$3.95

Spring 2015

THE ALLURE OF GOLD FROM MUSEO DEL ORO, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA, COLOMBIA

TRADITION IN FELICITIES OPENS IN CHINA

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE (FOR CLAMS)

MANAGING EDITOR

Kathryn Swanson Membership & Marketing Coordinator

MEMBERSHIP EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Erika Stenson Head of Marketing & Business Development

David Alexander Head of New Archives & Digital Preservation

Erik Lambertson Corporate Communications Officer

Gerry Truscott Publisher

Jenny McCleery Graphic Designer

Shane Lighter Photographer

What’s inSight is an electronic magazine released four times annually, in March, June, September and December, by the Royal BC Museum.

In the interest of keeping our administrative costs low – and our carbon footprint small – this print version is provided to members without computer access only.

ONE MORE WAY TO GO GREEN

Contact Kathryn Swanson to request a digital version of What’s inSight 250-387-3287 membership@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

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SPRING 2015

FEATURE The Allure of Gold

from the Museo del Oro

FEATURE What’s in a Name?

VOLUNTEER PROFILE Leona Taylore

FEATURE Curious Quarterly: Pacific Worlds

FEATURE Tradition in Felicities

opens in Guangzhou, China

Our Economic and Social Impact

DONOR PROFILE Carol Cullimore

FEATURE From Seamount to Species

FEATURE Artifacts Come Home

After More than 100 Years

FEATURE Leaving Your Legacy

FEATURE Are You In or Are You Out?

GOING DIGITAL Learning Portal

A CLOSER LOOK Sugar Thief!

A CLOSER LOOK From Russia, With Love (for Clams)

Cover Image

Bat-man pendant. Tairona Period, 900 – 1600 A.D. Clark M. Rodríguez photograph; Museo del Oro, Banco de la República, Colombia.

Dear Friends,

Gold exerts an endless fascination especially in a country like Canada where its presence was so significant to its transformation. It is a sublime material associated with the birth of the nation. At different points in history, indigenous people have incorporated gold into their work often to increase its symbolism and importance. Our spectacular new exhibition aggregates the various meanings of gold for us, highlighting its mesmerizing qualities with arguably the most important gold collection in the world. I am so grateful to Maria Alicia Uribe Villegas, the Director of Museo del Oro, Banco de la República, in Bogotá and the Government of Colombia for making this significant loan possible.

In telling the story of the Gold Rush in British Columbia, we have focused on the big themes and narratives supported by enthralling and significant objects drawn from across British Columbia and as far away as Australia. The preparations have taken over two years and involved many people, scholars and experts, designers and conservators, government institutions and private lenders.

The exhibition is an important opportunity to draw attention to the remarkable heritage that is still there to be seen in northern British Columbia in the historic sites like Barkerville and Cottonwood House, and to reflect on the beauty and the allure of gold.

Our aim is simply to inspire, arouse curiosity, educate and delight. We do hope you visit us soon.

Yours,

Professor Jack Lohman, CBE Chief Executive Officer, Royal BC Museum

Man transformed into a Jaguar Pectoral or breastplate Tolima style 1 B.C. – 700 A.D. Museo del Oro, Bogotá, Colombia

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Pectoral ornament, showing a human head wearing nose ornament and earrings. Calima – Yotoco Period, 200 BCE – 1300 CE Museo del Oro, Bogotá Colombia.

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The Allure of Gold from the Museo del OroBy Dr Kathryn Bridge, Head of Knowledge, Academic Relations & Atlas

More than 130 stunning ancient gold objects from Colombia, South

America comprise the Allure of Gold exhibition, opening May 13, 2015. This exhibition, a partnership with the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, allows us a rare glimpse into the world of indigenous people in Colombia before the advent of the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century.

In May 2014, I flew to Bogota and met with the director and staff at the Museo del Oro to discuss the loan of gold objects for the Gold Rush exhibition. It was an exciting few days working with curators who brought out hundreds of gold works for review. We discussed themes, presentation methodology and made selections. To be in a room filled with ancient golden objects and see them all up close as they were laid upon tables was truly a privilege. The staff were friendly and accommodating and extremely professional in their actions. As part of the discussions we agreed to a reciprocal loan from the Royal BC Museum to the Museo del Oro. Details about what will be sent in exchange will be announced at a later date.

The exhibition is intended to dazzle. Golden diadems, earrings and ear plugs, nose rings – often hugely elaborate – pectoral plates with incised decorations and other body adornments shimmer as they reflect the light and transform the wearer. Votive offerings made of gold – small figurines of humans and animals – and ceremonial limesticks attest to ritual and religious beliefs. These objects range in date from

the first century BCE to 1500 CE and reveal a sophisticated, longstanding metalworking culture that supported skilled artisans over the millennia. It is a magnificent horde, and this will be its only North American showing. By exhibiting these precious gold objects we hope that the visitor will not only appreciate the skill of these ancient goldsmiths and marvel at the objects themselves, but, perhaps understand the power they still hold today for Colombia’s indigenous peoples. They are national treasures and strictly safeguarded.

But what, you might ask, does Colombian gold have to do with British Columbia? We set this exhibition within the larger exhibition, Gold Rush: El Dorado in British Columbia to link Colombia and British Columbia purposefully (not just through nomenclature) to show how the quest for gold in both these places is connected. Colombia was the original “El Dorado”, the land of gold sought after by explorers and made mythic in western imagination. Colombia’s indigenous peoples suffered greatly when European explorers “discovered” these golden objects. They plundered and melted the gold down into bullion for government treasuries and other objects, seeing only their economic value. Centuries later, with gold discoveries on the Fraser River in 1858, newspapers called British Columbia the “New El Dorado”. Indigenous peoples here, like those in Colombia, suffered because of gold. Gold seekers did not respect their connection to the land, their ways of life. Greed and diseases

devastated populations. Mining activities forever altered the lands and rivers.

The Allure of Gold is an opportunity for the imagination to take hold. These objects were fashioned from the nuggets, flakes and gold powder gathered from riverbanks and bars and dug up from the ground. Voyages of discovery from Europe to the Americas searched for such riches.

Imagine, centuries later, hearing about a gold discovery in a faraway land and because it was now possible, booking passage on a sailing ship halfway around the world on speculation, determined to try for yourself to become rich. This is gold fever, it is a moment in time, a short and concentrated opportunity. Thousands of people became infected by gold fever in 1858 and flooded into British Columbia to make their fortunes, and this was the gold rush.

The search for new El Dorados continues today, not without controversy. Gold is more than a story about shiny jewelry. It is about the role gold plays in changing our world itself.

Presented in partnership with the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, Colombia, the Allure of Gold feature exhibition will open alongside Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC on May 13, 2015.

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Continued on page 8

discovery of gold on the Fraser River that year brought thousands of prospectors; many entrepreneurs also flooded into the area. Those who didn’t fancy the job of panning on the bars established businesses that supplied the prospectors instead. Yale quickly became a community of adventurers from around the world – and a dangerous place. David Higgins, who arrived in Yale that summer, described the “wild west” atmosphere in Yale:

On November 22, 1858, more than 400 residents of Yale, British Columbia,

signed a petition asking their new Governor, James Douglas, to provide an armed escort for their shipments of “treasure” (gold) that were being sent down the river. This petition will be one of the feature objects on display in the exhibition Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC, opening May 13, 2015.

With tools like the internet and social media at our fingertips, it’s easy to gain the support of the masses and drive change. Imagine how anyone managed to garner mass support in British Columbia more than 100 years ago. Petitions in the 19th century were used the way Change.org functions for us today. To draw their government’s attention to an issue, citizens would round up signatures from as many like-minded people as they could. Despite not being legally binding, actual signatures had a special weight. The sheer number of names would, at the very least, make the Governor’s secretary take note when it arrived.

The petition stands nearly eight feet tall and is made up of four sheets of paper complete with two long columns of spidery signatures. It comes from the BC Archives’ collection of Colonial Correspondence. You can imagine that displaying such a huge document without causing damage to the artifact would be a challenge, but the Royal BC Museum staff has developed some innovative techniques to allow visitors to view the original document. Visitors will also discover the fate of some of these fortune seekers through an interactive touchscreen. You’ll find that some of

the petitioners were absolutely right in requesting their need for protection. Some made it away with their “pile” while others met a violent end or simply disappeared.

Who were these people and why did they feel the need for a gold escort? All were new residents of Yale, which before the summer of 1858 was simply Fort Yale, a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post. The

What’s in a Name?By Ann ten Cate, Archivist

“In every saloon a faro-bank or a three-card-monte table was in full swing, and the hells were crowded to suffocation. A worse set of cut-throats and all round scoundrels than those who flocked to Yale from all parts of the world never assembled anywhere. Decent people feared to go out after dark. Night assaults and robberies, varied by an occasional cold-blooded murder or a daylight theft, were common occurrences. Crime in every form stalked boldly through the town unchecked and unpunished. The good element was numerically large; but it was dominated and terrorized by those whose trade it was to bully, beat, rob and slay.”

Tenements on Humboldt Street, where Zacharia Richardson lived, around 1880.

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Revolver. Ely Whitney civilian Navy Model .36 calibre percussion, 1860.

A detail of the petition to Governor James Douglas requesting that an armed escort be provided for the citizens’ gold shipments.

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Hugh Nelson Hugh Nelson came from Ireland to California in 1854 and was 28 when he signed the petition. Rather than chase the gold, he and his partner George Dietz founded the BC and Victoria Express Company, which shipped freight between Victoria, New Westminster and Yale. Nelson was active in politics and was part of the Yale Convention, promoting confederation with Canada. He represented Barkerville as a Senator, and was appointed as BC’s 4th Lieutenant Governor in 1887.

Dr William Fifer Dr William Fifer was a well-respected citizen of Yale, and President of the Town Council – but became the victim of “a cold-blooded and cowardly murder” on the night of July 5, 1861. Fifer was a German, who had lived in San Francisco before coming to BC. While working in his drugstore one evening, the doctor was shot through the heart by a man named Robert Wall. The assailant made his getaway in a canoe down the river,

government-financed gold escort until 1861 – when gold started pouring out of the more remote Cariboo gold fields. This petition nails down their place in BC’s history –157 years ago when 400 men, and a few women, put their names on a piece of paper.

Jules Boucherat.

Lieutenant Governor Hugh Nelson.

Moving gold dust safely on to Victoria where it could be banked and exchanged for currency was problematic – there was no police force, no road, and the route in and out of the gold country was dangerous. The request of the petitioners was for an armed escort like the one set

Some of the signatories:but was captured “by a posse of police” from New Westminster while heading for the U.S. border. At the trial Wall accused Fifer of malpractice – and there were intimations that Fifer was not a “regularly-educated doctor”.

Zachariah Richardson There are few traces of Zachariah Richardson, apart from his signature on this document. But we do know that he was black – and by 1880 was living in Victoria. On November 23, 1880, the Daily Colonist reported that “Zachariah Richardson (colored)” was charged by Sergeant Bloomfield with “allowing the chimney in a tenement occupied by him on Humboldt Street to take fire”. At Richardson’s trial the Chief Engineer of the fire department asked the judge to be lenient because Richardson was “a hard-working labouring man” and unable to pay the full fine of $5. With inflation the fine would be valued at $110 today.

up in Australia, which had faced similar problems during its 1852 gold rush.

Unfortunately for this group of concerned citizens, the fledgling, and impecunious, colonial government was not able to support the establishment of a

The Royal BC Museum preserves the past so we can inspire the future. Archival records, like the 157 year old petition described in this article, are very fragile and require precision conservation. To help preserve other items in our collections, please consider making a contribution. Visit us online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support, email us at donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call us at 250-387-3102.

is listed in a number of sources in the 1870’s as a packer running horse trains between Yale and Lytton. He was born in France in 1817, and is likely the same J. Boucherat who opened general stores in Victoria and Vancouver in the 1880’s. After the death of his first wife Frances in 1888, he remarried a young widow and retired to San Jose, California, dying there in 1898.

Patrick Kelley Did Patrick Kelley disappear for good? A sad little notice in the Colonist on September 16, 1858 states “Information wanted of Patrick Kelley, aged 23, formerly of Fiddletown. He left California a year ago for Fraser River”. The curious name of Fiddletown, California originated because the creek that supplied the placer miners with their water always dried up in the summer, and thus they spent their summers “fiddling around”.

Continued from page 7

Boucherat Boucherat was probably the French entrepreneur Jules Boucherat, who

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More than 70 staff and volunteers are working around the clock to bring

the exhibition Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC to life. Deciphering and transcribing the 400 signatures on the petition was a mammoth task – and big thanks are due to our volunteer Leona Taylor who pored over the document and created the list for us. Some of the names were spelled phonetically by their owners, which made it even harder to make sense of them. It’s likely that many of the signatories were practically illiterate and were just making shapes on the paper rather than letters. But Leona (who has also indexed 80 years of The British Colonist) is familiar with 19th century calligraphy and the names of many of these early residents of British Columbia, making her “best guesses” much better than ours. She also combed through a number of online sources to help us build the profiles of the individuals we are featuring in the interactive for the exhibit.

Thank you Leona!

VOLUNTEER PROFILE:

Leona Taylor

Royal Canadian Mint Million Dollar CoinLIMITED ENGAGEMENT

Visit Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC and see treasures from the Royal

Canadian Mint, including a limited-time engagement of the world’s first Million Dollar Coin.

The coin, which weighs 100 kilograms and is made from 99999 fine gold, was produced in 2007. It features a hand-polished maple leaf design by Royal Canadian Mint artist and senior engraver Stan Witten and is backed by an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Canadian portrait artist Susanna Blunt.

The Million Dollar Coin was certified by Guinness World Records in 2007 as the world’s largest and purest gold coin. There were only five produced, one kept

by the Mint and the others purchased by buyers from Canada and abroad.

One of these rare Million Dollar Coins will be on special display at the Royal BC Museum from May 13 until June 14 only.

Also on loan from the Mint are gold circulation coins from 1912 to 1914, a 1 oz. gold wafer, a 400 oz. gold bar and Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games medals which will be on exhibit for the run of the Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition.

Included with admission to the Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC exhibition.

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Curious QuarterlyPACIFIC WORLDS

By Peter Ord, Vice President, Archives, Collections and Knowledge

How does a person define the ‘essence’ of a place, person or thing? Is it

possible to even articulate the sense of being that a location can convey? Over the last 50 years many scholars and writers have explored this concept by applying the word ‘Topophilia’ to such an exercise. The term is a construct of the Greek word topos for ‘place’, and philia for ‘love of’. It has been used to articulate how people feel about certain places, and how these places evoke feelings of emotion around spatial and cultural identity.

The Chinese-US academic and geographer Tuan Yi-Fu explored this topic in his 1974 book Topophilia: a study of environmental

perception, attitudes, and values. The book is significant because he does what museums have been trying to do for decades: identifying what factors, be they physical, cultural or emotional, make a place so special.

For the Royal BC Museum, this challenge underpins most of the work it does when developing exhibits, collecting specimens or curating programs. The museum provides a multi-faceted window to the ‘spirit’ of the Pacific, the sense of place that residents and visitors feel when talking about the coastal communities and habitats of British Columbia. It also provides a sense of identity for west coasters, as the province aligns itself with the growing ambitions of the Pacific Age.

Iris Parr, stewardess and shop attendant on the Empress of Canada, one of Canada’s largest passenger ships. In 1981 she donated five albums filled with photographs of her travels.

“My First Trip” Iris Parr Albums. 1931-1941

This latest issue of Curious Quarterly provides a perfect vantage point to explore what shapes our sense of place here in the grand Pacific. I hope you enjoy this edition and come away with feelings of both awe and resonance, something museums like ours are so proud to provide.

Curious Quarterly is an app and online publication featuring essays, research, illustrations and photography produced by Royal BC Museum curators, archivists and other experts. Our team members help to create a publication as diverse and unique as the collection itself. Curious Quarterly is available online as well as on your mobile device via iOS and Android apps.

Read the rest on the Curious Quarterly Journal at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/curious

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Group in front of Chinese School, Fisgard Street, Victoria. ca. 1901. Lee Jack, last of the Chinese miners on Wild Horse Creek. 1918.

The Royal BC Museum is delighted to announce that the exhibition Tradition

in Felicities: Celebrating the History of Victoria’s Chinatown will be on display at the Sun Yat-Sen Library of Guangdong Province. The Sun Yat-Sen Library is the largest comprehensive library in Southern China, hosting more than 10,000 visitors daily. You may remember viewing the temporary exhibition at the Royal BC Museum when it was on display from February 7 to November 11, 2013.

Tradition in Felicities earned the Royal BC Museum a KECK Award (see What’s inSight Winter 2014 for details), an international conservation award given out every two

Tradition in Felicities opens in Guangzhou, ChinaBy Peter Ord, Vice President, Archives, Collections and Knowledge

years by the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) for contributing most towards promoting public understanding and appreciation of the accomplishments of the conservation profession.

The exhibition focused on the historical significance and unique personal stories of Canada’s oldest Chinatown and showcased the conservation process of the Chinese Freemason’s Lantern.

This will be the first time the Royal BC Museum has had an exhibition in China. This rendition of the Tradition in Felicities exhibition highlights the long-standing

relationships between China and Canada through stories of migration and cultural exchanges and symbolizes the museum and archives’ commitment to developing our relationships abroad. The exhibition reveals an important part of local history and exemplifies the Royal BC Museum’s commitment to collaborate with and share stories of diverse communities, and to preserve Victoria’s Chinatown history.

The exhibition opened March 3, 2015 and will run through March 17, 2015, with possibilities of travelling to other venues. Professor Jack Lohman and Dr Scott Cooper were in attendance for the opening.

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Our Economic and Social Impact

Our Community

108 Royal BC Museum staff

536 active volunteers

(over 38,000 volunteer hours)

364 full-time equivalent jobs

created in the province linked to special exhibitions

650,000visitors annually

35,000 school children in

formal groups

3,838 archives researchers

and students

25 academic

partnerships

300,000 IMAX visitors annually

2,000 free admissions provided to charities for fundraising

50 community events

Three-day annual aboriginal cultural festival

10,000 free admissions on Family Day

250 books provided to

charitable organizations

16,000 members

Employment

2,000,000 online visitors

Giving Back $8.356m

in tax revenues resulting from summer visitation

Economic Impact

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Our Contribution

The Royal BC Museum and Archives, our staff, on-site partners and volunteers have an impact on the economy and lives of the people

of Victoria, the region and the province.

Our initiatives support all levels of government, the local and provincial tourism industry, international relations and

education for peoples of all ages and stages of academia. We generate significant spending power within the province.

Our mission to take a leadership role in research and scholarship, develop world-class collections, and deliver innovative partnerships

and programming, supports the city and communities around British Columbia.

84 staff employed by on-site partners

108 Royal BC Museum staff

3partners with

permanent offices on-site

3,457Audio Video

collections digitized last year

2 hectares of Royal BC Museum precinct

32 km records in the BC Archives if they were filed end-to-end

229,209 documents and images

digitized last year

7 research labs

on-site

Our Precinct

28,979 m2 of building area on the precinct

IMAX Theatre

St Ann’s Schoolhouse

Helmcken House

2

floors of permanent

exhibition space

Over

830 programs, tours and

events presented last year

Thunderbird Park

Our Visitor Attractions

$36m incremental GDP generated

annually by the summer special exhibition program

$2.15m in government tax

revenues resulting from museum operations

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NEW PUBLICATION Treasures of the Royal British Columbia Museum and Archives Jack Lohman

There’s so much more to discover behind the world-famous exhibitions on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum.

The collections housed in the museum and archives include millions of plant and animal specimens, and great numbers of historical and archaeological artifacts, photographs, films, audio recordings and fine art.

Treasures of the Royal British Columbia Museum and Archives features dramatic new photographs of these collections. It is introduced by CEO Jack Lohman, who created the book as part of a far-reaching revitalization of western Canada’s oldest, largest and best-loved museum. Lohman also contributes an insightful essay about the importance of museum collections and supports his argument with more specific essays from three prominent curators and a former provincial archivist.

Treasures celebrates not just the richness of museum collections but their importance to culture, science and our understanding of British Columbia’s place in the world.

Order your copy online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/shop or purchase it at the Royal BC Museum Shop or your local bookstore.

$39.95 / hardcover

O F W I N ENARAMATA BENCH WINERIES ASSOCIATION

SPRING WINE RELEASE

CRYSTAL GARDEN, 713 Douglas Street

APRIL 28, 2015 6:30 PM • $95* PER PERSON

Be among the first to taste the spring release

wines from the Naramata Bench Wineries

Enjoy delectable bites from

Victoria’s finest chefs • Silent Auction

In support of the Royal BC Museum and

Royal BC Museum Foundation

Purchase tickets at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/artnfacts

Tickets must be purchased in advance Tax receipts available for portion • Must be 19 years +

* plus applicable taxes

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it made me feel happy to be able to do something to help out. Plus, I suddenly needed the tax relief. And now, every year when I donate, I love it that the actual cost of the contribution I make is reduced because of the tax credit I get. It really helps make it more affordable to make a difference to an important charity like this one.”

Please consider making a donation today. Without your help, we cannot do as much to protect our shared history and shape our shared future. Contact us at 250 387-3102 or donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Carol Cullimore has volunteered with the Royal BC Museum since she

retired from the Attorney General’s Legislative Counsel Office in 2001. “At first, I got involved just for something to do because I missed the socialization at work,” she laughs. “The people here were wonderful from the start, and I really enjoyed learning more about all the different specialty areas within the museum and archives. I found it fascinating, and I still do. The artifacts I saw coming in here were just amazing. I often thought to myself, if the Royal BC Museum didn’t look after them, where would they end up? So much would be lost: knowledge, craftsmanship and a sense of who we were.” She pauses and adds, “And a sense of who we are now.”

“When I, myself, donated an item to the collection, I learned more about the work involved in conservation and about building a collection that really keeps the history of the province alive and kicking. There is always more to learn. That is what keeps it interesting. Over time, I learned about special projects that needed financial contributions in order to get done: things like the much-needed upgrading of the fire system at Helmcken House a few years ago.” Carol recalls, “At first, I felt I couldn’t afford to help. I think differently about it now. I feel strongly that anything that can be done to help is good whether or not it is a humongous amount. Everything helps.”

“As it happened, I inherited some money from my uncle and my mother, and I suddenly felt I could afford to support a worthwhile cause. The Royal BC Museum had always been really good to me and

DONOR PROFILE

Carol CullimoreBy Jonathan Dallison, Major Gifts Manager

“…the best part is when I have conversations with my grandkids about what the Royal BC Museum is doing, and I can see their interest spark.” She smiles. “That is when you really see how important supporting the Royal BC Museum is.”

Donor Carol Cullimore received her 10-year Volunteer Services pin in 2012.

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According to one study, 21 years is the average length of time that a

newly described species sits on a shelf from date of first collection to date of formal description. Many factors – primarily related to available taxonomic expertise and resources – influence how long a species must wait before being recognized for its uniqueness. Fortunately for a new species of marine sponge, its ‘shelf-life’ was relatively short: less than a year after being brought up from the deep waters of the Northeast Pacific, the sponge is receiving a name and its rightful place in the Royal BC Museum’s Invertebrate Collection.

This past summer, the Royal BC Museum received a number of unusual specimens from Bowie Seamount that had been collected by Archipelago Marine Research as part of a Fisheries and Oceans Canada project. For those unfamiliar with seamount geography, Bowie Seamount is a submarine volcano located 180 kilometers west of Haida Gwaii, rising approximately 3000 metres from the sea floor and reaching 24 metres below sea level. In spite of its remoteness, Bowie supports a rich diversity of marine life and has been designated a Marine Protected Area.

Among the donated specimens was a glass sponge, also known as a hexactinellid (pronounced: hex-ack-tin-el-id). Hexactinellids are unique in that their skeletons are made entirely of silica (aka glass). But this particular sponge was even more distinct – indeed, it was unlike any species previously described

From Seamount to SpeciesTHE SHORT SHELF-LIFE OF A SPONGE

By Dr Melissa Frey, Curator of Invertebrates

from the Northeast Pacific. Fortunately Dr Henry Reiswig, one of the world’s leading sponge taxonomists, is a Research Associate at the Royal BC Museum, and graciously agreed to further examine the specimen.

Identifying and describing sponges is a time-consuming business that calls for meticulous methods. Typically, sponges are not identified by their overall colour or shape, but rather by their spicules. These spicules vary in shape and range in size – some have simple architecture, while others are exquisitely complex – all require a powerful microscope for proper examination. After taking detailed images and making hundreds of measurements, Dr Reiswig was able to confirm that this particular species is new to science. Moreover, he pointed out that the species is characterized by a distinct type of spicule known as a ‘strobiloplumicome,’ specific to a subfamily of glass sponge never before reported in the Northeast Pacific – until now.

Currently, Dr Reiswig is in the process of publishing his findings in the scientific journal Zootaxa. A species name has been selected, but in adherence to the code of zoological nomenclature, the name must remain undisclosed until final publication. At that point, the specimen will join the ranks of other named species in the Royal BC Museum’s Invertebrate Collection, thereby ending its shelf-life of a species without a name.

Many thanks to Dr Henry Reiswig and all of the Research Associates who

volunteer their expertise and time to improving the collections and our knowledge of the natural world. Financial support for scanning electron microscopy was generously provided by the Royal BC Museum.

Museums are more than just places to visit and explore. Museums can also be birthplaces for scientific discoveries. When you make a donation to the Royal BC Museum, you aren’t just supporting the items you see on display. You’re also supporting the items in our collections, some of which can be brand new scientific discoveries. If you would like to make a contribution, visit us online at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support, email us at donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call us at 250-387-3102.

Graham Island

Bowie Seamont Haida Gwaii

VictoriaVancouver

Prince George

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New species of glass sponge discovered and described by Dr Henry Reiswig, Royal BC Museum Research Associate.

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 15

details, I asked Joan if there was any record of a “#500a” specimen in the Paleontology collection.

Joan examined the catalogue of fossil specimens collected by Dr Charles F. Newcombe of Victoria and found a listing for “#500a & b,” identifying the specimen as Pachydiscus newberryanus from “Nanaimo River,” collected by “W[alter] Harvey Aug. 1 1901.” She noted that there was only one “#500” specimen presently in the Royal BC Museum’s collection – a newberryanum specimen identified as “#500a”. She therefore requested that I “keep a look out for a 500b!”

I immediately wrote back to Joan and assured her that the missing specimen had finally been located, although on the other side of the country and incorrectly identified as specimen “#500a.” Eventually, Joan and I arranged for the return of the specimen to the Royal BC

Canadoceras newberryanum referred to by the British paleontologist Leonard Spath in 1922 as the type species for his new genus Canadoceras, named after Canada.

Specimens from the Royal BC Museum’s collection are often

sent across the globe to be studied. Researchers rely on our collection to grow their knowledge and find evidence to support their findings. But research objectives can change. As a result, sometimes fossils are put aside in storage—occasionally for as long as 100 years.

When fossils like these are rediscovered, they can bring about amazing discoveries, with their own bit of associated history. This is a story about one particular instance.

While recently poking through the fossil collections in the basement of the Ottawa branch of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), I came across a fossil with some interesting documentation that associated it with another fossil from the collections from Vancouver Island. This specimen was tagged with

one of the ubiquitous GSC ‘pink slips’ which, before the era of computers, were placed with GSC fossil collections starting in the 1940s to summarize the specimen’s provenance.

In this case, the pink slip read in handwritten script “Pachydiscus newberryanus, B.C. Prov. Museum #500a”. The specimen was a beautiful example of the ammonite Canadoceras newberryanum, previously referred to as the genus Pachydiscus. In fact, the species newberryanum was referred to by the British paleontologist Leonard Spath in 1922 as the type species for his new genus Canadoceras, named after Canada.

Knowing that the “B.C. Prov. Museum” had provided fossil specimens to the GSC for identification by Joseph F. Whiteaves in the late 1800s, I followed up with my colleague Joan Kerik, formerly of the Royal BC Museum’s Natural History department. Without providing any

Artifacts Come Home After More than 100 YearsBy Jim Haggart, Research Associate

16 What’s inSight Spring 2015

outside the region of the collection. Sometimes, these objects are returned, or “repatriated,” to their location of origin for permanent storage. Specimens are frequently exchanged by scientists in the interest of making them available to colleagues who are not able to visit the same localities.

It is presumed that Charles Newcombe sent the specimens “#19” and “#500” to Joseph Whiteaves in the late 1800s on a long-term loan for scientific study, with no expectation of return. Indeed, Whiteaves utilized the specimens in his early descriptions of the Cretaceous fossil faunas of Vancouver Island (1879, 1903), making reference to Newcombe’s collections. Given that ammonites of the genera Canadoceras and Pseudophyllites swam in British Columbia’s Cretaceous seas 75 million years ago, these are likely the oldest repatriated objects in the collection!

Museum, where it now resides with its associated specimen: catalogue number RBCM.EH2009.004.0001A & B.

Thanks to considerable sleuthing, the part and counterpart of another fossil were also eventually matched up. I asked Joan if she had a record of a “#19” specimen in the Newcombe collections and she replied that in fact she did. Newcombe’s catalogue entry indicated the specimen had two parts and that Part A is “good; split from a concretion showing sectioned

Curiosity inspires us; it enables us to explore the world and gain new perspectives on many things. If you’re naturally curious you’ll find yourself in good company at Continuing Studies.

Royal BC Museum members share their passion for discovery with thousands of people who enjoy continuing education courses at the University of Victoria each year, on campus, at locations in and around the city of Victoria, as well as online.

You may find that one interest leads to another and opens up new possibilities for learning and personal growth. Continuing Studies is a place to connect with ideas and people in a way that is accessible, challenging and fun!

The Spring 2015 Continuing Studies Calendar is filled with hundreds of courses that will further enrich your understanding of local history, contemporary issues, science and nature, languages, heritage and culture and the arts.

Test your curiosity with our quiz and win a prize! It’s at goo.gl/3EeJNk

All the answers can be found scattered throughout our current course Calendar: uvcs.uvic.ca/calendar

We hope you’ll get to know us and try a course, perhaps something completely new or renewing an interest you’ve always wanted to explore more deeply.

Curious? Join us at continuingstudies.uvic.ca/2015/royalbcmuseum

PARTNER PROFILE

Satisfy Your Curiosity with Continuing Studies

Pseudophyllites indra

upper chambers and outer original shell.”

In the GSC collections, the presumed Part B of Newcombe’s specimen “#19” was found to fit precisely with Part A. It had been identified by Whiteaves as the ammonite Pseudophyllites indra (Forbes). This fossil, also collected by Walter Harvey, has been since given the catalogue number RBCM.EH2004.012.0170A & B.

Historical and heritage objects are often collected by agencies located

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 17

Leaving Your LegacyBy Jonathan Dallison, Major Gifts Manager

“Leaving a bequest in my will is an important way for me to honour the love my wife Anne and I always shared for the Royal BC Museum. It is a treasure house of knowledge for future generations, and vital part of what makes British Columbia unique. I cherish it.”Alan Tompson, donor.

Consult your lawyer about whether a bequest is right for you and please feel free to speak with Jonathan Dallison, Major Gifts Manager, at 250-413-7756 or jdallison@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. He is happy to discuss your wishes.

Visit our website at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support-us/give/legacy

If you love our exhibitions, our learning programs, our unique collections and

our commitment to research, then you understand the importance of the contribution the Royal BC Museum makes to the entire province. If you already make an annual gift to support our work, then you also understand that we cannot succeed without the passion and commitment of museum lovers like you. But how can you make a real difference to the long-term future of the Royal BC Museum? One of the most meaningful ways is to make a bequest (a gift in your will).

Your will provides a unique opportunity for you to extend your values beyond your lifetime and play an important role

in shaping the future. It is part of your legacy: a celebration of who you are, a message to future generations and the final gift you make to the world. That gift can be a source of great inspiration to others.

May is national “Leave a Legacy”™ month – a time when charities like the Royal BC Museum Foundation seek to increase awareness of planned gifts such as bequests. Please know that gifts of any size are beneficial. Bequests can be made to suit any family situation so you can ensure your loved ones are looked after as a first priority. I encourage you to use this opportunity to consider the legacy you would like to leave.

18 What’s inSight Spring 2015

Are You In or Are You Out?By Kyle Wells, Communications Specialist

That’s the question participants will be asked as they enter Fashion Machine

Performance/Visual Art Experience! at the Royal BC Museum on March 28 and 29.

Those who are out will be literally, but playfully, labelled a “Chicken.”

For those who are in, however, it could prove to be an interesting evening.

Either way, all those who attend are sure to have fun in this creative and engaging special event.

Fashion Machine, held in partnership with Theatre SKAM and The Makehouse, gives budding younger designers between the ages of nine and 13 the opportunity to create fashion through the reimagining and recycling of clothes.

“The power of the project is bringing a sense of ownership to these young designers,” said Chris O’Connor, Schools and Family Learning Team Lead at the Royal BC Museum.

Which is where those who are in become involved.

Those who are “in” are agreeing to offer up whatever clothes they are wearing to the event as a starting point for these creative youth to ply their trade. Random participants will be handpicked by the young designers to have their clothes taken away (they will be providing a robe in return, and will have a changing room, so don’t worry) so the young fashion stars of the future can work their magic.

Based on their starting point and on a quick conversation with the participant, the designer will take to scissors and

sewing machines to whip up a new creation. Within an hour a whole new “look” will be finished for the audience member, and, after, a fashion show will be held to show off the dazzling new threads.

To prepare, these students participate in workshops to learn the necessary skills. Some of these workshops are held at the Royal BC Museum, where the youth learn about the importance of textiles and talk to conservation experts to better understand the history of fabrics.

“Fashion is illustrative, and it changes and develops with the times; it’s more than just cut fabrics,” O’Connor said. “The Royal BC Museum promotes the historical importance of fashion, and this event will bring this history right up to present day.”

During the event, the young designers will take this knowledge and lead their own tours of the Royal BC Museum’s Modern History Gallery, giving those

participating in Fashion Machine a chance to discover the connections between history and fashion.

The Makehouse has been running events like this for the past two years and owner Jenny Ambrose said the entire process is inspiring to witness.

“It’s so amazing to see what happens to the kids during the process,” Ambrose said. “All of a sudden these kids are super confident and hardly need any help. They’re not asking us for ideas, they have their own plans.”

Some of those plans turn out to be fun and goofy, while others end up quite serious and precise.

“The idea is what’s important,” Ambrose said.

Fashion Machine runs for two nights, on March 28 and 29. Tickets are $10 per person, or $30 for a family and are available at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 19

Immerse yourself in the natural and human history of British Columbia with

the Royal BC Museum’s recently launched website, the Learning Portal. The Learning Portal connects learners and educators of all ages to the history of British Columbia through the eyes of experts from the Museum and Archives.

The content on the Learning Portal includes a diverse group of topics, including information on Victoria’s Chinatown, the province’s biodiversity, the role of the British Crown in BC and First Peoples’ culture and history. Some content is tied to new or past exhibitions, and some is entirely exclusive to the site.

The site, created in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and with the help of an advisory board of more than 40 teachers and librarians from across the province, focuses on exploration and inquiry as key components of learning. Users can explore through specific themes, browse through articles, search

the site for keywords, pinpoint stories grouped around regions or communities or browse a timeline. Each article begins with a big question to spark learning and conversations.

The Learning Portal provides multiple ways to research any given topic, regardless of learning style. Students can access a wealth of information to support and enhance their studies of British Columbia. Younger learners can begin their learning through videos and images, while more advanced learners can access articles by the experts at the Royal BC Museum and find a collection of other online resources particular to a subject.

Articles focus on subject areas already found in British Columbian classrooms: genealogy and family trees, the development of early BC, concepts of Canadian identity, the diverse flora and fauna of BC and more. Viewers can explore these areas through the resources of the Museum and Archives

GOING DIGITAL

Learning PortalCONNECTING LEARNERS AND EDUCATORS WITH THE PROVINCE’S NATURAL AND HUMAN HISTORY

By Sydney Barnes, Web Publisher Intern, New Archives and Digital Preservation

to: learn how to track their own family history with the help of the BC Archives; watch a digital animation that recreates the oldest-known Chinese Freemasons’ lantern in its original full glory; look at the imaginative illustrations of crabs by Dr Josephine F.L. Hart; or listen to BC bird songs and hone skills of identifying the Great Horned Owl with the Grace Bell collection.

Want more? Meet the curators and archivists who study British Columbia every day through their work at the Royal BC Museum. Follow Dr Ken Marr and Dr Erica Wheeler to alpine regions of Northern BC as they collect, record and preserve new plant species for the botany collection. Ever wonder what it takes to study BC’s ancient past? Grant Keddie offers insight into why he became an archaeologist and what he does as Curator of Archaeology at the Museum and Archives.

The Learning Portal offers an exciting and easy-to-use platform that is perfect for delving into BC’s natural and human history in a classroom setting or from your own home.

Explore the subjects you find most intriguing on the Learning Portal at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/learning-portal

The Learning Portal was made possible through the support of Teck Resources Limited and the generosity of an anonymous private donor.

20 What’s inSight Spring 2015

A CLOSER LOOK

Sugar Thief!By Dr Ken Marr, Curator, Botany and Claudia Copley, Senior Collections Manager, Entomology

In 2014, while in an alpine meadow in the northern Rockies, we observed

a bumble bee crawling on, but not entering, the flower of a common alpine plant, Four-parted Gentian (Gentianella propinqua). Look closely at the second image and you will see a hole at the base of the flower. The Cryptic Bumble Bee (Bombus cryptarum) is a member of the “short-tongued” bumble bee group, so normally the flowers it visits are shallow, like Potentillas and Senecios. But some of these “short-tongued” bumble bees also have mouthparts designed for cutting that gives them another option when faced with a deep flower such as Four-parted Gentian. Instead of trying and failing to reach deep into the flower for nectar, they circumvent the problem by cutting a hole in the side to access the flowers’ sugary nectar. This strategy, known as nectar robbing, ensures the bee gets the energy it needs but doesn’t pollinate the plant. It’s possible that this plant is pollinated by small insects that can enter the narrow opening, or another species of bumble bee with a long tongue. It is even possible that this species ‘self-pollinates’, as do beans, where pollination happens within a single flower and no pollinator is needed.

Learn more about the Royal BC Museum’s findings during their trip to the Northern Rockies on the Learning Portal: royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/botanyvideo

1 Cryptic Bumble Bee stealing the nectar from the base of a Four-parted Gentian Gentianella propinqua

2 Evidence of nectar robbing observed in the Northern Rockies.

1

2

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 21

Last autumn, Dr Gennady Kamenev travelled from Vladivostok, Russia to

Victoria, British Columbia with a single purpose: to examine marine clams in the Invertebrate Collection of the Royal BC Museum. This may seem like quite a distance to travel for clams, but not when one considers the alternative.

Dr Kamenev is a researcher at the A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is a taxonomic expert, with a fondness for deep-sea bivalves, particularly those that live at depths of 1000 - 6000 meters. Diving to the bathyal and abysal zones of the

A CLOSER LOOK

From Russia, With Love (for Clams)By Dr Melissa Frey, Curator of Invertebrates

ocean every time one needs to study a deep water clam is neither feasible nor efficient – hence the value of visiting a museum collection.

Prior to his visit, Dr Kamenev was in the process of studying a group of clams inhabiting the deep waters of the Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian Trenches. Surprisingly, he discovered a number of species remarkably similar to those living in the Northeast Pacific. By comparing his findings to specimens within the Royal BC Museum’s Invertebrate Collection, he expects to learn whether these species are either the same or unique.

Regardless of the result, each would tell an interesting story about deep-sea fauna across the vast North Pacific: either certain species are more connected than previously thought, or these species, if unique, have changed relatively little since divergence.

Such visits to our natural history collections are not rare. In addition to the thousands of specimens sent out as loans each year, more than 100 researchers from around the world travel to Victoria to use the Royal BC Museum’s collections and ultimately, to answer important scientific questions, ranging from traditional taxonomy and systematics to biodiversity, species at risk, invasive species and climate change.

It is always a pleasure to host visiting researchers. Our collections benefit tremendously from the shared expertise and knowledge, and as researchers, we broaden our own scope and understanding. But perhaps more importantly, this is what the collections are for – to share, to study, and ultimately, to learn more about the natural world.

Dr Gennady Kamenev and Natalya Kameneva use the Royal BC Museum’s high-magnification microscope and image stacking software to examine and photograph details of a deep-sea clam.

22 What’s inSight Spring 2015

Member

Flash your membership card at any of these locations to receive your special Royal BC Museum member rate:

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Barkerville Museum Beaty Biodiversity Museum Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art Britannia Mine Museum Canadian Museum of Nature Crocker Art Museum Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical

Chinese Garden Fernie Museum Gallery2 Grand Forks Glenbow Museum Gulf of Georgia Cannery National

Historic Site Haida Gwaii Museum Hope Visitor Centre and

Museum Complex HR MacMillan Space Centre

Huble Homestead / Giscome Portage Heritage Society

Kelowna Museums Kilby Historic Site Mackie Lake House Manitoba Museum Museum of Caribou Chilcotin –

Williams Lake Museum of Vancouver Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre O’Keefe Historic Ranch Point Ellice House Quesnel & District Museum and

Archives Society Quesnel Museum Revelstoke Museum & Archives Robert Bateman Centre Roedde House Museum

Royal Saskatchewan Museum San Francisco Maritime National

Historical Park Science World Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre Sooke Region Museum & Visitor Centre SS Sicamous The Maritime Museum of BC Vancouver Aquarium Vancouver Art Gallery Victoria Butterfly Gardens Wells Museum Yale Historic Site Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre

For a full listing of your member benefits and discount details visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/join

Royal BC Museum members & IMAX season pass holders receive 10% off all purchases.

Use coupon code: member

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/shop

Your purchases support the Royal BC Museum. No Admission Required.

Shop hours 10 – 5 daily Tel 250 356 0505

Royal Museum ShopIntriguing and Unique

Members Enjoy Discounts Around the World

FEATURE EXHIBITIONS + INSTALLATIONS

BC Archives on DisplayMarch/April: Pioneer Artist Grafton Tyler BrownApril/May: Newfoundland joins Confederation

Our Living LanguagesOn now until 2017

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014On now until April 6, 2015

British Columbia Remembers: The Great WarOn now until November 2019

Gold Rush! El Dorado in BCMay 13 to October 31 2015

IMAX FEATURES

Journey to the South Pacific

The IMAX® Film Festival

Journey to Space

Gold Fever

& More!

For full film information and showtimes, visit us at imaxvictoria.com or call (250) 480-4887

MUSEUM HOURS: 10 am – 5 pm daily. Open from 10 am – 10 pm on Fridays & Saturdays from June to September

For a full listing of what’s happening at the Royal BC Museum pick up our 2014/2015 Program Guide at the Box Office or view our calendar online: royalbcmuseum.bc.caWhat’s on

It pays to be a member! Royal BC Museum Members get 10% OFF Royal BC Museum event tickets. Programs and events subject to change. For the latest calendar visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/calendar

Night at the Museum: Gold Rush!May 23 | 6:30 pm – 9 am$80 per person

Plant ID WorkshopPart 1: May 30 | 1 – 4 pmPart 2: June 6 | 1 – 4 pmPart 3: June 13 | 1 – 4 pmTickets $45 per person

LECTURES

SWAP Café Presented in partnership with the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria

Life After Peak SeafoodMarch 11 | 7 – 9 pmTickets $5 per person

Species at RiskMarch 18 | 7 – 9 pmTickets $5 per person

Mountains of ChangeMarch 25 | 7 – 9 pm Tickets $5 per person

FRIENDS OF THE BC ARCHIVES

Rushing Towards GoldMarch 15 | 2 – 3.30 pmTickets $5 per person or FREE for Friends of the BC Archives Members.

Carlo Gentile, Colonial PhotographerApril 19 | 2 – 3.30 pmTickets $5 per person or FREE for Friends of the BC Archives Members.

Gold Nuggets and Silver SaltsMay 24 | 2 – 3.30 pmTickets $5 per person or FREE for Friends of the BC Archives Members.

EVENTS & WORKSHOPS

Staff Picks Mingle:Wildlife Photographer of the Year March 12 | 1 – 3 pmIncluded with admission or membership

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Gallery tour with winner Jess Findlay March 15 | 11 – 11:45 & 1 – 1:45Included with admission or membership

Behind the Scenes Tour: Photo LabMarch 17 | 11 – 11:30 amIncluded with admission or membership

April Fools’ Scavenger HuntMarch 27 to April 1 | 10 – 5 pmIncluded with admission or membership

Have We Got a Story to Tell:Real Life Stories from the FieldApril 2 | 7 – 8 pmTickets $5 per person

Archives BootcampApril 18 | 10 – 4 pmTickets $45 per person

Astronomy DayApril 25 | 10 – 4 pmIncluded with admission or membership

Art ‘n Facts of WineApril 28 | 6:30 – 9 pmCrystal Garden, 713 Douglas Street Tickets $95 per person

South Vancouver Island Regional Heritage FairMay 1 | 10 – 2 pmIncluded with admission or membership

24 What’s inSight Spring 2015

Royal BC Museum Foundation Privacy Policy We want to keep you updated about the museum and archives. At the same time we value your privacy. The personal information collected on this form is collected under the authority of Section 4 of the Museum Act (SBC 2003, c.12) and will only be used to maintain our list of members, process payments, and provide you with the latest membership news. If you have any questions about your privacy please contact the Manager of Information and Privacy, 675 Belleville St., Victoria, BC, V8W 9W2; privacy@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or (250) 356-0698.

Please DonateWe strive to keep prices as low as we can so we remain accessible to as many people as possible. As a result, admission fees and membership combined cover only 21% of operational costs. The Province contributes 60% of our budget. Please consider making a donation today to help us care for and share our collection.

I would like to Give $50 $100 $250 $500 $ _________ Other

�Cheque (made payable to Royal BC Museum Foundation, charitable registration number #118933241RR0001

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for the Royal BC Museum Foundation. Please contact me to confirm that my wishes can be honoured.

Thank you for supporting the Royal BC Museum. Please return this form, along with your donation to: The Royal BC Museum Foundation 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC V8W 9W2

For more information please Phone: 250-387-7222 Email: donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Web: royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/support

Thank you!

Through the course of the next year, you will undoubtedly be solicited by multiple charitable organizations all asking for a helping hand. Canada has well over 70,000 non-profit organizations all seeking your help.

Here at the Royal BC Museum, we’re committed to inspiring a culture of learning and philanthropy. Here are some statistics that showcase exactly how your support has helped us support our community over the last year:

250 books provided to charitable organizations

438 schools visited the museum and archives

2,000 free admissions to charities for fundraising

3,838 researchers visited the archives

10,000 free admissions on Family Day

35,000 school children in formal groups visited the museum and archives

I understand that charitable giving is something personal. I also understand that you have many options available to you in terms of your donor dollars. This is why I’d like to personally thank you for supporting the Royal BC Museum. Your support is crucial to helping us preserve BC’s history, while inspiring BC’s future. We can’t thank you enough for your continued support!

Want to help the Royal BC Museum support our community? Please contact us at 250-387-3102 or email donate@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Your Support Helps Us Support the Community!By Shaun Cerisano, Annual Campaigns Manager

42265026

Gold Rush Summer CampStrike it rich with this interactive camp. Rumour

is that there is plenty of fun to be found, so stake

your claim early. Last year’s camps sold out!

July & August I 9 am – 4 pm

$244 per person, 10% member discount

Before and after care available

Register online or at the box office

royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/camps