WINTER HARBOUR—The long-awaited Winter Harbour Museum celebrated its opening June 7 with a ribbon-cutting by Ruth and Carl Botel, who were major drivers of the facility as well as contributors to its displays.
The museum was originally planned for unveiling in 2000, when the community building was opened, but funding and organization were not available until recently, said Pat Wainwright, who organized the collection now on display.
The project was finally completed this spring thanks to the aid of a Regional District of Mount Waddington Rural Tourism Action Grant and Winter Harbour Community Association funds.
The museum contains a collection of photos, organized by decade, that shows the growth and changes in Winter Harbour since pre-1900. Ruth Botel generously loaned photos from her extensive, historic photos to make the collection possible. Other photos were donated by community members, and space is available for ongoing acquisitions.
“The community would like to thank Ruth and Carl Botel for donating their time, insight and stories to create this interesting retrospective of Winter Harbour,” said Wainwright.
The museum is open to the public during post office hours, and by appointment by calling 250-969-4331.