During this time of constant change and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s one thing that’s guaranteed: this will go down in history.

That’s why the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum is encouraging people to journal their time in self-isolation, because the chronicles of your experiences could be used in future museum exhibits.

“We are living though a future history class today,” Sarah Kaufman, managing director of the museum, said in a news release.

“In 50 or 100 years we may just have an exhibition on the COVID-19 pandemic and your journals will help us tell the stories of how Niagara-on-the-Lake made it through.”

The campaign is a way for people to “highlight the local stories that will help to tell our history in years to come,” Kaufman said.

Some suggestions on where to start are to write letters to family members whom you are unable to see while in isolation, describe how daily life has changed, list what you are doing to have fun at home and track how the pandemic is affecting the town and the region.

It’s also “a great way for kids to get involved and contribute to history,” Kaufman said.

People who want to participate can share journal entries, letters and thoughts with the museum by using #deardiaryseriesNOTL on social media. When things return to normal, Kaufman encourages people to donate their journals and letters to the museum. 

The museum has also been sharing content on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help keep people engaged and entertained during self-isolation. Activities include history quizzes, video tours and highlights from the collection, as the museum ramps up its online presence to continue serving the community.

You can find the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum on social media using @NOTLMuseum or online at www.nhsm.ca.