Holiday Teas a Success

Thanks to everyone for visiting us this month for our holiday teas. They were a great success and we will certainly plan them again next year - weather permitting.

Please note, there are no more teas scheduled for December. If you just can't wait a whole year, come see us Mother's Day 2011 for our Tea on the Train.

We hope you had a Merry Christmas and wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday Lights at the Station

Check out our holiday lights! We're trying out the new LED's on our Venosta train car. Let us know what you think.

We're Writing a Book!

The Port Moody Heritage Society is very pleased to announce it received a Federal grant through Service Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors program. The grant will enable the Port Moody Station Museum to produce a history book of Port Moody.

Staff at the Museum are excited to work on the book. Manager/Curator, Jim Millar said, “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.”

While keen to get started, the Museum can’t do it alone. Millar commented, “We hope to have many people in the community involved in creating this lasting legacy for Port Moody. We plan to have a lot of fun getting to know each other and sharing memories.”

The project will involve a group of seniors researching and writing parts of the book and will require a committed amount of volunteer time. Other seniors can participate by sharing their Port Moody memories in reminiscing meetings to be held on specific themes of the book such as industries, neighbourhoods, social life, events and schools.

Program and Events Coordinator, Rebecca Clarke commented, “We are looking forward to learning new stories from Port Moody’s history. Just in time for Port Moody’s Centennial in 2013, it is a great excuse to come together to reflect on how far Port Moody has come since its birth.”

Millar added, “We are looking forward to researching and sharing some of the Museum’s collection of over 5,000 photographs and 200 oral histories. We would also like to fill in gaps in the collection in eras such as the 1950’s 60’s and 70’s.”

The project is on a tight timeline with the book slated for completion in October 2011. The Museum welcomes anyone interested in helping with the book. The amount of time required can be adjusted to fit everyone’s needs and all are welcome. Please call Jim or Rebecca at the Museum at 604-939-1648.

Holiday Tea is Back!

This December bring your family for some old fashioned holiday fun at the Port Moody Station Museum. We'll be serving tea and hot cocoa on our 1920s train car on Sunday, Dec. 5th, 12th and 19th from 1-3pm. Enjoy watching the festive holiday lights on the station or listening to classic holiday music while cozying up to a hot drink and sweet treat. $5 per person.

No reservations required.

For more information, email pmmuseum@telus.net or call 604-939-1648.

Ioco Ghost Town Day 2010 Comments

Ioco Ghost Town Days was a resounding success this year. Over 1000 people came to the event and participated in the many activities and crafts. Our performers put on an excellent show and great fun was had by all.

To find out more go to:
http://gillian-traveltoeat.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-fair-ioco-ghost-town-days.html

http://valhamilton.blogspot.com/2010/10/ioco-ghost-town-days.html

http://www.anmorealternative.com/About-Town--4.html

Or to see photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55316408@N00/sets/72157625115783298/

The Flavelle Mill Time Clock

Recently many of our Museum visitors have queried, “What is this?” when looking at our lumber mill exhibit. The new addition they are looking at is the International Dial Recorder time clock used in Flavelle Cedar Sawmill from 1924-34. It recorded the number of employees over a certain pay period on paper and was made by International Business machines (known today as IBM).
The Dial Recorders were produced in three different sizes for 50, 100, or 150 employees. They could record different lengths of pay periods including, daily, weekly, and eight day or quadric-monthly. All International Dial Recorders were fully automatic which was state of the art business equipment at the time. Each number on the dial corresponds to a space bar which locates a drum for printing information in the proper space. This ensures that a new record is not typed over an existing one. At a predetermined time, the carriage shifts from one day’s space to the next and restores the spacing bars to their original position to prepare for the next day’s registrations.
But not everyone is baffled by this strange machine. For some, it brings back memories. This was the case for Harold Barrow when he came to the Museum this summer. He immediately recognized the contraption and went straight to the number that was his father’s employee number at the mill for many years. He remembers punching in for his father often as a child.
We would like to thank the Coquitlam Heritage Society for their generous donation of this piece of Port Moody’s history. We are happy to give it a new home here.

Ioco Ghost Town Days 2010

Ioco Ghost Town Days

Help us celebrate the heritage of Ioco town at the 9th annual Ioco Ghost Town Days.

The main event will take place Sunday, October 3rd 11:30am-3:30pm at the old Ioco Lawn Bowling Green (Ioco Rd. & 1st Ave.) in Port Moody. All ages will find something to enjoy at this FREE family event.

Highlights include:

Living History Skits - Bring your children to participate in a skit about Ioco's early days. Creative minds of all types welcome.

Antique Car Site Tours - Get a glimpse of Ioco's past as you ride in vintage style.

Roving Performances - Watch juggling and magic tricks, try your hand at the unicycle and interact with the ghosts of Ioco past.

Old Time Music - Sing along to the banjo and ukelele, listen to the fiddler and barbershop quartet or sit back and enjoy some jazz.

Pony Rides - Travel old fashioned style on a pony.

Pie contest - Bake your favourite recipe and see if it can stand up to our discriminating judge. Prizes awarded for the top 3 entries.

Artisan Displays - See old time craftmanship with our wood turners, yarn doll maker, quilter, and weaver.

Apple Sampling - Taste a variety of apples brought by the BC Fruit Tasters. If you find one you like, you can buy your own tree.

Birds of Prey - Get up close and personal with some birds of prey brought by Raptors Ridge.

Also on site: lots of crafts, local community groups, historical photo display and carnival games.

Before you go find us at the Port Moody Festival of the Arts Sunday, Sept. 25th to do some heritage crafts. Or come to the Port Moody Station Museum to get a glimpse of Ioco's past in the Ioco Historical Photo Display from Sept. 24-Oct 2.

Thanks to our sponsors Department of Canadian Heritage, the Port Moody Heritage Commission and Pacific Coast Terminals.

New Exhibit – Connected: A Modern History of Communication.

Starting this summer, the museum is hosting Connected, a new exhibit that details the many ways our society has communicated throughout modern history.

This exhibit, which will be on display until the end of October in our temporary exhibit area, features many artifacts dating back to 1890. Included are typewriters, radios, telegraphs, telephones, vintage magazines and newspapers, postcards, a television produced in Port Moody, and an interactive component featuring a typewriter and a telephone.

Also particularly informative exhibit features extensive display panels detailing the history, uses, and social impacts of each featured communication device.

Connected: A Modern History of Communication will only be on display from now until the end of October, so be sure to visit before it’s too late!

Navy Centennial Cruise on the HMCS Nanaimo

Thanks to the Navy Centennial Committee, myself and a few of the Heritage Society Board Members were invited on board the HMCS Nanaimo for its cruise from Vancouver to Port Moody last July 3rd. It was great fun watching the Inlet go by and a good chance to get to know each other and the other locals on board.

The crew on board was very polite and professional and served up a great breakfast. As we cruised along we saw an outrigger regatta, and the First Nations Pulling Together Canoe Journey launching after their camp at Ioco. It was also interesting to dock at Pacific Coast Terminals and get a behind the scenes look at the work they do there.

Great morning had by all!

Canada Day & Golden Spike Days 2010

Visit the Port Moody Station Museum July 1st to 4th 11am to 4pm for free family activities. Win a prize for finding the golden spike in our popular Golden Spike scavenger hunt. Cool off while you watch old fashioned train comedy from the Three Stooges and Little Rascals. See our 1886 model train display in action then create your own train or take turns dressing as a train conductor and engineer. Stop by and see the Telegraphers' Society for a crash course in Morse code. Free Canada Day cake on July 1st.

Contact pmmuseum@telus.net or 604-939-1648 for more info.

Mother's Day Tea and More 2010

Come to the Port Moody Station Museum Sunday, May 9th from noon-3pm for our annual Mother's Day tradition for all ages. Enjoy tea and scones from COBS Bread - Suterbrook while listening to the music of the 1940s. While you're here, learn to make traditional yarn dolls and experience our beautiful heritage garden by planting a vegetable and taking a plant for your own garden, courtesy of Art Knapp - Port Coquitlam.

Tea is $5 per person. First come, first served. No reservations.

Museum Listings on Venture Vancouver Site & CHIN's "The Professional Exchange"

VentureVancouver.com

There is a very nice listing for the museum on Venture Vancouver that you might want to check out. It includes a few images and an interactive map to locate and explore areas around the Port Moody Station Museum.

Port Moody Station Museum listing on VentureVancouver.com

Members – The Professional Exchange, CHIN

Another interesting listing can be found at our Member page on CHIN. There is a lot of useful information there about our museum too.

pro.chin.gc.ca - Port Moody Station Museum

Haunting at the Museum?

The newly formed Canadian Paranormal Society came last month to do a little ghost hunting around the station and train car. Widely spread rumours over the last few years suggest possible hauntings at the Museum. Unfortunately, they are still rumours for now. However, there were definately some strange things happening that night last March. Unexplained voices and sounds in the train car and station basement whispering the numbers 2655 or "tickets". Strange lights appearing in different places like to one in this photo. What is that image in the one pane of the upper left window?

Even if we don't have scientific proof, we know there's something here.

Thanks to the team at The Canadian Paranormal Society for such professional work.

Easter Event 2010 a Great Success

What a day it was last Sunday. We were overwhelmed by the over 1500 people who came to the Museum to enjoy all of our Easter activities. It was a great fundraiser for the Port Moody Heritage Society and the Station Museum.

We gave away about 800 bags of chocolate eggs. Hundreds of Easter hats were made and worn to Pajos for free fries. All of our performers were fabulous - Joyce Johnstone and Twinkletoes danced beautifully, Dennis Hewson wowed us with his magical abilities and Nigel Tucker was a delight to our ears.

To see photos go to our Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/55316408@N00/sets/72157623672657867/.

Feedback has been very positive. We will work hard to continue to improve this every year. So mark your calendar!

Easter Egg Hunt 2010

Lots of questions from people about the Easter Egg Hunt this year.
No registration required. Just show up!
All ages are welcome. We ask that you pay for any children old enough to participate. We will have a special toddler section set up for the little ones.
You can come anytime between 10am and 2pm. The activities will be on all day. We'll be rehiding eggs and marbles as long as kids are finding them!
Look forward to seeing you there.

Joyce Johnstone and Twinkletoes perform at the Museum

If you didn't see the article in the Tri-City News last week about Joyce Johnstone and her dog Twinkletoes, check it out here www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/tricitynews/community/88856057.html.

You can see these two dance at our Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday at the Museum. They will perform at 11:30am, 12:15pm, and 1pm.

You'll have to check out this shot on flickr

Take my word for it, you have to go to flickr to check out this picture of our passenger rail car, "The Venosta" by R. Sawdon Photography. It has exceptionally brilliant colours. The page indicates it was taken March 14th... Are the cherry blossums really so vibrant already? I am including a link to the page here. Check it out!

Old Train Car

~ DWPenner
Webmaster

Easter Egg Hunt - Sunday, April 4th 10am-2pm

Get your Easter fill Sunday, April 4th from 10am-2pm at the Port Moody Station Museum. See the Easter Bunny. Hunt for marbles and exchange them for chocolate eggs. Get your face painted and watch Joyce and her dancing dog Twinkletoes perform. Then make an Easter hat and wear it to Pajo's n the Park for free fries. The hunt is on all day, so come any time. Dress for weather and bring your own Easter basket. Concession stand available on site.

Admission is $2 per person 2 years old and older.

New this year: Toddler section - youngsters can take their time while they hunt for Easter eggs in a seperate area.

Images added to – Message from the Gardener: Part 2 Citron Melon

Technical issues prevented the images for the "Message from the Gardener: Part 2 Citron Melon" article from being included when it was initially posted on Friday, March 5. The images have now been added. So if you are following this blog via RSS notifications or other similar methods you might want to go back to look at the article.
Thank you.
Darrell Wade
Webmaster

Message from the Gardener: Part 2 Citron Melon

Another fruit we grew in our garden last year was the citron melon. At one time this melon was widely grown in Canada and was a popular fruit because it was so flavourful when eaten fresh. Citron has a tough outer rind and will keep for several months indoors - even at room temperature. I kept mine in the basement from late Sept. until early Jan. and they did not go bad. Note that the Citron Melon is not related to or anything like the Citron Peel you can buy in the store.
So what to do with Citron Melons? The solution was to make some preserves. When I started I found out just how tough the rind was and needed a carving knife. Once cut open, the melon has red seeds evenly distributed throughout the fruit. It took some time to remove the seeds and cut the melon into bite size pieces.
There are various recipes available for citron preserves but they usually involve mixing fruit with ginger, lemons and sugar. I tried 3 different recipes with the following results:
Recipe 1 - treated the citrons like pickles. The melon pieces were soaked in brine for a day and drained and rinsed several times. Then they were boiled in a mix of sugar, lemon juice and lemon pulp with ginger root. The end product was a nice yellow colour with chunks of solid fruit.
Recipe 2 - The melon pieces were boiled in a mix of sugar, lemon juices and ginger root and toward the end crushed pineapple was added. This mixture carmelized quite a bit and did not have many chunks of fruit - everything was reduced to a pulpy mass.
Recipe 3 - Again the melon pieces were treated like pickles as above. After this they were boiled in a mix of sugar, cinnamon stick and cloves. This made for quite a different flavour.
Because citron melon has so much pectin in it, all these products are very thick and have a firm set.
Come by on Sunday, May 9th to sample these products at our annual Mother's Day Tea!

Message from the Gardener: Part 1 Lemon Cucumbers

During 2009, we grew many interesting vegetables in our Heritage Garden. Much of it was donated to our local food bank (they were often intrigued by our unusual harvest). Two of the foods we grew were popular 60-100 years ago but we rarely see today - lemon cucumbers and citron melon.

Here is a picture of the lemon cucumbers. They tasted like cucumbers and were rather seedy but looked more like lemons. It turned out that the vines were quite productive and since we harvested so many, it was possible to make some pickles with them. The pickles turned out yellow but I think it was because of the tumeric. Here is a picture - oops, I ate some! They are a bread and butter type pickle and kind of sweet in flavour.

We are now planning our garden for 2010. If you are interested in volunteering contact Rebecca at pmmuseum@telus.net.

Sport Heritage Presentation Excellent

Don Cunnings gave an excellent presentation last Monday evening about the history of sports and recreation in the Tri-Cities area. Great stories about working as a lifeguard at the Rocky Point Seapool and as a recreation coordinator at Riverside (formerly Essondale) as well as many other local organizations. Did you know that during WWII most of the trained coaches went to war and local school teams had to coach themselves?

More Mention of the Museum - TriCities Examiner - examiner.com

There was more mention of the museum relating to the Heritage Week Display honouring sports and athletes of the past. Lynne Melcombe wrote in their TriCities Examiner section as part of their "Vanouver's Winter Games 2010" section about it:

Port Moody Station Museum has come up with an interesting way to honour the 2010 Winter Olympics and local heritage at the same time. From February 10 to 28, they will be hosting a display of sports and recreation from days past at the Port Moody City Hall Galleria and the Museum.

You can read the rest of the article on their site:

Port Moody Station Museum honours sports and athletics of the past

The exhibit and the museum are getting a lot of coverage with the Olympics in town.

Report on our coming Heritage Week Events in V3H.com

There was a article on us in The V3H.com website describing our Heritage Week events on their "Spirit and Heritage in the Tri-Cities: The V3H.com" page:

February 15-21 is Heritage Week,and the Port Moody Station Museum [map] offers you a few ways to celebrate. On Sunday, February 14 there will be a silent movie showing from 2-4pm. See a variety of silent movie shorts featuring well known performers. Fee is $10 per person, or free to Heritage Society members. On Monday, February 15 the Community Display Opening Night will take place from 7-8:30pm. Local recreation historian Don Cunnings will give a presentation on the history of sport and recreation in Port Moody and the Tri-City area. Light refreshments provided and admission is free. For more information on either event call 604.939.1648 or email pmmuseum@telus.net.

It might be an interesting place to check out for Heritage events in our area.

Silent Movie Matinee

Join us Feb. 14th 2-4pm for a trip back in time with our Silent Movie Matinee. Watch sport and recreation themed shorts with silent movie greats such as Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle. Guaranteed laughs for all ages. And just for kicks have some $25 popcorn.

Admission is $10 - free to Port Moody Heritage Society Members.

Museum mentioned in The Tri-City News

"Scour your collection for collectibles"

The Port Moody Station Museum was mentioned in The Tri-City News, January 26, 2010 – "Scour your collection for collectibles" by Diane Strandberg.

The Tri-City News – Scour your collection for collectibles

The article describes the upcoming displays of "vintage sports equipment" which will be on display next month for Heritage Week. The display will be at the Port Moody City Hall galleria and in the Port Moody Station Museum. We, The Port Moody Heritage Society, are looking for more items to include in the exhibit. The theme this year for Heritage Week is "Sports and Recreation". There are items in the museum collection already,but we can always use more.

Sometimes article links in local papers are short lived so the article might not be available at this link for long.

1964 Moody High Cheer

Thanks to Port Moody residents for bringing in some great sports and rec memorabilia.
Here's a sample:
1964 Port Moody School Cheer
Jumpin' on a bandstand,
Standin' on a tin can,
Who can, we can,
Ricker Racker, Firecracker,
Sis Boom Ba!
Moody Moody High School, Rah! Rah! Rah!

Sporting or Recreation Artefacts or Memorabilia?

Do you have any Sporting or Recreation Artefacts or Memorabilia?

Are you a sports enthusiast or collector? Were you the athlete of the year in a past life? If so, the Port Moody Heritage Society would like you to bring in your vintage sports and recreation items for use in a temporary display this February and March.

In celebration of Heritage Week, the Port Moody Heritage Society and Port Moody Heritage Commission are putting together a display of sports and recreation memorabilia. The display will be shown at the Port Moody City Galleria and at the Port Moody Station Museum. All artifacts should be from the 1950s era or earlier and in good condition. Artifacts will be returned to the owner at the end of the display

If you have sports and recreation artifacts you can loan to the museum for the Heritage Week Community Displays, please contact Rebecca at 604.939.1648 or pmmuseum@telus.net and help with the success of the community display!

Heritage Week Events!

Community Display

February 10th – 28th

Daily in the City Hall Galleria,
Wednesday to Sunday at the Port Moody Station Museum

Come see sports and recreation of Port Moody’s past at the Galleria in City Hall and the Port Moody Station Museum. Historic photos and artifacts relating to the theme of sports and recreation will be on display. Participate in our community display by bringing your vintage sport or recreation artifacts to the Station Museum.

Contact Rebecca at the museum at 604.939.1648 or pmmuseum@telus.net for more information.

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Community Display Opening Night

February 15th (Mon)

Open House 7-8:30pm at the Port Moody Station Museum

See what locals have to offer in the Community Display at the Port Moody Station Museum. Local recreation historian Don Cunnings will give a presentation on the history of sport and recreation in Port Moody and the Tri-City area. Light refreshments provided. Admission is free.

Contact Rebecca at the museum at 604.939.1648 or pmmuseum@telus.net for more information.

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Silent Movie Matinee

February 14th (Sun)

2-4pm at the Port Moody Station Museum

Miss the slapstick and corny puns of early cinema? Come by the Port Moody Station Museum for an early Valentine’s Day treat. See a variety of silent movie shorts featuring well known performers. Fee is $10 per person, free to Heritage Society members.

Contact Rebecca at the museum at 604.939.1648 or pmmuseum@telus.net for more information.

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Antique Appraisals

February21st (Sun)

1– 3pm at the Port Moody Station Museum

Have a treasure you think is invaluable? Well known local appraisers Al Bowen of Bowen and Associates Appraisers and Ray Stonehouse of “Great Canadian Collectables” on St. Johns Street will be available to appraise your items. This year’s focus is on sports and recreation artifacts and memorabilia. Cost is $15 for two items.

Contact Rebecca at the museum at 604.939.1648 or pmmuseum@telus.net for more information.

2009 Highlights

2009 was a great year at the Port Moody Station Museum! Here are some of the highlights:

• We had 2100 more visitors than in 2008.
• We put on 6 new displays.
• We got a new platform and painted the exterior of the station, Venosta train car and shed.
• We had 143 volunteers give 1855 hours of time.
• We accessioned 558 artefacts into our collection.
• We worked with local businesses to provide historic photographs for the new Shopper's Drug Mart on St. John's St.

Telegram to the Library

Did you know that the "Station Telegram" is available in the Port Moody Public Library? I discovered that fact in my web surfing. The museum newsletter, which is mailed out to members, seems to be a part of the collection. The collection apparently goes back to when it used to be called "The Port Moody Heritage Society Newsletter. I have only seen the entry online and not actually seen the newsletter in the library collection yet, but probably will look it up the next time I drop in. You can find the online catalogue listing on the Port Moody Library's Horizon Information Portal.

The "Station Telegram" at the Port Moody Public Library.