The BCHF board of directors welcomed four new members to the team last Saturday at its Annual General Meeting. Directors are elected to a one-year term and take on various portfolios within the organization. 

Rizwaan Abbas, Surrey 

Rizwaan was born and raised in Sparwood on the ancestral land of the Ktunaxa Nation. He has an associate degree from Douglas College, a BA in Archaeology from SFU, an MSc. in Paleoanthropology and Paleolithic Archaeology from University College London (UK) and a PSc. in Collections Management from UVic. He is a Director of the Indo-Fijian Cultural Society of Canada and has been working in culture resource management for over two decades. Rizwaan is an archaeologist for the Semiahmoo First Nation and a member of the Historical Discrimination against People of South Asian Descent Advisory Committee, in Vancouver, and the South Asian Canadian Museum Engagement Committee. Rizwaan was a guest editor of BC History Magazine and has curated an exhibit titled, “Surrey’s Pocket of Paradise” at the Museum of Surrey and authored a Chapter in the book, “The Social History of South Asians in British Columbia,” published by the University of the Fraser Valley, all where he showcases the heritage and history of British Columbia’s Indo-Fijian communities. 

Chelsea Brown, Abbotsford 

Chelsea Brown is a recent graduate of Oxford University where she received her Master of Studies in Global and Imperial History (2020). She has been involved in data management and collections projects at various institutions in the UK and Canada, including Early Modern Letters Online (EMLO), the Ashmolean, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MAE) at Simon Fraser University, and at several Provincial Heritage Properties here in BC. Chelsea has been working at the Kilby Historic Site since 2017 in various capacities between schooling, becoming curator in 2022. Recent projects at the Kilby Historic Site have included the repatriation of over 30 Indigenous baskets to the Sts'ailes and Sq'éwlets First Nations, collection digitization, and emergency planning. 

Sarah Ling, Vancouver 

Sarah oversees the development and implementation of the Chinese Canadian Museum’s public programming and exhibitions. She is the co-curator of Odysseys and Migration exhibition and curator of the historic period rooms at the Wing Sang Building. She holds a BA in English Literature with a minor in First Nations and Indigenous Studies, and a MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of British Columbia, with a community-centered research background in Chinese and Indigenous relations on Musqueam territory. Born and raised in Prince Rupert, northern BC, she is passionate about establishing relationships and connections with individuals and communities across the province. As a filmmaker she has produced a number of documentaries featuring Chinese Canadian stories. She is an active volunteer in Vancouver Chinatown and is Past-President of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC. She enjoys creative projects, nature walks, and opportunities to spend time with her niece, nephews, and goddaughters. 

Laura VanZant, Revelstoke 

Laura VanZant is the Assistant Curator at the Revelstoke Museum & Archives. She received her B.A. in History & Archaeology from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2017 and an Advanced Diploma in Museum Studies from Algonquin College in 2019. She is the former Curator of the Revelstoke Railway Museum and has also worked for Parks Canada and the Museum of Dufferin. Her passion is for community stories and sharing unheard voices and making the museum experience more accessible for all visitors. In her spare time, you can find her kayaking with her husband, curled up with a book and her cat, or cross stitching in her favourite chair.