Conference Workshops

X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzer Operator Certification
Canadian Museum of History, CMH Research Centre
100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Québec, K1A 0M8

Session 1: October 20, 2025 9h00-16h00 EDT
Session 2: October 22, 2025 9h00-16h00 EDT

Max Participants: 16 per session
Registration: 150$ (includes examination centre fee)*
*Does NOT include the Natural Resources Canada National Non-Destructive Testing Certification Body (NRCan NDTCB) application fee, or level 1 or 2 exam. For further details on NRCan fees, as well as more information on the steps required for XRF Analyzer Operator Certification, please refer to the NRCan website.

Description:
In coordination with the new XRF loan program at the Canadian Conservation Institute, we will be running two full-day sessions to familiarize and train conservators in Canada with XRF analyzers, as well as provide an opportunity to complete your Level 1 or Level 2 certifications.
A waiting list will be established once the maximum number of participants has been reached.

Event will be presented in English.

Instructor: Maeve Moriarty, Canadian Conservation Institute

Notes:
There will be a mandatory 3 hour session online on October 16 2025 prior to the one full-day certification workshop to go over theoretical information related to XRF certification. Registered participants wanting to write the certification exam must attend this event, otherwise they will not be permitted to write the test.
Lunch is not provided during the event. Feel free to bring your own, or purchase food at the nearby cafeteria or other nearby food options.

Steam-bent Solid Wood: Cultures, Craft and Care
Canadian Museum of History, Atelier
100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Québec, K1A 0M8

Day 1: October 20, 2025 9h00 – 17h00 EDT
Day 2: October 21, 2025 9h00 – 17h00 EDT

Max Participants: 15
Registration members: 300$
Registration non-members: 375$

Description:
This hands-on workshop will introduce you to steam-bent objects created by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous makers, with a focus on the significance of these objects to the cultures that make them, the impact of steam on wood as a material, and how these objects change over time. Discussions will be illustrated by a wide array of steam-bent wooden objects selected from the collection of the Canadian Museum of History.

Haida artist Jaalen Edenshaw will share his practice with us and lead us through a hands-on exercise to create our own small bentwood boxes. Participants will also have a chance to try several other bending exercises. Over the course of the two days- you will learn to understand the way wood behaves in reaction to heat and moisture treatments, as well as the skill and experience required to make successful bends. Learn how heat and water can be used to bend solid wood into a wide variety of beautiful and functional objects such as: Haida bentwood boxes, canoes and halibut hooks, snowshoes from various cultures, factory-made Thonet chairs, wagon wheels, sleds and countless other objects- all are made by the application of steam to solid wood.

On day two of the workshop, Jaalen will be joined by a wood scientist, curator, and conservators in a round table discussion. Informed by both traditional care and material science, this discussion is intended to give participants a variety of perspectives that can help them make decisions about the preservation of steam-bent wood objects under their care.

Event will be presented in English.

Instructors:
Julia Campbell-Such, Art Gallery of Ontario
Anne-Stéphanie Etienne, Canadian Conservation Institute
Emily Lin, Canadian Museum of History

Guest Speaker:
Jaalen Edenshaw, Haida artist and Craftsman, https://jaalen.net/
Tom Strang, Senior conservation scientist
Wood Scientist (name to be confirmed)

Notes:
Lunch is not provided during the event. Feel free to bring your own, or purchase food at the nearby cafeteria or other nearby food options.
Active work clothing and closed-toed shoes should be worn for this event

Caring for Aircraft in Museums
Canadian Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Pkwy, Ottawa, ON K1K 2X5

October 21, 2025 8h30 – 16h30 EDT

Max Participants: 15
Registration: 50$

Description:
Join Ingenium Conservation and Curatorial staff as they take you through the basics of care for historic aircraft in museum collections. We’ll cover some special aspects of their acquisition, management, and documentation, as well as an introduction to the function and operation of aircraft and aviation components. Learn about conservation issues such as fabric tears, aluminium work, tire deterioration, and some practices to reduce preservation risks. We’ll also address challenges and solutions related to outdoor aircraft storage, and develop techniques for moving aircraft around museum sites.

Steel toed boots are REQUIRED to participate in this event.

Event will be presented in English.

Instructors:
Matt Bruce, Conservator, Ingenium
Rejean Demers, Conservator – Aircraft Maintenance, Ingenium
Raymond Contant, Conservator – Aircraft Maintenance, Ingenium
Erin Secord, Manager – Conservation, Ingenium

Notes:
**This event takes place in-person at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum. Please check transit or ride-share options in advance of the event. (Travel is approximately 15 minutes by car, or 1.5hrs by OC Transpo.)
Active work clothing and closed-toed shoes should be worn for this event
Lunch is not provided during the event. Feel free to bring your own (microwave available), or purchase food at other nearby food options.

20th c. Art & Art Conservation: Fine Papers in Canada
Canadian Museum of History, CMH Research Centre
100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Québec, K1A 0M8

October 21, 2025 9h00 – 16h30 EDT

Max Participants: 20
Registration members: 150$
Registration non-members: 225$

Description:
The workshop will present the findings to date of research into the fine paper trade in North America in the 20th century and the implications for fine art and art conservation practices in the same period. Rare resources for the identification of primarily 20th century papers found in Canadian Collections will be consulted and the specialized vendors of papers used in art production and art conservation practices reviewed. Discussions and activities will be facilitated by specialists from washi vendor The Japanese Paper Place, and complemented by the examination of artworks from the collections of the Canadian Museum of History (CMH) and the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). The workshop will enable participants to better identify and describe their paper based collections as well as expand their knowledge of historical conservation practices.

Event will be presented in English.

Instructors:
Amanda Gould, Canadian Museum of History
Laura Hashimoto, Library and Archives Canada
Sigrid Blohm, The Japanese Paper Place, Toronto
Gabriela Rosas

Notes:
Lunch is not provided during the event. Feel free to bring your own, or purchase food at the nearby cafeteria or other nearby food options.