[Bcma-l] media release from Cowichan Historical Society

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

Thank you for posting the following media release.


  Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives

For Immediate Release**

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*Cowichan Historical Society Receives Funding from the Heritage Legacy 
Fund of BC*

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The Cowichan Historical Society, operating the Cowichan Valley Museum & 
Archives, is delighted to announce that the Heritage Legacy Fund of 
British Columbia has awarded $6,225.00 to the Society for work to be 
undertaken to preserve the heritage-designated Duncan Train Station. The 
Station, home of the Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives since 1989, has 
been much in need of repainting and repairs of the windows and gutters 
for a number of years.

With this Heritage Legacy Fund award, $3,000.00 contributed by the City 
of Duncan, $1,000.00 from the Cowichan Heritage Society, and $1,635.00 
raised through private donations to the Society, preservation measures 
will soon be undertaken to give this 1912 architectural gem a new lease 
on life. The City of Duncan declared the Station a heritage site under 
the Municipal Act in 1980, and the building received federal heritage 
designation in 1992.

The Heritage Legacy Fund of BC (an endowment fund held in the Vancouver 
Foundation) is an initiative of the Heritage Society of BC (HSBC) and 
The Land Conservancy (TLC) that supports many local heritage projects 
around the province. It provides financial assistance and guidance to 
help protect, care for and showcase British Columbia's rich cultural 
heritage.

The announcement of the award is just in time for Heritage Week in 
British Columbia, celebrated in the third week of February. This year 
the theme is “Vernacular Heritage – Architecture without Architects.” 
The design of the Duncan Train Station is typical of Canadian Pacific 
Railways (CPR) stations of the era and reflects the CPR’s intention to 
upgrade and extend the railway. The spaciousness and visual distinction 
of the building speaks to the optimism regarding the future prospects of 
“Duncan’s Crossing”, as Duncan was known then.

Did you know that the 1912 Station is not the first train station on 
this site? The original, built in 1887, was constructed as a result of 
an appearance made by Prime Minister John A. MacDonald and Robert 
Dunsmuir at Duncan’s Crossing in 1886 during the inaugural run of the 
Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway; a delegation that included pioneer William 
Chalmers Duncan halted the train and petitioned the two politicians for 
a station. Dunsmuir acceded and said, “You’ll get your station, boys!”

Learn more fascinating stories of our community’s history. In 
celebration of Heritage Week, the Museum is offering a Walking Tour of 
historic Downtown Duncan on Friday, February 23, from 1-2 p.m. Please 
call (250) 746-6612 to register or for more information.

Contact: Kathryn Gagnon, Curator/Manager

cvmuseum.archives@shaw.ca