[BCMA] Steveston Historical Society turns 50 — celebration July 26, colleagues welcome

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

Hello Chris Matheson!

Are you related to Audrey Matheson? I knew her when I was at the Vancouver
Maritime Museum.

Joan Thornley

On Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 10:26 AM Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv via
Listserv <listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca> wrote:

> Hello colleagues,
>
> A milestone to share from Steveston: the Steveston Historical Society
> turns 50 this month. Founded in 1976 by volunteers working to save the
> village's history — starting with the old post office building that became
> our museum — the Society today operates the Steveston Museum and Post
> Office and the Steveston Japanese Canadian Museum, in the former Japanese
> Fishermen's Hospital.
>
> We're celebrating on Sunday, July 26 with a free community afternoon in
> Town Square Park, with many of our founding volunteers attending as guests
> of honour. Colleagues in the region are very welcome — it would be a
> pleasure to see you there.
>
> For those who don't know me yet: I joined the Society as Executive
> Director in June, supported by a multi-year investment from the City of
> Richmond, after previous roles including the Vancouver Police Museum and
> the Grist Mill at Keremeos. I'm looking forward to connecting with many of
> you in the months ahead.
>
> Press release with full details below.
>
> Best regards,
> Chris Mathieson
> Executive Director, Steveston Historical Society
> chris at historicsteveston.ca | (604) 238-8026 |
> https://www.google.com/url?q=http://historicsteveston.ca&source=gmail&ust=1784742337066000&sa=E
>
> ---
>
> Steveston Historical Society Marks 50 Years with a Community Celebration
> in Town Square Park
>
> STEVESTON, B.C. — The Steveston Historical Society will celebrate its 50th
> anniversary on Sunday, July 26 with a free community celebration in Town
> Square Park, honouring the volunteers who founded the Society in 1976 and
> set out to protect Steveston's history before much of it was lost. Everyone
> is welcome; the park opens to the public at noon and festivities run until
> 5 p.m.
>
> For five decades, the Society has been carried by community members who
> gave their time — restoring and operating the Steveston Museum and Post
> Office, gathering the stories of the village's fishing, farming and cannery
> families, and keeping Steveston's past present as the community around it
> changed. Many of the founders and earliest volunteers will be guests of
> honour on the 26th.
>
> The afternoon reflects the many communities that have shaped Steveston:
> Japanese taiko drumming, Chinese calligraphy, gyotaku (traditional Japanese
> fish printing) and Indigenous fry bread demonstrations, alongside live
> music, children's activities and heritage walking performances by local
> student actors. Community and heritage partners will host exhibits, and
> several community projects are underway to mark the milestone, including a
> commemorative mural by artist Mark Anderson.
>
> Mayor Malcolm Brodie will officially open the celebration with remarks at
> 1 p.m., followed by the cutting of the anniversary cake.
>
> What: Steveston Historical Society 50th Anniversary Celebration
> When: Sunday, July 26, 2026 — park opens at noon; official opening 1 p.m.;
> festivities to 5 p.m.
> Where: Town Square Park, Steveston (3811 Moncton Street, Richmond, B.C.)
> Cost: Free — all welcome
>
> Contact: Chris Mathieson, Executive Director — chris at historicsteveston.ca
> _______________________________________________
> Listserv mailing list
> Listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca
> https://list.web.net/lists/listinfo/listserv
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://list.web.net/pipermail/listserv/attachments/20260723/fff7104c/attachment.htm>