Heritage Week
Heritage Week in British Columbia is celebrated annually during the third full week in February. First celebrated in 1989 with its official opening, the Archives has since staged a broad range of events to showcase the community’s diverse heritage and storied past, including: exhibitions, open houses, educational programs, videos and its first online exhibit in 2021. Explore your local heritage and celebrate Mission’s uniqueness through the Archives during Heritage Week! Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Heritage Week: February 20th to February 26th, 2023
This year, through two new online exhibits by the Museum and Archives, the Mission District Historical Society invites you to discover how the camera, once a simple wooden box with a primitive lens and cap for controlling light, has undergone huge changes since its invention, and has come to play a key role in our society through its capacity to memorialize events, act as a keepsake and create visual narratives of our ever changing cultural landscape
PICTURE THIS! features a selection of photographic works by Dr. Noel Hall (1930-2017), a self-taught photographer and highly esteemed member of the community.
Often the only photographer on the scene shooting colour, Noel’s impressive archives of over 30,000 images were donated by him to the Archives in 2000 representing an unparalleled visual record of the community.
Presented through six theme-based virtual photo albums: Mission From The Air, Places That Matter, Mission Sikh Temple, Mission Events, Mission Milestones, and Fraser River Heritage Park. Archivist Val Billesberger explains “PICTURE THIS! aims to transport viewers back in time to glimpse Mission during the 1980s and 1990s through aerial views of the landscape and a selection of images documenting community landmarks, pivotal events and more.”
Heritage Week: February 21st to February 27th, 2022
An important part of the Mission Community Archives holdings are aerial photographs acquired from a variety of sources, including: the Fraser Valley Record newspaper, the municipal government, local families and organizations.
Our virtual exhibit MISSION from ABOVE features 24 incredible images dating from the early 1900s to the 1990s presented under 6 categories: Buildings, Mission Bridge, Historic Neighbourhoods, Parks & Recreation, Viewscapes and the Waterfront
Individually and collectively these aerial photographs provide an invaluable visual record of changes to the landscape and land use over time. CLICK the individual images below and see for yourself. . .ENJOY THE VIEW!
BUILDINGS
MISSION BRIDGE
Parks & Recreation
Historic Neighbourhoods
WATERFRONT
The Mission Community Archives is a branch of the Mission District Historical Society, a charitable non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses to help us share the story of our community and the people who call it home.
Donations allow us to continue developing new exhibits and programs so we can make more of Mission’s storied past avaiable to you!
