
Islanders Sharing Stories
Sunday, September 13, 2020
10:00 am - 3:00 pmCelebrate the Museum’s 25th Anniversary by taking our Historical Tour.
Presentations at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 2 pm
Five Stops, Five Stamps:
Visit each of the locations on the map to get it stamped with an original design by Bill Helin.
Start at the Gabriola Museum :
This is where it starts and ends!
Register at the museum starting Sept 8th, 10–4 to receive a map and an an assigned route that will help us properly follow COVID-19 protocols (see green box) and keep everyone safe.
You must register in order to attend presentations.
Speakers will give presentations at 10 am, 11 am, break for lunch and start again at 1 pm and 2 pm. At the end of the day you can return to the museum to put a card or your map into the draw box for wonderful prizes from our local community businesses.
Snuneymuxw at Brickyard Beach:
Dave Bodaly will talk about the significance of this location (including False Narrows and Mudge Island) for the Snuneymuxw people.
Stories of Silva Bay at Pages Resort:
Join Gloria Hatfield and Danna Lewis to hear about Japanese industry, Page’s, Withey’s Shipyard, & more.
Elder Cedar:
Kerry Marcus will give a snap shot of community history and ecology of 160 acres of forestry land that became a nature reserve in 2006. Enjoy a short walk to the ‘elder cedar’ or a longer loop through this beautiful preserved forest.
Surf Lodge, Malcolm Lowry:
Charlotte Cameron will speak about the Lowrys’ visit to Gabriola and Malcolm Lowry’s inspiration for writing “October Ferry to Gabriola”. John Capon will talk about the history of the Surf Lodge.
COVID-19 Protocols
We are committed to making this event safe and fun—please follow instructions given by Museum representatives and be respectful of all.
• 30 attendees max at each location
• Social distancing is required
• Face masks/face shields highly recommended
• Contact tracing information will be recorded at the Museum
• The Museum reserves the right to give priority to those following GHMS Covid Safety Protocols.
Be kind—be calm—be safe.
Bonus Lunch Stops!
If all this history makes you hungry, there are many local opportunities for lunch or snacks. In the Village Robert’s Place is offering a lunch special honoring the Museum’s 25th Anniversary. Ravenskill Orchards can also provide lunch and sell you locally made cider. And the Surf Lodge (which is hosting one of our talks) has a restaurant.
Thank You!
To our sponsor Mid-Island Co-op
To those who donated prizes and gifts:
- Nesters ($100 gift card)
- Wild Rose Nursery ($50 gift card)
- Wheelbarrow ($50 gift card)
- Raven ($25 gift card)
- $25 Gift Card to Wishbone (donated by Alison Douglas)

Join Gabriola Museum in Celebrating their 25th Anniversary!
Saturday, September 12, 2020 - Sunday, September 13, 2020
10:00 am - 3:00 pmOpen House on Saturday and Sunday, September 12 + 13, 2020 with Self-Guided Historical Tours on September 13
All COVID-19 Protocols are in place
Saturday, September 12, 10 am – 11 am:
Pre-opening ceremony at the Museum at 10am. By invitation & RVSP only
Saturday, September 12, 11am-3pm:
Free Museum admission. Gift Shop open.
Special booths and displays set up outside.
- Walk on the Wild Side
- Native Plants
- Historical Artifacts on display from the Museum Archives
- Gabriola Museum’s new Adopt an Artifact program
- New 3D Geological Map indoor exhibit
- Members booth
Sunday, September 13, 10am-3pm:
Free Museum admission. Gift Shop open. Self-guided Historical Tours
- Enjoy adventuring through the Island on a specially designed self-guided historical tour! You can visit one location or make a day of it!
- Storytellers includes: Snuneymuxw member Dave Bodaly at the Brickyard; Charlotte Cameron at the Surf Lodge; Kerry Marcus from GaLTT at Elder Cedar with storyteller to be confirmed at Silva Bay
- Two storytelling /QA sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon – giving you plenty of time to get to each location. Collect a stamp from each storyteller on your tour map and earn the opportunity to win some awesome prizes!
- Roberts Restaurant and Ravenskill Orchards will be featuring a special menu at their locations on the tour day.
A Celebration for the whole community!

Celebrate Canada Day with the Gabriola Museum
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
10:00 am - 4:00 pmOpen Canada Day
- Takeaway Family Activity Bags
- Maple Leaf cookies
- Guessing games + contests
- Gift Shop Open
- NEW–geological 3D Gabriola map
- Members booth
A Celebration for Everyone!
The Museum is following BC Labour standards and Provincial Health Authority protocols. Social distancing is in place.
Thanks all!

Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day
Thursday, June 25, 2020
10:00 am - 2:00 pmGabriola Museum
Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day at the museum June 25th
Welcome Ceremony by Dave Bodaly with drumming at 10 am, followed by story telling.
Repeats at 1 pm.
Free for all!
Please phone the museum at 250-247-9987 to register as there is limited seating due to Covid.

25-year anniversary AGM
Sunday, March 8, 2020
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmGabriola Arts and Heritage Centre
Guest speaker Debbie Marshall
Wanted On the Voyage
the objects we keep and how they tell our stories
Gabriolan Debbie Marshall is an author, playwright, and feminist historian.
Debbie will be focusing on the objects that tell stories of women’s lives (including one famous woman). She will also be exploring how objects can help us tell our own personal stories. She will be bring three historic objects with her.
International Women’s Day
Sunday, March 8 is also International Women’s Day, and Debbie’s talk will touch on that aspect. How fitting is it that the Gabriola Museum’s AGM is being held in the old Women’s Institute Hall on this day.

Small Wonder's: Christmas in Miniature
Saturday, December 7, 2019 - Sunday, December 8, 2019
12:00 am - 4:00 pmGabriola Arts and Heritage Centre
Debbie Marshall’s exhibition of vintage and antique dollhouses and their furnishings from 1909 to 1970.
Talk by writer, historian and collector Debbie Marshall Sunday at 1pm
Free – all ages welcome

Gift Shop Open Weekends for Christmas Shopping
Saturday, November 30, 2019 - Sunday, December 22, 2019
11:00 am - 4:00 pmGabriola Museum
Unique Gifts and Stocking Stuffers
Under $20.00
+ Local Artists

Gabriola Trivia Night
Saturday, November 2, 2019
7:00 pmGabriola Community Hall
So you think you know Gabriola?
Come test your knowledge of past and present. Brand new questions exploring many aspects of Gabriola! Silent auction, decadent desserts, coffee tea and more!
New this year
- A crossword puzzle to challenge the teams
- Ravenskill Orchards selling delicious Gabbie cider
The Trivia Silent Auction has 50 donated items!
Look for the red binder on the counter below the Mad Rona’s specials’ blackboard. Check it out and make your bids.
Don’t have a team?
Doesn’t matter…just show up with a ticket and the Museum will match you with a group and the opportunity to make new friends, especially for those who are new to the Island.
Doors open at 6:30
6 per team | $20/person
tickets available from
Gabriola Museum
Saturday Farmer’s Market
North Road Sports
Pages

The Camino de Santiago: A Walk to the End of the Earth
Thursday, October 17, 2019
7:00 pm - 8:30 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
Intrepid hikers Moira Rockwell and Dennis Keis will share their adventures on the Camino. They walked 851 km in 37 days, carrying heavy packs, staying in pilgrim hostels, and braving a variety of weather conditions. Come and share Moira and Dennis’s journey.
Doors at 6:30 | Presentation at 7:00.
Admission by donation.

Gabriola Historical Bus North End Tour
Sunday, August 25, 2019
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmGabriola Museum
leaving from the Gabriola Museum
Cost: $25 per person

Walk on the Wild Side
Thursday, August 22, 2019
1:00 pm - 3:00 pmGabriola Museum
Do you want to know more about the animals of Gabriola?
Join Liz Ciocea from GROWLS for a wildlife walk filled with puppets, stories, and fun activities along the way!
Preregister: 250.247.9987

Beach Quest - Twin Beaches
Thursday, August 15, 2019
1:00 pm - 3:00 pmTwin Beaches
Explore Marine Life on Gabriola Shores
By donation. All ages welcome.
Preregister: 250.247.9987

Gabriola Historical Bus South End Tour
Sunday, August 11, 2019
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmGabriola Museum
leaving from the Gabriola Museum
Cost: $25 per person

Tie-dye and hippie stories
Thursday, August 8, 2019
1:00 pm - 3:00 pmGabriola Museum
What did it mean to be a hippie on Gabriola in the 1970s and 80s?
How about now?
A local islander shares their own hippie stories with a hands-on tie-dye workshop to follow!
1-3 pm at the museum!
Preregister: 250.247.9987

Beach Quest - Descanso
Thursday, August 1, 2019
1:00 pm - 3:00 pmDescanso Park
Explore Marine Life on Gabriola Shores
By donation. All ages welcome.
Preregister: 250.247.9987

Native plant workshop
Sunday, July 28, 2019
1:00 pm - 3:00 pmGabriola Museum
Do you want to know more about Gabriola’s native plants?
Join local expert Robert Seaton for an informative tour followed by an edible plant tasting session.
Preregister 250.247.9987

Beach Quest - Drumbeg
Thursday, July 25, 2019
1:00 pm - 3:00 pmDrumbeg Beach
Explore Marine Life on Gabriola Shores
By donation. All ages welcome.
Preregister: 250.247.9987

Gabriola Historical Bus North End Tour
Sunday, July 21, 2019
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmGabriola Museum
leaving from the Gabriola Museum
Cost: $25 per person

Gabriola Historical Bus South End Tour
Sunday, July 7, 2019
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmGabriola Museum
leaving from the Gabriola Museum
Cost: $25 per person

Canada Day
Monday, July 1, 2019
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmA celebrationm for Everyone!
Flag raising, bubbles, games, races, face painting, cupcakes and lemonade

Aboriginal stories
Monday, June 24, 2019
10:00 am - 12:00 pmCelestine Aleck, a Snuneymuxw storyteller, is telling Aboriginal stories at the museum from 10:00 to 10:50, and then again from 11:00 to 11:50.
Everyone is welcome to attend this public event.

Museum Opening
Sunday, May 19, 2019
12:00 pm - 2:00 pmCome and visit our new permanent exhibit, Connections from the Ground Up, browse in the gift shop, and enjoy Robert’s delicious burgers and dessert.
Food tickets are $10, bought onsite, and all funds raised will go to our exhibit displays.

Sandstone Weathering
Thursday, April 18, 2019
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
Nick Doe on honeycombs, galleries, concretions, fading petroglyphs and glacial striae
Doors open 6:30
Admission by Donation

Gabriola Historical and Museum Society AGM
Sunday, March 31, 2019
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmGabriola Arts and Heritage Centre
Guest Speaker: Lucy Bell
The Importance of Small Museums for Truth & Reconciliation
Lucy Bell of the Haida Nation (and Head of the Indigenous Collections and Repatriation Department at the Royal BC Museum) will speak about her first-hand experience in museums and give advice on the small but impactful ways small museums can improve their relationships with Indigenous peoples and show their genuine commitment to the calls to the TRC.

Place and Self-Governance – the Enactment of Autonomy on Gabriola Island
Thursday, March 21, 2019
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
Islands in the Salish Sea experience a unique set of vulnerabilities – the need to protect rare ecosystems and rural communities located in the midst of a densely populated, highly industrialized region — over which they appear to have little or no control. On Gabriola Island, the intersection of place, people and a lean formal governance structure provides a testing ground for enacting a range of governance modalities.

Changemaking: Making it Happen
Thursday, February 21, 2019
7:00 pm - 8:30 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
Talk/Workshop with Fay Weller and Mary Wilson
Doors open at 6:30
Admission by Donation

Legacy, Legend and Latitude: Captain James Cook's Extraordinary Impact on our World and the BC Coast
Thursday, November 15, 2018
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
Cook forever changed navigation, cartography, biology, sociology, and seamanship. Canadians on both coasts are steeped in his work and presence in our country. As we approach the 250th anniversary of Cook’s first Pacific voyage, discover more about this navigator who played a key role in the history of BC.
Bert terHart is a soldier turned sailor, author, adventurer, and self-proclaimed geek. When he’s not sailing, thinking about going sailing, or working on his sailboat, he’s an internationally recognized search, social media and digital marketing expert specializing in helping business owners and professional corporations leverage digital media and technology.


Gabriolan Talks presents: Cuba Si! by Alison Douglas and Steve Struthers
Thursday, October 18, 2018
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches

Gabriolan talks presents: The Woodgrove Centre Water Clock by Bob McKechnie
Thursday, September 20, 2018
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches

Canada Day Celebration
Sunday, July 1, 2018
2:00 pm - 4:00 pmA celebration for everyone! Come join us at the Museum to admire our Mounties, watch the flag being raised, enjoy some Canada cake and other refreshments, and participate in family oriented activites.


Cuba Si: Island Time Latin Style
Thursday, April 19, 2018
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
Thurs, April 19 – Cuba Si: Join Gabriola’s international travel team Alison Douglas and Steve Struthers at 7pm at Roxy, for a talk and slide show of Cuba island time – Latin style!


Our Common Thread: DNA
Thursday, February 22, 2018
7:00 pm - 9:15 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
We’ve all seen those TV ads promising that with a simple cheek-swab of DNA, we could be related to Marie Antoinette or Abraham Lincoln, or reunite with long lost relatives we didn’t know we had.
Are those claims true? And what can DNA really tell us about our past, our families and our community?
Find out when Dr Sam Abraham will give a presentation about the latest advances in DNA science, including DNA fingerprinting, the geographic ties of Haplotypes, how DNA can identify traits in humans and ties to regions, and separating DNA myth from reality.
Dr Abraham holds a PhD in genetics from UBC, and has been on the cutting edge of research including as Vice President of Research at the BC Cancer Agency, and at the Provincial Health Services Authority
This presentation is sponsored by the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society. Admission by donation. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Refreshments will be available.

Gabriola Museum AGM
Sunday, February 4, 2018
1:30 pm - 3:00 pmGabriola Arts Centre
You are invited to the Museum’s 2018 Annual General Meeting, & Special Presentation.
The purpose of the meeting is to consider the Museum President’s Report, the 2017 Financial Statements, and Amended ByLaws, and to elect new Officers Board Members.
The short AGM will be followed by a guest presentation by Jill Yuzwa: DISTINCT PLACE. Gabriola Island: Cultural Sustainability in the Creative Economy

Gabriola Trivia Night
Saturday, November 4, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:30 pmGabriola Community Hall
Come join us for a fun evening. Learn something new about Gabriola, team up to answer interesting questions about Gabriola Trivia, tempt yourself with decadent desserts, peruse amazing auction items.
You’re invited to the second annual Gabriola Museum Trivia Night. Gather your friends to share a table, and pool your Gabriola knowledge to challenge the interesting questions carefully culled from last year’s contestant’s suggestions, the new Historic Guidebook – and wherever our creative team can find them . Tempt yourself with decadent desserts, coffee, tea – or indulge in a beverage from the cash bar. There will be one-of-a-kind auction items to tease your pocketbook, lots of laughs, and a fun time spent with friends.

Gabriolans Talk - Following the horse trail from Brazil to Gabriola
Thursday, October 26, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmRoxy Lounge, Twin Beaches
In 2010, Gabriola filmmaker Tobi Elliott sent a videographer to Brazil to document Horses for Orphans, a project pioneered by horsewoman Ingela Larsson Smith, who uses natural horsemanship to help disadvantaged Brazilian children become leaders. On Thursday, Oct.26, Tobi will share this amazing and inspirational story as part of the Gabriola Museum’s annual Gabriolan Stories presentation series.

Silva Bay Shipyard Plaque Unveiling Ceremony
Monday, June 26, 2017
12:00 pm - 1:00 pmTalk given by Gloria Filax, GHMA Vice President
I would first like to acknowledge that we are standing on the traditional, unceded territory of the Coast Salish, the Snuneymuxw Nation.
My name is Gloria Filax and I am Vice President of the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society. We gather today to celebrate the 73 year history of what is now the last remaining shipyard in the Gulf Islands – Silva Bay Shipyard. The current owners of the shipyard, Don and Vicky Mayrend, and past owners are to be lauded for carrying on a tradition of ship-building when so many other ship building enterprises on the Gulf Islands have drifted into the past.
This historic marker is the first in a new series of six plaques that highlight some of the major historic sites on Gabriola. The rest of the series will be unveiled this summer and fall.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our generous funders: the Canadian Federal government program ‘Canada150’ and the Province of British Columbia.
On behalf of the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society I would also like to thank Ivan Bulic for his ongoing volunteer work to make these plaques happen, and the museum’s History and Presentation Committee, especially Janet Stobbs, for its commitment to preserving the history of this place we call Gabriola Island. And thank you to all who have attended this unveiling.”
8th Fire – A CBC documentary Community film screening
8TH FIRE is a provocative journey through Aboriginal country showing you why we need to fix Canada’s 500 year old relationship with Indigenous peoples; a relationship mired in colonialism, conflict and denial. Saturday, May 13, 1- 3 pm EPISODE 1: Indigenous in the...
How to ID & Safely Remove Gabriola’s Invasive Plants
Three local experts will share their experience and solutions.
Thursday, May 11th, 7pm (doors open at 6:30)
The Roxy Lounge, Twin Beaches.
Firing Lines: Three Canadian Women Write the First World War
Thursday, April 20th
7 pm (doors at 6:30)
Roxy Theatre
Gabriola Museum proudly presents local author, editor and playwright Debbie Marshall as she launches her latest book at the Roxy Theatre.
Firing Lines:Three Canadian Women Write the First World War.
From Addiction-Fueled Con to Model citizen
John Howard Society to give presentation on Gabriola about new addiction treatment that is changing lives. by Ivan Bulic; submitted to the sounder March 16, 2017 Few communities in BC remain untouched by addiction problems. And while the opioid crisis makes the front...
From Dunes to Palms – a West Africa Adventure
Gabriola’s favourite world travellers, Steve Struthers and Alison Douglas, have just returned from their latest adventure - a voyage that took them from the deserts of Mauritania to the equatorial jungles of Senegal. They will share a multi media presentation at 7 pm,...
Earthquakes in the Vancouver lsland Area – past and future
The Museum’s first evening of the 2017 Gabriolan Talk Series will feature geologist Steven Earle discussing earthquakes. Steve will review the geological origins of earthquakes on Canada’s shaky western coast and will discuss the evidence for and effects of some...
Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Malcolm Lowry’s inspiration for October Ferry to Gabriola
Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Malcolm Lowry’s inspiration for October Ferry to Gabriola Ivan Bulic In 1946, British novelist Malcolm Lowry, soon to be famous with publication of Under the Volcano (considered one of the great novels of the 20th century), was...
Hidden India: A photo-journey to Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat
Many islanders have enjoyed Steve and Alison’s travel talks about their treks to Antarctica, New Guinea, Burma and China’s Yunnan Province - always spiced with a liberal dose of humour. Their latest show on Hidden India promises the same combination of exotic locales,...
From Gabriola to the Bering Sea and Back
From Gabriola to the Bering Sea and Back as published in the Sounder, March 16, 2016 Only a handful of small-boat sailors have dared to venture “north of 60” into Alaska’s Bering Sea; one of the stormiest and most dangerous stretches of water on the planet. Gabriola...
Museum’s 2016 Talk Series opens with presentation on Martin Mars water bomber.
Museum’s 2016 Talk Series opens with presentation on Martin Mars water bomber. Submitted to the Sounder by: Gabriola Historical and Museum Society BC’s iconic Martin Mars water bomber is the biggest seaplane in the world. And few people know more about the big red...
Davy the Punk
We hope you will be able to join us for our final event before the Museum closes its doors for 2015 : a performance of “Davy the Punk”. Bob Bossin will be performing his one-man show, probably for the last time on Gabriola, on the evening of Saturday, October 10th,...
The Future of Agricultural Self-sufficiency on Gabriola
article published in the SOUNDER, February 24, 2015 With close to 70 percent of all fruit and vegetables consumed in BC imported from California and the US, we will all have to start rethinking where our food comes from and how we grow it. Food production in...
From Gabriola to Flanders Fields
November, 2014 The community commemorates the centennial of the First World War. For a transcipt of the presentation, and more WWI archival photos in our past exhibit, see From Gabriola to Flanders Field. November, 2014 The community commemorates the centennial of...
First Nations Treaties and Gulf Island Development
“ First Nations are not opposed to development, they’re opposed to not being part of the discussion." That’s part of the message that Adam Olsen, a Tsartlip First Nations member, former municipal councilor delivered to the Gabriola Museum’s annual general meeting on...
Bridge over Troubled Waters
History of fixed link proposals – Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and the B.C. Mainland See also article in Archives.
Between Wood and Water: restoring Dorothy, the oldest sailboat in Canada
A multimedia presentation by Gabriola boat builder and artist Tony Grove and documentary film maker Tobi Elliott.
Story of Silva Bay Shipyard
The Story of Silva Bay Shipyard by Fred Withey
Early Settlers on the Gulf Islands
April, 2012 Presentation by historian Jean Barnam on the arrival of Hawaiian, African-America and Spanish settlers on the West Coast. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Library.
Petroglyph Tour
Petroglyph tour February, 2012 The tour was led by Dr. E.C. Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, CA, and Ian C. McLennan, Consultant to Museums, Science Centres Planetariums, Digital Theatres, Theme attractions, and World Expositions, Vancouver,...
The Way it Was
February 2012 Cecil Ashley presented vintage movies from the 1930s and 1940s depicting the logging, sawmilling, and fishing industries on the west coast of BC activities of the time. The movies were complemented by local artist Doug Harrison’s Working West Coast...
Giving Peace a Chance
October, 2011 Long-time peace and social activists Susan Yates, Holda Pattern, Jean McLaren and Ted Wilson recounted the story of the Gabriola Island Peace Association.
Flippers to Flukes
Information on Vancouver Aquarium’s BC Cetacean Sightings Network and the role that Gabriolans can play in reporting cetacean sightings. The speakers were Caitlin Birdsail and Heather Lord of Vancouver Aquarium. GROWLS co-sponsored the presentation.
Crossing the Waters
This was a multi-visual presentation on the history of ferry services to Gabriola Island with guest speaker Mark Stefanson, BC Ferries Vice-President of Public affairs.
Prehistoric Rock Art
A presentation by Professor Jean Clottes.
Potlatch of the Quamichan First Nation
A celebration of Jane Degnen’s descendants.
Vanishing Beacons: The Story of BC’s Lighthouses and Lightkeepers
Presented by Ivan Bulic, a Director for the Canadian Lightkeepers Association.
Joined Hands
Grand Opening of the Joined Hands exhibit presenting the history and legacy of Jane Degnan and Louisa Silva (note link).