In each issue of Roundup, I will dedicate my report to giving you – the membership – an update on the work performed behind the scenes by your elected Council and the Committees they serve on.

Over the years, the Potato House has gone through various restoration projects to allow the organization to increase its capacity for tours and programs, while preserving the heritage character of the architecture and decor. Each project is planned with the organization’s heritage and sustainability values at the forefront.

From data collection and reporting all the way to social marketing, strategic planning, eco-responsible operations, inclusive and diverse workplaces, and sustainability and/or DEI managers, there are business concepts and strategies that should be of particular interest to museums as the latter face rapid changes within their operating contexts.

To reclaim the memory of the lake, the Reach initiated a collaborative, multidisciplinary partnership with a number of Stó:lō leaders and knowledge keepers. Through a series of interrelated projects... we have since sought to work respectfully and cooperatively with our Stó:lō hosts to build intergenerational and intercultural understanding about Indigenous history, land, and resource use in the Fraser Valley.

Within the context of sustainability, reconciliation may be seen as a process that strengthens community relationships by building inclusive and safe spaces for the people of tomorrow. For a small-town community museum located on northern Sunshine Coast, the journey to reach this sustainability goal has recently gained momentum as the former Powell River Historical Museum and Archives Association (PRHMAA) has finalized the process of changing its colonial name.

I’ve seen a growing number of historic house museums with extensive grounds incorporating the topic of climate change into their narrative, but only when discussing their grounds. Our global responsibility to combat climate change, however, doesn’t stop when we go inside. And at King Manor, we believe the period room is an untapped resource for environmental education.

Such relevant programs can help sustain museums by engaging people with historical records of value. Community members, students, and visitors can connect to and better understand history by handling artifacts, listening to oral stories from an earlier time, and even participating in hands-on activities.

Sustainability: it’s one of those words that can mean a lot of different things. And for precisely that reason, it can be very difficult to figure out just how to put it into action in our museums. For those of us in small museums, this can be even more challenging as it’s yet another thing on a never-ending to-do list.

I worry about climate change. I make dozens of micro-decisions each day to try to be less wasteful and more considerate of the environment. However, I confess I have not yet made any major changes to my lifestyle to reduce my impact on Earth. I don’t own an electric car, my stove is gas and the roof of my house isn’t fitted with solar panels. In 2021, though, green initiatives went beyond the personal and started directly overlapping with my work: Ingenium’s travelling exhibition program began offsetting the carbon resulting from shipping its exhibits throughout Canada.

On the morning of Saturday, August 7, most of Vernon was placed under an Evacuation Alert. The fire was even closer to O’Keefe Ranch, however. So, rather than wait for an official Evacuation Order, the curatorial committee decided to evacuate valuables from the ranch immediately. Vernon Museum would be the safest destination.