The British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) is pleased to announce that the Vancouver Island Local History Society is the recipient of a provincial Award of Recognition.

Awards of recognition are given by the BCHF to member societies who have given exceptional service for a specific project in the preservation of British Columbia’s history.

The Society received this Award of Recognition for preserving Victoria’s Point Ellice House and decolonizing narratives associated with the property, its inhabitants and the land.

The Vancouver Island Local History Society, a member of the BC Historical Federation, took over management of the Point Ellice House heritage site in 2019, just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic began, with a mission to develop and support heritage work that was inclusive, diverse, and representative of communities in the past and present. Their management of Point Ellice House ended in 2023.

As the group states, “We are incredibly proud of the work our staff and volunteers have done to rehabilitate and reinvigorate this special historic site.”

The award was presented at the Federation’s annual conference awards gala on July 22. You can view Dr. Kelly Black’s video acceptance speech below.