NANAIMO, British Columbia, September 12, 2024

Museums are vital in preserving and sharing the history and cultural heritage of our communities.

Today, Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced an investment of $230,000 for new cultural programming and outreach at the Nanaimo and District Museum Society (Nanaimo Museum). He made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

This funding, provided through the Access to Heritage component of the Museums Assistance Program, will support the development of a bilingual traveling exhibit, Esquimalt & Nanaimo (E&N) Railway Land Grants: 140 Years Later, which will examine the history of the E&N Railway and its associated land grants on Vancouver Island. The exhibition will highlight the ongoing impacts of colonialism and land grants on First Nation treaty negotiations, as well as the future of transportation during the climate crisis.

In partnership with the Vancouver Island Local History Society, the Nanaimo Museum will design the exhibit for display in nontraditional community spaces located along the E&N Railway from Victoria to Campbell River, reaching new audiences and promoting greater accessibility to Vancouver Island’s collective history.

The Museum will host the exhibit before it travels to Vancouver Island University and the Qualicum Beach Museum in 2025.