Online

A Landmark Transformed
100 Years Serving The Community

2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the remarkable building originally constructed as the fourth Lynn Valley School and later restored and adapted for reuse as the Archives of North Vancouver. To celebrate the history of this stunning heritage building, an oral history project was launched to collect and preserve personal recollections of time spent at Lynn Valley School and the restoration process.

Online

Women & Wartime:
DEFENDING NORTH VANCOUVER 1939 -1945

Explore the extraordinary efforts of women and youth to defend North Vancouver and contribute during wartime. Discover unique archival records that reveal the thoughts and feelings of earlier generations of North Vancouver residents during the Second World War. Learn about the events that happened at home and how they shaped the future of our community.

Online

Through the Lens of Jack Cash, 1939-1970

Explore the North Shore and the history of photography through the lens of Jack Cash, one of North Vancouver’s most accomplished photographers. The Archives’ new exhibition, Through the Lens of Jack Cash: 1939-1970, celebrates Cash’s contribution to Canadian photography, from his initial work within the social documentary tradition to his focus on the beauty of British Columbian landscapes. Featuring Jack Cash’s original black & white and hand-tinted photographs, and photography equipment from the 1930s onward, visit the exhibition to rediscover the North Shore through a photographer’s eye.

This event is part of the 2020 Capture Photography Festival’s Selected Exhibitions Program.

Online

VOICES AND VIEWS

Voices & Views is an online exhibit that highlights the experience of living and working in this dynamic place. Hear what a group of local teens and seniors have to say about life in North Vancouver.

Online

MOUNTAIN LIGHT: PHOTOS FROM THE BCMC COLLECTION

Climb to British Columbia’s highest peaks and view stunning landscapes captured by some of the BC Mountaineering Club’s greatest photographers. From snapshots to hand-painted glass slides, Mountain Light displays a century of mountaineering artistry.

Online

CLIMBING TO THE CLOUDS: A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF BC MOUNTAINEERING

Ramble through more than one hundred years of mountain adventure in southwest British Columbia. Soar above the mountains, tour the times, rummage through the climber’s kit, watch original videos, and hear remarkable stories of personal feats, historic events, and outdoor adventures.

Online

THE GREAT CUT

View the NVMA archives’ unique collection of photos depicting the early days of logging in our community. Timber transformed the landscape, drove the economy, and shaped the North Shore we know today.

Online

UNLOCKING NORTH VANCOUVER HISTORY

A number of years ago, the NVMA partnered with the McCord Museum of History (Montreal) to present a unique approach to online learning. The program, then titled Keys to History has been updated and renamed. As Unlocking North Vancouver History, it features virtual exhibits about four significant North Vancouver themes: Wilderness On Our Doorstep: Vancouver’s Mountain Playground; Building A Vancouver Icon: the Lions Gate Bridge; A Riveted Community: North Vancouver’s Wartime Shipbuilding; Moodyville: Legend and Legacy.

Online

North Van History Highlights

North Van History Highlights presents significant developments on the waterfront, in the community and in the parks and mountains that make North Vancouver a special place. At the bottom of this page, see our Did You Know? section and learn about some North Van high achievers!

Online

WALTER DRAYCOTT’S GREAT WAR CHRONICLE

As the 100th anniversaries of various events of WWI occur, visit NVMA’s blog, Great War Chronicle , to discover where Lynn Valley pioneer Walter Draycott was, and what he was doing during the conflict. Often in the thick of the action, he served as a sniper and military topographer. On this site we are posting, one hundred years to the day for 4 ½ years , each of Walter’s diary entries. Experience, with Walter, his day-to-day life in the trenches, as a soldier in World War I.

At Delbrook Recreation Centre

Defending North Vancouver

The Second World War transformed North Vancouver’s shipyards into essential war industries, but also potential targets for enemy attacks. This exhibit explores how civil authorities and regular citizens in North Vancouver prepared for potential attack and contributed to the war effort on the home front. From blackout drills to canning vegetables grown in Victory gardens, people of all ages supported the war effort and the significant industries in North Vancouver. Visit this display on the main floor of Delbrook Recreation Centre until June 2021.

Travelling Exhibits

Chief Dan George Travelling Exhibition Available

‘Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist’ launched at the former North Vancouver Museum and later was hosted at U’Mista Cultural Centre and the Sidney Museum. The CDG Exhibit is on display now at the Alberni Valley Museum (to March 2021). It will travel to the Maplewood Mudflats in May until September 2021, and will then be available for loan to organizations around the province.

The show draws on the NVMA’s archival and artifact collection, including paintings, photographs and memorabilia, and was developed in close collaboration with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the George Family.

CDG Travelling Exhibition Information