Cathy English has been curator of Revelstoke Museum & Archives since 1983 and has spent that time absorbing the history of this area into her brain. She loves sharing her knowledge about Revelstoke’s history through the Brown Bag History talks, downtown and cemetery tours, school programs, books, and exhibitions. Ask her about her favourite local characters, and prepare to hear some entertaining stories.
When the Revelstoke and District Historical Association was formed in 1958, it was with the belief that Revelstoke had history worth preserving, and that, although Revelstoke as a settled community was only 73 years old, much of the past had already been forgotten.
Read MoreBlack History Month is celebrated in Canada every February. Canadians are invited to participate in festivities, events, and learning opportunities that honour the legacy of Black Canadians, past and present.
Read MoreMount Begbie is the most identifiable piece of geography in Revelstoke and has become an icon for the community. The mountain is beloved by all, and everyone has their memories and stories about the mountain. The mountain has given its name to everything from schools to breweries to businesses over the years.
Read MoreThe Government of Canada marks May as Asian Heritage Month. On the Heritage Canada website, it states, “Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian descent who, throughout our history, have done so much to make Canada the amazing country we share today.”
Read MoreWe created a Facebook feature called This or That, where we showed two images or artifacts and encouraged people to choose between them. This proved to be very successful, and we could see the same people coming to our page every day to see the images and to make their choices. It created some fun dialog and interaction between people.
Read MoreOn May 8, 1945, the Allies gained victory in Europe with Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. The Revelstoke Review of May 10, 1945 carried the headline, “Revelstoke Rejoices as War Ends in Europe This Week.”
Read MoreIn 2013, I took a week-long course at University of Victoria on Exhibit Design and Installation. It was part of the Cultural Resource Management Program, and was taught by Tim Willis, a brilliant exhibit designer and great teacher.
Read MoreI have always loved children’s literature. Right as I moved out of childhood in my teens, I gained an adult appreciation for books written for children, and began collecting my favourites.
Read MoreToday, March 4, 2020, marks the 110th anniversary of the largest avalanche event in Canada, in terms of loss of life. The Rogers Pass snowslide took the lives of 58 men, and the tragedy continues to resonate, especially here in the mountains, where the risk of avalanches is still a common threat for travellers and back-country enthusiasts.
Read MoreRevelstoke Museum and Archives has just completed a project through the Documentary Heritage Communities Program funded by Library and Archives Canada. Harumi Sakiyama was hired to digitize a selection of our Canadian Pacific Railway accident reports.
Read MoreOn October 15, 2015, my friend Jacolyn and I went to Revelstoke’s Mountain View Cemetery to place flowers on the grave of Angelo Conte for the first time. It was the 100th anniversary of the day that Angelo died in a workplace accident at the Connaught Tunnel.
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