KIRKLAND LAKE - In two weeks, the Museum of Northern History will welcome visitors once again.
The Oakes Project: Heritage, Arts, and Tourism (TOPHAT), the not-for-profit organization now managing the Kirkland Lake museum, announced on Monday (Jan. 20).
After closing the doors nearly five months ago, the grand reopening is on Feb. 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.
In 2024, Kirkland Lake ended its lease with the Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT) for the Sir Harry Oakes Château, citing high repair costs. In response, TOPHAT was created to save the Museum of Northern History.
SEE: Historic Kirkland Lake château faced year of uncertainty
Backed by a petition with nearly 8,500 signatures and annual funding pledged by Alamos Gold, Agnico Eagle Mines, and a “royalty partner,” the new group secured funding to keep the museum operating.
The museum will reopen under a new agreement between TOPHAT and the OHT.
The château is nearly a century old and was built by Oakes, who became a multi-millionaire during Kirkland Lake’s gold rush. He built the home in 1929 to use during visits to his mining properties. His permanent home was in Niagara Falls.
SEE: One of the world’s best-unsolved crime stories started in the North
In 1934 Oakes moved to the Bahamas as a protest against the Canadian tax system and was knighted by King George VI in 1939. Four years later, Oakes was murdered at his Bahamas home. The crime remains unsolved.
