Blog & News

A new collection of short videos has been released by the B.C. Labour Heritage Centre.

B.C. Labour Heritage Moments showcase key topics in over 100 years of B.C.’s labour history. The nine videos are 3-4 minutes each. Titles include Indigenous Longshoremen, Ginger Goodwin, Injunctions and Collective Bargaining Rights.

The Centre used clips from its own extensive oral history collection, as well as other archival sources to illustrate the videos.

Each video was researched and written by staff members Natasha Fairweather and Donna Sacuta. Fairweather also narrates each episode. Video and sound editing was provided by Rob Leichner of the Canadian Labour Congress.

The collection was released at the B.C. Federation of Labour Convention in November. The Centre encourages organizations to use the videos at their events, in education programs and on social media.

The Moments Collection can be viewed and downloaded on YouTube and on the Centre’s website.

In 2022, at the suggestion of the research project Agents mémoriels, un engagement citoyen d’hier à aujourd’hui, the Canadian Historical Association (CHA) and the Fédération Histoire Québec (FHQ) launched a call to national, provincial and territorial historical societies to initiate a conversation on common issues. The result was the Bridging the Gap initiative, which produced a report on the current state of historical societies in Canada.

The conversation broadened on November 4, when the first national meeting of Canada’s historical societies was held. In addition to the members of the steering committee - the CHA, the FHQ, the Institut d’histoire de l’Amérique française (IHAF) and the British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) - the following societies took part:

· Canada’s History

· Newfoundland & Labrador Historical Society (NFLHS)

· Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society (RNSHS)

· New Brunswick Historical Society (NBHS)

· Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society (SHKS)

· Historical Society of Alberta (HSA)

· Yukon Historical & Museums Association (YHMA)

At the meeting, they discussed the contemporary issues they face in order to continue their work and remain relevant to their communities and Canadian society today. They agreed to continue the discussion, with the aim of maintaining this link and encouraging the sharing of experiences and successes. To be continued.

Title page, Chinese and English Phrase Book and Dictionary, 1897. Courtesy Imogene Lim

An excerpt from the Winter 2024-25 edition of British Columbia History.

By Imogene Lim

When someone says the word “Chinatown,” a certain image comes to mind. In British Columbia, it is of Vancouver or Victoria’s streetscapes of narrow laneways or buildings of two- or three-storeys in height, recessed balconies, “Chinese” businesses and associations, as well as a gateway to signal to the visitor that they have arrived. Each of these Chinatowns holds a distinction in the Canadian context: Victoria as the oldest, Vancouver as the largest. Both are in populous urban centres. Historically, they were a hub for migration (or destination) and dispersal, as well as commerce. 

But many early immigrants to Canada sought opportunity and fortune outside Vancouver and Victoria (the reason that those early Chinese referred to their destination as Gold Mountain, Gum Saan). [1] Their existence is represented in the historical record through physical remains, including cemeteries; oral history; and ephemera. In BC, where did the early Chinese find work or home—a place of belonging—besides Vancouver or Victoria?

As a result of a Legacy Project of the province, launched in 2015, [2] Heritage BC produced Chinese Canadian Historic Places Cultural Map, available on its website: https://heritagebc.ca/cultural-maps/chinese-historic-places-map.

The interactive map, which announces the depth and expanse of the Chinese Canadian presence in BC, was created through a community-nomination process. What sites might be missing? What will be remembered after the last Chinese Canadian pioneer dies in their remote community, or when there are only “newcomers” present? Erasure happens. [3] According to John Meares’ s expedition, Chinese arrived as early as 1788 accompanying the ship’s crew as artisans. [4] 

Through the passage of time, information is lost. However, there is one resource that the average person interested in Chinese Canadian history may have overlooked—in part, because of its title, Chinese and English Phrase Book and Dictionary. [5]

It is not obvious from the title that place names were included—to be valued by those who purchased or had access to it. [6] The back of the book includes names of countries from every continent except Antarctica, plus “Principal Town Names of Canada” [7] and “Principal Cities and Towns in the United States.” [8] Of specific interest to BC History readers is “Places, Names of British Columbia,” [9] which lists over 200 locations. 

Composite image of the BC place names listed in the Chinese and English Phrase Book and Dictionary, 1897

In the late 1800s, the places that mattered changed over the course of a century or more. As evident in BC, there has been an ebb and flow of population and industry, resulting in the boom and bust of communities. [10] For example, McDame Creek in the Cassiar Land District is unlikely to be known to most today; it is noteworthy because gold was found there by a prospector named Harry McDame.

For Chinese pioneers coming to Gum Saan, knowing the locations of various gold strikes [11] offered the potential of economic success. Though McDame Creek was meaningful enough to be included in the CEPBD, [12] equally important is to acknowledge its cultural significance to Black Canadian history. McDame and his partner, John Robert Giscome, were both from the Caribbean. According to the geographical name’s origin notes, McDame and Giscome may have been part of the 1858 emigration of San Francisco Blacks to Vancouver Island. [13] 

Consider another place name, this time in the United States: Asotin, Washington. In 2024, it is neither a principal city nor a town, yet there it is in the CEPBD. [14] Its population in 2022 was just under 1,200. [15] Historically, it was known as a Nez Perce winter camp, [16] and more importantly to immigrants of the day, gold was discovered in the area. [17] Again, in the late nineteenth century, gold was an allure to many, including those who were Chinese.

Some place names were by association, that is, created with the use of the descriptor “China,” plus a “fill-in-the-blank” geographic feature, to create place names such as, “China Creek, “China Bar,” et cetera. [18]

Screenshot of a map of BC geographical names with the term “China.”
BC Geographical Names

Even the pejorative “Chink” was employed to denote where early Chinese had lived and worked. Although none of these anonymous Chinese sites are stated in the phrase book, the notes about the origin of a particular name in the BC Geographic Names database [19] are revealing.

For example, consider the phrase book listing of Beaver Creek; [20] in the BC Geographic Names database there are over a dozen locations with this exact same name.

Screenshot of a map of BC geographical names with “Beaver Creek.”
BC Geographical Names

Which Beaver Creek in the screenshot is the one listed in phrase book? Presumably one of these Beaver Creeks had an association with Chinese immigrants. As mentioned, “Chink” was used in past place names; this was true, according to the BC Geographic Names database, for a creek originally “identified as Beaver Creek in 1912,” then the name “Chink Creek [was] adopted 1 March 1938” and finally changed in 1963 to its current designation of Atrill Creek. [21] Given the location of Atrill Creek, a.k.a. “Chink” Creek, in the Bulkley Valley, it perhaps is the Beaver Creek listed in phrase book.

The association of “China” with a place establishes a Chinese presence, yet the individuals who lived there remain unknown. Being nameless, these individuals were “erased from the story of building BC and Canada,” [22] unlike the example of Harry McDame. Think again how the word Chinatown is used: China + town; it is a defined space outside of China that is inhabited by Chinese people and, more often than not, is located on the margins of a town or city. [23]

Yet, this town within a town has no moniker to honour the memory of any notable resident. This is part of a larger discussion on naming and memorialization [24] mentioned here to encourage the reader to consider how a place becomes known—within the community and outside of it. [25] For example, the eponymous cities of Vancouver and Victoria are named after Captain George Vancouver and Queen Victoria. [26]

These were and are the names familiar to residents and visitors since the 1800s. However, among those who resided in Vancouver’s and Victoria’s Chinatowns, each city was known by a Chinese name based on descriptors of their respective geographic locations, that is, 鹹水埠 haam sui fao (“saltwater city”) and 大埠 dai fao (“big port”), respectively. [27]

One other aspect to consider in thinking about “Chinatown,” whether the neighbourhood is an urban or rural setting, is that the name is assigned by those who do not live there. Though the word Chinatown might be used today, among early Cantonese speakers the place name was 唐人街 tong yun gai (“street of Tang [dynasty] people” [28]).

A Chinatown in the mid-twentieth century could consist of city blocks of buildings and thousands of residents, like in Vancouver or Victoria, or less than a handful of structures and families or individuals that everyone knew, like in Alert Bay. [29] As well, the sights and sounds of the place are marked by the people and not necessarily the structures.

People make the place. This is a reminder that our view of contemporary prominent Chinatowns, specifically Vancouver’s and Victoria’s, has affected the way we perceive, even “imagine,” Chinatowns of the past. By examining the place names of BC found within the Chinese and English Phrase Book and Dictionary, the reader comes to know the geographic extent to which early Chinese sought economic success. Moreover, with additional analysis of specific locales the narrative of one of the oldest settler groups in BC is enriched and expanded well beyond urban Chinatowns.

ENDNOTES

1. See Ann Hui, Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants (Madeira Park: Douglas & McIntyre, 2019).
2. Government of British Columbia, “Historic Places,” last updated May 3, 2018, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/multiculturalism-anti-racism/chinese-legacy-bc/legacy-projects/historical-sites-artifacts/historic-places.
3. Imogene Lim, “Erasure: A Statement on Racism, Inclusivity and Equity,” Heritage BC (blog), August 9, 2020, https://heritagebc.ca/2020/08/09/erasure-a-statement-on-racism-inclusivity-and-equity/
4. Farzine Macrae, dir., 1788 (Vancouver: Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC, 2008), 9:36, https://youtu.be/V7e9tTvpmvo?si=GdXpfVD6pXyvqMdP; Kathryn Mannie, “The Rise and Fall of Chinatown: The Hidden History of Displacement You Were Never Told,” Global News, May 26, 2022, https://globalnews.ca/news/8793341/chinatown-history-toronto-vancouver-montreal-canada.
5. Chinese and English Phrase Book and Dictionary (Vancouver: Thomson Stationery Company, 1897). Two copies, with preface dates of 1910 and 1913, are available through the Chung Collection, UBC Library Open Collection. From the title page, the book appears to have been registered in 1897, which is the date I use in referring to it.
6. I own a copy of the Chinese and English Phrase Book and Dictionary, hereafter cited as Phrase Book, courtesy of my father, who acquired it on his return to BC in 1937. His family left Cumberland’s Chinatown, where he was born, in 1928. My copy has a preface with the date 1910.
7. Phrase Book, 367–372.
8. Phrase Book 372–391.
9. Phrase Book, 360–367.
10. Sheri Radford, “6 Real-Life BC Ghost Towns You Have to Visit Once in Your Life,” Daily Hive, July 22, 2024, https://dailyhive.com/mapped/ghost-towns-british-columbia.
11. Duane and Tracy Marsteller, “Cassiar Gold Rush,” The Historical Marker Database, last updated February 24, 2022, https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=187916.
12. Phrase Book, 364.
13. Government of British Columbia, “McDame Creek,” BC Geographical Names (hereafter cited as BCGN), https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/16334.html.
14. Phrase Book, 372.
15. Data USA, “Asotin, WA,” 2022, https://datausa.io/profile/geo/asotin-wa.
16. The Nez Perce are an Indigenous Peoples who travelled with the seasons in an area “in what is now Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana.” Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, 2021, https://critfc.org/member-tribes-overview/nez-perce-tribe/.
17. City of Asotin, “History,” 2020, https://cityofasotin.org/area-information/history; Happy Avery, “Asotin, City of—Thumbnail History,” HistoryLink.org Essay 11080, June 30, 2015, https://www.historylink.org/file/11080.
18. Winnie L. Cheung, Carolyn Heiman, Imogene Lim, David H.T. Wong, and Jim Wong-Chu, Celebration: Chinese Canadian Legacies in British Columbia (Victoria: Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, 2017), 12–13, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/our-history/historic-places/documents/heritage/chinese-legacy/celebration-book-pdf-copies/celebration_final_with_cover_lo-res_spreads.pdf.
19. BCGN, database page, accessed September 1, 2024, https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/web.
20. Phrase Book, 361.
21. BCGN, “Atrill Creek,” https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/9840.html.
22. Imogene Lim, “Erasure 2.0: Gatekeepers,” Heritage BC (blog), August 2, 2021, https://heritagebc.ca/2021/08/02/erasure-2-0-gatekeepers.
23. “In Nanaimo and Kamloops, for example, civic governments segregated Chinese Canadians, attempting to confine them to the outskirts of town.” Government of British Columbia, “Anti-Chinese Politics,” Chinese Legacy BC, lines 11–12, last updated November 24, 2016, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/multiculturalism-anti-racism/chinese-legacy-bc/history/anti-chinese-politics. This is notable in Cumberland where the Chinese, Japanese, and Black communities were not part of the town proper; see Figure 11 in David Chuenyan Lai, Chinatowns: Towns Within Cities in Canada (Vancouver, UBC Press, 1988), 74. “Chinese Canadians were segregated socially, economically and politically.” Government of British Columbia, “Discrimination,” Chinese Legacy BC, line 1, last updated November 24, 2016, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/multiculturalism-anti-racism/chinese-legacy-bc/history/discrimination. See also Cheung et al., Celebration, 56.
24. See Cindy E. Harnett, “In An Act of Reconciliation, Victoria’s Trutch Street Gets a New Name,” Times Colonist, July 10, 2022, https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/in-an-act-of-reconciliation-victoria-street-gets-a-new-name-5568424; Sarah Reid, “Victoria Parents Pushing to Rename Elementary School,” CTV News Vancouver Island, last updated September 26, 2019, https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/victoria-parents-pushing-to-rename-elementary-school-1.4610897.
25. Prior to the changes in immigration policies in the late 1960s, the majority of Chinese immigrants came primarily from the province of Guangdong, China, and more specifically, from the Pearl River Delta; see Mannie, “The Rise and Fall of Chinatown”; and Paul Yee, Saltwater City: An Illustrated History of the Chinese in Vancouver (Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1988), 9–10). Chinese Canadians today are much more diverse in their backgrounds; they are not a monolithic ethnocultural group.
26. BCGN, “Vancouver,” https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/24320.html; BCGN, “Victoria,” https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/22474.html.
27. Pronunciation is in the Cantonese dialect. See Yee, Saltwater; and Downtown Victoria Business Association, Mysterious Chinatown: Self-guided Heritage Walking Map, 2021, https://downtownvictoria.ca/downtownvictoria.ca/uploads/2021/10/mysteriouschinatown_e.pdf.
28. Mannie, “The Rise and Fall of Chinatown.”
29. See Imogene L. Lim, “Here and There: Re/Collecting Chinese Canadian History,” Canadian Issues, Fall 2006, 61–64, https://www.proquest.com/docview/208683910?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals; which reflects on assumptions of what a Chinatown looks like.

Imogene Lim (林慕珍) is an anthropologist with roots in Cumberland and Vancouver’s Chinatowns. Both her maternal and paternal grandfathers were head tax payers, arriving in 1892 and 1890, respectively. Much of her current work involves communities on Vancouver Island associated with early Chinese Canadians. Family documents continue to serve as a source of inspiration and research; they are a reminder that she is a lo wah kiu descendant. 

By Mark Forsythe

It was 200 years ago that a band of 41 men journeyed from the Columbia River to the Fraser River and back. They left Fort George (Astoria, Oregon) on Nov. 18 in three canoe-shaped Columbia River boats, led by Scotsman and Hudson’s Bay Company employee, James McMillan. In the face of depleted beaver stocks and advancing American settlement their mission was to find a site for a new fort north of the Columbia. Fort Langley was built three years later at Derby becoming the first European settlement in what is now the Lower Mainland. This at a time when Yale was the region's metropolis with its bounty of salmon, and an important meeting place for Sto:lo peoples.

The Livings Arts Society recently took to the river with the Fort Langley Canoe Club to commemorate the Voyageurs’ arduous journey. Songs, readings from expedition journals and a brisk paddle on the Bedford Channel made for a memorable day. Most 1824 expedition members were Canadien Voyageurs, but there were also Iroquois, Kanakas, an Englishman, an American and Metis, including Francis Noel Annance, a clerk, translator and hunter with the HBC who kept a journal.  When they were forced to wait out fierce winds at Bellingham Bay local Indigenous guides knew a route that eliminated the need to paddle around Point Roberts and they nosed into the Nicomekl River at Mud Bay.

“We find the little river very winding and full of brush, logs etc. Towards the evening we come to the worst place; Dragging our boat through willows, shrubs, briars and beaver dams til we come to the portage and encamped.” They made two miles the next day, dragging and carrying their boats to the Salmon River. “The portage is handsome prairie. The fish excellent.” On Dec. 16 they emerged onto the Fraser River across from today’s McMillan Island: Sto:lo country.

(The Langley Heritage Society was one of the sponsors of the weekend event which also included presentations from BC and Washington State historians.)

Back row: Nelson Heritage Working group chair Berdine Jonker, Izu-Shi Friendship Society member Will Taylor. Front row: society members Grace Nanako and Jim Sawada, mayor Janice Morrison, and society member Bernie Zimmer.

The City of Nelson and its Heritage Working Group have presented present the Nelson Izu-Shi Friendship Society with the 2024 Heritage Award and a $1,000 honorarium for its Cottonwood Park signage project.

A non-profit volunteer group that supports the sister city relationship that has existed between Nelson and Izu-shi, Japan since 1987, the Nelson Izu-shi Friendship Society holds seasonal cultural events and workshops to introduce Japanese Canadian culture, arranges multigenerational exchange visits and stewards the Friendship Garden in Cottonwood Falls Park.

As part of their park caretaker role, the Society undertook a huge initiative to develop display signage telling the stories of Cottonwood Creek. Over a five-year span, it has worked closely with researchers, Indigenous leaders, local historians, Nelson families, and the Museum and Archives to research and develop this project, publicly launched in October of this year.

Ten signs in black steel frames and protected by tempered glass take us through the fascinating stories of the wildlife, the people and their histories, and the environment of Cottonwood Creek.

“The Nelson Izu-shi Friendship Society is surprised and very pleased by this unexpected honour,” says president John Armstrong. “We really appreciate the recognition of our work and the contributions of others over the past five years. We hope the signs will inspire greater interest in the little-known parts of Nelson’s history and lead to a new awareness of the value of Cottonwood Creek and the potential for its restoration as it flows through our community.”  

"The dedication and commitment of the Nelson Izu-Shi Friendship Society's members and volunteers to undertaking the Cottonwood Signage Project has been impressive,” said Berdine Jonker, chair of the Heritage Working Group. “The extensive knowledge imparted, the attention to historical accuracy and the engaging design of the signage makes the Nelson Society the ideal recipient for the 2024 Heritage Award.”

The city’s Heritage Working Group established this award in 2015 to recognize individuals, groups, businesses, or other organizations that have made an outstanding contribution towards the preservation and/or promotion of Nelson's heritage. Previous winners are the Hume Hotel, the Nelson Electric Tramway Society, Nelson CARES, the Nelson Museum & Art Gallery, Joern Wingender, Peter Bartl, Greg Scott, the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce and Cartolina.

The Cumberland Museum & Archives announced the launch of their new book, "A Place Called Cumberland" earlier this month.

This beautifully crafted publication celebrates the rich history and vibrant stories of their community. It is the culmination of extensive research and collaboration that reflects the voices and experiences of Cumberland's diverse past and present.

Learn more on the museum's website here. Copies of the book can be purchased directly from them, or online here.

From the Canadian Museums Association:

The CMA, as part of a coalition of Canadian museums, and national and provincial heritage organizations issued a joint statement to the Government of Canada regarding the development of the new National Museums Policy for Canada. As passionate advocates for our country's museums and cultural heritage, we are deeply concerned about the policy vacuum in which Canada’s museums are currently operating. 

Our current National Museums Policy dates from 1990, a pre-internet era that could not have anticipated the seismic shifts in technology, climate, and society that we all now face. This outdated framework has led to a critical situation where existing programs, despite their original intent, are no longer fit for their original purpose. 

We urgently need a National Museums Policy that: 

• Addresses the realities of the digital age and climate crisis 
• Provides sustainable, inflation-adjusted funding 
• Supports museums in their roles as educational institutions, community hubs, and guardians of our collective memory 
• Recognizes and leverages museums' potential in fostering social cohesion and democratic values 
• Prioritizes self-determination for Indigenous peoples and Indigenous cultural heritage rights including repatriation/rematriation 
• Implements innovative strategies inspired by global best practices 

The time for action is now. We cannot afford to let our museums – these vital custodians of our heritage and significant contributors to our economy – falter due to outdated policies and inadequate support. 

Read the joint statement here. 

The Oliver & District Heritage Society has had a busy year and is celebrating their accomplishments!

The ODHS updated their Collections Management Policy in 2024 to better reflect the mission, mandate, and vision of the ADHS as well as changing attitudes in the Museum sector. There is a summary version available on their website, but a full version is available upon request.

The ODHS also completed making an interactive video that tells the fascinating story of the historic irrigation canal system that runs through their area. The ODHS worked with professional and local artists, and are very proud of the finished product! You can watch the video here.

You can visit the ODHS website here. Congratulations on a busy year!

The Vancouver Public Library is offering 2 online programs in the new year that may be of interest to BCHF members.

January 23rd: "Chinese Canadian Genealogy Resources"

February 18th: "Family History and Genealogy" (with Library and Archives Canada)

Both programs are free, and are offered virtually so that anyone can attend! Click the links to register today.

An excerpt from the Winter 2024-25 issue of British Columbia History

To Be Seen, To Be Heard exhibit. Photo: Mark Forsythe

By Mark Forsythe

1 To Be Seen, To Be Heard

The summer reopening of the Museum of Anthropology couldn’t come soon enough for eager patrons. The Arthur Erickson–designed building that graces the UBC campus was closed for 18 months to undergo major seismic upgrades because the concrete pillars underpinning the Great Hall were at risk of tumbling in an earthquake. The closure was also an opportunity to consult with Indigenous communities and reinvigorate interpretation.

To Be Seen, To Be Heard: First Nations in Public Spaces 1900–1965 is a new multimedia exhibition that explores how Indigenous people represented themselves in urban public spaces during the dark period of potlatch bans, cultural erasure, and restricted rights. Archival images of Indigenous people attending community parades, protests, tourist venues, and royal visits are projected on large screens while the voices of Indigenous people reflect on their meaning. The pursuit of land rights, their laws, and cultural expression were always propelling Indigenous people to be seen and heard at these public events. Curated by Dr. Marcia Crosby (Ts’msyen/Haida) and Karen Duffek (MOA Curator, Contemporary Visual Arts + Pacific Northwest), the exhibition continues in the Audain Gallery at the Museum of Anthropology until March 31, 2025.

2 Parksville Museum: Hidden Gem

A 1950 fire truck holds centre court in Parksville’s original firehall. Photo: Mark Forsythe

At first glance the Parksville Museum appears to be a modest cluster of cabins tucked inside a copse on the edge of town. Roam the site and you may be surprised by its scope and variety of local storytelling. Eight heritage structures fan out from an inviting courtyard, including the Mosaic Pavilion that explores local logging history and the benefits of more contemporary sustainable forest practices. There’s also a blacksmith forge, an historic Knox Church, E&N Railway displays, a post office, a schoolhouse, a children’s nature trail, and a renovated main exhibit hall bursting with local stories and artifacts.

Like many British Columbia nonprofit heritage sites, the museum is closed during the winter (Mosaic Pavilion and Marion Craig Courtyard are open yearround) but there’s plenty of activity behind the scenes. This includes new interpretation for the town’s original firehall. The museum is gathering stories from former fire department members and fire chiefs. Museum manager/curator Rachel Filko says the history of the firehall represents an important chapter in the community’s history; the fire truck was purchased thanks to fundraising by local women. “We think stories like this—about the people of Parksville and how they helped create our community—are the stories we want to highlight.” Th e exhibit will also highlight fire prevention and safety in response to the growing threat of wildfires.

Visit the Parksville Museum website at https://parksvillemuseum.com.

3 Ship Shape for Restoration

Newly renovated boat repair space at Britannia Shipyards. Photo: Mark Forsythe

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly planed wood. This will be in abundance at the newly renovated boat repair shed at Steveston’s Britannia Shipyard. The Richmond Boat Builders’ structure was constructed in 1932 by Japanese Canadian boat builder Saeji Kishi and operated as the Kishi Boatworks Company until the Kishi family was interned in 1942. The structure recently saw major restoration and improvements to the mechanical systems. This newly outfitted shed will be used to restore boats from these traditional skills and techniques in action as work begins on the Crystal S.

The 3.2-hectare historic shipyard includes the 1889 shipyard building (originally built as a cannery), stilt houses, a Chinese bunkhouse, a seine net loft, and the newly restored Murakami House. Take a stroll along Britannia Shipyards’ boardwalks for a powerful connection with BC’s maritime history.

4 Patricia Theatre Magic

Patrons enjoy the 1952 classic Singin’ in the Rain at the Patricia Theatre. Photo: Grant Lawrence

The Patricia Theatre in the historic Powell River Townsite is looking marvelous after acquiring new seats, carpets, an air conditioning system, a refurbished lobby, touch-ups to the peacock-themed murals, and a new projection screen. The Patricia came to town in 1913 (the existing structure was built in 1928) and is the longest continuously running theatre in Canada. Since 2021 it has been owned by the qathet film society, which successfully generated donations for a new digital projection system and sound system improvements.

CBC host and author Grant Lawrence was in attendance at a summer reopening. “It all looks and sounds really awesome. Single-screen theatres are magical, special places … and the Patricia is one of the best.” The theatre is also forging new relationships with the local Tla’amin Nation, whose members once faced segregation inside the theatre. An Indigenous film festival is now held each fall surrounding the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Visit the qathet international film festival website at https://www.qathetfilm.ca.

5 Mapping BC’s Industrial Heritage

New Industrial Heritage Places map. Image: Heritage BC

Canneries, sawmills, and ghost towns speak to British Columbia’s industrial past. A new interactive Industrial Heritage Places Map, created by Heritage BC, pinpoints 76 sites (1860s through the 1950s), providing historical context for each. The sites were sourced from nominations across the province. “Together, the sites help show the impacts of industry, both positive and negative, on changes within a growing province, and show the changing values of the communities they impacted,” says Heritage BC.

Click on Lillooet Tomato Cannery to discover it was operated by Japanese Canadians forced into internment camps during the Second World War. Lillooet offered perfect growing conditions for tomatoes, and their production became the camp’s main industry, creating jobs and family income. An accompanying historical context document called Setting the Scene also explores industry as a colonizing force, with its profound impact on First Nation communities and the associated environmental costs. The map is found on the Heritage BC website, https://heritagebc.ca/cultural-maps/industrial-heritage-places. •

Mark Forsythe travels through BC and back in time, exploring the unique work of British Columbia Historical Federation members.