Life at TWO Meters
On May 22, 2020, the Mission Community Archives launched in partnership with the Mission Museum the Life at TWO Metres Program in an endeavour to collect documentation of the personal first-hand pandemic experiences of all those who live and/or work in Mission and the Fraser Valley Regional District Electoral Areas: I (Dewdney-Hatzic Island), J (Nicomen Island-Deroche), K (Lake Errock) and L (McConnell Creek-Hatzic Prairie).
A year later the program was augmented with the Life at TWO Metres Postcard Project in a further effort to encourage local residents to share how COVID-19 had impacted their lives. In 2021, three hundred postcards collected through the project were published online, containing written messages, drawn pictures and collages expressing residents’ thoughts, struggles, challenges and resilience.
We continue to live in momentous times that will be studied in the future. What is collected will inform and be appreciated by generations to come. The Archives continues to actively acquire records documenting the pandemic.
Documenting the Impact of COVID-19
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your life? The Mission Community Archives in partnership with the Mission Museum wants to document and preserve your first-hand experiences during these unprecedented times through their Life at TWO Metres initiative.
The key components of the project are:
1. The collection of text, audio, video and image files at the Mission Community Archives.
2. The collection of three-dimensional objects at the Mission Museum
The Community Achives wants to preserve the stories of how you are continuing to communicate, work, commute, relax, learn, keep fit, teach, create, pray, celebrate, grieve, and/or help others. Tell us through digital and/or hard-copy materials what experiences and observations have stood out most to you. How are you and your family members adjusting to the evolving new normal? What do you regard as your biggest challenges?
Submit an account of your experiences through…
- audiovisual recordings including: short audio and video accounts recorded using your phone
- creative activities, including: artwork, poetry, music composition, scrapbooking etc.
- personal accounts, including: journals/diaries, stories,
- photographs of changes in your life and the community, campaigns to boost spirits etc.
- printed material related to the pandemic, including: local business ads, events, posters etc.
- blogs and social media posts, including: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc.
Guidelines and Terms
- In keeping with our collection mandate, submissions of archival materials are only being accepted from those who live in Mission and the Fraser Valley Regional District Electoral Areas: I (Dewdney-Hatzic Island), J (Nicomen Island-Deroche), K (Lake Errock) and L (McConnell Creek-Hatzic Prairie).
- You must be 18 years of age or older to submit content. If you are under 18, please have a parent or guardian submit content on your behalf.
- For digital records preferred file formats are listed on the right. If you can’t create or send materials in these formats, we may still be able to acquire them. Please send an email to let us what format(s) your items are saved in.
- Please only submit photographic, audio, or video material which you have created. Material must not violate any copyright, confidentiality, privacy, security or other laws. If you would like to advise the Archives of material which you do not own, please contact Archivist, Val Billesberger, by calling 604-820-2621 (Thursdays or Friday only) or send an email.
- Arrangements for the receipt of hard-copy materials (e.g., artwork, scrapbooks, printed material etc.) will be made when we are able to safely re-open in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines set by public health authorities. Please save any potential donations for now and submit a brief description about them using our form below with your contact information. We will reach out to you once we are ready to acquire them!
- We thank you for your participation, however, all donations are subject to review. The Mission Community Archives reserves the right to decide whether or not any materials or perspective being shared will be included in its permanent holdings at its own discretion and in accordance with its collection policy.
Questions? Please email us.
