Costume Specialist

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming is hiring a Costume Specialist at Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This role sits at the intersection of historical costume design and living history production, responsible for researching, fabricating, and managing a working collection of period-accurate garments and uniforms used in reenactments, educational programs, and heritage demonstrations. It suits a costume professional with a background in theatre or historical production who wants to apply wardrobe craft within a permanent, publicly-facing heritage institution.

About the Role

The Costume Specialist operates as the lead wardrobe resource for Fort William Historical Park, a living history site where 19th-century fur trade society is interpreted through dramatizations, public programs, and hands-on workshops. Day-to-day work moves between the costume store and the program floor, covering everything from pattern research and garment construction to fitting interpreters and supporting reenactment scheduling. This is a seasonal recurring contract running approximately February through November each year.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the park’s historical costume and uniform collection, including issuing, receiving, cleaning coordination, repairs, and processing loans and rentals with proper documentation.
• Research 19th-century fashion history, textiles, and tailoring techniques specific to European, North American, and Indigenous dress to support accurate costume reproduction for living history production.
• Oversee the design, production, and procurement of period-accurate costumes and accessories used in reenactments and special events.
• Deliver educational workshops, historical demonstrations, and staff training sessions that translate wardrobe research into public programming.
• Apply museum conservation standards to the care, cataloguing, and preservation of historical and reproduction textiles and artifacts.
• Maintain accurate inventory records using database management systems, and track all loan, rental, and associated paperwork for the costume collection.

What You Bring

• Demonstrated knowledge of costume design and wardrobe practices from theatre, historical production, or a related setting.
• Hands-on skills in hand sewing and pattern making, with the ability to demonstrate and oversee costuming work to staff and volunteers.
• Familiarity with living history interpretation techniques and the ability to deliver historical demonstrations to audiences of all ages.
• Experience with artifact or textile inventory systems and accepted museum cataloguing practices.
• This position is classified under the OPSEU Collective Agreement at the Artisan 3 level.
• A valid Ontario Class G driver’s license, or equivalent, is mandatory and must be provided upon hire.

Why This Role

Fort William Historical Park is one of Canada’s largest living history museums, offering a scale of costumed interpretation work that few heritage institutions can match. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming offers a wage of $29.07 to $31.61 per hour as set by the OPSEU Collective Agreement, with the position recurring annually for candidates who perform well. Applications close Friday, October 2, 2026 at 11:59 pm EDT.

Apply now for the Costume Specialist role with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and bring your wardrobe craft into one of Ontario’s most distinctive historical production environments.