This ongoing series showcases historic photos in the Collingwood Museum collection, with research and writing by Melissa Shaw, the museum supervisor.
Seventy years ago this month, a new business called Cy Churchley Jewellers opened its doors on Hurontario Street and a large piece of its history is preserved at the Collingwood Museum.
During the summer of 2015, the Collingwood Museum completed a storage renovation project in partnership with Re-ORG Canada, the Ontario Museum Association, the Canadian Conservation Institute, and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Our participation in the project led to temporarily relocating more than 3,000 objects, photographs, and paper documents while a new high-density storage system was installed in the largest of three onsite storage rooms.
During this lengthy process, staff removed a very large hand-painted wooden sign that had been too big for existing storage equipment. In fact, it could only be accommodated by having it rest on the floor, which left it quite exposed within the space. Given its vast size, it’s unlikely that the sign had ever been removed from storage following its donation in 2004, so it was refreshing for staff to get an up-close look at both sides of the sign for the first time.
A general photograph of the museum’s largest storage room was shared with RE-ORG Canada to illustrate some of the storage challenges we were experiencing in Collingwood. By chance, the Churchley sign was prominently featured, sitting on the floor and resting against another large artifact. Incidentally, this photograph was included in the media release for the RE-ORG Canada project as it effectively showcased the storage challenges encountered by small museums.
When the Churchley sign was removed from storage, staff shared a photograph on Facebook to keep the community updated on the project’s progress. Descendants of the Churchley family saw the photograph online and reached out to arrange an onsite visit to see the sign in person.
Once the sign was removed from storage, staff discovered a little more of the object’s history. The other side, which would have faced south on Hurontario Street, showed significant signs of weathering, so much so that another, earlier store name is visible in green and burgundy paint – “Ashleigh” of Ashleigh’s Men’s Wear. What a perfect example of reusing physical resources.
An article in the Enterprise Bulletin on May 27, 1954, announced the opening of the new firm of Cy Churchley’s Jewellers in the location of the former Ashleigh’s Men’s Wear Store at 151 Hurontario Street. Today, this is the location of Cottage Friends, on the east side of Hurontario Street between Simcoe and Ontario Streets.
Prior to 1977, Churchley’s store moved across the street to 138 Hurontario Street, the present location of Northern Reflections. During the course of researching this object, museum staff discovered that Cy Churchley owned jewellery stores in other small Ontario towns, including Clarington and Port Hope. Collingwood’s store is recorded to have closed between 1981 and 1982.
Today, the Churchley sign is safely stored in the new shelving system that was installed nearly a decade ago, eagerly awaiting its debut in the museum gallery.
If you have a story to share about Churchley Jewellers or Ashleigh’s Men’s Wear, please contact Collingwood Museum staff.The south-facing side of the storefront sign shows the faint outline of “Asleigh” is where the paint has worn away. Collingwood Museum Collection, 004.70.1
