Thank you to everyone who came out to our AGM on Wednesday evening – it’s always great to see everyone at the museum! The AGM is a wonderful opportunity to share what we’ve done this year and recognize those who give their time to the museum, such as this year’s Volunteer of the Year Danielle Winkle. Thanks also to our board members who were able to attend for the (short, as promised) meeting and to Lauren, our Collections summer student, who did an amazing job manning the barbecue.
Members catch up and share stories over dinner by Florence Petersen Park. Photo courtesy of Alyssa Bruijns.
(Speaking of summer students, we will be formally introducing Lauren and Sierra, the Programs summer student, in our next bimonthly newsletter out in July – if you’d like to receive our newsletter send us an email at events@whistlermuseum.org letting us know; you can unsubscribe at any time if you change your mind.)
Louise Smith (Betts) with her grandmother Lizzie Neiland, uncle Bob Jardine and Tweed the dog at 34 1/2 Mile.
It was especially exciting to have Louise Smith join us. Louise is the daughter of Wallace Betts and Jenny Jardine, whose family lived in the valley from the 1920s until the early 1950s (learn more about the Jardine-Neiland family here). As a child Louise visited her grandmother, Lizzie Neiland, at her home at 34 1/2 Mile (today Function Junction) and it’s not often we get the chance to talk with people who remember living in Alta Lake and knew some of the people we only get to know about through stories, photographs and other archival records.
Louise also brought a new addition to our archives, a cattle bell which was used by her family when they lived in the valley (that’s right, you used to be able to have your own cows in Whistler) and which is now awaiting cataloguing along with some other recent donations.
This cowbell was used by the Jardine-Neiland family on their ranch at 34 1/2 Mile (today Function Junction).
We’re looking forward to a busy summer and we’ll see everyone out at the Canada Day Parade next weekend!
WHISTORICAL 