Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives

New Technologies and the Heritage Landscape

2012-01-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Back in Time SCMA Newspaper Article- December 29, 2011

The Beachcombers

2011-12-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Beachcombers is firmly associated with Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast. Although the popular CBC TV series is long over, it remains imprinted in the memories of Canadians who grew fond of the quirky stories of the scenic seaside village, on the edge of Canada and away from big city life. Filmed in 'real time,' the comedy-drama ran from October 1, 1972 to December 12, 1990 and holds the record for the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English Canadian television. In all, 387 episodes were produced and it was viewed in over 60 countries around the world.

It can now be considered an important piece of Canadian film history, as well as valuable documentation of life in Gibsons. It was a Canadian 'original' and one of the first major Canadian series that did not follow an American prototype. The show was also at the forefront of its time when it came to representing First Nations culture and actors. Squamish elder Chief Dan George often made guest appearances on the show. He is best known for his role opposite Dustin Hoffman in the film "Little Big Man." Dan George passed away in 1981.

Molly's Reach was home for the character of Molly Carmody and her grandchildren, Margaret and Hughie, for their boarder Nick Adonidas (and his log salvage office), and for Nick's partner Jesse Jim.

Nick, the Greek beachcomber, was the main character played by Bruno Gerussi. Gerussi was born in Medicine Hat and attended the Banff School of Fine Arts. He joined the Stratford Festival in 1954 to become a respected Shakespearean actor at Stratford and London. Bruno starred in other TV series, including "Celebrity Cooks". He passed away in 1995 at age 67. Robert Clothier played Relic, Nick's arch rival. He too was a veteran stage and TV actor. Clothier was born in Prince Rupert in 1921 and studied architecture before pursuing sculpting and theatre in England. He passed away in 1999.

Constable John Constable, played by Jackson Davies, was another memorable character in the series. Jackson Davies and Marc Strange, who co-created the series, are writing a book about Bruno Gerussi and The Beachcombers, as a part of next year’s 40th anniversary of The Beachcombers.

The CBC is streaming a Beachcomber episode from 1975 as part of CBC's 75th anniversary. Check it out at http://www.cbc.ca/75/2011/08/the-beachcombers-invisble-relic.html.

Be sure to stay posted for upcoming Beachcomber exhibits and events planned for the 40th Anniversary in 2012!

SCMA Visitor Survey Results

2011-11-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce the winner of the 2011 SCMA Visitor Survey is..... SHEILA KINNEAR!

The lucky winner will receive a $50 SCMA Giftshop prize pack consisting of copies of the Helen McCall Community Album, Rough and Ready Times: The History of Port Mellon, 2 SCMA coffee mugs and a 2011 SCMA family membership!

Congratulations to Sheila and thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our survey and help us in our continued evolution to be the best regional heritage destination on the West Coast!

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Kwekwinmut / Pieces of the Past opening

2011-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

The SCMA’s latest exhibit Kwekwinmut / Pieces of the Past opened on Tuesday, October 4^th to a crowd of excited spectators who witnessed a symbolic return of the Squamish people to their traditional land. Although many people are aware of the Shishalh (Sechelt) Nation's claim to much of the Sunshine Coast as their traditional home, many are unaware that for thousands of years, the Squamish Nation also thrived on this landscape from present day Gibsons all the way Robert's Creek.

Over a hundred visitors celebrated this symbolic return by witnessing a traditional welcome by Chief Ian Campbell, numerous speeches by Squamish elders, curators and local dignitaries. Afterwards, the audience was enthralled as they explored the stone tool artifacts that make up the heart of the exhibit, marveling at the craftpersonship and questions that inevitably arose:

How long would it take to make?

What was this used for?

Just how old are these stone tools?

Well, I could give you the answers to these questions right now, but I think it is best for you to come down to the SCMA and explore the exhibit for yourself. There are real lessons to be learned about our surroundings, and Kwekwinmut / Pieces of the Past is a great starting point in helping to redefine our perspective on this place that we call the Sunshine Coast.

Exhibit Opening: "Pieces of the Past: Squamish Stone Artifacts from Ch'kw'elhp and Schen'k

2011-09-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

Kwekwínmut: Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Smánitmut, tiná7 ta Ch’kw’elhp iy Schen’k / Pieces of the Past: Squamish Stone Artifacts from Ch’kw’elhp and Schen’k, is a collaborative exhibit that features ancient Squamish pieces from the Museum’s collection of stone tools. The collection represents the Early, Middle and Late periods of Northwest Coast archaeological sequence and come from a range of site types, from permanent Squamish villages to seasonal camps. These primordial objects exemplify the material expression of Squamish culture and provide insight into Squamish ways of knowing.

In 2010, Kimiko Hawkes, Sunshine Coast Museum Manager and Curator, sought input and direction from the Squamish Nation on the museum’s permanent exhibit of Squamish artifacts. Ms. Hawkes’ invitation began a collaborative process which started with a visit to the Museum and a viewing of the collection by Squamish Nation Councilors’ Julie Baker and Deborah Baker, Squamish Nation Education Department staff, and a Squamish archaeology undergraduate student.

The Elders Advisory Committee and Vanessa Campbell, Squamish language team leader, identified the objects by Squamish name and provided some description. This work continued into research, analysis and cataloguing of the collection by Dr. Rudy Reimer (Squamish), and members of the Archaeological Society of British Columbia.

Co-curator Damara Jacobs-Morris (Squamish), believes this exhibit allows visitors a chance to explore both the function and cultural significance of the stone pieces. Kwekwínmut / Pieces of the Past is presented in the Skwxwù7mesh snichim (Squamish language) and English. Visitors have the opportunity to hear Squamish being spoken in the exhibit’s soundscape piece that includes oral history interviews and the telling of the Squamish Origin legend.

Deborah Jacobs, Squamish Nation Education Department Head and member of the Exhibit Advisory Committee comments, “The land evokes a connection to Squamish place and provides our spirit with a rich landscape. You may come to value and understand the narrative that Ch’kw’elhp and Schen’k provide our humanity in a complex world.”

The Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives and the Squamish Nation invite the public to the Opening Celebration on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 from 1pm to 4pm. Chief Ian Campbell and Chief Gibby Jacob will start the celebration with a traditional blessing. Local dignitaries will give welcome addresses. The co-curators and Advisory Committee will be on hand. Admission is by donation and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Museum.

History of the Credit Union Video

2011-08-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this wonderful video produced by Republic Digital for the Sunshine Coast Credit Union. It is a beautifully rendered production that explores the history of the Credit Union and it's role in the development of community here on the Sunshine Coast. It features a great interview with Lenora Inglis, a descendant of some of the first European settlers in the area as well as some beautiful pictures from our archives.

Here's an insider hint for you: take a look at the photograph at 1:12 : it portrays Lenora (on right) standing on the Gibsons wharf with her first child!

Saturday Point Duty and Visitor Questionairre

2011-07-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

On a gorgeously sunny Saturday morning, we helped kick off the 44^th annual Sea Cavalcade with a new tradition: SCMA Point Duty!

Every Saturday for the rest of the summer, we will be setting up an information booth next to the Persephone in Gibsons Landing from 11am – 1230pm to speak with folks about the heritage of the Sunshine Coast. We will also be signing up new members, handing out SCMA newsletters and giving people directions to our location just down the block. The idea is to put a smiling face to the great work that we do here at the museum and to help others get as excited about local heritage as we are. This particular Saturday, the street was lined with spectators for the Sea Cav parade which was making it's way down from Upper Gibsons.

I spoke with many folks about the museum and about the history of the coast and was pleased to meet a great reception from residents and visitors alike. The SCMA was represented in the parade by Ian Thomson, Larry Westlake and the Driftwood Theatre group who were dressed in old-time clothing.

In conjunction with Point Duty, we are excited to be launching a new Visitor Survey questionnaire which will be distributed at the museum as well as at the booth. Asking questions such as: “How can we improve upon the services we provide?” and “What types of events would you like to see at the museum?” we hope to gain valuable information about community’s perception of the museum. Each participant will be entered into a draw for a $50 SCMA giftshop prize pack.

Have you been to our giftshop? Have you seen all the crafty/wonderful items that we have down here? Enough said: Come down and fill out the survey :)

Our very own Wooden Boat Festival!

2011-07-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

One of the fine modern craft shown at last year's Wooden Boat Festival, Joe Maynard's "Sarah" skiff.

Heritage Small Wooden Boat Festival

Sunday, July 24th

10:00 am to 4:30 pm

Holland Park, Gibsons

The Sunshine Coast Museum And Archive's Heritage Small Wooden Boat Festival started in 2003. In 2010 it was included with Gibsons Sea Cavalcade events for the first time. This proved a great success, and the Festival will be part of Sea Cavalcade again this year.

On Sunday July 24th only, from 10am to 4:30pm, a large selection of wooden rowing boats, daysailers, canoes, kayaks, and runabouts will be on view on the grass in Holland Park in Gibsons, and their owners and builders will be on hand to share their enthusiasm and experience.

The display will include vintage examples from the Museum's collection, replicas, classic oldies, new amateur-built craft, boats by professional builders and restorers, and modern recreational designs. Visitors will enjoy the variety and quality of the craft on display, and get to vote on their favourite for the "People's Choice" award. This event is a great opportunity for those who have been thinking about building or buying a small wooden boat, have one that they would like to proudly show, or just love looking at wooden boats.

If you have one you would like to show, contact the organiser, Larry Westlake info@westlakeboats.com (885-0744), or pick up registration forms at the Museum (716 Winn Road in Gibsons, 886-8232).

Summer Hours

2011-07-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

We’ve got new hours for the Summer! We’re now open on Sunday, so come on down.

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10:30 – 4:30
Wednesday: 10:30 – 4:30
Thursday: 10:30 – 4:30
Friday: 10:30 – 4:30
Saturday: 10:30 – 4:30
Sunday: 10:30 – 4:30

Climate Change Presentation- Thursday July 21st at SCMA

2011-07-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Are you a resident of the Sunshine Coast, BC?

Are you concerned about environmental change in your community?

On Thursday July 21^stthe SCMA will be hosting a free public presentation by University of British Columbia researchers on the effects of climate change. From 7pm-8pm, researchers will speak of their work linking coastal communities in Canada and the Caribbean and will discuss the effects of a warming climate. They will also facilitate a dialogue about the effects of climate change on the audiences' lives.

From the UBC press release:

"This study assesses people’s attitudes and beliefs about environmental risks, including those potentially associated with climate change. The results of this project will be used to improve understanding of how people view risks to provide elected officials and community leaders with a “snapshot” of how people in their community think about risks. We are interested in learning about what kinds of risks your community faces, what you think about these risks, and how prepared you and your community are to deal with potential hazards. The goal is to work with the Town of Gibson’s and the Sunshine Coast Regional District to better enable them to work with citizen’s groups, NGOs, the business community and First Nations groups to address current and potential future risks."

In conjunction with this study, the researchers are encouraging participants to take part in an online survey. After completing the survey, participants will be given the option to enter your name into a draw to win one of ten prizes of $100. In order to be entered into the draw, you MUST have an address within Gibsons or the Sunshine Coast Regional District
.

Come on down to the Museum on the night of Thursday July 21^st from 7pm – 8pm to learn more about climate change and how it will effect our waterways, forests and subsequently, our ways of life.

For information and the online survey, visit:

http://envirochange.ca/UBC/Home.html

My First Parade Ever

2011-07-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Canada Day has just passed and although the weather was not stellar the show must go on! The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives was once again in the Sechelt Parade and had a booth at Hackett Park. The float was Larry Westlake’s replica Handliner which was decorated with little Canadian flags. I walked with Larry Westlake, his daughter Hannah Westlake, and Board Member Ian Thomson. We waved, smiled, and talked to the onlookers. Despite the clouds, the sidewalks were packed with people who were showing their support for all the floats.

After the Parade we headed over to our booth in Hackett Park where I oversaw our display of First Nations stone tools - a preview for our upcoming collaborative exhibit with the Squamish Nation. Our booth included a display from the Sechelt Archives, and archivist Ann Watson was there to answer questions. Despite the lower turnout than last year, we had a lot of people drop by. Some just browsed while others stopped and talked to us to share their own histories or stories of the Sunshine Coast community. Overall it was a fun day.

By Kelly MacKay

The Stories of our Names: Salish Sea

2011-06-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Often, it is in the names of geographic places that the first hints of history unfold. When we take a step back and critically observe the politics and unspoken agendas that arise from certain names, it is clear that there is a power that arises from the names we choose. In North America, a movement of cultural recognition in the last decade has led to the renaming of many places with their traditional First Nations names. It seems as if enough time has passed for a more objective view on the colonial nature of the European naming process as many places are being renamed with a moniker more suitable to historical fact, not political agenda.

Just last year, the term Salish Sea was officially recognized as the name of a vast body of water along the coast of British Columbia and Washington State. Stretching from the north end of the Strait of Georgia to the southern reaches of Puget Sound, the Salish Sea reaches westward to the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Map of the Salish Sea, Stefan Freelan, WWU, 2009

The name comes from the Coast Salish people who were the first known inhabitants of the area and it honours their historical use of these waterways. While the previously existing European names will still be used, the term Salish Sea is meant to provide an over-reaching description of the area and highlight the interconnectedness of the waterways and people who use them. In this way, a more holistic world view of the land emerges and many hope that it will inspire a deeper environmental stewardship of the coastline. Who knew there was this much to a name!

Visit: http://staff.wwu.edu/stefan/SalishSea.htm to download the map, and for more information!

In honour of the official recognition of the Salish Sea, the SCMA is featuring an absolutely stunning book entitled Islands of the Salish Sea in our gift shop. Containing beautifully artistic maps that depict the many islands that dot the Salish Sea, this is truly a book that should be on every coffee table on the coast. Essentially, the authors put out a request for the people who live on the islands to create maps to showcase the unique character of the places they live. The result is a rich collection of over 20 maps that emanate local flavor and are a treat to peruse. If you couldn’t tell, I have spent a lot of time at home with my own copy of this book : )

Drop on down to the Museum and take a look at this wonderful release or ponder the origins of our local names…there’s no telling what kind of history you might uncover!

Islands of the Salish Sea

Map of Texada Island

Newspaper Archives Go Digital!

2011-06-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives is proud to announce that we are one of twenty-one successful recipients of the 2011 B.C. History Digitization Program (BCHDP) funding awards. The digitization program, an initiative of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, was launched in 2006. It provides matching funds that help libraries, archives, museums and other organizations digitize unique historical items, including images, print and sound material.

We have received a $10,000 grant to create a comprehensive, publicly-accessible digital database of newspapers from the Sunshine Coast region. During Phase I, the issues of the Coast News/Sunshine Coast News in most urgent need of preservation (1945-76, 1983-87, and 1989) will be digitized and made available in an easily accessible web-searchable format. The original copies exist within the SCMA, but they are extremely fragile and off-limits to researchers because of their delicate condition. If they are lost, they will be lost forever. This project will permanently protect this important archival treasure in digital form and provide public access to this valuable resource.

The issues to be digitized cover 37 years during a period of tremendous growth of our coastal community. They provide information of outstanding natural, historical, scientific, artistic, archival and informational value to many segments of the Sunshine Coast population. Moreover, by providing easy public access to these archival records, we will encourage researchers to study the area, market the community, and promote tourism using a deep knowledge about the community’s unique history and strengths.

We'll keep you posted on how this project is progressing!

Gibson Day Celebrates 125th Anniversary

2011-06-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 28^th, the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives in collaboration with local producer Robert MacDonald & director David Short, presented George and Charlotte Gibson Day to mark the 125^th Anniversary of the Gibson Family’s arrival on the Sunshine Coat. And what a fantastic event it turned out to be! To be honest, the morning’s rain showers had us a little apprehensive, biting our nails and looking at the swirling dark clouds rolling in from the west, but as the day unfolded, it seemed as if luck was on our side!

The festivities began with a dramatical enactment of the Gibson’s arrival at Armours Beach. Actors portraying Charlotte Gibson and her children milled around in period costumes on the landing and there was there was a tangible excitement in the air as everyone awaited George’s arrival. Rowing a small boat up to the dock with one of his sons, the audience cheered as they stepped ashore carrying burlap sacks to represent their belongings. During the arrival, Tim Anderson’s narration told the story of how George Gibson ended up on the Coast very much by fluke as a strong wind pushed his vessel, the Swamp Angel, off course. And remember those present-day dark swirling clouds I mentioned? Well by similar fluke, the sun soon appeared and the Gibson’s began to pack up their belongings on an awaiting horse to travel to their new home. Walking along Marine Drive, the eager crowd followed the Gibson family as outspoken George provided comical and insightful comments along the way. Sunshine Coast history was alive!

As the group approached the museum, the crowd swelled, cheering and hooting wildly as George announced that they had finally reached their destination. Gathering around props set up in front of the museum such as a kitchen table and a wash tub, the actors began to act out A Day in the Life of the Gibson Family. Again, Tim narrated each situation that the Gibsons portrayed, and the audience watched on as they prepared food, washed clothes and fetched firewood. We definitely took some artistic license with this but we made sure to let the audience know and everyone seemed to enjoy it. All too soon, the entertaining enactment was over, but Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk, dressed in top hat and tails, continued with a historically themed speech, highlighting the changes that have taken place since 1886. As the sun continued to beam outside, much of the crowd gathered in the gift shop of the museum for the cake cutting ceremony. And let me tell you – it was an incredible cake, both to look at and to taste! Snacking on an array of refreshments, locals and visitors alike reminisced about the heritage of Gibsons, while many folks sat outside and basked in the beautiful afternoon. Soon, Matt Cavers presented an informative slideshow of historical photographs, providing insights and anecdotes to the enthused crowd. With the afternoon winding down, SCMA staff and volunteers marveled at how successful the event turned out to be! By all counts, about 150 people came out to the Museum to celebrate and take part in the festivities for the 2011 George and Charlotte Gibson Day.

THANK YOU’S to: producer Robert McDonald, director David Short, actors Roza Rogers, Olivia Perignon, Emily Diamond, Rochelle Perignon, Elizabeth Lyle, Nicolaus VanDerSaand, narrator Tim Anderson, photographer Dan Tsuji, and Julia Davidson (owner of horse); SMCA volunteers Ian Thomson, Mike Clement, Elaine Jackson, Ann Tasker, Lorraine Goddard, Sue Thompson, and Sharon Venechuck; the Town of Gibsons and Mayor Janyk; and Super Valu for the slab cake, IGA for the fruit and vegetable platters, and Tim Horton’s for the coffee.

For more photos and articles in our community newspapers, go to: http://www.coastreporter.net/apps/pbcs.dll/tngallery?Site=GW&Date=20110530&Category=SECHELT&ArtNo=530009999&Ref=PH

http://www.thelocalweekly.ca/ (June 2, 2011 – Vol. 9 Issue 22)

Olivia Perignon

Gordon and Elaine Jackson

Bruce and Makiko

Matt Cavers presenting a slide show on the history of Gibsons.

Curator Kimiko Hawkes with Heather McEadie, great grandaughter of George Gibson

Vintage lace dress donated as a prop by Ms. Heatherington

Awaiting the arrival of George and Ralph

George and Ralph rowing in to Armour's Beach

Mayor Barry Janyk and Narrator Tim Anderson

George and Ralph coming up the dock with supplies

George is feeling the strain after rowing ashore and packing in the supplies

The procession through town, pack horse and all!

Charlotte and the girls start doing the chores

The family poses for a group shot

Narrator Tim Anderson

Musical accompaniment by Matthew Lovegrove

Hear ye, hear ye! Mayor Barry Janyk presents a speech to the family

Great turnout!

Mayor Barry Janyk and guest Heather McEadie (great grandaugher of George Gibson)

In Support of Museum School

2011-06-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

Written by Ann Chow, Teacher at Langdale Elementary School

"My first experience with Museum School dates back to the spring of 2008. Dr.Gillian Kydd approached me to have my grade 2/3 class participate in the pilot program. The thought of turning the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives into my classroom for a week sounded very exciting. This spring of 2011 has been my fourth consecutive year attending Museum School, and my enthusiasm remains as high as the first time!

Although Museum School is only one week long, I have to confess that I start preparing the students months in advance. I generally choose to come later in the school year because of the weather. Dry and sunny conditions allow for being outdoors. The class spends time drawing the fishing boats down at the marina, writing in their journals on the lawn at Stonehurst or taking walks to visit the Mayor’s office and Winegarden Park.

The Sunshine Coast has a wealth of interesting people who are more than happy to share their stories or their expertise, complementing any program or focus at Museum School. I have invited a geologist to give a talk on fossils; a historian to share his passion for maps and early exploration; grandmothers to share their experience as pioneers; “Grandfather” (he just so happens to be the grandfather of one of my students) to share the hardships of early logging and let the kids experience splitting cedar shakes; an aboriginal educator to share her story of surviving residential school and finding her spirit; and artists to share the skill of weaving with cedar bark, print making, and scratch boards. Last year, my blended class asked for the same presenters as they had the year before! And here I was worried that the students would find it boring to attend Museum School two years in a row.

My Special Needs students adjust to the new schedule and setting quickly. Of course, a SETA is arranged to be available for one to one help with writing. Parent helpers are also invaluable by providing support with writing, tidying of the workspace, contributing to setting up of the class display of “Family Collections” and just being the extra hand when walking around town.

All the students are well prepared ahead of time, practicing object-based drawing and writing months before their week at Museum School. So, by the time they arrive at the Museum, the students immerse themselves amongst the hundreds of artifacts to draw and write for a good portion of the afternoon! The growth shown in the students writing is evident as they reflect in their journals and assess their work. Museum School provides plenty of opportunities for the students to use the many strategies used in their classroom - partner talking, connecting, reflecting, assessing and setting criteria. The resources at the Museum are abundant and help to fill the week with meaningful and memorable experiences. The Museum curator and staff are knowledgeable and most supportive in making it a positive and worthwhile week. As Gillian describes, at first the students are busy absorbing their new environment. By Day Three, they are starting to own their learning, and by ‘Day Five’, the students are sad that the week has come to an end."

The class dressed as early settlers on the final day of Museum School.

Students are eager to have a turn at splitting cedar shakes with Mr. Thomson.

Some of the items that Frances Nahanee brought for her presentation on the uses of cedar.

Jim and Ian Thomson posing with the class after a hard session of splitting shakes.

On Day Five, the class dressed up, made bread, learned about local food, and had a 'sleepover' at the museum (pillows, popcorn and movie but home by 7:00 pm - almost a sleepover!)

Noelle Hanuse used her quilt to tell the story of finding her spirit.

"OUR FOOD: Then and Now" Event Wrap-Up

2011-05-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

The first annual "OUR FOOD: Then and Now" collaboration between the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives, the Arts Building, and the One Straw Society was a grand success, both in terms of its goal of raising awareness about the history, local character and art of food production on the Sunshine Coast, and also by raising funds for the "Food For All Coupon Program". Through events such as the Hootenanny Dinner & Dance, a silent auction of local food-inspired art, a series of art & food arts workshops, and two evenings of films and discussion, our community contributed enough funds to support 31 weeks worth of food coupons that will be distributed to under-resourced families so that they can access local, nutritious food at farmers' markets. That's enough to feed 2.5 families for the full season with healthy food!

Our three collaborating organizations were so pleased with both the process and the outcomes that we're excited to start working together for next year's project, which will again include an exhibit at the Museum on the culture & history of food production on the Coast, a kick-off dinner & dance featuring an auction of local artists' works, and several awareness-raising and skill-building workshops, not only in Gibsons, but at locations throughout the Coast.

Special thanks go out to all the volunteers, artists and local businesses who generously donated their time and products to support this endeavour - and heartfelt appreciation to everyone who participated and helped make our pilot year such a success! We had a blast, and we hope you did too.
If you'd like more information on the Food For All Coupon Program, or would like to donate to support a family, contact nadi@onestraw.ca.

For more information on our societies, visit our websites: www.sunshinecoastmuseum.ca, www.artsbuilding.org, www.onestraw.ca

Anniversary Celebrations!

2011-05-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

George and Charlotte Gibson Day

125th Anniversary

1886-2011

Saturday, May 28th , 2011

from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm

The cast of "A Day in the Life of George and Charlotte"

George and Charlotte Gibson Day is our annual event commemorating the arrival of the Gibson family to West Howe Sound in 1886. This year is the 125th anniversary! To celebrate this historic occasion, we have invited local playwright Robert MacDonald and Actor/Director David Short to produce “A Day in the Life of George and Charlotte”, along with children from the Driftwood Theater School. Starting at the shores of Armours Beach, George and Charlotte land in the boat Swamp Angel and start their journey up the hill to the museum where the drama begins. There will be live music and a Town Crier narrating as George & Charlotte, along with their two boys and six daughters, re-enact a typical day in the 1880’s, dressed in period costumes and using artifacts from the Museum.

After the performance, we’ll have cake and refreshments, live music, and a slide show on the history of Gibsons. You will have a chance to meet some of the living descendants of the Gibsons and other pioneer families, as well as our new Board of Directors.

Come on out, support your museum, and learn more about our local history!

The procession route from Armours Beach to the Museum

Schedule of Day’s Events

12:30 pm to 1:30 - Armours Beach to Sunshine Coast Museum:
A historical re-enactment of the landing of the Swamp Angel and the arrival of the Gibson Family at Armours Beach and then a procession through town as the family travels from the beach up to the Museum along Marine Drive and Gower Point Road.

1:30 pm to 2:00 pm – in front of the Museum:
A performance by Matthew Lovegrove on acoustic guitar and Bruce Devereux as Town Crier, narrating the historic landing of George Gibson 125 years ago and a re-enactment of “A Day in the Life of George and Charlotte” by actors David Short, Roza Rogers, and the Driftwood Theater School.

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm – in the Museum:
Open House with tea, cake, and other refreshments, live music, and a slide show.

Get Ready!!

2011-05-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

A historical reenactment featuring a boat landing and a pack mule journey through lower Gibsons? A theatrical account of the Gibsons family arrival set to live backing music? Free snacks, refreshments and cake at the SCMA Open House? Get Ready! This year we celebrate the 125th Anniversary of George and Charlotte Gibsons Day with an extra special celebration.

STAY TUNED!!

Innovation, Evolution, and Relevence: 2011 Annual General Meeting

2011-04-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

The skies broke after a deluge of rain, and a warm breeze blew through lower Gibsons as we commenced our 2011 Annual General Meeting on Wednesday April 27th. Executive Board President Mike Clement started the night off by discussing the hard work of the board, staff members and volunteers in their various roles to ensure the successful operation of the SCMA. It was evident by Mike's passionate speech that 2011 will be a great year of evolution and innovative endeavors at the SCMA which will in turn solidify our role as a heritage leader on the Sunshine Coast.

Lorraine Goddard, Carol Service and Mike Clement: greetings!

Presenting on behalf of Curator Kimiko Hawkes, Museum Assistant Matthew Lovegrove followed with a slide show that outlined all of the activities, events, and notable exhibits of the past year. He discussed the need for deep community collaboration, innovative exhibits, and relevant public programming and touched upon an exciting upcoming exhibit co-curated with the Squamish First Nations.

Treasurer Lorraine Goddard then gave a brief run-down of our financial position followed by Jon Hird who presented a short documentary about behind the scenes exhibit development at the Museum.

Anxiously Awaiting the Good News!

Following the presentations, the Annual Election was held. Mike thanked the two outgoing board members and welcomed the three incoming members to the new 2011 SCMA board.
Mike ended the evening off with some closing comments and invited the audience to get involved in the life of the Museum, thus highlighting our 2011 vision: This is your Museum: Get Involved!

It was apparent in all of the presentations last night that this is going to be a defining year in the evolution of the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives. What do you want to see happen with your community museum?

Had a hoot at the Hootenanny!

2011-04-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

Matthew Lovegrove and Lindy Gray
of Woodland Telegraph

On behalf of the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives, I want to thank all those that made the Saturday night Hootenanny a success: to everyone who came out and took part in the event; to Matthew Lovegrove and Lindy Gray for the wonderful music; to Barb Higgins for sharing her knowledge; to all those who cooked the food; to those who helped set up and clean up; and to volunteer Ann Tasker for keeping the museum doors open for the event.

As workplace neighbors, Arts Building director Georgina Brandon and I would often see each other and talk about collaborating on a project together. We did some brainstorming and at one point, the question was asked “What did people eat for dinner back in the old days?” We invited Nadi Fleschhut from One Straw Society to join the team, brainstormed some more, and decided to take a look at food from multiple perspectives – historically, artistically, and in the current context of the local 'food movement'.

Over the last few months Georgina, Nadi and I have done a lot of meeting, emailing and organizing to get this all in place. It has been really exciting to collaborate with these other organizations and realize a shared goal. The energy that is created when people come together is truly amazing – things really happen! A group of children dug up and planted a community garden, people created works of art, delicious traditional recipes have been made, stories are being told, new faces are turning up at the museum, and communities are coming together.

Miro Hawkes with a bowl of
salmon chowder and borsht

The mantra in the museum world these days is “stay relevant”. This exhibit has really hit the nail on the head. It is an extremely relevant topic and by having this exhibit at the museum, we hope to serve as a place to remember, to discover, and to imagine. For us to continue to do this kind of public programming, we need the support of the diverse communities that exist on the Coast. Get involved, volunteer, become a member, have a voice and let us know what you think!

Nina and Amanda-Rae enjoying the festivities

Busy volunteers in the kitchen.

Great turnout!

Old Fashioned Fun

2011-03-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Our annual Heritage Play Day took place this past Saturday where we had an afternoon of good old fashioned fun. Parents and children aged 4 to 11 came out and made whirligigs, rocket launchers, totem poles, balancing birds, and more. Low-tech games and crafts using recycled material, creative imagination, and some basic science made for a surprising amount of fun.

Next year, we would like to include some different ideas for heritage games and crafts. If you have an idea, please post it on the blog or get in touch. Thanks!

Heritage Play Day

2011-03-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Good old fashioned fun with games, toys, and crafts for all ages.

Saturday, March 26th, from 1 pm to 4 pm

Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives
716 Winn Road, Gibsons, B.C.

The Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives presents its annual Heritage Play Day, Saturday the 26th! Come out and enjoy an afternoon of good old fashioned fun and games for the whole family. Make a whirligig, try your hand at origami, or design a totem pole! This is a free event for all ages. Donations to the museum are always welcome.

For more information, contact Kimiko Hawkes
Phone: (604) 886-8232
Email: scma_manager@dccnet.com

Our Food: Then and Now

2011-03-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

A multi-disciplinary exploration of the history, local character and art of our food on the Sunshine Coast.

“Our Food: Then & Now” is a collaboration between the Sunshine Coast Museum, One Straw Society, and the Arts Building. The Museum exhibit will be up until June 15th and offers a retrospective of local food culture over the last 100+ years through photographs, oral history, stories, and artifacts. In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be a series of workshops and films presented by the One Straw Society on production, harvesting and preservation of food. To kick things off, the three groups are hosting a “Hootenanny” on April 2nd from 5 pm to 8 pm at both the Museum and the Arts Building. Come on down and peruse the museum, listen to acoustic bluegrass by Matthew Lovegrove and friends, hear about traditional food with elder Barb Higgins, see the beginnings of a community garden, and dine on west coast flavours. That evening there will also be an art opening/silent auction of work that artists have interpreted from the theme of local food, as well as spring pots and seedlings for sale.

Growing season has begun and food security is becoming an increasingly pertinent subject. Learn more about how community-based food systems work. Share your ideas. Eat together and celebrate the past and future of “our food: then and now”!

Schedule of Events:

Museum Exhibit

Art and Artifacts, March 15th – June 15th , Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
The edible landscape of the Sunshine Coast has sustained and nurtured its residents for thousands of years, and will continue to do so into the future. From indigenous food sources, to small scale subsistence farming, to the seasonal harvesting of berry crops, explore the history of local food production on the Sunshine Coast and get inspired to grow your own!

The Hootenany: Dinner, Silent Auction, Music

at the Arts Building, April 2nd, 5 pm to 8 pm
Enjoy Matthew Lovegrove's acoustic bluegrass, a traditional foods talk and blessing by elder Barb Higgins, and the sumptuous entrees we've prepared featuring traditional recipes and coastal flavours. Spring pots made by local potters, and locally grown seedlings will be available for sale. Silent auction of local artists' pieces inspired by food & agriculture continues throughout the evening.
Calling all artists! You're invited to submit a piece of work about what local food means to you. Pieces will be exhibited and sold in a silent auction with 60% of the proceeds going to the artist. Call 604-740-7790 for more information. Submissions due by March 30th.

Workshops

Nourishing Nettles with Sarah Ward, at the Arts Building, March 27th, 2 pm to 3:30 pm. Sarah will teach you not only where to look for this wild edible treat, but also how to ethically harvest (with stinging yourself!) and prepare a variety of delicious, nutrient-rich recipes.
The Art of Food Preservation with Justin French, at the Museum, April 9th, 10 am to 12 pm. An overview of do-it-yourself techniques and tools to preserve your favourite foods from dehydrating to pressure canning and more! Recipes and samples of delicious preserved treats will abound.
The Wonders of Kale with Tawha Barboza, at the Arts Building, April 9th, 2 pm to 4 pm. Tawha will teach you how to prepare some amazing foods featuring KALE as a primary ingredient - yummy enough that even kids will gobble them up! Learn about the health benefits of this prolific plant that grows year-round in local gardens.

Films

FRESH, 72 minutes, 2009, http://www.freshthemovie.com/
At the Museum, April 8th, 7 pm. A celebration of the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Fresh offers a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. A film by Ana Sofia Joanes. Discussion to follow facilitated by Chris Hergesheimer, farmers' market strategist & local food producer.
ISLANDS ON THE EDGE, 75 minutes, 2008, http://www.dvcuisine.com/
At the Museum, April 30th, 2 pm. Similar to the Sunshine Coast, the food supply of Vancouver Island is largely dependent on imports arriving on barges and ferries. Within the context of a growing interest in local foods, this film takes a look at how to maintain and build the infrastructure of sustainable agriculture to fulfill the dream of feeding the island locally! Produced by Nick Versteeg of DV Cuisine. Presentation and discussion to follow facilitated by Dave Ryan of Gumboot Gardens & the SCRD Agriculture Advisory Committee.

Contact

To register for workshops contact nadi@onestraw.ca.
For more information visit sunshinecoastmuseum.ca (604- 886-8232), onestraw.ca (604-741-9859), or artsbuilding.org (604-740-7790).

Proceeds from all events go towards supporting the FOOD FOR ALL COUPON PROJECT - making farm fresh food accessible to all.

Sacred Drum Workshop Photo Essay

2011-03-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

On Saturday February 26^th, the Sacred Drum Workshop was a wonderful and sold-out success as Squamish Nation’s Tsawaysia Spukwus led the participants in making their own ceremonial drum. As a snow storm blanketed the streets outside, Tsawaysia told stories regarding the tradition of drum making and the participants laughed, learned and worked together to create their own unique sacred drum. After the closing ceremonies, each participant left the museum smiling, holding their new drum and imparted with a new understanding of First Nation's culture.

Plans are in the works for summer workshops in drum making and cedar/wool weaving led by Tsawaysia, so stay tuned!

More photos of the Antiques Roadshow

2011-02-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

Appraisers hard at work.

Ann Watson, Sechelt Archives

Busy Roadshow at Sunnycrest Mall.

(R) Tom Lavis, Egmont Heritage Center
(L) Billy Griffith, SCMA Director

Pender Harbour Living Heritage

Antiques Roadshow Fundraiser a success!

2011-02-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives (SCMA) 10th Annual Antiques Roadshow is our major fundraiser each year. This year Sunnycrest Mall provided the venue to us free of charge and all the support cast were SCMA directors or friends. We had over 160 individuals come through the gate with up to 3 items each. We had 7 appraisers: 5 from Vancouver and 2 from the Coast. Vancouver appraisers were Jeff and Jane Harris, (General Antique Appraisers), Edward Tokarek (Asian Works of Art and General Antiques), and Greg and Linda Devine (Antique Jewellery). From the Coast we had Darcy Burke (coins and stamps) of the Trading Post in Gibsons, and John King (books and manuscripts) who is a bookseller from Garden Bay. All the appraisers donated their time but handed out their business cards if anybody was interested in putting their items to auction.

As well as the SCMA we had displays and representatives from the Egmont Heritage Centre, the Sechelt Archives and the Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society. On display were antiques and photographs highlighting the history of the various areas on the Sunshine Coast. The SCMA ran a mystery object contest: the winner was Kathi Dunlop who correctly identified the fire extinguisher device that came from the "Ailsa 1", a 32 foot yawl built in Vancouver in 1907.

Some of the items that were appraised included an American double eagle $20 gold piece valued at $1300, a number of books from the 16th Century including one from 1566 valued at $1000 , 5 different people with sets of Japanese Kutani porcelain tea sets at around $250 per set, a number of Edwardian Lavaliere pendants ranging in value from $200 to $1500 each, and a sword and map from World War One planning the attack of 2 Canadian Army companies against the Germans in France. Two of the most valuable items were a TE Eatons 1/4 century 14 carat Rollex watch valued at $7 to $10,000 and a painting by the French Canadian artist Pilot valued at $8 to $10,000.

On behalf of the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives we extend a big thank you to the appraisers, the volunteers and the public who attended the Roadshow.

Ian Thomson, Roadshow Coordinator

Sacred Drum Workshop

2011-02-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

Making your own sacred drum begins a journey - as you have recreated the sacred musical instrument of ‘Spirit’

Xwalacktun

Internationally Acclaimed Native artist & carver

www.xwalacktun.ca

Drums have been used for thousands of years and by many cultures. The drum beat works as a conduit connecting the resonant sound of the human heartbeat and the rhythm of the heartbeat of Mother Earth. When the drum dries, we keep the heartbeat alive by beating the drum. Our culture teaches us that the more drums are played, the more harmony, connection, and understanding we have of one mind, one body, and one spirit.

Join us in a sacred circle where all are treated equal. Tsawaysia begins with a ‘Welcome Song’ and talking circle and as we pass the eagle feather around the circle, we share with each other who we are and where we come from. Tsawaysia will lead you through the process of making your own Sacred Drum from start to finish while sharing songs and storytelling throughout the workshop. You will be truly amazed and empowered as you use your creativity to transform mother earth’s gifts. In our workshops, we honour the deer and the cedar tree. The beating of the drum keeps their spirits alive.

Saturday, February 26th, 2011
1pm to 3pm with Tsawaysia Spukwus

at the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives
716 Winn Rd., Gibsons, BC

TO REGISTER, CONTACT THE MUSEUM AT 604-886-8232

Registration fee is $130.

All materials are pre-cut, treated, & prepared for assembly. Workshop includes a complimentary drum beater and information on how to care for your drum.

Workshop Outline: Sacred Circle, Welcoming Song, Passing of the Eagle Feather, Materials & Instructions, Songs and Storytelling, Talking Circle, Passing the Eagle Feather, Closing Ceremony.

Tsawaysia Spukwus, whose English name is Alice Guss, is a Squamish Nation member, and mother of three children. Her father, Pekultn was a Hereditary Chief from the Seymour Creek area of the lower mainland of British Columbia. Her family is strong, committed and active in the preservation of their culture and heritage. Tsawaysia’s mother is a Squamish Nation Elder who has nurtured and guided her family of seven children to participate in all aspects of First Nations culture, language, community, governance, education, traditional art forms, healing, recreation, singing, drumming, dancing and storytelling. With over 20 years working with First Nation communities as a Director of Education and 15 years delivering Sacred Drum Making workshops, Tsawaysia is masterful at bringing innovative learning opportunities to all people through workshops, drumming, singing, dancing and storytelling. She is an avid participant in healing Tribal Journeys and more recently co-produced a number of documentaries including Squamish Nation: Stories from the Heart, Tribal Journeys, and Riding with the First Nation’s Snowboard Team. During the 2010 Olympics she coordinated her family’s sea going canoe display, Pekultn, in honour of her father.

10th Annual Antiques Roadshow Fundraiser and Heritage Fair

2011-02-01T10:50:00.000-08:00

Have any items tucked away that are collectable, unusual, historical, or antique? Want to know more about them, including what they’re worth? Bring them down to the 10^th Annual Antiques Roadshow and Heritage Fair on Saturday, February 19^th. This major fundraising event will be held at the Sunnycrest Mall in Gibsons from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Fascinating and valuable items have been “discovered” in the past. Will your item be the next big discovery?

Qualified appraisers generously donate their time and expertise to appraise a variety of items including paintings, stamps and coins, silver, jewelry, rare books, collectables, china, military items and much more. Appraisals will be limited to a maximum of 3 items per person so that as many participants as possible can be seen. Admission is free but an appraisal will cost $10 for 1 item, $15 for 2 items, and $20 for 3 items.

There will be heritage displays by the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives as well Sechelt Archives, Egmont Heritage Center and the Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society. We will also have a selection of items from the Museum Gift Shop for sale – Seedling Creativity Kits for kids, Boat Crafts, books, vintage postcards and more.

This is a major fundraising event for the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives, and all proceeds support Museum services and programs. Donations are also greatly appreciated or you can purchase a museum membership and receive our bi-annual newsletter.

Attend this fun and informative event - learn about our local history and support the SCMA in our efforts to preserve, present, engage and inspire! For more information, please call the SCMA at 604.886.8232, check our website www.sunshinecoastmuseum.ca, or visit us at 716 Winn Road in Gibsons (across from the Post Office). We are open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 to 4:30.

Around Cape Horn - Film Screening

2011-01-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday at the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archive, an enthusiastic and lively crowd gathered to witness the awe-inspiring and surprisingly humorous film Around Cape Horn. Documenting the voyage of the Peking, a four-masted commercial sailing vessel that ventured around the treacherous Cape Horn in 1929, the film was narrated after the fact by Captain Irving Johnson, one of the deckhands on the voyage. There was scarcely a seat left in the house by the time curator Kimiko Hawkes finished a great introduction and pressed play on the film, thus beginning the epic journey. Johnson’s irreverent anecdotes brought great insight into life onboard the Peking and elicited hearty laughter from the crowd throughout the film. While the humour of the narration was a welcoming surprise, it was the storm footage that truly amazed the packed audience. Awe-inspiring is perhaps the only way to describe the storm footage that they captured: as the Peking pitched and rolled through massive breaking waves, the audience gasped and shook their heads in amazement. Imagine a deckhand hanging at the top of a mast, one hand holding onto a rope and the other holding the camera as he films massive waves breaking over the ship’s deck 17 stories below. Truly, an unbelievable film experience!

Packed House at the Museum

After the screening, local sailing expert John Roper answered many questions from the audience which was still buzzing from the harrowing journey. How long was the boat? (370+ feet - the length of a football field!) How many crew members were on the Peking? (John guesses about 100). It was evident from the question period that Around Cape Horn had thoroughly captured the imagination of the audience. As one audience member mentioned, it was wonderful for her to gather with other members of her community and watch the film together. There is something to be said about collective energy!

Due to the great turnout, we are planning a subsequent screening of Around Cape Horn come springtime. If you would be interested in attending a viewing in the future, please email scm_a@dccnet.com with your contact info and we'll add you to our "Upcoming Events" list.

John Roper discusses the Film

2011-01-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
*
A toast to the Museum...may 2011 be filled with inspiration, lots of funding, great ideas, thought-provoking programming, and community involvement!

The holidays were nice and quiet around these parts - no office renovations or gift shop facelifts this year. Instead, we all took time to rest and rejuvenate and we're back at work feeling fresh and energized. Good thing because we're starting the year off with a bang!

Saturday, January 15th, we will be screening the film "Around Cape Horn". It is a 37 minute DVD documentary of a voyage taken by the commercial sailing vessel, the Peking. The black and white footage was taken in 1929, with narration done in 1980 by Captain Irving Johnson, one of the deckhands that was on board as the ship rounded Cape Horn during a storm. Quite spectacular!

The event will take place in the Museum at 2:00 so be sure to come a bit early to settle in. Call 886-8232 for more information.

Holiday Closure

2010-12-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

The Museum and Archives will be closed for the holidays from December 19 to January 3. We look forward to bringing you fresh exhibits and exciting events in the New Year. Happy Holidays!

A wintry scene on the Granthams Landing Wharf in the 1930s (subjects unknown). SCMA photo #3620

Sunshine Coast Day of Listening a Great Success!

2010-12-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday November 27th, the SCMA in collaboration with Christenson Village hosted a Day of Listening, a chance for participants to interview someone special in their lives and have the conversation recorded with professional audio equipment. The event was a resounding success - all of the time slots were booked up in advance and the participants raved about their experience.

As the participants arrived, they were treated to the hospitality of the organizers who had created a cozy environment in the museum’s library for the interviews to take place. Once the tape was rolling, the participants told stories and shared memories as their conversations were recorded by a make-shift recording studio set up outside the room. The 40-minute sessions were over in a heartbeat and many of the participants commented that they were just getting started, obviously enjoying the atmosphere and conversation! After the session was over, the organizers burned a copy of the interview onto CD so the participants could take a copy home to share with others or keep for the future. All in all, it was a wonderful day and a great way to kick-off a series of events to honour the act of listening and preserve the stories of the Sunshine Coast residents.

Due to the success of the event, another Day of Listening is planned for the new year, so keep posted to our website or call the SCMA if you have any questions at 604.886.8232

Rob interviewing Bertha.

Fabulous Bruce Devereux

Activities Coordinator at Christenson Village

A Piece of Gibsons goes to Poland

2010-12-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

We receive visitors to our Museum & Archives from all over the world, but not all of our visitors come through the building’s front door. Our website and blog help us to reach people that may not have the opportunity to visit us in person.

We recently had a pleasant exchange with Mr. Dominik Sasim, a private collector from Warsaw, Poland. Mr. Sasim collects museum tickets and lapel pins, and he happened to contact us to inquire about acquiring items to add to his collection. We happily sent Mr. Sasim a Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives rack card and a Town of Gibsons lapel pin, in exchanged we asked him to share a bit about himself and his collection. He wrote,

I have been collecting lapel pins and badges from museums all over the world for over two years now.

My hobby has begun with the collection of post stamps together with my father. Later I switched to badges and lapel pins from various museums.

See Gibsons' Molly's Reach - 2nd row down, 2nd pin from the right.

Now, after nearly two year of collecting I have managed to gather over 600 of them, out of which 300 are of foreign origin. My collection expands mainly thanks to exchange with other collectors as well as via internet auctions. My friends and colleagues also remember of my hobby and often bring these small souvenirs for me from their domestic or international voyages. Additionally I often visit museums myself in search of new gadgets for my collection. With some of them I maintain contact relation. Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives has recently made me a great surprise: they have sent me beautiful lapel pin for my collection!

The oldest and most valuable exhibit in my collection is the badge from the already nonexistent Mausoleum of Zwirko and Wigura in Cierlicko that dates back in 1935. I also posses rare exhibits from most remote locations in the world, like for example the ones from Dorothy G.Page Museum in Wasilla, Alaska, or from the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum in Japan. My favourite badge is the one form the Juna Museum of Earth from Szklarska Poreba as well as the badge representing Bluenose II Lunenburg schooner from the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in New Scotland.

This is in fact only a start of a collection which I intend to systematically develop and expand with new exhibits!

Museums & Archives are wonderful places for sharing histories, stories, and interests. We are fortunate to be able to be part of people’s lives, including those that live on the other side of the world.

A Day of Listening

2010-11-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

Your chance to interview someone special in your life
And have their stories recorded for the future…

Date: Saturday, November 27th

Time: 1 hour sessions - from 9 am to 3 pm

Where: SCMA– 716 Winn Road, Gibsons

Contact: Call the Museum at 604-886-8232 to book a time

Is there someone in your life whose stories have always amazed, intrigued or inspired you? On Saturday November 27th, the SCMA in collaboration with Christensen Village would like to invite you to a Day of Listening, your chance to record a conversation with someone special in your life. You choose the person to interview and the questions you would like to ask them, and we will provide a private location at the museum for your conversation to be recorded with professional audio equipment. The question and topics that you speak about are up to you: there is no right or wrong answers and it is important to keep in mind that this is an informal process. Picture a kitchen table conversation with that person whose stories make you laugh, learn or capture your heart and imagination. Afterwards, we will burn a CD with your recorded conversation on it (or transfer it to a USB memory stick-user provided) for you to take home and share or to keep for the future. Do you have someone in mind but can’t find the right questions? Check out the Story Corps website to get started at http://storycorps.org/record-your-story/question-generator/list/.

It is the act of listening that honours another person and it is our goal to help capture the stories that are important to your life and help preserve them for the future. To pre-book a one-hour time slot, please call the SCMA at (604) 886-8232. Book soon as there are only 6 slots available and they will fill up fast.

Stone Artifacts Older than the Pyramids

2010-11-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

In collaboration with the Archaeological Society of British Columbia and the Squamish Nation, we invited a group of archaeologists to catalogue, photograph and analyze the collection of over 200 stone artifacts that have been curated here at the SCMA. We invited the public to come and watch them at work and ask questions. Over the course of two days, we had close to 40 people come by, some with artifacts of their own that they wanted to have looked at. Here are some pictures from our Artifact Analysis event - public archaeology in action...

Jim Pound referencing "Stone, Bone, Antler & Shell" by Hilary Stewart

Archaeologists hard at work. Back to Front: Sarah Kavanagh, Robyn Ewing, Jennifer Lewis, Jim Pound.

Rudy Reimer speaking with a museum visitor.

Robyn Ewing, Jennifer Lewis, & Jim Pound

Sean Alward

Sarah Kavahagh photographing a hammerstone.

Jim Pound speaking with museum visitors.

Public Archaeology in action!

The work they are doing will be used to enhance our own database as well as to create a shared database that will go up on the Reciprocal Research Network an online research environment that provides access to First Nations items from the Northwest Coast and British Columbia. It allows you to search through items from many institutions across the world, all from the same convenient interface. For more information, go to http://www.rrnpilot.org/login, Pretty exciting to be a part of this! Local reporter Christine Wood came by and spoke with me and Rudy. Here's the article that appeared in today's Coast Reporter:

"HISTORY RESTORED, RECALLED IN GIBSONS"

http://www.coastreporter.net/article/20101105/SECHELT0604/311059992/history-restored-recalled-in-gibsons

Christine Wood/Contributing Writer

There are artifacts older than the pyramids resting at the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives in Gibsons.

Recently, a group of professional archaeologists came to the museum to analyze the First Nations wood, bead, shell and stone artifacts housed there, effectively dating some pieces to a period 5,000 years ago.

“To put that into context, the pyramids were built about 3,500 years ago, so we have pieces here that are the same age or older,” said Rudy Reimer, president of the Archaeological Society of B.C., adding that most of the artifacts are 2,000 to 3,000 years old, but some date back 4,000 to 5,000 years.

While some of the artifacts have been in the possession of the museum since 1963, the collection had not been thoroughly analyzed by an archaeologist.

“The collection has been developed over decades, and we have catalogued it, but we don’t have any expertise to properly analyze it,” said museum curator Kimiko Hawkes.

Hawkes met with Reimer while he was visiting with a Squamish Nation delegation, and she sought his expertise. Reimer was excited at the prospect of uncovering more First Nations artifacts, and he decided to bring a team to the museum to help shed some light on the history housed there. Last weekend the museum was a buzz of activity with archaeologists examining artifacts, photographing them and poring over reference materials to determine dates, uses and origins of the articles.

While Reimer’s team worked, the public was invited to come and view their efforts. More than 40 people took the time to see what was happening, and some even brought in artifacts of their own for identification.

Reimer was happy to see the community come out, noting archaeologists have been working behind closed doors for many years, not sharing their discoveries with the general public.

“We’ve kind of gotten away from our original mandate, which was to blend the interests of all people and do archaeology in public. We want to involve the community and create awareness about the fact that there are thousands of years of history here,” Reimer said.

Some of the discoveries in Gibsons included an ancient warrior’s club, pieces that show evidence of fishing and hunting technology and an unusual carving found on Mount Elphinstone that is made of a natural concrete and shell.

Some of the pieces will be studied further with the use of X-ray fluorescents, a non-destructive technology that shows where stone used in an artifact came from.

“Basically we take a chemical fingerprint and we can tie that chemical fingerprint back to the source, or where it came from,” Reimer said.

Hawkes said the museum learned a lot from Reimer’s recent visit, and they are inviting him back again in the fall to continue his work.

In the meantime, Reimer encourages anyone in the community who thinks they may have found an artifact to contact the B.C. Archaeology Branch at 1-250-953-3334.

“Some people have these things sitting in their living rooms, and I would encourage them to bring them in and have them looked at. There is a broader archeological context that we can put things into, and if we don’t we will lose that knowledge,” he said

The Voices of Women in History

2010-10-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

The book launch on Saturday turned out to be a lovely little affair with family, friends and community members coming out to support this recent publication. Four of the women who put "Women of Pender Harbour" together were in attandance and each spoke of their role in the 10 year project. They took turns reading different passages and highlighting some of the interesting women and stories from Pender Harbour. After the talk, the crowd mixed and mingled in the gift shop area over tea, coffee and treats.

Dorothy Faulkner

Karen Dyck

Aaron and John

Joan

l to r: Kimiko Hawkes, Pat Jobb, Karen Dyck, Dorothy Faulkner & Cathy Jenks

Artifact Analysis

2010-10-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Come and watch archaeologists at work!

Three separate communities have come together to create a public event that will showcase local First Nations history, archaeology and our local communities on the Sunshine Coast.

Many ancient artifacts have been curated at the Sunshine Coast Museum but very little information exists around the meaning and function of these items.

Please come and join us as archaeologists photograph, catalogue and analyze these implements so that they can be developed into an educational exhibit.

At the Museum

716 Winn Road in Gibsons

Friday and Saturday

October 29th & 30th

from 11 to 4 each day.

"What were these used for?"

"How old are these?", "What are they made of?"

"Who used these?"

Through a collaboration between the Squamish Nation, the Archaeological Society of B.C. and the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives, we have the rare opportunity for Rudy Reimer and other archaeologists to come to the Museum and work with the stone artifacts in our collection. They will be on hand to answer your questions and explain the process of analysis.

Join us for a book launch!

2010-10-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

“Women of Pender Harbour: Their Voices, Their History”

by Dorothy Faulkner, Elaine Park, & Cathy Jenks

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

at the Museum – 716 Winn Road, Gibsons, B.C.

Reading, Q&A, and book signing with authors.

Refreshment will be served.

For more information, contact the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives at (604) 886-8232

or go to http://www.sunshinecoastmuseum.ca/

The coast of British Columbia is indented by inlets where early logging and fishing families established independent settlements in the wilderness. Women of Pender Harbour: Their Voices, Their History presents part of B.C.’s history through the words of the early women settlers of one of these coastal villages.

Modern Pender Harbour, today a thriving community of 2500 on the Sunshine Coast, northwest of Vancouver, was for much of the twentieth century a place that tested the courage and ingenuity of its women. The book contains life stories of women who laid the foundations of the community, such as Thawquamot Theresa Jeffries, a Shishalh girl sold into marriage to one of the first English settlers; her daughter Mary Ann Rouse, the harbour midwife in the 1920s; her granddaughter Martha Warnock, who fought the government to get a road to school for harbour children.

Women of Pender Harbour: Their Voices, Their History is published by the Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society, a voluntary non-profit group working to preserve the history of the Pender Harbour area. The book began with an idea by members of the Pender Harbour Women’s Connection group to honour the local women pioneers. After nine years of work by volunteers conducting interviews and gathering information and photographs, project leader Dorothy Faulkner, writer Elaine Park and graphics editor Cathy Jenks have woven the recollections of more than 40 pioneer women into a colourful tapestry of remembrance. The historical narrative is augmented by more than 200 heirloom photographs, biographical profiles, a Pender Harbour historical timeline, genealogies of some of the founding families and an endpaper historic map. An original painting donated by internationally renowned artist Motoko, entitled “Boat Day at Irvines Landing,” graces the jacket cover.

Production of the book was made possible by the donated skills of Howard and Mary White of Harbour Publishing. All proceeds from sales of Women of Pender Harbour: Their Voices, Their History will support preservation of historical records and artifacts in Pender Harbour.

Jean Barman, Professor Emeritus of educational history at the University of British Columbia and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, is the author of several history books including The West Beyond the West, Stanley Park’s Secret, The Remarkable Adventures of Portuguese Joe Silvey and British Columbia: Spirit of the People. She has made the following comment on the book:

“Women’s lives recounted in their own words are rare indeed. Women of Pender Harbour is a welcome exception, following forty remarkable everyday women across a century and more. These diverse women share their upbringing and first romances, their roles as wives, mothers, and fisherwomen, and their determination to build community. Through these women’s recollections, we glimpse the coastal enclave of Pender Harbour. Once isolated and self-contained, it increasingly appealed to ‘summer people,’ some of them so entranced they became residents. Women of Pender Harbour is an important slice of British Columbia history.”

On Saturday, October 23, 2010, Dorothy Faulkner, Elaine Park and Cathy Jenks will be reading selections, sharing stories, and discussing their research here at the Museum from 2 till 4 pm. Join us for some lively conversation and refreshments. Copies of the book will be available in the gift shop and admission is by donation.

Community Oral History

2010-10-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we had a lively group of 17 participants gather at Christenson Village for a workshop with Prof. Helene Demers on the subject of oral history. There is never enough time in the day to cover it all but we touched on the basics and everyone received the revised copy of the Community Oral History Kit created by the Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives. Professor Demers drew from her work over the years to highlight the importance of sensitivity, compassionate listening, and ethics. The participants came from various backgrounds – residents and staff at Christenson, Quest University students, Canada World Youth participants, friends of the Museum, and interested community members; they ranged in age from 20’ish to 80’ish; and there was a nice balance of both men and women. Everyone was engaged, enthusiastic, and willing to share their own stories. By the end of the day, there was a very real sense of a collective group and a wonderful energy that comes from that. Thanks to all the participants, to Professor Helene Demers and to Bruce Devereux and the folks at Christenson Village.

L to R: Kimiko Hawkes(SCMA), Qaqamba Koyana (Canada World Youth), Prof. Helene Demers (VIU), Selena Boan (Canada World Youth)

Bruce

Jennifer and Jim

Rebecca, Gordon, and Jeanie

Jennifer

Sandra and John

Joanne and Caroline

Lynn and Maynard

Gordon and Jeanie

Qaqamba

I am in the midst of planning a follow-up recording session here at the museum where folks can familiarize themselves with the equipment, practice their interviewing skills, and record a session or "conversation" with a partner. Participants will receive a copy of their recording to take home. The idea is based on the StoryCorps concept:

“The heart of StoryCorps is the conversation between two people who are important to each other: a son asking his mother about her childhood, an immigrant telling his friend about coming to America, or a couple reminiscing on their 50th wedding anniversary. By helping people to connect, and to talk about the questions that matter, the StoryCorps experience is powerful and sometimes even life-changing.”

Check out http://storycorps.org for more info.

Bruce Devereux and a few others in the community have expressed interest in organizing this event and providing some of the necessary equipment. I hope to have this happen by mid-November so if you’re interested in booking a recording session, would like to help out, or just want some more information, please get in touch.

Monday Movie Night a Success!

2010-09-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

It brings a smile to my face when we have a full-house for an event here at the museum - and that's exactly what happened on Monday night for the screening of the documentary, "SFU Tla'amin Field School - Summer 2008". It was standing room only for the 36 minute film and the discussion continued on into the evening. Invited guests from SFU--Barbara Winter, film director and curator of the SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, John Welch, one of the field school project directors and a professor in the Department of Archaeology and School of Resource and Environmental Management, and Roxana Slujitoru, a Communications student, who did the post production and graphics for the film--answered intelligent questions and carried on a thought provoking conversation with the audience.

The title of the film doesn't do it justice. It really should be something like "Archaeology Rocks!" or "Archaeology for a Better World". Joking aside, it is a surprisingly powerful and moving documentary...who knew archaeology could be so far-reaching. A range of topics were covered like the process of collaboration, the importance of the herring fishery, the effects of logging on archaeological sites, and the intertidal zone. The message throughout was one of conservation: conservation of archaeological sites, of herring as a 'keystone species', and of Tla'amin culture and heritage.

The reason I felt this film was so relevant to show to the community at the public museum was because it speaks so directly to the power of collaboration. The SCMA is in the process of community bridging and working collaboratively with both the Squamish and Sechelt First Nations on a new exhibit, and it's a very exciting time. On another level, events like this bring people together. The museum becomes a place where conversations take place, and points of view are shared with the understanding that the multiple perspectives are what create a vibrant community. After watching the film (for the fourth time) and partaking in the event as a whole, I was left with a renewed sense of commitment to community involvement, collaboration, and creating links.

SFU Professor Dana Lapofsky is interviewed in the film and her words give me goosebumps: "I think for a lot of people these days, we're really aware that the Earth is hurting, it's damaged, it's just on this trajectory of doom. And for me, the way to take back the Earth and the trajectory we're on, is to make small changes...to build relations, from person to person, and from community to community, and making those links...realizing that we are all good people, and we all care about the future of the planet, the future of our families."

This field school is a collaboration between SFU and the Tla'amin, the students and the Tla'amin youth, the project directors and the elders. And yet, it's a powerful example for us all. As Lapofsky points out, "One-on-one, group-to-group, community-to-community, I feel like we're strengthening the fabric among people and that can only, only make the world a better place. And I take just huge joy from that".

So do I.

check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pged9cYg0NQ

Community Bridging in Action - Part II

2010-09-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here is another article that provides some background to the collaboration between the SFU Archaeology Department and the Sliammon First Nation:

Our once teeming shores
BY RANDY SHORE, VANCOUVER SUN JULY 24, 2009

SLIAMMON -- The herring are all gone. Most of the chum, too. Clams and oysters lie uneaten on the beach, made poisonous by the industrial encroachment a few miles up the beach in Powell River.

Those foods were once the currency of a sophisticated marine economy for the local first nation, the Tla’Amin people. The life they supported exists now in the memory of village elders, those who are left.

On this day a handful of elders attend a community day planned by Simon Fraser University archeologists Dana Lepofsky and John Welch and their students, but there is sadness in the air. The village is planning a funeral for Bessie Peters, an elder who has died.

It is the ninth funeral this year, each a devastating blow for a small community of 700 people struggling to maintaina relationship with its past.

Welch and Lepofsky are here to help flesh out the oral history using the archeological record. They are conducting surgical excavations of the human habitations that have ringed these bays for at least 2,000 years.

The elders’ living memories are of a time when the beach turned white with herring roe each spring, when
carefully constructed pools on the beach were so thick with fish they could be harvested by the basket.

“We used to come every year when the tide went out to branch for herring eggs,” said Tla’Amin elder Charlie Bob.

As a boy, Bob helped weight and sink cedar boughs and tree tops just below the low tide mark so they wouldremain submerged.

Desperate to spawn, the herring mistake the cedar for kelp and lay their eggs in thick layers on the branches. Hemlock boughs were sometimes used too, but Bob disliked the needles that would inevitably get mixed in with the roe and usually used cedar for its sturdier foliage.

“We’d have it anchored out there and leave it maybe two nights and the eggs would pile up on it,” he recalled, looking out into the bay where he once harvested his family’s food from a dugout canoe. “Then we would pull them all out and dry them.”

Bob learned to harvest all that the ocean had to offer from his grandmother and other village elders and spent most of his days as a young man hunting and fishing.

They also taught him the Tla’Amin tongue, which he had forgotten because he was forbidden to speak it during eight years at a government-run residential school.

He still speaks the language and teaches it to the children in Sliammon along with the basics of wood-carving three times a week.

The beaches now are empty of herring roe, its harvest a lost art.

Empty, too, are the fish traps and clam farms that spread like a lattice-work across the beaches here, on Harwood Island and at camp locations throughout Tla’Amin territory. The traps are carefully engineered complexes of holding pools and guideways that concentrated the fish on the beach or in holding areas just below the water’s surface.

Rather than living passively with the topography provided by nature, the Tla’Amin people terraformed and
managed their lands and beaches intensively, said Lepofsky, who is in Sliammon for a second summer of study with the community.

The archeological team has already unearthed evidence that the Tla’Amin moved large amounts of earth to build foundations for their longhouses and that their provenance is ancient. A line of boulders on the beach stretches for several hundred metres, the remains of a fish trap that would have been buttressed by an equally long row of wood pilings. The beach on the point north of Sliammon village is entirely covered with a complex of traps that catch fish, trap cod roe and warm standing water to encourage clams to grow there.

“The memory of the place is of incredibly rich, diverse ecosystems and with that a deep ecological knowledge,” said Lepofsky. “There was very specific timing to do things, like not fishing the herring until the water turned white with the spawn.”

A time of plenty

The people moved from place to place in ancient times to intercept runs of herring, chum, sockeye and pink as they came into season.

Everywhere they went fish traps were built and maintained, with similar design features repeated in far-flung locations but adapted to local currents and conditions.

Some crossed streams, others were placed below the low water mark while others still were higher on the beach, suggesting that different kinds of technology and different parts of the intertidal zone were used for different prey or at different times of the year.

“The knowledge about the fish traps is fairly limited today,” Lepofsky said. Living memory of the traps is nearly gone, however, the archeological record points to continuous, systematic harvest of a whole range of sea life stretching back many centuries.

Some traps were still in use as late as the 1950s.

“I remember going with the grandmother down there to scoop baskets and take out herring,” Emily August said, nodding toward the pools revealed by the day’s low tide. “We would bring it all up the beach in a wheelbarrow and everyone would get their share.”

Herring was smoked on the beach for consumption throughout the year.

As a member of the chief’s family, August would have to wait as each family in the village took a share of the catch. “That was the way that Chief Tom did it and his dad, too.

“We always went last because as chief it was his job to look after his people,” she explained.

It was a time when a man didn’t need a job to provide for his family.

“It was peaceful and people shared,” said elder Peter August, Emily’s uncle. “If you couldn’t get it for yourself someone got it for you, you didn’t need money.”

“Now we have to get our food from the Safeway,” he said. “But it’s not the same.”

Sliammon Beach was once speckled with shacks and cedar racks that were used to process, smoke or dry oysters, clams, fish roe, herring, salmon and ground fish. Today the foreshore is a soccer field and a children’s playground built of red and yellow plastic.

“We used to get all these things on the beach here before the water was contaminated,” said Bob. “You can’t even touch it now.”

Clams were steamed and then skewered on sticks and fire-dried. Roe was cured in the sun on the racks. Both could be rehydrated for eating by an overnight soak in water and both were used for trade.

“We would take it over to Cape Mudge and trade it for oolichan oil, medicine or women, like a wife,” Emily August said. Marriages between first nations were often sealed with the delivery of a dugout canoe loaded with preserved food.

August’s great-grandfather, hereditary Chief Tom Timothy was betrothed as per tradition to a woman from Cape Mudge with a boat full of plenty, but caused a scandal when he chose a younger sister of the woman to accompany him home.

“That was a very bad problem,” she said, though his descendants are able to laugh about it now. “The one that he paid for got the boat and the paddles and all the food and he got a wife that didn’t speak a word of our language.”

The beginning of the end

Herring catches in B.C’s coastal waters exploded in the 1950s and 1960s and the commercial fishery grew unchecked until the unthinkable happened: The fish were gone.

The commercial catch peaked at more than 250,000 tonnes in 1966 and dropped to zero in 1967. The fishery remained closed for four years to allow stocks to recover and some did. But the resident stock at Sliammon has never returned to its historic abundance.

The herring catch in recent years for the whole coast of B.C. averages around 25,000 tonnes, though it dropped as low as 12,000 tonnes in 2007.

“The seiners came in and cleaned [the herring] all out,” said Bob, who watched from the beach as commercial fishermen emptied the waters of his people’s staple food. “I think there were 300 of them.”

Though the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Tla’Amin have long disagreed about the existence of a local resident herring stock, recent DFO studies indicate that herring populations in B.C. run the full continuum from entirely resident to entirely migratory.

“If it wasn’t a resident stock, why didn’t they come back?” asked Peter August. “This used to be one to be one of the richest places for herring, salmon and bottom fish.”

The seiners returned in the 1980s and took what was left.

“Back in the ’80s was the last time we saw herring in this area,” said August, once a fisherman himself.

A 2003 agreement in principle for a treaty negotiated with the provincial government conceded that the Tla’Amin would likely have to go outside their traditional fishing area to obtain herring afforded them under the treaty.

The Sliammon fish traps rarely produce today and haven’t been actively used for decades. But when a school of chum was stranded in a trap on Sliammon Beach the whole village came out to see them. Then they had a barbecue, just like old times.

The creek that flows through Sliammon was once overloaded with chum, elders say. Today a fish hatchery operates in an effort to rebuild what has been lost. But without the herring as a food fish, it seems unlikely that the salmon can ever fully recover.

“It’s hard to fix once it is destroyed,” he said.

The hatchery has been working to help the chum and coho recover for more than 25 years and Sliammon Creek has a few thousand returners some years, other years not as many. A community smokehouse on the site was built to help the community’s young people regain the art of smoking their own fish. Chum emptied of their eggs are used for smoking.

Looking back to look forward

The archeology project at Sliammon is a collaboration between SFU and the Tla’Amin people. For Lepofsky and Welch it is a chance to study a first nation that academia has largely ignored. For the Tla’Amin it is a chance to recover some of what has been lost.

“When you look, there are herring bones everywhere and they supported people for thousands of years and created an elaborate fishing technology and now there’s none of it left,” she said.

The number of dwellings identified around the bays at Sliammon indicate a population much larger than exists today, Lepofsky opined. “We are finding there were huge numbers of people here,” she said. “But those settlements have passed out of memory.”

The regular impressions left by the longhouses are easy to spot and make popular building sites even today as they are already level and angled to face the bay and each other. Many of the longhouse excavation sites are cut into people’s back lawns.

At a time which has yet to be determined, many of the longhouses suddenly ceased to be dwellings and were covered with midden material, which suggests the locations were used for shellfish processing. The remains of clams, oysters and surprisingly thick layers of urchin shell, banded in both green and purple, are clearly visible in the excavations.

A smallpox epidemic in the mid-19th century killed about 80 per cent of the first nations people in B.C., Lepofsky said. A theory circulating among archeologists points to another pandemic several hundred years earlier, meaning the smallpox epidemic of 1862 killed most of what was already a decimated population.

Swift death by disease devastates the knowledge base of a society based on oral tradition as those with the history and the expertise are lost before they can pass on what they know.

“These cultures were harmed in ways we can’t even get our heads around,” Lepofsky said.

In addition to the archeology students working on the project are two young Tla’Amin: university student Lisa Wilson and Tanner Timothy, a descendant of Chief Tom Timothy.

Wilson hopes to return next summer as a student rather than an employee of the project, but for now she is happy to begin to uncover some of what has been lost.

Wilson spent her summers in Cowichan as a child and didn’t learn as much of the traditional knowledge as she would have liked. After each day on the project, she rushes home to tell her father what she has learned.

“It’s amazing because I am sharing history with him,” Wilson said. “We’re learning it together.”

Wilson is constantly surprised by what the archeological record reveals about the complexity and inter-relatedness of the ecological knowledge of her ancestors. “It’s all-encompassing,” she said. “I feel so blessed to be able to come home and use my abilities and share what I know with my friends.

“They are getting excited about archeology and what it means to our community looking forward,” she said.

MOVIE NIGHT! Monday, September 13th at 6:00 pm...

2010-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Screening of SFU Tla’amin Field School – Summer 2008

36.34 minutes, Documentary Film, General

Presented by the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives

The Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives invites you to attend a screening of the documentary film “SFU Tla’amin Field School – Summer 2008”on Monday, September 13^th at 6:00 pm. Working on the beautiful British Columbia coast within the Tla’amin First Nation’s traditional territory, SFU archaeologists and Tla’amin community members uncover some of the fascinating history of this people and this land. Learn more about community-bridging and collaborative partnerships as Archaeologists and First Nations work together on this project. The film also looks at the effect of logging on archaeological sites in the region, clam gardens and other inter-tidal features of the area, and traditional herring fishery and conservation. Meet the director of the film, Dr. Barbara Winter and one of the project directors, Dr. John Welch. Both will be in attendance and available for questions and discussion after the screening.

Barbara Winter is the director of the SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology with research interests in museology, visual archaeology, video and new media, artifact conservation, ethnology and ethnoarchaeology, heritage legislation and issues in the curation of archaeological and ethnological collections. Dr. Winter explores ways to enhance exhibits in the museum gallery with new media, and creates complex award winning websites and short videos on various topics in archaeology, ethnology and forensics.

John Welch is an anthropologist and social archaeologist with research and policy interests grounded in broad questions about how communities develop, employ, and sustain environmental and cultural conservation precepts and practices. In pursuit of indigenous heritage stewardship, Dr. Welch facilitates partnerships that formalize and advance community agendas to explore what archaeology can do - how archaeological sites, methods, perspectives, and data can enhance land and place histories, stewardship practices, Indigenous community capacities, wellness, education, and intercultural reconciliation.

Seats here at the museum are limited so be sure to arrive a few minutes early. We are located at 716 Winn Road, right across from the Post Office in lower Gibsons. For more information about the event, contact us at 604-886-8232. To learn more about the project, check out the award winning website:

http://www.sliammonfirstnation.com/archaeology/index.html

"...Sew Like Your Mother" and so much more!

2010-08-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

We’ve had a busy summer so far with new staff, new exhibits, some exciting community collaborations, and a whole lot of curious visitors!

In conjunction with the upcoming 2010 Fibre Arts Festival (August 19^th-21^st), we collaborated with Alaina Russell of Carola’s Quilt Shop to create our new temporary exhibit. Alaina loaned us a portion of her collection and we now have a FABULOUS display of 26 toy sewing machines, in mint condition, dating from 1910 up to the 1970’s, along with some beautiful featherweights, treadle and hand-operated machines. The oldest machine on display was manufactured in 1886 - 124 years later and it still works.

The opening reception for "...Sew Like Your Mother" will be this Saturday, August 14^th, from 2:00 to 4:00pm. Join us for some lemonade and a lively chat with the collector!

Yesterday we had the Summer Reading Club come from the Gibsons Public Library for a scavenger hunt. The kids, ages 4 to 10, wandered through the museum in search of certain artifacts, historical names, and other hidden treasures. It also happened to be Super Hero Dress-Up Day so our Summer Assistant, Devon, dressed as Super Girl and had fun helping the kids find clues, spell words, and learn about the museum in the process.

Before flying off to save the day, she took some time to pose with some of the staff and sign autographs – thanks Super Girl!!

Earlier this month, Sherry Cooper dropped off a painting, “Orchard Ghosts”, to hang in our Gift Shop for the duration of the Coastal Lives Exhibit at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery. The theme of her show is pioneer life, circa 1886, with a focus on the Hjorthoy family of Gambier Island and their apple orchard. Next time you’re in G-town, drop by GPAG and check out the show, then walk on over to the museum for the finale piece, “Orchard Ghosts”.

Look for our booth at the upcoming Salmon and Ocean’s Day on September 11^th and at the New Moon Festival on September 24^th. We will have some interesting and informative on-site displays at both events.

Also, coming up on October 2^nd, we will be having our Community Oral History Workshop. This will be a one-day workshop that will take place at Christenson Village in their Activity Room. I will post more info as we get organized but the date is confirmed so check back soon!

Success at Sea Cavalcade

2010-07-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

This year, the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives hosted the Heritage and Hand-Crafted Wooden Boat Festival on Sunday, July 25th. With the help of Larry Westlake, 19 small wooden boats were put on display in Holland Park for visitors to Sea Cavalcade.

There was a constant flow of people admiring the selection of boats and chatting with the boat builders. Under the SCMA tent, the Hubert Evans Handliner acted as our off-site exhibit. This historic handliner is on permanent display in the museum.

During the day, visitors were given an opportunity to vote on their favorite boat in the show. The crowd responded with enthusiasm. At around 3:30 in the afternoon, the ballots were counted and the winner announced. Art Perry was given the People's Choice Award for his beautiful Cedar-Strip Chestnut Prospector Canoe to the delight of the audience.

The Handliner replica "Anna" also participated in the Sea Cavalcade parade on Saturday the 24th as the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives float, accompanied by Jon Hird, Larry Westlake, and Phil Jones.

Thanks to everyone who came by, watched the parade, or had a boat in the show! We hope to see you again soon.

Coming up - Heritage and Hand-Crafted Wooden Boat Festival!

2010-07-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

This year's Sea Cavalcade will feature the return of the museum's Heritage and Hand-Crafted Wooden Boat Festival! Come on down on Sunday, July 25, to see a unique collection of new and vintage handmade wooden boats from all over the Sunshine Coast. They'll be shown from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM on the flat, easy-access Sunday market area in Holland Park in Lower Gibsons, within view of Gibsons' historic harbour. There'll be something there to please everyone with an interest in boats, handcrafted woodwork, or local history and traditions.

If you have a small (under 18 feet) wooden boat that you'd like to include in this exhibition, contact the organizer, Larry Westlake, as soon as possible! He can be reached at 604-885-0744, or at info@larrywestlake.com. You can also pick up registration forms right here at the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives.

We'd love to see you down here.

Digitize!

2010-06-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the most satisfying tasks I've taken on here at the museum:

Missing from the picture are the three boxes of cassette tapes that I'm digitizing, using the equipment pictured here! The cassette tapes contain recordings of oral history interviews that date back to 1978. The interviews were conducted by Elphinstone Pioneer Museum (Gibsons' original museum and an SCMA precursor) staff and volunteers, and feature the voices of an array of long-time locals, many of whom are no longer living. There are stories about logging, fishing, homesteading, housework, schoolteachers, one-room schools, social life, and much more. They're absolutely precious - and vulnerable, too. Cassette tapes don't last. The tape is extremely fragile (especially when it's old), the mechanisms inside them can get all gummed up. They're not a stable medium for storing such important information.

So, one by one, I'm digitizing these old cassettes. The tape deck in the picture is equipped with a USB connection. A cable connects the deck to the computer, which records the sound coming out of the tape deck using a simple, free program called Audacity. Once the tape's played out, I save the sound file in both .wav and .mp3 format, burn the works to a DVD, and voila - accessible oral history!

It's a fairly time-consuming job, since everything has to be recorded in real time, as the tape plays back. No shortcuts here. But things are coming along pretty decently. So far, nearly half of the cassettes have been digitized, and about a third burnt to DVD. Well. Now we need some folks to transcribe a few of the interviews that never were transcribed before! Can you use a computer? Can you type quickly and accurately? Send us an email! We'd love to hear from you.

George & Charlotte Gibson Day 2010

2010-05-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we celebrated the 124th anniversary of the Gibson family's arrival in Howe Sound, and it was a whopping success! Thanks to Super-Valu for the outstanding cake.

We had a great turnout - over eighty people, many of them, no doubt, attracted by the chance to meet George and Charlotte themselves.

The crowd was a mixture of longtime locals and newer arrivals. There were even a few descendants of George and Charlotte (the real ones) in attendance.

Curatorial Assistant Matt Cavers presented a slide show on the history of Gibsons. That's him pointing out the old flume at the mouth of Langdale Creek.

A good time was had by all! See you next year for the 125th anniversary!

Summer is creeping up on us!

2010-05-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

May 11th already! - we apologize for our recent silence in the blogosphere. We're still here, in case you worried. In fact, we've been too busy to get to the computer.

What's new at the museum? Well, the first thing I should mention is that we're throwing a George and Charlotte Gibson Day open house, just like we do every year. George and Charlotte Day is an annual event commemorating the arrival of the Gibson family to West Howe Sound. It's now 124 years since they got here, over which time the town of Gibsons has grown from a small collection of houses and shacks by the forest's edge to a pretty modern place. We'll be celebrating the growth of our town with tea and cake, live music, a slide show presentation on the history of Gibsons, and - who knows - maybe an appearance by George and Charlotte themselves. The event is on Saturday, May 22, from 1:00 until 4:00. Send us an email (scm_a@dccnet.com) or give us a call (604-886-8232) if you have any questions!

As I type, museum board president and volunteer extraordinaire Jon Hird is building a display in our temporary exhibit space. The display celebrates the centennial of Canada's navy with a selection of maritime memorabilia from the SCMA's collection. It should be together by the end of this week, so come on by and have a look!

There are several big jobs ongoing right now. As I mentioned in our last post, we're working to organize and revitalize the museum's oral history program. Things are coming along with that - we're taking stock of what we have (and we have a lot) and getting ourselves organized to resume interviewing. We still need volunteers to assist with several jobs. We're looking for interviewers (must have good people skills, enjoy conversation, etc.) and transcribers (must be a quick typist and be able to spell accurately). If you're interested, please drop us a line!

That's it for now. See you in the museum!

The year is flying by...

2010-04-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

April already! A quarter of 2010 has flown by and we here at the museum are having a hard time believing it. This sort of thing happens when you're busy, I guess, and we've been busy.

We had a very successful Antiques Roadshow on March 20th. Thanks to all of you who came out and supported the museum by having your treasures appraised. Hopefully there were lots of pleasant surprises - I did notice that there was a fellow on the front of The Local last week who'd had a painting valued in the tens of thousands. Amazing - and just think, it could be you next year!

In museum news, our Manager/Curator, Kimiko Hawkes, has just completed a course on the theory and practice of oral history, which was offered by the Archives Association of British Columbia. This is a great thing for the museum, as we have an enormous collection of oral history interviews that are in need of - well - they have various needs. Some cassette tapes need to be digitized. Some audio recordings need to be transcribed. Some transcripts need to be indexed. All of the records need to be properly catalogued. On top of that, we need to get out and interview people! There are countless people here who've lived long lives on the Sunshine Coast, and who have stories that ought to be recorded. Now that Kimiko has received training in this area, the museum is ready - almost - to get serious about the work of improving our oral history collection.

But we can't do it without volunteer support. Over the past few years, we've had a few dedicated volunteers help us with transcribing interviews and re-typing old interview transcripts that weren't preserved digitally. Hats off to them! Well, now we're looking to assemble a list of volunteers that can help out with:

-Transcription (must be able to type quickly and be able to spell competently)

-Interviewing (must enjoy talking and be willing to attend training - experience appreciated!)

-Other jobs (there will definitely be other jobs)

We'll also be looking for tips on who to interview. Do you know somebody who's been around the Sunshine Coast for a long time, and who remembers it as it used to be? Do you know anyone whose story ought to be told? Let us know. If you know anyone like this, or you're interested in joining our volunteer roster, contact Kimiko at scma_manager(at)dccnet(dot)com. (Substitute an @ sign for the (at) and a period for the (dot) - putting an email address out on the internet is an open invitation for junk mail!)

Thanks for reading! Drop by the museum sometime!

The Antiques Roadshow is coming up!

2010-03-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who made Heritage Play Day a success! On February 20th, we held our annual family event where kids (and those who are no longer kids but are still young at heart) get a chance to make a variety of old-fashioned toys. It was a gorgeous, sunny Saturday, and we threw the doors open wide to the street. Plenty of people came by and lots of interesting things were made.

Our next museum event will be a big one. It's the annual Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives Antiques Roadshow - the ninth annual, in fact. This year the Roadshow will take place at the Sechelt Seniors Centre (5604 Trail Avenue) on Saturday, March 20, from 10:00 until 4:00. Do you have treasured belongings that you'd like to know more about? Want to know what they're worth? Come on down! You can bring up to three items for appraisal. The fee is ten dollars for one item, fifteen dollars for two, and twenty dollars for three. The Roadshow is always popular, so we recommend coming down early. We hope to see you there!

New temporary display

2010-02-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

Hi there everyone -

Next week is Heritage Week in BC, and this year's theme is "Heritage of Sport and Recreation: Community Pride, Active Living." We've just finished putting up a temporary display for Heritage Week that celebrates sports and recreation on the Sunshine Coast. The display features Coast sports memorabilia, including a baseball bat and jersey from Gibsons' own Ryan Dempster. There are also several fantastic photographs from the Coast's early days. Come on down and have a look! We're open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 to 4:30.

Also, don't forget to drop by on Heritage Play Day, which is on Saturday, February 20th from 1:00 until 4:00. It'll be great fun for kids and their families - we'll make old-fashioned crafts and toys, just like they used to in the days before Nintendo came along. Come on by and make origami cranes, whirligigs, balancing birds, totem poles, and more!

Heritage Play Day

2010-01-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone - our apologies for the lag between postings! It's been a busy January, and it promises to be a busy February as well.

In case you haven't heard, we're planning to have our annual Heritage Play Day on February 20th this year. From 1:00 until 4:00, people of all ages are invited to come down to the museum for an old-fashioned good time! It'll be fun for the whole family. We'll be pulling out some tables and some crafting supplies, and providing some professional-quality coaching on origami, whirligigs, and other crafts. You can also check out a photo display on old-time sports and recreation on the Sunshine Coast that we're putting together in celebration of BC Heritage Week, which runs from February 15th to the 21st. This year's Heritage Week theme, not surprisingly as the Olympics draw near, is sports and recreation.

Putting together the photo display reminds me what a spectacular resource our photo collection is. A historic photograph is a powerful thing - it shows you something that can be both familiar and jarringly different. Take the photograph of Gibson's Landing behind the title of this blog as an example! We're hoping to make good use of our photo collection in our revitalized upstairs exhibits this year, so stay tuned. We're also hoping to make photo prints available for sale in our gift shop very soon.

So long for now! Hope to see you at Heritage Play Day! Or, if you can't make it then (or would rather miss out on making crafts), any other time between 10:30 and 4:30, Tuesday through Saturday!

What we did over our Christmas vacation.

2010-01-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

Hello history fans! Happy 2010 to all of you! First of all, we're sorry that we let so much time go by between the first post and this one. We'll try to be more punctual in the future! Anyway - we started this blog to keep you posted on what we're doing around here at the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives. As it turns out, we've been really busy lately, and (we like to think) it shows. We were closed to the public from December 19th to January 5th, and over that time, we gutted and renovated our office. And boy, oh, boy, is it ever different in here now. Better. Much better. Way better.

There's lots of work to do in this little museum (which we'll tell you about on this blog, by and by), and some might wonder why we chose to re-do the office rather than, say, any one of the exhibits that we've been meaning to get to. Well, the thing about an office is that it's where the museum staffers spend ninety percent or more of their time. It's the place where most of our work gets done - research, writing, collections management, admin. And our office, pre-2010, had some fundamental flaws. Well, flaws might be too strong a word. It's just that, for instance, only one of us had a desk. Curatorial Assistant Matt Cavers and Graphics Technician Gary Morrison had been hitting their knees on drawers underneath their makeshift computer terminals for years. And then there was the clutter. Most offices experience some degree of entropy, but our office was messy, even at its cleanest. So the office, in a way, was the top priority - a messy office makes it hard to do good work.

These are the "before" pictures. Picture trying to get work done in there! Impossible! (OK, that might be a bit hyperbolic, but you get the idea.)

So over the break, Manager-Curator Kimiko Hawkes, Exhibit Technician Jon Hird, and the aforementioned Curatorial Assistant (I've now, by the way, subtly introduced you to most of the museum team) set to work putting things in boxes, disassembling furniture, moving heavy objects out of the office, vacuuming up yesteryear's cobwebs, sanding, spackling, painting, assembling furniture, and putting together a brand new office, in which everyone has a desk. The results are remarkable. There's floor space. We don't have to squeeze past one another to get to the photocopier/printer/scanner/fridge/door. Things have places. It's a harmonious work space, finally. It's dreamy.

Those, of course, are the "after" pictures.

So now it's back to work for 2010, in a brand new office. This promises to be an exciting year - we have exhibits to redesign, Museum School programs to run, and a long-anticipated new museum software system to install. Looking forward to telling you all about it! In the meantime, we wish you a very happy and successful new year. So long!

New decade, new blog!

2009-12-17T14:18:00.001-08:00

Attention history fans -

Thanks for dropping by the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives' new blog! We'll be using this space to keep you posted about the work we're doing here to keep the Coast's history alive and well. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, we hope that you have a great holiday season. We'll be closing at 4:30 on Saturday, December 19th, and reopening at 10:30 on Tuesday, January 5th. If you get a chance to drop by before we close up, take a look at the new products in our gift shop - hey - you might come away having ticked someone off your Christmas list! We have great BC books, local handicrafts, historical photo prints, and more. Come on by.

If you don't make it down before Christmas, we'll see you in the new year. Stay warm and dry 'til then!