Adamson Estate reopened its doors with a new exhibit for the community to gather and reflect on Mississauga’s heritage.
“Out of the Vault: Beyond the Shore” is an exhibition that features more than 50 artifacts donated by members of the Mississauga community, each piece telling a different story from history that was part of the labour, lifestyle, and economic state many decades ago.
Elizabeth Underhill, the education supervisor for Museums of Mississauga, said the exhibition focuses on the industries and stories along Lake Ontario, and because the Adamson Estate is located in the Lakeview neighbourhood, they wanted to put a spotlight on that area's history specifically.
“The Museums of Mississauga kicked off operations here at the Adamson Estate back in October of 2025, and we really wanted to make a splash with our first show. We brought in an exhibition called ‘A History Exposed: The Enslavement of Black People in Canada’ from the Museum of Immigration in Pier 21 in Halifax,” Underhill said.
Mississauga Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko said the Adamson Estate, on the eastern border of Port Credit, became part of Museums of Mississauga in a pilot project in 2020.
“The building itself is a pilot project that Museums Mississauga has taken on, and they are doing a very good job of that," he said. "The first one that was taken on was done by Pier 21. It was a Black history piece, called Secrets Untold, which was the story of Black enslavement in Canada.
"It was a very moving exhibit. It is one where you want to take some time to collect your thoughts before you go to see it. It is hard to imagine that this type of thing went on in Canada,” Dasko said.
Adamson Estate was purchased from the Agar Adamson family by the city's conservation authority in 1975. Agar Adamson commanded the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry during the First World War.
Dasko had high praise for the museum staff who worked on curating the Out of the Vault exhibit. He said that the vault makes room for true representation.
“Out of the Vault” allows those items that people have donated over the years to be displayed.
"I want to take what we are doing for arts, culture and creative services and take it to a whole other level. This is a passion for me, because I think we are just getting started,” Dasko said.
He said knowing identity and history is crucial to having an active part in the community.
One of the featured artifacts is the stone hook, which was originally used in the mid-19th Century to gather stone slabs from shallow areas of Lake Ontario for home-building construction. The tool was used by Emily Blower, who was a stay-at-home wife who became the family breadwinner after her husband died. She would use the income from stone hooking, which came out to about $5 per load.
Another artifact was the pressure relief valve from the chlorine tank that was part of the CN train. that derailed in 1979, forcing the evacuation of more than 200,000 people from their homes.
Dasko said a takeaway from the exhibit is that the past is so important to people's current lives.
"If you don't know where you come from, you don't know your history, you lose a part of that sense of community," he said. "A good example of this is the waterfront area.
"This was one of the poorest parts of the city. It was a manufacturing hub, an industrial hub," Dasko said. "It was an area where people literally plucked perfectly good stones from the bottom of the Credit River and used that to make basements and houses out of stone hooking.
"Then we also had the derailment, these are all kinds of different things that people can appreciate with our city to know their history, at the exhibit,” he said.
Local resident Joanne Mouradian said she would love to see more historical events like this.
“I like it. I think it is interesting because you don't really know the history of Mississauga, and I think it really pulls in people's curiosity to learn,” she said.
Mouradian said she has moved back in with her parents temporarily after living abroad for many years. She said she was excited to come out and experience the exhibit.
“I moved from France in October 2025, so I have been living overseas for a while, and I just moved back. I was living in Paris for 10 years, then I was living in Australia before that for 10 years," she said. "This is nearby, so I am looking for more things like this in Mississauga, and I am sort of craving culture and art right now,” she said
Mouradian said initiatives like this are great in the winter months.
“For what it is, I think it is interesting, and I would really love to see more of these types of things, valuing heritage, valuing the history to spark people's curiosity and get people out during the wintertime,” she said.
Mouradian pointed out some things that stood out to her while visiting the exhibit.
“I loved seeing the wedding dress, the old tool constructed by Samuel Adams," Mouradian said. "It was unique. I loved seeing the Royal Conservatory sign. I took piano lessons, so that reminded me of that a little bit.
"I think those things stood out to me because I am a graphic designer, so I found enjoyment in seeing the little books and packaging of things,” she said.
“The point of doing something new is that it gives you so much, so much courage and so much opportunity,” Mouradian said.
Underhill said she has been working for her position for several years and loves it.
“I love working here, and I love working for the city and the Museums of Mississauga. It’s a pretty incredible opportunity to be a part of this place,” she said.
The Adamson Estate will also have a sporting history exhibit in the spring that is curated by graduates from the University of Toronto’s Master of Museums program.
The Adamson Estate is at 850 Enola Ave. The Out of the Vault exhibit runs until April 5. Admission is free, but tickets are needed for entry and can be found here.
