Spring 2022 | qMAS Issue No.5
qathet Museum & Archives Newsletter A quarterly newsletter with updates on museum ongoings!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Museum Name Change - 2 President's Message 2021 - 3 New Executive Director - 4 Memories of the Mill - 6
Museum officially changes its name! After a public name change process, on March 31st 2022, the new name, qathet Museum and Archives Society, was presented to the membership via a Special General Meeting: 97% voted in favour. Continued on page 2... Above photo: Tla'amin Nation Hegus, John Hackett and qMAS Board President, Bill Vernon, in front of the Museum May 2022.
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Museum Name Change - Continued from page 1 In February 2022, the Board of Directors proceeded to vote on a new name drawn from the public submissions that reflected the two core criteria: a name that would more accurately reflects the geographical region that the Museum serves, while supporting improved relationships with First Nations in the spirit of reconciliation, with the implied removal of the word Powell. Of the all the names submitted, those that included the name “qathet” readily met the core criteria. Tla’amin Elders gifted the word qathet to the former Powell River Regional District in 2017. It signifies “working together” in the ʔayʔajuθəm language. Adopted by the Regional District to represent the area of its jurisdiction, qathet corresponds with the region that the Museum serves as well. After seeking permission from the Tla’amin
Nation to adopt qathet as its new name, on March 31st 2022, the new name, qathet Museum and Archives Society, was presented to the membership via a Special General Meeting: 97% voted in favour. Following this on April 21st 2022, qathet Museum and Archives was officially registered with the BC Registry. Bill Vernon acknowledges and thanks the entire team: “This would not have happened without the generous contribution from our entire team at the Museum. I would like to thank staff, directors, volunteers, members, and the public for the contributions made over the past year as we moved forward in our change of name. Many people were passionate about changing the name and with their collective hard work and dedication to finishing what we started, we are proud to be known now as the qathet Museum and Archives Society.”
To see all related press releases and other documents visit: www.powellrivermuseum/name-change
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President's Message 2021 by Bill Vernon 2021 – Yet another year living with Covid. Twenty twenty-one started without an Executive Director (ED) or a collections manager. Both positions were vacated in late 2020. Filling such vacancies is no easy task in the current pandemic cycle and the housing shortage in the Powell River area. Fortunately, we were able to secure housing for the Executive Director position and filled the position for March 1, 2021. Laura Love started March 1, 2021, and we were excited as well as encouraged by her experience and energy. Along with our Program and Education manager Joelle Sevigny transition started in both buildings as well as a committed emphasis on programming for 2021 and beyond (more later). In 2019 suggestions were made at the board level that we consider changing the name of the museum to better represent the geographic area we serve. Powell River is a small part of the area served by the museum. This was put off while we resolved other issues that were taking up board and staff time. In mid-2021 the board decided to investigate what was involved in a name change and how we might go about this undertaking.
The name change was not just a simple matter, and it required much consideration. At the October 2021 board meeting we voted to change the name for two reasons. One as stated above is to represent the entire region in name and the second was to eliminate the word Powell in our name. The plan included community input and in early 2022 a new name was adopted by the board to recommend to membership for a vote on March 31, 2022.
Unfortunately, our new Executive Director announced she was leaving in late 2021 due to family related matters and we were yet again in search of a new ED. This necessitated more of a shift in workload for our Programs and Education Manager as well as board members while we searched for a new ED. Many thanks to all for shouldering the burden during this challenging time. Many new policies were developed and adopted by the board in 2021 including Archives, Artifacts, HR Policy to name some. The Anderson Mill project has been moved into the City’s recreation department where
they have taken responsibility for its final location including all setup requirements. The Community Forest grant money is in the City’s hands so they will pay for costs associated with everything necessary to relocate from the Tis’kwat mill to Lindsay Park where it will be on display for all.
2022 Board of Directors President Bill Vernon Treasurer Tim Wall Secretary Lauren Exter Directors at large John Hackett Rita Rasmussen Claudia Westland George Wall
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qMAS' New Executive Director: William Adams In March, we welcomed William Adams to the qMAS team as Executive Director. A little bit about William... born and raised on Vancouver Island, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Medieval Studies from the University of Victoria and a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Public History from Simon Fraser University. William completed his public history internship at the Irish Antiquities Division of the National Museum of Ireland in 1996. Over the last twenty-six years, William has worked at several museums and historic sites throughout British Columbia. In the year 2000, he went back to university and completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in Public Sector Management through Thompson Rivers University, on a part-time basis over nine years. Moreover, three years ago he went onto complete a Professional Specialization Certificate in Collections Management through the University of Victoria.
William pictured in front of Billy Goat Smith's Cabin at the qathet Museum & Archives, May 2022.
Travel is one of William's major avocational interests. He enjoys learning about the history and culture of the place where he is visiting. This means that museums and historic sites are at always at the top of his itinerary. From a professional context, William finds it interesting to see how other museums and historic sites creatively utilize various modes of interpretation and exhibition. One of William's most memorable museum exhibition experiences occurred when he visited the shipwreck exhibition at the Museum of Geraldton in Western Australia, in the early 1990s. Just prior to his visit, William had been coincidently reading Islands of Angry Ghosts (1966) by Hugh Edwards, a non-fiction account of the maritime archaeology expedition that discovered the wreck of the Batavia, a Dutch East Indiaman, and retelling of the story of this shipwreck and the subsequent mutiny in 1629. Indeed, the in-depth story told in this book in combination with the exhibit panels and the many artifacts from the Batavia shipwreck and other shipwrecks that were on display made this shipwreck exhibition extraordinarily meaningful for William. This exhibition fostered his lifelong interest in maritime archaeology. Moreover, this shipwreck exhibition inspired William to complete training in both scuba diving and underwater archaeology.
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Summer Positions at the Museum Interpretive Guide The Interpretive Guide will work with the public, assisting with the development and delivery of museum programs throughout the summer months. They will orient visitors to the qathet Museum and Archives and lead historical walking tours in a fun, engaging and educational manner. They will also assist in the delivery of “Hands-On History” summer camps and our new “Museum in the Park” program. Moreover, the Interpretive Guide will create an educational pop-up museum kit for use at community events. Employment term: June 28th, 2022 – August 27th, 2022; 30 hours per week, Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm Compensation: $17.00 per hour All details can be found here: https://museums.ca/company/roster/companyRosterDetails.html? companyId=49871&companyRosterId=87 Application deadline: 05/24/2022
Research Support Officer The Research Support Officer will work with the Museum’s archival and object collections, completing inventories, conducting research, and providing collection care. The Research Support Officer will also assist with research requests from local and distant researchers, providing reference services in person, over the phone and by email. They will create content for the museum’s website by researching topics relating to the community’s history, and interviewing community members to record oral histories. Moreover, throughout the summer, the Research Support Officer will research a topic relevant to local history and develop a virtual exhibit. When required, the Research Support Officer will welcome and orient visitors to the Museum. Employment term: June 7, 2022 – August 6th, 2022; 30 hours per week, Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Compensation: $17.00 per hour All details can be found here: https://museums.ca/company/roster/companyRosterDetails.html? companyId=49872&companyRosterId=87 Application deadline: 05/24/2022
! Accommodations Needed ! We are currently looking for accommodations in Powell River for an upcoming staff member at the Museum: the Collection Manager & Curator. If you have a lead, please contact us at 604-485-222.
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MEMORIES OF THE MILL CALL FOR MEMOIR SUBMISSIONS We invite members of the public to submit stories about the paper mill in Powell River for the memoir anthology project, Memories of the Mill. Memoirs will be published in an ebook format, with the possibility for a printed version (TBD). Of the submissions, we will choose 15 memoirs to record and film for the creation of a video series in partnership with the Powell River Public Library. Please note; all memoirs submitted will become part of the Museum’s archives, as historical records and accounts of the Powell River Paper Mill. To help you write your memoir, we recommend the 7-week memoir-writing course with the Powell River Public Library from May 26th to July 7th. Contact Mark Merlino by e-mail at mmerlino@prpl.ca to register. Another option is to request from Mark an informational package, for guidance on how to go about writing your memoir if this is your first time. Through the summer, we will also host memoirsharing circles with the Powell River Public Library in the First Credit Union Community Room. Dates and times to be announced. Consider submitting a memoir if … you worked at the mill you had a family member work at the mill the mill was built on your traditional lands and cultural space you live(d) in Powell River and have observations & experiences from living in a mill town you had friends who worked at the mill you recently lost your job at the mill We are inclusive of all people who have experiences related to the mill. These are just some examples of your potential connections, and therefore why you may have a story to share.
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Why? Writing a memoir is a way to share your story based on your experience related to Powell River’s paper mill. The opportunity to share your story may include… Connection to land and or place Celebration of your experience Celebration of the accomplishments of the mill and Powell River as a mill town Sharing difficulty, hurt, pain, and or marginalization Demonstrating intergenerational connections and relationships Providing an Indigenous perspective such as individuals from Tla’amin Nation Using writing as a tool to heal from and process your experiences
DEADLINE for memoir submissions:
September 1st, 2022 EMAIL Joelle at jysevigny@powellrivermuseum.ca for your.... Registration Form Memoir Guidelines Release Form Submissions or visit our website to download the forms here: https://www.powellrivermuseum.ca/me moirs.html
Upcoming at qMAS Summer 2022 Program Guide to be released early June To stay up to date, follow us @prhmuseum on
July 12 - 15 or August 9 - 12
HANDS ON
HISTORY
Summer Camps for Kids 7 - 12 y.o. History comes alive through these 4-day camps at the Museum! Children will explore a variety of topics related to local history through hands-on activities and outdoor observations.
MUSEUM IN THE
Museum Hours & Contact Information:
PARK
4790 Marine Avenue Powell River, BC V8A 4Z5
MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!
info@powellrivermuseum.ca
SUMMER 2022
Tuesday to Saturday 10 am - 3 pm
604-485-2222 www.powellrivermuseum.ca