All posts by Marina Sacht

Society News

LDHS President’s Report for period September-Year end 2020

Happy New Year!

Since holding our AGM in blazing sunshine outside the Museum in August the society has, like everyone else, continued to be affected by Covid-19 restrictions. Of course, this has affected the pace of activity (a bit like swimming in molasses), but things have been happening, as outlined below:

Archives

A reduced roster continues to work at the Archives behind closed doors servicing queries from the Town and public by phone or email. It is surprising how constant the stream of requests is! Topics range from locating past industries in relation to groundwater contamination to assisting with family histories.

Stalwart volunteers (where would we be without them!) are focused on organizing archival fonds, cataloguing photographs, database entry of tax assessment rolls, etc.  An inventory of computer software and hardware has been performed, with recommendations for replacements and additions. The work is not particularly glamorous, but very necessary and is much appreciated.

The Reading Room area has been busy managing book sales, which have been brisk over the holidays.

Museum – 1st Avenue

The Museum doors remain closed to the public, however, things have been happening within.  The ‘Prime Predators of Vancouver Island’ exhibit is shaping up nicely. Storyboards have been printed and all the animals are on-site; what remains to be done is the final setup of the display. Then we must await Covid conditions being suitable for opening.

The basement continues to suffer from groundwater seepage, this requiring regular visitations with a shop vacuum to suck it all up and a dehumidifier to keep conditions appropriate for the safety of the collections. The Town has been generous with the provision of the dehumidifier. Building repair has been discussed and is pending results of a  ‘Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program (CERIP) grant application (Unique Heritage Infrastructure Stream) submitted for repair/minor renovation of the museum building and purchase of a storage system for the artifact collection. The application was submitted by the LDHS in October, with letters of support from the Town, the Stzuminus First Nation and the Chamber of Commerce. We should hear in February whether we get any money. Fingers crossed everyone!

Discussions are ongoing regarding the potential for sharing space in the museum building with the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Centre. We believe this could be beneficial for all parties and are hopeful for a successful conclusion.

Museum – Oyster Bay Drive

The Industrial Heritage Preservation Group (IHPG) recommenced activity under appropriate Covid protocols in September but opted to shut down operations again when the Covid infection rate climbed in mid-October. None-the-less, significant progress was made on the restoration of the Box Car (roof catwalk reconstructed, metal parts rustproofed, wooden sides given another coat of paint), the Humdergin serviced and trackage in the vicinity of the Cable Shed was salvaged. We continue to suffer attempted break-ins – so a watchful eye is kept on the site.

Negotiations with the Museum of Port Alberni for the loan of the Plymouth 107 shunting engine are in their final stages. Hopefully, we can get the paperwork finalized in January.

The IHPG continues to work on a proposal for space in the Machine Shop as part of the Town’s Arts & Heritage Hub component of the Waterfront Development.

A joint ‘Ladysmith Harbor Heritage Committee’ was formed in September with the Ladysmith Maritime Society, the mandate of which is to showcase the heritage of the harbour area through the preservation and presentation of heritage aspects within context such that the public can gain an integrated understanding of the past, present and future of the area. A key role is to advise the Town on harbour heritage matters related to the Waterfront Development Plan and the Arts & Heritage Hub. Currently, the committee is composed of three representatives from each society, with the potential for the addition of representatives of other stakeholder groups)

In October this Committee submitted a CERIP grant application for preservation of the Comox Logging Locomotive Shed and Car Shop, with the LMS being the principal applicant, seconded by the LDHS. Both buildings are of significant heritage value, integral to the Arts & Heritage Hub and need some TLC. We should hear in February whether we get any money.

In December the LDHS nominated Q Goodbody and Shirley Blackstaff as potential representatives on a new Arts & Heritage Hub Design Steering Committee which will work with the newly announced architectural contractor to advise Council on project design of Development Phase 1 of the Arts & Heritage Hub – for which the Town was granted a  $3.3mm ICIP grant in June of this year.

Members of the IHPG are in discussion with the Corridor Foundation regarding an option on the use of the Train Station building, the idea being to ascertain interest within the LDHS and other non-profits in the Town regarding its use.

Barrie McDonald’s booklet “The Tyee Smelter; a core element of Ladysmith’s Industrial Heritage” was published and has generated a lot of interest.

Communication

During the past year, the Society has been focused on increasing communication with our members, the general public, with other local societies, and with the east-central  Vancouver Island heritage community. All this aimed at raising the society’s profile and raising recognition amongst the general public of the relevance of Heritage to the present and future.

Considerable effort has gone into the development of the website and Facebook pages.

Additionally, the society’s YouTube channel continues to grow with the recent addition of four new titles to the library of 36 videos with more coming monthly.

Historically Speaking Talks Series

Since August we have had four talks presented via Zoom and uploaded on the Society’s YouTube channel. These include my (Q Goodbody) three-part series on Climate Change: 1: History of Climate Change, 2:  Global Warming, Realities, Causes and Cures, and 3: Effects of Global Warming. The fourth talk was by Gary Allan on Wolves featuring the ecologic importance of wolves, and starring his wolf family Denali, Stqeye, Mahikan and Tundra.

Watch for these interesting upcoming talks. January 19th at 6:30 pm Erik Piikkila presents ‘Effects of Railroad Logging. Lessons from the past’. On March 18, Author Daryl Ashby and Historian Rob Johnson present ‘MDA King of Ladysmith, the Art Williams Story’. More talks will be announced shortly.

People and Place Neighbourhood Project:

Spearheaded by Lesley Moore, the report was completed in December and may be viewed, with an accompanying education kit, at the Reading Room when Covid permits. There is a lot of interesting information on the social structure of early Ladysmith.

Heritage Inventory Project:

Marina Sacht and Shirley Blackstaff have spearheaded this project which involved visiting all the Museums and Discovery Centres between Mill Bay and Nanaimo, talking with staff  to identify key synergies, risks and ways to work together for the common good. The Discovery Center in Duncan was visited in October. Two other local museums await visitation prior to completion of the final report.

“ONE Community’ Project:

It is early days with this project which has been greatly affected by Covid-19 restrictions. We have identified a moderator for the planned series of Workshops to bring various societies and cultural groups together to get to know each other and to explore synergies. The pace will pick up in January and a call for volunteers will be issued.

The Beat Goes On – Music in Ladysmith:

A meeting of interested persons was held which resulted in considerable brainstorming about what to include and how to present. A number of musician contributors have been approached and archival research is under way.  A draft story page was submitted to our Virtual Museum of Canada  which indicated that we are ‘on the right track’. More volunteers with enthusiasm and musical bent would be most welcome. Watch for online updates.

To wrap up:

Despite Covid-19 difficulties, the Society is active.

We continue to have concerns about:

  • Lack of clarity regarding long term plans for the Museum.
  • The need for a Museum Manager / Curator
  • Vanishing Heritage and the need for its protection.
  • The need to revise and expand the Community Heritage Register
  • Requirement for a review of the 2008 Heritage Strategy.
  • Requirement for a strategic approach to fundraising.
  • A shortage of volunteers – and demographics of the existing roster.

But we believe we are making progress.

  • Our membership is becoming more involved – with projects and especially on the Facebook page.
  • Our working relationship with the Town, the First Nations, and with other community groups continues to develop.
  • We have active communication within the regional and provincial heritage community
  • We have a super variety of projects for people to become involved in. Don’t feel you have to be an expert. Take the plunge and have fun participating!

Membership:

Don’t forget – Membership renewal is now due. If you have not already done so, please renew online via the society website or arrange to visit the Archives to do so.

 The very best to you all for 2021.

Respectfully submitted by:

Q Goodbody

President LDHS

Society News

Heritage Awards Nomination Form

The Ladysmith & District Historical Society is calling for nominations from the community for the annual Ladysmith Heritage Awards.

The awards recognize the individuals, businesses and societies that have played a vital role during this past year (2022) through their actions or initiatives toward preserving or promoting local heritage.

There are two award categories: (i) Restoration of a heritage building, place or artifact, (ii) Commitment displayed by an individual or organization (society or business) to preserving and promoting local heritage.

Anyone can nominate, including nominating themselves, their business or their society. Nominations are requested either via email  or letter to info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.com or Ladysmith & District Historical Society, Heritage Awards Nominations, P.O. Box 813, Ladysmith, B.C. V9G 1Y8.

Please detail the following information in your nomination:

Your name:

Address

Phone

Email

Name of Person/Organisation being nominated:

How did this individual or organization help to preserve and/or promote local heritage in Ladysmith and the District?

The application deadline is Dec 30.  Award recipients will be announced during February’s BC Heritage Week.

Society News

WWII Questionnaire

We (LDHS) are writing a number of articles commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2.
The WW2 soldiers on the Cenotaph will be highlighted. Additionally, we would like to write an article to be about how the war affected Ladysmith and those living here – ie what it was like to live in the town during the war.
If you or someone you know was living in Ladysmith during the war, we have some questions for you but welcome your thoughts/comment if there is anything in particular which you would like to comment on which our questions do not address.
Depending on your preference, we could name you or we can keep it anonymous.
The important thing is that we get information on what it was like in Ladysmith and Vancouver Island / BC during the war.
At what age were you during WW2 (preTeen, teenage, twenties good enough).
How did you first hear that Canada was at war in 1939?
What was it like in Ladysmith during WW2? Was there a different atmosphere in the town before, during and after?
Was there a feeling of patriotism?
Did you feel that the war was ‘real’ and ‘immediate’ –  or was it ‘something going on ‘over there”.
Did your family talk about the war?
How did you catch up on war news – or did you not pay much attention to this?
Did you know people who went off to fight?
How did people contribute to the war effort?
We understand that the air cadets were a big thing in Ladysmith.
Did you know people in the cadets?
Do you know what their training was like?
Did any of them go off to war?
Did you and your family do things differently because of the war?
After Japan’s entry into the war, were you and others in the Town concerned about a Japanese invasion?
Can you remember what was done about staving off a potential Japanese invasion?
Were there goods that you could not get – and were there things that were in short supply?
What sort of celebration was there when the war ended?
Can you suggest other people we might interview about this subject?
Society News

Ladysmith Harbour Heritage Walk

Catch our Ladysmith Harbour Heritage Virtual Walk with Quentin Goodbody on Saturday, June 20, at 7 pm via Zoom. If you can’t make it, make sure you visit our website for a recorded version the next day. Proud participant of Ladysmith & Area Hometown Tourist Weekend.

Time: Jun 20, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88448075765

Meeting ID: 884 4807 5765

Here is a preview of the talk produced by TAKE 5

https://youtu.be/XOUhSZf_tBo

Society News

President’s Report | June 2020

Hello members,

Here is the June 2020 monthly update on Society activities:

COVID-19 is still with us, but appears to be on the wane in our part of the world. This, however, does not yet mean that we can relax our social distancing, handwashing and other mitigation measures.

Businesses and municipal offices are re-opening in accordance with government-controlled relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. The LDHS Board is carefully considering the reopening to the public of the Archives, Museum and Industrial Heritage site. In preparation for doing so we are familiarizing ourselves with guidelines from WorkSafeBC, BC Parks & Recreation, The BC Museums Association, and consulting with the Town and other similar institutions such as the Nanaimo Museum , other Ladysmith societies – and of course our staff/volunteers. Once approved by the Board, Covid instructions for visitors will be posted at the entryways to the Archives, 1st Ave Museum and Waterfront Industrial Heritage site, and guidelines for operating will be provided to staff/volunteers. They will also be posted on the LDHS website.

Our aim is to provide a safe setting in which everyone entering can have confidence that all reasonable precautions are being taken. Time will tell if and when that confidence is there. We have already seen an uptick of people wanting to visit the Archives.

Barring issues, our aim is to open some of the LDHS facilities to the public sometime in July. We will keep you posted. We do ask that if you can, please conduct your Archives business by phone (250 245 0100) or email (info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca).

Museum visitation, initially at least, will be by appointment – made through the same contacts as noted above. We are exploring working with the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce to facilitate openings to visitors.

Despite the COVID lockdown, Culture Doesn’t Stop: i.e. things have continued to happen within the Society:

The Website and Facebook pages have received considerable attention; the layout has been updated and contents significantly expanded. This work is ongoing and has in part been funded by a Resilience Grant of $2000 provided by the BC Museums Association – for which we are very grateful. If you have not done so, please take the time to peruse us online. There is a treasure trove of heritage information there.  Many thanks to Marina Sacht and Mark Anderson for their Trojan work – and to Paul Mycroft for consulting with us on his website expertise.

Another online offering by the Society: as part of  ‘HomeTown Tourist Weekend 2020, the LDHS is hosting on June 20th at 7.00 pm an online virtual walking tour titled ‘Harbour Heritage: a virtual walk through the history of Ladysmith Harbour.’  The beauty of today’s Transfer Beach and Marina belies it’s industrial past. This virtual walk, through photographs and narrative, shows what the harbour was like in its industrial heyday, points out where things were, and what vestiges remain.

Links that will allow you to connect with will be posted. Do come and join us in this virtual walk through the history of our Town!  If there is sufficient interest, an actual walk will be organised in the future.

The front room of the Museum has had a make-over in preparation for the opening of the temporary exhibit ‘Predators of Vancouver Island’: thanks to Cheryl Bancroft and Robin Millan for their artistic efforts – worth a visit in itself to see! The featured Bears, Cougars, and Wolves are an important  part of our natural heritage. In addition to impressive exhibits and photos, the biology and ecology of  these animals will be presented along with their importance to us humans both historically and now, and what you should do if you meet one – which is perfectly possible in the environs of Ladysmith. The opening is currently planned for sometime – keep an eye out for more news on when and how to view this exciting exhibit.

The Ladysmith Timeline which used to occupy the walls of the front room has been digitized and is being updated, expanded and prepared for exhibit via interactive screen.

The Society was successful in its application to The Virtual Museum of Canada for funding for a Community Stories project entitled ‘The Beat Goes On – Music in Ladysmith’. The objective is to share the story of the music/cultural scene in Ladysmith from pre-settler times to today by using archival, historical, video and audio material along with oral histories. More details on the project can be seen on the Website. We are actively looking for volunteers and people to become involved: musicians especially welcome! This is a great opportunity to showcase Ladysmith’s musical history and talent on the national stage.

The LDHS has received funding through the Heritage Legacy Fund of B.C. (administered by Heritage BC) for a project titled “ONE Community, Different Cultures’. The deliverable is to host a workshop or workshop series that will use a facilitator and guest speakers to unite groups in the central Vancouver Island rural communities that have an interest in heritage. We see this as a way to increase communication and understanding between groups/societies, develop a better understanding of each other’s aims, and find a way to cooperate to make them happen.

The Board is still considering how best to hold the Annual General Meeting – postponed from April by COVID-19 restrictions. This is a tricky issue due to the relatively vulnerable nature of our membership re: COVID-19.  Options include holding an ‘actual’ meeting with Covid-19 protocols in place; holding a  ‘virtual’ meeting using Zoom (an online meeting application) through computer connection or phone-in or mail ballot, or a combination ‘actual and virtual’ meeting.

Partly by way of determining how many members can use Zoom, the Board set up  Zoom practice sessions on June 8th, 9th, and 10th. These were not well attended –which could signify that most members are familiar enough with computers and the Zoom App not to need a practice session – but more realistically we believe it is due to discomfort or inability among the membership to working online. Currently, we are leaning toward an ‘actual’ meeting to be held outside with a barbeque on Saturday, August 22, 2020, at noon.

Key AGM business to be conducted includes provision of the financial report, annual society status report, election of a new Board and approval of the revised Bylaws (which have been on the website for members to review since December).

So despite COVID-19  there is a lot happening! We would love you to become involved.

If interested, please email info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca or phone 250 245 0100. This is, after all, your society!

Stay safe and enjoy the coming summer!

 

Q Goodbody

President LDHS

Society News

People & Places

Were there neighbourhoods in Ladysmith during the 1920s and 1930s?
As part of the People and Place Project, we are looking for photographs of streets, buildings, houses, and gardens within the original townsite of Ladysmith taken during the 1920s and ’30s. There are examples of people identifying areas such as “Finn Town”, “Top of the Hill”, “Little Italy”, and Belgian Town”. Are there specific boundaries to these areas? Did residents identify with the names of their neighbourhood? When did these names start to be used?
If you have information and/or photographs from these locations taken during the 1920s and ’30s, please call and leave a message at 250-826-3228 Project coordinator, or at the Ladysmith Archives phone 250-245-0100.
Thank you – we appreciate your contributions to keeping Ladysmith’s stories alive.

The “People and Place” project was funded in part by Heritage BC through the Heritage Legacy Fund.

Society News

First Quarter 2020 Update on Society Activities

 Society Activity Scope & Overview

 The Society continues to function on four fronts:

1/. The Archives per se

2/. The Reading Room

3/. The Museum (consisting of two parts)

i/.  Museum on 1st Avenue, Ladysmith

ii/. Industrial Heritage site at Oyster Bay Drive

It operates the Archives and Museum on behalf of the Town (which owns the facilities and contents) via a Management & Operating Agreement. The Town provides capital to run these facilities, mostly via a Budget Line Item. Additional capital may be provided, but is not guaranteed, via Grant in Aid for the Museum activity at the waterfront (Industrial Heritage Preservation Group activities).  Services to the public are currently curtailed due to Covid-19 concerns.

4/. Very active Website and Facebook page. Currently doing daily posts.

 Finances:

Doing ok. Sufficient operating cash in hand to cover operating expenses to end June when the next tranche of Town funding kicks in.  2019 Total Expenditure $75,900 vs Income $81,600

 AGM

Postponed from scheduled date April 22nd.

Looking into potentially doing it ’remotely’ if Covid situation persists.

Key business includes:

  • Approval of the revised ByLaws – which have were sent out to members mid December.
  • Board election

 Activities 1st Quarter 2020:

Historically Speaking Talks

January – Earthquake Ladysmith.: History, Reason, Risk and Why you should prepare. Presenter: Q Goodbody (3 times with total audience approx. 70 persons) Venue: Museum & Archives

March –  2nd Boer War Presenter: Rob Johnson. Venue: Museum. 25 people attended.

March – History of Fire in Ladysmith. Presenter: Alex Stuart. Venue: Ladysmith Fire Hall

Future Talks planned:

Climate Change and Global Warming: Understanding the Realities Part 1: Causal factors and History of Climate Change,  Part 2: Greenhouse gases, Who is doing what, Climate change effects,             Forward modelling, Attempts to control. Presenter: Q Goodbody.  Venue: Originally scheduled for the Museum, but currently assessing giving online.

Water Ladysmith -Presenter: Greg Roberts. In the planning stage

Local Healing plants and potions – Daniel Elliott (Stzuminus First Nation). In planning stage

Looking for ideas / volunteers for future talks.

Heritage Week Activities:  February 17-23

 Monday Feb 17th: Family Day at the Museum.  >200 attended

 Thursday Feb 20th: 1st Annual Ladysmith Heritage Awards Presentation. in association with Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce ‘90’th celebration. 1st Annual Ladysmith heritage Awards presented in association with Town of Ladysmith. 45 attended.

 Saturday Feb 22nd Heritage Walk (Rob Johnson), 45 attended – ended up at Museum. Open House at the Waterfront, in association with the LMS. approx. 300 attended

Archives

Sorry to report the passing of a Bonnie Peerens, a longtime and greatly valued volunteer for the Society. Bonnie was a regular presence at the Archives. She will be sorely missed.

Archives building was open 5 days per week until closed mid March due to Covid-19 concerns.

Archives per se

Ongoing activities:

  • Walkem Fonds – Esther Sharp
  • Chronicle Fonds – Phil Christiansen
  • Tax Assessments – longterm project
Reading Room

Ongoing Projects: Research

  • History of  Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce – Ed Nicholson principal
  • Ladysmith Nursing School – Pat Brownfield principal
  • Cemetery Info Compilation – Nancy Roy principal
  • Canadian Colliery Employees – Bridget Watson principal
  • Births/Marriages/Deaths (pre 1920) – Linda McAdam
  • Heritage Trail Inventory in Cowichan Valley* – Marina Sacht principal
  • People & Places Neighbourhood Project *– Lesley Moore principal
  • The Beat Goes On – Music in Ladysmith* – Marina Sacht principal

* Externally funded projects

Planned projects: Research
  • WW2 Cenotaph Stories – Esther/John Sharp
  • Kit Wilmot records online
  • Revision/Expansion of Heritage Inventory
  • Ladysmith Heritage App (with Chamber & Town)
  • Ladysmith’s Natural Heritage (Predators, etc.) M
  • Sport in Ladysmith M (to coincide with 2021 Summer Olympics)
  • Ladysmith Breweries M (to coincide with local brew pubs opening)

(M denotes planned Museum exhibit)

Ongoing Projects: Visitor information
  • Family Histories – Bridget Watson
  • General History – Alistair Cowenberg
  • Property Information (House info, Gas Stn Contamination etc.) Pat Brownfield

Museum

 Includes Museum on 1st Ave and site at 614 Oyster Bay Drive.

Board is steering focus of Museum to not just chronicling the Past, but to illustrate the relevance of Heritage to Present & Future, & to make Museum a recognized place of learning within the community.

Society is still planning to formally request space in the Machine Shop for Industrial Heritage displays. ‘White paper’ and preliminary budget distributed to LDHS Board for comment. End member of space request could be to house Museum and Archives in one place at the waterfront (see concerns about 1st Ave Museum building).

1st Avenue Museum Location:

Plan is to introduce temporary exhibits and associated activities/talks. First Avenue front room being changed into Temporary Feature Exhibit space. First Feature Exhibit to be ‘Vancouver Island Predators – Wolves, Bears, Cougars & Wolverines.’ Feature Exhibits intended to last 4-6 months.

Town Timeline previously in front room is being ‘digitized’  and expanded.

Remaining museum exhibits will be modernized/updated/expanded through the time when capital/manpower available

Exhibit
  • Saltair Quilters – over now. Quilts being removed.
 Planned Exhibits
  • Predators of Vancouver Island (Active planning ongoing.) Vancouver Island Predators: Bears, Cougars, Wolves, Wolverines. Anticipate Summer/Fall 2020 opening – post-Coronavirus A co-operative effort between LDHS Museum, Game & Wildlife, Tundra Speaks, CWS, etc.
  • Future wildlife exhibits planned. Birds, Fish, Insects, Plants
  • Ladysmith Sports.  Olympians, Guinness Records etc. – we got ‘em all…. History, importance and impact of sport in Ladysmith
  • Brewing and Bottling in Ladysmith and District.

Museum at Oyster Bay Drive (Waterfront) location:

Activity continued at the waterfront until halted in March due to COVID-19 concerns. Ongoing work includes: Restoration of Loci 11, Box Car and Humdergin;  securing Loci Shed against break-in: fabricating and installing rebar grids on windows. Planning for restoration of loci shed (doors in particular as they are in perilous condition).

Planned future projects include restoration of:

  • Log flatcar, Jordan Spreader – has Town approval.
  • Dunsmuir Coal Car and side dumper (currently in Cassidy area) – needs Town approval

Uncertainty as to Town’s plans for Arts & Heritage Hub. Working on clarifying plans and how LDHS can contribute.

Some concern regarding 2020 funding from Town Grant in Aid ($7500) due to COVID-19 reduction in 2020 tax revenue. Time will tell….

 Grants in hand

 People & Places: Neighborhood Project  $3055 Grant from BC Heritage Legacy Fund: Heritage Awareness. Report due October 2020. Research ongoing – Lesley Moore principal researcher. Detailing neighborhoods and ethnic diversity in early Ladysmith

 Heritage Trail: Inventory of heritage places in the Cowichan Valley $1100 Grant In Aid from CVRD. Report currently due – but delayed due to winter and COVID-19 closures. To date Chemainus, Crofton, Mill Bay, Maple Bay (Hand of Man), Nanaimo, Shawnigan Lake, Duncan museums visited. Awaiting visit to B.C. Duncan Forest Discovery Centre. Deliverable: a report detailing an inventory of Museums etc., and discussion on state of institutions; potential for a Heritage Trail

 ONE Community, Different Cultures $7500 grant from Heritage BC. Deliverable is a workshop prior to year end ‘ bringing disparate groups together’ to increase awareness, understanding and co-operation’. Preliminary planning ongoing. Volunteers sought.

The Beat Goes On. – Music in Ladysmith.  $15,000 grant from Virtual Museum of Canada. National exposure: Online history of Music in Ladysmith with video, sound, photos, commentary, text. Preliminary planning ongoing. Volunteers sought.

Grant Applications in preparation

BC Heritage Legacy Fund 2020 (Heritage BC) Applying for $7500 matching grant for ToL 2020 $7500 Grant in Aid financing for restoration of CL&RCo Railway Rolling Stock.  Submission deadline May 1st 2020. Awaiting approval letter from Town re: continued restoration of CL&RCo rolling stock.

Community Gaming Grant  Application in process for funding to permit hiring part time Museum Manager/Fundraiser.

 Other planned Activities

 Repainting lower portion of 1st Avenue Museum. Seeking Town approval ?and Development Permit?

Current LDHS Concerns:

 

  • State of 1st Ave Museum Building – addition where artifacts stored is vulnerable to flooding (last flood February 2020). Town notified. No official statement from Town, but unofficial message is that the Town is unwilling to incur the required expenditure to fix ($10s of thousands) as the building is slated for demolition in a couple of years.
  • Long term solution for Museum venue needs to be defined. Town plans (are there any?) need to be shared with the LDHS so joint planning can commence. LDHS recommending industrial heritage (+) centre in the waterfront Machine Shop.
  • Vulnerability of First Avenue Museum building to fire and break-in. Society has installed grids on all basement windows, and bars on all the doors – at it’s own expense to protect artifacts.
  • Requirement for Review/Revision of Archives/Museum Maintenance & Operating Agreement with Town. Communication initiated with Joanna Winter: Society concerns stated in letter – follow-up meeting deferred due to Covid-19.
  • Crime level at Waterfront – March break-in at First Aid Shed and loss of TV etc. (value approx. $650). RCMP notified. Notification letter sent to Town with recommendations for additional security measures. No reply to date. All locks replaced, doors strengthened and valuable items removed.
  • Uncertainty regarding Town plans for Arts & Heritage Hub.

Respectfully submitted:

Quentin Goodbody, President LDHS, April 2020

 

 

Society News

The Beat Goes On – Ladysmith’s Music History Takes the National Stage

Ladysmith City Band, early 1900s. Photo: Ladysmith Archives

The Board of the Ladysmith & District Historical Society is pleased to announce the LDHS has been chosen by the Virtual Museum of Canada for a $15,000 investment in its project on the history of Music in Ladysmith.

Titled “The Beat Goes On,” the project will feature the rich history of music in Ladysmith and its connection to the evolving community. Ranging from pre-settler First Nations music through the early opera houses and city and coal company brass bands of the early 1900s, the ragtime of the roaring 20s and the depressed 30s, the big bands of the 40s and the beginnings of rock ʼn’ roll in the 50s and 60s, with the iconic dances in the Aggie Hall featuring greats such as Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, the beat continues up to the present day lively music scene.

Through a combination of text, video and period photographs, interspersed with sound bites of the music of the day, the story of our community will be told and our current artists showcased on an online national stage.

Work on the project is commencing, with the final product due end 2021. Volunteers are sought to assist with research, contribute with reminiscences and perform. If interested, please contact the society at info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca or phone 250-245-0100.

The Virtual Museum of Canada, managed by the Canadian Museum of History with the financial support of the Government of Canada, is the largest digital source of stories and experiences shared by Canada’s museums and heritage organizations. The Community Stories investment program helps smaller Canadian museums and heritage organizations work with their communities to develop virtual exhibits that engage online audiences in the stories, past and present, of Canada’s communities.

Society News

Community Record of the COVID-19

The Ladysmith & District Historical Society invites you to  keep a record of these unprecedented times during the COVID-19 pandemic that will be used in the future at the Ladysmith Archives.

Please consider keeping a personal or family journal of thoughts, activities and challenges documenting how current safety rules are impacting your life and the lives of those around you. How is this pandemic affecting you and your family?  What are your worries? What gives you hope? How have you been impacted negatively and positively?  How do you think life will change when this over?

This is a unique opportunity for children, parents, grandparents and friends to interact safely and help create a community record during this life-changing event.

We are living in a time that will be remembered in our history.  For a moment, let us consider some of the positive things that come from having time and space. The world has slowed down and we have time to think, be creative, let our environment recover, appreciate nature, help those in need, look after ourselves, catch up on chores and understand how much we enjoy friends, family, events and hugs. 

Please begin your journals: diaries, movies, slide shows, friendship emails, scrap books or drawings today.

When COVID-19 is over, bring a copy to the Ladysmith & District Historical Society Archives as a record of this unprecedented time. We would like to save your historical records today for tomorrow.

info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca

Society News

Now & Then Photos Project

The Ladysmith & District Historical Society is initiating an Adopt A Photo Project in order to expand and digitize our community Timeline.  We are asking photographers to shoot ‘now’ photos to match the perspective of our existing ‘heritage’ photos.  This will be a welcome feature at the Ladysmith Museum for the community to enjoy.

Those interested can contact the lead on this project, Marina Sacht at  marinasacht@yahoo.ca or 250-756-8892 and we will assign them photos to match.
This is a volunteer position.
For more info view the video below.

https://youtu.be/-YiNBytwuXM