Callander Bay Heritage Museum & Alex Dufresne Gallery

Callander Bay Heritage Museum & Alex Dufresne Gallery HST included in price

*Admission to the Alex Dufresne Gallery is by donation.
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Celebrating Callander's rich heritage and culture while housing several art exhibitions a year supporting local artists all in the house and practice of the former doctor to the Dionne Quintuplets, Dr Allan Roy Dafoe. Admission to the Museum...

Adults: $5.50
Seniors: $5.00
Students (ages 13-18): $5.00
Students (ages 6-12): $4.50
Family (2 adults and dependent kids): $15.00
Group Rates (15+): $3.50
Children 5 and under: Free!

06/12/2026

“I’m Just Getting Started”: Lise Poitras Proves Creativity Has No Age Limit

The Alex Dufresne Gallery is proud to present a new exhibition by artist Lise Poitras, titled “I’m Just Getting Started / Je ne fais que commencer.” This inspiring show celebrates creativity, personal expression, and the beauty around us.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Alex Dufresne Gallery, located at 107 Lansdowne Street East in Callander. The exhibition will remain on display until July 11, 2026.

Lise Poitras has been creating artwork for many years, developing a style rooted in lived experience and connection to landscape. Through painting, Poitras expresses personal identity, memory, and a deep appreciation for the natural environments that have shaped artistic perspective. The work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and engage emotionally with each piece.

“Art can reach people beyond language—it has no barriers,” says Poitras. “What matters most is when someone connects with a painting. That moment is meaningful.”

The exhibition title reflects Poitras’ belief that creativity has no age limit. “It doesn’t matter how old you are—what matters is what you create with what you have,” artist shares. This message resonates throughout the collection, emphasizing growth, discovery, and the ongoing pursuit of creative expression.

Visitors can expect a series of works inspired by landscapes and everyday surroundings, with each piece offering a unique story and moment of connection. Poitras’ work encourages viewers to rediscover beauty in familiar places and to reflect on personal experiences and memories.

Art plays a vital role in bringing people together, inspiring reflection, and fostering a sense of shared community. Through this exhibition, the Alex Dufresne Gallery continues to support artists and provide opportunities for audiences to experience meaningful and accessible art.

The public is warmly invited to attend the opening reception and meet the artist. Admission is free to the reception as well as the museum, there will be light refreshments, and everyone is welcome.

From one art show to the next! Opening this weekend is "I'm Just Getting Started" featuring the works of Lise Poitras! D...
06/12/2026

From one art show to the next! Opening this weekend is "I'm Just Getting Started" featuring the works of Lise Poitras! Drop by tomorrow between 2 and 4 for some light refreshments and to celebrate the talented artwork on display. You can read the media release below:

“I’m Just Getting Started”: Lise Poitras Proves Creativity Has No Age Limit

The Alex Dufresne Gallery is proud to present a new exhibition by artist Lise Poitras, titled “I’m Just Getting Started / Je ne fais que commencer.” This inspiring show celebrates creativity, personal expression, and the beauty around us.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Alex Dufresne Gallery, located at 107 Lansdowne Street East in Callander. The exhibition will remain on display until July 11, 2026.

Lise Poitras has been creating artwork for many years, developing a style rooted in lived experience and connection to landscape. Through painting, Poitras expresses personal identity, memory, and a deep appreciation for the natural environments that have shaped artistic perspective. The work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and engage emotionally with each piece.

“Art can reach people beyond language—it has no barriers,” says Poitras. “What matters most is when someone connects with a painting. That moment is meaningful.”

The exhibition title reflects Poitras’ belief that creativity has no age limit. “It doesn’t matter how old you are—what matters is what you create with what you have,” artist shares. This message resonates throughout the collection, emphasizing growth, discovery, and the ongoing pursuit of creative expression.

Visitors can expect a series of works inspired by landscapes and everyday surroundings, with each piece offering a unique story and moment of connection. Poitras’ work encourages viewers to rediscover beauty in familiar places and to reflect on personal experiences and memories.

Art plays a vital role in bringing people together, inspiring reflection, and fostering a sense of shared community. Through this exhibition, the Alex Dufresne Gallery continues to support artists and provide opportunities for audiences to experience meaningful and accessible art.

The public is warmly invited to attend the opening reception and meet the artist. Admission is free to the reception as well as the museum, there will be light refreshments, and everyone is welcome.

You know it’s spring when our beautiful lilac bushes bloom 👀😍❤️🪻(Ps we’re open today until 5pm!)
05/30/2026

You know it’s spring when our beautiful lilac bushes bloom 👀😍❤️🪻
(Ps we’re open today until 5pm!)

Did you know that Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe, controverisal physician to the Dionne Quintuplets, was born on this date, just on...
05/29/2026

Did you know that Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe, controverisal physician to the Dionne Quintuplets, was born on this date, just one day after the famous five? Born in 1883 in Madoc, Ontario, Dr. Dafoe moved to Callander in 1909 and was the area's doctor for decades before the miraculous birth.

He had a stutter that developed after he was flung from a horse and wagon and hit his head on a rock at age 9. He was known for using unconventional medical methods at the time, for example a man had his hand caught in a grinder and the doctor ordered the men to find some horse hair and boil them. He then used the hair to stitch the man's hand up.

He would make placebo pills by forming little "capsules" from bread dough and powered sugar. He would order his patients to take the capsules but also make sure they drank lots of fresh cold water, got lots of fresh air and sunshine, and rested - doing those things were key and his patients got better.

A fascinating, yet controversial individual, it seems that Dr. Dafoe's life was meant to intertwine with the Quintuplets. Not only was he born the day after them, but he died the same year the whole Dionne family moved into the Big House.

92 years ago today the Dionne Quintuplets were born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne of Corbeil, Ontario. Their birth would be...
05/28/2026

92 years ago today the Dionne Quintuplets were born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne of Corbeil, Ontario. Their birth would become an international sensation, but it came at a cost - a life of privacy and normality of five innocent girls. For years, thousands of tourists would come and watch them as they played in their playground two or three times a day entertaining the masses. They had no chance at a normal life, from the moment they were born they were a curiosity the world demanded to see. But they remained resilient, with some eventually carving out lives with children and careers of their own and finding themselves as individuals apart from one another, but never far.

Today marks a day of reflection as we remember Annette, Yvonne, Cécile, Émilie and Marie, may their story remind us that no child’s life should ever be treated as a spectacle, and that protecting childhood must always come before profit.

Are you an artist who wants to participate in an upcoming art show here at the gallery? Then take a look below! "The Art...
05/26/2026

Are you an artist who wants to participate in an upcoming art show here at the gallery? Then take a look below! "The Art of Small Joys" is coming this July to the gallery and we need participants. Any medium (including 3D works!), any size, any number of pieces.
We just need your participation confirmation - email us at [email protected]

Don’t forget that today at 1 is Chippys Adventures with local author Linda Stoner! She’s got her sets with her, books fo...
05/23/2026

Don’t forget that today at 1 is Chippys Adventures with local author Linda Stoner! She’s got her sets with her, books for sale, and ready to talk chipmunk 🐿️ and hey, maybe our resident chippy Stevie might make an appearance 🤩

Address

107 Lansdowne Street East
Callander, ON
P0H1H0

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(705) 752-2282

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