Winter 2022 Newsletter

WINTER 2022 | PRHMA ISSUE NO.4

Museum and Archives Newsletter A quarterly newsletter with updates on museum ongoings!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Museum Name Change - 2 Name Change Process - 3 An Afternoon With Stewart Alsgard - 5 Memberships - 7

Museum Moves Forward With Name Change Process Currently in Phase 4 The museum is moving forwards with a name change process, and we are looking for your input! Please send us your name ideas and comments on the name change process to info@powellrivermuseum.ca no later than February 15th, 2022.

Continued on page 2...

PRHMA | WINTER 2022 | PAGE 2

Museum Name Change - Continued from page 1 On October 18, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives (PRHMA) passed a motion to move forward with a name change. The Museum acknowledges the harms of the past and is committed to improving relationships in the spirit of reconciliation with First Nations.

Adjusting the name of our local museum to be more inclusive would be a positive step in this process.

The readjustment will also reflect more accurately the broad geographic range that the Museum serves. This includes the traditional territory of the Tla’amin, shíshálh, Klahoose, Homalco, and K’ómoks First Nations, the City of Powell River and the qathet Regional District.

With support from local community partnerships and best practices developed by the Canadian Museums Association, the Powell River Museum is committed to ensuring the history of the region is told from all perspectives. A representative from Tla’amin Nation has been invited to be a member of the PRHMA Board of Directors and the Museum is committed to collaborating with all Indigenous peoples of the region.

To see all related press releases and other documents visit: www.powellrivermuseum/name-change

The Province of British Columbia has established the legal process for changing a museum’s name in British Columbia through the BC Registries. A vote by the Museum’s membership is required by Special Resolution at an AGM or Special Meeting.

Membership forms are available at the Museum or online.

Ideas about the name change process are welcome. Please submit written comments no later than February 15, 2022. All correspondence will be part of the public record.

Email: info@powellrivermuseum.ca Mailing address: Powell River Historical Museum and Archives Association 4790 Marine Avenue, P.O. Box 42 Powell River, B.C. V8A 4Z5

PRHMA | WINTER 2022 | PAGE 3

Name Change Process The following is a breakdown of the various steps of the museum's name change process, identified by the PRHMA Board of Directors. We are currently in Phase 4; collecting input from the community until February 15th. We will soon move onto Phase 9, where the Board will be choosing a new name to bring forward to a vote at the next AGM or special meeting.

1

Publish Press Release #1: Museum Considers Name Adjustment. August 2021

Respond to letter of support and interest from Tla’amin First

2

Nation accepting their request for membership on the Board.

Pass a motion to express the commitment of the Board of

3

September 2021

October 2021

Directors to engage in a name change process encompassing the intentions set out in the Press Release #1.

Create and issue media package to notify the public, key

4

stakeholders, members and First Nations that the Board has passed a motion in October to move forward with name

November & December 2021 with distribution in January 2022

change process. Message will also invite comments and input about a name or the process. Media package will include: 1) Press Release #2 2) Ad Template 3) Media Talking Points 4) Letter to Tla’amin, shíshálh, Klahoose, Homalco, and K’ómoks First Nations 5) Postings on Museum website and social media pages.

5 6

Link with other museums and museum associations to gather information about name change processes elsewhere.

Compile a PRHMAA membership contact list and keep current.

Keep a record of all members, funders, key stakeholders and

7

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

media outlets contacted along with copies of all related communications (ads, backgrounder, flyers, online notices, letters and comments received etc.)

8 9

Promote PRHMAA memberships through regular programming,

Ongoing

notices on-line, posters/handouts and media releases.

After review of all input from the region, the Board will

February 2022

choose, by ordinary resolution at a regular Board Meeting, a new name to bring forward for a vote of the membership at the next AGM or Special Meeting.

10

Clarify with the BC Registry that there is no conflict with the preferred new name and apply to have the name held.

February 2022

PRHMA | WINTER 2022 | PAGE 4

Name Change Process Continued 11

Create and issue media package that includes:

March 2022

1) Press Release #3 2) Special Resolution and Notice of the AGM or Special Meeting to Museum members and the public 3) Letter to Tla’amin, shíshálh, Klahoose, Homalco, and K’ómoks First Nations 4) Invitation to the public to become Museum members 5) Postings on Museum website and social media pages.

12 13

Vote on A Special Resolution to change the name at the next

April 2022

AGM or Special Meeting.

Create and issue Press Release #4 advising membership and

May 2022

public of the outcome (the vote) at the next AGM or Special Meeting. If the Special Resolution is passed, proceed with Steps 14-20.

14

Register new name with the BC Registry (gov’t of BC).

May 2022

15

Register new name with the Canada Revenue Agency.

May 2022

16

Review bids and designs for new logo and new external signs.

Ongoing through May 2022

Agree on logo and external signage designs and purchase by

May 2022

17 18 19 20

ordinary resolution at a regular Board Meeting.

Incorporate new name and logo into all external Museum

Ongoing

communication formats.

Ensure proper installation of new exterior signs through

Summer 2022

consultation with the City of Powell River.

Hold Special Public Event to launch new name and new

Summer 2022

signage.

If you have input or feedback regarding this name change process, please send your comments to the museum before February 15th, 2022. Thank you!

PRHMA | WINTER 2022 | PAGE 5

An Afternoon with Stewart Alsgard

By Joëlle Sévigny This last Saturday afternoon, I made my way to Stewart Alsgard's home to receive a new donation on behalf of the museum (fyi: we currently have a moratorium on object collecting, but this does not include archival material). Doug Mobley, volunteer at the museum and a friend of Stewart's, was also invited to join for this chat back down memory lane.

Over the next hour, Stewart proceeded to share with us the various items that make up his father's, Al Alsgard collection, as well as the stories connected to them. This collection of archival material that Stewart has begun donating to the museum, will eventually become an archival fond. For those of you who might be new to museum lingo, an archival fond is a group of documents that have been naturally accumulated over time by an individual or organization. In this instance, it will become the Alsgard Family Fonds. ​

The Alsgard's house on Church Street in Powell River.

Al Alsgard

The incredible documents in this donation gives a glimpse into the busy life of Al, who's story is significant to the history of Powell River. Al Alsgard was born in Alberta in 1909. In his early twenties, he came to Powell River and settled in Cranberry. There he opened Alsgard's Hardware Store and also worked in the mill. In 1925, in the attic of his house on Church Street, he began printing the first editions of the Town Crier newspaper on mimeographs. A mimeograph, also called a stencil duplicator, is a low cost duplicating machine that operates by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. His son, Stewart and his friends, would then deliver the newspapers to the different neighborhoods.

PRHMA | WINTER 2022 | PAGE 6

Overall, I collected three boxes worth of items that speak to this story, ready to be accessioned into the museum's collection (accessioning is the formal act of legally accepting items into a museum's collection).

The boxes include items like scrapbooks with various newspaper clippings, poetry publications from the Town Crier, CWNA & BWNA board agendas and minutes, ephemeral items like programs, tickets, schedules etc. There is also other interesting items like a Powell River Welcome Package.

On top of that, they are sweet items like family pictures and many other photographs taken by Al Alsgard. These boxes are truly a treasure trove! Stewart assures me that there is more to come....

Mimeograph on legal size paper, Town Crier April 1936.

Al's newspaper business flourished and he bought out his competitor, the Powell River News founded by Tommy Green. Al also became President of both the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association (CWNA) and the British Columbia Weekly Newspaper Association (BWNA). On top of the Powell River News, he operated other newspapers like the Peninsula Times, distributed on the lower Sunshine Coast. Al and his team received many awards throughout the years for their quality newspapers.

This article is part of our new Museum Blog!

Check it out if you want to learn more about the behind the scenes of the museum and what volunteers & staff are working on!

PRHMA | WINTER 2022 | PAGE 7

Have you renewed your Museum Membership yet?

Membership matters! We continue to honour our responsibility of preserving and presenting the rich history of our region and we ask for your help with this exciting work. Your membership supports exhibits, research, community engagement & programs, and the preservation and care of the museum’s collections.

To renew your membership for 2022, fill out our online form and pay online at www.powellrivermuseum.ca/membership - or visit us in person.

Member Perks: 15% off in the Museum Gift Shop 15% off Research Fees Attend one museum program free of charge per year on select programs Free Admission to the Museum E-mailed Quarterly Newsletter

Membership Fees: Museum Memberships are renewable annually on January 1st. $15.00 / individual $25.00 / family (includes two voting members and children) $100.00 life membership

Updated Heritage Services Fees In 2022, we updated our heritage services fees. To see a full list, visit our website at: www.powellrivermuseum.ca/archives A friendly reminder that on-site archival research is open by appointment only. For inquiries regarding the archives, or to make an appointment (we require a two-week notice) please contact: info@powellrivermuseum.ca The Museum does not have full time researchers on staff. Our ability to conduct research or a photograph search will be assessed with each request. Simple information requests that do not involve more than 15 minutes of staff time to complete will be done free of charge. You can submit research requests online here: www.powellrivermuseum.ca/research-requests

PRHMA | WINTER 2022 | PAGE 8

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

Speaker Spring Series QATHET'S FORESTS

yesterday, today & tomorrow

Keep your eyes peeled for our Spring 2022 Program Guide, to be released last week of February!

4790 Marine Avenue Powell River, BC V8A 4Z5 Tuesday to Saturday 10 am - 3 pm info@powellrivermuseum.ca 604-485-2222 www.powellrivermuseum.ca

For programs and activities to do from home visit: www.powellrivermuseum.ca /online-programs