gave a facelift to the museum, revitalizing its role in the community by moving away from the warehouse model, a storage of old things, to that of a social and cultural history museum, where the story of the railroad is treated as a special entrance to the larger community history. New curating techniques and new expertise brought a new life to the museum and the railroad history of Prince George. Meanwhile, a new container port in the city gave a new importance to the railroad within the present-day economy. In local governance, both this event, and the reconnecting of museum and community turned the museum into an actor in a real sense. The museum became a more powerful actor within local governance, shaping how citizens and leaders think about and plan for the future.
Image: Adam Roy. Grounds of the Royal Tyrell Museum. Drumheller, AB
Meanwhile, Smithers, BC, was entirely created by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Co. (GTP). GTP built its divisional headquarters halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert, drawing up the Smithers town plan to house its workers. Historically, town plans were commonly drawn up by railway companies. The plan featured a special wide street designed for what was meant to become “the core” of the community. The street, Main Street, was intended to host the town’s business community and would feature large parks on either end, Alfred Park and City Hall Park (Central Park). Most notably, GTP ensured that its railway station would be highly visible from Main Street. Despite this strong initial involvement, residents of Smithers are more likely to see the railroad as an outside force acting on their town, than do the residents of Prince George. Their community did not choose to memorialize this aspect of its past, instead gravitating towards the Swiss historical narrative identity of the town’s early settlers. Despite sharing a historical connection to GTP like Prince George, a railway museum therefore did not become an important part of the community’s identity and social fabric. •
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Boom and Bust: a guide