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Looking Back: Heritage Week, 'My Canada'

The National Trust’s Heritage Day 2017 hashtag #mycanadais can be used to tell each story.
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The 1888 St. Andrew’s Church in Port Haney is now a small hall rented to the community by the Maple Ridge Historical Society.

Each year in February, the country celebrates Heritage Week.

The theme for 2017 is “My Canada.”

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of confederation, My Canada is designed to inspire Canadians to embrace, explore and enjoy their own heritage places and spaces across the country.

The National Trust’s Heritage Day 2017 hashtag #mycanadais can be used to tell each story, and how each of us sees ourselves reflected in the mosaic that is Canada.

The Maple Ridge Museum has three cases in the library devoted to the theme for the month of February, focusing on “Our Earliest Days.”

It will be on display until the end of the month, focusing on local first nations communities, Hudson Bay trading and Fort Langley ties to early transportation and entertainment.

Celebrate your Canada during Heritage Week, which runs Feb. 13-19 by attending one of the events the Community Heritage Commission is hosting during the week.

From town centre to cemetery walking tours, to workshops and lectures, there is something for everyone.

A full list can be found at mapleridgemuseum.org.

To cap off the week’s festivities, the Community Heritage Commission will hold its annual Heritage Awards evening at St. Andrew’s Heritage Church Hall on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.

The Heritage Awards recognizes special initiatives, accomplishments and projects that have advanced heritage conservation and awareness in our community.

The 2017 award categories:

• Achievement Award for Community History and Heritage Teaching;

• Heritage Building;

• Heritage Landscape;

• Heritage Project(s) by Youth;

• History and Heritage Research and Publication;

• Sheila Nickols Heritage;

• Significant Contribution to the Preservation of Historical Document.

Ensuring we have a clear sense of identity and place — and a legacy that links our past, present, and future – some community champions work directly with or for an organization or initiative.

Others start movements or organize people.

Whatever they do, they think of the community before themselves, which is why honoring them is so important.

Not only does it create an example for the rest of the community to follow, to emphasize that community service is important, which hopefully will inspire others to take on community service and even become community champions themselves.

• Awards take place Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Heritage Church Hall.

Everyone is welcome.

It is a wonderful opportunity to find out all about the significant contributors to our community history, while enjoying refreshments and pleasant company.

 

– By Allison White, curator of the Maple Ridge Museum.