Family tour of Montreal 1976: An Olympic Feat
Recommended for children aged 6 to 12.
We’re renovating the ground floor to enhance your visit and improve the accessibility and comfort of our spaces. The Museum remains open, and all exhibitions are available to visitors. Learn more
x
Photography
At only 13 years old, this Kirkland-native swimmer became the youngest Canadian Olympic medalist by winning bronze in the 4×100-metre medley relay, swimming the breaststroke leg alongside Anne Jardin (freestyle), Susan Sloan (butterfly), and Wendy Hogg (backstroke). Small and frail, “I was five feet tall and barely weighed 100 pounds,” the athlete from the Pointe-Claire Swim Club went on to win gold in the 100-metre breaststroke at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. She had hoped to add more medals at the 1980 Moscow Games, which Canada would boycott.
Learn more about Beyond the Games: Montreal’s Olympic History→

Costume, Fashion and Textiles
The two outfits, “Hyacinth” and “Violets”, belonged to the same little girl, Winifred Birkett from Montreal, who likely wore them between the ages of 8 and 12. These two costumes were displayed as part of the exhibition Bals costumés – Habiller l’Histoire, 1870-1927, between November 14, 2024, and August 17, 2025.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, extravagant fancy dress balls and costumed skating carnivals represent the pinnacle of high society entertainment. Themed costumes embody concepts, objects, natural phenomena, or even games. Flower costumes are very popular for women and young girls.