Sidney Museum facts for kids
The Historical Post Office Building, Home of the Sidney Museum
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| Established | 1971 |
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| Location | Sidney, British Columbia, Canada. |
| Type | Local history museum |
The Sidney Museum and Archives is a special place in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada. It's a non-profit group that works to save and share the history of Sidney and the nearby area called North Saanich.
The museum is run by the Society of Saanich Peninsula Museums. They help people learn about local history through cool exhibits, programs, and a huge collection of items. The museum has over 6,000 historical objects! Besides its main displays, the museum also has new exhibits that change often.
Contents
Discovering Sidney's Past: Museum Exhibits
The Sidney Museum's main exhibits focus on the human history of Sidney and the North Saanich Peninsula. You can learn about the First Nations people who lived here first. You'll also see how early settler families lived.
Exploring Daily Life and Local History
The museum shows how the area grew over time. You can learn about businesses that started here, like the Sidney Mill. There are also stories about the first trains and transportation systems. The exhibits explain how the town of Sidney developed. You can even see how the World Wars affected the people living in Sidney. Plus, you'll discover how ferry links connected Sidney to nearby islands.
Special Collections and Displays
The museum has some really interesting items. There's a recreated Critchley's Store, which was a real store in Sidney from 1899 to the 1930s. You can also see a vintage kitchen, showing how kitchens looked long ago. The museum has models and artifacts from the SS Iroquois, a ship that sank. You'll also find items from local businesses like the Saanich Cannery and the Victoria & Sidney (V&S) railroad. The museum helps you imagine what daily life was like in Sidney and North Saanich throughout history.
Exhibit Gallery
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Re-creation of Critchley's General Store
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Artifacts from the sunken SS Iroquois
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A mid-century School Room Display
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Part of the First World War Exhibit, Sidney Museum
Sidney Archives: A Treasure Trove of Documents
The Sidney Archives is a part of the museum. It's a place where you can do research by making an appointment. The Archives holds many old documents and photographs. These items are all about the history of Sidney and North Saanich.
What You Can Find in the Archives
The Archives has copies of "The Review," which was the local newspaper, from 1912 to 1989. There's also a large collection of photos from the Sidney Experimental Farm. You can even find old records from the town of Sidney. Most of the collection covers the years between 1910 and 1980, but some items go back to 1850. The Archives also has a small library of books, stories from people who lived here long ago, and information about old heritage buildings in the area.
