qathet Museum and Archives wants to be a sustainable institution

qathet Museum and Archives was once volunteer-run, but it is transitioning to become a world-class facility.

Currently the space holds logging and homesteader history along with antique film projectors from the historic Patricia Theatre. The museum is holding objects in trust (meaning temporarily) with permission from Tla’amin Nation, displaying a living history section showcasing basket weaving and Tla’amin history. 

Visitor services assistant and researcher Carolyn Smith emphasized that the museum is a place to interact and provide a community space in order to learn about local heritage and history. International Museum Day was celebrated on May 18 with a scavenger hunt for children and adults.

“We are a regional museum and archives including qathet, and Texada, Savary and Harwood islands,” said Smith. “Our mandate is to preserve and promote the heritage of the area. 

“We have three volunteers who are here almost full time with us; they do all the digitizing of the photos.”

Assistant curator Marry Williams is from Ontario while her fellow assistant curator Ava Hansen is from Tofino, BC. Both began their new positions about a month ago.

The new curators want programming to be relevant to the community and also to collaborate as much as possible with other organizations and groups.

“We have a lot of forestry items coming from the mill, such as giant moulds for making gears; they are huge,” said Williams.

Around the world museums are having a kind of rethink due to colonial myopia and contentious relations with Indigenous people.

“Community connection and museums are important to me,” said Hansen. “My philosophy is that museums should be a service in a sense. We want to keep the exhibits always in flux and fresh.”

The new curators acknowledge that museums are changing. 

“I love history, and I want to bring it to life for people,” added Williams. “I’m focused on getting people excited about history.”