Spring issue of British Columbia History looks at climate change

The spring edition of British Columbia History is coming soon to a mailbox or a screen near you. It’s guest edited by Karen Aird, the manager of culture and heritage for the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, who is also featured in an interview entitled “Climate Change and Indigenous Cultural Heritage.” Click the button for more on the line-up or to subscribe.

Front Words with Mark Forsythe

Rendering of Salishan Place by the River. (Courtesy Township of Langley)

In this excerpt from the spring issue of British Columbia History, Mark Forsythe looks at the effort to save the CN station in Hope, the new Chinese Canadian Museum due to open this summer in Vancouver, the repatriation of a Susk’uz family headdress, and more.

BCHF AGM set for June 3

Mark your calendars! The BCHF’s annual general meeting will be held on Saturday, June 3 from 10 to 11 a.m. virtually on Zoom. We plan to bring a new constitution and bylaw package to members for approval and need 25 members to reach quorum. Please watch your emails for further details and delegate nomination forms. Thank you in advance for your support of the society.

Conference planning underway

We expect registration for the BCHF conference to open in mid-April. A schedule and list of speakers and field trips will be coming soon. Anyone with questions can send them to conference@bchistory.ca

BCHF looking for new board member

The BCHF is looking for a new volunteer board member, skilled in administration, for the 2022/23 year. If you are passionate about supporting local historians throughout British Columbia and enjoy content about BC’s rich history, this could be a lot of fun. We need someone who has good administrative skills and is willing to maintain our member and subscriber database.

MEMBER NEWS

Lindsay Gibson speaks on his research into the historic school names of Vancouver’s three founding municipalities in this presentation for the Vancouver Historical Society.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Heritage BC seeks nominations for industrial heritage map

The Boundary mining town of Phoenix is seen in 1901. (R.H. Trueman/City of Vancouver Archives AM54-S4-: LP 196.4)

Heritage BC has launched its latest cultural map project with an open call for submissions from across the province. This project will geolocate industrial heritage sites on an interactive map, providing users with an interactive tool for tracing historic activities that profoundly impacted livelihoods, community growth, economy, and the environment.

Duncan train station wins Next Great Save

Two BC Heritage sites will benefit from participation in the Next Great Save competition, including one that won the grand prize. The Duncan train station (pictured above) picked up 76,589 votes, good for $50,000. The Hope station finished third with 22,383 votes and won $5,000.

Creston grain elevator restoration nears completion

The grain elevator seen in the foreground is undergoing a facelift. (Courtesy Columbia Basin Trust)

Restoration on one of two historic grain elevators in Creston should be completed this spring. Work on the project was delayed but has now resumed. The elevators are among only four left in BC.

Fraser River gold rush diary offered for sale

This diary with a leather cover, a photograph presumably of its author, and a silver American 50-cent piece are up for grabs.

A diary kept by an anonymous miner between July and October 1858 during the Fraser River gold rush is up for sale for $25,000. The diary was used as a source for the recent book Gold, Grit, Guns: Miners on BC’s Fraser River in 1858 by Alexander Globe.

BC hockey player part of card set honouring Indigenous players

Johnny Harms, who played in the NHL for Chicago in the 1940s and senior hockey for Nelson and Vernon in the 1950s, has been included in a special set of cards honouring hockey players with Indigenous roots.

Bateman Gallery closure worrisome: BCMA

The closure of the Bateman Gallery in Victoria is symptomatic of a larger problem, writes the executive director of the BC Museums Association, and should concern anyone who cares about arts, culture, or heritage.

ADVERTISING

The BCHF offers a number of advertising opportunities in our e-newsletter, which is distributed to our entire membership monthly. Advertisements are jpeg images sized to 600 px wide for electronic distribution. To submit an ad, contact Greg Nesteroff: greg@bchistory.ca

Members enjoy discounted advertising rates. Choose 12 months for the best deal:

1-3 months = $100 each ($100-$300 annually)
4 months = $90 each ($360 annually)
6 months = $80 each ($480 annually)
8 months = $70 each ($560 annually)
12 months = $50 each ($600 annually)

Rates for non-members are as follows:

1-3 months = $150 each ($150-$450 annually)
4 months = $140 each ($560 annually)
6 months = $130 each ($780 annually)
8 months = $120 each ($960 annually)
12 months = $100 each ($1,200 annually)

British Columbia Historical Federation

Box 448, Fort Langley, BC, V1M 247 • info@bchistory.ca

The BCHF Secretariat is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish speaking Peoples. The BCHF is on Facebook. Join the conversation.