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The Canadian Drilling Rig Museum is located in Rainham Centre at the corner of Rainham Road and Kohler Road (formerly Regional Roads 3 & 8). It is situated on the south west corner of the town. The museum has a fully functional historic drilling rig and information on the history of drilling and the natural gas industry. Please come and check us out.

Important News September 2024

After many years of being hosted at our current location in Rainham Centre, the Canadian Drilling Rig Museum has been asked by the property owners to move from our current premises. We are grateful for our time at our current location.

At this time there is no set deadline, but it is our priority to prepare for our move to a new home. The museum has thankfully been in talks with Ruthven Park National Historic Site of Cayuga as well as the Walpole Antique Farm Machinery Association of Jarvis about possibilities for space at or near one of their locations. We feel that the history of Canadian and local gas drilling that we maintain would mesh well with the historical story and artifacts at both locations. While there may be the possibility of a new location for us to move to, the costs involved will fall completely on the Canadian Drilling Rig Museum. Many of our displays are small enough to be portable by regular truck and trailer, however our main building and the structure of the rig itself will need to have wide-load trucks, an escort and likely a crane to complete the move. Currently our budget limits us from making any move, but members of the Canadian Drilling Rig Museum have been reaching out to multiple levels of government including Mayor Shelly Ann Bentley, MP Leslyn Lewis and MPP Bobbi Ann Brady for assistance and any potential grants and funding to aid with the move.

Members are also reaching out to Enbridge Gas to see if they have interest in helping to preserve not only the history of Canadian gas but also their own part of that history with us. The Canadian Drilling Rig Museum is the only museum in Ontario specifically focused on the history of Canadian natural gas. Preserving this information is important as it educates the public on both past and present natural gas use as well as how the progression of knowledge, technology and safety standards have led to much safer and effective use of natural gas. It is also our goal at the museum to preserve accurate information from our living rig elders through recordings before the knowledge is lost to time.

If no move is possible the fate of the museum is in peril. The potential permanent closure of the museum comes with no shortage of headaches. Displays and artifacts throughout the museum would need to be traced back to their donators or their next of kin (as many donators have since passed). There would be the question of what to do with any remaining items. Would other museums, even potentially from outside of Ontario wish to adopt these items or would they be auctioned? This is a conclusion we hope not to have to reach.

There is much to deal with during this unsettled time and we are looking to the public for assistance in any way possible, be that financially, assistance with machinery or time and labour to assist with the move. As we strive to maintain our place in our community we are going about our business and accepting new memberships.

Please contact us at canadiandrillingmuseum@gmail.com for more information, to become a member or talk with us about financial contributions. To donate directly please visit out Go Fund Me page at https://gofund.me/8a54d67. We thank you for your support.

Canadian Drilling Rig Museum Inc. gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation.  With $100 million in annual funding from the province’s charitable gaming initiative, the Foundation provides grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, environment and social service sectors. Please click on the logo, or follow this link to the Ontario Trillium Foundation website at:

www.trilliumfoundation.org

Jerry McKenzie and Rick Hughes present a plaque of recognition from the Ontario Trillium Foundation are watched by Diane Finley MP and Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer.

The Blacksmith Shop and new tower are 2 of the many projects funded by the OTF.

Please feel free to browse through this site.

Please send any Comments to rig@canadiandrillingrigmuseum.com.
Your Feedback is appreciated.