Tag Archives: Nanaimo Museum

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.

World Town Planning Event in Nanaimo

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Are you interested in a career in the planning profession? Or just curious about future projects around the City of Nanaimo?  Your opportunity to find out more about the planning profession and speak with the city’s planners has arrived.

This Tuesday, November 8th, is World Town Planning Day!  Meet the City of Nanaimo planning department staff from 11:30am to 2:00pm at the Nanaimo Museum to celebrate World Town Planning Day and the greatest street in Canada – Commercial Street, Nanaimo.

There will be FREE heritage tours at 12:00pm, 12:30pm and 1:00pm.

Help your self to FREE Nanaimo bars and coffee, plus a large map of Commercial Street where you can cast your vote for your favourite building, heritage photos, and a children’s colouring book for the kids.

This year Commercial Street in Nanaimo was named  the greatest street in Canada and recognized for its historic character by the Great Places in Canada contest hosted by the Canadian Institute of Planners.

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Astronomy Event in Nanaimo

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Do you enjoy looking at the night sky? Come to The Nanaimo Museum and enjoy the ‘Wonders of the Universe‘ this Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 11 am to 4pm.

This event is presented with support from The Nanaimo Astronomy Society and there will be meteorite and telescope and 3D multimedia displays.

11am: Children’s workshop (recommended for ages 8-12).  Each participant will assemble a take-home night sky projector that illuminates the major constellations in the northern and southern hemisphere, creating a starry night sky on the ceiling. The fee for this workshop is $25 per participant and space is limited, so pre-registration is recommended.

1pm: Astronomy presentation. Garland Coulson will talk about ‘Telescope Buying Tips for Beginners’. If you are just starting out with stargazing you probably have a lot of questions about the kind of telescope and equipment to buy, including how much should you spend, what is the best telescope on a budget, and what type is best for youngsters. In this light, humour-filled presentation, Garland will recount his own misguided buying frenzy when he first started and show you how to get the right telescope at the right price for your needs.

2pm: Book reading and presentation. Martyn Jones will talk about his books, “The Sky Full of Stars” and “Falling through the Stars” and give a 5-minute reading. He will make a presentation on ‘The Big What If,’ about the possibility of worlds similar to Earth that may be found within 50 light years of Earth.

 

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