Society to residents: Tell us 'bout the good ol' days
Memories wanted for exhibit dedicated to centennial celebration
Amanda Sittrop is collections and exhibits co-ordinator for the White Rock Museum and Archives Society.
Photograph by: CHRISTOPHER POON , Surrey NOW
With the White Rock Museum and Archives Society set to celebrate its building's 100th birthday in the New Year, a call is going out to find stories and artifacts for an exhibit dedicated to the centennial celebration.
While originally starting out as a railway station in 1913, the building is now best known for being a community centre of sorts following the City of White Rock taking ownership in 1975.
"After that it became kind of a centre for arts and culture and so I was wanting to see if there was anybody in the community who had memories of the building as a railway station or as the arts and culture centre as of 1975," said Amanda Sittrop, collections and exhibits coordinator for the society.
According to Sittrop, the society is looking for memories, be they artifacts or anecdotal, to put to use in an exhibit planned to open in May commemorating the building's history.
"I was hoping there were people in the community who had memories of it as both a railway station and beyond and were wanting to share their stories or their pictures or any items that reflect that history," said Sittrop.
As of now, Sittrop said they do have a lot of train artifacts and telegraph equipment leftover from the railway station days, but that the society is always looking for items and stories that relate to the building's history.
"If people are interested in loaning or donating to the museum, we always encourage that," she said.
An example of one story, said Sittrop, was a reporter who came to the society with story of when Elvis Presley rode through White Rock on the train.
"(Elvis) had a show in Vancouver and he didn't like to fly, so he was coming up from the states by train," said Sittrop. "So at the time, it was a big deal and all the women were screaming but he didn't actually get off the train."
Those wishing to share a story of the railway station's past or to donate something to the society can do so by contacting Sittrop at whiterockcollections@telus.net or by phone at 604-541-2230 no later than February, 2013.
"We are a community museum so it's really important that we have the community's involvement because we're here for them," said Sittrop. "We want to make sure they're part of the exhibit because this station is part of their history."
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