Fort St. John North Peace Museum update: North Peace Historical Society thankful for supporters

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The North Peace Historical Society has lots to be thankful for this fall.

We have sixty years of amazing volunteers to celebrate this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum. Without the North Peace Historical Society’s work, much of our local history would have been lost.

Past curator Susan Birley will join current curator Heather Sjoblom and past president Larry Evans to share the history of the historical society from Peace Island Park to our current museum. Join us for cake and guided tours of our collections storage area after the presentation, or explore the museum for free on your own! The gift shop will also be open so you can help support the North Peace Historical Society’s next sixty years!

We are very grateful for our wonderful partnership with the Charlie Lake Conservation Society. Their interactive exhibit, The Lake Next Door, is now over, but we will continue to work closely with them to celebrate the natural history of the North Peace!

The North Peace Historical Society is thrilled to be partnering with Métis Elder, Linda van Wieringen, to offer some cultural classes at the museum this fall. The pine needle basket making course is full, but there’s still lots of space in the kids’ dream catcher class. Make your own dreamcatcher at the museum on Saturday, October 7, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Class is $15 per person and payment in person is required to register. This class is limited to 10 participants (ages 8-16).

We’re thankful to have two new free exhibits up around town to better share our community’s history. Our summer student, Luke Weber, worked hard to research and develop an exhibit on the Bedaux Expedition entitled Safari through the North Peace for our display case at the airport. Champagne, collapsible bathtubs, and Citroen half-tracks were all part of Charles Bedaux’s 1934 expedition across the Northern Rockies. Learn about the people involved in this expedition and the benefits it brought to the North Peace during the Great Depression.

We also have a new exhibit up in the hospital lobby. Nurses in the north looks at just ten nurses who helped serve our communities in different ways. This exhibit is presented in partnership with the Fort St. John Hospital Arts Committee.

The North Peace Historical Society is thankful for the volunteers and sponsors who are helping with our second annual Halloween at the Museum on October 27. Sunrise Rotary Club is providing volunteers. We’ve confirmed sponsorships from North Peace Savings and Credit Union, Fort St. John Co-op Association, Kim Van of Century 21, and Image Build. We’re looking for more sponsors to help with candy and non-edible Halloween goodies to give out.

Our remaining sponsorship opportunities range from $250-500.

To learn more, contact Heather at 250-787-0430 or fsjnpmuseum@fsjmail.com.