Welcome to the treasure dome: BC museums put our past on display
While the last breath of winter brushes the slopes for one final ride, folks have been taking the fun inside for an entirely different brand of exploration.
A little history, colourful stories and eye-popping displays at a BC museum is enough to warm anyone up. And with March’s spring break looming, there are attractions around the province that promise to entertain, enlighten and engage the brain. The best part? Parents can organize a day out that will teach little ones about the people who built BC, showcase the province’s natural beauty, and provide a glimpse of our remarkable past – all while celebrating the province’s 150th Anniversary.
Pack up the kids and start your journey north of Vancouver, along the Sea to Sky Highway. One of the province’s most anticipated projects is the construction of the stunning new Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler Village, slated to open this summer. The Centre will be one of the most visible - and permanent - legacies of First Nations Olympic involvement. Designed to reflect both a Squamish traditional Longhouse and a Lil’wat traditional Istken (earthen pithouse dwelling), the Centre will showcase the rich heritage and cultures past, present, and future of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations. It will be a resource for local residents - and an attraction for visitors during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games - for many years to come. www.slcc.ca
And while families may have to wait a little longer for the Centre to open its doors, one attraction along the way will provide plenty of intrigue for Mom, Dad and all their little explorers. The BC Museum of Mining, on the site of a large copper mine which began in 1904 at Britannia Beach, 38-kilometres north of Vancouver, proves impossible to miss. The gleaming white 20-storey Mill beckons drivers off the highway which runs along stunning Howe Sound.
The Mill, which was constructed in 1923, is the largest museum “artifact” in Canada, but just a small part of the visit.
Visitors don hardhats and are first taken on a guided underground tour to hear about the mine that once yielded the most copper in the British Commonwealth. Sitting in a small underground train for part of the hour-long tour, guides explain the hard facts of early mining, where men risked their lives and limbs keeping the operation going.
At one point, the electricity that illuminates the tunnels is switched off and old-style lamps become the only illumination. It is an unforgettable, eerie moment that really brings home the darkness in which the miners worked. Heroic seems to be an understatement.
Today, the massive Mill remains an obvious focal point. Almost 18,800 panes of glass were replaced in 2005 and 2006, and rusting exterior siding has also been restored. For guests to the Mill, demonstrations of how gravity and a process called froth flotation was used to break apart the rock to get at the copper ore, gold and silver inside proves a highlight. The BC Museum of Mining is open year round. Tel: 1-800-896-4044. www.bcmuseumofmining.org.
For more museum fun, take the road trip over to Vancouver Island where celebrations for BC’s 150th have already begun. Considered the king of museums, the Royal BC Museum is currently showcasing Free Spirit: Stories of You, Me and BC, a five-part project set to capture the province’s collective heritage by telling the stories of its people. Stories are told in a non-traditional, non-chronological fashion, utilizing text, photos, video and audio mediums. The museum’s original exhibit features hundreds of rarely seen artifacts, specimens and documents from RBCM’s collections. These include BC’s first printing press, First Nations artwork and clothing, train robber Bill Miner’s pistol and even a wig owned by Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie, the province’s infamous “hanging judge.” Beyond the celebrations, the RBCM has galleries that represent the breadth of the province’s history. From artist Bill Reid discussing the past of his people, the Haida, to a replica of the stern of the Discovery, the ship sailed by Captain George Vancouver, to the woolly mammoth and other natural wonders, this museum has something for everyone. The Royal BC Museum is open year round. Tel: 1-888-447-7977. www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
See a museum stopover in your future? Here are some of the best of the rest:
Vancouver Island
BC Forest Discovery Centre, Duncan
This 40-hectare living museum has a 1930s logging camp and sawmill, complete with two blacksmith shops and school. Ride the rails through a mature second growth forest and over the trestle on Somenos Lake. Guided tours available. Open March to October. Tel: 1-866-715-1113. www.discoveryforest.com
Maritime Museum of BC, Victoria
Learn about BC’s seafaring connections – pirates, whaling, ship building and ship wrecks. See the Tilikum, a sailboat adapted from a First Nations canoe carved out of a single cedar log. It left Victoria in 1901 on an amazing journey across the Pacific and beyond, arriving in London, England in 1904. Open year round (except Christmas Day). Tel: 250-385-4222. www.mmbc.bc.ca
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver
Situated at the University of British Columbia, this renowned museum showcases cultural objects from around the world, with emphasis on the achievements and concerns of British Columbia’s First Nations and other communities. Twice-daily free gallery walks and a host of special exhibits add depth to the experience. Open year round. Tel: 604-822-3825. www.moa.ubc.ca
BC Sports Hall of Fame, Vancouver
Located in BC Place, the hall of fame celebrates the many BC sportsmen and women who have reached the top. The 20,000-sq-ft gallery explores the history of sport in the province from 1700. Those honoured include numerous BC Lions and Vancouver Canucks, along with Terry Fox, sprinting gold medallist Percy Williams and gymnast Lori Fung, and many more. Open year round. Tel: 604-687-5520. www.bcsportshalloffame.com
Thompson Okanagan
Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos
Thousands of years of natural and Osoyoos Indian Band history are on display at this recently opened interpretive centre and outdoor village which highlights Canada’s largest desert eco-system. Meet rattlesnakes and participate in a nature walk or try interactive displays, then visit the nearby Nk’Mip wine cellars for lunch and a glass of Merlot. Open year round. Tel: 1-888-495-8555. www.nkmipdesert.com
The BC Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop, Kelowna
Located inside a historic fruit packinghouse, the BC Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop explores the history and passion of the province’s growing wine industry. Local Okanagan exhibits emphasize the rich viticulture history of the region, while the VQA Wine Shop completes the retail portion of the experience with daily wine tastings and education seminars. Open year round. Tel: 250-868-0441. www.kelownamuseums.ca/bc-wine-museum
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
Museum of Cariboo, Chilcotin and BC Cowboys Hall of Fame, Williams Lake
There’s something about cowboys. BC’s ranching industry is older than the province itself and this museum illustrates how cattlemen and cowboys have played as big a role as forestry and fisheries. This museum is the only one in the province that focuses on ranching. Open year round. Tel: 250-392-7404. www.cowboy-museum.com
Barkerville Historic Town
It’s a bit of a drive, 88 km east of Quesnel, but like the prospectors who breathed life into the old town, visitors will find it worth the journey. As the largest historic site in BC, Barkerville dramatizes a historic lifestyle from the 1870s with its renovated buildings and actors portraying characters from the town. And don’t forget the gold panning… Open May to October. Tel: 1-888-994-3332. www.barkerville.ca
Kootenay Rockies
Fort Steele Heritage Town, Fort Steele
This family-friendly destination welcomes visitors to “explore yesterday, today.” Indeed, a visit to the historic site assures a journey back to the 1890s with an overview of a day in the life of the town’s residents (think blacksmithing, gold panning and farming demos). Train and wagon rides, museum exhibits and turn-of-the-century entertainment at the Wild Horse Theatre also prove a draw. Open year round. Tel: 250-417-6000. www.fortsteele.ca
Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, Cranbrook
With its collection of deluxe railway passenger cars, many considered to be of the finest caliber (dubbed deluxe hotels-on-wheels), the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel houses one of North America’s most noted railway heritage collections. Cars showcase an array of designs through various eras of passenger car evolution and railway travel. Open year round. Tel: 250-489-3918. www.trainsdeluxe.com
Northern BC
Haida Gwaii Museum at Qay’llnagaay
This beautifully situated museum is located at the new Haida Heritage Centre in the Haida village of Skidegate, outside Queen Charlotte City. It holds many treasures of Haida art, architecture and history, including carvings by Bill Reid, who is buried in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. New galleries present the culture of the people who first inhabited these remote and hauntingly beautiful islands. Open year round. Tel: 250-559-7885. www.haidaheritagecentre.com
Alaska Highway House, Dawson Creek, Mile “0,” Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway House provides an archival re-telling of the blood, sweat and tears behind the monumental engineering task of the Alaska Highway construction. Achieved in less than nine months, despite horrendous working conditions, this draw features photo illustrations, fixed displays (including a 1942 Willy Jeep), and original movie footage, a PBS DVD: The Building of the Alaska Highway. An added bonus? Guests can send friends and relatives an e-postcard from the centre. Open year round.
Tel: 1-866-645-3022. www.tourismdawsoncreek.com
The Museum of Northern British Columbia, Prince Rupert
The Museum of Northern British Columbia is one of the best places in the province to see Northwest Coast First Nations art and artifacts; during the summer, Tsimshian, Haida, Nisga’a and Tlingit carvers demonstrate their craft. May through September, seasonal programming including Museum tours, mask dancing, song and storytelling bring the history of the Northwest Coast region to life. Open year round. Tel: 250-624-3207. www.museumofnorthernbc.com
Whether it’s early British Columbians and their lives that draw you or it’s the natural history of one of the world’s most beautiful regions, BC’s exceptional museums take visitors on a voyage of discovery. Everyone will come away with more than they went in with…whether it be knowledge, stories, or wonder at our very own homegrown treasures.
For more information on museums in BC, visit www.hellobc.com/museums. For more on British Columbia’s destinations and travel information, call 1-800 HELLO BC® (North America) or visit www.HelloBC.com
Tags: BC, museums, things to do
