Thanks to David Gregory for guiding the Heritage Christian Online School recently on a Brigade Trail field trip to Summerland's Priest Encampment. The 50 participants were students, their parents and siblings The settlement of Priest was the first non-native settlement in the Okanagan Valley, established in 1845 and identified on maps until 1867. The Summerland Museum frequently hosts tours for school classes and community organizations and groups to community heritage sites. Email us at info@summerlandmuseum.org for more information. These tours are by donation. The Summerland Museum and Heritage society sincerely thanks Dr. Joseph Wosk for his generous support of the Canadian Museums Association. This enabled us to receive a $1,000 Preserving Canadian Treasures Grant to purchase a fire proof and water proof filing cabinet to safely store our complete collection of original negatives and slides. Many of the original settlers in Summerland arrived here in the late 1800's with the best possible cameras available at that time they religiously photographed everything they did, owned and saw so that they could send photos back to their families abroad. We continuously work at scanning and archiving our wonderful collection of original photos, negatives and slides that have been so generously donated to us by our Summerland Pioneers and their families. They will be kept as originals and digitals to help keep "the Spirit of our Pioneers Alive".  Drop by the Summerland Museum to see the new display featuring Mary Spencer and Bill Miner and purchase a copy of the book. Thank you to everyone who came out for both the July and August Geology tours! We had a lot of fun and awesome weather. A BIG thank you to Dr. Kathleen Jagger for educating us all! For those who missed out this year remember to keep your eye out for next summer or call the museum at 494-9395 to be put on a contact list for Summer 2014 Geology tours! Seats sell out fast so book early!  August 10th Geologists!  July 20th Geologists!  SUMMERLAND MUSEUM’S GEOLOGICAL BUS TOURS July 20th and August 10th at 10:00 AM - 2013 It takes approximately 3 hours and will tour all over Summerland to see the strata revealed by the making of the highway, the formation of the Silt Cliffs, how Okanagan Lake was formed and some great examples of lava flows from the extinct volcano and striations, or ice scratch troughs, left from the last glacier passing through here. It also includes a short 5 minute easy hike up the base of the west side of Giant’s Head Mountain on Shale Avenue. We will also be driving to the parking lot at the top of Giant’s Head Mountain and then taking a 10 minute easy hike to the summit to enjoy the gorgeous panoramic view and geological explanation of the valley. Geologist Dr. Kathleen Jagger brings with her a vast knowledge of local geology and a fun, hands-on learning environment. Cost is $15. Pre-registration at the Museum is required (Tuesday to Saturday from 10 to 4). For more info call 494-9395. Rain or shine…. Meet inside the Museum at 9:45 and then at 10:00 am everyone will hop on the bus. Wear sturdy shoes, a hat and be prepared for every kind of weather and possibly bugs too. Bring a snack and drink to enjoy at the top of the mountain. NOTE: Anyone not wanting to make the trip to the top of Giant’s Head will be dropped off at the Museum on our way up.   The Summerland Museum would like to invite you to bring your kids or childrens group to our Summer History Program! We have on display a new and exciting exhibit about Summerland's Japanese community which will be the core focus of our summer history program this year. As most of the town's children have been to the museum with their school classes and have 'seen it all before' we want to put special emphasis on this new exhibit. We will be offering an hour and a half program which will include a tour of the museum, a craft or two, a game and a small Japanese snack. For more information please contact Carmen at summerhistoryprogram@gmail.com or contact the Summerland Museum at 250-494-9395 located at 9521 Wharton Street. SUMMERLAND MUSEUM'S NEW EXHIBIT EXPLORES THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST JAPANESE COMMUNITY IN SUMMERLAND. To celebrate Asian Heritage Month in May, the Summerland Museum opened their new exhibit Doe Shi Kai “Coming to the New World with Great Hopes”. The exhibit tells the story of the first Japanese community in Summerland from its immigrants, its difficulties and successes while maintaining the community’s identity and eventual integration into a predominantly caucasian settlement. It presents the Japanese community’s own history through family photographs and interviews, as well as individual forms of expression (e.g. carving, haiku, calligraphy, dancing, etc.). In the early years Summerland had a large Japanese Canadian population. They made many contributions towards the growth, development and cultural diversity of the town. Most of the second generation following the Second World War left Summerland to continue their education and careers elsewhere. The present Japanese Canadian population of Summerland is reduced. This display in the Tait Room celebrating the Asian influence of our town’s history is important to honour the older generation, obtain their stories and celebrate their culture. The local Japanese community has been very generous in loaning and/or donating their personal treasures to the Museum for the exhibition and donating their time and expertise to ensure that it is properly presented. The Museum is open in May, Wednesday to Saturday, 1pm to 4pm and from June to October, Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. (email: info@summerlandmuseum.org or phone 250-494-9395 for more information) |
