[BCMA] Maritime Museum to award S.S. Beaver Medals for Maritime Excellence

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

Call for nominations: The Maritime Museum of British Columbia to award S.S.
Beaver Medals for Maritime Excellence

April 13, 2012 - For Immediate Release

Call for nominations: The Maritime Museum of British Columbia to award S.S.
Beaver Medals for Maritime Excellence

The Maritime Museum of BC invites all members of the media to attend a
press announcement at the museum to unveil our new Award of Excellence on
Monday, April 16^th at 10am.

This new award – then Maritime Museum of BC SS Beaver Medal for Maritime
Excellence – will honour individuals who have made outstanding contributions
or significant achievements in maritime endeavours in our Province. These
attainments may include—but are not limited to—science, technology,
business, applications of maritime skills, nautical heritage and culture,
and academic contributions. The gold-plated Medal, which incorporates copper
from the 19^th century steamship S.S. Beaver, underlines not only our
Province’s vivid maritime history, but also highlights the continuing
importance of British Columbia’s maritime sector. BC has more than 40,000
islands and a coastline of nearly 26,000 kilometres.

“We plan to award up to three medals each year,” said former Ambassador and
retired Admiral John Anderson, a member of the medal steering committee.
“Our first medal presentations are scheduled for fall 2012.”

The medals were struck in 1954 from copper and other materials salvaged
decades earlier from the wreck of S.S. Beaver, and the first steamship on
the west coast. A paddle-wheeler, Beaver has an iconic significance in our
Province’s maritime history. Built in Britain for the Hudson’s Bay Company
in 1835, Beaver worked British Columbia’s coastal waters for 53 eventful
years. She rounded a stormy Cape Horn on her way to the Pacific Coast and
later transported the Hudson’s Bay Company group that established a trading
post in 1843 in what became Victoria.

Beaver carried brass cannons and used wood as fuel her on months-long
trading voyages up the coast as far north as Alaska. When hopeful Gold Rush
adventurers arrived in the region, Beaver ferried them from Victoria to
the Lower Mainland. For seven years, she also conducted surveys of uncharted
coastal waters under such Royal Navy hydrographers as Daniel Pender. Her
final years saw her transition into a tug and transport vessel. In 1888, she
came to grief on rocks off Stanley Park in Vancouver where she foundered.

Beaver made a unique contribution to the development of what was a
burgeoning resource-rich region and saw thetransition of British Columbia as
part of the Hudson’s Bay Company oligarchy to Crown Colony to part of
Canada. The Beaver medals will commemorate this legendary vessel through the
individuals who have in turn contributed to British Columbia’s nautical
environment.

“The Maritime Museum is excited about this opportunity to give appropriate
public recognition to outstanding individuals in our Province’s vibrant
maritime sector” commented Jan Drent, Past President of the museum.
Potential recipients will be nominated by the public and selected by an
awards committee that includes Capt. Stephen Brown of the Chamber of
Shipping of BC; Ms. Vija Poruks, Assistant Commissioner Pacific Region
Canadian Coast Guard; Don Krusel, President  & CEO of the Prince Rupert Port
Authority, Capt. Jamie Marshall, Vice President Operations, BC Ferries,
noted marine historian Dr Barry Gough, marine writer Dr. Marianne Scott of
Victoria, and the Past President of the BC Maritime Museum Society,
Commodore (Ret’d) Jan Drent, RCN.

The Maritime Museum of BC is encouraging nominations for this prestigious
medal. Nomination information, easy-to-complete forms and due dates are
located at www.mmbc.bc.ca.


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For information please contact:
Jan Drent: 250 598 1661; jdrent at pacificcoast.net
1720 Rockland Avenue, Victoria BC V8S 1W8

Maritime Museum of BC
28 Bastion Square, Victoria BC


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Copyright © 2012, Maritime Museum of BC, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
28 Bastion Square, Victoria BC V8W 1H9
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