NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA MUSEUM OF ART & HISTORY
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Judy Humphries, head of the Gravenhurst Archives, will be the guest speaker via Zoom at the Orillia Museum of Art & History Speaker Series on Wednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m.
The Gravenhurst Archives holds a treasure trove of stories about the history of the area. Humphries will share one of those stories with her talk, Camp Paradise: (POW) Camp 20 & Life with 500 Nazis.
Did you know that that the Canadian government operated a POW camp known as Camp 20 in Gravenhurst between 1940 and 1946? When it looked like Britain would be invaded in 1940, the POWs held in England were transferred out of the country to keep them from being freed by the invaders.
Who would ever imagine that prisoners of war would be offered university courses from a renowned university, musical instruments to create their own symphony orchestra, a library to rival any other north of Toronto, tennis lessons on the lawn, sunbathing beside the beach, chefs to tantalize the taste buds — and all in the comfort of what was once a luxurious sanatorium? It happened just a few miles away and would last for six years.
Oh, yes, and there was a pet monkey, too. Join us to hear Humphries tell this incredible tale.
To register and receive a link to the talk click here or call Monica at 705-326-2159 or email [email protected]g.
Admission is free. Donations to OMAH are appreciated.
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