Blog & News

In her time, Anna May Wong was a legendary beauty, witty conversationalist, and fashion icon. Plucked from her family’s laundry business in Los Angeles, Anna May Wong rose to stardom in Douglas Fairbanks’s blockbuster The Thief of Bagdad. Fans and the press clamored to see more of this unlikely actress, but when Hollywood repeatedly cast her in stereotypical roles, she headed abroad in protest.

Anna May starred in acclaimed films in Berlin, Paris, and London. She dazzled royalty and heads of state across several nations, leaving trails of suitors in her wake. She returned to challenge Hollywood at its own game by speaking out about the industry’s blatant racism. She used her new stature to move away from her typecasting as the China doll or dragon lady, and worked to reshape Asian American representation in film.

In this talk moderated by UBC Professor of English Dr. Mary Chapman, biographer Katie Gee Salisbury will discuss the vibrant, radical career of a groundbreaking artist, bringing an unsung heroine to light and reclaiming her place in cinema history. Also included in this talk is the story of Wong’s first trip to Canada in 1924 and the actress's experience crossing the border under the U.S. Chinese Exclusion Act.

Watch the full video here.

Former B.C. judge Randall (Bud) Wong remembers getting out of bed early one morning when he was five to greet his uncle at the train station in Vancouver at the end of the Second World War.

It was 1945 and his uncle Delbert Yen Chow was returning from India after years of service as an infantryman.

"I remember very vividly my uncle coming off the train, and he was wearing his army uniform and knapsack," Wong, 83, said.

"We were so happy to see him that we took him home, and then he came to live with us."

The service of Chinese Canadian soldiers like Chow in the First and Second World Wars will be honoured by a new exhibition at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver's Chinatown.

Read more here.

Photo: Carole Itter, Dollarton Cabin, 2015

The Blue Cabin has a new home at the Vancouver Maritime Museum’s Heritage Harbour.

Not bad for a modest squatter’s shack built in the 1920s. But it’s an appropriate location, given its new life as a floating residence for artists.

The cabin spent several decades on the North Vancouver waterfront beside the McKenzie Barge and Derrick shipyard near Cates Park. The story goes that a Norwegian craftsman built it in Coal Harbour, got a job at McKenzie in 1932, and floated it over to the North Shore to live in.

In 1966, the legendary local artist and musician Al Neil moved in. With the blessing of McKenzie Barge, Neil and his partner Carole Itter lived there for almost five decades, for many years getting free rent in exchange for Neil being an “unofficial beach watchman.”

In 2015, McKenzie Barge sold the land near where the cabin was located, and the structure had to be moved or torn down. A group of artists saved it and moved it to the Maplewood Flats in North Van, where it was restored by Jeremy and Sus Borsos.

Read the full story here.

It will soon be "All aboard!" for the  North Pole Express, which returns to Squamish's Railway Museum of British Columbia on Nov. 23.

The popular all-ages holiday attraction, which takes guests on a ride to the "North Pole" to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, runs Nov. 23, 24 and 30, as well as Dec. 1, 7 and 8, 14, 15 and 21, with several trips and packages per day to choose from.

The immersive attraction sees the train headed to deliver "much needed wrapping paper and bows to Marshall P. Bear, the Polar Bear who is the head of Santa’s workshop.

On the ride along the way, passengers meet all sorts of characters. Guests can enjoy cookies, unlimited hot chocolate and marshmallows at the North Pole and take in many activities. 

Read more about the event here.

Lii fil di nutr istwayr, Threads of our History: Exploring Métis Identity and Culture Through Clothing is an exhibition that explores a pillar of Métis culture that is shaped by historic events including the fur trade, economic and political change, resistance, and displacement. The revitalization of traditional Métis arts and creating new methods of sharing Métis culture and stories through clothing and self-decoration is a testament to the resilience the Métis Nation.

The exhibit runs from now until the end of March, 2025.

Learn more here.

The Chinese Canadian Museum is proud to announce it has won this year’s Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive!, Canada’s most prestigious history museum award. The award is a partnership between the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) and Canada’s History Society (CHS), with the support of Ecclesiastical Insurance and will be presented by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada at an upcoming ceremony. 

The Chinese Canadian Museum first opened in July 1, 2023, coinciding with the centennial of the Chinese Exclusion Act, as Canada’s first museum to honour the contributions, history, heritage and the rich and diverse stories of past, present, and future Chinese Canadians. Located in Vancouver Chinatown in the historic Wing Sang Building, the museum showcases the diversity of the Chinese Canadian diaspora and heralds cultural experiences and connections to significant Chinese Canadian historical perspectives and modern-day narratives, and the community’s contribution to the nation.

“It is with great honour that we receive this enormous accolade from the Governor General of Canada with the History Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive!, recognizing our achievements and dedication to preserving our Chinese Canadian heritage,” says Grace Wong, Board Chair of the Chinese Canadian Museum. “This is a testament to the power of museums in shaping understanding, fostering dialogue, and inspiring future generations to appreciate the richness of Chinese Canadian history, stories, and our contributions to the building of Canada.”

The museum’s powerful grand opening exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act curated by Catherine Clement, marks the 100th anniversary of the Act, and takes an unflinching look at Canada’s important but often-forgotten exclusion years, which lasted until 1947. 

Since its founding as an independent, non-profit charitable organization in March 2020, the museum has presented six featured exhibitions at its main location and its two former temporary sites in Vancouver and Victoria, and offers numerous in-person and online programs to communities across Canada. 

“Our goal is to create a positive, inclusive and transformative place where people can gather to bridge cultures and generations, and learn about our shared history as Canadians,” explains Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum. “This Governor General award is a reflection of our commitment to elevate Chinese Canadian voices, enrich our legacy, and engage with diverse communities across Canada.” 

The History Alive! award honours individuals or institutions that have made a significant achievement and remarkable contributions to a better knowledge of Canadian history. It encourages and celebrates excellence specifically in the presentation, preservation and interpretation of national, regional or local history. For more information on the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive, visit https://www.canadashistory.ca/awards/governor-general-s-history-awards.  

About the Chinese Canadian Museum | chinesecanadianmuseum.ca 

The Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia is an independent, non-profit charitable organization founded in March 2020 to create a museum honouring and sharing Chinese Canadian history, contributions, and living heritage. Guided by its mission statement “Connecting to Chinese Canadian stories – addressing inclusion for all”, the Chinese Canadian Museum aspires to provide an invigorating and transformative experience for present and future generations through its exhibitions and educational programming throughout B.C. and Canada. 

The first of its kind in Canada, the Chinese Canadian Museum opened to the public in 2023 and is located in the historic Wing Sang Building in Vancouver Chinatown.

From the BC Museum's Association:

"On Monday Premier Eby announced a new cabinet, naming MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert as the new Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport. MLA Chandra Herbert has represented Vancouver-West End since 2009 and is a long-time arts advocate. His arts background includes serving as the associate producer of the United Nations World Urban Festival and collaborating with numerous organizations such as the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre, the Stanley Park Ecology Society, and the Save St. Paul’s Coalition.

Both the BCMA and the BC Coalition of Arts, Culture, and Heritage have sent welcome letters to Minister Chandra Herbert and we hope to meet with him soon to promote the impact of our members and to advocate for continued support.

As part of BC Museums Week 2023, Spencer Chandra Herbert spoke on a webinar about effective government relations. The recording can be accessed here and is a good way to get to know our new Minister. He was joined in the webinar by Jim Rutkowski, who has been named David Eby’s interim Chief of Staff.

MLA Lana Popham is returning to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The BCMA has sent her a letter, as well, thanking her for her work as the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport and wishing her well in her new position.

If you wish to join us in welcoming the new Minister or your local MLA, the BC Coalition of Arts, Culture, and Heritage has prepared a template letter to help you share our sector’s key messages and magnify their impact."

Reclaimed Voices, Revelstoke Museum & Archives’ (RMA) latest exhibit breaks down “glorified nostalgia” and shines a spotlight on stories long overlooked in dominating historical narratives. Hosted in the second floor exhibit room, soon to be accessible by the upcoming lift, the exhibit features panels focusing on some of the lesser known stories in Revelstoke, such as the historical Japanese population, Sinixt populations during Revelstoke’s earlier years, children who called Revelstoke home, and more.

“This exhibit came about due to a recognition that as museums and archives we are often missing stories and perspectives,” Cathy English, Curator, told a packed room at the opening of Reclaimed Voices. “I do a lot of research from the local newspapers, going back to 1890, but I have to be constantly aware that these stories were written mostly from a white, British, male perspective, and there is often racist content, as well as a total ignorance of other cultures and genders.”

Read the full article and learn more about the exhibit here.

Vancouver Historical Society President Michael Kluckner presents an informal history of Senakw/Vanier Park at the opening of a lecture in September, 2024

Watch the full video here.

In this unique two-part presentation, Jen Baron describes from a cultural ecologist's point of view the evolution of BC's forests and how, when they're managed as commodities, wild fires become more destructive; then, artist Liz Toohey-Wiese explains how a diverse group of painters and sculptors have come together to create shows and books on the subject of Fire.

Watch the full video here.