On this day, October 26, 1968, the Centennial Museum and the H.R. MacMillan Planetarium opened at their new (iconic) building in Vanier Park. The Museum of Vancouver (“MOV”) is the focus of today’s Vancouver Icons photo feature.
Vancouver Icons: Museum of Vancouver
The museum was founded in 1894 by the Art, Historical, and Scientific Association of Vancouver, with rented space and a donated collection that began to grow. On April 19, 1905, the museum officially opened on the top floor of the Carnegie Library, that year more than 10,000 people signed the museum’s guest registry.
1932. Entrance to City Museum and Art Gallery. Archives# CVA 677-711.6
When the main library branch moved out to Burrard and Robson in 1957, there was even more room for the museum but the search was on for a dedicated site. That came when Federal and provincial money was made available for the 1967 Confederation Centennial celebrations and the current building was constructed.
1903 – Major Matthews collection, Item#: Bu P116.3
“Designed by the well-known architect Gerald Hamilton, the building was planned to house only the museum. A generous gift by the late H.R. MacMillan allowed the architect to incorporate a planetarium into the design. The distinctive dome atop the Museum, similar in shape to that of a woven basket hat made by Northwest Coast First Nations peoples, became one of the best-known landmarks on the city skyline.” [Source]
“The walls of the complex are finished in delicately detailed white concrete panels, their ornament and relationship to the reflecting pools reminiscent of Yamasaki’s Pacific Science Center for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Hamilton’s other buildings in the New Formalist vein include St. George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral, built in 1970 at 4500 Arbutus Street, and an office building at 1090 West Pender Street completed the same year.” [Source]
If you’re already looking ahead to how you can support others during the holiday season, here are some very worthy Adopt-A-Family programs in Metro Vancouver:
Adopt-A-Family Programs in Metro Vancouver
If you are in need of assistance, you can also find links to register as a beneficiary through the following organizations:
Movies, markets, theatre, online galas and more! This weekend’s event lineup is packed with a mix of in-person/outdoor seasonal activities and online arts programming. It’s also a great time to check out the fall colours in local park. Find these and more things to do in Vancouver this weekend below:
Denyse Waissbluth has traveled to over 20 different countries and experienced teatime in every single one. In her new children’s bookTeatime Around the World, she pairs her sweet, simple poetry with facts about tea cultures worldwide.
Teatime Around the World
With illustrations by Chelsea O’Byrne, this poetic picture book takes children of all ages on an adventure around the world to discover new cultures and friends through tea. I had the chance to chat with Denyse about the book and her own global adventures with tea.
Chanterelles in Stanley Park. Photo by Peter Woods
Using the ingredients and tools the land provides us is something we can all learn and appreciate, especially given the bountiful place which we call home on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Nations.
At this time of year, the forests can open up with unique seasonal plants and fungi that can be used in a variety of ways. You can learn and put to practice some of these uses when you sign up for these upcoming foraging events in Vancouver:
Foraging Events in Vancouver
Saturday, October 24, 2020 Lessons from the Forests: Natural dyeing with mushrooms, lichens, and plants Join wildlife ecologist and mushroom dyer Zoe McDonell and local Musqeaum artist Rita Kompst as they provide an overview of foraging and harvesting natural dyes from the forests of the Pacific Northwest using mushrooms, lichens, and plants. Discover how to ethically harvest mushrooms as they discuss the deep roots of these colours through blending traditional Coast Salish knowledge with modern science. This webinar is for anyone looking to view the forests around us in a different light and for anyone who wonders what is out there after the rains come.
