What’s happening?
The New Westminster Museum and Archives is opening a new exhibition this fall on drinking in the Royal City and is hoping to interview people who have stories about local watering holes, breweries, distilleries and coffee and tea shops. Interviews will be conducted this spring and early summer.
Who should get involved?
If you worked at Labatt’s, participated in the grape stomp in Queensborough, worked at the King Edward Hotel bar, the Pacific Café, the Russell, the Dunsmuir or the Windsor, participated in “snake parades” or have stories about drinking in New West bars (museum staff have already heard a few stories about underage drinkers coming from across the Lower Mainland to drink at local bars), the museum would like to hear from you. Interviews are also being sought with people who have stories about making and drinking alcohol or other beverages in New Westminster.
Is the museum only interested in boozy stories?
No. Museum staff are also interested in hearing stories from people who worked or know anything about the city’s teashops (the Gingham Tea Shop, the Mecca Tea Room, the Piccolo Tea House, bubble tea places), can talk about Ice Cream Row or soda fountains in New Westminster, worked at Ziada Eritrean Restaurant or know anything about the Bohemian Orpheus teen coffeehouse.
Is anything else needed for the exhibit?
The New Westminster Museum and Archives also welcomes “drinking culture items” for the exhibit. Any New Westminster-related items offered for donation to the museum must include the item’s history and basic information about the people who used the object. This is to ensure that future generations, as well as the folks who view the exhibit, understand the item’s context in New Westminster’s story.
How do I share my stories?
Contact Oana Capota, curator for the New Westminster Museum at 604-515-3842 or [email protected]. And be sure to pass along this information to others who may have stories to share with the museum.
Tell me more about the museum:
The New Westminster Museum is located in Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with extended hours of 8 p.m. on Thursdays). Admission is by donation. The current exhibition, Witness Blanket, runs until April 21. Upcoming exhibitions include: Making New Westminster (June 1 to Nov. 13); Bottoms Up: The Cultures of Drink in the Royal City (Nov. 4 to March 25, 2018); and Canada 150: Home (Dec. 2 to April 1, 2018).
