The Negatives 5396 Larch Photo Album: Family Life in Early 20th-Century Vancouver
The Negatives 5396 Larch Photo Album offers a warm and intimate look into family life in the early 20th century, capturing moments from a family residing at 5396 Larch St., Vancouver, B.C. At this time, the city’s communities were evolving amid social and economic changes, marking an era of growth and adaptation. As part of […]
Reeling in the Past: Game Fishing in Canada
One of the most charming aspects of game fishing is the thrill of the unknown—what lies beneath the surface, whether the day’s efforts will yield a prize catch, or if luck will be on the angler’s side. This unpredictability adds to the excitement for all anglers, from seasoned fishing enthusiasts to weekend hobbyists. But as […]
Stanley Park: A Journey Through History and Today
Land Acknowledgement: We gratefully acknowledge that Stanley Park is on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. As Vancouver’s first and largest urban park, Stanley Park stands as a cherished green oasis amidst the bustling cityscape. Originally a site of deep cultural significance for Indigenous peoples, Stanley Park […]
Japan in Focus: Part 3 – Exploring materials related to Meiji Restoration
In Part 3 of our Japan in Focus series, we will explore materials in our open collections related to one of the most significant events in Japan: the Meiji Restoration 明治維新 (Meiji Ishin). Feel free to click on the images to enlarge them for a better view! What caused the Meiji Restoration? In 1853, Commodore […]
Japan in Focus: Part 2 – Exploring materials related to Japanese Canadian during World War II
Content Warning: This blog post features items that contain some outdated, racist, and derogatory language. This blog post follows the language guidelines set forth by Japanese Canadian Legacies, which can be found at this link. In this second part of our series “Japan in Focus”, we will delve into the materials within our open collections […]
Japan in Focus: Part 1 – Kamishibai Plays and Their Diverse Audiences
Welcome to our blog series exploring Japan-related materials from our Open Collections! This week, we begin with Part 1, where we delve into the fascinating world of kamishibai plays from the private collection of Dr. Sharalyn Orbaugh, Department Head and Professor of Modern Japanese Literature and Popular Culture at UBC’s Asian Studies. While our previous […]
The Lee Family: Enduring Struggles and Separation
In one of our blog posts in May, we briefly touched on the Chinese Head Tax, a burdensome imposition on many Chinese Canadians from the 1885 to 1923. This week, we will take a closer look at the life of Chuck Lee, one of the very few Chinese Canadians in Halifax in the early 1900s, […]
Revisiting the Y2K bug through open collections
Remember the year 2000? As the clock ticked closer to midnight on December 31st, 1999, the world was preparing for the potential chaos of the infamous Y2K bug. In this week’s blog post, we’ll take a trip down memory lane and revisit some materials in our open collections that are related to the Y2K crisis! […]
Meet Norman L. Kwong (林佐民): A Remarkable Chinese Canadian Icon
Norman L. Kwong’s path to becoming a significant figure in Canadian sports and society as a Chinese Canadian speaks volumes about resilience and breaking barriers. In this week’s blog post, we will explore his remarkable life, including the challenges he faced and the success he achieved. Early Life and Challenges Norman Kwong (far right, front […]
Mining in British Columbia
In this week’s blog post, we’ll take a brief look at the history of coal mining in British Columbia and its impact on the region’s industrial landscape. All the materials featured in this post can be found in our open collections. Please feel free to click the captions underneath the photos attached to this blog […]