Amazing Sea Stories – The Maritime Museum of BC

April 13, 2012 - For Immediate Release

Call for nominations: The Maritime Museum of British to award S.S. Medals for Maritime Excellence

The Maritime Museum of BC invites all members of the media to attend a press announcement at the museum to unveil our new Award of Excellence on Monday, April 16th at 10am.

This new award – then Maritime Museum of BC SS Beaver Medal for Maritime Excellence –will honour individuals who have made outstanding contributions or significant achievements in maritime endeavours in our Province. These attainments may include—but are not limited to—science, technology, business, applications of maritime skills, nautical heritage and culture, and academic contributions. The gold- plated Medal, which incorporates copper from the 19th century S.S. Beaver, underlines not only our Province’s vivid maritime history, but also highlights the continuing importance of ’s maritime sector. BC has more than 40,000 islands and a coastline of nearly 26,000 kilometres.

“We plan to award up to three medals each year,” said former Ambassador and retired Admiral John Anderson, a member of the medal steering committee. “Our first medal presentations are scheduled for fall 2012.”

The medals were struck in 1954 from copper and other materials salvaged decades earlier from the wreck of S.S. Beaver, and the first steamship on the west coast. A paddle-wheeler, Beaver has an iconic significance in our Province’s maritime history. Built in Britain for the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1835, Beaver worked British Columbia’s coastal waters for 53 eventful years. She rounded a stormy Cape Horn on her way to the Pacific Coast and later transported the Hudson’s Bay Company group that established a trading post in 1843 in what became .

Beaver carried brass cannons and used wood as fuel her on months-long trading voyages up the coast as far north as . When hopeful Gold Rush adventurers arrived in the region, Beaver ferried them from Victoria to the Lower Mainland. For seven years, she also conducted surveys of uncharted coastal waters under such Royal Navy hydrographers as Daniel Pender. Her final years saw her transition into a tug and transport vessel. In 1888, she came to grief on rocks off in where she foundered.

Beaver made a unique contribution to the development of what was a burgeoning resource-rich region and saw the transition of British Columbia as part of the Hudson’s Bay Company oligarchy to Crown Colony to part of . The Beaver medals will commemorate this legendary vessel through the individuals who have in turn contributed to British Columbia’s nautical environment.

“The Maritime Museum is excited about this opportunity to give appropriate public recognition to outstanding individuals in our Province’s vibrant maritime sector” commented Jan Drent, Past President of the museum. Potential recipients will be nominated by the public and selected by an awards committee that includes Capt. Stephen Brown of the Chamber of Shipping of BC; Ms. Vija Poruks, Assistant Commissioner Pacific Region Canadian Coast Guard; Don Krusel, President & CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, Capt. Jamie Marshall, Vice President Operations, BC Ferries, noted marine historian Dr Barry Gough, marine writer Dr. Marianne Scott of Victoria, and the Past President of the BC Maritime Museum Society, Commodore (Ret’d) Jan Drent, RCN.

The Maritime Museum of BC is encouraging nominations for this prestigious medal. Nomination information, easy-to-complete forms and due dates are located at www.mmbc.bc.ca

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For information please contact:

Jan Drent: 250 598 1661; [email protected]

1720 Rockland Avenue, Victoria BC V8S 1W8