Installing a 500 pound canoe!

Have you ever wondered how to move a 500 pound dugout canoe from Whistler to Gibsons and then install it in a museum exhibit space? I certainly have.

When we first started talking about doing an exhibit exchange with the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, I was just so excited about the partnership opportunity that I agreed without hesitation. It was only once things started falling into place and the transfer of artifacts was being arranged that I wondered how we were going to pull this off.

Thankfully, there are experts in our community who know a lot about transporting canoes. I contacted Ed Hill of the Gibsons Paddle Club and asked if he had any suggestions. He immediately and enthusiastically offered the assistance of the Gibsons Paddle Club. The club supports community organizations and is actively involved in community collaborations. Ed offered two members to drive the club’s canoe trailer to the Centre in Whistler and pick up the canoe. Sarah Goodwin, the SLCC's Director of Development, agreed to coordinate manpower at her end. All we had to do was come up with 20 strong-bodied individuals to carry the canoe from the trailer into our museum space.

Through an act of synchronicity, Ed Hill and Fred Stark went up to get the canoe on a Wednesday and were coming back on an evening ferry. Wednesday evenings are when the Gibsons Volunteer Fire Department meets for practice. Where else can you find 20 strong-bodied individuals all in one place, at one time? Thanks to the quick thinking of museum board member Mike Clement, Fire Chief Bob Stevens was contacted and arrangements made for the volunteer fire fighters to help with the move. Member of the Paddle Club and the fire fighters converged on the Museum and it all happened seamlessly! In less than 30 minutes, we had the canoe installed in our museum exhibit space, looking as magnificent and impressive as ever.

A big huge “THANKS” goes out to the Gibsons Paddle Club and the Gibsons Fire Department. Their willingness to help and enthusiasm to get involved really confirms for me what “community” is all about.



Canoe being loaded by crane onto trailer.
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler.

Once the canoe arrived at the Museum, the Gibsons Paddle Club and the
Gibsons Fire Department  volunteer fire fighters arrived to help with the move. 

Ed Hill gives the crew a briefing on how the move will take place.

Heave Ho!
The 500 pound canoe is literally in the hands of the volunteer movers. 

At 28 feet long, it required some maneuvering to get the canoe through the door.

The space looks tiny with 20 guys and a huge canoe...is it going to fit?

Just fits...in fact, fits perfectly!

Here she is!
Red cedar dugout canoe carved by Ray Natraoro of the Squamish Nation.

Such beautiful lines!

The "strong-bodied" moving crew!
The Gibsons Fire Fighters and the Gibsons Paddle Club.

Thanks!

Heritage and Handcrafted Small Wooden Boat Festival

The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives’ Heritage and Handcrafted Small Wooden Boat Festival is back again for Sea Cavalcade 2013.  It’s a one-day show on Sunday, July 28th from 10am to 4pm in Holland Park in Gibsons.  Don't miss it!  We will have canoes, rowboats, kayaks, dinghies, daysailers and other wooden boats hand-built by enthusiastic amateurs and skilled professionals.  Some of the boats on display will be vintage craft and some of them will be new creations using traditional as well as modern methods.  The owners and builders will be there to talk to you about their boats, and share their pleasure in their craft.  If you just like looking at beautiful things, this is the place to be.  And if you've been thinking you'd like to build a wooden boat yourself some day, you'll find a lot of encouragement and experience here - so come on down to pick our brains!

If you've got an old classic or "beaut-nouveau" small wooden boat that you'd like to show, contact the organizer, Larry Westlake at info@westlakeboats.com or 885-0744 for details. 

Terri's Journal: Week Four

Okay, I made it. A week of work after so much bed rest has been tiring, but I’m back in the swing of things now.

This week has been a bit of a bustle as we try to get the new Squamish canoe exhibit installed and ready for the opening. It’s really coming along! Most of the text panels are up on the walls and on one wall we’ve installed a huge screen print of an archival photograph showing a group of canoe carvers at work. It’s pretty neat. The official opening for the exhibit is July 20^th. For more info check our facebook or this post.

Some of my time this week was spent polishing up old sports trophies for preservation. They’re all from the early part of the last century, and they looked it. After some very messy work, I’ve managed to get them shiny again! The winners of these trophies would be proud.

My other special task was to scour through all the Beachcombers photos in our archives and select a few for a new project we’re undertaking. As some of you may know, we are revamping our Beachcombers exhibit this summer, in celebration of the show's 40^th anniversary . Along with many other exciting changes, we are making life size cutouts of the characters Nick and Relic. My job was to find some appropriate photos of the actors (Bruno Gerussi and Robert Clothier) to use. It was harder than it sounds: the actors need to be facing forward, in a simple pose, and in costume, just to name a few of the many variables.  I think I found a couple of options to work with in the end. I’m excited to see how they will turn out. We’ll be opening that exhibit on August 17^{th -} I’ll let you know more about that event (and the exhibit) closer to the date.

Well, that’s all for now. Until next w- … You know what? I think it’s still a jinx.

Terri

P.S. Leave me a comment and let me know if there is anything you’d like to hear about in this weekly journal. There’s only so much I can say about me, maybe there’s another topic you want to read about!

Exhibit Opening: Chátwilh: The Craft and Culture of the Squamish Canoe

         

     The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives, in partnership with the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre present:

Chátwilh: The Craft and Culture of the Squamish Canoe explores the craft of canoe making and the rich culture that surrounds it.  The exhibit features Stelkaya or “Striking Wolf” - a 28 foot canoe that was carved from a single piece of ancient red cedar. Its chátwilh (canoe carver), Sessiyám (Ray Natraoro), is a member of the Wolf clan and a modern master of the ancient Squamish craft.

The Chátwilh exhibit was originally curated by Chief Ian Campbell at the Vancouver Maritime Museum and was then transferred to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler. As a result of our work with the Squamish Nation, an exhibit exchange will see our Kwekwinmut stone tool exhibit showcased at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. In return, we are honoured to host Chátwilh at the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives until May 2014. We look forward to sharing this exhibit with the public and developing further partnership opportunities with both the Squamish Nation and the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.

The Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives invite the public to the Opening Celebration on Saturday, July 20^th from 1 pm to 3 pm. Chief Ian Campbell, honored guest and curator of the exhibit, will start the celebration with a welcoming to the Squamish territory and an opening speech. Admission is by donation.  For more information, please feel free to contact the museum at 886-8232.

 

Terri’s Journal: Week … Let’s Call It Three

As you undoubtedly noticed (since it is the most important part of your week), I haven’t updated this journal for a couple weeks. I have been off work since the beginning of June due to an unexpected medical issue, but I am much better now and relieved to be back at work. Heck, I’m just happy to leave the house for a purpose that  doesn’t involve a doctor!

A whole lot has changed here at the museum in the 18 days I was absent. One of the first things I noticed was the new Molly’s Reach lapel pins we have in the Gift Shop. They are $4 each.

The gardens look magnificent thanks to our wonderful volunteer Sheila Weaver. She was making some progress when I left, but take a look now:

Lastly, our new canoe exhibit is coming along nicely. The 500 pound canoe which is the centerpiece of the exhibit was (fortunately for me), installed before I started working here and the last two weeks have seen progress beyond that. The exhibit is borrowed from Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and showcases the canoe building practices of the Squamish and Lil’wat waterways that suported their culture for generations. We hope to be able to open the exhibit by June 28^th. Here's some pictures of where we're at now:

I won’t make the promise to post again next week because it seems to be a jinx, but until next time,

Terri

What Should You Do If You Find An Archaeological Site or Artifact?

The Archaeology Society of British Columbia (ASBC) was founded 40 years ago by academic archaeologists and people of the public who shared an interest in the past.

Archaeological sites and artifacts are the physical remains of cultures from centuries ago. Here's an example of Artifacts found by people of the Sunshine Coast Community that are curated at the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives.

 Why Should You Report Finds?

Every year in BC significant archaeological finds are found by people out hiking, digging in their garden or backyard, or simply going about their work. When reported to appropriate agencies such as the BC Archaeology Branch, local First Nations, or even the ASBC new information about the ancient past can contribute to our understanding of the history of an area and prevent destruction of important cultural materials and areas.

How to Report Finds:

If you think you have found something archaeological please contact

The BC Archaeology Branch (250) 953 3334,

The Squamish Nation (604) 980 4553,

or us, The Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives (604) 886 8232.

The ASBC may be contacted on the web or at PO Box 520 Bental Station, Vancouver BC, V6N 2N3.

  

Taiko Drumming at Museum School

Last month, Ms. O'Hara brought her Grade 3/4 class from Gibsons Elementary for a week of Museum School. On Friday, we had special guest Joyce Chong come in for a visit to talk about her expertise as a Taiko drummer. What a treat! There was a demonstration with Joyce and players from Tonbo Taiko and then the class got to practice and learn some lines from the piece called 'Matsuri'. It was the perfect way to end the week of Museum School with a bang - literally!

Check out the video - Joyce, Jojo, Carol and Kimiko play a version of Matsuri. Those drums sure look good next to the Squamish canoe.

 
Here the kids are learning a few lines from Matsuri - pretty fast learners for only a few minutes of practice!


Thanks go out to Joyce for taking the time to share her knowledge with us, to Jojo and Carol for joining us for the demonstration, and to Dan for transporting the drums (and the players) to the museum. I hope we can do this again some time!