I was not impressed with the McCord Museum & dismayed at Lachine.

Simon McTavish, William McGillivray the Father of Canada, (his sons - Joseph & Simon McGillivray - Metis born), Mother of the Metis Nation - Susan McGillivray, David Thompson (the explorer who named many of Canada's western rivers) where not honored at this McCord Museum but instead relegated a little bit of artifacts spread here & there throughout the museum; it doesn't make it interesting, too cold & impersonal. Montreal was built because of the Fur-trade. There were no bleeding hearts activists back at that period protesting the wide-spread slaughter of the furry little creatures. It was the demand for the the European fashion that promoted the industry thus the North West Company fulfilled their penchant for furs in Europe. Aboriginals only wanted the products that they could trade for feeding their families with or surviving. European colonization wanted to Christianize the savages & settle their lands which they thought natives were misusing or not using.

I was upset the Lachine National Historical Park was such in disarray & disrepair. I believe it could bring back tourism if finances were not misdirected to other useless timeperiods of history which don't have any relevance to the building of Canada. Hell you don't have as much colored photos as I do, nor do you know where all the artifacts I have located them are at.

I & my family thoroughly enjoyed taking a brisk carriage ride through the Old Montreal Water-front business district & learning the history of Montreal from an uninformed, untrained buggy-driver, who was the perfect ambassador to your community. My kudos go out to the other buggy-driver, who came from Quebec City, who gave us a tour for nothing!  Whereas we took an unguided tour at the McCord Museum where a museum interpreter gave me hell for taking a picture beside my Ancestor's painting & my kids were scolded for wanting to touch the painting! I know presentation of material & delivery of historical information of the North West Company needs to be re-invented at your fine institution.

"Be Mindful",

Gilbert McGillivray

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