See you in Princeton next week!

The BCHF annual conference will be kicking off in a few days in Princeton, the first such in-person event since 2019. We are looking forward to enlightening presentations and field trips, as well as the gala dinner and award presentations.

An Inferior Culture or an Inferior Exhibit Policy?

In this excerpt from the summer edition of British Columbia History, William White argues the Royal BC Museum missed the mark in its Coast Salish exhibits.

MEMBER NEWS

Maritime Archaeology In West Vancouver

In this presentation to the West Vancouver Historical Society, underwater archeologist Christopher Amer traces the evolution of the north shore of Burrard Inlet from the Cordilleran Ice Sheet to the present day. From this 14,000 year arc, Amer has distilled a comprehensive overview.

Saanich Pioneer Museum turns 90

Happy 90th anniversary to BCHF member Saanich Pioneer Society. They operate the Log Cabin Museum in Saanichton, which features primarily local pioneer history but has expanded to include Indigenous, Black and Chinese history in the region.

Arrow Lakes archivist goes out with a bang ... and a slideshow

On May 27, an large, appreciative crowd packed the Legion Hall in Nakusp to take in the final public presentation from Arrow Lakes Historical Society archivist’s Kyle Kusch before he headed off back to graduate school after 11 years with the society.

Book profiles pioneer New Denver doctor

A new book from Silvery Slocan Historical Society president Henning von Krogh (pictured) looks at the life, career — and hand-made boats — of a pioneering New Denver physician, Jacob Brouse.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Royal BC Museum CEO resigns

After 16 months at the helm of the Royal BC Museum, Alicia Dubois (pictured) has resigned. No specific reason was provided, but the museum said she cited both professional and personal reasons. No replacement has been named.

The Backstory to Exclusion

The long-awaited exhibition “The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act,” opened July 1, marking the 100th anniversary of this dark but largely forgotten period in Canadian history. This video leading up to its opening is a conversation between curator Catherine Clement and UBC history professor Henry Yu.

UBC launches digital archive of Chinese immigration certificates

UBC Library Rare Books and Special Collections, in partnership with the Paper Trail project team, has launched a digital archival collection of identity papers known as Chinese Immigration (C.I.) certificates created through Canada’s Chinese Immigration Act.

New monument unveiled in Nelson’s Chinese cemetery

The Chinese section of the Nelson cemetery is set off to the extreme western corner. When laid out in 1898, this represented a shunning by white people. But today Nelson’s Chinese-Canadians look upon it with pride and recently installed a new monument and plaque.

New museum opens at Paldi

Paldi schoolchildren, date unknown. (South Asian Canadian Digital Archive)

The Paldi Historical Museum recently opened in one of the rooms of the Paldi Sikh ­Temple west of Duncan, exploring the history of a migrant mill town founded in 1916. It’s Vancouver Island’s first museum dedicated to Punjabi Sikh history.

Terrace Regional Historical Society turns 40

Terrace, date unknown. (Image MSC130-4946-01 courtesy of the British Columbia Postcards Collection, a digital initiative of Simon Fraser University Library)

The group that looks after Heritage Park Museum in Terrace recently marked its 40th birthday. Heritage Park is not just a repository for artifacts, but a popular year-round events venue.

Nomoto: A BC Tragedy

Kyuichi Nomoto (back row, far left) is seen with his 1934 Union College of BC graduating class. (Vancouver Japanese United Church Archives and BCCA-4-216779) 

A new documentary explores the tragic story of Rev. Kyuichi Nomoto, a pastor whose mental health declined during the Japanese-Canadian internment. The filmmaker, Chad Townsend, bought the New Denver church where Nomoto worked. 

Applications open for Terry Reksten Memorial Fund

BC community archives, historical associations, and museums are encouraged to apply for the Terry Reksten Memorial Fund. The Friends of the BC Archives are now offering two annual grants of $2,000 to support institutions to organize, describe, and disseminate information about archival materials in their care.

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.