On December 24, 2024, we said goodbye to Joan Merrifield, who passed away after complications stemming from ALS.
Joan’s incredible passion for animals, nature, teaching, and advocacy for diversity and inclusion touched the lives of many and is a huge loss to her community.
Throughout her career as an elementary schoolteacher in Vancouver and Gabriola, Joan demonstrated her commitment to connecting young people with the wonders of the natural world. Her annual spring camping trips with students to Saysutshun (formerly Newcastle Island) near Nanaimo inspired countless youth, fostering their appreciation for the environment. Additionally, her vital contributions to the Morrell Nature Sanctuary in Nanaimo highlighted her dedication to preserving natural spaces.
She was a visionary and engaged Gabriola Elementary School students and the community in re-envisioning the Museum as a community resource for learning. Joan devoted herself to creating space for telling all of Gabriola Island’s stories.
Under her presidency from 2018 onwards, the Museum in collaboration with others, crafted many new exhibits and programs, including the permanent exhibit “Connections from the Ground Up,” Beach Quest, Historical Bus Tours, a self-guided historical island tour, the outdoor Snuneymuxw Ancestral Village, the Native Plant Trail, Truth and Reconciliation Day events and the newly constructed Snuneymuxw Gallery.
She also was pivotal in the project to acquire the 19-acre McRae Conservancy Lands, ensuring that this beautiful space and its species and ecosystems would be preserved for the community.
In a heartfelt tribute to her contributions towards advancing Truth and Reconciliation, Joan was honored with a traditional Blanket Ceremony by Snuneymuxw Elders, C’tasi:a/Geraldine Manson and Laxiya /Dave Bodaly, in October 2024.
To honor Joan and continue her passion for land stewardship, diversity/inclusion, and education, her family invites donations in her memory to the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society.
A legacy fund has been established specifically to support initiatives close to her heart:
- funding of the McRae Conservancy Lands
- diversity/inclusion programs including partnership with Snuneymuxw Elders
- the Museum’s ongoing educational programs and operations
If you’d like to contribute to one or more of Joan’s causes, please consider donating through the options below. Your generosity will help keep Joan’s incredible spirit alive while ensuring the important work she cared about continues to thrive and evolve.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating Joan’s life and legacy.
With gratitude,
The Gabriola Historical and Museum Society
Donate in one of the following ways
E-transfer
accounts(at)gabriolamuseum.org
please note in the e-transfer that this is a donation to the Joan Merrifield Legacy Fund and if for a specific cause – general, land, DIEA.
Cheque
Gabriola Historical and Museum Society
Drop off or mail to:
Gabriola Historical and Museum Society
Box 213, 505 South Road
Gabriola, B.C. V0R 1X0
please include that this is a donation to the Joan Merrifield Legacy Fund and if for a specific cause – general, land, DIEA.
Online
monthly or one-time donations
or choose a charity gift card
Please note that this is a donation to the Joan Merrifield Legacy Fund and if for a specific cause – general, land, DIEA.