Local museum breaks volunteer hours record in 2023

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The dedicated volunteers at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum broke a record in 2023.

Heather Sjoblom, manager and curator at the museum, says volunteers spent a record-breaking 2,956 hours helping out at the facility last year.

She adds that the final amount may be even more as sometimes volunteers forget to record their hours.

In total, they had 125 volunteers, ranging from youth to seniors.

“They put in almost two and three-quarter staff positions,” Sjoblom said.

The North Peace Historical Society runs the museum, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023.

Sjoblom says they are looking for more volunteers and board directors at their annual general meeting at the end of February.

“[Volunteering] really just means that you can come once a month for a meeting of an hour or so and then participate on committees or in other capacities as you wish,” Sjoblom said.

Volunteers take part in many different tasks at the museum, including archiving collections by scanning newspapers or photos, running the gift shop, and assisting with exhibits or maintenance tasks.

To volunteer, reach out to the museum on Facebook, through its website, by email at fsjnpmuseum@fsjmail.com, by phone at 250-787-0430 or by visiting the museum at 9323 100th Street in Fort St. John.