UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL – Incredible Storytelling!

Last Saturday’s Up Close and Personal event at the Fraser River Interpretive Center on the waterfront was an unbelievable success! With our special guests Deborah Handley and Ann Mohs lending their blinding personalities and memorable stories to an enraptured audience.  Archivist, Val Billesberger, received many rave reviews from those in attendance, including feedback that – “This has to be an annual event!”

We at the Archives would like to thank everyone who joined us for an afternoon of laughter, commiseration, storytelling and a joyful performance by Sing Out, a choir directed by Deborah Handley — as well as the delicious Tea Sandwiches and sparkling juice provided by Amazi Coffee and Superstore respectively). We’d also like to thank our sponsors for the event: Mission City Keto Ltd., Swing Optical, What’s on! Mission Magazine, and private donors.

This event was also the first announcement of 2024 Path and Pathfinder’s Program honourees: Bonnie Harber, a truehearted caregiver who’s touched the lives of countless people and a cornerstone member of the Steelhead Community; Camille Atebe, an award winning actor and talented, multi-faceted writer, who is a champion of performing arts and stagecraft; and Carol Hamilton, a visionary long-time community leader who has worked tirelessly to benefit the community while facing life head on. This year’s event will be held on Saturday October 19^th at All Saints Anglican Church Hall.

View our photo gallery of the event featuring photographs by Ellen Nguyen, who was the official photographer. If you wish to order any images please contact Ellen Nguyen Photography

NEW VIDEO – DONATE YOUR RECORDS!

The Mission Community Archives is very pleased to announce that a new video DONATE YOUR RECORDS! is now live on the website. 

Produced by UBC graduate students Gabriella Cigarro, Katherine Hodgson, Jordon Kerr, and Elizabeth Robertson in consultation with the Archivist Val Billesberger, the short video (2:23 minutes) demystifies for individuals, businesses, and organizations what and how to donate materials to the Mission Community Archives.

The new video also addresses the importance of donating to the Archives. Archivist Val Billesberger explains, “Collectively, the materials donated document the community’s storied past. They are extensions of our community’s human memory, originally created to record information, to document transactions, to communicate thoughts, and to provide evidence of people, organizations, institutions, businesses, events, infrastructure, the physical landscape and developments. In essence, archival records provide the basis for understanding where we have been, they orient us to the present, and they offer guidance for shaping the future.”

Be sure to view our new video HERE!

Street Names Tell Mission’s Story

Have you ever wondered where your street got its name?  The City of Mission is one of the few communities in British Columbia that honours and promotes the community’s heritage and identity through its street naming. As such, our street names reflect our local history.

On Monday, February 19^th, the Mission Community Archives is launching a NEW virtual exhibition titled Mission Street Stories.

The exhibit will feature short narratives behind 21 street names that include: historical figures who are considered to have had an impact on our community; residents who have served or lost their lives for our freedom; and Mission’s historic neighbourhoods. 

GO HERE to the discover stories behind Mission’s street names by clicking on the images within each of the five maps: Hatzic, Silverdale-Silverhill, Stave Falls, Upper Mission Urban Area, and Lower Mission Urban Area.  A special thanks to Richard Skelton from the City of Mission’s Engineer Department who provided and customized the maps used in this exhibit.

In this feature documentary (1hr 24 m), co-directors Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok explore through a collage of personal interviews, archival footage, and deeply rooted memories some of the efforts and challenges faced by Archives in British Columbia to preserve a more inclusive historical record. Featured are leaders from four underrepresented communities in Archives: Indigenous Peoples, South Asians, LGBTQ+ and Chinese-Canadians.

The film will be introduced by Archivist Val Billesberger who has endeavored to build an inclusive Archives in Mission, taking care to acquire and make accessible the records of historically excluded and minoritized groups.

Unarchived is produced and distributed by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

To find out more about the film click here

An award winning eye opening film about the erasure of minority history and the communities who are challenging it. A ticket is required to see the film. Get yours today on Eventbrite!