[BCMA] $500,000 gift for Vancouver Maritime Museum

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

NEWS RELEASE 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  October 17, 2011 

 

The Vancouver Maritime Museum is excited and honoured to be the recent
recipient of a gift of $500,000 from Mr. John Salisbury to create a new
endowment fund in support of the RCMP vessel St. Roch.  As the most
significant item in the Vancouver Maritime Museum's collection, and valued
at over $2 million, the RCMP vessel St Roch is always in need of
conservation and care.  The museum is currently undertaking a survey on the
vessel and is preparing a conservation report for future action.  The
creation of this much needed fund will help the museum ensure that this icon
of arctic sovereignty is preserved for future generations.  

 

St. Roch is special not only for her history - The St. Roch was the first
vessel to sail the Northwest Passage from west to east 1940-42, the first to
complete the passage in one season 1944, and the first to circumnavigate
North America - but also for the experience she offers. The ship is a unique
artifact of arctic endurance, a compelling symbol of human endeavour in a
forbidding land, and of ordinary men rendered heroic by unusual and extreme
circumstances at the top of the world. St. Roch through its years of service
in the Northwest Territories and the Arctic Ocean provides tangible proof of
Canada's sovereign claims to those regions.  

 

The creation of this fund reflects Mr. Salisbury's belief that both the
history and social fabric of our province is uniquely tied to the water,
whether it is the growth and development of BC's economy through one of the
busiest ports in North America, or the settlement and service of remote
communities through our vast waterways.

 

Mr. Salisbury passed away peacefully on September 23, 2011.  His very
generous contributions in his final days to many local and provincial
organizations, such as the Vancouver Maritime Museum, will be appreciated
for many years to come.  

 

Mr. John Salisbury was trained as a paratrooper near the end of the World
War II.  He was involved in mining in the Yukon and enjoyed taking mining
courses at BCIT.  He was also involved in a variety of business ventures
across the province, including both plumbing and used auto parts for many
years.  His final years were spent enjoying both the waterways and community
of Pender Harbour.  The John Salisbury Endowment fund will be open to the
public for further donations.  Please contact Jana Lyons at Vancouver
Maritime Museum for further information.

 

Note to Editors

St. Roch was built in North Vancouver and served Canada as an RCMP Arctic
patrol ship from 1928 to 

1950. In 1940, St. Roch was ordered to traverse the North West Passage as a
wartime demonstration of 

Canada's northern sovereignty. The long and dangerous voyage took two years
to complete. In 1944,

St. Roch retraced its steps from east to west, making it the first to cross
the North West Passage in both directions. In 1950, St. Roch travelled from
Vancouver to Halifax through the Panama Canal and became the first ship ever
to circumnavigate North America. After its final voyage in 1958, St. Roch
was brought ashore at Vanier Park, Vancouver and is now the premier exhibit
of the Vancouver Maritime Museum.                              

 

 

-30-

For more information: 

 

Simon Robinson

Executive Director, 

Vancouver Maritime Museum

director at vancouvermaritimemuseum.com 

www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com 

 

Jana Lyons

Fundraising and Development Manager

Vancouver Maritime Museum

jana at vancouvermaritimemuseum

www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

 

 

 

 

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