The Port Moody Station Museum

Transcription

1 January 2011 Volume 11, issue 1 The Port Moody Station Museum STATION TELEGRAM Inside this issue: Letter from the President 2 Curator s Corner 2 We re Writing a Book! 3 New Website 4 New Program Brochure 4 Heritage Week Feature Exhibits Fall Events 5 Fundraising 5 Upcoming Events Heritage Week Antique Appraisal Sun., Feb. 27th 1-3pm Have a treasure you think is invaluable? Well known local appraiser Al Bowen of Bowen and Associates Appraisers will be available to appraise your items. Cost is $15 for two items. Advanced registration required. Contact Rebecca at or pmmuseum@telus.net. 5 The Port of Port Moody his past summer the Port Moody Heritage T Society put together its 5th online exhibit for the Community Memories project hosted by the Virtual Museum of Canada. The exhibit The Port of Port Moody includes photos, maps, and oral histories which showcase significant port activities that occurred in the North end of Burrard Inlet over since European settlement. The following information can be found in this exhibit with accompanying photos and oral history excerpts. Port Moody s development began due to its proximity to deep waters. Europeans began to use the area as a route to New Westminster. North Road, constructed by the Royal Engineers, gave access to Burrard Inlet. This provided another option for getting supplies if the Fraser River was frozen or if the royal city was attacked from the River. It was because of this, Port Moody was named after Col. Richard Moody, head of the Royal Engineers in BC. Port Moody s next encounter with fame came in 1879 when the Canadian House of Commons chose this location as the site for its Western Terminus. Again, because of the deep water access, it was thought to be a suitable location for exchanging goods between ship and rail. When the CPR completed the railroad in 1885, it greatly increased the amount of freight shipped between the East primarily Japan, China and India and Eastern Canada and Europe. From Nov to June 1887, Port Moody played a pivotal role in this route between Asia and Canada. Large sailing ships came and went from the CPR wharf in Port Moody exchanging tea and other Asian exports for Canadian lumber. When the CPR extension to Vancouver opened in 1887, Port Moody s role greatly diminished but was not forgotten. In early 1900 the lumbering took over as a primary industry in Port Moody. Mills sprang up around the North end of the Inlet. Tugs became a familiar sight as they were used to tow logs and log booms in and out. (cont d on p3) They provided some help with barges in and out of the local oil refineries and later in moving ships into and out of Pacific Coast Terminals. Oil refineries also played an important role in the development of Port Moody throughout the 1900s. The BC Refining Company started in 1908 and operated under a variety of names. Today, this site is occupied by Petro Canada. Imperial Oil opened its refinery in 1914 and was in operation until For both companies barges of oil were the main means of get-

2 PAGE 2 Best wishes to all of our members for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!! This year, the Port Moody Heritage Society is looking for ways to reach out to our members and to reach out to people who may not know about the Museum. We are coming off a very successful year! We ve hosted high quality events that have attracted visitors from across Letter from the President Metro Vancouver. Behind the scenes, we ve made huge strides towards managing our collection of heritage artefacts. We want to be the best little Museum and we are working hard to make that happen. But it doesn t happen without our dedicated staff and the many volunteers we draw from the community. We continue to have opportunities for members to step in and get involved. Don t Curator s Corner Well Done Weldon! Talking about money (or lack thereof) to operate the Museum is not one of my favourite subjects. My Mom use to say money can t buy happiness but my reply was that I just wanted to rent it for a little while! There certainly were challenges in 2010, especially the lack of Provincial funding support for museums. Even the Charitable Gaming revenues really weren t going to charities very much, but we did accomplish a significant amount, doing the best we could with what we had (another one of Mom s sayings). We had an increase in Museum visitors, our Easter Event was the biggest ever and we had a great Ioco Ghost Town Days with us relieving Mary Anne Cooper of much of the planning and putting on the event (Thanks to Rebecca). Thanks again to all the volunteers that have helped us though the year(s). One such Volunteer was Weldon Haley. Before arthritis curtailed the use of his hands, he used his artistic talents and architect training to do drawings and plans for us, most notably the logo of the Port Moody Heritage Society. Weldon was an avid actor when we did Murder Mysteries onboard the Venosta. He didn t let his arthritis stop him there either; it was a good thing he was a lightweight guy otherwise we could never have hesitate to call Rebecca at the Museum, if you want to get involved. Let s work together to make 2011 even better!! Thank-you for your continued support, don t forget to renew your membership. I look forward to seeing you soon. President, Wayne Beggs lifted him into or out of the Venosta. It s funny but he always seemed to be the poor guy that got murdered all the time and came back as a ghost in white makeup. But he loved it and really enjoyed the trains. The last event I managed to get him out to was to see the CPR Empress come to Port Moody s Westcoast Express Station. It was a very hot July day in 2008 and we were all melting but Weldon wanted to see her. One of the conductors cautioned us that we would be to close but Weldon wanted me to push his wheelchair right up to the yellow line. It s a good thing Weldon had his own hair because as the Empress came by, she shot out enough steam to blow a wig clear across the parking lot! Weldon s hair was steam cleaned but he loved it even in the heat. Weldon died in August of 09 but he did not forget about us. He left us part of his estate, which will be the biggest donation we have ever received. Deciding now on how to do the best we can with what we ve got is a different challenge. I think it would be good to start an endowment as it would help the Museum for many years into the future. And each year we could say WELL DONE, WELDON. By Jim Millar

3 PAGE 3 Port of Port Moody Exhibit (continued from P.1) (cont d from p1) The Baird family was the main provider of tug boat services from 1920 until the 1970s. Bill Baird and his sons ran a number of tugs under the names The Best, Our Best, Myn Best among others. They provided services to Flavelle sawmill tugging logs into the mills and sawdust out. They were also hired to break ice in the Inlet during the occasional winters, such as that of 1948, when the Inlet would freeze over. They also provided help with barges coming in and out of the local oil refineries and later in moving ships into and out of Pacific Coast Terminals. Oil refineries played an important role in the development of Port Moody throughout the 1900s. The BC Refining Company started in 1908 and operated under a variety of names. Today, this site is occupied by Petro Canada. Imperial Oil opened its refinery in 1914 and was in operation until For both companies barges of oil were the main means of getting crude oil into the refining plant until 1953 when the Trans Mountain Pipeline was built. But Port Moody s port was not only occupied by industrial vessels. In the early days, ferries were an important part of the transportation system around the Inlet. At different times, three vessels helped move people between Port Moody and Vancouver as well as making stops at Old Orchard, Sunnyside, Belcarra, Ioco, Barnet and Dollarton. Known as the New Delta, Scenic and Skeena, these ferries played an important role in the lives of people living in Port Moody. Many have fond memories of taking the New Delta 8am trip to Vancouver for a day s outing. There was also a ferry which transported workers between Port Moody and Ioco. This ferry ran back and forth at shift times for Ioco workers who lived in Port Moody. Some of the other unique vessels that have navigated these waters were owned by the military. In the mid-late 1800s British Naval vessels came to this area for target practice. As evidenced by the numerous cannonballs found on the north shore of Port Moody, these vessels would fire cannons onto the unoccupied shore as practice. The Ioco dock saw a submarine during WWI, the Canadian gunship HMCS Curlew in the 1920s and a Canadian gunboat in While most of these vessels did not stay long, they each made quite a stir for residents in their time. Today, we see the large ships of Pacific Coast Terminals (PCT) coming and going though the waters of the Inlet. PCT opened its Port Moody facility it 1960 to ship sulphur, wood chips, coal and chemical fertilizers. Today it is considered the largest exporter of sulphur in the world. Ships from PCT are sent around the world and are known as PanMax ships because they are suited to crossing the Panama Canal. In today s Inlet, we more frequently see smaller sailing and motor boats. This is in part because of Reed Point Marina. Built in the 1970s, Reed Point is one of the largest marinas in Canada. Reed Point reflects a modern Port Moody who has shifted away from large industries and is known to residents as a beautiful place to enjoy nature in the forest, along the shore and in the water. The Port of Port Moody exhibit will be available online at CommunityMemories/index.html by the end of February We hope that you will take the time to visit the site and enjoy the history of our great port. Thanks to Pacific Coast Terminals for their contribution of photographs for this exhibit and to our Collections Assistant, Marianne Hoffard for her work putting the exhibit together. Port Sponsors New Program Brochure Thanks to the Port of Metro Vancouver, the Heritage Society has just released an updated educational program brochure. The brochure contains information about the educational programs offered at the Station Museum to elementary, high school, pre school and ESL teachers. With funding from the Port, the brochure was sent to schools around the lower mainland this month. The brochure also includes information about our children birthday parties and train car rentals. Look for it next time you visit the Museum.

4 PAGE 4 New Website Coming Soon! The Heritage Society has for the past year been working on designing a new website with a new url. This past December, we won a contest for web design from TheV3H.com and it's creator Jon Strocel. This great opportunity will help us put together all the pieces we have been working on and launch our new site this February. What will the new site do? Using new Wordpress software, staff and volunteers will be able to update text and photos on the new site regularly - sharing news about events, displays and programs with ease. Bringing together all of our social networking sites, including our six year old widely viewed and popular blog and our newly established Facebook and Twitter sites, the new site will help keep our Museum front and centre on the web and allow us to better share our heritage with others online. The new website will also contain links to our 5 online exhibits, new information about our rentals and gift shop and an online version of this newsletter. Lastly, our new domain portmoodymuseum.org will help us to establish our name on the web more permanently. A big thank you to the volunteers and staff who have helped make this happen - webmaster Darrell, photographer Yvette, design advisor Dexada and our student assistant Devan. We're Writing a Book! This Fall the Port Moody Heritage Society received a Federal grant through Service Canada s New Horizons for Seniors program which enables us to produce a Port Moody history book. This project brings together the Museum s mission of collecting and recording local history with the grant s requirements of getting seniors actively participating in the community. The current plan is for the book to be pages with much of specific themes of the book such as industries, recreation, social life and events. We are looking forward to learning new the content focused on historical photographs and oral history excerpts. Chapters will be focused around themes relating to stories from Port Moody s history. significant aspects of Port Moody's past. Just in time for Port Moody s Centennial in 2013, it is a great While keen to get started, the Museum can t do it alone. We excuse to reflect on how far Port Moody has come since its hope to have many people in the community involved in creating this lasting legacy for Port Moody. Staff and volunteers at seum s 5,000 photographs and 200 oral histories and hope to birth. We are also looking forward sharing some of the Mu- the Museum are excited to work on the book. We plan to fill in gaps in the collection in eras such as the 1950 s 60 s have a lot of fun getting to know each other and sharing and 70 s. memories. The project is on a tight timeline with the book slated for completion in October The Museum welcomes anyone Volunteers will research historical photographs and oral histories and writing parts of the book. Seniors can also participate interested in helping with the book. The amount of time required can be adjusted to fit everyone s needs. Please call Jim by sharing their Port Moody memories in reminiscing meetings to be held on or Rebecca at the Museum at

5 PAGE 5 Visit the Museum from January to March 2011 to experience the The Natural and Not So Natural History of Inlet Park. See taxidermied animals of the North end of Burrard Inlet and learn about the impact of humans on this ecology. Created in conjunction with the Port Moody Ecological Society in recognition of this year s Heritage Week theme Parks. Also stop by the Galleria to learn more about the history of your local parks. Created in partnership with City of Port Moody Parks and Recreation and sponsored by the Heritage Commission. Heritage Week Feature Exhibits Above: Rocky Point Pool in the early 1950s. Fall Events Offered a Heritage Experience for Everyone Above, Above Left, Below Right: Ioco Day celebrations in Below Left: Holiday Tea in the Venosta in October saw 1200 people descend on the Ioco Lawn Bowling Green to celebrate the past heritage of Ioco town. In its 9th year, this unique event offered exciting activities such as a tour of the town in a Model A car, pony rides and a chance to interact with or be a character from Ioco's past. With additional funding provided by Heritage Canada, the event drew people from across the lower mainland despite the weather. December saw the return of the holiday tea on the train. After a 2 year hiatus, the popular event was back. This event offered visitors tea and treats on our 1920s train car specially decorated for the holidays, complete with festive music. While simple, the event attracted almost 200 visitors who enjoyed a moment of calm during the busy festive year.

6 PAGE 6 Vision: A valued and vibrant community asset that showcases and celebrates our heritage. Mission Statement: The Port Moody Heritage Society promotes an appreciation of community heritage by preserving and presenting history through exhibits and programs. We welcome everyone to discover our shared heritage. Get Involved Help us accomplish our mission! Here s what you can do: BECOME A MEMBER: Join the Port Moody Heritage Society and receive benefits such as the Station Telegram newsletter, discounts for Port Moody Station Museum events and rentals. VOLUNTEER: The Port Moody Heritage Society relies on volunteers to help staff events, programs and maintain its collection, displays and heritage garden. BOOK A RENTAL or PROGRAM: The Heritage Society and Station Museum rely on the revenue generated from birthday parties, educational programs and renting space in the train car. You get a quality experience in a heritage facility and support our work at the same time. DONATE: The Heritage Society accepts donations of cash and/or artifacts year round. Artifact donations help us build a strong collection preserving local heritage. Tax receipts can be given for any items over $25 in value. For more information, visit our website or call Port Moody Station Museum The Port Moody Station Museum is located in the 2nd CPR Port Moody station built in 1908 and features displays about Port Moody s history and heritage. The Museum is owned and operated by the Port Moody Heritage Society. Hours: Off-Season: Noon to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Summer: 10am to 5pm, daily. Staff Contacts: Jim Millar, Manager Curator Rebecca Clarke, Programs and Events Coordinator Phone: (604) Website: (soon to be portmoodymuseum.org) 2734 Murray St., Port Moody, BC; V3H 1X2 Find us at the west end of Rocky Point Park. jim.pmmuseum@telus.net pmmuseum@telus.net