North Vancouver's History Finds a New Home in Lynn Valley Peggy Stortz Veterans Community Plaza leading up to the Community History Centre ON M A Y27 t h , L Y N N V A L L E Y D A Y , the C o m m u n i t y A s the b u i l d i n g is the h e a d q u a r t e r s f o r the N o r t h V a n c o u v e r M u s e u m &c A r c h i v e s C o m m i s s i o n , the w o r k o f collecting, researching a n d organizing i n f o r m a t i o n about N o r t h V a n c o u v e r ' s h i s t o r y t a k e s p l a c e i n the n e w f a c i l i t y as w e l l as i n f o r m a t i v e l e c t u r e , f i l m s a n d p r e s e n t a t i o n s . W e l l i n f o r m e d staff m e m b e r s a n d volunteers take this k n o w l e d g e o u t t o the p e o p l e v i s i t i n g s c h o o l s , c o m m u n i t y c e n t r e s a n d o t h e r p u b l i c e v e n t s . M a n y o f the p r o g r a m s a n d e x h i b i t i o n s c o m e d i r e c t l y f r o m the interests o f the c o m m u n i t y . T h e m u s e u m c o m p o n e n t r e m a i n s at the P r e s e n t a t i o n H o u s e site g i v i n g the C o m m i s s i o n a p r e s e n c e i n b o t h the C i t y a n d the D i s t r i c t . D u r i n g A u g u s t , the f a c i l i t y w i l l be c l o s e d f o r m a i n t e n a n c e . It r e o p e n s i n S e p t e m b e r w i t h t w o f a s c i n a t i n g e x h i b i t i o n s . T h e first is Shashin: Photography Vancouver's Japanese Canadian Studio North t o 1 9 4 2 w h i c h c o m e s f r o m the J a p a n e s e Nikkei North Community, Vancouver has been p u t t o g e t h e r b y Story is a l s o o n v i e w . H i s t o r y C e n t r e ( C H C ) , the n e w h o m e f o r t h e N o r t h V a n c o u v e r M u s e u m & A r c h i v e s C o m m i s s i o n , o p e n e d its d o o r s t o the p u b l i c a n d w e l c o m e d m o r e t h a n 1 1 0 0 visit o r s . B u i l t i n 1 9 2 0 , the h a n d s o m e s t o n e a n d b r i c k b u i l d i n g p r o v i d e d 8 5 y e a r s o f s e r v i c e as L y n n V a l l e y E l e m e n t a r ) ' S c h o o l a n d h o l d s m a n y m e m o r i e s f o r the p e o p l e o f t h i s c o m m u n i t y . H o w a p p r o p r i a t e t h a t it is n o w t h e h o m e f o r the r e c o r d s o f o u r p a s t . A n d w i t h N o r t h V a n c o u v e r ' s 1 0 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y n e x t year, m o r e a n d m o r e p e o p l e w i l l w a n t t o l e a r n a b o u t the N o r t h S h o r e ' s r i c h h i s t o r y . A l t h o u g h t h e s c h o o l w a s c o m p l e t e l y r e n o v a t e d , m a n y o f its E d w a r d i a n B a r o q u e features i n c l u d i n g the r o o f t o p c u p o l a , traditional flagpole a n d r o u n d e d w i n d o w s have been r e t a i n e d . T h e p r e s e r v a t i o n o f its f o r m e r d e s i g n a n d c h a r a c t e r is a t r i b u t e t o the h e r i t a g e o f this stately o l d b u i l d i n g . T h e r o o m s are b r i g h t , w i t h h i g h c e i l i n g s a n d p l e n t y o f w i n d o w s to let i n the n a t u r a l l i g h t d i s p e l l i n g a n y n o t i o n t h a t a r c h i v e s m u s t be k e p t i n d a r k d u s t y r o o m s . A l l a r o u n d the b u i l d i n g , g a r d e n s a n d b e a u t i f u l l y d e s i g n e d courtyards f o r sitting or s t r o l l i n g enhance the o v e r a l l grace and c h a r m o f the C H C . L o c a l s c u l p t o r P a u l Slipper's t o w ers o f b o o k s , c a r v e d f r o m B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a g r a n i t e , m a r b l e and sandstone create a s t u n n i n g p u b l i c art display. A closer l o o k at t h e t i t l e s r e v e a l s t h a t these v o l u m e s a r e a l l a b o u t local history. The C H C houses a vast c o l l e c t i o n of d o c u m e n t s , art, artifacts a n d r e l a t e d m a t e r i a l s a b o u t the h i s t o r y a n d h e r i t a g e of N o r t h V a n c o u v e r . T h e r e is a m p l e s p a c e f o r n o v i c e a n d e x p e r i e n c e d r e s e a r c h e r s t o w o r k as w e l l as a n E d u c a t i o n R e s o u r c e C e n t r e w h i c h l o a n s o u t m a t e r i a l s t o be u s e d i n classrooms and c o m m u n i t y gatherings. C a n a d i a n N a t i o n a l M u s e u m . T h e second, entitled the M u s e u m & A r c h i v e s C o m m i s s i o n . T h e p e r m a n e n t c o l l e c t i o n o f The truly another jewel in our North Shore crown D u r i n g the s u m m e r m o n t h s , the C o m m i s s i o n also presents e x h i b i t i o n s a n d p r e s e n t a t i o n s at the o l d P a c i f i c G r e a t E a s t e r n R a i l w a y S t a t i o n n e x t to L o n s d a l e Q u a y d a i l y f r o m 9-6. T h e p o p u l a r Waterfront b a c k this year. T h e people of N o r t h V a n c o u v e r have a l w a y s taken pride in t h e i r c o l o u r f u l h i s t o r y . T h e C H C g i v e s t h e m s o m e t h i n g else t o be p r o u d o f . It is t r u l y a n o t h e r j e w e l i n o u r N o r t h Shore c r o w n . W h i l e the C H C d e a l s w i t h the p a s t , the i n f o r m a t i o n s t o r e d t h e r e i n d o e s m u c h t o i n f o r m the p r e s e n t a n d the f u t u r e o f N o r t h V a n c o u v e r . U n d e r s t a n d i n g the l e g a c y e a c h g e n e r a t i o n has left b e h i n d h e l p s t o s h a p e the evere v o l v i n g c o m m u n i t y we live i n . Productions, a t h e a t r i c a l w a l k i n g t o u r is WHAT: Community History Centre WHERE: 3203 Institute Road WHEN: Noon - 5 Pm, Tuesday - Saturday. INFO 604.987.5618 North Vancouver Archives Research Room at the Community History Centre .arts-alive.ca July I A u g u s t 19