Snapshots in Time: Nostalgia & Memory
On exhibit February 20, 2026 to December 13, 2027
McDougall Cottage
Shaped by the voices of Cambridge residents, Snapshots in Time transports visitors into the past, celebrating 50 years of the schools, businesses, and gathering places that not only shaped the city, but also helped form the identities and memories of the people who call it home.
At the heart of these shared memories is nostalgia - a sentimental, wistful, and sometimes bittersweet longing for the past. This near-universal and deeply complex emotion connects personal experience with collective history, reminding us how familiar places and everyday moments shape who we are, how we understand our community, and even how we imagine our future.
We invite you - Cambridge resident or not - to reflect, reminisce, and share your own stories of the people and places that continue to live in your memories when you visit this exhibit.
Thank you to our supporters and partners
Developing an exhibit involves a lot of community support and partnerships, and we would like to thank the following for their efforts in the creation of this exhibition:
- Steve Adams
- Gary Bauman
- Blair Outdoor Education Centre/Waterloo Region District School Board
- City of Cambridge
- City of Cambridge Archives & Records Centre
- Wayne Conrad-Serbu
- Stella Davey
- Peter Findlay
- Craig Goudy
- Hespeler Heritage Centre Archives
- Alison Jackson
- Stephen Jarnick
- Law Photography Archives
- Pierrette LeDrew
- North Dumfries Historical Preservation Society
- Greg Paulter
- Reeve and Company Inc.
- Terry Stelmach
- SWIM Media Inc.
- The Blondes Inc. Branding & Design
- University of Waterloo Library, Special Collections & Archives
