Government of Canada supports the Nanaimo Museum

Press Release

From: Canadian Heritage

September 12, 2024

Museums are vital in preserving and sharing the history and cultural heritage of our communities.

Today, Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced an investment of $230,000 for new cultural programming and outreach at the Nanaimo and District Museum Society (Nanaimo Museum). He made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

This funding, provided through the Access to Heritage component of the Museums Assistance Program, will support the development of a bilingual traveling exhibit, Esquimalt & Nanaimo (E&N) Railway Land Grants: 140 Years Later, which will examine the history of the E&N Railway and its associated land grants on Vancouver Island. The exhibition will highlight the ongoing impacts of colonialism and land grants on First Nation treaty negotiations, as well as the future of transportation during the climate crisis.

In partnership with the Vancouver Island Local History Society, the Nanaimo Museum will design the exhibit for display in nontraditional community spaces located along the E&N Railway from Victoria to Campbell River, reaching new audiences and promoting greater accessibility to Vancouver Island’s collective history.

The Museum will host the exhibit before it travels to Vancouver Island University and the Qualicum Beach Museum in 2025.

Quotes

“Our investment in the Nanaimo Museum will help engage new audiences through this important exhibit dedicated to the legacies of the E&N Railway and its enduring consequences of colonialism. This crucial historical narrative strengthens the mission of the museum, where Vancouver Island’s cultural community and beyond can honour the past, engage with the present and shape the future of our shared heritage.”

—The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

“This funding underscores the critical role museums play in our shared path toward reconciliation, amplifying diverse voices and creating safe spaces for dialogue and understanding. With institutions like the Nanaimo Museum, we are building a more inclusive future together. Our government is proud to support projects that increase accessibility to our history and cultural legacies for all Canadians.”

—Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage

“The Nanaimo Museum is immensely grateful to Canadian Heritage for its generous support. We are looking forward to working with the community and our partners at the Vancouver Island Local History Society on the development of this travelling exhibit. This story is not well known to many, but the impacts continue today, so we are glad we can share it across the Island.”

—Sophia Maher, General Manager, Nanaimo and District Museum Society

“The E&N Railway land grab is not only a historical event, it continues to impact communities today. The Vancouver Island Local History Society is grateful for the generous support from Canadian Heritage that will allow us to tell this story and take it on the road to communities across the Island.”

— Kelly Black, Board President, Vancouver Island Local History Society

Quick facts

• The Nanaimo and District Museum Society, which oversees the operations and management of the Nanaimo Museum, was incorporated in 1964. The Society also operates the Bastion, a Hudson’s Bay Company fort built in 1853, as well as the Sports Hall of Fame in Nanaimo.
• The Nanaimo Museum, which opened in 1967, preserves, researches, interprets and promotes the cultural heritage of what is now the City of Nanaimo and surrounding district. Reaching over 48,000 individuals per year, the Nanaimo Museum provides its visitors with an opportunity to experience the links between the past, present and the future as it focuses on the industries that shaped the city and the social lives of its residents.
• The Esquimalt & Nanaimo (E&N) Railway Land Grants: 140 Years Later will be a new exhibit for the Nanaimo Museum. It will include school-based programs on BC curriculum, in addition to the production of an interpretative catalogue.
• The Vancouver Island Local History Society (VILHS) seeks to promote, encourage and engage the study of local and regional history within the communities of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. By supporting local history initiatives, the VILHS helps develop projects that are inclusive and representative of communities in the past and present.
• The Museums Assistance Program supports heritage institutions and workers in the preservation and presentation of heritage collections. The program fosters the preservation of Indigenous culture and facilitates access to heritage collections for all Canadians.

Associated links

• Museums Assistance Program
• Nanaimo and District Museum Society
• Vancouver Island Local History Society

Contacts

For more information (media only), please contact:

Charles Thibault-Béland
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
charles.thibault-beland@pch.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
1-819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca

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