Blog & News

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

The Union Laundry on Union Street near Gore in Vancouver, probably in the early 1960s. (Courtesy Elwin Xie)

BCHF board member Elwin Xie will be this month's presenter to the Vancouver Historical Society.

Xie grew up in his parents’ home and business, the Union Laundry on Union Street just west of Gore, land that was transformed in the early 1970s for the Georgia Viaduct’s off-ramp onto Prior Street.

His family is representative of many long-time working-class Chinese families – perhaps it is even the quintessential Chinese Canadian family. He speaks Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Vancouver and on YouTube.

In addition to making videos for the BCHF and VHS, Elwin works at the newly opened Chinese Canadian Museum as a guide, and has been a museum interpreter at the Burnaby Village Museum since 2009.

Stories regarding black farmers, settlers, and pioneers in BC tend not to get told because they didn't write the history books. The role Black people played has been largely erased. Can we find and retell their stories? Join a speaker series to learn about hidden Black histories of the Lower Mainland, presented by Shayla Bird and Carl Beach.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 14, 12 to 1 p.m.
Where: Online via Microsoft Teams
Cost: Free
How to Register: Register online (Course ID 00352880)
OR Call/Email the Museum of Surrey: 604-592-6956 | museum@surrey.ca

Shayla Bird


The past two years Shayla created a Black Student Union called Black Connections HS where roughly 60 Black youth from Grades 9-12 gather at bi-weekly meetings and engage in place-based learning activities. Shayla focuses her time on providing students with opportunities to see themselves represented in their various communities, encouraging educators to unlearn, learn, relearn and reframe and ultimately focusing on Black joy.

Carl Beach

Carlyle Beach graduated from UBC in 1972 with a B.A. in History. In his thirty-two years as a teacher and twelve years as a teacher-on-call, Carl presented Multicultural Anti-Racist Workshops to teachers (elementary and Secondary) throughout B.C. at Multicultural Camps, in Classrooms and on teacher Pro-D days and sponsored Multicultural clubs. As a BCTF member Carl has been on the Program Against Racism Committee, the Metro Zone Coordinator for the Committee Against Racism and the Educators Against Racism committee.

Al Donnelly with Boundary Historical Society president Joan Heart and vice-president Cher Wyers at an historic cabin near Greenwood.

Al Donnelly, who died Jan. 1, was an essential part of the Boundary Historical Society: a prolific writer, past president, and always a supporter.

In 2021, the BCHF recognized him with an Inspiration Award for his work documenting the Boundary and maintaining the society's 1899 cabin at Jewel Lake, seen above. Tackling duties around security, cleanliness and ground maintenance, Al’s work helped ensure the public will be able to enjoy the cabin for years to come.  

Al also undertook deep research on the history of the Grand Forks and Greenwood areas. During the pandemic, he worked ceaselessly to locate, collate, research and write stories about the Boundary. The work has culminated into the production of the Boundary Historical Society’s 18th historical report publication.