
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.