Press Releases

July 2009

Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees

Nanaimo, BC – Today, July 18, is a big deal not only for the Nanaimo Museum, but for local sports fans as well.Not only is the museum celebrating its first birthday in its new space in the conference centre, it is also announcing the latest inductees into the Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame. A total of eight new inductees will be honoured at the Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Included in this prestigious list of local athletes and team builders, who will have their names permanently inscribed on the Sports Hall of Fame wall, are the 1970 Canadian Curling champions from the Don MacRae Rink; Olympian and national soccer player Ray Telford; championship soccer player, coach and referee John Sandland; founding member of the Nanaimo Track and Field Club Bill English; multi-talented lacrosse and football player Douglas White; former NHL referee Lloyd Gilmour; basketball Olympian Angie Dobie; and gold medalist Paralympic athlete Michael Edgson.

 “Once again, we were impressed by the caliber of local athletes, teams, officials and sports pioneers that were nominated,” says John Manning, chair of the Sports Hall of Fame Nominating Committee and president of the Nanaimo Museum Society. “They have all made a huge difference to their respective sports as well as their communities here in the Central Island region.”

Manning also admits that it continues to be a challenge selecting inductees because of the number of deserving candidates, but since the induction process is annual, there is plenty of opportunity for nominees to be inducted at a later date.

To be nominated for the Sports Hall of Fame you must be an individual athlete, team or builder (e.g. officials, coaches, administrators, members of the media) who lives, or is from the Nanaimo area and has made significant contributions to sport in Nanaimo and elsewhere.

Tickets to the Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet are now on sale at the Nanaimo Museum for $75. Call 250-753-1821 for more information.

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 For more information, please contact Debbie Trueman at 250-753-1821 or by email at Debbie@nanaimomuseum.ca.

 2009 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Don MacRae Rink, Team Curling

• 1970 Senior Men’s Canadian Curling Champions

• Don MacRae Skip, Gene Koster Third and Bev Smiley Second and

• Dr. Gordon Howden, Lead and the only member of the team still alive and we are looking for contact info.  Please email debbie@nanaimomuseum.ca if you have any information leading to Dr. Howden's whereabouts.

Ray Telford, Athlete Soccer 

• On the Canadian National soccer team that went to the 1971 and 1975 Pan Am Games

• Was team captain on the 1976 team at the Olympic games in Montreal

• Involved in soccer in the community since 1965

John Sandland, Pioneer (Athlete)

• Deceased nickname Gunboat

• Referee, coach and manager of soccer, softball teams and organized the Nanaimo Pony League for soccer

• As an athlete he was a member of the City of Nanaimo team that one the Championship of Canada in 1927 with a record 21 goals to get into the final

Bill English, Builder

• Deceased

• Founding member in 1960 of the Nanaimo track and field Club

• 30+ years service as official, coach and board member

• Great memory for and rapport with young athletes

• Major force in implementing the Island Track and Field and Cross Country series for which he became the voice as announcer at meets

Douglas White, Athlete Lacrosse, Football 

• Winner of the Tom Longboat Medal for Western Canada for athletic achievement, sportsmanship and leadership in 1964

• Multi sport athlete playing lacrosse, soccer and football as the quarterback of the 1962 Redmen who won the “Little Gray cup” 

• Competed in the Mann Cup in 1968

• Soccer manager and coach for 15+ years

Lloyd Gilmour, Builder-Official

• NHL referee for 20 years and officiated in the 1972

• Canada-Russia series and well as many Stanley Cup events bringing recognition to Nanaimo during his years in the community

Angie Dobie (Radonovich), Athlete Basketball

• Member of the Canadian National Basketball team 1969-1976 but could not compete in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal due to injury and early retirement

• Played in the Pan American games and World Games and won Gold in the Canada Games in 1975 and Canadian Championship in 1976 as the tournament MVP

• Has competed in the World Maters in 1994, 1998 and 2005 and won 2 Gold and a Bronze medals

Michael Edgson, Athlete

• 1988 Paralympics as a blind swimmer was the most successful athlete on the Canadian team winning 2 Relay team Gold and setting 4 individual world records

• 1992 Paralympics games won 4 Gold and 1 Silver setting another world record

• Started with the Nanaimo Riptides

"Rocket” Richard: The Legend-The Legacy

On July 18^th an exciting new exhibition on the life and career of one of Canada’s greatest sports heroes, Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, will open at the Nanaimo Museum.  “Rocket” Richard: The Legend-The Legacy, featuring the Maurice Richard Collection that the Canadian Museum of Civilization acquired in 2002, pays tribute to The Rocket and gives visitors a sense of his life and times. 

The feature exhibit will present 90 remarkable object, more than half of which were once owned by Maurice Richard. These include the last Number 9 hockey sweater Richard wore as a playing member of the Montreal Canadians, hockey sticks used by Richard to score landmark goals, trophies, pucks, skates, sweaters, his Hall of Fame induction ring and the original copy of his retirement speech.  Also on display will be related “Maurice Richard” merchandise, ranging from a Maurice Richard lamp to the reproduction of a Rocket bread wrapper. 

Tribute songs and personal stories told by teammates and opponents round out this portrait of a player whose memory draws Canadians together in celebration of our national sport.  To many sports fans, these objects are among the most important items of sports memorabilia in existence-marking milestones in the career of one of the most illustrious players in the history of hockey. 

The exhibition has been designed to appeal not only to hockey fans, but to anyone who either lived through The Rocket’s heyday or wants to understand his significance in Canadian history. 

“Maurice Richard was a hero to legions of hockey fans in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.  In addition to his importance as a sports hero, he was a significant symbol in building the spirit and confidence of so many people in the 1950’s and 1960’s,” notes Dr. Victor Rabinovitch, President of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. 

To French Canadians, in particular, he was a champion and a source of pride.  Fans identified so strongly with Richard that they rioted in the streets of Montreal in 1955 when they believed that he was unfairly suspended from playing in the playoffs after a late season brawl. 

Richard remained a hero in his home province for the rest of his life and his memory is revered to this day.  As a cultural symbol, he has become part of the social fabric of this country.

“Rocket” Richard: The Legend-The Legacy is produced in partnership with Canada Post and is presented at the Nanaimo Museum until October 11, 2009.

A travelling exhibition organized by the Canadian Museum of Civilization and sponsored by Canada Post

Bamberton Historical Society’s Theatre in Museums Project is Bringing Life to Artifacts and History Displays to the Nanaimo Museum.  The Society Seeks to Ensure the Heritage of Participating Vancouver Island Museums and Historical Sites Through Theatrical Performances. 

Nanaimo, B.C, July 4, 16 & 26.  The Bamberton Historical Society is bringing live theatre performances to the Nanaimo Museum this July 4 (1-3:30pm); 16 & 26 (7:30-10 pm).  Tickets are $15 (12 years and under) and includes refreshments.  The Theatre in Museums Project will engage audiences with performances of characters and events from Nanaimo’s past.  Several Island museums are participating in this project as a way of promoting the history of their region. Performances begin June 27 in Cowichan Bay with the finale on July 25 in Lake Cowichan.  Participating museums include Bamberton, Shawnigan Lake, Nanaimo, Parksville, Duncan, Mill Bay and Ladysmith.  Each performance will be 50-60 minutes long and will include costumed actors interaction with the audience, each play will be venue specific with quick paced short vignettes using story telling, music and movement  

For additional information on the Theatre in Museums Project contact Bobbi Williamson, Program & Volunteer Coordinator at (250) 753-1821 or email at program@nanaimomuseum.ca   Or visit the Bamberton’s Historical Society’s website at  www.BAMBERTONHISTORICALSOCIETY.ORG   

The Bamberton Historical Society is a Museum and a Historical Site.  The Society offers a variety of guided tours of the Bamberton Historical Site and Museum.  Tours include:   Waterfront Tours, van tours of the Bamberton cement plant, quarry, and walking tours of the Village including Main Street with several stops at points of interest.  Museum Tours display the important role Bamberton played in changing and shaping BC’s geography and economy.  As well as learning Bamberton’s connection with the Butchart Gardens.  The museum has numerous exhibits paying tribute to the families who lived in the company town during the 70 years of the cement operation.   

May 2009

Nanaimo. BC, May 15 to July 5.  The Nanaimo Museum will open two new exhibits on May 15.  Down the Aisle will showcase a selection of the museum’s collection of wedding dresses.  The second exhibition Finding Malaspina’s Gallery, 1872 will be on the explorer Captain Malaspina and will include sketches and models representing Spanish explorers who first visited the Nanaimo area.  Finding Malaspina’s Gallery, 1792 is an exhibit curated by Robin Inglis, on behalf of the Alexandro Malaspina Research Centre at the Vancouver Island University and the Nanaimo Art Galley.  It includes reproductions of sketches done by the expedition’s artist, a model of the boat Sutil, as well as drawings of the Nanaimo area at the time of Captain Malaspina.  The exhibition also explains the background to what the E.J. Hughes mural represents in terms of the history of the Northwest America.  Hughes, a Vancouver Island artist, painted the mural of Captain Malaspina landing at Nootka Sound.  The Nanaimo Art Gallery will be showing more than 40 pieces of Hughes’ work entitled The Man and His Art exhibition during the same time as the museum’s exhibit.  Hughes mural will be permanently displayed at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, with the unveiling on May 14.      

“Down the Aisle” is an exhibition showcasing a selection of the museum’s collection of wedding dresses from the 1800’s to 1960’s.  “No other dress will demand so much time, consideration and angst as the wedding dress.  Planned for months, worn for hours the wedding dress, in various forms, can be found in all cultures around the world,” said exhibit curator Pamela Mar.  Over the years the museum has acquired wedding dresses belonging to local brides married here in Nanaimo as well as their descendants.  Many of the dresses featured in this exhibit have never been displayed before, intervening cross sections and styles migrated from each era.  

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Contact Name:  David Hill-Turner

Company Name:  Nanaimo Museum

Phone Number:  250-753-1821

Email:  david@nanaimomuseum.ca

Website:  www.nanaimomuseum.ca

April 2009

*April 20, 2009

For Immediate Release*

In conjunction with Nanaimo Museum, students at Bayview School in south Nanaimo were the first to experience the Virtual Museum of Canada website *Voices of the Snuneymuxw First Nation* recently.

This interactive web site brings together a number of Snuneymuxw cultural objects that are in museums around the world, including fish hooks uncovered through archaeological digs, and features them along with items from the community such as a lacrosse stick from a local championship team.

Each object is the centre of a class discussion that includes the environment, history and stories of the Elders, the community today, and the traditional language of the Snuneymuxw people. Their Island Hul'q'umin'um' dialect maintains the connection to the knowledge of the Snuneymuxw ancestors and Elders, and is designed to teach the students about the strength within their community.The Snuneymuxw First Nation's traditional territory surrounds the Nanaimo River Estuary. 

Through online exhibits, free games, and images, the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) brings together art, culture, and heritage from Canadian museums. The public can view this innovative web site at www.snuneymuxwvoices.ca.

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For more information, please call Bobbi Williamson at 250-753-1821.

January 2009

Exciting Feature Exhibit Coming February 14,2008

Sports Hall of Fame Call for Nominations

Lunar New Year

Museum to Feature National Exhibit called

Painted Photograph: When Lens Meets Brush

OPEN February 14 to May 10, 2009

The Painted Photograph, opening at Nanaimo Museum on Saturday, Feb. 14 (during Heritage Week), presents the works of David Bierk, Sarah Nind and Jaclyn Shoub, which combine photography and painting.

Through their use of these different media, these Canadian artists express contemporary concerns about identity and community, nature and culture, and tradition and technology.

Bierk, Nind and Shoub's combination of photography and painting creates a multi-level expression in which each medium gains meaning through the other. The resulting work is neither photography nor painting, but both. As the two media retain their distinctiveness within the work, they communicate ideas to the viewer in a multiple, and somewhat ambiguous, fashion.

 "What I find  especially interesting in these works is that the combination of painting and photography challenges common expectations that photography is objective and truthful, while painting is subjective and creative," says exhibition curator Andrea Kunard.

The arrival of this prestigious national exhibit has Museum staff excited as well. "Painted Photograph will set a new precedent for our Museum, and for the city of Nanaimo," says David Hill-Turner, curator at Nanaimo Museum.

"Thanks to our new state of the art, and much larger facility, this will be our first National Gallery of Canada exhibit, which will have more than two dozen works on display. " 

For more information, please contact David Hill-Turner at 250-753-1821.

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Please use the logo provided as per the exhibit's publication requirements.

January 20, 2009 - Call for 2009 Sports Hall of Fame Nominations

Nanaimo, BC: Nominations for the 2nd annual Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will open January 27, 2009. Nominations for this second round of inductees will close on March 31, 2009.

The 2009 Sports Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in June with the Inductees Banquet taking place at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre on Sept. 19 this year.

An inductee could be an individual athlete, a team, or a builder (an official, coach, administrator, media member, etc.) that has made a significant contribution to sport in Nanaimo and elsewhere. The type of sport could run the gamut from boxing to lawn bowling.

"We need the collective memory of the community to ensure the right people are nominated," says SHOF representative Dave Bakes. 

Although the Hall of Fame operates under the directorship of the Museum, the nominee does not have to be a historical figure. And while some local sports organizations are expected to make nominations, anyone can put a nomination forward.

Nomination forms and nominating criteria are posted on the Museum's website, www.nanaimomuseum.ca. For more details please contact the museum's general manager Debbie Trueman at 250-753-1821.

Nomination Criteria (PDF)         Nomination Form (PDF)

Nomination Applications can be delivered to the Museum or mailed to: 

Attn: SHOF Committee, 100 Museum Way, Nanaimo, BC, V9R 5J8

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Induction Criteria and SHOF logo attached. Photos of the 2008 Inductees available upon request.

January 20, 2009 - Local Cultural Societies Team Up for the

Lunar New Year By Mark Corbett

Celebrate the Year of the Ox on Saturday, January 24

The Chinese Cultural Society, Nanaimo's Multicultural Society and Nanaimo Museum are inviting the community to bring in the excitement of the Lunar New Year on Saturday January 24 at the museum. This is event is by donation and gets under way at 1 pm. 

"We're very proud to once again work with the multicultural community to entertain and educate the public about Nanaimo's rich heritage," says Debbie Trueman, General Manager of the museum. "The New Year is such a magical time in many cultures and we're just happy we can be a part of the local celebration, especially in our new, bigger facility."

A variety of cultural experiences such as the ever-popular Chinese Lion Dance as well as a variety of entertainers from China, Thailand, the Philippines and the Caribbean will be presented throughout the afternoon. Displays of Chinese artifacts and a video of Chinatown burning will be featured.

Children singing Chinese songs will be among the highlights of this 17th annual event. There will be traditional crafts and games (including Mah Jong), hands-on calligraphy demonstrations for both children and adults, fortune cookies, cultural information and more. 

"We're grateful the Museum Society recognizes the significance of our different cultures in Canada and that a special celebration takes place each New Year at the museum," says Mike Mah of the Chinese Cultural Society.

The Lunar New Year is traditionally a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. For people of Chinese descent, the New Year lasts for 15 days starting with the second New Moon after the winter solstice. The celebration is typically highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honour of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. Although the actual New Year is usually brought in with family and friends, the Chinese community encourages everyone to embrace the celebration.

The Lunar calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

The museum is located at 100 Museum Way in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. For more information about the Lunar New Year, contact Bobbi Williamson at the Nanaimo Museum at 250-753-1821.

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*Year of the Ox*

Those born under the influence of the Ox are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with strong character.

Not many people could equal the resolution and fearlessness the Ox exhibits when deciding to accomplish a task or an objective. As we used this great creature long ago to plow the soil day after day, so do Ox people labor through their daily responsibilities either at work or at home without complaint or gripe. Oxen know they will succeed through hard work and   sustained effort and find no truth or benefit in concocting get-rich-quick schemes. 

Ox years are second in sequence and recur every twelve years. The Chinese New Year does not fall on a specific date, so it is essential to check the calendar to find the exact date on which each Ox year actually begins. 

*Community Calendar Listing:*

Lunar New Year at Nanaimo Museum Saturday, January 24 at 1 pm Cultural songs, dance, crafts, refreshments and the ever popular Lion Dance. 

This year there will be entertainment from not only China, but also Thailand, the Philippines and the Caribbean. 100 Museum Way in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre downtown Call 250-753-1821 for more info.

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

September 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nanaimo’s Sports Hall of Fame Inductees Selected

NANAIMO, BC – Nanaimo's soon-to-be-opened Sports Hall of Fame has selected its inaugural round of inductees.

The Sports Hall of Fame (SHOF) Committee of the Nanaimo Museum has chosen ten of the sports community's finest representatives of sport for induction from over 50 nomination applications (see our sidebar story for the complete list of inductees).

Three individual athletes, one media person, two sports community builders, two teams, and two sport pioneers will be recognized for their contribution to sport in Nanaimo when the SHOF opens in September of this year.

Each of the three individual athlete inductees was once an Olympic athlete who represented Nanaimo when they competed in the Games.

Brenda Taylor, a double Olympic Gold medalist in rowing, says she was pleasantly surprised when the call came that she'd been selected. “I'd heard there was talk of opening a Sports Hall of Fame in Nanaimo but I didn't know I'd been nominated,” she says.

Taylor, who is now a mom as well as a consultant for sport and environmental sustainability, says when she was growing up Olympic athletes always came from somewhere else. So when Phil Olsen from Nanaimo became an Olympian in track and field, it helped her realize that her dream of competing was attainable.

“Smaller places like Nanaimo offer things that bigger cities don't, like community support. Where you came from had an impact on how you did in the end. So it's important that kids know „Oh, I can do it too.”

Taylor has already been inducted into the Victoria SHOF and the BC SHOF, but says she always hoped Nanaimo would get its own sports hall of fame.

“I thought if Nanaimo ever did have a sports hall of fame that's who I'd pass along my sports memorabilia to,” she says.

The mother of former Olympian Phil Olsen's best friend submitted an application nominating Olsen after she saw a story in the newspaper asking for candidates.

Olsen, who's record for javelin throwing has never been beaten by another Canadian, is now an educational assistant at Woodlands Senior Secondary, where he works with senior alternative and skills for life teens.

“My belief when I competed internationally was that I was always representing my home town, so I appreciate getting this recognition in return,” he says.

And Gerald Kazanowki, a financial planner who once represented Canada in two Olympic games, says when he speaks to kids in schools says, “They're just astounded that someone who played in the Olympics is standing right there in front of them.”

He believes SHOF will create a legacy that will inspire young kids to believe they too can compete if they excel and do the best they can do.

John Manning, President of the Nanaimo Museum is excited about the opening of the Sports Hall of Fame.

“Sports plays a significant and important role in the life of a community,” he says. “Our pride in our City swells when the Clippers win a hockey championship, and our hearts break when a local sports hero, such as Allison Forsyth, has to retire due to injury. I don't think you can have a vibrant and active community without a strong local sports presence – something that we have always had in Nanaimo. The Museum is excited to be opening the new Sports Hall of Fame, and hopefully it will become an important gathering place to celebrate Nanaimo's incredibly strong sports heritage, and be a catalyst to inspire today's teams and athletes.”

All inductees will be honored at a celebration dinner to be held on September 20th at the Port of Nanaimo Vancouver Island Conference Centre ballroom. Tickets for the celebratory event are available to the general public for $75 each and can be reserved by calling the Nanaimo Museum at 250-753-1821.

SIDEBAR – Complete List of Inaugural Inductees to the Sports Hall of Fame

The Sports Hall of Fame Committee of the Nanaimo Museum is pleased to announce the following 2008 Inductees for the inaugural induction to the Sports Hall of Fame.
 

Athlete
 Phil Olsen – Javelin
Represented Canada at 1976, 1980 (boycotted) and 1984 Olympic Games. Six-time Canadian Champion between 1973-83 and 1st Commonwealth Games, Edmonton 1978. No Canadian has thrown a javelin further than Olson's 87.76 meters.

 Gerald Kazanowski – Basketball
Came in 6th at Olympic Games, Seoul 1988 and 4th in 1984 Olympics Games in Los Angeles. Member of the 4 time Canadian National Champions, University of Victoria, from 1979-83. Three-time All Canadian and two-time recipient of the Premier's Athletic Award. Came in 1st at the World University Games Edmonton 1983. Competed in a total of 7 World Championships.

 Brenda Taylor – Rowing
Member of the Canadian National Rowing team from 1985-92 in women's four and eights.  Won double Olympic Gold in 1992 and was a double World Champion 1991. One of only 38 Canadian athletes to have won 2 or more gold medals. Selected as Rowing Canada Aviron's Award for longstanding contribution to the sport.

Media
 Larry Thomas
Was the voice of sports on Nanaimo radio for many years as the Sports Director on CHUB from 1966-80. Announcer for Clippers Play by Play 1975-80. Voice of Bathtub Race from inception in 1967. Voice of Nanaimo Timbermen for many years. No longer with us.

Builder
 Elwood Wylie
Builder of the Nanaimo Track and Field club to a first class facility (Rotary Bowl at Nanaimo & District Senior Secondary). President of the club from 1971-89. Won a Governors medal for commitment to the community. Deceased, 1989.

 Harry Wipper
Director of Parks and Recreation in Nanaimo for many years and was also a Canadian Championship lacrosse player.

Team
 1956 Nanaimo I.W.A. Timbermen Lacrosse Team
Mann Cup Canadian Champions Bobby Allan, Don Ashbee, Bill Bamford, Pee Wee Bradshaw, Derry Davies, Bud Dumont, Arnie Dugan (Captain), Fred Fulla, Clem Linford, Doug McRory, Spud Morelli, Dave Patterson, George Potts, Bobby Raffle, Terry Rodway, Lisle Scott, Donn Sherry, Alf Shuker, Gogi Steward, Joe White, Harry Wipper (Player/Coach)

 1914 Northfield Violets Football (Soccer) People Shield Canadian Champions
Pioneer

 Nanaimo FC Rangers (aka Swifts, Thistles and Wellington Rovers)) Football (Soccer) Established in 1890 as the BC Football Association first formed in Nanaimo BC Champions 1893, 95, 99, 1900, 01 and 03 (no National Championship existed)

 Hugh (Red) Thompson– Mile Runner
1936 Olympic Games competitor as the BC One Mile Champion. Deceased 1942.

August 2008

The Nanaimo Museum: A New Era Begins   By Mark Corbett

It took an effort of historic proportions, but the payoff has made it all worth while. The people of not only the city of Nanaimo, but residents of Vancouver Island, BC and indeed all of Canada are now enjoying a beautiful new cultural attraction in the heart of this historic West Coast community. 

After years of chasing a dream, the Nanaimo District Museum Society officially opened the doors this summer to the new 16,000 sq ft.  Nanaimo Museum in the newly constructed Port of Nanaimo Conference Centre in downtown Nanaimo.

"It took a monumental, visionary effort on the part of our staff, board of directors, volunteers, members, sponsors, donors, and of course the City of Nanaimo, to make this state-of-the-art museum a reality," said Debbie Trueman, General Manager of Nanaimo Museum.  "Everyone definitely rose to the occasion to see it through."

Trueman adds that without the City of Nanaimo's decision to include the museum in the Port of Nanaimo Conference Centre, the new facility would not exist.

During two special opening celebrations, one for the museum family on Thursday, July 24 and the other for the public at large on Saturday, July 26, more than 1,700 guests were on hand to witness history in the making.

Guests were given tours of the first three finished phases of the museum's exhibit galleries as well as the new program room, administration area, first class artifact storage and display preparation areas and the spacious new lobby and gift shop that give a great first impression. Adding to the opening celebrations was renowned local artist Fred Peters working on a new painting of the museum while author Jan Peterson launched her new book "A Place in Time: Nanaimo Chronicles".

"We couldn't be more pleased with the positive reception we got from our guests at the two openings," said Trueman. "I'm personally very proud of our staff who have done an outstanding job of bringing us this far. And of course this would never have fallen into place without the guidance and leadership of our great board of directors and the financial support from the City of Nanaimo." 

Although it will take a couple of years to complete the museum, a new Sport Hall of Fame will be unveiled on September 20, followed by the opening of the Snuneymuxw First Nation Gallery, Coal Mining exhibit and tunnel as well as other exhibit components in the months to come.

"The way things are shaping up, we're hoping our museum will become one of those talked about, must-see destinations for anyone visiting Vancouver Island," said Trueman. "Being a great new tourist attraction is important, but we're also really excited about helping our own residents discover what a rich and fascinating history we have here."

Built to the highest standards in the province, the new Nanaimo Museum will now function as a first rate facility preserving not only existing artifacts but future collections as well. For more information about the Nanaimo Museum, visit www.nanaimomuseum.ca, or call 250-753-1821.

July 2008

Local Businessman Ed Yewchin becomes Major Sponsor

May 2008

Rotary Clubs of Nanaimo newest $50.000 Major Sponsor!

Timelines 

April 2008

2007 Annual Report

January 2008

CALL TO LOCAL SPORTS FANS - Nominations are now open. 

Nanaimo, BC - It’s official. A Sports Hall of Fame honouring those people from our community who have made outstanding contributions to Nanaimo and area sports will be opening this year.

The Sports Hall of Fame will be located in the lobby of the Nanaimo Museum’s new space. It will be unveiled alongside the museum’s exhibit space when the Port of Nanaimo Centre opens later this year.

The idea for a sports hall of fame has been tossed around in Nanaimo for some time, says Debbie Trueman, the museum’s general manager, but it wasn’t until the museum was given the green flag to move to its new digs that the idea found firm footing.

“Nanaimo has a rich sports history but without a venue, there was no opportunity to develop the idea,” she says.

Once the museum was given the go-ahead for it’s new space, the museum’s board of directors decided to pursue the idea. With a grant from 2010 ArtsNow, the museum enlisted the help of consultant Nicholas Tuele, who sits on the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame, to formulate a plan. A Sports Hall of Fame (SHOF) committee was then struck to take responsibility for finding inductees and for making decisions about the SHOF.

SHOF committee members are: community members Dave Bakes, Eleanor Whyte and Tom Hickey, Nanaimo city councilors Merv Unger and Bill Bestwick, newspaper men Phillip Wolfe and Mitch Wright, and John Manning and Shirley Lance from the Museum’s board of directors.

“For many years I have felt that our community does not do enough to preserve our history in sport,” says Dave Bakes, who will head the committee. “I have often wondered why the only public exhibit of Nanaimo’s 1956 Mann Cup lacrosse championship team is the photocopied newspaper clipping displayed at the South End Dairy Queen.”

Bakes says it is important to acknowledge the significant accomplishments of our local athletes, coaches, officials and sports teams as well as the developmental contribution made by organizers and builders.

”My vision is that the Sport Hall of Fame will proudly acknowledge and professionally display our community history in sport for all to see, local citizens and visitors from around the world alike,” he says.

CALL TO LOCAL SPORTS FANS    

Nominations are now open. The SHOF committee has issued a call to local sports fans for inaugural nominations to select Sports Hall of Fame inductees. An inductee could be an individual athlete, a team, or a builder (an official, coach, administrator, media member, etc.) that has made a significant contribution to sport in Nanaimo and elsewhere. The type of sport could run the gamut from boxing to lawn bowling.

“We need the collective memory of the community to ensure the right people are nominated,” says Bakes.

Although the Hall of Fame will operated under the directorship of the Museum, the nominee does not have to be a historical figure. And while some local sports organizations are expected to make nominations, anyone can put a nomination forward.

Nominations for this first round of inductees, including an Honorary inductee, will close on March 31, 2008. An arms-length selection committee will then choose inductees.

Nomination forms and nominating criteria are posted on the Museum’s website, www.nanaimomuseum.ca. For more details please contact the museum’s general manager Debbie Trueman at 753-1821.

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December 2007

Yesteryear Christmas at the Nanaimo Museum

The sign on the Museum door may say “closed” but inside it’s a hive of activity. Every day until December 20 groups of school children invade the museum to learn about an old fashioned Christmas and to try their hands at creating ornaments to hang from their trees at home – ornaments just like those that might have hung from Nanaimo trees a hundred or more years ago.

Five-year-old Ty Stride stitches a Christmas tree ornament.

Erin MacNeil and Ty Stride from Hammond Bay Elementary School learn to make old fashioned Christmas tree ornaments at the Nanaimo Museum

November 2007

Nov. 1, 2007

Nanaimo, BC - As far as fundraising goes, it just keeps getting better all the time for Nanaimo District Museum.

As the museum society closes the doors for good today at its Cameron Road location to make way for its new museum next summer, which happens to be almost exactly 40 years from the time those doors were first opened on November 26, 1967, it is also announcing a five figure contribution to the museum's new endowment fund.

Recently established by the museum board to benefit the new museum, the endowment fund received its first major contribution from the late Mrs. Hilda Johns of Nanaimo, who passed away last month. Her bequest to the museum amounts to approximately $85,000.

"Hilda was a long time member of the museum," said John Manning, president of the museum board. "And while we mourn her passing, we are extremely grateful for her generous bequest and we look forward to honouring Hilda in the new museum."

Although $85,000 is a lot of money, it could be double that amount pending an application the museum has sent in to the Vancouver Foundation's Renaissance Fund, which provides matching grants for endowment funds.

Also contributing to the endowment fund on a long term basis is local author Jan Peterson, who has written the book "A Place in Time: Nanaimo Chronicles" specifically for the benefit of the new museum. 

"I wrote this book because I firmly believe in the museum and I totally believe in this project," said Peterson. "I'm really looking forward to the new facility." 

"On behalf of the museum, we want to thank Jan for her very generous donation of time and talent for the benefit of our new facility," said Debbie Trueman, general manager of the museum.

For those who want to say goodbye to the old museum, the Closing Celebration take place today (Saturday) from 10 am to 3 pm. For more information, please call 753-1821.

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For media enquiries, call Debbie Trueman at 753-1821. 

October 2007

TIMELINES - October 2007 Issue NM Newsletter

August 2007

New Nanaimo Museum One Step Closer to Reality with Major Funding Announcements

Nanaimo, BC – The new Nanaimo Museum, to be housed in the fledgling Port of Nanaimo Centre next year, received a serious injection of cash recently from several well-known community groups and individuals who believe in preserving the city’s unique history.

The largest donation in this latest round of funding announcements comes from Coastal Community Credit Union (CCCU), which are on board with $50,000 to become the second Major Sponsor of the new museum’s Feature Exhibit Gallery

“Nanaimo District Museum is a cultural hub, a meeting place and a centre for life-long learning and growing,” said Garth Sheane, president and CEO of CCCU. “But Nanaimo's history has long outgrown its present home and the museum needs a new facility that will allow it to continue nurturing us culturally.”

Sheane adds that the CCCU is proud to have been a part of Nanaimo's rich history for more than 60 years, so the organization has a vested interest in helping the museum to further preserve our collective heritage. 

“Through the preservation of our history, museums educate, enlighten and enrich us, forming the cultural heart of our communities,” he said. “With that said I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Nanaimo District Museum on their exciting future."

Along with the CCCU’s contribution, the museum is also pleased to announce several other donors including: Great Canadian Casino, which has donated $10,000 towards the development of new museum exhibits; [Left: Debbie Trueman and Bob Bennie with Great Canadian Casino representative (centre)]

Thrifty Foods, which has contributed $10,000 to sponsor the First Nations school programs. [Below: Debbie Trueman and Bob Bennie with Dan Zapotichny, Thrifty Foods Store Manager - Port Place Mall (centre)]

“We want to thank all of our newest sponsors for coming forward with these important funds, but we would also like to single out the City of Nanaimo for securing the museum’s portion of the Cultural Capitals Grant, which amounts to $75,000 towards interpretive plans,” said Debbie Trueman, general manager of the museum.

As part of its commitment, the museum’s portion of the total fundraising goal is $1.16 million. With these recent funding announcements the total now sits at $983,732.

June 2007

TIMELINES - June Issue NM Newsletter

New Museum receives first $50,000 donation from Nanaimo Port Authority

The new Nanaimo Museum campaign chariman, Bob Bennie, left, poses with Ross Fraser, Port of Nanaimo CEO, and Nanaimo Museum President, John Manning, following the recent announcement of a $50,000 donation by the Port to the new museum.  Housed in the new conference centre being built in downtown Nanaimo, the new museum is scheduled to open in 2008.

February 2007

New museum to receive $2.3 million in federal funding!

At a special ceremony on Feb. 10, Dr. James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni, announced that the Nanaimo District Museum Society will receive a grant totaling $2,301,301.00 through the Cultural Spaces Canada program. The money will go towards the interior finishing of the new museum and the purchase of specialized equipment.

The new facility, with a total cost of $7.36M, will be housed within the New Nanaimo Centre and is scheduled to open in spring 2008. The City of Nanaimo has also committed more than $4M for construction costs.

“The Government of Canada is proud to support the development of the new Nanaimo Museum,” said Dr. Lunney. “It will be an important destination for traveling exhibits from across the country and will house First Nations artifacts from Nanaimo.”

It was an exciting and long-awaited announcement for Joyce Brookbank, president of the NDMS. “Thanks to this generous commitment, Nanaimo will have an “A” level museum and attraction to interpret and preserve our community heritage” she said.

For Bob Bennie, the museum’s fundraising campaign chair, this announcement is exactly what he’s been waiting for. “We’ve been poised to launch our fundraising campaign in Nanaimo for some time now, but until this unprecedented announcement came down the pipe, we didn’t know exactly how much we would need,” he said.

Debbie Trueman, general manager of NDMS, says the museum is now responsible for raising $1.16M to pay for functional fittings and installation of the exhibits in the new space.

“Our application to Cultural Spaces included a request for $280,000 for artifact storage, prep area and gallery lighting, which I’m pleased to announce was also granted,” she said.

The museum will now turn to the community to meet its remaining fundraising obligations. The official launch of the campaign, with a number of exciting new developments, gets under way on Feb. 22. Museum members will be first on the guest list with invitations going out next week.

“These funds, from various levels of government as well as the community, will enable us to meet AA standards as established by the Canadian Conservation Institute,” said Trueman.

The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, announced recently that Nanaimo District Museum has received a grant of $21,310 under the Capacity Building component of the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program for the New Nanaimo Museum Revenue Generation Plan.

In other words, these funds will support the Museum’s efforts to develop a comprehensive strategic business plan as well as plans to generate more revenue for its expanded operations.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Lunney Announces $2.3 Million for New Nanaimo Museum 

OTTAWA—Dr. James Lunney, MP for Nanaimo-Alberni, announced $2.3 million in federal funding for the Nanaimo and District Museum Society; the funds will go towards construction of the new Nanaimo Museum and the purchase of specialized equipment. “This significant federal investment will ensure the new museum is a first-class facility to display Nanaimo’s rich, historical and cultural heritage,” said Lunney.  

“The federal government recognizes the contribution the Nanaimo Museum will make to showcasing that heritage and preserving it for future generations. As an “A Standard “ museum, this facility will meet the highest environmental and security standards for housing treasured First Nation artifacts as well as prized travelling exhibits from around the world.”

The funding is being provided by the Conservative government under two federal programs: $2.28 million through the Cultural Spaces Canada Program, set up to improve physical infrastructure for artistic creativity and innovation, with an additional $21,310 through the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability program, to help the Nanaimo Museum develop a comprehensive business plan for its new operation. 

“The new Museum, as the cornerstone of the New Nanaimo Centre, is expected to generate increased economic opportunity for the entire mid-island area and is certain to contribute to attracting an expanded cruise ship industry,” said Lunney.

Lunney also announced funding of $41,500 for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria to improve its storage capacity and $65,000 for the British Columbia Museums Association to help identify and develop best practices for museums across British Columbia.

“Today’s announcements demonstrate the Conservative government’s commitment to maintaining and improving our country’s cultural infrastructure,” said Lunney. Lunney offered congratulations to General Manager Debbie Trueman and the board of the Nanaimo and District Museum Society, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the British Columbia Museums Association. “Our museums and art centres are essential to preserving and showcasing our historical and cultural heritage for generations to come, “concluded Lunney.

January 2007

On behalf of Gallery 223 on Commercial Street, George Leshchuck presents Debbie Trueman, general manager of Nanaimo District Museum, with a cheque for $1,150. The museum and gallery teamed up to present an exhibit and sale in December called Nanaimo: A Photographic History. Restored and remastered negatives from the museum's photo archives were made into prints, framed and sold at the gallery with both organizations splitting the proceeds. For those who missed the exhibit, the gallery is still taking orders for these historic prints, which come framed, unframed or on canvass, with partial proceeds continuing to go the Museum. For more information, call 741-1188.  

April 2006

Some time in the early 1900s, the connection between Nanaimo and the Friuli region of Italy was so strong that the children there apparently knew more about Nanaimo than they did about Rome. In fact, says Nanaimo author and University of B.C. instructor Lynne Bowen, at least half the people listed on a war cenotaph in the village of Tarcetta were people from Nanaimo. "It was really quite strange to see since we were so far from home," she said. Bowen is the author of the book Boss Whistle, published by Nanaimo District Museum, which recalls the history of coal mining on Vancouver Island. With the latest feature exhibit at the museum all about Italians, coupled with the fact that she is now working on a book about the strong ties that exist between the Harbour City and several regions in the northeast corner of Italy, she has been asked to deliver a talk called Italian Connections on Saturday, April 8 at 1 p.m. at the museum. The names Sedola, Gusola, Maffeo and Cuffalo are just some of the Italian citizens who have made significant contributions to Nanaimo over the years, says Bowen. "Most Italians came to Nanaimo because of extreme poverty back home," she said. She cites a lack of jobs and a system of land inheritance that saw not just the oldest son in the family getting a chunk of land when the father died, but all the sons. This made it harder for people to survive in the predominantly rural culture of the area. "As waves of Italians immigrants became permanent residents in the British Columbia towns that first gave them jobs, a strong connection between pairs of communities in B.C. and Italy were maintained," she said. "And these connections are as strong today as they were in the past." At one point, according to Bowen's research, Italians were leaving for other countries more than any other culture on earth. Today, B.C. is home to Canada's third largest Italian population, and Nanaimo certainly played a part in welcoming several waves of these hard working people over the last century. For more information on Bowen's lecture, call 753-1821.

March 2006

Nanaimo District Museum’s

Coal Mine Bus Tour - Black Diamond in the Rough

It’s been called a black diamond, and for some it created untold wealth. For many others, it was more indicative of what they got stuck with in their Christmas stockings in a really lean winter. Or worse.

No matter how you look at the “black rock that burns”, it did fuel the settlement and growth of many of the beautiful B.C. communities we now live in and enjoy. Nanaimo, the third oldest city in the province and the second largest on Vancouver Island, has a rich history that’s more steeped in coal than most.

Throughout its reign, coal mining was a tough and often fatal way to chip out a living. Massive explosions often ripped through the mines, destroying both the lives of the unfortunate miners as well as the families left behind. Met with disdain for their lives and treated as dispensable, many coal miners took to the streets against their employers and staged the biggest, nastiest labour strike in Canada at the time of the First World War. And yet others, like the Dunsmuirs, were presented with opportunities and quickly became some of the most wealthy and powerful men and women of their time.

Recounting the good times and bad, as well as all the interesting coal mining tales in between, is Nanaimo District Museum’s Coal Mine Sites Bus Tour. This three-hour excursion covers all the hot spots of the city’s former gravy train industry. From Departure Bay to Mt. Benson to Cranberry, Extension and Morden mines, this tour will leave you with all you ever wanted to know about “mining the Rock for coal.”

For more information, call 250-753-1821, or visit www.nanaimomuseum.ca.

February 2006

Nanaimo Fortunata! (Lucky Nanaimo!)

Nanaimo District Museum’s Newest Feature Exhibit

Until May 29, 2006   

Nanaimo , from its earliest days, has been regarded as a place of opportunity. The prospect of work in the mines, inexpensive farm land and commercial opportunities have attracted men and women from every continent. Over the years, the Nanaimo District Museum has celebrated the contributions of immigrants who settled here and raised their families. 

Nanaimo Fortunata! (Lucky Nanaimo !) reflects on the contributions of Italians to Nanaimo . Using photographs, maps and objects, and with support from individuals and the Felice Cavallotti Lodge, we invite you to come and learn their story.

The first Italian to visit Vancouver Island was Captain Alejandro Malaspina who anchored briefly in Nootka Sound .  On the mainland, a Jesuit priest, Father John Nobili, worked as a missionary in the Okanogan in the 1840s. The 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush attracted thousands of miners from California and some of these men, recent arrivals from Italy , may have sought work in local coalmines. Who arrived first in Nanaimo , however, was not recorded.

The contributions of Italians and its close community have been recognized by Nanaimo and British Columbia .  Features of the community such as Maffeo-Sutton Park, Giovando Lookout (Newcastle Island), Holden Corso Road and the Italian Fountain (Port Place Mall) celebrate their contributions to Nanaimo. On an international scale, the civil defence work of former mayor Pete Maffeo during WW II was recognized when he was awarded the O.B.E. (Order of the British Empire ).

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Press Release

Feb. 23, 2006 

Nanaimo District Museum to host presentation on Robert W. Service and his celebrated ballads 

 Dr. Walter Epp, History Professor, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario and his three sons Nathan, Anthony and Jonathan, are conducting a centenary tour, including a stop at Nanaimo District Museum this Saturday (Feb. 25) at 1 p.m., celebrating the writing of Robert W. Service's most celebrated ballads "The Shooting of Dan Magrew" and the "Cremation of Sam Magee", and the publication of the Songs of a Sourdough in 1907. 

This tour, which includes places relevant to the life of Robert W. Service, includes the Yukon, France, Scotland and England, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Greece and the Ukraine as well as museums and theaters across Canada. Dr. Epp and his sons present Service's ballads within the context of the 1896-1898 Yukon goldrush and included in the performance are: "The Spell of the Yukon, The Ballad of Salvation Bill, The Ballad of the Ice Worm Cocktail, The Cremation of Sam Magee and The Shooting of Dan Magrew." 

Dr. Walter Epp, 2005 winner of the Lakehead University Distinguished Instructor Award and nominee for the Canadian 3M Teaching Fellowship, is presently on a lecture tour of Canadian Studies Centers in European Universities where audiences are enthralled by Robert W. Service's powerful imagery, cantering rhyme and robust adventure situated during the Klondyke Goldrush.

Dr. Epp and his sons are pleased to have the opportunity to present "Robert W. Service - the Bard of the Yukon" on Vancouver Island where Service spent time before leaving for the Yukon.

Nanaimo District Museum is located at 100 Cameron Rd.

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For more information, call Debbie Trueman at 250-753-1821

Nanaimo District Museum 's

Heritage Weeks Events

Heritage Week Antiques Road Show

Saturday, February 18 from 10 am to 4 pm at Port Place Mall

Bring in your favourite treasures, keepsakes, collectibles and heirlooms to have them appraised by the experts!

$10 for 1st item, then 2 for $15 for a brief verbal appraisal

Hourly door prizes!

Brought to you by the Museum and Zonta Club of Nanaimo

This Year’s Appraisers Include:

Hugh Bulmer and Neil McAllister from Maynards Fine Art Auctioneers, Vancouver; Michael Hartmann and Ted Rye, universal, Nanaimo ; Pamela Mar, textile expert; Neil Williams, book expert; Rod Liddicoat, jewelry expert.

Opens February 21 at Nanaimo District Musuem

Feature Exhibit: Nanaimo Fortunata!

Nanaimo Fortunata! (Lucky Nanaimo !) opens during Heritage Week, and reflects on the contributions of Italians to Nanaimo .

Runs until May 29, 2006

Saturday, February 25 at 1:00 pm at Nanaimo District Musuem

Robert Service – Bard of the Yukon

The museum staff is excited to offer international performer, Walter Epp, performing some of the many ballads Robert Service wrote such as “Cremation of Sam McGee, The Spell of The Yukon and The Shooting of Dan McGrew”. Enjoy Klondike refreshments. Space is limited so book early! For more info call Bobbi at 753-1821.$5 adults.

Week of February 18

Ted Dandy Historical Writing Contest

This year’s theme is Nanaimo Celebrates and is open to students from grade 2 to 7. Students write a 1-2 page entry describing Nanaimo Celebrations. Students may use pictures (drawings or photographs), computer presentation (PowerPoint)…the possibilities are endless. For more info call Bobbi at 753-1821.

Launch of Museum Photo Contest: Nanaimo Celebrates

Because we want you to be ready for this sixth installment of our annual Photo Contest, we’re letting the cat out of the bag and telling you well in advance what we’re looking for this year...Nanaimo Celebrating! Time to dig out your photo albums...

More Great Events at the Museum!

Saturday, March 25 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Nanaimo District Museum

Italian Cultural Demonstrations

Visit the Italian exhibit and participate in cultural demonstrations such as sausage making, games and crafts.

Saturday, April 8 at 1:00 pm at Nanaimo District Museum

Italian Connections with author Lynne Bowen

As waves of Italian immigrants became permanent residents in British Columbia towns that first gave them jobs, strong connections developed between communities in British Columbia and Italy . These connections are as strong today as they were in the past.

Saturday, April 22 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Nanaimo District Museum

Photograph Restoration Workshop

How do you preserve all those photos and negatives stashed away in shoeboxes? Join instructor Wilf Hatch to learn about proper care and storage of new and old photographs.

Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to noon starting at Nanaimo District Museum

Coal Mine Sites Bus Tour

Join Ray Brookbank for this immensely popular tour of Nanaimo ’s most famous mine sites. Sells out fast so book early! $25 for members, $30 for non-members

Saturday, May 20 at noon

Opening of Bastion Season & Cannon Firing

Watch for opening celebration during Empire Days

Saturday, May 27 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Nanaimo District Museum

Scrap Booking Workshop

Learn the history of scrap booking and some of the techniques for storing and displaying your treasured pictures. Bring a few photographs and/or memorabilia and your imagination. To book call Bobbi at 753-1821. Cost: $10

Feb. 1, 2006

Media Release

Re: Voices of the Snuneymuxw First Nation

The ancestral voices of Nanaimo ’s indigenous people will soon reap the benefits of modern technology with the creation of the virtual exhibit with the working title Voices of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

The goal of the project is to digitally preserve the fading Hul’qumi’num language as Elders tell their stories and incorporate the recordings into a virtual exhibit of Snuneymuxw artifacts in other museums around the globe.

The price tag to conserve the language, now spoken by as few as six local Elders, as well as to create the exhibit is approximately $170,000. Just over $144,000 in federal funding has been earmarked for the project, with the remainder coming from cash and in-kind donations from both Nanaimo District Museum and the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

The museum and the Snuneymuxw First Nation will be working with project partners Nick Tuele, Art of Art Consulting and Zero One Design Inc. on this innovative new exhibit. Valuable input and support for the project will come from Malaspina College and linguistics projects currently in progress at Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria . 

“Helping preserve a language and other important cultural materials for the Snuneymuxw people is an important task and we’re honoured to be a part of it,” said Debbie Trueman, general manager of the museum. The research and stories gathered for this project will also be used to create the First Nations gallery in the new museum space. 

“Our exhibition will feature digital images of the significant artifacts held in these museum collections, which include house posts, masks, rattles, headpieces and spindle whorls among others,’ said Lorraine Littlefield . “Our preliminary investigation reveals at least 500 artifacts in these museums were collected from the Snuneymuxw First Nation in the past.”

The opportunity to digitally record the Elders who are fluent in their native language and incorporate their powerful memories and insights into a virtual exhibition is a timely opportunity to preserve what might otherwise be lost. 

The virtual exhibition will also tell the story of the Snuneymuxw First Nations in modern times in order to demonstrate the continuum that exists from the legends of the ancestors – ‘the stones and bones they left behind long ago’ - to the realities and dreams of the Snuneymuxw today.

Due to the history of acculturation and colonization, Snuneymuxw cultural material is limited in museums in Canada . “However, through the medium of a virtual exhibit, the cultural resources that are contained in significant museum collections around the world can be drawn together to show the artistic and spiritual wealth of the Snuneymuxw.”

Cultural materials are found in collections in the Museum of Civilization , Royal British Columbia Museum , Vancouver City Museum , Museum of Anthropology , Burke Museum in Washington , Voklerkunde Museum in Berlin , British Museum in London , Chicago Field Museum and the American Indian Museum in New York . 

Side Bar

The virtual exhibit Voices of the Snuneymuxw First Nation will tell the story of a unique history in a rich and compelling manner. Aspects of the story will include an examination of their exclusive traditional territory, comprised of more than 98,000 hectares north of Neck Point to Boat Harbour in the south, Gabriola Island and other small islands to the east and the western reaches of the Nanaimo River watershed.

The Snuneymuxw territory also shared an additional 104,000 hectares with other First Nations including seasonal villages, fishing villages and resource areas in Qualicum, Chemainus and on the Fraser River .

With their central location on Vancouver Island , the Snuneymuxw enjoyed extensive cross-cultural exchange and intermarriage with other First Nations bordering on their traditional territory. Aspects of this history have not previously been acknowledged and will serve one of the focal points for the virtual exhibit.

Other chapters of the story will include the first contact with Europeans (Alcala-Galiano and Valdes arrived in 1792), signing of treaties with James Douglas in 1854, traditional aspects of their culture including spirituality, food, sports, clothing, and art.   

January 2006

"Stories of the Southend"

Nanaimo Southend-born-and-raised resident, Laura Ramsay, has generously included Nanaimo District Museum in her project "Stories of the Southend". The project will gather stories from people who have a history in the Southend and we encourage our members to send in their stories.

With a new Museum comes new branding... 

In Memoriam

NDM receives $170K grant to produce virtual exhibit

Nanaimo Museum will help preserve “Voices of the Snuneymuxw First Nation” with new Virtual Museum of Canada funding "Our Elders say that the old people are speaking to us through the stones and bones they left behind long ago. It is time to listen and hear their story." 

Nanaimo District Museum and the Snuneymuxw First Nation will be working with project partners Nick Tuele, Art of Art Consulting; Donna Gerdts, Simon Fraser University; Imogene Lim Malaspina University- College, Dave Robertson University of Victoria, and Zero One Design Inc on this innovative new exhibit. Today the old voices of the Snuneymuxw First Nation Elders grow faint and there are now fewer than six Elders who are fluent in the Hul’qumi’num language. This virtual exhibition at the new Museum will tell the story of the Coast Salish people — those who have occupied the eastern shores of south-central Vancouver Island for more than 5,000 years — through the voices of the Elders. 

The opportunity to digitally record the Elders who are fluent in their native language and incorporate their powerful memories and insights into a virtual exhibition represents a timely opportunity to preserve what might otherwise be lost. The virtual exhibition will tell the story of the Snuneymuxw First Nation’s unique history in a rich and compelling manner. Through the medium of a virtual exhibit the cultural resources that are contained in museum collections around the world can be drawn together to show the artistic and spiritual wealth of the Snuneymuxw. 

There are at least 500 artifacts in these collections. As well, the virtual exhibition will tell the story of the Snuneymuxw in modern times to demonstrate the continuum that exists from the legends of the ancestors to the realities and dreams of the Snuneymuxw today. The research and material gathered for this exhibit will be used in creative ways for the First Nations exhibit in the new museum.

Museum gets $5,000 boost from RBC

Nanaimo District Museum received a significant financial boost recently from the Royal Bank of Canada for the planned new museum space. The funds will go a long way in establishing a fine new museum for Nanaimo and for the many visitors we welcome every year. Museum staff and board members extend their gratitude to the Royal Bank for this generous contribution to our city’s cultural heritage.

Museum manager Debbie Trueman, second from right, poses for a photo with Tim Manning, Regional VP Commercial Banking BC, Graham MacLachlan, Regional President BC, Moira Jenkins, VP Vancouver Island Northern Commercial Banking and Jane Black, Regional VP Vancouver Island North.

Welcome Katimavik!

Once again, the museum is pleased to welcome several Katimavik participants — Aaron Rogers from Dawson Creek, B.C., Stephanie Lefebvre from La Sarre, Quebec and Vincent Poirier from St. Roch De Richelieu, Quebec — who will lend their helping hands to the important work the museum does over the next several months.

Images of Civic Arena

Sean Kraus is looking for images about the Civic Arena so we are asking Museum members if they have any photos, memorabilia, artifacts etc. that can be photographed to appear on the website. If you have any images, please let Sean know by emailing him at slkrause01@aol.com or contact the Museum.

New textiles

The Museum’s textile inventory received a boost recently from the Canadian Costume Society of Victoria. Unfortunately, the society is now defunct, but the museum’s textile experts, led by Pamela Mar, were able to secure quite a number of costumes and fashions, from the 1850s and up, as a result of the closure. The items pictured above will be on display for a few more weeks.

December 2005

November 2005

October 2005

September 2005

August 2005

For train buffs, Nanaimo District Museum is the place to be, especially on Wednesdays in July and August when the locomotive interpretive shelter on the museum grounds will be opened to the public. While the No. 19 Baldwin locomotive revealed many of her structural secrets during recent restorations, her history provides rich ground for research, says museum curator, David Hill-Turner.

The No.19 is a 32 ton, 36" gauge 0-6-0T locomotive built in 1889 at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA. for the Dunsmuir's Wellington Colliery of Nanaimo. During its long life it has undergone many changes and repairs before arriving in Piper's Park.

While Baldwin Locomotive records indicate the original name was Victoria and she arrived in Nanaimo in 1889, Robert Swanson's recollection, who happened to donate the locomotive to the city, is that she arrived here as the Columbia in 1883. 

What museum staff do know for sure, however, is that the locomotive in Piper's Park is the No.19 and that she last worked in the Southfield area in the 1940s. Prior to her retirement, she worked all her active life in and around Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Union Bay and Cumberland hauling coal from the mines to the loading wharves.

Following the restorations over the last several years, volunteers and staff developed interpretive panels about the history of the No. 19 and the railways that served the coal mines. The exhibit was opened last fall, just in time to celebrate No.19's 50th Anniversary in Piper's Park.

Nanaimo District Museum's 3rd Annual Chowder Fest, a cornucopia of tasty chowders and samplers of west coast seafood, will take place on Pioneer Waterfront Plaza on Saturday, Aug. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m.

This popular event, which grew in ticket sales from 200 in 2003 to 400 last year, is expected to draw even more people this time around. Eleven restaurants have now been confirmed for this year's chowder cook-off: New York Style Pizza & Pasta, Dorchester Hotel, Amazing Thai Restaurant, McLean's Specialty Foods, Nauticals Seafood Bar and Grill, Troller's Fish and Chips, Wesley Street Cafe, Phoenecia, Tania's Downtown, GLOW World Cuisine and last year's winner, Modern Cafe.

arrival, which they can take to each booth to have filled by the chowder competitors. A judging ballot is also given out so that each ticket holder can vote for the best chowder. At the end of the day, the restaurant with the most votes is declared the winner.

Sponsoring the event this year is Fanny Bay Oysters, the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership and Steve Marshall Ford.

Miner's Cottage

The Miner's Cottage on the museum grounds, built in the 1890s and now designated a municipal heritage site, will be open to the public for free heritage activities every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in July and August.

As part of the education department's summer line-up, there will be fun summer crafts at the cottage such as harry heads, butterfly dryer sheets and finger knitting. All one has to do is simply drop by and start acting like the offspring of a miner.

The Miner's Cottage was built by Frederick Rowbottom in the late 1890's on Farquhar Street (he was a miner and then became a stone mason). It was one of several houses he built to rent out to local miners. The house was subsequently lived in and owned by various people over the next 80 years. The cottage is a typical mining/working class dwelling from the late 19th century up to the mid 20th century with four rooms. It originally had only two rooms: a living area and a bedroom. The kitchen and back room were add-ons.

The total size of the cottage is a mere 360 square feet, but as many as eight people (two families) might have shared this house in the early days of Nanaimo due to a housing shortage. Once another house was built, one family moved out.

The Suttons, the last owners of the home, donated the house to the Nanaimo Historical Society in 1977. It was moved to Piper's Park and then designated a municipal heritage site in 1980 with the operation of programs inside the building being taken over by the museum.

New wainscotings, wallpaper, roof shingles, outside paint as well as other features have been added periodically from 1980 on. In 2002, the building was renovated to protect it for future visitors.

Today, artifacts from the museum collection are housed in the building to represent the First World War era in a general way - not to represent a particular family.

By 2008, Nanaimo District Museum will be completely moved into the New Nanaimo Centre. In the meantime, there's a lot of work to be done, says Debbie Trueman, General Manager, including raising the money to outfit the interior of the new museum facility.

Enter Bob Bennie, former CEO of the Coastal Community Credit Union, who will become the museum's capital campaign chairman. Bennie, who has spent 40 years in the financial industry, was with the CCCU for 26 of those years and was the organization's CEO for the past 15 before retiring earlier this year. 

Bennie will launch the fundraising campaign later in the fall. In the interim, a lot of planning will take place behind the scenes. With the creation of a new museum, Bennie says "this is certainly an opportunity for the museum to play a more central role as an economic driver for tourism in Nanaimo."

"We're honoured to have Bob working with us on this campaign," says Trueman. Besides working with the museum on a number of previous projects, Bennie is a past chair of the United Way and Boys and Girls Club in Nanaimo. In related news, Trueman says the Canadian Conservation Institute, through the Department of Canadian Heritage, will be providing an expert conservation assessment and advice for the new museum space.

May 2005

April 2005

Museum Welcomes Final Katimavik Participant...

As most of you know, Nanaimo District Museum has had the privilege of having Katimavik participants from all across the country help us over the last year and a half.

This is the final stop on the journey for 19 year old Shannon Casmey and the Museum’s final Katimavik participant. Shannon is doing a variety of jobs at the Museum, under the direction of Richard Slingerland and myself.

Shannon calls Toronto, Ontario home, where she lives with her Mom. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the violin and cello. The reason Shannon joined Katimavik was “to travel Canada and gain job experience to help prepare myself for future schooling and careers,” she says.

Shannon would like to work with children and mentally disabled adults. She hopes to return to Alberta after her Katimavik experience and work at S.C.O.P.E, her first placement with the program.

In September, she will head home to Toronto and work full time at a daycare downtown and then pursue her career further by taking an Early Childhood Education course. Welcome to Nanaimo Shannon!

Bob Swanson was born in 1905 and the family moved to Nanaimo in 1907. Living near the Jingle Pot Mine, young Bob was enthralled by the locomotives that frequented his rural neighbourhood. No doubt, it also launched his career as an engineer, poet, inventor and raconteur. Fascinated by steam whistles, Bob tinkered with them in his spare time. Barrels were lengthened or shortened and the diameters were also changed as he “tuned” his inventions. Today, they are heard on ships and locomotives around the world.

Whistle Farm is a retrospective look at Bob and his accomplishments. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a re-creation of the scaffolding that supported an evolving chorus of horns and whistles. With the cooperation of Airchime Manufacturing, we are able to exhibit many of the early horns that Bob developed including the rare Hexaphone, the prototype of the locomotive horn now heard across North America.

The exhibit will also feature Bob’s other passion: poetry. He wrote four books celebrating the life and work of the logger with his brother Dan (a.k.a Seattle Red). Bob also invented the fail-safe air brake that improved the braking safety of logging trucks and developed the runaway lane that can be seen at the bottom of step highway grades.

Visitors to Whistle Farm will also be able to hear many of his inventions and experience the sights and sounds of the steam donkey at the farm through rare images that have not been seen for over three decades.

February 2005

02/22/05

Museum Lecture Series:

February 15, 2005

Nanaimo District Museum Presents 

Ted Dandy Historical Writing Contest

This Year’s Theme is:  Nanaimo: Then and Now

Nanaimo is the third oldest city in British Columbia.  We have a vibrant history, which has been showcased by the Museum and Bastion.  Nanaimo has many original buildings that help tell the early story of Nanaimo. The harbour, an important feature of Nanaimo, has undergone some changes over the last 100 years.   A coal-mining town, Nanaimo was a city of dreams for many families from the United Kingdom.  Today, Nanaimo is still a city of dreams for all that choose to make this their home.

Contest Criteria:

• Students are to write 1-2 page entry describing Nanaimo: Then and Now. To help tell the story, students may use pictures (drawings or photographs), computer presentation (PowerPoint)… the possibilities are endless.  However, student’s presentation should not be more than 5mins.

• Students will be judged upon their creativity, originality and the relevance to Nanaimo then and now.  Each grade/student will be judged independently. 

• Open to all Grade 2 –5 students in School District #68

• Deadline for submissions with application form – Friday May 6, 2005 at 5pm

• All submissions are invited to the opening of the Bastion on Saturday May 21, 2005 at noon, where the winners will be announced

• All submissions receive a book and 1year family membership to the Museum/Bastion.

Who was Ted Dandy and why is there a contest named after him?

• Ted Dandy was a hard rock miner until WWII was declared

• Enlisted with the Toronto Scottish Regiment and sailed on the first ship carrying Canadian Soldiers for the defense of Britain

• Involved with the D-Day Invasion

• Met his wife, Lyn while overseas, then returned to Ontario where they raised two sons and numerous foster children

• In 1970, Ted retired and moved to Nanaimo

• Ted and Lyn had a great interest in history

• Ted was long-term school program volunteer for the museum

• His special interest was coal mining

• He died in 1990 of cancer

• Contest established to honour his service to the Museum and love of history

For more information, please call Christine at 753-1821.

January 2005

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The Nanaimo District Museum Society acknowledges the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia

We appreciate and thank the City of Nanaimo for their annual financial support.

We also thank the British Columbia Arts Council and the British Columbia Digital Collections (supported by the BC Arts Council and the BC Museums Association) for their support.

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