Blog & News

Come join us on May 4, 2024 for the BCHF annual conference being held in Ts'elxwéyeqw (Chilliwack). 

This year, the conference will be a one-day event featuring the BCHF Annual General Meeting (AGM), a keynote presentation, a guided bus tour of S'ólh Téméxw, and the BCHF awards dinner. 

The keynote presentation features Keith Thor Carlson, Professor of History at the University of the Fraser Valley and Tier One Canada Research Chair in Indigenous and Community-Engaged History, and Si:yémia Albert "Sonny" Mchalsie, Cultural Advisor / Sxweyxwiyam at Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre. 

The AGM and keynote presentation will be held at the University of the Fraser Valley's (UFV) Gathering Place, Chilliwack campus. 

The bus tour runs from 12:30 to 4:30pm, leaving from the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre. You will enjoy visiting places of cultural and historical interest and importance around S'ólh Téméxw "Our Land, Our World." Discover the land as narrated by Si:yémiya, learn Hal'qemélem place names, and hear the sxwōwiyám (ancient stories) and sqwélqwel (personal and family histories) that give shape to Stó:lō culture, history and people. 

End the day with the BCHF gala awards dinner and awards presentation. Held at the Coast Hotel, Chilliwack, you can bid on local books in the silent auction, connect with colleagues, and celebrate the year's accomplishments in BC history preservation and storytelling. 

Visit the BCHF website to learn more and to register online. 

In this presentation to the BC Historical Federation conference in Princeton last year, Lydia Kinasewich presented on her prize winning essay entitled: "Nature's Health Giving Waters: Promoting Health and Pleasure Tourism at Harrison HotSprings, 1920-1930."

The initial bathhouses and hotel built on the shore of Harrison lake in 1886 were designed for elite health-seekers, and early promotions focused on how the mineral waters could cure various ailments. However, after this first hotel was lost to a fire in 1920, Harrison Hot Springs was recast in the tourist gaze.

The new Harrison Hot Springs Hotel was completed in 1926 and this talk demonstrates how the owners of the resort attempted to retain the appeal of the healing environment while also promoting the modern luxuries that tourists increasingly expected in British Columbia during the interwar years.

Kinasewich recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in history from UNBC.

Mary Davidson, who died Dec. 19, moved to Salt Spring Island in the early 1980s, where she joined the historical society and guided the establishment of the island's archives in 1989. The collection includes photos and stories from her family homestead.

Read the full obituary here.

K'ilisët Violet Gellenbeck at the Walk to Witset feast, September 2018. BVM visual record collection P984

The board and staff of the Bulkley Valley Museum in Smithers are deeply saddened by the passing of Witsuwit'en matriarch Ts'ake ze' K'ilisët Violet Gellenbeck on Jan. 4.

"Our condolences to all of her family, house, and clan, and to all those deeply feeling this loss," they said.

As was said in her eulogy, "she will be remembered for her dedication to the cause of Indigenous peoples. Over her life, she made countless contributions to advancing Indigenous concerns, including education and employment services, Witsuwit'en language and cultural revitalizations, protection of Indigenous women and girls, and defence of Witsuwit'en yintah."

"We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from K'ilisët," the museum said. "She was an instrumental voice in guiding the development of the Shared Histories research project and book, and the Alhk’ikh Ts’ëdilh (Walking Together) exhibition.

"We are honoured that one small part of her vast legacy will live on through our walls in the exhibition. Her words were always thoughtful, and thought-provoking, and we will continue to be guided by the values she espoused in our work."

She discusses the Shared Histories project, including the book (which won the BCHF historical writing prize) in this article.

Has an organization or person you know made a difference in the history and heritage field? Are you starting a project relating to the history of British Columbia? Do you know of a project undertaken by a heritage organization that has had major impact in the community? The deadline for many of our funds, awards and scholarships is March 1. Click here to learn more.

The Royal BC Museum is seeking your input to create a reimagined museum that reflects all people in the province. They say they want to learn how the museum can best embrace diversity, connect people, foster a sense of community, and provide positive experiences for all.

To do so, they're inviting everyone to join them in series of conversations that will be held virtually and in-person in communities throughout the province. Through a collaborative process, we will dive deeper into the themes that were emphasized in earlier dialogues. They're also asking everyone to take part in an online survey that will help determine the future of your museum and archives.

Read more here: https://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/community-engagement

Demolition of the former Knights Hall in Cranbrook (pictured above in 2012) has been completed after the historic building was deemed unsafe after a fire on Dec. 19. The hall was the former nurses residence for the St. Eugene Hospital and was an apartment building until a previous fire in 2022.

Read more in the Cranbrook Townsman.

The Ktunaxa Nation has launched a book containing stories of the Nation’s people, culture, language and history. The title, q̓apkiǂ, means means "to tell someone everything." The book contains photos from Ktunaxa communities in both Canada and the US.

Read more at myeastkootenaynow.com.

The Maple Ridge Historical Society says "due to unfortunate circumstances," it now finds itself at the absolute minimum number of board members needed to exist as a society. If you have time to support local history, see: https://buff.ly/3RoBSr

Since 2020, we have globally seen a rise in remote and hybrid work, but as we return to a “new normal,” many workplaces are abandoning these models. However, many museums, galleries, and heritage sites have limited workspace, equipment, accessibility, and funding obligations that make the idea of hiring a remote or hybrid employee simultaneously intriguing and complicated.

On Jan. 24, join Tammy Bradford for a webinar on the ins and outs of embracing work from home and hybrid positions in your workplace. Tammy will discuss the Creston Museum’s process of creating hybrid positions, the multifaceted benefits of work from home positions for both employers and employees, and some specific objections and hesitations that the Creston Museum has had to address in their process.

For more information and to register: https://museum.bc.ca/event-list/?eid=133