International Museums Day 2021  May 18 is International Museums Day. It is a good time to reflect on our journey at Revelstoke Museum and Archives. When the Revelstoke and District Historical Association was formed in 1958, it was with the belief that Revelstoke had history worth preserving, and that, although Revelstoke as a settled community was only 73 years old, much of the past had already been forgotten. Within a couple of years, the association starting actively collecting artifacts, and by 1962, they had moved into the basement of the former Health Unit building on Mackenzie Avenu ..read more

Black History Month is celebrated in Canada every February. Canadians are invited to participate in festivities, events, and learning opportunities that honour the legacy of Black Canadians, past and present.  We have not participated in Black History Month at Revelstoke Museum and Archives in the past. It is too easy to say that Revelstoke never had a significant presence of Black citizens, and therefore there is nothing here to talk about. However, we have learned that sometimes the stories lie beneath what is easily accessible. Why weren’t there many Black people in Revelstoke? If they ..read more

Mount Begbie is the most identifiable piece of geography in Revelstoke and has become an icon for the community. The mountain is beloved by all, and everyone has their memories and stories about the mountain. The mountain has given its name to everything from schools to breweries to businesses over the years. We have all believed that the mountain would stand forever in its natural state, but it now appears that developers have set their sights on the mountain, putting its future in jeopardy. The Province of B.C. recently rejected a request by the City of Revelstoke and the Columbia Shuswap Re ..read more

The Government of Canada marks May as Asian Heritage Month. On the Heritage Canada website, it states, “Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian descent who, throughout our history, have done so much to make Canada the amazing country we share today.” As Asian Heritage Month comes to an end, it is important to recognize and commemorate Asian people in our own community and region and to recognize the struggles they had to find their way in a society that was openly racist.   Heritage Canada s ..read more

May 18th is International Museum Day. This year, when many museums throughout the world are closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is a good time to reflect on what a museum is, and its place in the community and the world. Historically, museums were a place for the amassing and showcasing of human artifacts. Many of the early British museums were referred to as cabinets of curiosity, where collectors could show off their prized collections. Early museums were often a byproduct of colonialism, where the spoils of exploration and conquest were put on display for the amusement of onlookers. Sac ..read more

On May 8, 1945, the Allies gained victory in Europe with Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. The Revelstoke Review of May 10, 1945 carried the headline, “Revelstoke Rejoices as War Ends in Europe This Week.” Since the declaration of war in September of 1939, more than 500 men and women from Revelstoke had enlisted. Thirty-two men from the city and district died in the conflict. Thousands of parcels and letters had been sent to the soldiers overseas, and thousands of dollars had been raised for the war effort, and for war charities. Many early risers had heard the early ..read more

In 2013, I took a week-long course at University of Victoria on Exhibit Design and Installation. It was part of the Cultural Resource Management Program, and was taught by Tim Willis, a brilliant exhibit designer and great teacher. One of our pre-course assignments was to find an article in our own homes and write an exhibit label for it. It didn’t take me long to decide on the item that I wanted to describe. Two framed embroidery pieces done by my mother are displayed on my living room wall, and they give me great joy. My mother died in 2010, just one month short of 90, and having her work di ..read more

I have always loved children’s literature. Right as I moved out of childhood in my teens, I gained an adult appreciation for books written for children, and began collecting my favourites. I especially looked for elegance of language, and stories that were both challenging and uplifting. Randall Jarrell, E.B. White, William Steig, Maurice Sendak, and Tove Jannson were among my favourites. All of their books had great characters who may have been animals or mythical creatures, but who none the less showed aspects of true humanity. In this time of physical distancing, I would especially recommen ..read more

Today, March 4, 2020, marks the 110th anniversary of the largest avalanche event in Canada, in terms of loss of life. The Rogers Pass snowslide took the lives of 58 men, and the tragedy continues to resonate, especially here in the mountains, where the risk of avalanches is still a common threat for travellers and back-country enthusiasts. Before the construction of the Connaught Tunnel, which bypassed some of the most treacherous avalanche terrain, avalanches were a constant threat. Snowsheds were built over some of the known avalanche paths, but there were still areas where the terrain was u ..read more

Revelstoke Museum and Archives has just completed a project through the Documentary Heritage Communities Program funded by Library and Archives Canada. Harumi Sakiyama was hired to digitize a selection of our Canadian Pacific Railway accident reports. The reports date from 1909 to 1935 and include documentation on accidents which occurred in the Revelstoke Division, including derailments, collisions, avalanches, fires, and other events. Part of the job involved looking through each file to determine which files were significant. In the end, more than 12,000 pages were digitized, with reports ..read more