[Bcma-l] more on the situation in Grand Forks
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Fri, 5 Oct 2007 10:59:04 -0700
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Hi Les
Would it be helpful for us to email Grand Forks council members on this =
issue?
Is the quote below, taken from the article you enclosed, true? If so, =
could you expand on the statement, unless you have already and I just =
haven't read all the previous emails carefully:
"And it doesn't make sense why soci=ADety members would not consider =
entering negotiations no matter what their concerns are."
Thanks.
Eileen Pedersen
Coordinator
The Rock Wall Project
Trail BC
----- Original Message -----=20
From: bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
To: BCMA Listserv=20
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 6:31 PM
Subject: [Bcma-l] more on the situation in Grand Forks
Hello again to all of you,
Thank you very much for all the well wishes, suggestions and interest.
For those curious how the community is responding: it's still early =
days but at the end of this I'm including the editorial from the local =
newspaper.
Larry you have my sympathy as well. Maybe one possible positive =
outcome for you might be if this blows up in our city council's face =
(not saying it will mind you). Your administration might think twice =
about taking the same steps there.
Thank you for your kind words Tammy. I'm glad to hear that time you =
spent here was not a dead end.
You're the second person who's mentioned Joan (Miller) Jepsen. I'm =
hoping that she's able to monitor the list or that the other person will =
be able to pass the feed on to her.
As to the Doukhobor community, Peggy, two of our board members are =
Doukhobors (not sure if either is USCC though) so I'm sure that they're =
doing their part to inform. The bulk of the Doukhobor artifacts in the =
museum building are from the Hardy Mountain Doukhobor Village museum =
(hoping I got the current name correct). These are the ones we did not =
want stored in uncontrolled cold climate storage while the site is still =
a work in progress. As along as the buckets (on the floor above them) =
catching water from the leaky roof are monitored they should be safe in =
the basement. Should be ...
This is Jason Harshenin's editorial from yesterday's Grand Forks =
Gazette (I actually asked permission :)
Negotiations turn sour
Negotiations between Grand Forks City Council and the Boundary Museum =
Society took an unfortunate turn this last weekend as city staff changed =
the locks at the museum, effectively banning society members and =
muse=ADum staff from entering the building.
Mayor Neil Krog points to failed negotiations as the main reason the =
city made the decision, but why did council and society members allow it =
to get to this point in the first place?
There is a lot of finger pointing taking place right now as the two =
sides decide what they will do next. But the real unfortunate part in =
this saga is that museum staff had no idea that this was about to happen =
- maybe for good reason some would argue. But when staff showed up to =
work Monday morning, they quickly realized that their keys no longer fit =
the new locks.
Council says it was acting on behalf of the community when it made =
this decision. But does closing the only museum in Grand Forks to =
students, tourists and the like, the best way to handle a negotiation?
The unfortunate thing in this mess is that both the soci=ADety and =
council are using the archives, history of the area and donations of =
time, money and artifacts of countless community members as pawns in an =
obvious power struggle. Council will likely say it had no choice. =
Society members will likely say they were backed into a corner and had =
no other option.
As finger pointing continues, and as council and socie=ADty members =
struggle to move forward, there is another important issue that has yet =
to be resolved.
Did council have the legal right to lock the museum's doors? Is Krog =
right when he says that all the artifacts and archives actually belong =
to the city? The Boundary Museum Society has maintained those artifacts =
and archives for many years through monetary relationships with local =
government.
Council is right to demand more accountability though - thousands of =
dollars of taxpayer's money is allocated to the museum yearly. And it =
doesn't make sense why soci=ADety members would not consider entering =
negotiations no matter what their concerns are.
The city is now supporting the formation of a new soci=ADety to take =
control. But should council have the power to encourage the old society =
to disband so a new one can form that will negotiate "properly" with the =
city? And what happens now to the museum staff and the many volunteers =
who have helped to keep the museum func=ADtioning all these years?
JH
That's all for now ... I'll keep you all posted on braking =
developments.
- Les Johnson
Technician
The Boundary Museum
Grand Forks, BC
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hi Les</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Would it be helpful for us to email =
Grand Forks=20
council members on this issue?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Is the quote below, taken from the =
article you=20
enclosed, true? If so, could you expand on the statement, unless =
you have=20
already and I just haven't read all the previous emails =
carefully:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM>"<FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><FONT size=3D3>And=20
it doesn't make sense why soci­ety members would not consider =
entering=20
negotiations no </FONT><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">matter =
what=20
their concerns are."</SPAN></FONT></EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.2pt"></SPAN></FONT></EM></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.2pt">Thanks.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">Eileen =
Pedersen</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.2pt">Coordinator</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">The =
Rock Wall=20
Project</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">Trail=20
BC</SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
=
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca">bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.b=
c.ca</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dbcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca">BCMA Listserv</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 04, =
2007 6:31=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bcma-l] more on the =
situation=20
in Grand Forks</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Hello again to all of you,<BR><BR>Thank you very much =
for all=20
the well wishes, suggestions and interest.<BR>For those curious how =
the=20
community is responding: it's still early days but at the end of this =
I'm=20
including the editorial from the local newspaper.<BR><BR>Larry you =
have my=20
sympathy as well. Maybe one possible positive outcome for you might be =
if this=20
blows up in our city council's face (not saying it will mind you). =
Your=20
administration might think twice about taking the same steps=20
there.<BR><BR>Thank you for your kind words Tammy. I'm glad to hear =
that time=20
you spent here was not a dead end.<BR>You're the second person who's =
mentioned=20
Joan (Miller) Jepsen. I'm hoping that she's able to monitor the list =
or that=20
the other person will be able to pass the feed on to her.<BR><BR>As to =
the=20
Doukhobor community, Peggy, two of our board members are Doukhobors =
(not sure=20
if either is USCC though) so I'm sure that they're doing their part to =
inform.=20
The bulk of the Doukhobor artifacts in the museum building are from =
the Hardy=20
Mountain Doukhobor Village museum (hoping I got the current name =
correct).=20
These are the ones we did not want stored in uncontrolled cold climate =
storage=20
while the site is still a work in progress. As along as the buckets =
(on the=20
floor above them) catching water from the leaky roof are monitored =
they should=20
be safe in the basement. Should be ...<BR><BR><BR>This is Jason =
Harshenin's=20
editorial from yesterday's Grand Forks Gazette (I actually asked =
permission=20
:)<BR>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.95pt; LINE-HEIGHT: =
37.45pt; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><B><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 35pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; =
LETTER-SPACING: -2.05pt">Negotiations=20
</SPAN></B><B><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 35pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; =
LETTER-SPACING: -2pt">turn=20
sour</SPAN></B></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN: 4.1pt 0.7pt 0pt 0in; =
TEXT-INDENT: 8.65pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 11.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; =
-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black">Negotiations between Grand =
Forks City=20
Council and <SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">the Boundary Museum =
Society=20
took an unfortunate turn </SPAN>this last weekend as city staff =
changed the=20
locks at the <SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.3pt">museum, =
effectively banning=20
society members and muse­</SPAN><SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.2pt">um=20
staff from entering the building.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; TEXT-INDENT: 8.9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: =
11.75pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.7pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; -moz-background-clip: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; =
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black">Mayor Neil Krog points to =
failed=20
negotiations as the main reason the city made the decision, but why =
did <SPAN=20
style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">council and society members allow it =
to get to=20
this point </SPAN><SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.25pt">in the first =
place?</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; TEXT-INDENT: 8.65pt; LINE-HEIGHT: =
11.75pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.5pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; -moz-background-clip: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; =
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.15pt">There is a=20
lot of finger pointing taking place right now </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black">as the two sides decide what =
they will=20
do next. But the <SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">real =
unfortunate part in=20
this saga is that museum staff had </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.05pt">no idea that this was about to =
happen - maybe=20
for good reason some would argue. But when staff showed up to work =
Monday=20
morning, they quickly realized that their </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.25pt">keys no longer fit the new=20
locks.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; TEXT-INDENT: 8.65pt; LINE-HEIGHT: =
11.75pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.5pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; -moz-background-clip: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; =
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.15pt">Council says=20
it was acting on behalf of the community </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black">when it made this decision. =
But does=20
closing the only <SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">museum in =
Grand Forks to=20
students, tourists and the like, the best way to handle a=20
negotiation?</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN: 0in 0.5pt 0pt 0.25pt; =
TEXT-INDENT: 8.65pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 11.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; =
-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.25pt">The =
unfortunate thing in this mess is that both the soci­</SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">ety =
and=20
council are using the archives, history of the area </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.05pt">and =
donations=20
of time, money and artifacts of countless </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black">community members as pawns =
in an=20
obvious power <SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">struggle. Council =
will=20
likely say it had no choice. Society </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.05pt">members will likely say they were =
backed into=20
a corner </SPAN><SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">and had no =
other=20
option.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN: 0in 0.5pt 0pt 0.25pt; =
TEXT-INDENT: 8.9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 11.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; =
-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.25pt">As =
finger=20
pointing continues, and as council and socie­</SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black">ty members struggle to move =
forward,=20
there is another <SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.15pt">important =
issue that=20
has yet to be resolved.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN: 0in 0.5pt 0pt 0.25pt; =
TEXT-INDENT: 8.65pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 11.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; =
-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.05pt">Did =
council=20
have the legal right to lock the museum's </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.3pt">doors? Is Krog=20
right when he says that all the artifacts and </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black">archives actually belong to =
the city?=20
The Boundary Museum Society has maintained those artifacts and <SPAN=20
style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.1pt">archives for many years through =
monetary=20
relationships </SPAN><SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">with local =
government.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN: 0in 0.25pt 0pt; =
TEXT-INDENT: 8.65pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 11.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; =
-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.2pt">Council is=20
right to demand more accountability though - thousands of dollars of=20
taxpayer's money is allocated to </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.25pt">the =
museum=20
yearly. And it doesn't make sense why soci­ety members would not =
consider=20
entering negotiations no </SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.2pt">matter what=20
their concerns are.</SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5pt; TEXT-INDENT: =
8.9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 11.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; -moz-background-clip: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; =
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.3pt">The =
city is=20
now supporting the formation of a new soci­</SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: -0.2pt">ety =
to take=20
control. But should council have the power to</SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black"> encourage the old society =
to disband=20
so a new one can form that will negotiate "properly" with the city? =
And what=20
happens now to the museum staff and the many <SPAN=20
style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.05pt">volunteers who have helped to keep =
the museum=20
func­</SPAN><SPAN style=3D"LETTER-SPACING: -0.3pt">tioning all =
these=20
years?<O:P></O:P></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white 0% 50%; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5pt; TEXT-INDENT: =
8.9pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 11.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; -moz-background-clip: =
-moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; =
-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; COLOR: black; LETTER-SPACING: =
-0.3pt">JH</SPAN></P>That's=20
all for now ... I'll keep you all posted on braking developments.<BR>- =
Les=20
Johnson<BR> Technician<BR> The Boundary Museum<BR> =
Grand=20
Forks, BC<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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