Moving Histories, Neighbourhood Mysteries

Moving Histories, Neighbourhood Mysteries invites you to step onboard a bus and discover the stories of our neighbourhoods and see them through the eyes and words of local storytellers who have called it home. These tours are hosted by community story advocate, CFRU Mobile Studio Coordinator, and former Guelph Artist-in-Residence Jenny Mitchell.

Each guide brings their indelible memories and intrinsic perspectives of life in the neighbourhood to exploring big questions:

What makes a neighbourhood ‘home’?
How do neighbourhoods & communities change over time?
What impact do these changes have?

Through personal anecdotes and lived oral histories, these neighbourhood tours help to animate the places we live and deepen our connections to our city and each other.

Each of the three neighbourhoods (Brant Avenue, Onward Willow, and Two Rivers) are featured in an exhibition at the Guelph Civic Museum which ran from March 12 - September 4, 2022. This exhibition featured artifacts, video, illustrations, and photographs celebrating these neighbourhoods and our vibrant and diverse city. See the videos and exhibit gallery below.

Moving Histories, Neighbourhood Mysteries celebrates how stories build community and invites us to share the great things and strange tales about the places we call home.

Moving Histories: Two Rivers (The Ward) Neighbourhood

A storytelling tour of the Two Rivers (The Ward) Neighbourhood of Guelph. The tour is facilitated by local story advocate Jenny Mitchell, with storytellers Dr. James L Hunt, Kelly Guthrie, and Tia Carey. Directed by Kimber Sider.

Moving Histories: Onward Willow Neighbourhood

A storytelling tour of the Onward Willow Neighbourhood of Guelph. The tour is facilitated by local story advocate Jenny Mitchell, with storytellers Owen Mulkins-Brown (co-host), Dana Nuttley, Mohamed Salih (Aml), Luna Simret, and Savannah Herron. Directed by Kavya Yoganathan.

Moving Histories: Brant Neighbourhood

A storytelling tour of the Brant Neighbourhood of Guelph. The tour is facilitated by local story advocate Jenny Mitchell, with storytellers Izabela Lukomska, Michael Lewis, C.J London, and Linda Dillon. Directed by Dustin Seabrook.

This project is presented by Guelph Museums, Guelph Film Festival, and the Guelph Neighbourhood Coalition, and supported by The Guelph Community Foundation: Musagetes Fund.