The Qualicum Beach Museum is hoping local Ukrainian-Canadians will tell their stories as part of a Royal B.C. Museum travelling exhibit.
The museum will host the exhibit from May to mid-July, which celebrates the 125th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada, as well as Ukrainian-Canadian contributions to B.C.
Called Bread and Salt, the exhibit includes 12 information panels that focus on Ukrainians arriving in B.C., museum manager Netanja Waddell said.
“As we are marking the Canada 150th (anniversary), then it’s interesting for us to look at our different aspects of our general history, and immigration is a hot topic,” she said.
The exhibit is composed mostly of the panels, with an audio component to be installed in June. But, to augment the information and give an idea of the Ukrainian community locally, the museum is calling out for Ukrainian objects and artifacts that it might display along with the exhibit.
The museum doesn’t currently have any artifacts specific to the Ukrainian community in its collection, and is not aware of any specific Ukrainian history in the area, but Waddell said they are hoping to change that.
“We don’t know those (local) stories, and we’d love to hear them.”
There is a Ukrainian Orthodox church in Parksville called St. Mary the Protectress, which periodically offers perogie dinners open to the public. Waddell said she would be very happy to hear from that community.
The Qualicum Beach Historical and Museum Society can be contacted at 250-752-5533.