Blog

Reviewing the history of our community's built heritage is like visiting with old friends. Working on the content for Salmon Arm's App "On This Spot" was a chance to introduce the developer and writer to the character of our community. Meet the I.M. Lyman House, Number 9 on the City of Salmon Arm's Community Heritage Register!

Writing any application for funding can be nerve wracking. The Curatorial staff at the Village crafts a pitch for funding, she gets her best friend to proof the request, finds photographs to paint the picture to submit with the application, and takes deep breath. There is always a lot riding on each application. Will it be successful?

Every once in a while new information comes to light and we work very hard to set the record straight! This happened when the browsing through the digital images for another project.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed more than how we interact at the R.J. Haney Heritage Village and Museum. It has also changed operations in the archives. Protocols have been set in place to keep returning staff safe. The question on everyone’s minds is, “When will we open?” That depends on the virus, the resources to implement our plan, and keeping the public safe. Researchers still contact the archives by phone and email. They, too, have been influenced by the pandemic.

Archivists hate when their records are wrong, but they also love to correct them. That’s what happened this week. A researcher recently emailed to say that one of our photos on R.J. Haney Heritage Village website had names mixed up. “Your photo,” Doug Mobley wrote, “catalogue number 1987.0156.0014 is described as: Bedford Family at home. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bedford with children baby Victor, Doug, Margaret, Albert and Charles Jr. on his Dad's knee.”...

Several watercolour and ink drawings were found in an autograph book belonging to Ivy Fathers who married George McEwen in 1929.

The nicest thing happened by chance in February. Archives volunteer Lise Ouimet had an appointment in Vernon. She was there over meal time, so stopped at Denny’s. There was an omelette on the menu that Lise liked. Lise must have been her usual chatty self. Her server, Laura, mentioned that she grew up in Salmon Arm. Lise mentioned that she worked at the Museum at R.J. Haney Heritage Village. Laura was up for a conversation. She used to live in Haney House before it was taken over by...

Heritage Awards for people involved in caring for historic buildings was the brainchild of Mary Landers.

The museum and archives were snowed in! The volunteers were keen to return to work. How could the maintenance crew make it happen? Fire up the plow truck of course!

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action for museums has triggered a review of the things we do at R.J. Haney Heritage Village and Museum. As Curator I am quite proud of the results!