Museum

A leather firefighter helmet from the Alberni Fire Department, circa 1950, has been ‘adopted’ by the Port Alberni Professional Firefighters’ Association as part of a unique program at the Alberni Valley Museum. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Port Alberni firefighters adopt a piece of their heritage from AV Museum

Historic helmet is part of a new Adopt an Artefact program

 

People line up to watch the Assembly Wharf burn on Port Alberni’s waterfront, Aug. 28, 1947. The entire block went up in flames within half an hour. (PHOTO PN04369 COURTESY ALBERNI VALLEY MUSEUM)

Quinn: Fire changes the face of a city, not its determination

Port Alberni has survived some big blazes

 

The Maritime Museum of British Columbia’s Float the Boat fundraiser campaign is underway. The goal is to raise $25,000 in donations to help with the cost of running virtual programs and onsite operations. (Courtesy Maritime Museum of B.C.)

Maritime Museum of B.C. looks to Float the Boat in Victoria

Fundraiser proceeds will support multitude of virtual programs and onsite operations

  • Feb 2, 2021

 

Staff and volunteers at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea were disappointed by the theft of an educational porpoise skull likely taken on Jan. 8. (Courtesy of Tina Kelly)

Well-loved porpoise skull stolen from Sidney aquarium

Skull had been used for youth and visitor education and outreach for years

Staff and volunteers at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea were disappointed by the theft of an educational porpoise skull likely taken on Jan. 8. (Courtesy of Tina Kelly)
Two cooks stand at the ready in a camp kitchen at either Franklin Division or Great Central Lake, sometime between 1946-1956. Written on the back of the photograph is “Part of the kitchen, the head cook is in the foreground. It is always spotless.” This photo is one of 24,000 in the Alberni Valley Museum’s online archives, accessible by the public at https://portalberni.pastperfectonline.com. (PHOTO PN07465 COURTESY ALBERNI VALLEY MUSEUM)

LOOK BACK: Logging camp cookhouses

Take a peek at Alberni Valley history with the Alberni Valley Museum

Two cooks stand at the ready in a camp kitchen at either Franklin Division or Great Central Lake, sometime between 1946-1956. Written on the back of the photograph is “Part of the kitchen, the head cook is in the foreground. It is always spotless.” This photo is one of 24,000 in the Alberni Valley Museum’s online archives, accessible by the public at https://portalberni.pastperfectonline.com. (PHOTO PN07465 COURTESY ALBERNI VALLEY MUSEUM)
I captured a photo of my mom, Judy Quinn, in the glass fronting a display of vintage typewriters and other writing implements, during the opening of Echoes in the Ice: Finding Franklin’s Ship in March 2019. I’m partial to vintage pieces that relate to my career, like typewriters and old cameras. (SUSIE QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)

Quinn: The Alberni Valley Museum is full of cool artefacts; now you can own one

The museum and Alberni Valley Heritage Commission launch Adopt An Artefact program

I captured a photo of my mom, Judy Quinn, in the glass fronting a display of vintage typewriters and other writing implements, during the opening of Echoes in the Ice: Finding Franklin’s Ship in March 2019. I’m partial to vintage pieces that relate to my career, like typewriters and old cameras. (SUSIE QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
The new home for the Maritime Museum in langford will include a tower with commercial space to provide more financial sustainability. (Photo contrivbuted by Maritime Museum of BC)

Maritime museum fishes for tenants for new Langford centre

The $87-million project is slated to open in the spring of 2024

The new home for the Maritime Museum in langford will include a tower with commercial space to provide more financial sustainability. (Photo contrivbuted by Maritime Museum of BC)
Alberni Valley Museum employees Amy Vandal and Melissa Cross put together a piece of the new Chief Dan George exhibit at the museum. The exhibit opened on Saturday, Oct. 3 and runs until March 2021. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Alberni Valley Museum re-opens with new exhibit on Chief Dan George

New COVID-19 safety protocols in place

Alberni Valley Museum employees Amy Vandal and Melissa Cross put together a piece of the new Chief Dan George exhibit at the museum. The exhibit opened on Saturday, Oct. 3 and runs until March 2021. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
The late Soup Campbell, pictured in 2012 with his distinctive red crane truck, was often seen around Port Alberni helping to move heavy equipment. The new owners of his crane truck participated in a memorial cruise for Campbell on Sept. 6, 2020. (ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS FILE PHOTO)

Soup Campbell leaves behind a legacy in Port Alberni

A small parade of vintage trucks and Model A Fords took to the streets on Sept. 5

The late Soup Campbell, pictured in 2012 with his distinctive red crane truck, was often seen around Port Alberni helping to move heavy equipment. The new owners of his crane truck participated in a memorial cruise for Campbell on Sept. 6, 2020. (ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS FILE PHOTO)
Jim Shockey stands beside the leg of the Giganotosaurus (Cole Schisler photo)

Meet Vancouver Island’s new Giganotosaurus

Jim Shockey says rare 37-foot-long fossil cast now belongs to Cowichan

Jim Shockey stands beside the leg of the Giganotosaurus (Cole Schisler photo)
The Port Alberni Train Station is located outside the entrance to Harbour Quay, on Harbour Road in Port Alberni. (AV NEWS FILE PHOTO)

QUINN: What makes a building historically significant?

There’s a difference between heritage designation and a heritage register

The Port Alberni Train Station is located outside the entrance to Harbour Quay, on Harbour Road in Port Alberni. (AV NEWS FILE PHOTO)
A memorial totem pole for Billie Moon, carved by Willie Seaweed at Blunden Harbour in 1931, with help from Joe Seaweed. The pole depicts a thunderbird and dzunuk̓wa and is standing at the ‘Namgis burial ground at Alert Bay. (Zoë Ducklow photo)

Museum at Alert Bay is unlike any other

Visiting the present past at U’mista Cultural Centre

A memorial totem pole for Billie Moon, carved by Willie Seaweed at Blunden Harbour in 1931, with help from Joe Seaweed. The pole depicts a thunderbird and dzunuk̓wa and is standing at the ‘Namgis burial ground at Alert Bay. (Zoë Ducklow photo)
A collection of powerful Canadian photographs will be on display at the Sidney Museum until Dec. 24. (May 8, 1945, John H. Boyd City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 96241)

Sidney Museum showcases Snapshots of Canada exhibit

Photo exhibition displays ‘triumphs, failures and sacrifices’ of the nation

A collection of powerful Canadian photographs will be on display at the Sidney Museum until Dec. 24. (May 8, 1945, John H. Boyd City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 96241)
Puppet Theatre at the Museum. (Submitted photo)

The puppets are back!

The Museum at Campbell River will have virtual puppet shows this summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m.

Puppet Theatre at the Museum. (Submitted photo)
Joshua and Weyla Roy display some of the many letters they have from serial killers like Robert Pickton and Dennis Rader, the BTK killer. (Shalu Mehta/News Staff)

Metchosin couple houses private ‘murderabilia’ collection

Couple hopes to have a museum one day

Joshua and Weyla Roy display some of the many letters they have from serial killers like Robert Pickton and Dennis Rader, the BTK killer. (Shalu Mehta/News Staff)
A long double line of men walk down the middle of Johnston Road through the centre of Alberni in 1933. During the Depression, these men, who were described as from out of town, were demonstrating because they wanted jobs. This photo is one of nearly 24,000 in the Alberni Valley Museum’s collection. See more at https://portalberni.pastperfectonline.com/ (PHOTO BY JOSEPH CLEGG/ALBERNI VALLEY MUSEUM, PN01170)

A LOOK BACK: Port Alberni during the Depression

Take a peek at Vancouver Island history

A long double line of men walk down the middle of Johnston Road through the centre of Alberni in 1933. During the Depression, these men, who were described as from out of town, were demonstrating because they wanted jobs. This photo is one of nearly 24,000 in the Alberni Valley Museum’s collection. See more at https://portalberni.pastperfectonline.com/ (PHOTO BY JOSEPH CLEGG/ALBERNI VALLEY MUSEUM, PN01170)
Nanaimo Museum and Nanaimo Community Archives have started a joint project to record how COVID-19 has affected Nanaimo’s families businesses and organizations. The public will be asked to share their experiences online through the museum’s website. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)

Museum and archives want to document COVID-19 history as it happens in Nanaimo

Public invited to help record history of how coronavirus is impacting their lives

Nanaimo Museum and Nanaimo Community Archives have started a joint project to record how COVID-19 has affected Nanaimo’s families businesses and organizations. The public will be asked to share their experiences online through the museum’s website. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)
Lisa Tremblay instructs students from Bamfield Community School. (MIKE YOUDS / SPECIAL TO THE NEWS)

Portraits mask painful past of residential schools in touring exhibit

Visiting exhibition offers unique insight into residential schools

  • Mar 22, 2020
Lisa Tremblay instructs students from Bamfield Community School. (MIKE YOUDS / SPECIAL TO THE NEWS)
Ken Lane, former director of the Royal London Wax Museum, pours tea for Queen Victoria in his Saanich home. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

Hundreds of wax figures find new life in Saanich man’s home

Former director of Victoria’s Royal London Wax Museum still hopes to revive wax figure tourism

Ken Lane, former director of the Royal London Wax Museum, pours tea for Queen Victoria in his Saanich home. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)
The acrylic painting entitled “Under New Ownership” is on display at the Maritime Museum of B.C. as part of The Lost Fleet exhibit, through March 31. Painting by Marlene Howell

Dark chapter in Canadian history recalled with Maritime Museum exhibit

The Lost Fleet tells story of Japanese internment, decimation of their West Coast fishing fleet

  • Mar 3, 2019
The acrylic painting entitled “Under New Ownership” is on display at the Maritime Museum of B.C. as part of The Lost Fleet exhibit, through March 31. Painting by Marlene Howell