Allan O’Neill grew up on his family’s farm in Glenelg Township. After high school, he became a licensed carpenter, and over the next 23 years, worked for 3 local companies, building log and timberframe homes. His work took him throughout Ontario and Quebec, 17 different US states, Aruba and a 6 months stay in Grand Cayman.

In 2008, Allan volunteered to help cut and raise the George Rice timberframe blacksmith shop at Grey Roots, where he enjoyed the experience of working with the employees and volunteers and the efforts of the museum to preserve and promote the history of Grey County. He was hired for the museum maintenance position when it became available in 2013. With volunteer help, he has enhanced the visitors experience to the museum with exhibit changes, installing historic stabling in the basement of the barn, accessible ramps to the log house, boardwalks, rail fencing, wooden eavestrough, and returned the Herb Miller sawmill to working condition.

Regular maintenance within the museum, is also a part of his day to day work experience. He enjoys maintaining and operating the museums 1921 Robert Bell steam engine and other antique farm equipment, and is currently in training to obtain his steam traction operators licence.

As Events Coordinator at Grey Roots, Doug’s role includes booking special events and facilities, assisting community partners with their events, and setting up group tour bookings. As part of our Engagement Team, Doug takes the lead in producing many of the special events that Grey Roots is known for, and in developing exciting new events.

Doug’s training in event management and fundraising includes receiving Certified Festival and Event Executive status from the Independent Festivals and Events Association.

After working as the Event Facilitator for the City of Owen Sound for 15 years, Doug left the area in 2017 to pursue work in Barrie, including teaching at Georgian College and serving as Donor Relations Coordinator for the Empower Simcoe Foundation. But the call of family plus Georgian Bay and the Niagara Escarpment lured him back to Owen Sound in 2021. In his down time, Doug enjoys hiking, canoeing, and traveling with his wife Bonnie. 

Jill Paterson joined Grey Roots Museum and Archives as Manager in April 2020. Before her move to Owen Sound, Jill had the pleasure to work as a Project Manager with the City of Toronto's Museums and Heritage Services, where she focused on engaging community partners in order to present a diverse set of large scale special events, cultural programs, historical exhibitions, and art installations across the city of Toronto.

Previous to her work at the City she held a variety of management positions at the non-profit organization - Historica Canada. For 9 years she worked on programs such as the Memory Project speakers’ bureau and digital archives and Historica’s well known Heritage Minutes.

She holds an MA in Public History from the University of Waterloo and a MA in History from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Other experience includes a Foreign Affairs International internship at the University of Genoa’s Canadian Studies Centre, 400th anniversary planning for the first English settlement in Canada in Cupids, NL, seasonal historical interpreter positions at Cape Spear and Signal Hill National Historic Sites and one great summer in costume at Scarborough Museum.

There once worked an Archivist

For history would review and list

From Osprey first came

Karin's her name

Past and present enthusiast

In her role as Programs Coordinator, Laura (she/her) works to connect Grey Roots with classrooms, families, and visitors through educational and experiential programming, on-site and digitally. Laura is a certified teacher. She achieved her Bachelor of Education at Nipissing University in North Bay and followed with a certificate in Museum Management and Curatorship from Fleming College in Peterborough.

Outside of the museum, you may find her going on adventures in the area with her family, visiting the library or tending to her garden.

Originally from Owen Sound, Ontario, Nikita has an Honours BA in Anthropology from Trent University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Collections Conservation & Management from Fleming College, a Masters of Archives & Records Management, and a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto.

Before returning to the Grey Bruce area to take on the position of Assistant Curator at Grey Roots, Nikita spent five years in Powell River, British Columbia working as the Collections Manager for the Powell River Historical Museum & Archives.

Grey Roots’ curator, Sim Salata, is a graduate of Queen’s University with a BA (Honours) in art history and a professional certificate in Museum Management and Curatorship from Sir Sanford Fleming College.

After working and training docents at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston and delivering many elementary school programs, Sim became the Curator at the Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives, and then the Director/Curator of the Orillia Museum of Art & History. She served as the collections manager at Grey Roots from 2008 until 2021, when she became its curator. 

Sim is responsible for researching, conserving and tracking the County’s collection of over 13,000 artefacts, so that they can tell the County’s many fascinating stories. This involves everything from hiring fine art conservators, to installing exhibitions, to implementing pest management plans. She ensures that the artefacts in the museum and on display in the Moreston Heritage Village - from quilts to tractors - are safe, time-appropriate, and specific to each building.

She also presents to various groups on textile and heirloom preservation and various topics of Grey County history that relate to the collection. A 19th century architectural enthusiast, she and her son make their home in a drafty but beautiful, Victorian gothic revival house in Brookeholm.

Stephen joined Grey Roots in 2022 as a Facilities Technician, bringing to the position a diverse set of skills and considerable experience from his time in Long Term Care and working on private homes.

Stephen provides effective maintenance, repair, caretaking and security operations for Grey Roots Museum and Archives, Moreston Heritage Village and the surrounding property to ensure the convenience, comfort and safety of the visiting public, volunteers, and staff.

Outside of work, Stephen is an avid footballer - he plays, watches and coaches. 

In his role as Public Relations Coordinator, Zak coordinates and delivers outbound communications on behalf of Grey Roots, including media relations, advertising and digital content.

Outside of the museum, you may find him hiking local trails with a camera in his hand and one of his children on his back.