Tag Archives: Nanaimo Museum

Morden Mine Commemorative Coins

History,

Are you a coin collector or a geocacher?

The Friends of Morden Mine have come up with “Morden Mine Commemorative Coins” commemorating the 100th anniversary of start-up work at Morden Colliery.

Coin collectors and geocaching enthusiasts will definitely be interested in Friends of Morden Mine’s new commemorative coins. The custom artwork is stamped into metal then paint-filled in green, black, silver and grey on either polished gold or nickel-plated coins. The designs show an abstraction of Morden’s head frame and tipple still standing at Morden Colliery Historic Provincial Park after 99 years, as well as of PCCM’s locomotive no. 3 which loaded coal at Morden Colliery when the mine was active.

The polished gold-plated geocaching coin is engraved with an individual tracking number traceable on www.geocaching.com.

The coins are available at the Nanaimo Museum Gift Shop, 100 Museum Way in Downtown Nanaimo.

 

Elimination of National Archival Development Program

Arts and Culture

The Archives Association of BC has lost its 2012-13 budget of $117,000 due to the elimination of the NADP (National Archival Development Program).

What does this mean for museums and archives on Mid Vancouver Island?

The Archives Association of BC depended on the NADP for its budget of $117,000 to provide the following services:

  • Archival Education and Advisory Service (workshops on how to manage photographic, digital and oral history holdings)
  • Preservation Service (conservator visits to check environmental controls, condition of negatives, and plan preservation projects)
  • Network Service (advisory archivists could answer questions)
  • update MemoryBC with descriptions of repositories and holdings

In addition, the NADP also provided funds for archival projects. Projects were adjuticated and successful applicants for project funding had to match the funds received.

By comparision, the federal goverment has spent almost 30 million dollars this year on the war of 1812 commemorations being held across Canada such as the “War of 1812 Experience” on now at Canada Place until March, 2014.

 

Snoopy Soars to the Moon with NASA in Nanaimo

Arts and Culture,

Would you like to take a trip to the moon?

Nanaimo Museum is opening its feature exhibit To the Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA this Saturday, June 2, 2012.  Did you know that Snoopy has been NASA’s official safety mascot since 1968? You can learn about the Apollo 10 mission on which Snoopy flew and the NASA Manned Flight Awareness safety program. The exhibit also has a children’s creative play space.

Wanted: Island Historical Stories

General, , , ,

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.

Nanaimo Museum Fun for Kids

Events,

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.

End of an Era: Nanaimo Beban House up for Rent

General,

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.

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?