“Heritage by the Sea” isn’t just a tagline that helped put Ladysmith on the map; it’s a phrase that all members of the Ladysmith and District Historical Society live by. That will be especially evident during Heritage Week, Feb. 17 – 23.
Every year, Heritage BC launches Heritage Week, an annual event that takes place during the third full week in February. According to the Heritage BC website, Heritage Week “celebrates and showcases local heritage across the province. We support and promote organizations who host local heritage events for their communities.”
“BC Heritage Week is an opportunity for us to reflect on our own family’s heritage and the collective heritage of our community,” said Quentin Goodbody, chair of the Ladysmith and District Historical Society.
This year’s Heritage Week theme is ‘Pastimes in Past Times’, celebrating the many ways people spent their leisure time throughout history and exploring how these activities have contributed to the cultural fabric of Ladysmith as we know it today.
“Take some time during the week to think about your family’s traditions and to discover something new about the pastimes that have shaped the heritage of the place you call home,” Goodbody said.
On Monday, Feb. 17, the Ladysmith Maritime and Historical societies are hosting a free Family Day event at the Ladysmith Museum, located at 721 First Ave. “Nautical Family Fun at the Museum” will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the lower floor of the museum. There will be a variety of displays and activities including exhibits, entertainment, games, activity tables, crafts and a used book sale. The museum is wheelchair accessible and the gift shop will be open.
An exciting addition to this year’s Heritage Week is the About Town project. Goodbody calls About Town “an experiment in bringing the archives and museum out to the community” and says videos and slideshows will pop up around town featuring various aspects of Ladysmith’s history.
“Watch out for them in shop windows and in service lineups,” he said. “While away some idle moments seeing what Ladysmith used to look like and what used to happen here. You’ll be amazed by how much the town has changed.”
These short visual displays will feature several aspects of Ladysmith history including First Avenue through time, Transfer Beach area wharves, the Tyee Copper smelter, the log dump and sort, the railway, the E&N station, Ladysmith's maritime history, the cemetery and more.
Heritage Week activities will wrap up with the annual Ladysmith Heritage Awards ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 22, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Eagles Hall. Admission is by donation and is open to all.
“The awards will honour individuals or organizations that have, over the past year, made special effort to promote and preserve the heritage of our district,” said Goodbody before hinting at something special the organizers have in store. “There will be an entertaining twist to this year’s ceremony which we know you will enjoy.”
For details on Heritage Week events or the area’s history, contact the Ladysmith and District Historical Society at 250-245-0100 or visit their website at ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca
