Tag Archives: Nanaimo Museum

Wanted: Island Historical Stories

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Do you have old stories to share about living on Vancouver Island?

The BC Historical Federation has started a permanent online source dedicated to British Columbia history and they are looking for your pioneer stories.

The BCHF are looking for historical stories or things you remember about the old days.  This might include transportation, railway, oil companies, real estate companies, steamships, coal mines, steamboats, road building that sort of thing. For example, it is often quite hard finding out when a road or other project was completed but the local inhabitants know these details.

The goal of the online history project is to be the source where those seeking information on BC history can find useful answers to their questions and also serve as a valuable learning tool.

To find out more and where to submit your writing go to BC History Online.

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Nanaimo Museum Fun for Kids

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Are you looking for something to do this spring break? The Nanaimo Museum on Commercial Street has family drop-in activities all this week from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Each day there is a new theme and unique activity.  Activities are designed for children ages 5 through12 and admission is by donation.

Family Tree for Me (Monday, March 19, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)
Bring your own old family photo (small) to make a picture magnet
Start your own family tree
Make a quill pen
Create a family memory book

Coal Miner (Tuesday, March 20, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)
Make a crystal garden using coal
Be like a coal miner and go on a walk through the dark mine tunnel
Make a safety lamp

Birds! Birds! Birds! (Wednesday, March 21, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)
Create heron inspired art projects
Explore how birds eat by doing the bird beak activity
Make your own bird journal

Old Fashioned Toys (Thursday, March 22, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)
Play with old fashioned toys, just like children did 100 years ago
Learn how to play with marbles, the acrobatic man, whirligigs, tumbling clowns and pick-up sticks, also try your hand at making Victorian toys such as paper dolls, thaumatrope and whirligigs

Snoopy in Space (Friday, March 23, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)
Get ready for our upcoming Feature exhibit “Snoopy Soars with NASA”
Learn how to draw Snoopy and other Peanuts characters, step-by-step
Make your own comic strip about Snoopy in space, create an orbiting planet art project, construct a star finder, and a balloon rocket.

For more information email program(at)nanaimomuseum.ca.

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End of an Era: Nanaimo Beban House up for Rent

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Historic Beban House at 2290 Bowen Road, home to Tourism Nanaimo since 1997, is now up for rent.

A site visit will be held on January 11, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at Beban House for those interested in renting Beban House. Closing date for offers to rent Beban House is 2:00pm PST, January 19, 2012 at the Purchasing Office, City of Nanaimo 2020 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6J9.

bebanhouse1 End of an Era: Nanaimo Beban House up for Rent

Historic Beban House in Nanaimo

The story behind Historic Beban House:

Frank Beban was born in New Zealand in 1882 and emigrated to Canada in 1907. By 1911, Mr. Beban opened a sawmill in Cumberland, followed by a lumber mill and a coal mine in Extension.  In 1927, he acquired the Empire Lumber Company.

In 1930, Mr. Beban and his family purchased an existing farm of 160 acres upon which he built a house and a racetrack where he trained thoroughbreds.  The house was designed with a porte-cochère and the interior in the art deco style which was popular in that era. The gardens of the house were extensive.  Mr. Beban died in 1952 and the house and property were purchased by the City of Nanaimo in 1953.

For 35 years, the house was neglected to the point where the City of Nanaimo considered demolishing it. The gardens had turned to weeds. In the early 1990s, the City realized that the house was designed in an architectural style that was unique to Vancouver Island and listed it on their historical register.  In 1997, it became the home of Tourism Nanaimo which occupied this site since then.

What will be the next life of Historic Beban House in Nanaimo?

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Kids Christmas Workshop at the Nanaimo Museum

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Come to the Nanaimo Museum this Saturday, December 10th from 11 am to 4 pm and experience what Christmas was like a hundred years ago.

Whisper your Christmas wishes to Santa who will be going over his list in the lobby.  Then listen to Anne Royle tell some old Christmas tales (11:30 and 12:30). You can make toys to take home, decorate Christmas sugar cookies and have fun eating them! Sing Christmas carols with Arvon Brunt from 1pm to 3pm and create old fashioned felt stockings to hang above your fireplace.

Free admission, please bring a non-perishable item for the food bank. Everyone is welcome!

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Local art & horse-drawn carriage rides in Nanaimo

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Time to head downtown Nanaimo for the art walk and tour.

Fifty Island artists are featuring their original artworks at 25 locations in and around downtown this Saturday and Sunday, December 3rd and 4th from 11am to 5pm. Go have a look at 13th Annual Downtown and Old City Quarter Nanaimo Art Walk; you will be amazed at all the beautiful works of art!

Also, you can take a ride on a horse drawn carriage through downtown Nanaimo.  Starting tomorrow, there will be carriage rides each Saturday December 3rd, 10th, and 17th, 2011 from 12pm to 4 pm (by donation). Pick up and drop off points are at Nanaimo Museum on Commercial and St. Andrew’s Church at Wesley and Fitzwilliam.

 

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Veterans Historical Memory Project

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Remembrance Day is just around the corner.  An important question is how does a society preserve the memories of its war veterans?

The Memory Project is a nationwide oral history project that gives veterans an opportunity to tell their stories first hand and have it recorded so others can hear their experiences.

Starting back in 2009 the project first collected stories from the Second World War and now they have expanded to collecting veterans’ experiences from the Korean War.  The Korean War project will extend until 2013.

Any veterans who would like to participate in The Memory Project can call 1-866-701-1867 or email memory(at)historicadominion.ca.