Join us for our AGM–Sunday, April 25, 1:30 pm!

View this email in your browser

957 Beasley Road Box 422 Mansons Landing BC V0P 1K0 cimas@twincomm.ca 250-935-6340 cortesmuseum.com

We wish to acknowledge the toq qaymɩxʷ (Klahoose), ɬəʔamɛn qaymɩxʷ (Tla’amin) and ʔop qaymɩxʷ (Homalco) Nations on whose territories the Cortes Island Museum & Archives works and is situated upon.

Annual General Meeting

Sunday, April 25, 1:30 pm – via Zoom

Dear <<First Name>>,

Zoom with us on April 25th at 1:30 p.m. for our AGM featuring a special presentation by Gordon Cyr. Gordon and his family have been raising mason bees in Oyster River on Vancouver Island for over 20 years. Gordon has won the Best Environmental and Sustainable Business Award and is a recognized advocate for these important pollinators.

Their business, Mason Bee Central, offers mason bee kits for rent, starting at $20/year, to help gardeners increase their crop yields. Order your kits before April 7 by emailing info@masonbeecentral.com. Mention BEE RENTAL CORTES ISLAND in the subject line. Rental kits will be delivered to Cortes for pickup in mid-April.

A short AGM will follow this presentation. As only current members can vote, please ensure you renew your membership prior to April 25 – either through our website, via e-transfer to cimas@twincomm.ca, by mailing the attached form, or visiting the Museum.

Zoom coordinates will be provided on Tideline and our website closer to the event.

A new exhibit, Listening to Bees, is under construction in the Museum’s main gallery, and is planned to open May 20, 2021, World Bee Day.

The exhibit highlights fascinating tidbits of bee myth & lore, and the challenges facing wild and domestic bees locally and worldwide. We explore what Islanders can do to support and protect these important pollinators, as well as featuring the groundbreaking research of Paul Stamets. As a leading mycologist and visionary, Paul is studying and documenting the benefits of mushroom mycelium extracts for supporting health in honeybee populations.

Behind the Scenes: A Photographer’s Workshop

With renewed momentum, the Artifact Committee has been busy accessioning the backlog of donated objects. As part of the accessioning process, each artifact is documented and photographed.

To facilitate the photography process, a unique “behind the scenes” exhibit will serve as an innovative solution to a lack of available workspace, while providing visitors with information about artifacts and collection management. As accessioning progresses, an artifact database will be created and up-loaded to a new Online Artifact web portal, making the collection available for viewing worldwide.

The Big Three at Wild Cortes, April 22

In the fall of 2020 Cortes Islanders reported that bears were damaging property and stealing chickens. Laurel Bohart, our Natural History Curator, saw these events as the perfect catalyst for creating a new Wild Cortes exhibit in the Linnaea Education Centre.

The Big Three exhibit will launch on Earth Day, April 22. Join us then, or later during regular opening hours, to learn about historical and recent accounts of local human/animal encounters, watch an award-winning mini-documentary, view images taken on local trail-cams, and discover what Wild Cortes and its partners have waiting for you to experience.

Something to Celebrate!

Our New Online Archives

The Cortes Island Museum Archives Committee has worked diligently over many years to realize the dream of making our archival holdings readily accessible to all. What a legacy!

Over the past twelve months, with a grant received from Library & Archives Canada, our project “Unlocking the Archives” was completed with the digitization of 4,000 historic photographs. These images, along with oral history interviews, Cortes Island history albums, our archival records database, and informational files can be viewed in our new Online Archives web portal starting on March 30. This portal will be available through our website page cortesmuseum.com/archives. Users will be able to search our collection using a range of filters and options, share content, and provide feedback (such as the name of an unidentified person in one of our photographs!).

The Online Archives allow us to reach a wider audience of off-island people and, most importantly, locals who haven’t yet visited our Archives.

Historic Cruises with Misty Isles Adventures in 2021

We are excited to announce our cruises with Misty Isles Adventures will continue this summer. With fewer trips and passengers, Amy and Jonas have solid plans to ensure guests’ health and safety. We are hoping the Cortes Community will support our partnership by booking a cruise for yourself or your “bubble” of family and friends.

To register, call Misty Isles Adventures at 250-935-6756.

Mitlenatch Island – Sunday, May 23
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., departs from Cortes Bay, $155

Mitlenatch is a protected Provincial Nature Park. The timing of this spectacular trip captures spring wildflowers at their peak, provides the opportunity to experience the largest seabird breeding colony in the Straits of Georgia and close-up views of the barking sea lions basking on the rocky shoreline.

Cassel Lake & Refuge Cove – Sunday, July 11
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., departs from Squirrel Cove, $155

Ride the tide north up Lewis Channel toward West Redonda Island and the granite walls of Teakerne Arm. Keep a look out for the dolphins and whales known to frequent these waters. Anchoring near Cassel Falls, provides the opportunity for a short hike to the warm waters of Cassel Lake for a swim or a moment of repose. Enroute to Refuge Cove, you will learn the history of this important and picturesque coastal community.

Whaletown Explorer – Sunday, August 1
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., departs from Gorge Harbour Marina, $155

Set off on a 7-hour journey through some of the Discovery Island’s most iconic and ecologically rich shorelines and waters. Learn about the local and natural histories as we navigate the dramatic bottlenecks of the steep granite cliff entrance to Gorge Harbour and Uganda Passage. An informed nautical expedition, it is paired with a forested hike to a freshwater swimming locale on Read Island with opportunities for saltwater plunges in the warm Salish Sea.

Desolation Sound – Saturday, August 14
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., departs from Cortes Bay, $155

By mid-August, the tranquility of this seasonally popular boating haven returns. Experience the majesty of its deep fiords and soaring mountains, while learning the fascinating history of this area through the stories of First Nations Peoples, the early explorers, and the first settlers. Bring your swimsuit and enjoy some of the warmest ocean waters north of Mexico.

More on Misty Isles cruises on our website cortesmuseum.com/misty-isles.

FolkU Radio Shows

Cortes Museum and FolkU have partnered to present “Memories of Christmas Past” and “Love Is in the Air” on Cortes Radio (CKTZ 89.5 FM). Both broadcasts featured local readers and authors sharing stories from the Archives and their own lives.

Links to these lively broadcasts are on our website, Tune in on April 2 (1 – 3 p.m.) for our next CKTZ presentation: “Easter & the Coming of Spring.”

Spring Birding Count

Every spring, Cortes Museum sponsors a fun day of birding for people of all ages and abilities. In past years, birders would scan together a variety of important local bird habitats and record the species observed.

Last year we did it differently: Because of COVID-19 restrictions, individual participants submitted their own observations for compilation. This year’s Spring Count is scheduled for Saturday, May 8. Watch for details on how it will be organized.

Twin Island YouTube Presentation

Did you miss Jeanette’s wonderful online presentation about the history of Twin Islands? Listen to it through the YouTube link found on our website cortesmuseum.com/twin-islands/ .

Jeanette inspired all with her colourful stories. She hopes her newest book, Twin Islands, History and Legacy on the BC Coast, will be available soon.

Click on our downloadable PDF Spring Newsletter.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia and our other funding partners:

BC Arts Council
Destination BC
BC Gaming
Heritage Canada

Library and Archives Canada
Employment and Social Development Canada
Strathcona Regional District

We are hopeful that these funds will continue to support us through 2021, as we re-establish safe community outreach programming and fundraising activities.

Our Membership – reflect, imagine, celebrate

(clisSince 1998 our membership has steadily grown to a whopping 278 members in 2019. Our members donate their time and/or money to support our natural and social history exhibits, the Archives and our dynamic programs enjoyed by Islanders and visitors. Then came 2020! Everything changed. Museum closed its doors for 3 months, re-opening in July with a COVID-19 Safety Plan. Not surprisingly, visitor numbers plummeted in comparison to normal years and our membership is down by 50 percent. Our members mean everything to us! They influence our direction, inspire our programming, and together we celebrate our accomplishments. And we know that a strong membership encourages support from funders.

As we ease out of the pandemic, however that unfolds, we hope you will consider joining or renewing. Memberships are available through our website, e-transfer to cimas@twincomm.ca, by returning the attached form (click here to print) in the mail, or by visiting the Museum.

Strong membership numbers encourage funding agencies.