<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">PORT HARDY, KWAKIUTL TERRITORY – The Port Hardy Museum and Visitor Centre is delighted to announce the opening of The Lilian Bland </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">'The Woman Who Soared, The Brilliant Lilian Bland’ </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">at our Museum location. (7110 Market St). </span></p><div style="text-align:center"><img src="cid:ii_mtbv2jvq2" alt="Lilian Bland Press Release photo 1.tiff" style="outline:0px;background-color:transparent"><span style="background-color:transparent"></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="text-align:center;line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Are you air-minded? Are your eyes always on the birds overhead? Well, you are not alone. Meet the brilliant Lilian Bland! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In 1911 Bland became the first woman in the world to design, build, and fly her own powered aircraft. Did you know that this important historical figure lived in the remote community of Quatsino on Northern Vancouver Island.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">During the early days of aviation, people flocked to home-built airplanes. These flimsy structures fulfilled an eons long human dream</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> — to fly</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. 18 years before Amelia Earhart would make her transatlantic journey, Lilian Bland was studying diagrams of airplanes and designing her plane the </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Mayfly</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> in her uncle's workshop.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Since youth, Bland was never one to be confined to society’s rules. She is remembered as sarcastic and passionate, always chasing after what she wanted, despite push-back.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This new exhibit explores her early life pursuing photography, her days as an aviatrix, and her time as a homesteader in Quatsino.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Exhibit “</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Woman Who Soared, The Brilliant Lilian Bland”</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> was curated by Wren Springle (Curatorial Assistant, YCW). This exhibit was made possible with the aid of The Quatsino Museum and Archives, and the Lilian Bland Website.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Other contributors from our team include Robin Folvik (Curator/Executive Director), Brie Watson (Associate Curator), Ashley Cadwallader (Assistant Manager of Visitor Services), Danya Gorodetsky (Education Programmer), and Kiara Benjamin (Community Engagement Assistant).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Port Hardy Museum and Visitor Centre is operated by the Port Hardy Heritage Society, a non-profit organization. For more information about latest activities, exhibits or how to support the organization, visit </span><a href="https://www.porthardymuseum.com/" style="text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://www.porthardymuseum.com/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The exhibit will be on display until August 2027, and we welcome visitors and community members to view it. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">  </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">  </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">  </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">  </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">  </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">  </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">-30-</span></p></div><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><span><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><i style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"Lucida Sans",sans-serif">The Port Hardy Museum is located on the unceded homelands of the Kwakiutl First Nation in Gwa’dzi (Hardy Bay), a place of longstanding gathering and exchange for many coastal nations. We honour the Kwakiutl as caretakers of these lands and waters and are committed to elevating Indigenous voices, knowledge, and perspectives.</i></p></span></div></div></div>
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