What’s New in March

NEWSLETTERMarch 2015 Culture Heritage

N A N A I M O

I T ’ S W H O W E A R E

Excellence in Heritage Building Rehabilitation to be Recognized at 2015 Culture & Heritage Awards CeremonyTwo heritage buildings will be recognized at the 2015 Culture & Heritage Awards for heritage rehabilitation projects completed in 2013/14. The purpose of these awards is to formally recognize the efforts made by individual property owners to conserve and rehabilitate Nanaimo’s heritage buildings.

McCourt Residence (750 Franklyn Street)Owned by Ms. Andrea Saam-Lawry and Mr. Tim Lawry. To be presented with a Heritage Rehabilitation Award (Residential) for exterior rehabilitation work completed in 2014. The Lawry’s effectively “resurrected” this older heritage home which was in dire need of extensive repair, thereby helping to keep a piece of the Old City’s history alive and demonstrating the value of built heritage for others.

St. Paul’s Anglican Church (100 Chapel Street)Owned by The Anglican Synod of the Diocese of BC. To be presented with a Heritage Rehabilitation Award (Institutional) for roof upgrade work completed in 2014. This work was notable for the Diocese’s commitment to ensuring the new roof replicated the style and aesthetic of the Church’s original asbestos tiled roof, thereby maintaining the roof as one of the building’s defining features.

Owners will be honoured at the upcoming 2015 Culture & Heritage Awards ceremony, to be held on April 9, 2015 at the Port Theatre. Past award recipients include the Bastion (98 Front Street), Palace Hotel (275 Skinner Street), Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Station (321 Selby Street), Harris House (375 Franklyn Street), Harrison Residence (546 Prideaux Street) and many more.

For more information on the Awards, contact the Culture & Heritage Department. "The purpose of the Heritage Building Rehabilitation Awards is to recognize excellence in heritage conservation and encourage future conservation work in the community.” --Mayor McKay

Reserve your tickets for the

2015 Culture & Heritage Awards Ceremony!Celebrating the best of Nanaimo’s Culture & HeritageCeremony to be held April 9, 2015.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Tickets are free but must be reserved.

Reserve your tickets now by contacting the Port Theatre at 250-754-8550.

Tickets will be available online as of Tuesday, March 10 at www.porttheatre.com.

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Honour in Culture Ms. Arlene BlundellThe “Honour in Culture” Award is presented to an individual, group or corporation that is known for their dedication and support of the cultural fabric of Nanaimo.

Arlene Blundell will receive the “Honour In Culture” Award for her outstanding work with the Nanaimo Theatre Group and enormous commitment to the breadth and growth of theatre in and around Nanaimo. Arlene is also recognized through her many community service initiatives such as the BC Senior Games in 2007

and BC Summer Games in 2014, the Nanaimo Toy Drive and as an active member of the Altrusa Club.

Excellence in Culture Mr. Grant Leier & Ms. Nixie BartonThe “Excellence in Culture” Award is presented to an organization or individual that has achieved regional and/or national recognition in the field of arts and culture. Grant Leier and Nixie Barton will receive the “Excellence in Culture” Award. They are recognized as having earned national reputations for their numerous solo exhibitions throughout North America. Both have brought their expertise, experience and generosity to the community. Their wide ranging support of the arts was illustrated through mentorships, donations, and participation in the many aspects of the local, Canadian and international cultural communities.

Emerging Cultural Leader Ms. Amanda ScottThe “Emerging Cultural Leader” Award is presented to up-and-coming leaders who have contributed significantly to the new landscape of cultural life in Nanaimo. Amanda Scott will receive the “Emerging Cultural Leader” Award for her commitment and outstanding support of the arts and culture scene in Nanaimo and, more specifically in the Arts District of Downtown Nanaimo. In just a short time at The Vault Cafe, Amanda has created an exciting cultural hub that hosts and supports many various genres of art and the artist within. For artists young and old of all disciplines, Amanda has created the opportunity to expand their creativity in a comfortable and supportive environment. Some have stated that The Vault has quickly become the “cultural heart” that beats in the downtown core.

Heritage Rehabilitation (Residential) McCourt Residence “Heritage Rehabilitation” Awards are designed to formally recognize the efforts made by individual property owners to conserve and rehabilitate

Nanaimo’s heritage buildings. This year’s residential rehabilitation award is presented to the property owners – Andrea Saam-Lawry and Tim Lawry – to recognize the extensive repair and rehabilitation work completed in 2013 on the McCourt Residence. The owners effectively “resurrected” a older

heritage home which was in dire need of extensive repair thereby helping to keep a piece of the Old City’s history alive and demonstrating the value of built heritage for others to appreciate.

Heritage Rehabilitation (Institutional) St. Paul’s Anglican Church“Heritage Rehabilitation” Awards are designed to formally recognize the efforts made by individual property owners to conserve and rehabilitate Nanaimo’s heritage buildings. This year’s institutional rehabilitation award is presented to the Anglican Diocese of B.C. for the repair and upgrade of the Church roof completed in 2014. This work was notable for the Diocese’s commitment to ensuring the new roof replicated the style and aesthetic of the Church’s original asbestos tiled roof, thereby maintaining the roof as one of the building’s character defining features.

CULTURE & HERITAGE AWARDSPORT THEATRE TICKETED EVENT FREE ADMISSIONTHURSDAY APRIL 9, 2015 @ 7:00 PM (DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM)

CITY OF NANAIMO PRESENTED BY THE PORT THEATRE

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Community Cultural Roundtable, March 14

The Nanaimo Arts Council, the Gabriola Arts Council and the City of Nanaimo invite you to The Alliance for Arts + Culture and ArtsBC’s Community Cultural Roundtable.

Join your arts, culture, and heritage community colleagues in a province-wide conversation about the development of a cultural policy framework for British Columbia. How often do you get to do something like this right here in your own community! This is a free community event.

When? Saturday, March 14, 2015 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pmWhere? John Barsby Community School (550 Seventh Street, Nanaimo BC) (Chandler Hall)Registration Fee? FREE!! Registration is required: www.eventbrite.ca/e/nanaimo-community-cultural-roundtable-registration-15752340675

The Community Cultural Roundtable series is your opportunity to bring your personal, local, and regional perspectives to this important provincial initiative. If you are unable to attend the Roundtable but would like to contribute to the discussion through an online survey, visit www.bccreativeconvergence.ca/survey/.

unConference: Profits for Non ProfitsSunday March 29A forum for sharing and learning about profit generation and new revenue. An unConference is designed to facilitate conversation and collaboration amongst participants with the goal of developing definitive ‘next steps’, as opposed to a traditional conference structure where participants attend to listen to speakers. A speaker will be invited to give a keynote at the beginning of the unConference. Participants will then choose different sessions based on their need. Sessions may include strategic fund development, profit generation structures, role of boards, and relationship to government funding.

When? Sunday, March 29, 2015 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pmWhere? Vancouver Island University (900 Fifth Street) (Building 250 - Rooms 125,140)Registration Fee? $49 early registration (prior to March 19 or $69 after. (Register online at: registration link coming soon -- Interested? Email us at cultureandheritage@nanaimo.ca and we’ll make sure you receive an update).

Facilitated by Startup Nanaimo, in partnership with Vancouver Island University, Inspire Nanaimo, City of Nanaimo’s Culture & Heritage Department, and the Association of Fundraising Professional, Vancouver Island Chapter.

Festival Nanaimo (March 2015)Festival Nanaimo is a new multi-dimensional community festival taking place in Nanaimo throughout the month of March 2015. It will showcase all the things that we love about the city where we live, work and play. A full scheduled of events is available online at www.festivalnanaimo.com and check the Festival Nanaimo Facebook page at www.facebook.com/festivalnanaimo. New events, activities and festivities are being added weekly!

Take a free Heritage Walking Tour!

Join the City of Nanaimo’s Heritage Planner (Chris Sholberg) and Community Archivist (Christine Meutzner) for a free community heritage walk tour as part of Festival Nanaimo. Everyone is welcome to attend!

When? Saturday, March 14, 2015Where? Meet at 1:00 pm in Diana Krall Plaza (Downtown Nanaimo)* Reminder to bring appropriate footwear.

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“Art is good for my soul precisely because it reminds me that we have souls in the first place.”

--Tilda Swinton

Send Nanaimo Students to Monterey

The ‘Dick Olynyk Trio’ has been together at Wellington Secondary in Nanaimo BC since Tiana was in Grade 9, and Kenton and Ethan were in Grade 8. They have continuously surprised adjudicators and jazz pros with their mature sound and won awards across Canada and the United States.

This March, they have been invited to participate in one of the biggest festivals in the U.S., the Next Generation Jazz Festival, in Monterey California. There were only six combos chosen in North America, and the only Canadian group chosen in the whole festival. To date, the trio has raised $905 through theire “gofundme” website.

To learn more and help support the Trio, visit www.gofundme.com/19x6uw.

Nanaimo Art Gallery: Record (Re)CreateContemporary Coast Salish Art from the Salish Weave Collection

Presented by the Nanaimo Art Gallery (January 10 to April 12). RECORD (Re)CREATE showcases a selection of works by artists of Coast Salish ancestry from the Salish Weave Collection privately held in British Columbia. The fourteen artists featured are frequently unified as Coast Salish, but they are representatives of a number of distinct First Nations that span the southern coast of British Columbia, and extend into Washington and Oregon.

Details at www.nanaimoartgallery.com/index.php/exhibitions/campus-exhibitions.

Marilyn Ridsdale: Marilyn took her Arts Degree at UBC and moved to Nanaimo in 1992. For many years, Marilyn has been teaching acrylic painting for the City of Nanaimo, Department of Parks, Recreation and Environment. Marilyn will be demonstrating her artist skills from 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm.

Helen Ottwell Binns: Helen was born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1957. Her artwork has been strongly influenced by both her international travels, as well as the places she has lived over the years. She has been instructing watercolour and drawing classes for Parks, Recreation and Environment since she moved to Nanaimo in 2006. Helen will be demonstrating Eastern Watercolour Painting Techniques from 12:30 pm to 1:15 pm.

Swing Into Spring, March 7Presented by the Daybreak Rotary. Enjoy a night of timeless big band music featuring VIU Music Students and the Nanaimo Musicians Association on Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 pm in the Beban Auditorium (2300 Bowen Road). For more information, visit www.swingintospring.ca.

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2015 Festival of Banners Design and paint your very own street banner

In March & April, professional artists and amateur painters from every corner of Nanaimo – students, parents, teachers, seniors and you – come together to create beautiful one-of-a-kind works of art to enliven and add vibrancy to our city streets. Between 150 and 250 banners are created each year. The Nanaimo Art Gallery and Nanaimo Arts Council have partnered to organize this year’s Festival of Banners. This year’s theme: My Favorite Things.

Want to paint your own banner? Find details and entry forms online at www.nanaimoartgallery.com/index.php/exhibitions/festival-of-banners.

I LOVE MY MAIN STREET Photo ContestShare your photo and be entered to win a $2,000 Via Rail travel voucher

Heritage Canada The National Trust for Canada presents the I LOVE MY MAIN STREET photo contest. Main streets are at the heart of every healthy community, providing a rich and textured backdrop of historic buildings that create a vibrant mix of services and uses.

Show some love for your your City! It’s easy to enter... just upload a photo of your favourite commercial main street (include yourself if you want!) at www.mainstreetcanada.ca/eng/enter and be automatically entered to win a VIA Rail travel voucher worth $2,000.

2015 Heritage Summit

The City of Nanaimo’s Culture & Heritage Department and Culture / Heritage Commission would like to send thanks to all of the individuals who made the 2015 Heritage Summit a success by attending and sharing their organization history, current events, etc. Also thanks to the Nanaimo Museum for not only an interesting and engaging presentation, but lovely facility in which to host the event.

The evening began with a presentation by Ms. Aimee Greenaway, Interpretive Curator at the Nanaimo Museum, who gave an informative presentation on Fraser Street: Nanaimo’s Red Light District from the 1890s to 1920s, a little known aspect of Nanaimo’s social history. a presentation on Fraser Street: Nanaimo’s Red Light District from the 1890s-1920s. The remainder of the evening was devoted to a roundtable discussion with culture and heritage groups and organizations in attendance. Notes from the event are available online here.

The Museum’s “Red Lights and Roulette” exhibit is available for viewing by the public from February 2 to May 1. For more information, visit www.nanaimomuseum.ca.

Canadian Aboriginal Writing ContestSecond Story Press is holding a contest for Canadian writers who identify as Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit). Writers aged 18 and older are invited to submit a manuscript aimed at young readers - age 5 up to teenagers. Both fiction and non-fiction will be accepted. The winner will be offered a publishing contract from Second Story Press. Contest is open until March 31. For complete contest rules, visit www.secondstorypress.ca.

Last Month’s Clue: Congrats to Alex Harrison, who successfully identified February’s FOCUS ON Heritage Photo Clue: the A.R. Johnston & Co. Grocers (now Flying Fish).

FO US ONheritage

Identify this piece of Nanaimo’s history and win a limited edition art print of

historic downtown Nanaimo by local artist Fred Peters!

How to Participate1. Can you identify this piece of Nanaimo’s

history? Watch this newsletter each month as we feature a close-up visual “clue” that highlights a piece of Nanaimo’s history.

2. Send your response by email only to cultureandheritage@nanaimo.ca.

3. Answers must be sent by email only. The first person to respond with the correct answer will receive a limited edition art print by local artist Fred Peters. Winners will be notified via email.

A.R. Johnston & Co. Grocers (172-174 Commercial Street)(Excerpt from the Nanaimo Community Heritage Register)

Built in 1898 to replace an earlier building at this site, the Johnston Block is a very good example of a simple, vernacular commercial building. The two storey rear portion of the building has a stone foundation and hip roof. The interior of the one storey front portions retains the original pressed tin ceiling. The exterior has been stuccoed but the foundation is still visible at the side and rear and is a rare local example of early stone construction. Illustrating Nanaimo’s early commercial development, the A.R. Johnston Block is one of very few pre-1900 buildings still standing. The building was part of a complex that included a store, warehouse and wharf and originally backed

onto Nanaimo’s now infilled inner harbour. The siting underlines the historic importance of harbour access and water transportation to early merchants operating in isolated Nanaimo.

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Wholesale and Retail Grocers

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Poet Laureate, Naomi Beth WakanThe purpose of a Poet Laureate for Nanaimo is to serve as a “people’s poet” and to raise awareness of poetry and the literary arts and the positive impact literature and poetry can have on community life. Since October 2013, Naomi Beth Wakan has stood as Nanaimo’s inaugural Poet Laureate. Read about Naomi on Island Women or at www.naomibethwakan.com. Here are a few things scheduled for March 2015:

March 3 Workshop with NDSS Grade 12 Students (Nanaimo)March 14 Opening Ceremony - New immigrant Welcome Reception (VICC)March 14 Nanaimo Bar None Festival (Port Theatre)April 9 Opening Ceremony - 2015 Culture & Heritage Awards (Port Theatre)

View Naomi’s full schedule of upcoming events online at www.nanaimo.ca > Departments > Culture and Heritage > Poet Laureate.

Calling All Poets! Monthly Poetry Column“Coal Dust” by Lisa Webster-Gibson (see right) was selected as February’s poem of the month. Here’s what Naomi had to say:

“This poem, “Coal Dust,” is very assured. The poet knows where she wants her line breaks to come and where her pauses. One judge, who has lived some years in Nanaimo, commented rather tellingly that his own stumbles, grief, and struggles of today harken back to those of long-ago miners and that, in a way, we all still do breathe the coal dust. Lisa accentuates this as she speaks of the past from a present moment. The other judge also took the poem very personally, commenting, “From present to past and back again, this poem spans the history of Nanaimo, reminding us of our origins and the experiences we share with people who came before us. I was immediately grabbed by the poet’s clear rendering of leaving a bar and walking into the ‘salty, sweet’ fresh air of the night. To then be reminded of how all of us fall and have fallen was a complete and unexpected turnaround.” I myself think that this very strong poem makes it clear that, like us, even the city itself must come to terms with its roots if it is to move forward. This calls for a forgiving of the past. A good poem moves a poet’s personal history, their personal woes from the past that still cling, onto a larger stage; a stage that includes not only our own histories but also the history of the city. “Coal Dust” certainly does that.”

How to Submit Your Poem: Send them to callingallpoets@nanaimo.ca, and keep them short and focused on the Nanaimo theme. For full submission details, visit www.nanaimo.ca > Departments > Culture and Heritage > Poet Laureate.

Poem of the Month: February 2015Coal Dustby Lisa Webster-Gibson

Walking out ofthe Nanaimo barthe air salty, sweetI close my eyes tothe night street lightsand breathe.I step.I stumble.Head hits pavementin explosionthat earth shares.Ground shakesthen stills.Through earsstill ringingof barroom din…the voices, the numbers come…150 children of46 widowsof 150 minerscry grief, raise protest,and begin thatfirst step inthe long andbloody struggleof the Vancouver Islandminer.As I rise, brushdirt from my face,I know all Nanaimo dreamersbreathe coal dust.

Connect With UsOur office is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us:

Phone: 250-755-4483

Email: cultureandheritage@nanaimo.ca

In Person: Service & Resource Centre (411 Dunsmuir Street)

By Mail: 455 Wallace Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5J6

Nanaimo Heritage Days Needs Your Help!The community volunteers behind the newly established“Nanaimo Heritage Days” group are currently seeking volunteer assistance for this year’s May long weekend celebrations. Here’s what they are looking for

Volunteers: Required for fireworks, parade and various other activities.Sponsors: Need community minded sponsors to come together and help raise the funds needed to make this event spectacular. The group has set an ambitious goal of $50,000 for the event.Donated services / materials: Canopies, t-shirt printing services, shade tents, bands / musicians, ideas?

Visit the Nanaimo Heritage Days Facebook Page to learn more about the event (and how you can help!) at www.facebook.com/nanaimohd.

Wordstorm, March 31Join Wordstorm at The Vault Cafe (499 Wallace Street) on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:30 pm for live music and featured performers: Altogether Lisa - aka Lisa Webster Gibson; and Tracy Myers. Open mic starts at 7:00 pm. Bring a poem (3 minutes) or prose (5 minutes). Sponsored by the The League of Canadian Poets,The Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts. Details at www.wordstorm.ca.

Nanaimo Historical Society MeetingsThe Nanaimo Historical Society’s general meetings and presentations are held at Bowen Park Complex (500 Bowen Road), second Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Visit the Nanaimo Historical Society’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Nanaimo-Historical-Society/466384560135141 to learn more.

Follow us on Instagram!@cultureandheritage

#cultureandheritage on InstagramWe reached 100 followers on Instagram! To show our appreciation, the Culture & Heritage Department randomly selected a winner for the “100 followers” prize draw:

Congrats to Lucid Clothing (@livelucid) who won a ‘Heritage Nanaimo’ poster.

Follow us!See what all the fuss is about! Follow the Culture & Heritage Department on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cultureandheritage.