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Similkameen Star Digitization Complete

The Princeton and District Museum and Archives Society has announced the digitization of the Similkameen Star is finally complete. All issues of the newspaper from 1900-53 are now available online.

The museum acknowledges funding assistance from the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and all the staff and students at the UBC library in Vancouver who worked on the project. They gave special thanks to Mimi Lam and Robert Stibravy with UBC and to Joan Taylor Mayo who gave them copyright permissions.

"This has been the cumulative effort of many people over seven years and will serve as an invaluable research tool on the subjects of the people and places that make up the history of the district of Princeton," the museum said in a news release.

Revelstoke Museum & Archives launches “Stories Beneath The Surface” online exhibit

The “Stories Beneath The Surface” exhibit at Revelstoke Museum & Archives opened in 2018, telling the stories of the land lost beneath the waters of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam reservoir. Now everyone can experience these stories and more thanks to the new virtual exhibit, produced by the Revelstoke Museum & Archives in partnership with Digital Museums Canada.

The online exhibit features new content, from photos to oral histories, and makes the content available in both French and English.

Nelson Museum adds permanent exhibit on LGBTQ2S+ history

The Nelson Museum Archives and Gallery has officially launching a new permanent installation called We Love a Parade!, based on a 2021 gallery exhibition that celebrated the history of the West Kootenay Gays and Lesbians Society, meticulously compiled by longtime archives volunteer Michael Wicks.

Fort Langley Management Planning Questionnaire Open

Parks Canada is planning the future of Fort Langley National Historic Site, and are seeking the public's input.

Share your thoughts on the visions and strategies gathered for the new Fort Langley NHS Management Plan by taking their survey.

Survey available until July 23, 2024.

Highway 3 Museum Tour launches in time for Summer

The Princeton Museum has launched its Highway 3 Museum Tour guidebook in time for summer adventures! Discover 19 heritage sites and other partner institutions along Highway 3 and learn more about the history of the region.

Are you a member society with news to share in The Buzz? Send it to laura@bchistory.ca

HISTORICAL NOTES

“Victoria in the Time of Exclusion” launches at Chinese Canadian Museum

The Chinese Canadian Museum in Victoria has officially launched their new exhibit, “Victoria in the Time of Exclusion.” Learn more about Chinese people who lived in Victoria during the dismal exclusion years (1923-1947) through surviving C.I. certificates.

This exhibit is an extension of the Museum's inaugural “The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act” exhibition.

SLCC hosts travelling exhibit “Chief Dan George - Actor and Activist” from MONOVA

From July 10th, 2024 to February 2nd, 2025 the SLCC will be hosting the touring exhibit “Chief Dan George - Actor and Activist” created by MONOVA.

The exhibit explores the life and legacy of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George, including his influence as a First Nations rights advocate and his career as an actor.

“Doug Hudlin Memorial Way” unveiled in Victoria

On June 23, the City of Victoria, with Doug Hudlin’s family, unveiled the commemorative “Doug Hudlin Memorial Way” sign on Higgins Street, just across from National Little League Park.

Doug worked for the City of Victoria but his love was being on the field as an umpire. Amongst many other achievements, he umpired the Canadian Little League Championships five times the Senior Little League World Series twice, and the BC Summer Games in 1988. He was a founder and served as first president of the BC Baseball Umpires Association from 1974 to 1979, and was inducted into the association's hall of fame in 2011. He is remembered for his empathy toward all the young players he umpired for spanning generations of baseball players.

Doug was also a founding director of the BC Black History Awareness Society (BCBHAS). As the great-grandson of the earliest Black settlers in BC (Nancy and Charles Alexander), his family's history inspired his work.

Pentlatch fish trap panel on exhibit

A 550- year old fish trap panel is on display at Vancouver Island University's Deep Bay Marine Field Station.

This is one of the largest and most complete examples of Pentlatch ingenuity. The significant cultural belonging was unearthed by the K’ómoks First Nation and archaeological collaborators and is on public display at the field station in Bowser for the next six months.

UBC Museum of Anthropology reopens

Following an 18-month closure for a $40-million seismic upgrade, UBC's Museum of Anthropology has reopened. While it has nearly 50,000 works from around the world, but the museum is best known for its Indigenous northwest coast art collection.

Anscomb wheelhouse returning to Balfour

The historic Anscomb wheelhouse will be returning to the Balfour ferry terminal in early July. Tourists are encouraged to visit the historic wooden structure, explore inside and read about the ship’s history on storyboards. During the summer, the association will be hosting a “wheelhouse interpreter” on site to answer questions about the wheelhouse and the Balfour area.

Historic Creston grain elevator to be demolished

One of Creston's iconic two iconic grain elevators will be demolished, the Columbia Basin Trust has announced. The other elevator nearby has been restored and is now home to an art gallery. Both date to the mid-1930s.

Cache of scrapbooks found at Vancouver Chinatown family clan association

Two dozen long-forgotten scrapbooks have been rediscovered after more than a century on the top floor of Wongs’ Benevolent Association on Pender Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown (seen above).

Sidney Museum looks at queer history

A new exhibit with a focus on LGBTQ+ history on the Saanich Peninsula has been unveiled at the Sidney Museum for Pride Month.

Rattenbury-designed building in Victoria for sale

Bell Media is selling its Francis Rattenbury-designed building in Victoria. The building, constructed around 1907, is on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

Port Alberni train back in business

A sight-seeing train in Port Alberni returns to the track this month for the first time since 2018. The train is powered by a locomotive once used by MacMillan Blodel and uses cabooses that once belonged to CN Rail. It's hoped it will lead to reinstating service between Port Alberni and the McLean Mill National Historic Site.

CLIPPINGS

Click to Read: Victoria's Roxy Theatre back to screening movies

Click to Read: Sod turned for 5500 Pavilion Project

Click to Read: BCMA Conference registration now open

Click to Read: Villains and Vittles returns for its 30th year at R. J. Haney Heritage Village & Museum

Click to Read: New book, A Social History of the South Okanagan 1920-50, available.

ADVERTISING

The BCHF offers a number of advertising opportunities in our e-newsletter, which is distributed to our entire membership monthly. Advertisements are jpeg images sized to 600 px wide for electronic distribution. To submit an ad, contact Laura Van Zant: laura@bchistory.ca

1-3 months = $100 each ($100-$300 annually)
4 months = $90 each ($360 annually)
6 months = $80 each ($480 annually)
8 months = $70 each ($560 annually)
12 months = $50 each ($600 annually)

Rates for non-members are as follows:

1-3 months = $150 each ($150-$450 annually)
4 months = $140 each ($560 annually)
6 months = $130 each ($780 annually)
8 months = $120 each ($960 annually)
12 months = $100 each ($1,200 annually)

British Columbia Historical Federation

Box 448, Fort Langley, BC, V1M 247 • info@bchistory.ca

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