What’s UP at the Archives – December 30th, 2025
Season Greetings from the Mission Community Archives
The Mission Community Archives invites the community to celebrate the holiday season with a special exhibit titled: WISH-mas in partnership with Mission Museum. Located in the main foyer of the Mission Leisure Centre, the exhibit features a special Christmas tree adorned with the Mission Community Archives COVID-19 collection comprised of 26 original WISH-mas messages collected from volunteers via email and telephone by Archivist Val Billesberger in 2020 when large gatherings were restricted. These were used to adorn the Archives tree that year which then, and still today represents the true meaning of the holiday season – goodwill and cheer!
The Museum has on display a nostalgic collection of toys and games from it’s collection spanning nearly a century, including: a late1800s board game called ‘Willy’s Walk to See Grandmama’, red toy telephone from the 1930s; a 30-inch plastic doll wearing a leather coat with faux fur trim and hat from the 1950’s; and a Tom & Jerry comic book from 1973. The joint exhibit will be on display until Saturday, January 10th.
HOLIDAY CLOSURE NOTICE
The Mission Community Archives will be closed for the holiday season from December 20th 2025, to January 7th, 2026. We will reopen on Thursday, January 8th at 9:00AM, ready to embark on another year of preserving and celebrating our shared heritage together. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year ahead!
— The Mission Community Archives Staff & Volunteers
What’s UP at the Archives – November 12th, 2025
Special WWII Pop-Up Exhibit
Robert William Grinsted, a long-time Mission resident better known as “Pop,” was beloved by everyone who served in World War II. Throughout the hostilities, he corresponded with many of them along with his 3 children in the services.
In 1944, he got support to start publishing a column in the local newspaper under the name With the Boys And Girls in The Services. Featuring personal, abbreviated news items (much like today’s X, formerly known as Twitter) about those serving overseas and working abroad, his columns served to keep everyone connected, boosting morale in the community and on the battlefields.
Between 1944 and 1945, Pop wrote over 40 columns about where the “boys and girls” were stationed, their activities, and casualties presented in his unique folksy style that always included the phrase “Chins Up to All of you…”
The majority of those serving in WWII that Pop Grinsted corresponded with and/or wrote about in his newspaper column were students from Mission High School (MHS).
During the war years, Pop compiled the photographs, cards and other mementos he had gathered into a Book of Remembrance which he presented to Mission High School along with a Roll of Honor, listing the names of 240 students who served.
In the 1945-46 MHA School Annual dedicated to the ex-graduates who so valiantly served their country in World War II, the students expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Pop by including a full-page tribute to him.
Want to know more about Pop Grinsted, see the pop-up display at the Leisure Centre by the Mission Community Archives : With the Boys And Girls in The Services which includes excerpts from Pop’s column and features WWII artifacts from Mission Museum.
