Princeton, July 20—23 2023
Hosted by the Princeton & District Museum, the 2023 BCHF conference will be held in beautiful Princeton this summer. The community of Princeton, British Columbia is located on the territory of the Sylix and Nłeʔkepmx Tmíxʷ communities.
Annual General Meeting
Saturday, June 3, 10am
The BCHF AGM is held separately than our annual conference this year. Members of BCHF are entitled to attend and take part in meetings, proxies are not allowed. The quorum is twenty-five voting delegates. Voting rights are granted to:
- Board members in attendance
- Voting delegates accredited by Member Societies
- One voting delegate from each Affiliate and Corporate Member
Questions? secretary@bchistory.ca
CONFERENCE Registration & Pricing, July 20-23
>> Register for the conference now
| General Admission – Early Bird | Register between May 1 and May 28 | $175 |
| General Admission | Register after May 28 | $225 |
| Optional: Bus Trip to Keremeos and Hedley | Air conditioned bus trip to Keremeos Grist Mill, tour and visit to Hedley, BC | $50 |
| Optional: BCHF Gala Awards Banquet | Featuring music, awards, keynote speaker Judith Guichon, meal | $45 |
General Admission includes:
- 12 historical presentations
- Wine and cheese welcome at the Princeton Museum (no host bar)
- Local author book fair and sale
- Networking opportunities
- Optional field trip to Granite Creek (participants must provide their own transportation)
Add ons:
- Chartered bus trip to Keremeos Grist Mill and Hedley
- Gala dinner & awards banquet, local music, and keynote speaker
Schedule
Thursday, July 20
| 1:00 – 2:00 pm | Registration opens | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 2:00 – 3:00 pm | Presentation – Greg Dickson | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 3:00 – 3:30 pm | Network and coffee break, courtesy of Cool Beanz | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 3:30 – 4:30 pm | Presentation – Herman Edward | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 7:00 – 9:00 pm | Welcome Reception & Tour – Join us for wine & cheese, and an intimate look at the Princeton Museum. No host bar. | Princeton & District Museum |
Friday, July 21
| 9:00 – 9:30 am | Registration opens | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 9:30 – 10:30 am | Presentation – Elwin Xie | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 10:30 – 11:00 am | Networking, refreshments & vendors courtesy of Cool Beanz | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 11:00 – 12:00 pm | Presentation – Ron Verzuh | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch on your own | Around town |
| 1:30 – 2:30 pm | Presentation – Jon Barlett & Rika Ruebsaat | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 2:30 – 3:00 pm | Networking, refreshments & vendors courtesy of Cool Beanz | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Presentation – TBA | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 4:00 – 4:30 pm | Networking, refreshments & vendors courtesy of Cool Beanz | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 4:30 – 5:30 pm | Presentation – Quentin Wright | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
Saturday, July 22
| 9:30 – 10:30 am | Presentation – George Elliot | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre | |
| 10:30 – 11:00 am | Networking, refreshments & vendors courtesy of Cool Beanz | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre | |
| 11:00 – 12:00 pm | Presentation – Todd Davidson | Bus Trip to Keremeos Grist Mill (11 – 2 pm) | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch on your own | Around town | |
| 1:30 – 2:30 pm | Presentation – Okanagan Women’s Voices (Jeanette Armstrong, Lally Grauer, Janet MacArthur) | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre | |
| 2:30 – 3:00 pm | Networking, refreshments & vendors courtesy of Cool Beanz | Bus Trip to Hedley (2:30 – 4:30 pm) | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre |
| 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Presentation – Lydia Kinasewich | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre | |
| 4:00 – 4:30 pm | Networking, refreshments & vendors courtesy of Cool Beanz | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre | |
| 4:30 – 5:30 pm | Presentation – Spencer Coyne | Princeton & District Community Skills Centre | |
| 6:00 – 9:00 pm | Gala Awards Banquet | Royal Canadian Legion |
Sunday, July 23
| 9:00 – 12:00 pm | Field Trip at Granite Creek (*delegates must provide their own transportation) | Granite Creek |
Venues
Princeton & District Museum & Archives
- Welcome reception & tour
- 167 Vermillion Avenue, Princeton, BC
Princeton Skills Centre
- Presentations and book fair
- 206 Vermilion Avenue, Princeton, BC
Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 56
- BCHF Gala Awards Banquet
- 170 Bridge Street, Princeton, BC
Presentations
Here is the list of presenters for conference.
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Greg Dickson | Billy Miner |
| Herman Edward | Cottonwood Canoe Trip |
| Elwin Xie | Chinese Laundry |
| Ron Verzuh | Trail Social History through a Newspaper Lens |
| Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat | The 1932/33 Coal Strike |
| Quentin Wright | Exploring Mole Hill |
| George Elliot | Experiences in Local Radio |
| Todd Davidson | Collections Management |
| Okanagan Women’s Voices | Okanagan Stories of Women |
| Lydia Kinasewich | Tourism at Harrison Hot Springs, 1920-1930 |
| Spencer Coyne | Princeton’s recent flood |
Awards Gala Banquet
7-9 pm, Princeton Legion Hall
- Enjoy a buffet dinner in the Legion Hall while you are entertained by members of the Vancouver Folk Song Society.
- The keynote speaker will be the Honorable Judith Guichon, former Lieutenant Governor of BC and rancher in the Nicola Valley.
- The winners of the BCHF historical writing prize will be announced and the recognition awards will be presented.
- Bid on BC books during the silent auction.
- No host bar available.
Field Trips
Charter bus trip to Keremeos Grist Mill and the Hedley Museum
- For an additional fee, an optional field trip is provided to the Keremeos Grist Mill and the Hedley Museum.
- The air conditioned bus leaves from the Skills Centre at 11:15 am.
- Enjoy lunch at the Grist Mill, and enjoy a guided tour as you view the gardens and learn about the history of the Grist Mill and reconstructed waterwheel.
- On the way back, the bus will stop at locations in Hedley, including the Hedley Museum.
- *Lunch is not provided, but the Grist Mill has a cafe and lunch options for purchase.
Granite Creek
- Take in the ghost town of Granite Creek, home of a gold rush in 1885.
- Join Robert and Diane Sterne of the Granite Creek Protection Society, your guides.
- Corner of Rice Road and Blakeburn FSR, just past Coalmont.
- *Please note that participants must provide their own transportation. Ride shares may be possible, details on the rural road are forthcoming.
Accommodations
The host committee has blocked off a number of rooms the following hotels close to the conference location. Please let the hotel know that you are with the BC Historical Federation conference when you book:
- Canada’s Best Value Inn (book by June 30)
- Cedars Motel (book by May 15)
- Villager Inn (book by June 30)
| Name | Room type | Rates* | Contact info | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Motel | Assorted from single queen, two queen, and suites. | $119-$145 | 130 Bridge Street 250-295-7063 princetonacemotel@gmail.com | LINK |
| Canada’s Best Value Inn | Assorted rooms including double, queen, kitchenettes, jacuzzi rooms. | $137-$163 | 169 Hwy 3 250-295-3537 ext 0 for desk princetoninnbc@gmail.com | LINK |
| Cedars Motel | Assorted rooms including single, queen, suite, kitchenettes. | $85-$135 | 139 – 3rd Street 250-295-3237 cedarsmotelprinceton@gmail.com | |
| Countryside Inn | Assorted rooms, please call for pricing. Seniors discount. | please call | 301 Hwy 3 east 250-295-7464 countrysideinn@telus.net | |
| Evergreen Motel | Assorted rooms, please call for pricing. Motel has wifi, heated outdoor pool. | please call | 250 Hwy 3 East 250-295-7179 evergreenmotel@persona.ca | LINK |
| Municipal Campground | RV and tent sites. Please call to confirm pricing. | $40 | 365 Hwy 3 East 250-295-7355 campgroundhost@princeton.ca | LINK |
| Princeton Castle Resort and Campground | Lodge rooms and chalets available. Kitchenettes, full kitchens, RV sites and tents. Please call for details and pricing. | $99-$109 | 375 Rainbow Lake Road 250-295-7988 info@castleresort.com | LINK |
| Sandman Inn | Assorted rooms including queen or double. $10 extra per person up to 4 people. | $129-$139 | 102 Frontage Road (Hwy 3) 250-295-6923 gm_princeton@sandman.ca | LINK |
| Villager Inn | Assorted rooms including single queen rooms, double rooms, kitchenettes. No pets, outdoor pool. | $115-135 | 244-4th Street 250-295-6996 villagerinnprinceton.ca | LINK |
Conference Committee
Host Committee:
- Jon Bartlett (Chair)
- Rika Ruebsaat
- Todd Davidson
- Marjorie Holland
- Stella Holliday
- Bob Long
BCHF Liaisons:
- Shannon Bettles
- Anna Irwin
Questions:
Conference Registrar: Dyan Kinar, conference@bchistory.ca, 604-817-9749
