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Official Blog of the Chilliwack Museum and Archives
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MEDIA RELEASE
May 8, 2019
Chilliwack Museum & Archives to Host Opening Reception for Latest Exhibition
Chilliwack, BC – The Chilliwack Museum & Archives will be unveiling its latest exhibition Five Faces, Five Corners: The Social Experience of Chilliwack’s Downtown at an Opening Reception on May 16, 2019 at 7:00pm.
“This exhibition explores the evolving social landscape of Chilliwack’s Five Corners area,” said Anna Irwin, Curator at the Chilliwack Museum & Archives. “It really is a fitting time to showcase this area as the downtown redevelopment project proceeds, it all ties together nicely.”
The Opening Reception will feature appetizers and refreshments while viewers enjoy the first look at the exhibition. Admission to the event is $5.00 for the general public and Free for members of the Chilliwack Museum & Historical Society.
Five Faces, Five Corners: The Social Experience of Chilliwack’s Downtown will be on display from May 16, 2019 to April 18, 2020.
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Media Contact:
Shawna Maurice
Executive Director
Chilliwack Museum & Archives
P: 604-795-5210 ext. 101
E: [email protected]
Change and Transformation at the Chilliwack Museum & Archives
Change and Transformation are two words that many people cringe when they hear, but really they are terms to celebrate! As our world evolves, so to must museums. History organizations across the globe are experiencing major change as they seek to remain relevant to today’s audiences.
History is not only about the past; it is also about change and tying the lessons of the past into the present and future. As stewards of the past we preserve and share our history, but we are also here to educate and interact with our community.
My focus as a leader in the heritage industry is to ensure museum’s remain relevant for today’s audiences. This means stepping outside the comfort zone of static displays and panels on walls, and moving into a more interactive and engaging experience. Community engagement and programming are vital parts to exhibition development!
After being on the job as Executive Director for a little over a month, I lead a strategic planning session with the Board of Trustees and the staff of the Museum and Archives! It was a great opportunity to get to know each other and to start projecting our goals for the next three to five years here at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives! Already I can tell how passionate this team is about the Chilliwack Museum and Archives, and all the great ideas and initiatives that we will be able to accomplish moving forward.
The staff of the CMA also visited the Vancouver Maritime Museum and the Museum of Vancouver this past Monday to garner some inspiration from our fellow historical institutions!
As a team, I believe, we are ready to move forward with the change and transformation that the 21st century has brought to museums. Keep an eye on our Social Media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to see what we have in store for events, programs, and exhibitions coming up! Better yet, drop by the Museum & Archives and tell us what you would like to see here! We are stewards of our community and we are excited to be a destination that connects you with Chilliwack’s history.
New Books in the Gift Shop!
Before We Lost the Lake
Driving through the Sumas flats over the years I often wondered at the broad expanse of land between Abbotsford and Chilliwack, so open and different from the surrounding wooded mountains.
Lush agricultural land filled with farms and dike systems; it always provides a beautiful vista. It was only recently that I realized that Sumas Lake once occupied the space.
Local author Chad Reimer, who wrote Chilliwack’s Chinatowns, has released a new book which charts the lifespan of Sumas Lake. We are happy to have Before We Lost the Lake in stock at the Museum Gift Shop along with a selection of other new arrivals – perfect for your winter reading needs!
How Deep is the Lake
Surveying the Great Divide
Great Fortune Dream
Happenings around the Museum & Archives
Chilliwack City Hall after a snowfall, no date. Courtesy of Norman Williams
The last week before the Christmas holidays are here and the Chilliwack Museum and Archives will be open for any last presents you may need until Friday, December 21, 2018. We will reopen in the new year on January 2, 2019.
Once the Christmas trees have been taken down and the extra lights have been turned off the winter seems a little darker. We welcome you to join us at the Museum and Archives for a dry, cozy escape from the weather. The permanent Gallery contains information and artefacts about the different communities that make up Chilliwack and has something for all ages. For our younger visitors we have Discovery Bins containing objects related to farming, kitchenware, travel, communication, education and local First Nations history. Visitors can explore physical objects such as a rotary telephone and an egg beater and play along with the Discovery Hunt booklets.
If you haven’t had a chance to see it the Mountaineers: Community Experience in the Chilliwack’s Mountains exhibit will be extended until March 23, 2019 and our Curator, Anna Irwin, is currently working on a new exhibit highlighting the history of Five Corners which will be opening mid-April, 2019.
We are also very happy to announce a NEW ONLINE EXHIBIT: Chilliwack’s Chinatowns: A Story of Diversity, Racism, and Arson – January 2019
Photograph of unnamed Chinese domestic worker from the household of Lister Smith holding Lister’s son, William Smith, c. 1896. Chilliwack Museum and Archives, P. Coll. 120, file 46.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the first Chinese immigrants in Canada made significant contributions to life in the Fraser Valley, the traditional and unceded territory of the Stó:lō people. Based heavily upon Dr. Chad Reimer’s 2011 book, Chilliwack’s Chinatowns: A History, this online exhibition explores the development, lives and personalities of those who built and lived in Chinatown North and South and discusses the lasting contribution of Chilliwack’s early Chinese residents within Chilliwack’s shared history.
The Chilliwack Museum and Archives would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of the Virtual Museum of Canada in the development of Chilliwack’s Chinatowns: A Story of Diversity, Racism, and Arson.
There is an amazing treasure trove of photographs, documents, and items located in the Archives, such as the pins and badge below, and what better way to acquaint yourself with them then to attend the monthly behind-the-scenes look at the work of the archives. The tour takes place the last Friday of every month beginning at 3:00 pm and is led by our Archivist, Tristan Evans. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about local history and how the Museum and Archives work to preserve it.
We look forward to welcoming you in the New Year!
Dixieland Jazz button.
Chilliwack Museum & Archives, 2005.026.003
Chilliwack Exhibition pin, circa 2000.
Chilliwack Museum & Archives, 2002.005.001
Country Living Festival Badge. Chilliwack Museum & Archives, 2016.012.002
Connections – Why I Support the Chilliwack Museum and Archives by Vivian Evans Walker
Connections – Why I Support the Chilliwack Museum and Archives by Vivian Evans Walker
Butter Mold 1981.028.012ab
When I was a child, if I wanted to know something about “the olden days” I would often ask Gramma. What was it like to travel in a covered wagon from the Dakotas to Alberta? Were you dizzy the first time you took a train? How can I make butter from scratch? Gramma knew. She was a living connection to questions about the past.
If I wanted to know about being a wartime kid in Vancouver, I would ask Mom. Her father was a world champion ski jumper, but like many families in the 1930s, they lived in poverty. She saw the huge migration of Prairie farm kids to North Vancouver in the early 1940s, when families crammed into “wartime houses,” eager for the work the shipyards brought. She watched four of her brothers go to war. She was a Junior Air Raid Warden, doing her part for the war effort at age 10.
For almost everything else, I asked Dad. He had a coin collection gleaned from the mud under the horse barn, where the farmhands played poker while waiting for mares to foal. He regretted rarely eating the food prepared for the Chinese field hands by the Chinese cook on the farm but could show me the tiny opium bottles found near their bunkhouse. He would read us sections of the Charles Evans Diary, which details my great-great grandfather’s journey from Picton County in Ontario “around the Horn” to Victoria. He would show me the farm ledgers kept by my great-great grandmother, Jane Wells Evans, detailing her struggle as a young widow to turn rich but soggy soil into a productive farm.
Evans Farm Horse Barn – PP502545
These memories lived with us as children. The ledger and diary were on the top shelf of the linen closet. I could literally touch Chilliwack’s history. Inspired by his cousins Casey and Oliver Wells, my dad was an early trustee of the Historical Society and spoke of the days in the future when some of the relics we grew up with would seem quaint to future generations.
Do I have any of these relics? No, and I am actually happy I do not. We have a large family. My gramma and my Aunty Milly (Mildred Evans Hall) made the wise decision to donate many of our family’s special items to the Museum for all to experience. The abacus I played with as a child, the journals, the opium bottles, the beautiful bowl my great-grandmother received as a wedding gift and many other more mundane family treasures all live in the Chilliwack Museum.
Evans Farm Cabin -PP502549
These items, though, are part of the Museum’s collections. For the Museum to truly resonate and move forward, we need to invest in connections. Today’s kids want to be entertained. The stories of the Museum’s collections come alive in a way that makes Chilliwack’s history compelling. We work constantly to use best practices to do this. Last year we expanded our school programs to include the Classroom-in-Residence program. It fully engaged intermediate students in an integrated study of their community, with the Chilliwack Museum and Archives as the launching pad for their explorations. Overwhelmingly, their feedback after the program spoke of how they felt more connected to their community’s history.
How do I help the Museum to create better programming? I support the Museum by volunteering my time as a trustee, just as my dad did. My mom and I created an Adopt-a-School fund so money isn’t a barrier preventing schools in low-income areas from visiting the Museum. And although I am now retired, every month I make a small gift to the Chilliwack Museum so we can offer Chilliwack kids the best in programming. With that support, they, too, can form the connections I did to Chilliwack’s history.
Vivian Evans Walker
If you would like to support the Chilliwack Museum and Archives by donating, please go to our secure online donation page at CanadaHelps.
If you are interested in supporting the Chilliwack Museum and Archives by becoming a Museum member or volunteer, please learn more at our website.
Time Travelling Taste Buds
In my ongoing exploration of the area’s history, I find myself often comparing how our experience parallels that of those who’ve come before. How are our traditions alike or how are they different? How can we engage in that history, and experience life in similar ways?
In our last blog post our archivist, Tristan Evans, gave us a delicious account of Chilliwack’s long history of produce stands. A particular portion sparked my interest, Mrs. Caroline Christie’s Hot Dog Relish, and the book that carries on the formula, Pioneer Recipes.
Circa 1930, James and Caroline Christie operated multiple local businesses, including the eventual Christie’s Farm Fresh Produce. While the establishment did house a hot dog stand, that portion was only in operation for roughly 10 years from 1940 – 1950. I find it interesting to imagine that 8o years ago locals would be stopping in to Christie’s with their families to pick up some fresh produce and have a hot dog made with Caroline’s homemade relish. Caroline made 350 gallons of this relish annually, which speaks to the demand of her local customers! It is also interesting to note that the hot dogs were ten inches long and cost a dime.
After locating the recipe for the relish, I can now set out to re-create it, and share it with my family. How difficult will it be to prepare? How will it taste? How will the act of preparing the relish give me the opportunity to experience this piece of history?
Comparatively in our temporary exhibit, Mountaineers, there is a reproduction of a diary from 1928 titled “A Trip to Paradise”. The diary is a collaborative account of six young adults and their assent of Liumchen Mountain. While the diary does a beautiful job of recording the natural beauty and camaraderie of the trip, it also provides insight into what the group were eating. Breakfast consisting of pancakes, bacon, and coffee; Lunch of sandwiches, cookies, raisins, and dates; A dinner of ham, bread, and string beans. And for dessert? Chocolate éclairs and rice pudding. This 90 year old meal plan could easily be one we plan for a camping trip today.
Having obtained a copy of Pioneer Recipes, I had secretly hoped to find obscure fantastical early pioneer meals of sweet breads, haggis pie or even a mystical “Lièvre Royale”. Alas, the frightening foods of our past are mostly relegated to post 1960’s entertainment magazines. Although we have changed in many ways, (socially, economically and technologically); gastronomically, we still enjoy our hot dogs, puddings, bacon and eggs, and even perhaps a nice bowl of macaroni and cheese.
A copy of Pioneer Recipes, Published by the Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society is available to view at The Chilliwack Museum.
Your local gift shop at the Chilliwack Museum
Disaster on Mount Slesse & 105 Hikes
The evenings have begun to cool and the morning air is brisk – Fall has come upon us. This is the kind of weather that makes me think of cozy evenings curled up with a book and if you’re looking for something new to read what better place to head than the museum gift shop.
We have an excellent selection of local history books such as the Chilliwack Story, Disaster on Mount Slesse, and Edenbank; we also carry a variety of noteworthy First Nations books, including Being Ts’elxwéyeqw and Sepass Poems.
Our children’s section is expanding as well with local history books such as Flood Warning, featuring a child’s perspective of the 1948 flood, and Island in the Salish Sea, a beautifully illustrated story of a young girl’s visit to her grandmother’s island home.
Mountain Range necklaces – Ava & Oliver
If your bookshelf is already full of books to be read we’ve also got a variety of locally produced jewelry and gifts such as the Mountain range necklaces by Ava & Oliver and handmade birch coaster sets by Laureen Cuvilier Benton.
The museum and gift shop is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you there!
My Summer at the Museum
Guest Blog by Education Assistant Abbie Murphy
Mountaineers Bear Hunt craft taught at the July guided family craft sessions.
This past summer I had the pleasure of working the Education and Engagement Assistant position through Young Canada Works. Some of the things I learnt include different events in Chilliwack’s vast history, how a museum operates, and many instructional techniques that will benefit my future career in teaching.
When I first started at the museum, the Mountaineers exhibit was being prepared to open. During the preparation for the exhibit opening, I learnt not only of Chilliwack’s historical relationship with the mountain ranges in the area, but also, the techniques and mechanics that are required to produce an exhibit. For example, for the exhibit to open, the lights must be rearranged to highlight the texts and artifacts. Along with the other summer student, Alec, I worked to reposition current lights and add light fixtures to ensure the exhibit features were clearly visible and shown at their best. After adjusting the lights, I had a new understanding of the meticulous work that had to be completed before opening an exhibit. Thus, my appreciation for the staff at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives increased.
One of the projects I worked independently on this summer were the family craft drop-ins that I led each Wednesday in July. Although the craft dates took place in July, I spent the majority of June researching Chilliwack’s history and finding a craft to associate with the topics I discovered. Once I had selected four major themes, Mountaineers, Chilliwack Flying Club and Airport, British Columbia Electric Railway, and Chilliwack Fair and Agriculture, I started planning related crafts. In addition to preparing interesting crafts for elementary aged children, I created matching and true or false games using historical photos from the archival collection at the museum. Although I would not consider myself a crafty person, I enjoyed creating and teaching crafts that reflected Chilliwack’s history.
Canadian Goose Marionette Puppet
Another important part of my position at the museum were outreach events. Outreach involved working at different community events throughout the summer, such as Canada Day and Party in the Park. At Canada Day, I had created and prepared Canada Goose parts out of construction paper for children to build and turn into a marionette puppet. During the outreach events, I learnt about the community’s different interests in Chilliwack’s history and was able to teach, using the games and crafts I had created, about some of the captivating topics in Chilliwack’s past such as the flood of 1894.
Although my time at the museum is about to end, I will continue to use the historical knowledge and experiences that I have received while working at the museum throughout my education, career, and personal life. I have gained a new appreciation for Chilliwack after leading walking tours, assisting in educational programs, and teaching crafts. Sharing the details of Chilliwack’s past, the architecture, the environment, and the people, has truly allowed for both my education and appreciation for the area to flourish.
Upcoming Summer Activities!
As the summer approaches, myself and our education assistant, Abbie are planning our summer activities! For the past two years the museum has offered weekly craft activities throughout the summer. This year our activities will be taking place in July. Every Wednesday in July we will be offering both a morning and afternoon session of guided crafts. Each week we will be focusing on a theme related to Chilliwack’s vibrant history, offering a specific craft related to the topic.
We will be offering both a morning session from 10-11am and an afternoon session from 2-3pm.
July 4th: Mountaineering featuring a map craft.
July 11th: Chilliwack Flying Club/Chilliwack Airport featuring a clothespin airplane craft.
July 18th: British Columbia Electric Railway featuring a train craft.
July 25th: Chilliwack Fair/ Agriculture featuring a fair focused puppet craft.
Cost: By donation.
Location: Chilliwack Museum, 45820 Spadina Ave.
Activities are suitable for ages 5 and up.
The B.C. Electric Railway train craft that will be offered July 18th.
Along with our summer activities at the museum, we will also be at various outreach events throughout the summer, such as Cultus Lake Day and Canada Day. Stop by and say hello!
For more information on our summer activities please call 604-795-5210 x. 103 or email [email protected]