History grant to bring archival collection to Kentville

BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

With funding support provided through a Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) Local History Grant Program, the Kings Historical Society and the Kings County Museum are one step closer to bringing an important archival collection to the public.

Museum curator Bria Stokesbury said she applied to the program on behalf of the historical society to procure funding with the overall goal of securing an important local archival collection created by the late Leon Barron, who was a railway and shipbuilding historian. His widow, Mary Barron, donated the collection to the museum following Leon’s death in 2006.

The extensive collection contains binders of photographs, research and newspaper clippings on the “Age of Sail” and the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Stokesbury said in order to make the collection accessible to the public, it needs to be properly sorted, arranged, described, catalogued and conserved.

The grant from the HBC program will supplement other funds being sought to hire an archivist to carry out this work with the goal of creating a finding index of the material so it will be easily accessible to researchers. This was the first time the historical society applied for the grant.

Stokesbury said HBC is a long-standing, traditional Canadian company with strong links to the history of our nation and it’s wonderful to see them supporting heritage in smaller communities. “The Kings Historical Society is most grateful to the HBC Foundation for supporting the project and helping in our aim of bringing this important collection to the attention of the Canadian public,” Stokesbury said. “It’s great they’re giving back to the local community.”

Caring for and giving back to the community

Zellers New Minas store manager Mark Durling, who, along with assistant manager Susan Millett and service manager Joanne Levy, presented a cheque for $1,000 from the HBC Foundation to the historical society and museum Monday, Nov. 10, said it’s excellent that HBC helps support the local community. “It’s not all about prices and products,” he said. “It’s about caring about the community and giving back to the community.”

The HBC Local History Grant Program is designed to assist applicants involved in history and heritage commemoration. Grants up to $1,000 are available to spark new initiatives that promote greater public awareness of Canadian history, particularly among young people. Eligible projects could include the creation of a website, the establishment of a walking tour, a lecture series, an in-school program or public exhibit of documents and artifacts. “Communities across Canada share a rich culture of heritage and it is the responsibility of historic organizations like HBC to make sure that this country’s history is at the top of Canadians’ minds,” said Diane Gordon, director, HBC Community Investment. “We are so proud to be able to help give back to the Kings Historical Society.”

About the HBC History Foundation

HBC donated the company’s archives to the Manitoba Archives and the company’s museum collection to the Manitoba Museum in 1994. The two collections were valued at approximately $68 million.

With the tax savings realized by the donations, the company established the HBC History Foundation to provide operating funds for the continued maintenance of these two collections as well as to support other projects related to HBC history.

In January 2007, the HBC History Foundation launched a new program, operated in conjunction with Canada’s National History Society, to assist applicants seeking small grants to help with their local history initiatives. The grant program is available to projects on any topic. For more information, visit www.hbchistoryfoundation.ca.