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2008 THE YEAR IN REVIEW
With 2008 now behind us, it seems the perfect time to reflect on
all of the events and activities held at the Revelstoke Railway
Museum over the past year.
Between school group visits, bus tours, weddings, conferences,
birthday parties, Rotary Club events in Rotary Park, car club
visits, rail fans chasing CPR 2816, and general pandemonium, we
managed to pull off something special every month.
In February, as part of Heritage Week celebrations, we held our
“Engineers in Art & Practice” event with a bean supper, the
unveiling of Dave William’s mural Back Up and Hit it Again,
and the premiere showing of a Museum produced video featuring
Ernie Ottewell and Les Handley talking about their experiences
operating CPR 5468.
In March, we received a wonderful set of “O’ scale model trains
from the
 Lawrence
Scripps Wilkinson Foundation, and held our “Death by Chocolate”
event. Wine sampling was new to this year’s “Death by
Chocolate,” and it was a delicious success. Held over two nights
the fundraiser drew over 100 attendees, and raised $1,236 after
expenses.
At the end of March, we drew the winning ticket for our Ski-doo
raffle, and handed over the prize to the excited winner.
April 19 and 20, Board President David Johnson and Museum
Director Roberto Rodriguez attended SUPERTRAIN in Calgary, and
sold $2,771.00 in merchandise. On April 27 the Museum had a
booth at the Revelstoke Home and Garden Show, and on April 26,
the Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society held its Annual General
Meeting.
May 16 it was off to Hamilton, Ontario for the CARM National
Convention, and on May 18, we celebrated International Museums
Day.
June saw the installation of our new highway signs, based on the
CPR “Packman” logo. On June 18 we, along with Revelstoke’s other
museums, set up a booth at the CPR parking lot to welcome the
BC150 Spirit Tour Train, and the following day met the train
again, along with a large crowd, for its stop at Craigellachie.
On July 12, we held our first annual Community Yard Sale and
sold off $855 of surplus stuff. July 21 we opened “Prints from
CPR Magic Lantern Slides: 1885 – 1930,” and presented a very
special magic lantern show thanks to our friends David & Leslie
Evans of the Nickelodeon Museum.
August 15 to the 24 was Railway Days and the opening of “Chinese
Legacies.” From the opening day parade, to the Chinese Consul
General officiating at the official openings of the new Chinese
Legacies exhibits here, and at the Revelstoke Museum & Archives,
along with a rail-fan lecture and slide evening hosted by the
Selkirk Division of the CRHA, walking tours, kids events, an art
show, magic lantern shows, speeders at the Wye, and performances
by the Orchid Ensemble, this was the best Railway Days ever, and
now definitely worthy of the title, “Revelstoke’s Community
Festival.”
Most satisfying was working with the Revelstoke Museum &
Archives and Parks Canada on “Chinese Legacies.” This special
project was a joint initiative between the Revelstoke Heritage
Railway Society and The Revelstoke Museum & Archives
Association, with assistance from the design and technical staff
at Parks Canada, to develop two interrelated exhibits, “Building
the CPR”, and “Revelstoke’s Chinese Community.”
September 30, and again on October 6, we held our sell out steam
excursions aboard CPR 2816, the Empress. The Golden to
Revelstoke and Revelstoke to Golden excursions were fantastic,
thanks to great weather, beautiful scenery, and the help of our
on-board hosts Phil Mason and Leanne Braid. Our sincere thanks
to Canadian Pacific Railway, the Royal Canadian Pacific crew for
arranging motor coaches, and our friend Tim Littler of GW
Travel, for making this major fundraiser possible.
In October we drew the winning ticket for our “Food for a Year”
raffle, and the winners were Jackie and Garry Pendergast, of
Revelstoke. Any rumors that you hear about the Director being
treated to a lavish dinner are pure speculation, and in any
event, after the Pendergast’s generosity to the Food Bank, I
wouldn’t dare ask them for a free meal. On October 18 we were
also very pleased to host a meeting of the CCRH (Canadian
Council for Railway Heritage).
 
November saw the first of what will now be an annual event, our
“Christmas in November Kid’s Day.” What a fabulous event that
was, with a 152 people through the door. Mind you, most of our
guests were pint sized so it was not too crowded. Santa, craft
tables, games, a pińata, model railroaders from the Revelstoke
Model Railroad Society, and visits up to the cab of CPR 5468 all
added up to a very successful event.
That brings us full circle to December 11, our annual Christmas
party. With over 100 guests in attendance, the Revelstoke
Heritage Railway Society celebrated the Holiday Season,
celebrated the year gone by, and most of all, celebrated our
members, patrons, and our granting partners, for giving us a
super year.
Our programs and events were made possible thanks to grants
received from HBC - Fields, BC Hydro, the Revelstoke Community
Foundation, the Columbia Basin Trust, the Columbia Kootenay
Cultural Alliance, the City of Revelstoke, Young Canada Works,
the Province of British Columbia, and the Ministry of Housing
and Social Development Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch,
together accounting for some $78,000 in grants in 2008.
Respectfully submitted,
Roberto Rodriguez
Executive Director
Revelstoke Railway Museum
2009 is shaping up nicely, we have planned...
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March – Digital Archives Kiosk opens at Museum.
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April – Guess who’s coming to Dinner, our big fundraiser
and auction.
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May – Mother & Daughter’s Tea
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June – Antiques & Treasures
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July – Revelstoke Home Coming
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August – Railway Days
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September – Fall Yard Sale
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November – Christmas in November Kid’s Day
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December – Christmas Party
Museum "adopts" a train
Thanks to a very special program offered by the Lawrence Scripps
Wilkinson Foundation, the Revelstoke Railway Museum is the proud
parent of two wonderful 'O' gauge train sets. The sets, complete
with passenger cars, are
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The Royal Hudson
The Canadian |
currently on display in the Museum's mezzanine and consist of
the Canadian and the Royal Hudson. These delightful models are a
welcome addition to the Museum's collection, and compliment the
model railroad layout being built by the Revelstoke Model
Railroad Society also displayed in the mezzanine.
The Foundation's purpose is to continue the education and
romance of railroading, and it is their wish to donate wonderful
replica trains to railroad stations and museums located near the
rail lines where the trains once ran. The Wilkinson Foundation
owns approximately 275 model trains at the present time,
representing semi--scale and scale models of notable real trains
that were the glamorous flagships of the great North American
railway systems.
To find out more about the Lawrence Scripps Wilkinson Foundation
and their "Adopt a Train" program, visit their website at
www.wilkinsontrains.com
March 15, 2008
NEWS RELEASE - Ministry of Tourism, Sport
and the Arts
INTERIOR BC150 EVENTS SHARE IN $1-MILLION FUND
 VICTORIA
– BC150 Community Funding Program grants are being awarded to
community groups and organizations in the East Kootenay and
Columbia regions staging three local BC150 celebrations,
Tourism, Sport and the Arts Minister Stan Hagen announced today.
“History was made everywhere in the province – and local
communities will be the foundation of BC150 celebrations,” said
Hagen. “Funding available through the BC150 Community Funding
program extends to every region of the province, helping to make
hometown festivals, arts and culture exhibitions extra special
for families and visitors in 2008.”
Through 2010 Legacies Now, Spirit of BC Community Committees
worked with community leaders and event hosts to develop plans
for local BC150 celebrations. BC150 Community Funding Program
projects support the BC150 pillars of: heritage, communities,
multiculturalism, Aboriginals, and arts and culture, and reflect
the unique nature of each British Columbia community.
Funded events in Kimberley are Miners’ Days, to be held in
August featuring activities that celebrate the area’s mining
history; and the Kimberley International Music and Dance
Festival in September, which celebrates the heritage of the
community’s immigrant population.
In Revelstoke, Railway Days in August is the community’s annual
10-day signature event to commemorate railway history and
heritage.
“There is an amazing range of events that will draw visitors and
residents, and boost community pride,” said Hagen. “Country
fairs, winter fests, art and historical exhibitions – a wide
variety of activities representing British Columbia at its
grassroots.”
This year, B.C. is celebrating BC150, the 150th anniversary of
the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858.
Every community in the province is invited to participate in
this year-long celebration of B.C.’s cultural diversity,
community strength and widespread achievement. For more
information on BC150 programs and events, visit
www.BC150.ca.
February 26, 2008
MEDIA RELEASE
Vancouver Foundation matches Museum Endowment Fund
 The
Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society is pleased to announce that
its application to the Vancouver Foundation’s BC Arts
Renaissance Fund Advisory Committee for endowment matching has
been favorably reviewed, and that a matching grant in the amount
of $10,105.00 has been authorized in respect of it. The grant is
made possible by the BC Arts Renaissance Fund, a gift from the
Province of British Columbia, under the stewardship of Vancouver
Foundation.
The grant matches dollar for dollar those funds donated by
community members, and members of the Revelstoke Heritage
Railway Society, towards the establishment of the Railway Museum
Endowment Fund. The Fund was established within the Revelstoke
Community Foundation on October 19, 2007, and by December 2007
had reached $10,000 in contributions. Application for the
matching grant was made to Vancouver Foundation on December 21,
2007.
“With the match and donations received since January 1, 2008,
the Railway Museum Endowment Fund now sits at $21,985.00. The
Society’s goal is to raise another $10,000 this year, and apply
again to Vancouver Foundation for another match at the end of
the year”, says Railway Museum Executive Director, Roberto
Rodriguez.
“Establishing an endowment for the Museum would not have been
possible without the Revelstoke Community Foundation and the
support of Vancouver Foundation,” Rodriguez went on to say. “As
the Fund continues to grow, its earnings will be used to help
defray the Museum’s operating expenses and capital expenditures,
thus freeing up additional funds for the Revelstoke Railway
Museum’s exhibitions, programmes, and events”.
Vancouver Foundation is Canada's largest and one of its oldest
community foundations. Its mission is to create positive and
lasting impacts in communities in British Columbia. It does this
by bringing together generous donors (large and small,
individuals, groups, and corporations) and linking their
contributions to important work that addresses the needs and
improves the lives of communities across the province.
Today, the Foundation manages an endowment worth approximately
$800 million. In 2006, the interest from that endowment allowed
the Foundation to distribute about $40 million to communities.
To find out more visit:
www.vancouverfoundation.ca
Those wishing to contribute to the Fund should send cheques made
out to the Revelstoke Community Foundation, with the notation
that they are for the Railway Museum Endowment Fund, to:
Revelstoke Community Foundation, 204 Campbell Avenue, PO Box
2398, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0. Receipts for tax deduction will be
provided.
October 15, 2007
MEDIA RELEASE
Railway Museum Endowment Fund Established
 The
Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society is pleased to announce the
establishment of the Railway Museum Endowment Fund within the
Revelstoke Community Foundation. As the Fund grows, its earnings
will be used to help defray the Museum’s operating expenses and
capital expenditures, thus freeing up additional funds for the
Revelstoke Railway Museum’s exhibitions, programmes, and events.
“The establishment of the Railway Museum Endowment Fund speaks
volumes about Revelstoke and its strong commitment to see the
Museum grow and prosper. With donations made in memory of Jack
Leslie and Fred Angus, generous gifts from community leaders,
and contributions from members of Board of Trustees, the
community is making a powerful statement that it supports its
Railway Museum,” says Society President David Johnson.
“Now that the Fund has been established, our goal is to quickly
reach $10,000; once this goal is reached every dollar
contributed to the Fund will be matched 1:1 through the BC Arts
Renaissance Fund, administered by the Vancouver Foundation.
Establishing an endowment for the Museum would not have been
possible without the Revelstoke Community Foundation,” Johnson
went on to say. “The Foundation is able to invest its resources
at much better rates of return and at lower cost than the
Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society could do on its own.”
Those wishing to contribute to the Fund should send cheques made
out to the Revelstoke Community Foundation, with the notation
that they are for the Railway Museum Endowment Fund, to:
Revelstoke Community Foundation, 204 Campbell Avenue, PO Box
2398, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0. Receipts for tax deduction will be
provided.
Photo insert shows Steven Hui of the Revelstoke Community
Foundation’s Executive Committee accepting a cheque from
David Johnson, President of the Revelstoke Heritage Railway
Society, establishing the Railway Museum Endowment Fund at the
Foundation’s October 9th Board of Directors meeting.
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Historic locomotive donated
to Museum
 David
Johnson (left), President, Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society
and Roberto Rodriguez (right), Executive Director, Revelstoke
Railway Museum accept CP 5500 from Dan Sewell, CP Service Area
Manager – Revelstoke.
CPR 5500 is significant in that it was the first SD-40 model
locomotive produced by General Motors Diesel Division in London,
Ontario for North America and delivered to the Canadian Pacific
Railway in 1965. CPR ordered 32 units that year, (#s 5500 –
5531) and 33 more in 1966, (#s 5532 – 5564).
When refurbished to its original maroon & grey with "script"
lettering, CPR 5500 will be a prime example of a
second-generation diesel locomotive and a living testament to
our railway history and heritage.
The Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society sincerely thanks
Canadian Pacific for the kind donation of CPR 5500 to the
Revelstoke Railway Museum, August 17, 2007.
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Mural
Saved
Dave Williams, former CPR engineering technician turned artist,
painted Back Up and Hit it Again in 1977 for the then Burger
Junction restaurant in Revelstoke.
 In 2006,
new owners purchased the restaurant and decided to renovate; the
mural was slated for demolition.
Thanks to the Building & Grounds Committee of the Revelstoke
Heritage Railway Society the mural was saved by removing the
entire wall it was painted on. The mural was stored at the
Revelstoke Railway Museum until August of 2007 when it was
laboriously lifted into position and assembled for its unveiling
to the public during the official opening of Railway Days 2007.
Through its saving, restoration, conservation, display and
interpretation, a significant cultural asset for the citizens of
Revelstoke has been preserved.
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Chinese Legacy
 Thanks
to a cooperative project between the Revelstoke Heritage Railway
Society and the Revelstoke Museum & Archives Association, two
interrelated exhibitions will be mounted that celebrate the
contribution of the Chinese in building the railway and building
the community.
Opening in August of 2008, the Railway Museum’s exhibition will
tell the story of Chinese workers in building the Canadian
Pacific Railway, and the Revelstoke Museum & Archives will tell
the story of the Chinese community in Revelstoke.
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Museum Receives Major Grants
The Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society gratefully acknowledges
the financial support of the BC Ministry of Public Safety and
Solicitor General, the Columbia Basin Trust, the Revelstoke
Community Foundation, BC Hydro, and the Irving K. Barber
Learning Centre, UBC, for their generous grants in support of
the Museum’s exhibitions and programmes.
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 New
Exhibition
Coming to the Railway Museum in July, 2008, Prints from CPR
Magic Lantern Slides 1885-1930.
This exhibition presents prints from historical CPR magic
lantern slides that were originally produced to promote tourism
and immigration to Canada.
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July 12, 2007
MEDIA RELEASE
Revelstoke Railway Museum jumps into digital age thanks to UBC's
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Thousands of fascinating images from the Revelstoke Railway
Museum will soon be available online thanks to a unique
initiative from the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at the
University of British Columbia.
Launched in 2006, the Learning
Centre's British Columbia History Digitization Program provides
funds to digitize projects on B.C. heritage. The program aims to
make original and historical documents more accessible to the
public.
Earlier this year, the Learning
Centre selected 17 successful applicants, whose projects are
expected to be completed and ready for free online viewing
within a year.
The Revelstoke Railway project involves the digitization of
nearly 3,400 images that illustrate the history of Canadian
Pacific Railway within Revelstoke and the surrounding region
from the late 1800s to the present.
Other projects include First Nations and Indo-Canadian oral
histories; city directories dating from 1860-1901; community
newspapers from Prince George and White Rock; seminal B.C. video
art; and architectural plans of demolished buildings in
Victoria. A complete listing of the projects underway is
available at
www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca/ps/2007Projects.html.
 "As we
begin to collect the digitization projects into a single place,
we'll create a portal within the next year where people can find
out about their own history," says Jan Wallace, Interim Director
of the Learning Centre.
Digitization involves scanning and converting images, sound or
print materials like books and documents into digital files that
can be viewed or heard on a computer.
The digitization program supports the goals of the Learning
Centre - named in honour of Irving K. Barber, who donated more
than $20 million to develop the facility - to provide lifelong
learning opportunities for the people of British Columbia.
"This is one of the most exciting programs of the Irving K.
Barber Learning Centre, and it perfectly illustrates the spirit
of Dr. Barber's gift," says Wallace.
"To my knowledge, we're the only institution of higher education
in Canada or perhaps the world that's taking the lead on
digitizing community history," says Chris Hives, University
Archivist, noting that funding for digitization projects usually
comes from federal or provincial governments.
The British Columbia History Digitization Program provides up to
$200,000 in overall annual matching funds. The program provides
three funding categories for organizations involved with the
preservation of historical provincial material, such as
libraries, archives, museums, post-secondary institutions and
community groups. The next round of program applications will
begin in September 2007 (see
www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca/ps/BCDigitinfo.html for
more information)
About Irving K. Barber and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Irving K. Barber graduated from UBC in 1950, and went on to an
esteemed forestry career. In 1978, at the age of 55, Dr. Barber
founded Slocan Forest Products Ltd., which he built into a
leading North American lumber producer.
In 2002, Dr. Barber donated more than $20 million for the
construction of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at the
University of British Columbia. The B.C. Government contributed
$10 million and UBC matched these sums.
The Learning Centre, constructed around the historic core of
UBC's Main Library, provides resources and services to support
lifelong learning and research for users at UBC, throughout the
province and beyond.
Phase one of the Learning Centre opened in October 2005, and the
second and final phase is scheduled to open in late 2007. For
more information, visit
www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca.
CONTACT:
Glenn Drexhage
Communications Officer,
UBC Library/Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Tel: 604.827.3434
E-mail: glenn.drexhage@ubc.ca
Roberto Rodriguez
Executive Director, Revelstoke Railway Museum
Tel: 250.837.6060
E-mail:
president.railway@telus.net
Jan Wallace
Interim Director
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Tel: 604.822.2298
E-mail: jan.wallace@ubc.ca
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Okanagan Classic Thunderbird Club 9th Annual 3 Day Tour |
 The Revelstoke Railway Museum hosted the OKANAGAN CLASSIC
THUNDERBIRD CLUB on their 9th Annual Three-Day Tour, May 28,
2007. Over 50 classic T-Birds were on hand, welcomed to the
Museum by members of the Vintage Car Club of Canada - Revelstoke
Chapter.
Car clubs are always welcome at the Museum and appreciate the
safe, large parking lot to show off their classics. To book a
car club tour, please call toll free 1-877-837-6060. Be sure to
join the VCCC
 for our first annual car
show as part of Railway
Days 2007. People’s choice trophies will be awarded and all
entrants will receive a commemorate Railway Days dash plaque.
Details will be posted on the Railway Days website
www.railwaydays.com.
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October 21, 2006
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Railway Museum Receives Business Excellence Award
 Revelstoke,
BC: - The Revelstoke Railway Museum is proud to announce
that it has been awarded the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce 2006
Business Excellence Award. Each year, members of the Revelstoke
Chamber of Commerce celebrate the successes of their peers by
nominating local businesses for various awards, including the
prestigious Business Excellence Award. The Revelstoke Railway
Museum was nominated in three award categories; People's Choice
Service, Community Support, and Business Excellence. To be
nominated for Business Excellence. the business must have
demonstrated outstanding characteristics in all areas of
business excellence, including service, promotions, spirit of
cooperation, role model of success, community booster, and 'all
around' business.
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