Blog & News

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.

The Kootenay Columbia Educational Heritage Society was established in 2005 to collect and preserve the history of education in School District No. 20 (Kootenay-Columbia), which comprises the former School Districts No. 9 (Castlegar) and No. 11 (Trail). The Society manages an archives in the basement of the JL Crowe Secondary School in Trail and has undertaken a number of projects over the years to inform the public of the history of education in the School District.

Their latest project is to digitize the high school yearbooks of the current and former high schools in the District and make them available to the public via the internet. They have partnered with UBC Okanagan Library/Special Collections and Archives to have the yearbooks placed on their BC Regional Digitized History website with a link available on their website.

The site currently contains the yearbooks of the JL Crowe High School (72), the Trail High School (7) and the Trail Jr. High School (9). This fall the yearbooks of the Rossland High School will be digitized and in 2025 the yearbooks of Castlegar and Beaver Valley schools will be digitized. The last 25 years of the current school yearbooks are being withheld for privacy reasons.

To view the yearbooks, click here.

In 2024, with your help, we were able to fund four incredible projects through the Centennial Legacy Fund (CLF), awarding a total of $10 000 to support small, innovative, and hard-to-fund projects in BC. In the coming weeks we will be highlighting these projects, and we hope you will consider partnering with us again to make these grants possible in 2025! The Centennial Legacy Fund is sustained through donations from individuals and organizations like you who believe that historical research, preservation, and commemoration are essential for building a bright future together.

To donate to the Centennial Legacy Fund, click the link to be redirected to the BCHF CanadaHelps page, and receive an automatic tax receipt upon donation.