Registration opens for 2023 BC Historical Federation conference

(Image MSC130-5501-01 courtesy of the British Columbia Postcards Collection, a digital initiative of Simon Fraser University Library)

Registration is open for the BCHF 2023 annual conference being held in Princeton July 20-23. This year the in-person conference features 12 historical presentations, a chartered bus trip to Keremeos Grist Mill and Hedley, a gala awards banquet, a tour of the Princeton Museum, and an excursion to Granite Creek. The conference is sponsored by Johnson Insurance, Princeton and District Museum, and the Town of Princeton.

Finalists announced for BCHF Lieutenant-Governor’s Awards

The British Columbia Historical Federation is honoured to announce the finalists for the 2022 Lieutenant-Governor’s Historical Writing Awards. The specific awards will be announced during the awards gala at the BCHF conference. Click the link for the full list.

BCHF AGM delegates still sought

We are still short voting delegates for our June 3 online annual general meeting. We require 25 to make quorum. If you can spare some time to join us and learn more about our work over the past year, sign up through the link below.

MEMBER NEWS

Collecting and painting Vancouver’s history

In a presentation for the Vancouver Historical Society, Tom Carter talks about his fascinating career as an artist, musician, and collector of Vancouver’s entertainment history. His monumental paintings of Vancouver during the 1940s and ‘50s re-capture and re-imagine downtown street scenes and old theatres.

HISTORICAL NOTES

Fort Steele gift shops burns

(Courtesy Cranbrook Fire Department)

A fire on April 30 damaged the visitor centre and gift shop at Fort Steele. One person suffered minor injuries. The building is a replica, but is the place visitors enter the heritage attraction.

Forager Foundation to run Yale Historic Site ...

Yale ca. early 1900s. (J. Howard Chapman photo/Image MSC130-08956_01 courtesy of the British Columbia Postcards Collection, a digital initiative of Simon Fraser University Library)

The provincial government has awarded a five-year contract to operate the Yale Historic Site to the Gibsons-based Forager Foundation, much to the dismay of the Yale and District Historical Society.

... and Port Ellice House

Point Ellice House seen in a painting by Edward Goodall. (Image msc130-12698_01 courtesy of the British Columbia Postcards Collection, a digital initiative of Simon Fraser University Library)

The provincial government says the Forager Foundation will also be the interim operator for Point Ellice House in Victoria. In March, the Vancouver Island Local History Society announced it was closing the heritage site for lack of funding.

Old Town to reopen at Royal BC Museum in July

A modified Old Town exhibit at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria will reopen July 29. The exhibit was closed at the end of 2021 as the government announced a new museum. It has since scrapped those plans.

Exhibit highlights Burnaby’s South Asian communities

Truths Not Often Told: Being South Asian in Burnaby is a new exhibit at the Burnaby Village Museum highlighting the stories of South Asians who migrated to Burnaby in the early 1900s to find jobs, experienced restrictive policies and worked together to build community supports. 

Cranbrook History Centre gets $1 million for railcar preservation ...

Courtesy Cranbrook History Centre

The BC government has given the Cranbrook Archives, Museum and Landmark Foundation $1 million to finish the second phase of project to protect the museum’s historic railcars.

... Nelson Museum, Tramway Society receive $1.5 million ...

The Nelson Electric Tramway Society has received $1 million from the provincial government to upgrade the tracks for its streetcar while the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery has received $500,000 to decolonize its museum collection.

... and Rossland Museum granted $1 million for expansion

A $1 million provincial grant will help the Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre with its expansion plans, including the addition of visitor facilities, a public presentation space and rotating display space.

Paldi Heritage Minute released

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

A new Heritage Minute celebrating a multicultural Cowichan Valley community  has been completed by Historica Canada. The story of Paldi is told through the eyes of Punjabi immigrant Bishan Kaur.

Provincial Heritage Fair coming to Prince George

The BC Provincial Heritage Fair is set to take place in Prince George, for the first time, from July 2-5. It brings together elementary, middle, and high school delegations from across BC to present their projects on topics in Canadian history.

A song about Terrace in the 1920s

Singer-songwriter Phillip Le Ross, who was born and raised in Terrace but now lives now on Vancouver Island, has just released a new song called “Headed Out West” based on an interview with his grandmother Theresa Le Ross (nee Desjardins) and her sister Anna in the 1970s.

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.