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Sicamous chamber steps up to help museum share community’s story

Visitor Centre and museum under construction, expected to reopen in May
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A log wall and pioneer exhibit at the Sicamous Museum and Historical Society. The museum has continued a partnership with the District of Sicamous Chamber of Commerce to get support for its operations. (Sicamous Museum and Historical Society photo)

Experiencing difficulty attracting new members and completing work, the Sicamous Museum and Historical Society has extended its partnership with the local chamber to get the support it needs.

The chamber and the museum have been partners since 2018, allowing the museum to be open year-round.

The museum hired a new staff member/curator who was able to run the museum and the Visitor Centre, benefiting both organizations, explained Sicamous Chamber of Commerce executive director Sheila Devost.

However, the museum’s current board of directors has been finding it difficult to sign on new members and ensure the work of changing out exhibits is being done, accurately telling the story of Sicamous. In response, the chamber will be taking on day-to-day operations at the museum. The museum board will still have strategic control of the museum, deciding what happens to collections, archives and exhibits.

“Museums and historical societies traditionally have difficulty, and with a population as small as ours it’s even more so,” said Devost. “There’s always been a desire from the museum to make some changes, but it’s difficult to execute when you’re limited in resources and when lots of the people involved are seniors.”

Devost said museum staff have heard from locals and visitors that there is a need for more relevant artifacts and stories about the origins of Sicamous. She said people are eager to know about the beginnings of the community.

“We want to ensure the community is well-represented, and we’re hoping to engage with Indigenous partners more, as we’ve had them in before fore storytelling and things,” said Devost. “We want to see more of the connection with Splatsin and keep going with a vision for the future.”

Devost made clear the partnership is not a case of the chamber taking over museum operations. Chamber employees will be able to help the museum with moving displays, writing grants and keeping everything organized administratively.

“No one wants to see it end, and that’s where we come in,” said Devost. “We utilize our community, we have the experience to help, and we’ve even used the Junior B hockey team to help us move stuff. We could see the frustration and it’s just going to be a great partnership moving forward.”

Both the Visitor Centre and the museum are currently under construction to create a bigger footprint layout and allow for exhibits to be rotated and displayed more effectively.

The chamber will work to make sure community needs are met while the Visitor Centre and museum are under construction, and it appreciates being trusted to work with the museum board to create a museum everyone in Sicamous can be proud of.

A grand re-opening of the space is set for the May long weekend.

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Rebecca Willson

About the Author: Rebecca Willson

I took my first step into the journalism industry in November 2022 when I moved to Salmon Arm to work for the Observer and Eagle Valley News. I graduated with a journalism degree in December 2021 from MacEwan University in Edmonton.
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