Heritage & Visitor Centre Assistant – Summer 2026
We are hiring two students for the summer!
Please read the details below and send a cover letter and resumé to bhsmembers@gmail.com.
Background
The Bayfield Historical Society (bayfieldhistorical.ca), in collaboration with the Bayfield andArea Chamber of Commerce, operates an Archives, Heritage & Visitor Centre in the historiclakeside village of Bayfield in southwestern Ontario. Since 1965, the volunteer-led Bayfield Historical Society (BHS) has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing stories about the people, events, and businesses of this charming village and surrounding rural area.
The Archives, Heritage & Visitor Centre, which is on the historic (designated) Main Street, opens full-time during the busy spring/summer season. The BHS Heritage Centre serves as a small museum and discovery space, and BHS has recently welcomed the inclusion of a visitor information desk through a collaboration with the Bayfield and Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC). Those who want guidance about what to do during their stay can sit at the inviting desk to review flyers and be helped by the person staffing it.
Start date: As soon as possible in May.
End date: September 4, 2026.
Number of work days per week: 5 (both students must be willing to work all weekends). One will work Friday to Tuesday; the other will work Wednesday to Sunday.
Number of work hours per day: 6 (10 am to 4:30 pm or similar, to be determined; half hour unpaid lunch break)
Wage: $18 per hour.
Project and job objectives
(1) To manage the daily operations of the Heritage & Visitor Centre, greeting visitors and answering their questions about the history of the village and area, and about our displays and artifacts, as well as providing tourist information and answers to questions about area accommodations, restaurants, activities, and other local sites of interest.
(2) As part of a joint initiative of the volunteer-run Chamber of Commerce and the Bayfield Historical Society, the other objective is to research, write, and design a series of web pages featuring the history and stories of Bayfield's Heritage Main Street, using archival images to highlight early general stores, hotels, and businesses, and buildings, some of which have stood sincethe early 1840s, exploring their cultural and societal value, and, in some cases, their architectural value; to manage all aspects of the project, including working with current retailers and owners of the sites to obtain agreement to affix QR code plaques on the buildings and/or use QR code graphics in their materials so that tourists can scan them as they explore Main Street and are led to web pages to read the history of each and see images from decades past.
Tasks
- opening and closing the Archives, Heritage & Visitor Centre each workday; performingrelated administrative tasks and tidying as needed
- greeting and engaging visitors as they view exhibits in the Heritage Centre
- keeping statistics about numbers of visitors and inviting them to sign the guest book
- answering questions about Bayfield and its history (we will provide resources for self-study)
- providing tourist information about shops, restaurants, accommodations, events, andother local sites
- assisting the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce with administrative tasks relatedto the tourist desk, as requested
- researching, writing and project-managing the Heritage Main Street/QR code project (a collaboration of the Bayfield Historical Society and the Bayfield and Area Chamber of Commerce) to be featured on the BHS website (an introduction to the Squarespace platform will be provided by the archivist) and with QR codes (leading to those pages) created for placement on/in selected Main Street buildings
- promoting and liaising with retailers, restaurateurs, and others about the Historic Main Street project
- developing an answer guide to frequently asked questions for next year’s student managers
- selling books, notecards, posters, etc.; making change and tracking cash received; maintaining and promoting the inventory to maximize visitor appreciation and purchases
- researching answers online regarding historic and tourism-related questions
- taking down details of research requests for the volunteer archivist; helping with research as requested
- helping with social media planning and posting, using digitized images from the archives
- uploading digitized images to a custom web platform as requested by the archivist and adding descriptions and metadata
- digitizing images and other records as needed by the archivist
Eligibility requirements
According to the funding assistance received through the Canadian government’s Young Canada Works program, applicants must either be enrolled in an undergraduate or college program studying cultural heritage, public history, tourism, communications, or a related field, or enrolled in a graduate program in museum studies, history, archives, communications, architecture, or a related field. Only applicants who are enrolled in/returning to studies in the fall are eligible according to the requirements of Young Canada Works.
Applicants must be able to work on site and therefore must live within driving distance of Bayfield, Ontario. If that is not possible, there is a chance (not guaranteed) that billeting could be arranged for the summer if need be.
Candidates must be confident, friendly and enthusiastic when speaking with members of the public and interested in local history. They must be willing to study and learn Bayfield’s history and visitor attractions (through resources provided) in order to answer both history questions and tourism-related questions, and in order to complete the historical research project noted. Candidates with strong research, writing and digital skills, and who enjoy conversing with the public and working collaboratively with volunteers are preferred. Experience creating attractive digital exhibits on website platforms such as Squarespace is preferred.
Candidate profile
An undergraduate or graduate student currently enrolled in a museum studies, information studies, history, public history, or archival or library science program, or communications program.
Under the age of 30 (grant requirement)
Interested in local history and in serving tourists.
Welcoming, polite, friendly, articulate.
Willing to go the extra mile in helping a visitor.
Able to absorb information quickly.
Strong research and writing skills.
Able to demonstrate strong digital skills.
Some web design experience is desirable.
A highly skilled researcher.
A resourceful problem solver.
A creative thinker and collaborative team member.
Organized and systematic when approaching projects and tasks.
Self-sufficient but also readily able to collaborate on a project with others.
How to apply
To apply, please send a cover letter and resumé to Archivist Julia Armstrong at bhsmembers@gmail.com.
The Bayfield Historical Society Board of Directors is committed to fair and transparent hiring methods and to equity, diversity, and inclusion in its practices. The board takes seriously the need to monitor and address any discriminatory actions. Note: Our building is accessible.