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Board

I am a founding Director of the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History and happy to be still involved in the Institute’s work. I bring with me Board experience developed as a member of the Cranbrook Health Council for five years. I have also sat on several committees and have been a part of publishing companies. My present work with the Columbia Basin Institute involves providing marketing and financial assistance along with continual new idea testing and development. I am good at encouraging and questioning new initiatives.

My background as both a teacher and a parent helps with the development of educational aspects of the Institute’s ongoing work. Interviewing and interview transcription are a couple of the tangible skills that I contribute to the Columbia Basin Institute. I grew up in a Doukhobor family and am very proud of my Doukhobor heritage. Along with that background I bring a strong commitment to the sensitive treatment of cultural and race issues. When we are brainstorming new potential initiatives, part of my contribution is giving voice to the importance of tangible links with the past. It is important to forge links to past traditions, grandparents, places and practices.

For me the bringing forward and developing of past traditions and skills is worthwhile. When one learns and applies old methods to new resources, the result is sometimes very gratifying. Researching old design elements and weaving practices, for instance, and bringing those things forth in a new work continues the knowledge and connection with those who came before. History has to be alive and of use to create current interest and value. I believe, by the way, that the new Columbia Basin Image Bank is an excellent attempt at bringing the past into the present and, at the same time, creating new value for society. I would encourage others to get involved with the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History and bring their particular backgrounds and interests to the Institute’s work.

For 35 years I lived in the central interior of the province in Fraser Lake, a 100 miles west of Prince George. In this community I was exposed to the great history we are blessed with. The First Nation influence is very strong in that area and the European influence makes for a great study of how these cultures met and were able to get along for the past 200 years.

In Fraser Lake I was instramental in the conception and creation of a museum for that community. Work involved designing the building, fund raising to build and operate the museum and going to the community in collection development of historical artifacts for display.

I moved to Cranbrook in 1998 and since my move here I have been an active member of the Baker Hill Heritage Association, the East Kootenay Historical Association and also have been involved with the Annual Proctor Story Telling Festival presenting historical stories relating to my family and their history in the Kootenays. I have and continue to participate in yearly activites sponsored by the Baker Hill Group such as the Historical Heritage tour and tea, several workshops on heritage gardening and a trade fair directed to historical aspects of taking care of historical homes. I'm a second term member of the Cranbrook city council and organizer of story telling presentations at the annual Sam Steele celebrations.

I have a special interest in the Basin because I was born in the West Kootenays and now live in the East Kootenays. Both these areas have had my family involved in their development since 1899 when my father came West to Rossland. My father and mother were both interested in local history and this has rubbed off on me.

Since I was very young I have been exposed to various parts of the basin. For example, I remember in the early 1940's taking the Minto (sternwheeler) from Robson to Halcyon Hotsprings on the Arrow Lake. As a young boy, riding the sternwheelers on the Kootenay Lake was such a thrill. Memories of my dad, a mining man, taking me through some of the local mines as a curious youngster are forever etched in my mind.

The Basin is rich in history and hopefully I can help in some small way, to give something to this Regional History Institute.

Graduated UBC with B.Ed and taught high school from 1969-1980.

Began selling real estate in Cranbrook in 1980 till present including 10 years of owning and managing Cranbrook Agencies Real Estate Ltd. From 1980 through 1990 my sales volume consistently ranked in the top ten for both the East and West Kootenays.

Currently focusing on industrial, commercial and investment real estate.

Memberships: Currently, Christ the Servant Parish, The Kootenay Real Estate Board, B.C. Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association, Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce, Director of Cranbrook Archives Museum and Landmarks Foundation (Railway Museum), Previously, Rotary International.

Founding member of the Baker Hill Residential Heritage Association in Cranbrook.

Currently the part time archivist at Cranbrook Archives.

Past Experience: 10 yrs at Univ. of Saskatchewan Libraries including stops in Data Services and Special Collections/Archives participating in a handful of content websites.

Enjoy collecting ephemera of the Kootenays, volunteering at Fort Steele Heritage Town and previously hosting radio programs on community radio (Saskatoon).

Being a relatively new basin resident, I revel in soaking up the rich, diverse local history including the First Nations intimate relationship with the landscape, the natural landscape itself, the discovery of gold to the lumbering, mining and tourism industries that have shaped our basin and it's people. Researching the stories and images for the first time is exciting, something I want to share. I trust this institute can relay this excitement I experience to the young in our local schools and researchers from abroad with vivid images and factual documentation. Please join me in exploring this website as a time machine to click yourself into the past.

Retired to Cranbrook in 1992 after 30 years with BC Gas, last position as Supervisor Forms and Graphics.

Community Service started with Kinsmen Club in the 1950's, founding president of the Kamloops Kiwanis Daybreaker Club, and Gyro Club in Cranbrook.

RCMP Auxiliary member for 10 years from 1964 to 1974 in Kamloops. Member of Community Policing Council and Citizens on Patrol for several years in Cranbook in 1990's.

Past President of Friends of the Cranbrook Library.

Currently Deputy Zone Commander and Area Air Deputy of PEP/AIR and CASARA and president of Kootenay Columbia Air Search and Rescue.

I have always been interested in the history of B.c. Growing up on the West Coast in the 30's I remember Tall Ships coming into Port Alberni and Union Bay on Vancouver Island to load lumber and coal. I was interested in Coastal First Nations heritage and dug in middens on Hornby Island and at Courtenay.

Employed by Tembec the last 32 years.

Interested in military history.

Maintains a web site concerning the gallantry awards to the 54th Kootenay Battalion WWI.

Staff

I am fortunate to be able to work with an energetic and visionary group of people who are committed to change. Does that sound slightly strange in a heritage group? I don’t think so.

History is our window on the past, and on our own future. In the Columbia Basin, with growth and expansion happening all around us, we need to rescue the documents of the past and present them to both old and new residents. That is one way in which we can help to broaden and change the dialogue on what our future in this region will be.

All of us at the Columbia Basin Institute are committed to enabling the dialogue on our collective future by making public the facts of our past, of our regional inter-connectedness, of our landscape and economic utilization. With these facts we can then decide on positive change which preserves past values and integrates future growth.

I personally have had thirty years of working with the history of the Columbia Basin region and still find it fascinating. When we can look at organizations such as the Mountain Lumbermen’s Association we begin to see the economic and social threads which bind us together from Valemount to Ymir and from Crowsnest to Comaplix. So very much of our past ties directly to the drainages of the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers.

Working with other groups to form partnerships with which to present our past digitally to a wide audience is very exciting. I believe the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History is on the cutting edge of publicizing our past in the most positive way. Finding methods of enhancing the existing collections, both public and private, and sharing the results in a broad fashion is satisfying work and furthers the dialogue of regional unity and development. I am proud to say that the Institute works with existing collections and does not compete for historic artifacts. We do not amass artifact collections or archives – but gather material, scan it and place it on the web site, and then return the material to the individual owner or public repository. We assist with the mandate all public institutions have to make their collections public.

My own personal interest is to see the products of our work being utilized widely in Columbia Basin educational institutions, by emerging researchers and authors, and by individuals who want to be part of the dialogue of retaining the Columbia Basin as the best place to live and raise a family. I believe that is part of the vision that we share collectively here at the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History.