NOHFC - Success Stories

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"[The NOHFC internship] opened doors that quite possibly would not have opened otherwise. It allowed me to acquire more experience, make new contacts, and further my career."

Marynn Hall is the director of the West Parry Sound District Museum, a multi-service facility and community treasure that draws more than 10,000 visitors annually. Her challenging career got its start thanks to an internship funded by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).

The West Parry Sound District Museum

The museum has grown and diversified since it opened 15 years ago.  Originally established to display artifacts that illustrate the town’s cultural roots, the museum has become a full-fledged business, raising its profile considerably in the community and expanding to offer new services and workshops to the public.

Still a non-profit corporation, exhibit pieces at the museum are either donated or on loan.  Surrounded by beautiful woodlands, the museum now boasts activities ranging from arts programs and endangered species workshops to corporate events and birthday parties. Affectionately known as the “Museum-on-Tower-Hill”, it has steadily positioned itself as a quality attraction that honours the community’s past while constantly looking toward the future.

From Interest to Opportunity: The Internship

Initially interested in a career in photojournalism, Marynn discovered she had a knack for marketing and an appreciation for local history.  After stints at the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts and the Bobby Orr Hall Of Fame, she was ready to pursue career opportunities in her new-found interest, though not entirely sure how to go about it.  Enter the NOHFC.

In 2006, Marynn began a year-long internship as the marketing manager at the museum.  Funded in part by the NOHFC’s Youth Internship and Co-op Program, her placement involved working with the museum’s board of directors, developing marketing plans and advertising strategies, as well as learning all aspects of museum management.

“[The internship] opened doors that quite possibly would not have opened otherwise,” she explains.  “It allowed me to acquire more experience, make new contacts, and further my career.  I found the power within myself to take on more responsibility and to play a larger role in things.”

Moving Up

Shortly after her internship ended, fate intervened.  The museum’s general manager accepted a new position in Toronto, and a temporary replacement was needed quickly.  Thanks to the experience she had acquired from her internship, Marynn Hall got the call. 

“We upgraded the overall membership process, we revamped our facility rentals, we started working on a refurbishment process for the main gallery...we’re trying overall to create a new system that is more public-friendly,” she says.

Now officially installed as museum director, Marynn’s new job marks the beginning of a challenging career as custodian of the area’s rich history and folklore.  But she need not worry that her Parry Sound roots don’t go deep enough.

“I’m very connected to Parry Sound. My grandfather and my great-uncle actually worked on the committee that first tried to fund the museum and get it going. I sometimes see pieces of my own family history on display in the gallery!”

With help from the NOHFC, Marynn Hall was able to take the first exciting steps on the way to a rewarding career in Northern Ontario.  Reflecting upon her success, she offers this piece of advice to other young northerners:

“Take advantage of every experience you get.  Nothing is a waste of time as long as you come out of it with a new experience.  Work hard and set high goals and you’ll be fine.”

• For more information on the NOHFC’s Youth Internship and Co-op Program,
  call 1-800-461-8329 or visit www.nohfc.com

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