Historians News History-Minded Gifts Jean Beaty and Marie and Chris Welcome to New Board Member If you are looking for something to Wonder. While there were donations give to a history buff, the Historians’ in the past, these were the first A big welcome to our new Director Gift Shop might have what you’re bequests in more than 30 years of Jacqui Parker-Snedker to the Board. looking for. Irene Howard’s Bowen service to the Bowen community. The Jacqui has a long-time interest in Island: 1872—1972 remains the Board was grateful and realized that history. She completed her Masters in classic Bowen history book, and the they should make the Society’s needs • The Newsletter of the Bowen Island Community Museum and Archives • Canadian History at Simon Fraser hardcover bound Bowen Island: known and encourage the possibility • University, and has taken courses in Reflections is full of beautiful black and of bequests through a will. A will Volume 16, Number 2 Winter 2008 white photographs from years past ensures that your desires will be archival management. Jacqui is also Published by the Bowen Island Historians that anyone with an interest in Bowen carried out and that your wishes for the owner of the Cottage Laundry in Island would appreciate. For a bit of your estate will be honoured. Snug Cove. We are very pleased to humour, we also have postcards of Consider in your will a bequest to the have Jacqui joining our group. historic photos with humorous Historians. Any amount will be Teddy Bears Return to the Museum this Christmas interpretive captions. Drop by the immensely appreciated and will Museum & Archives to see our directly benefit Bowen’s Museum & Send Us Your E-mail Address selection, or contact us by phone or e- Archives and the preservation of our Feeling a need to keep you, our mail to place your book and postcard island’s history.  membership, better informed in orders. After a year on hiatus, the bears are back at between the quarterly editions of the As always, the Historians are grateful Historiana about what’s happening at for yearly donations and family the museum for Christmastime. This year’s the Museum & Archives, we began In Memory of Ross Carter memorials from members. These exhibit, Storyland Bears , will include some old sending out weekly updates this On behalf of the Bowen Island smaller funds are equally important to favourites: Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear, summer via e-mail. The electronic Historians’ Museum & Archives and the continuing operation of the Rupert, Corduroy, The Three Bears of newsletter contains updates on the Meyers and Carter families, I museum and archives. Goldilocks fame—and other popular bear events, museum exhibits, news from sincerely thank those who have kindly the Archives, information on sent us donations in memory of Ross. characters from the literary domain. volunteer opportunities and more. Monies received are, and will continue Bowen Island Historians to be, placed in a separate account and Box 97, 1014 Miller Rd You are invited to visit the bears once again We only have some of your e-mail future use will be designated by our Bowen Island BC V0N 1G0 this winter at the museum. Join us for the addresses. If you have an e-mail membership. We appreciate those Phone: (604) 947-2655 opening reception on Sunday, December 21, account and wish to receive updates, who have honoured Ross’ request and Fax: (604) 947-2615 now sent monthly, please send your e- again thank you. 2008 from 1:00—4:00 pm for an afternoon of mail address to us at Sincerely, Email: [email protected] Merry Beary celebration. [email protected] . If you Beverly Underhill Website: www.bowenhistory.ca change your mind, be assured that you President Fall/Winter Hours: Sun—Thu 10—4 Visitors of all ages are welcome! We will have can choose to unsubscribe from the e- Or by appointment a fun children’s activity especially for our mail list at any time. Executive Board younger visitors. Bequests, Donations and Vanessa LeBlanc President: Beverly Underhill Museum Assistant, Summer 2008 Memorials Vice President: Mary Letson STORYLAND BEARS will be open on Treasurer: Barry Seims December 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 Bequests, donations and memorials Recording Secretary: Marlene Mather are wonderful gifts for small, & January 1 Heritage Week 2009: Director: Ines Ortner Gigling volunteer-operated historical 1:00—4:00 pm The Heritage of Education Director: Jacqui Parker-Snedker societies like the Bowen Island “Join me and my friends at the museum for this year’s Early next year, the Historians will be Director: Dan Parkin Historians. Christmas display!”  working together with the Bowen Director: Mike Shields Island Heritage Preservation Leaving a bequest isn’t just for the Director: Andrew Todd Association to bring you a week of AGM Reports Available IN THIS ISSUE: wealthy; many people can make this public events for Heritage Week from Historiana Editor If you were unable to attend the Historians’ Annual commitment. This was brought home February 16 to 22. The theme this General Meeting on June 22, 2008 and would like to see Archivist’s Report . . . p. 2 to the Historians’ Board several years Heather Joan Tam year is “A Legacy of Learning: The the President’s Report, Financial Report, Archivist’s Ross Carter, the Historian . . . p. 2 ago when the society received Next issue: Spring 2009. Send Heritage of Education”. Stay tuned to Report or Museum Report, you can request copies by Board Member Profile: Barry Seims. . . p. 3 bequests from the estates of members submissions to [email protected] find out what we have up our sleeves. phoning or e-mailing us. Historians news . . . p. 4

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From the Archives Board Member Profile: Barry Seims

Want to look at our photographs, but can’t take been joined for a few hours each week by Christine Firth, The Historians’ Board of Directors is Island Historians’ treasurer. Barry met reports for the Historians’ Annual the time to come to the archives? who loves to do research. always hard at work managing and with John Lecky, then-President of the General Meeting as well as for the promoting the Museum & Archives. Historians. “After John had talked to me, Historians’ and Memorial Garden Much of their work occurs behind the they decided that I would be suitable to Well, soon you can look at them without leaving Anyone else out there who has a yen to dig into the Society’s joint annual fundraising event, scenes, so for this edition of Historiana , do the books for them … so that’s how it home, for as long as you want and whenever you want. secrets of our past… to find the answer to a question that the People, Plants and Places Tour. In This will happen probably sometime early in the new has been bothering you for years? Is there anyone who we decided to do a feature on Board started,” he recalls. Ever since, he has addition to managing the money, he also year. As you may know, we are about to put a large might like to take charge of our biographical database or Member Barry Seims. been working alongside his team volunteers at the home and garden sites portion of Bowen’s story in photographs on-line thanks to help with the scanning? Do come join us, we’d love to have members to carry out the organization’s mandate of preserve Bowen Island’s a grant from the Irving Barber Learning Centre at UBC. you. Get in touch with the archivist, Dorothy Lawson, at the on the PPP Tour. history and heritage. The grant is allowing us to purchase new web publishing archives or at home. “I think one of the most software and upgrade our database. Watch for the link on Barry has seen the Board the Historians web site. Making connections is both fascinating and valuable things I’ve got from [working members change over the last eight with the Historians] is first of all rewarding. Over the last year we have been corresponding years. Of all the Board members he has learning about some of the history of You may have photographs of people or events with a family in Nova Scotia that represents two of our worked with, Barry says, “They’re a Bowen Island. I didn’t realize there was that should not be forgotten; we would love to borrow earliest pioneer families and we have been able to connect great group of people.” Compared to his such a deep interest.” Through his them and scan them for our database. What did your them with other branches of the family in Victoria and workplace environment, “it’s a involvement with the Historians, Barry neighbourhood look like in the beginning? What were and Alberta. In turn we have received information and refreshing change in a way because it’s has developed a greater appreciation for are the special places in your neighbourhood, in our photographs which have helped us put faces on those people taking an interest in something history in general. He contemplates this community? Who were the movers and shakers? Who are pioneers. that isn’t just money, money, money.” new outlook. “You know, my daughter is the special people who must not be forgotten? Get in very interested in family trees. She’s touch with us. It is never too late. Requests can come from far-flung places. Currently Since moving off the island last tracking back genealogy on both sides of we are searching for the great grandfather of someone in year, Barry commutes between here and her family … I’ve been helping her with Lose some…gain some. Though we have lost Croatia who might have been on Bowen in the late twenties Vancouver to do finances for the that, and I think that if I hadn’t been several of our volunteers in the archives, we have recently and thirties. Historians. “When you talk about with the Historians, I would maybe not Dorothy Lawson, Archivist Barry has been Treasurer for accounting work,” he notes, “[a lot of have been so supportive of it.” the Historians since 2000. After people] run for the bushes.” Barry, receiving his accounting qualifications however, works hard to find time out of In Memoriam in his native England, Barry moved to his busy schedule to ferry to Bowen a Barry leaves us with this final Canada in 1973, where he took few times each month. thought: “History is important— additional courses to become a knowing what’s happened in the past. I Ross Carter, the Historian Chartered Accountant. He worked at He writes cheques, and prepares bank think I’ve gained that appreciation from Deloitte, Haskell and Sells (now Deloitte deposits, tax returns, and financial being here.” Some years ago I was honoured, as a events or memorable persons and & Touche) before starting his own accounting practice in 1981. historian, to be asked to write an how they fit into the general scheme address to celebrate Dick and Katie of things and why they were Carter’s 60 th wedding anniversary. important to Bowen’s story. Having fond memories of an Katie, whose inspiration brought forth earlier visit to Bowen Island, Barry The Community Museum’s the Historians, remains very special to He was always ready, too, to come decided with his family to move here in 2008 Remembrance Day us. Now I am equally honoured to be down and try to solve our teething 1993. “We just liked the place so much, Exhibit featured women’s roles during wartime to writing in grateful remembrance of problems as we entered the computer especially for children, that we decided to stay here.” And so they did. honour their important Ross Carter, her son, who has upheld age, whether with software or how to contributions to the war his mother’s dream and has helped us tame reluctant processes. When Island Pacific School effort, whether on the in so many ways. Not the least of those homefront, in the workplace opened in 1995 under the direction of ways has been taking time from an When often called upon to provide or in the service. Ted Spear, Barry began volunteering often busy schedule to write for and information and advice on how to with the independent middle school, Bowen Islanders generously edit the Historiana as it has evolved proceed with something, whether on serving on the Board with several other over the years, turning it from a crude responded to our call for our board or in some private capacity, community members. Bill Riddell, who one-page back and front newsletter loans with photographs and it was always cheerfully given, had handled the purchase of Barry’s artifacts relating to their into the more sophisticated one you house when he first moved to the island, thoughtfully balanced and oh so very experiences, and those of the now hold in your hands. His in-depth approached Barry five years later about women in their families, articles were always directed toward quietly done. taking over Bill’s position as the Bowen during the Second World War. reminding us, the members, about Dorothy Lawson

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