MONOVA Museum of North Vancouver

Add this to your Vancouver lexicon! MONOVA is the new brand for the Museum of North Vancouver, which is set to open in 2021 in a new 16,000 square foot space at 115 West Esplanade. In the heart of North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale Shipyards District, it will be adjacent to Lonsdale Quay, the Polygon Gallery, and the SeaBus Terminal.

MONOVA Museum of North Vancouver

The new Museum will join the Archives of North Vancouver in Lynn Valley in engaging and supporting the north shore community in discovery and storytelling under the MONOVA banner.

In addition to being the new home of the restored Streetcar 153 and a stunning new cedar carving of Sch’ich’iyuy (The Two Sisters) by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) carver Wade Baker, the new purpose-built facility will be full of interactive multimedia exhibits, innovative programming and public gatherings.

“The red cedar Sch’ich’iyuy panel is based on the ancient Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sister’s Mountain Transformer legend,” noted Wade Baker. “The twins were raised from childhood to be leaders for their people. They asked their father, the Siyam, the Chief, to bring peace to the warring tribes along the coast. He could not refuse their request and fires were lit all along the coast to signal a great welcoming feast to bring peace. For their efforts, the twins were immortalized in the mountain peaks you see today that watch over us.”

When it opens in 2021, the new Museum of North Vancouver hopes to engage, strengthen and inspire the community by exploring the stories of North Vancouver’s past, present and future.

The brand launch today kicks off a community campaign called “Bringing Stories To Life” as part of their ongoing $1.5M new museum fundraising appeal. With 85% of funding in place, this campaign aims to close the gap. Follow the new brand on Facebook for more information.