Museum Happenings
March has been Kids’ Month at the Museum (somewhat unintentionally but definitely great fun). Volunteers and visitors had a blast at Hands-On Day on March 5. It was so much fun sharing skills from writing with pen and ink to baking to handicrafts. We had many people who had never been in this museum (or even in a museum) before. Things are about to get wild with our Kids’ Night on Friday learning about wildlife in this region.
Upcoming Events at the Museum
70th Anniversary of the Transfer of the Alaska Highway to Canada
Friday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Fort St. John North Peace MuseumCome celebrate the 70th anniversary of the transfer of the Alaska Highway to Canada. This special dramatic presentation looks back at the highway’s construction, transfer ceremony, and the challenges faced by Canadians who took it over. Admission by donation. For more information, call 250-787-0430.
Documentary Night: Treasured Chronicles II
Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum
Learn about the history of the North Peace from the recollections of old timers from Fort St. John and area. Learn about agriculture, Providence Hospital, the Bedaux Expedition, the Second World War, Oil and Gas, the Wilde and Lawless Rodeo, and much more. Free admission. Donations welcome. For more information, call 250-787-0430.
Also mark your calendars for May 13 and May 14 as Night at the Museum returns with old characters you loved and new characters to meet. More about that in April’s email…
Current Temporary Exhibits
A Picturesque Interesting Spot: A Journalist’s View of Fort St. John, 1911
Our latest free exhibit at the North Peace Regional Airport is up. It looks at Hugh Savage’s view of Fort St. John in 1911. He was a journalist reporting on this area shortly before the land opened to homesteaders. This exhibit matches photographs and artefacts with Savage’s descriptions from the Old Fort Area to Charlie Lake. It will be up until May.
On the Ice: Hockey in the North Peace
He shoots, he scores! From hockey-playing homesteaders to the Fort St. John Flyers… hockey has been an addiction for this area. Celebrate the North Peace Region’s love for the game through residents’ memories, newspaper accounts, photographs, and equipment. Come learn about hockey on the Fort Nelson Trail, the North Peace Arena, the FSJ Flyers’ first season, and the hockey memories of kids growing up in the North Peace.
What’s New in the Museum Gift Shop?
Joan just got back from the gift show in Edmonton and boxes of merchandise are flooding in…. We have an array of stuffed animals perfect for kids, grandkids and the young at heart. Dogs, horses, elk, deer, moose, foxes, buffalo, wolves, bears, and more! We have the best selection of stuffed animals representative of domestic and wild animals found in this area. All are reasonably priced and make great gifts.
Archives & Collections
We’ve responded (or are in the process answering) 29 inquiries thus far in 2016. Our acquisition committee met in February and accepted several items into our collection including papers and photographs relating to the Taylor Plant as well as commemorative pins from past Fort St. John events, old newspaper and directories and more. We are always looking to add to our collection of local directories and yearbooks.
School & Group Tours
We had three fabulous groups of pre-schoolers in for tours in early March.
We’ve put together a new program – Date with Dinosaurs – which isn’t curriculum-based but is a great learning experience for younger children, children’s clubs/organizations, and school groups looking to have some fun. Much of this program came out of our Kids’ Night: Dinosaur Night at the Museum from March 2015. This program has its first run on March 21 with a spring break camp. We’ve revamped our program information package which was approved at our board meeting last night. In addition to our new program, we are now offering four different scavenger hunts (outside and inside versions). Find out more through the link on our website:
http://www.fsjmuseum.com/files/Educational_Programs_Spring-Summer_2016.pdf
With our success in hosting 16 tours/programs so far this year, some of our tour guides are getting worn out. We are looking for more tour guides to lead groups of any age. We will train you and help you develop a tour. Please contact Heather if you are interested.