Curator's Corner

Remember our Halloween BOOO-SEUM event Oct 27 &28!
(Info posted previously)

From the Fall 2007 Edition

Curator's Corner
Jim Millar

Time certainly is marching on – it's fall already! We have had a productive summer, with five students workers supported by grants from Service Canada and Young Canada Works (YCW). We were also successful with YCW to hire Courtney Hagen as a Research Assistant for the fall. It's nice having an 'extra' person around helping out. She will be working with the Collection; currently she is scanning maps. These old city planning maps are in great need of conservation work; therefore they will be sent to the Canadian Conservation Institute.

We were also successful in obtaining an Apod grant from the Centre for Sustainability. This will provide the means to evaluate ourselves and make sure we are making the best use of our resources both now and in the future.

A disappointment was not receiving the Museum Assistance Program funding from Heritage Canada. It was a tight budget year for them with the program being cancelled last fall but reinstated after much public outcry. We had wanted to expand our education program by hiring a program staff person, but now will have to rely on more heavily on volunteers for it.

The recently renovated (and renamed) Large Exhibit Room is working out well. It was great for the AGM, as well as the Dutch and Veterans Affairs display for Canada Day and now the Laundry Through The Ages display. Hope you have been able to stop by and see it.

I met with Bruce Hitchinson, the grandson of the brickyard owner. Actually John Hutchinson Sr. had 3 brickyards in Port Moody. He shipped all his bricks by scow to Vancouver, so Port Moody did not have any brick houses in the early days. Bruce provided some interesting photographs and is trying to find more information for us.

A couple of major maintenance items: the Venosta roof is leaking again and if anyone knows a structural engineer and builder that could help us repair the platform, please let us know.

Curator's Corner

Jim Millar – Manager / Curator, Port Moody Station Museum

It is a busy summer at the Museum. Our summer students sponsored by Service Canada and Heritage Canada are working well on projects. (See the student's introductions on page 3)

Stephanie and Megan are working on displays and exhibits with Courtney's help.

Trevor has been conducting school tours (with assistance from the rest) and working on breaking our tour programs into specific grade levels that meet the Educational guidelines. Mark has been scanning photos and assisting with the Educational Program. Courtney is also verifying the artefacts on display and will be cataloguing new accessions.

The recently renovated Freightshed (now called the Large Exhibit Room) is having new displays plus will play a major part in our Honouring Veterans event on Canada Day. There is a new screen and sound system tanks to the Port Moody Foundation. The Vancouver Foundation was the biggest supporter and the BC Arts Council also helped significantly. Lots of volunteer help with the biggest thanks to Dave Maxwell.

We have a few new folks helping Tom with the garden. Things are looking good there too but can always use more support.

Canada day is shaping up. We had a successful event in 2005 and naturally we plan this one to be 'bigger and better'. Veteran Affairs Canada is the major supporter with assistance appreciated from the Consulate of the Netherlands and the Celebrate Committee of BC. We have at least 16 groups participating including the Consul Generals of France and the Netherlands with Veterans, old military vehicles and even a biplane! It will be great. If you have some spare time to help on Canada Day, we would appreciate the support as always and please encourage everyone to attend.

Membership is another important area to encourage people to become members. Important for sourcing grant monies. 2007 membership for the rest of the year is only $5. If you haven't joined, please do and try to find some friends to join as well.

I took my first 3-week vacation in ten years, travelling with my wife, Brenda to Ireland. We had a 'grand' trip driving around the Island on the 'wrong side of the road and staying at B&Bs. I will put on a slide show in September if encouraged enough – actually there are some very good pictures.

Excerpt from the “Station Telegram” Summer 2007 – Canada Day Edition

(I'll see about posting that page 3 article in the near future introducing the students - ed)