TheAlmanacMuseum:45820 Spadina AveChilliwack, BC, V2P 1T3604.795.5210

Archives:9291 Corbould StreetChilliwack, BC V2P 4A6604.795.9255

www.chilliwackmuseum.cainfo@chilliwackmuseum.ca

WINTER 2013

CONTENTS

Museum Acquires Coote MedalsExhibit Opening March 15Newspaper Digitization ProjectGift Shop RenewedKorina CharpentierElder College Visits ArchivesCall for Entry 2014Annual General MeetingHello, Goodbye!CMS 100 Years

STAFF

Ron Denman, DirectorPaul Ferguson, Heritage Collections ManagerBrenda Paterson, Education CoordinatorAlison Adamson, Administrative AssistantShannon Bettles, Heritage Records Manager

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Fred Feistmann, PresidentCharlie Fortin, DirectorTia Halstad, DirectorEsther Harder, DirectorPauline Heppner, Vice PresidentRobin Lister, Treasurer Jason Lum, Ex-officioBea Mazurenko, DirectorTrevor McDonald, Director

MUSEUM ACQUIRES COOTE MEDALS

In early December, museum staff received a tip that Chilliwack-related war medals were being auctioned in Britain on Decem-ber 19. The medals (12 in total) were awarded to Chilliwack’s Andrew Leslie Coote and Ian Ver-non Coote. Included in the medal groups were two Officers of the British Empire medals, one for Les-lie and one for Ian, his eldest son.

With short notice, staff arranged for funding in order to purchase the medals. In addition, they

contacted a medals expert in London who could authenticate the provenance of the medals and bid for us at the auction. The bid was successful and the medals are now part of the Museum’s per-manent collection.

The medals represent a unique award to the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers, a unit based on the British home guard of the Second World War. A.L. Coote was a long serving soldier, having served in the first World War and with over 20 years commissioned service in the Canadian militia.

Museum staff are particularly indebted to the Department of Cana-dian Heritage for their fast action processing the funding applica-tion and to Mark Strahl for shepherding the application through the Heritage Minister James Moore’s office.

2010 - 2011 School Brochure is now online. Visit www.chilliwackmuseum.com

CHILLIWACK PROGRESS NEWSPAPER GOING ONLINE

Later this year, the Chilliwack Archives will be embarking on its largest digitization project yet. The goal is to digitize and make freely available and searchable almost 100 years (1891-1981) of the Chilliwack Progress newspapers, online.

Funding has been confirmed from the Chilliwack Foundation, the City of Chilliwack, and the Irving K. Barber Foundation Community Digiti-zation Fund, totalling $25,000.

Further to money raised, in-kind corporate partners are contribut-ing in a big way in order to make the project happen. Black Press Media/Chilliwack Progress will be hosting the online search engine and the digitization will be completed by Commonwealth Imag-ing, nation-wide leaders in the field.

The website will prove to be of immense value to researchers. The Chilliwack Progress is British Columbia’s oldest community news-paper published continuously with the same name. The news-paper dates to 1891.

MUSEUM GIFT SHOP RENEWED

Over the winter, the Museum Gift Shop has been undergoing some renovations to create a more wel-coming and comforable shop experience. Over the next few months, the store will be stocked with books and unique history, culture and art products. Pop by to see what we’ve got!

EXHIBIT OPENING MARCH 15Opening reception 1pm - 3pm

Our new exhibit is soon to open! May Health, Peace and Contentment be Yours has been created with you, the visitor, in mind. Having a fine collection representative of a diverse num-ber of topics

within the field of medicine, we have assembled the material based

upon the wheel of life - one we can all reflect upon. Visitors will discover objects of curiosity and interest with a particular emphasis on the stages of life from childhood, adolescents, adults and old age.

We wish to thank the many people who have assisted with this challenge in preparing an exhibit based on such a diverse subject. The collections on view, both from our collections and on loan, are representative of all the stages of life and include examples based upon medicine and personal milestones. Walking through the exhibit the visitor will also learn some-thing of Chilliwack’s lengthy medical history. Make sure you see our video as its content provides a wealth of information on Chilliwack’s health practi-tioners and health history.

The exhibit was a challenge to write and prepare es-pecially once we decided to take such a personal view of the collection and prepared the material in such a way that you, the visitor, will be able to relate exhibit topics to your own experiences. From germ theory, to stitches, Mercurochrome to snares there is certainly something in this exhibit that will surprise you or at least make you say Ouch or Oooo!

UFV’S ELDER COLLEGE TO VISIT ARCHIVES

UFV’s Elder College has arranged a visit to the Chilli-wack Archives on Friday, March 15th from 9:30 - 2:00pm. Spaces are still open to register for this program which consists of a workshop, followed by lunch at the Preserved Seed and a tour of the new Museum exhibit May Health, Peace, Contentment be Yours. Learn how a professional archives cares for its collections and gain some tips on how to care for the photos and papers in your own attic. Archives staff will also show you the storage facilities and answer questions you may have about how to access the ar-chives and start your own research projects.

To sign up for “Class without a Bus: Chilliwack Ar-chives and Museum” please contact Elder College at UFV: 604-702-2611 or elder.college@ufv.ca. Also visit their website to learn more: www.ufv.ca/eldercol-lege.

CURATORIAL CORNER

Can you guess what these objects are?

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT - KORINA CHARPENTIER

We met Korina Charpentier last August when she began volun-teering at the Chilliwack Archives. Since then she has been over-seeing an inventory and re-housing project for the framed art and photograph collections. Her work has improved the organization and storage conditions of these items. Korina also helps out with our education programs – last fall with our ‘Mysteries of the Mask’ program as well as our popular Christmas program.

Korina comes to us with a BA in art history from UFV and she is currently working on her postgraduate diploma in Critical Curato-rial Studies from the University of Victoria. Even with a full course load and two young children, Korina volunteers for one full day per week. The Archives is very fortunate to be able to draw on Korina’s talents and interests and we look forward to her smile and humor each when she volunteers.

CHAMBERS GALLERY EXHIBITS2014 CALL FOR ENTRY

CALL FOR ENTRY - The Chilliwack Museum curates art exhibitions for the Chambers Art Gallery located on the Museum’s second floor. We are calling artists of all mediums to submit the application form with 5”x7” photos or a DVD (Powerpoint or Word) of re-cent art works for the 2014 exhibition year. Solo art-ist, partnered or group exhibitions are welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Brenda Pat-erson at 604-795-5210. The deadline to apply is May 30, 2013.

COMING UP: Langley artist Aaron Moran will show-case his sculptural pieces starting with an exhibit opening on Saturday March 2. This exhibit will run until April 11.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGThe annual general meeting of the Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society will take place on Saturday, March 23 beginning at 1:00 pm. The meeting will be in the museum. The business of the Society will in-clude the presentation of the audited financial statement. Heritage awards will be presented and honorary life memberships will also be part of the afternoon’s agenda. We hope that all current and potential members will attend. Refreshments will be served.

Published by the Chilliwack Museum and Archives (c) 2013The Chilliwack Museum and Archives are operated by the Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society.

THEY’RE SYRINGES! (Answer to Curatorial Corner)

These high quality syringes were originally owned by Dr. Joseph Derby Moore who practiced medicine in Chilliwack from ca.1920 to 1968. The syringes date from ca. 1920-30. [1987.062.012 a-e]

HELLO, GOODBYE! - CSS

On March 1 and 2, thousands of Chilliwack Senior Sec-ondary students and alumni will gather in Chilliwack to say goodbye to the current CSS school building and celebrate the opening of a new modern build-ing on the same property. The old CSS school, built in 1950 will be demolished once the new school is completed.

Organizers of Hello, Goodbye! are ex-pecting up to 3,000 people for the two day event. Events in-clude reunions at the Coast Hotel, the Echo Room and Corky’s Pub, school tours, bus tours (hosted by the Museum), and a wrap up party/dance at the Chilliwack Landing Leisure Cen-tre. Music will be a focus for Saturday afternoon and evening events as former musicians gather to play and remind us of the strength of music programs at the school. Visit the website: www.hellogoodbye.ca.

CMS CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

On the other side of the street, Chilliwack Middle School is celebrating 100 years on their property. Al-though Chilliwack High opened in 1903 (first in a home on Mill Street, then where Central Elementary is today), a new building was opened in 1912 on the property where the current Chilliwack Middle School

is located. Over its lifes-pan, the school was a high school, a junior-senior school and now a middle school. The existing school build-ing replaced the origi-nal structure in 1996.

Museum staff are work-ing with teacher Janet Crawford, principal Aaron Parker and their

team to commemorate the school’s history in a souve-nir booklet. CMS is celebrating the important role the school has played in Chilliwack, highlighting the fact that many of Chilliwack’s role models and leaders are graduates from Chilliwack Middle/High School.

2009.053.028 Donny Harford and students work on the Tatler Student newspaper, 1951.