibility for either:

1.)   The Nova Scotia SKILL Initiative - Applicants must be a post-secondary college or university student studying in the Fall of 2025 following the summer work term, and be a permanent resident of Nova Scotia. Successful candidates must be willing to work flexible hours, as required, and be available to start in June until the end of August.

OR

2.)  The Summer Canada Jobs program - Applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 30. Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Nova Scotia, or person granted refugee status, have a valid Social Insurance Number and be legally entitled to work in Canada. The applicant must be willing to work flexible hours, as required, and be available to start in June until the end of August 2025.

How to apply:
        Please submit a cover letter and a resume by email to carmich@eastlink.ca with “JOB APPLICATION” as the subject line, or by mail to: Pictou County Historical Society, 86 Temperance Street, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2H 3A7. Please include the names of two references.

The Carmichael-Stewart House Museum, operated by the Pictou County Historical Society, is dedicated to the preservation of the history of Pictou County, through the display of artifacts primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries, for the benefit of present and future generations. We are currently closed for the season, but if you would like to visit us, please contact us to book make an appointment. See you all again in Summer 2025!

The Carmichael-Stewart House house offers insight into the history of Pictou County. Artifacts found in the museum include Trenton Glassware, memorabilia from the Goodman Co. Store, and a restored Penny-Farthing Bicycle. Visitors will enjoy the architectural features of the house, including original hardwood flooring, stained glass windows, and Majolica tiled fireplaces, and then have a walk around the Frank Calder Memorial Garden.

Tuesday Talk with Fergie

We had the pleasure of hearing Fergie MacKay tell us about the history of Pictou Landing, in particular, the ferry and mail service run there by John Robert Christie. 

Christie would pick up necessities such as medicine, grocery items, and mail in Pictou Landing for those who lived in Pictou and haul the items across the Pictou Harbour. The sleigh that John Robert Christie used for hauling mail across the ice is an artifact in our collection, and we will also have copies of Fergie MacKay's book "A History of Pictou Landing" for purchase

The Pictou County Historical Society is grateful for funding and support from The Government of Nova Scotia, The Government of Canada, all municipalities in Pictou County and many individuals and businesses.