Burnaby Village Museum history

Burnaby Village Museum began in 1971 as part of the Burnaby Centennial Project with a specific goal, according to the museum’s website, to create “a small town reflecting the early history of British Columbia.”

Originlly named “Heritage Village,” the official groundbreaking began on 11 April, 1971. Construction lasted only a few months, during which time the main Hill Street storefronts were built at three-quarter size of regular buildings.

The official opening ceremony was 19 November, 1971. Approximately 15,000 people visited the village, which was only open to the public for three days. The museum opened with a blacksmith shop, buggy and bicycle shop, general store, land office, schoolhouse, manor house (Elworth), ice cream parlour, apothecary shop, barber shop, dentist shop, Chinese general imports shop, print shop and tram.

Burnaby Village Museum today

Spanning 10 acres of land, the museum today constitutes of a reconstructed 1920s village, containing 31 full scale buildings and costumed staff demonstrating traditional trades.

Watch for businesses of a bygone era such as Wagner’s Blacksmith Shop, Way Sang Yeun Wat Kee, Chinese Herbalist, Seaforth School and Treble Clef Phonographs.

Some of the buildings are original heritage buildings, moved from other locations in the community and restored. Others are replica buildings, created to house specific displays and artifacts, including a 1912 B.C. Electric Railway interurban tram. The Museum is also known for the 1912 C. W. Parker Carousel, available for visitors to ride.

The Museum also offers a space for visitors to learn about First Nations, whose relationship with the land predates the arrival of colonial settlers. At the Indigenous learning house, visitors will form a better understanding of the significance of the land from an Indigenous perspective.

Getting to Burnaby Village Museum

Burnaby Village Museum is easily accessible by vehicle or public transport.

If driving directly from the city centre, head south-east on Melville St towards Burrard St before taking W Cordova St, Powell St, McGill St and Trans-Canada Highway to Sperling Ave in Burnaby. From here, follow signs to the Burnaby Village Museum.

If travelling from the city centre via public transport, take the subway (Millennium Line) to Holborn Station before riding the 133 bus to Century Park Way. The museum is a 5 minute walk from this bus stop.

Note that there are two entrances to Burnaby Village Museum — at the Carousel Pavilion and the Main Entrance. Free parking is available in the Museum lot.

Museum History

The Canadian Museum of History began in its first iteration in May 1856, as part of the Geological Survey of Canada. The museum grew into the National Museum of Canada and then the National Museum of Man. A new anthropology division was established in 1910 and the museum has been a centre for research in Canadian anthropology since this period.

In 1916, a fire destroyed most of Ottawa’s Parliamentary Buildings. Parliament was housed in the museum building temporarily, meaning that the museum’s collections were put in storage until 1920. In 1927, the Geological Survey became the National Museum of Canada, encompassing national collections of human history and natural history.

In 1986, it became the Canadian Museum of Civilization, moving into its magnificent Gatineau building three years later.

As an amendment to the Museums Act, the Canadian Museum of History Act was implemented in December 2013. This renamed the Canadian Museum of Civilization to the Canadian Museum of History and defined its purpose as “to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of events, experiences, people and objects that reflect and have shaped Canada’s history and identity, and also to enhance their awareness of world history and cultures.”

Canadian Museum of History today

The Canadian Museum of History is the most visited Museum in Canada and welcomes over 1.2 million visitors each year to its celebrated complex in the heart of the National Capital Region.

In addition to its ongoing exhibitions, including the spectacular Grand Hall and First Peoples Hall, each year the Museum presents a number of outstanding exhibitions focusing on Canadian and world history and civilisations. These exhibitions include those developed by the Museum as well as many produced by other Canadian or international institutions. The Museum is also home to the Canadian Children’s Museum, a 500-seat theatre and a 295-seat movie theatre equipped with a giant 3D screen and a giant dome.

Research activities are concentrated in the fields of history, archaeology, ethnology and cultural studies. The National Collection consists of more than four million artefacts, specimens, works of art, written documents, and sound and visual recordings. More than 218,000 artefacts in the collection are accessible in an online database.

Getting to Canadian Museum of History

The museum is located in the Hull area of Gatineau, Quebec, directly across the Ottawa River from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. It is 2km from the Shaw centre, 2 km from Parliamant Hill and 15km from the airport.

The Canadian National War Memorial history

Before the First World War had ended, Canadian Prime Minister Robert Border in 1915 expressed his desire that some splendid monument should be erected to commemorate the casualties of the conflict. There was some opposition to the idea, primarily concerning cost as the negotiations continued throughout the Great Depression. However, in 1918 the Canadian War Memorial Fund was initiated to memorialise the Canadian contribution to the war.

In 1926, Vernon March’s design was selected; his theme reflected uniformed figures passing through an arch but without glorifying war, instead their attitude eager to respond to the call. The detail was immense, right down to the buttons and straps on the uniforms, March was guided through his wax figures which were cast in bronze at his foundry. The monument was completed in 1932 by March’s six brothers and sister after his death in 1930.

While the cabinet continued to argue over the location and cost, the arch was constructed, and the memorial was finally dedicated in Confederation Square in May 1939 by King George VI. War with Germany was again looming, and some questioned the symbolism of the National War Memorial as it de facto represented all Canadian wars casualties.

After successive attempts to create different monuments, in 1982 the Canadian National War Memorial was re-dedicated for World War Two and the Korean war, and again in 2014 for the conflicts in Afghanistan and Second Boer War.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added in 2000. The site had sentries posted from April through November after reports of urination, skateboarding and bicycles were seen on the site. A shooting in 2014 resulted in the death of sentry Corporal Nathan Cirillo.

The Canadian National War Memorial today

Today you can visit the towering granite cenotaph located in Ottawa, guarded by sentries. The March memorial is particularly moving when seen at night, light up dramatically to cast shadows on the arch. The site has a strong reflective atmosphere despite being surrounded by the bustle of Ottowa daily life.

Getting to The Canadian National War Memorial

The Canadian National War Memorial is located in central Ottowa. If using public transport, the closest bus stop is Elgin/Wellington on bus routes 5 – 18, 57, 61, 75 and 114, which includes Gray Line Tour buses.

Today, you can tour the various blocks of the Canadian Parliament Buildings, one of the word’s best examples of the Gothic Revival style.

Canadian Parliament Buildings history

In 1858, Ottawa was picked as the capital of the United Province of Canada by Queen Victoria, however, the small town needed more space for a House of Commons and Senate. Several years later in 1860, Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, laid the cornerstone of the Canadian Parliament Buildings overlooking the Ottowa River.

Guided by the recently completed British Parliament in London, the buildings were to be designed in the Gothic Revival style. Competition winners were each awarded a block to build: a Centre Block and 2 administrative blocks. The Victorian Gothic Parliament Buildings were built of local materials and featured pointed arches, spires and rubble-course stonework. The parliament officially opened on 6 June 1866 – just in time for Confederation in 1867.

Disaster struck in February 1916 as a fire raged through the House of Commons reading room and into the surrounding buildings. All that remained was the Parliamentary Library. Rumoured to be an act of sabotage mid-Word War One, the accidental fire threw the Canadian Government into alarm. However, by July, the new buildings with concrete walls and a steel frame were being built, sympathetic its the Gothic predecessors.

Canadian Parliament Buildings today

Today, the accessible Parliament Buildings are an enduring national symbol for Canada. They have been modernised over the years to allow for more office space, alongside sensitive conservation to preserve the important public landmarks.

The grounds are dotted with statues of notable political figures who have shaped Canada and provide a nice open space to admire the Gothic architecture. When the buildings are not undergoing restoration, you can take a tour of the Centre Block – make sure you see the beautiful library.

Getting to the Canadian Parliament Buildings

Located on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, the Canadian Parliament Buildings are easily found when wandering the city. The city train line 1 stops at Parliament, and buses 11, 17, 22-29, 31-38, 40, 41, 45, 47, 48, 55, 59, 67, 85, 87 and more all stop along Wellington Street, just outside Parliament Hill.