[BCMA] Maritime Museum of BC documents Tsunami Debris

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Hope for reuniting items with tsunami survivors

For Immediate Release - The Maritime Museum of BC

   April 27th, 2012

   It was a shocking moment in history. The tsunami that swept through Japan in
   March of 2011 left, in its wake, devastation, shattered lives and
   heartbreak. To add to this, many unfortunate souls also lost personal
   possessions and keepsakes, records of their lives up to that point. Fast
   forward one year and those mementos and objects (some as large as a
   shrimping vessel) have begun to find their way over to our shores.

   Incredibly, some missing items are now being reunited with their proper
   owners. In an effort to facilitate these positive reunions and to document
   this historic event, the Maritime Museum of BC has launched a new project.
   With the creation of a Facebook page – named the Tsunami Debris Project –
   the museum is encouraging members of the community to upload photos and
   videos of tsunami debris they find along the ocean shore. As well, the
   public is invited to post any related comments and articles.

   The goal of this endeavor is to document the findings, but more importantly,
   to provide a means for a tsunami survivor to scan the site for their lost
   items and in some cases, if an object has been collected from the beach, it
   may be possible for the museum to return it to its owner through the
   Japanese Consulate.

   “It’s important to raise awareness of this tragedy and highlight the
   magnitude of it. Additionally, we could perhaps bring some hope back into
   the lives of those who lost their personal items,” says Jon Irwin, General
   Manager of the Maritime Museum of BC.

   Although repatriation of items may not always be possible, the online
   curated collection of images will create a fascinating exhibit commemorating
   this disaster and showcase the flotsam and jetsam inevitably following a
   natural disaster of this magnitude. Working with Federal and
   Provincial departments, the museum also plans to share the data collected so
   that those ministries may facilitate clean-up if necessary.

   To view this new Facebook page, please visit
  www.facebook.com/TsunamiDebrisProjectMaritimeMusBC.

   As a non-profit society, the Maritime Museum of BC invites other
   organizations or businesses to help support this project.  If interested or
   for more information, please contact the Maritime Museum’s General Manager,
   Jon Irwin at jirwin at mmbc.bc.ca or 250-385-4222, ext. 105.


   -30-
   MaryAnne Dieno
   mdieno at mmbc.bc.ca
   250-385-4222 ext. 113
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