Fall 2021 Newsletter

FALL

ISSUE NO. 3

2021

Newsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Truth & Reconciliation + Orange Shirt Day

A taste of Powell River's History - 4

The week leading up to September 30th, we invited visitors at the museum to trace their hand on orange paper and to share a message regarding Truth & Reconciliation, and/or Orange Shirt Day. The heart above is a result of the contributions that completed our Every Child Matters Heart.

Read more on page 5.

The Crafty Corner - 8

"No child will ever be forgotten" "Remember.Educate.Reflect.

Fall/Winter Programs - 10

"Chaque Enfant Compte"

Love. Get involved. Learn."

"215 +"

"Rest in Power."

Change is in the air! - 2 Meet the Team - 3

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 2

Change is in the Air! This summer, the museum buildings were painted with a beautiful blue colour that reminds us of where we live. You may of noticed our current lack of signage as well; in a press release in August, the museum announced that we are considering a name adjustment. We will be changing our name to one that more accurately represents the museum’s practices geographically. We also feel that it is an important step, among many to come, to continue the tangible process of reconciliation and the accurate telling of our region’s history.

Read the full press release with the PR Peak here.

Moratorium on Object Collecting Effective October 1st 2021, the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives is implementing a moratorium on new artifact acquisitions for a period of one year. A moratorium is a temporary period of time in which the museum will not be accepting any items or object donations into the permanent collection. This temporary hold on artifact collecting is necessary for museum staff to begin an inventory of its current artifact collection, to process previously uncatalogued collections, and to begin re-organizing storage as well as office workspace.

Read the full press release with the PR Peak here.

This year all donations will be going towards the purchase of new exhibit cases, new museum signage, and programming.

Help us reach our goal: donate at the museum or online.

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 3

Meet the Team!

Joëlle Sévigny Public Engagement Coordinator Celebrating her 1 year anniversary with us! Joëlle grew up in a small francophone town named Hearst, in Northern Ontario. She completed her Undergraduate Degree in Archaeology at the University of Calgary, with a Concentration in Physical Anthropology. After University, Joëlle relocated to the coastal town of Powell River.

Passionate about heritage, she continued her studies through outreach at Athabasca University and completed a Graduate Diploma in Heritage Resources Management. In the Fall of 2020, Joëlle started working with the museum, developing and scheduling exciting new programs! Joëlle hopes to engage the community, as well as visitors, with qathet's rich historic past. She loves a good interactive exhibit, exploring the outdoors, reading historical fiction, and writing in her past time!

"In the last year, I've gotten a better sense of where the museum is at and how it can further fulfill it's vision & mandate through community programs and education. I look forward to releasing a full schedule of programs in 2022 and welcoming people of all ages to come have fun with us at the museum!" - Joëlle

Doreen Mitchell Volunteer After taking a break of just over one year, (through COVID-19), Doreen has re-joined us at the museum! Doreen has volunteered with the PRHMA for the last 30 years, working on a wide variety of projects. From digitization, to inventories, to giving tours, Doreen has done a little bit of everything! She started volunteering after she retired and joined a friend who was also volunteering at the museum at the time.

Doreen enjoys learning about people, places. or things - really anything in the museum that shares information on Powell River's past.

Currently Doreen has started inventorying a glass bottle collection. Welcome back Doreen!

A Taste of

Powell River's

History

INGREDIENTS ½ cup butter 1 teaspoon soda

APPLE SAUCE CAKE SUBMITTED TO THE POWELL RIVER COOK BOOK BY MRS. H. BENJAMIN

1 cup sugar Elizabeth Jones was born on September 2nd, 1891 in Monmouthshire,

1 teaspoon cinnamon Wales,

1 egg beaten light

to

Vincent

and

Ann

Jones

and

was

the

youngest

of

four

children.

½ teaspoons cloves 1 cup raisins or cuts 1 cup hot applesauce 1

¾ cups flour

In the late 1900s, Elizabeth met and was engaged to Henry ‘Harry’ Benjamin,

Cream the butter, beat the sugar gradually, then add the

grinder

from

Monmouthshire,

Wales.

In

1911,

Henry

immigrated with his brother, William, to Powell River to begin work as a grinder at the newly built Powell River Mill. A year later, Elizabeth joined

INSTRUCTIONS

a

him

in

Powell

River

and

the

couple

was

married

in

1912.

Elizabeth and Henry’s first house was located at 181 Oak Avenue in Townsite;

a

four-room

Elizabeth

and

Henry

bungalow

happily

that

added

a

Henry

helped

daughter,

build.

In

1916,

Myfwany,

to

their

family. Sadly, after only four years, Myfwany died of a “childhood

well-beaten egg, and the fruit disease.”

chopped and floured. Add the flour, sifted with the soda and

Through out the years at the Powell River Company, Henry worked his

spices and the next applesauce

way from grinder to supervisor. Before their move to Westview in 1922,

which should be strained. Bake

Elizabeth and Henry welcomed another child, Henry Glyndwr ‘Glyn’.

The family left the Powell River Region for Vancouver in the late 1920s,

in a moderate oven. and expanded their family to welcome, William Bruce in 1926.

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 5

On September 30th 2021, the museum closed

everyone around us matters. It also recognizes

in recognition of Orange Shirt Day and the

the inter-generational impact of Residential

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.

Schools.

What is Orange Shirt Day?

Events throughout Canada are designed to commemorate the residential school experience,

September 30th is day to recognize the

to witness and honour the healing journey of the

ongoing harm that the residential school

survivors and their families, and to commit to the

system

ongoing process of reconciliation.

has

inflicted

on

Indigenous

communities. The date was chosen because it represents the time of the year that children

What is the National Day for Truth and

were taken from their homes and moved into

Reconciliation?

residential schools. The orange t-shirt comes from the story of Phyllis Webstad whose

On July 20, 2021, the Government of Canada

brand-new orange shirt given to her by her

declared September 30 the National Day for

grandmother was taken from her by school

Truth and Reconciliation; a federal statutory

administrators on her first day at a residential

holiday to allow public servants the opportunity

school in 1973, when she was six years old.

“to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.” The declaration of this

On this day, we honour the children who

holiday

survived the Indian Residential Schools and

Reconciliation Call to Action No. 80, calling for

remember those that didn’t. Orange shirts are

the creation of a statutory holiday “to honour

worn in recognition of the harm done to

Survivors, their families, and communities, and

Indigenous culture, and children’s sense of

ensure that public commemoration of the history

self-esteem

and legacy of residential schools remains a vital

and

well-being,

and

as

an

affirmation of our commitment to ensure that

is

in

response

to

Truth

component of the reconciliation process.”

and

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 6

Exhibit Spotlight

Symphonies of the Sunshine Coast To finish off their summers, our summer students. Kayla and Joseph, created an exhibit called "Symphonies of the Sunshine Coast" which goes into detail about the musical history of the qathet region. You can check it out in our Museum Gallery space during our hours or see the virtual exhibit online on our website here.

Thank you Joseph and Kayla for the great summer; we had lots of fun! They are both back to school on Vancouver Island this year and we wish them the best of luck in their studies.

A Sneak Peak of the exhibit...

The First Piano In the year 1911, the Powell River Company pulp and paper mill construction workers enjoyed playing harmonicas and listening to music in the cook shack. However, they regrettably didn’t have a piano, so they took up a collection to purchase a piano, which was the first piano brought to the Powell River district. It was played for the first dances, held in the finishing room in the mill and the second Central Hall. Later, it became the Henderson School piano.

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 7

Partnerships with the Powell River Public Library Young Writer's Group Dives Into the Archives Practice your skills and hone your talents in writing and critiquing history with this extraordinary Young Writers Group.

For Teens 11-19. Via Zoom from 3:30 - 4:30 pm Register with PRPL by contacting 604-485-4796 ​ eptember 24 S SHIPWRECKS & Stories of the Sea October 15 GHOSTS of the Patricia November 19 PROTEST & Point of View December 10 Whose voice tells history?

Portal to the Past Time travel with historical picturebook tales from PRPL and real local, historical content from the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives in this virtual series released the last Friday of the month!

For Children 5-10. Released Virtually on the PRPL Youtube and PRHMA Website. Free October 29 Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein & the Patricia Theatre November 26 On the Trapline: The Coast Salish & Living off the land December 24 Marja's Skis & Old Time Logging

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 8

The Crafty Corner Fun activities for kids !

Prep Time: 3hrs. | Craft time: 30 min | Drying time: 3-5 hrs.

What you will need: Recycled paper Blender Mould Plastic tub Additives, suggestions include: Food colouring Essential oils pieces of coloured paper Pieces of thread Glitter Seeds Dried leaves, grass, or flower petals Small amounts of spices like cinnamon

Make your own paper !

For over one hundred years, Powell River has been known as a paper town. In 1911 the first batch of paper was produced by the mill, and by 1947, 1 in 40 rolls of paper newsprint in the world came from PR Co. By the mid 1960's the Powell River Mill was the largest producer of wood fibre pulp and paper newsprint in the world.

Paper is made by first breaking down raw wood from trees into small pieces. Chemicals and heat are then applied to the wood pieces in order to create pulp. The pulp consists of cellulose fibres which have been separated from the wood. To shape the paper, pulp is mixed with water and pumped on to a conveyor belt, which carries it through a series of presses and dryers.

In this activity, we will make our own paper using recycled materials. The paper scraps we’ll use are from paper which has already been chemically treated, so that step has already been done for us. Instead of chemicals and heat, we can use water and a blender to soften the paper and break it down to a pulp. By shaping and pressing the pulp with a screen, we can make a brand-new sheet of paper!

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 9

Instructions 1. Tear paper into strips, 1-2 inches wide 2. Soak paper in water for at least 3 hours or overnight 3. Fill blender halfway with soaked paper, then add about a cup of water into the blender. Blend the mixture on a low setting to preserve the integrity of pulp fibres. The mixture should become a slurry- if necessary add more water.

4. Optional: you can customize your paper at this stage by blending food colouring, seeds, or scents with the pulp.

Dried plant fibres such as leaves, flowers, or grasses should be gently hand mixed into the pulp.

5. Fill a large container with water until it is 1/2 to 2/3 full.

6. Pour the pulp slurry from the blender into the container of water. Let the pulp disperse for a few minutes, or speed up the process by lightly mixing it.

7. Holding a paper mould with two hands, gently submerge it into the pulp/water and then bring it back up. The screen on the mould should be covered by a thin, even layer of pulp at this point. If the layer is too thick, add more water to the container, and if its too thin, blend more paper and add it to the container.

8. Hold the mould level for several minutes to allow excess water to drain, or place on a level surface with a towel underneath.

9. If paper remains very wet after a few minutes, lay a piece of paper towel, felt, or thin cloth on top, and then gently press with a sponge to absorb some of the water.

10. Once the paper on the mould begins to appear solid, flip the mould face down on a cloth, and tap the mould on the table a few times to encourage the paper to separate.

Gently pull the paper from the mould, and let dry on a flat, non-porous surface for best results. **Drying time outside: 3-5 hours Drying time inside: overnight

PRHMA | FALL 2021 | PAGE 10

UPCOMING AT THE PRHMA To stay up to date, follow us on Fall Speaker Series

Pumpkin Carving

6:30 - 8:30 pm | Sept-Dec

10 - 11 am & 1 - 2 pm | October 30

Sept 16: The Patricia Theatre with Ann Nelson

Join us at the museum to carve your own jack-o'-lantern! Family Friendly. $5/person

Oct 7: A Newspaper Story with Stewart Alsgard & Doug Mobley

Halloween at Henderson House 4:30 - 6:30 pm | October 31

Nov 25: Tla'amin Creation Stories with Drew Blaney

The former home of Dr. Henderson, at 6211 Walnut in the Townsite, will be open on Halloween Night. Visit us and get your treats!

Dec 10: Winter Recreation with Joel Nordman

Sip & Paint

Casual evenings featuring a variety of guest speakers! $5/ticket (per talk)

6:00 - 7:30 pm | November 5 Paint a scene of Willingdon Beach with Alina Murphy at the museum while sipping on something tasty! 19 + Event. $50/person

4790 Marine Avenue Powell River, BC V8A 4Z5

Christmas Craft

Tuesday to Saturday 10 am - 3 pm

10 - 11 am & 1 - 2 pm | December 18 Get crafty with us during the holiday season! Family Friendly. $5/person

604-485-2222 www.powellrivermuseum.ca

COVID-19

info@powellrivermuseum.ca

Please contact us to register. Participation in

these

COVID-19

programs vaccination

requires for

any

proof

of

individual

over the age of 12. *except for Halloween at Henderson House