1928 First Community Museum: Langley (Native SOME Sons & Daughters) >>NOTABLE 1931 First Art Gallery: Vancouver Art Gallery 1932 First Pioneer Museum: Old Hastings Mill THINGS Store (Native Daughters of British Columbia) also called “Museum of B.C. Historical Relics in Memory An Early History of the Pioneers”

of the BCMA 1935 First Interior BC Museum: Ashcroft Mu- seum

1937 First Museum and Archives: Kamloops Mu- seum and Archives Lesley Moore 1940 First Official Park of Totem Poles:Thun - Today, from Atlin to Zeballos, and from Archives to Zoos, derbird Park, Victoria the British Columbia Museums Association represents a membership of over 450. In recognition of its first 60 1944 First and only Boy Scouts Museum : Boy years, here are some notable things from the early years. Scouts Museum did not receive a formal name. The There are undoubtedly some errors and omissions for Museum was a “shack” located at the Waterfront which the author asks forgiveness. Park, Kelowna

Between 1886 and 1955, the first twenty museums of 1947 First University Museum: UBC Museum of their kind came into being: Anthropology

1886In 1955, First Deputy Provincial Provincial Museum: Secretary The Provincial L. Wallace Museum, and In 1948 First Indigenous Museum: Skeena Treasure located in a room in the “Birdcages” of the Provincial House, Hazelton (later K’san) Legislature 1951 First Gallery on Vancouver Island: Art Gal- 1894 First City Museum:Art, Historical and Scientific lery of Greater Victoria Association, Vancouver 1951 First Museum in the Okanagan: Kelowna 1909 First Zoo: Vancouver Parks Board in Stanley Park Museum

1923 First National Historic SitesFort Langley and 1952 First Station Museum: Walter Wright Pioneer Yuquot (Friendly Cove) followed by Barkerville in 1924 Village, Dawson Creek

1925 First Natural History Society Collection:Kelowna 1955 First Maritime Museum:Maritime Museum Okanagan Historical and Natural History Society of BC, Victoria

1927 First Archives: Vancouver City Archives 1955 First Kootenay Museum: Nelson Museum

1957 First Multi-Use Facility: Museum/Archives/ Art Gallery, Kamloops; Totem Park at UBC; Haney 4 House and Maple Ridge Museum In 1955, Deputy Provincial al seminar in Penticton in Secretary L. Wallace and 1959, a constitution was ap- Provincial Librarian and proved and officers elected Archivist Willard Ireland to form the BC Museums spearheaded the initiative Association as a non-profit to prepare for the 1958 Cen- society. The first purpose tennial, the first of a series was “to ensure the preserva- in British Columbia (1958, tion and interpretation of, 1966, 1967, and 1971). A sys- access to, and appreciation tem of matching grants of, human history, artistic - a dollar from the govern- endeavour and natural her- ment for each dollar raised itage within British Colum- by the community - was a bia” by providing a range of successful incentive and services to its membership. the first heritage-specific provincial funding. The first council members were: Museums sprang up all • Dr. Clifford Carl, Director over the province with of the Provincial Museum great enthusiasm and lit- • Wilson Duff, Anthropolo- tle operational knowledge, gy Curator of the Provin- sparking awareness of the cial Museum province’s diverse identi- • James Garner, Vancouver ties and pride of place. City Museum

The first generation of mu- Presentations included seum workers expressed “Modern” or with Meaning?, the need to collaborate, Displays for Small Muse- exchange experiences, dis- ums, Cleaning and Repair cuss problems and find cre- of Basketry, an Okanagan ative solutions. In 1957, the Wildlife slideshow, Archae- first seminar for museums, ological and Historic Protec- called “Short Course on Museum tion Act, Barkerville Sidelights, Care Management” at the University of Museums sprang up of Wooden Objects, and the first BC was offered to provide guidance. all over the province Museum Round-up. These topics are Eleven of the 20 museums in BC still relevant today! The Round–up with great enthusiasm were represented. A second seminar was a “round-the-room” series of was held in Chilliwack in 1958 and and little operational verbal updates by members about a steering committee formed to de- knowledge, sparking their activities. velop the BC Museums Association. awareness of the Membership requirements that bol- At BCMA’s first Annual General province’s diverse stered membership were for “muse- Meeting as part of the third annu- identities and pride of ums which are open at regular hours

Photo: Pamphlet for the Surrey place. Centennial Museum, 1964. Published in Roundup January, 1964. 5 or administered by a professional The scope of museums continued doubling in four years! There were curator or director or accepted by to expand: 1961 Campbell River “first fifteen new “Centennial” facilities: the Executive Council.” The annual wholly inclusive Museum in BC”; Richmond Arts Centre; Campbell fee was $5. Associate members were 1962 BC Parks Service established River library, tourist bureau and “those persons actively engaged in the first nature centres at Miracle museum; Kelowna Museum and promoting the objectives of the As- Beach, Manning Park and Shuswap Kelowna Art Gallery shared facility; sociation.” Their annual fee was $2. Lake; and 1965 first religious site was Link and Pin Museum in Sayward; Father Pandosy Mission, Kelowna. Nanaimo Centennial Museum and In 1961, the Koerner Foundation Nanaimo Bastion; Castlegar and funded Carl Guthe‘s visits to pro- By 1964, of the 47 BC museums, 42 District Museum; Greenwood Mu- duce the report titled “The Role of were members, including the first seum; Naramata Regional Library Museums in BC”. His overall assess- Forest Museum and Arboretum, and Museum; Vancouver Centennial ment was that BC museums showed Cowichan Valley Museum Society Museum & Planetarium; Delta Mu- “a level of activity from morgue to Duncan; the controversial library/ seum and Archives; Kitimat, Terrace, beehive with here and there some museum/gallery complex “Unique in Smithers, and Tatla Lake museums; experimental cross- fertilization”! Canada” in Vernon; and 1965 Dawson and the Francis Park Nature House There were two key recommenda- Creek Gallery, later to occupy a grain in Victoria, established by the Inde- tions: to appoint a Museum Advisor elevator. pendent Order of Foresters. and to establish a grants-in-aid pro- gram. For their exemplary service to As a result of the cash grants for Other major developments were the the BCMA, Dr. and Mrs. Guthe were the 1966 Centennial of the Crown Vancouver Aquarium in 1967 and the recognized as the first Honorary Colony of Vancouver Island joining Provincial Museum’s move to Heri- members. with the Crown Colony of British tage Square in Victoria in 1968. Columbia, twenty-four new facilities The Provincial Museum, The BC Ar- were created. By the 1967 Canadian The fourth centennial to be cele- chives & Records, the University of Centennial, there were 98 total or- brated was BC's entry into Confed- BC, and the Leon and Thea Koern- ganizations in the Association, 17 of eration in 1971. The BC Government er Foundation helpfully provided these were on Vancouver Island - a contributed 60 cents per capita plus financial assistance. It would take the Federal Government con- until the 1970’s for an annual oper- tributed $10 million, resulting ating assistance grant program to be in a period of extensive growth. put in place. The first Museums Ad- Included were the designations visor, George Moore, was appointed of four Associate Museums and in 1968. John Kyte held the position five National Exhibition Cen- from 1969 until 1979 and was respon- tres; the improved quality of sible for tremendous improvement interpretive exhibits, the first in all aspects of museum work museum school programs, sus- throughout the Province. Many of tained training in collections us remember his inexpensive solu- documentation, and the begin- tion for displays – the use of burlap ning of public programmes. The that remained in place for years and first artist-run centre was the years. Open Space Gallery in Victoria.

Photo: The Museum at Nelson opened in 1962 and was regarded as "one of the best exhibit floors to be found in museums of BC". Published in Roundup April 1965. 6 The first BCMA employee was Car- Throughout the years, the BCMA has reinvigorated, ol Grubb, who worked part-time to reimagined and reinvented itself in the defence and take Council minutes, type and mim- eograph Museum Round Up, handle advancement of the membership’s common interests conference registrations and look af- and to keep it relevant to the changing needs of ter the office. The first BCMA office museums as well as individuals. was, in fact, a corner of the Museum Advisor’s quarters in the Provincial Below: The Vancouver Centennial Museum & H.R. MacMillan Planetarium when it Museum and most of the time, call- officially opened in 1964. Published in Roundup January 1969. ers did not know whether they had reached the Association or a govern- ment office!

The second generation of museum workers entered the field and she- nanigans began at the annual con- ference. Who remembers Speedy Conservator, the First Ladies, Song- stresses Three, the Coat of Arms, the epic Bun fight, the Heritage Goddess, the Conga line that closed the con- ference hotel bar?

There is now a fourth generation of BC museum workers actively engaged. Throughout the years, the BCMA has reinvigorated, re- imagined and reinvented itself in the defence and advancement of the membership’s common inter- ests and to keep it relevant to the changing needs of museums as well as individuals.

Lesley Moore is currently the Museum Manager, Ladysmith & District Historical Society. She also provides consulting services for the development and revitalization of heritage organizations.

Above: Model of UBC's Museum of Man (opened as the Museum of Anthropology). The Museum was designed by noted architect Arthur Erickson and opened in 1975. Published in Roundup 1973. 7