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<p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:23.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1E9B00">MEDIA ADVISORY</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="67" height="201" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:b4ee8132-7b10-4b91-b662-7c84a3927276" name="null"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">May 12, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
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<strong><i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC</span></i></strong><strong><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""> opens at Royal BC Museum<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">VICTORIA, BC –
</span></strong><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none">In 1858, word of gold rang out in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon, setting off a dramatic migration of people
and propelling this once remote region of western North America into the modern age.</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;text-decoration:none"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none">Now comes
<i>Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC</i>, a major new exhibition created by the Royal BC Museum, in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of History, to tell this fascinating story of adventure, heartbreak and social upheaval.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none">Gold Rush
</span></i></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none">will explore how everything changed during this fevered era, as class and racial barriers were broken down
and people seized the extraordinary opportunities that glittered before them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none">Through original objects, archival photographs, interactive displays and more,
<i>Gold Rush! </i>explores new perspectives on this thrilling chapter of history. From global trends to the points of view of those with their hands in the dirt, the exhibition offers a new and comprehensive take on the greed and grit that would come to shape
a province and unite a nation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">Visitors can marvel at the Turnagain Nugget, the largest existing gold nugget from BC at 1,642g
(52 oz.), see a real stagecoach on loan from the Historic O’Keefe Ranch, and witness the cultural influences of gold with the Bill Reid gold box, just a sampling of the more than 400 objects on display.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none">Gold Rush!</span></i></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none">
also includes <i>Allure of Gold</i>, a companion exhibition of pre-Hispanic gold art, featuring over 130 stunning artifacts on loan from the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, Colombia. This remarkable collection showcases the central role this sacred metal occupied
in the life of indigenous people in Colombia. This exclusive exhibition marks the only opportunity to see these treasures in North America.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:black;text-decoration:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">After its premiere presentation in Victoria,<i> Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC</i> will travel to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec. A version of the
exhibition will also be displayed in Guangzhou, China, part of a series of cultural exchange activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the twinning relationship between BC and Guangdong Province.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC
</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">is made possible through the generous support of the Kermode Group, the Government of British Columbia, Tourism Victoria and the Royal BC Museum Foundation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Gold Rush! El Dorado in BC
</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">runs from May 13 to October 31, 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">For more information and a full calendar of exhibition-related events, visit gold.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">About the Canadian Museum of History<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s largest and most popular cultural
institution, attracting over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well
as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">About the Royal BC Museum<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of
BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, by 2017 the Royal BC Museum will
be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a name="OLE_LINK12"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">-30-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">High-resolution photographs and interviews are available upon request.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Media contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Royal BC Museum Media Inquiries
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">250-387-3207<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a href="mailto:news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><img border="0" width="19" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01D08CBF.D0978EE0" alt="Twitter_logo_blue"></span><a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalBCMuseum"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">@RoyalBCMuseum</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">
</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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