Ore & Orcas

For immediate release                                                                            

Britannia Mine Museum’s Terralab Comes to Life with Dynamic Orca Display to Shine the Light on Howe Sound Remediation

“Ore and Orcas: The Remediation of Howe Sound”

October 1 – 31, 2021

Photo: The O120 Orca bone display that will be featured in the Britannia Mine Museum’s “Ore and Orcas: The Remediation of Howe Sound” temporary exhibit.

Britannia Beach, BC (September 22, 2021) – With Howe Sound/Átl’ka7tsem recently designated as a UNESCO biosphere region, it is especially timely that the Britannia Mine Museum is launching a new temporary exhibit with a focus on the Howe Sound region. The Museum’s Terralab STEAM learning space will host a dynamic, visual exhibit - “Ore and Orcas: The Remediation of Howe Sound” - showcasing the O120 Orca bone display and other marine specimens, to shine the light on the remediation of the Howe Sound marine ecosystem.

Just this month, the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme named the Howe Sound region as Canada’s 19th UNESCO Biosphere Region[i]. UNESCO biosphere reserves are “learning places for sustainable development” and examples of ecosystems where people live, play and work while building solutions for a sustainable future, celebrate cultural and biological diversity, and foster and empower scientific, environmental, local and Indigenous knowledge to solve global conservation challenges.

Partnering with the Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society (SIMRS), the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and the Porpoise Conservation Society, the Britannia Mine Museum’s “Ore and Orcas: The Remediation of Howe Sound” visual exhibit and marine specimen displays will look at the mine’s history - including the impacts of pollution and subsequent remediation, recovery and protection with the EPCOR Water Treatment Plant - through the lens of its impact on the Howe Sound food chain.

“The remediation of Howe Sound is part of our history and legacy at the Museum. Displaying real examples of local marine life will bring this story of sustainability to life,” says Derek Jang, Manager of Interpretive Delivery. “We are so fortunate to be located in Howe Sound where we can experience the majestic natural beauty of our land and sea, and thanks to the incredible efforts of the communities, government, and mining industry, we can share the important lessons learned about protecting and keeping our environment sustainable with teachers, students and everyone who visit.”

The O120 Orca bone display is the only travelling killer whale skeleton in the country and the only offshore killer whale used for education. In August 1997, the SIMRS found a deceased killer whale off the coast of Tofino, BC and with the help of the community, brought her back to shore for a necropsy. Out of the three types of killer whales found in BC waters, she turned out to be the rarest and most elusive – an offshore killer whale. The SIMRS cleaned and preserved her bones and built it into a travelling killer whale education display to inspire and educate people about marine conservation and the plight of whales in B.C. waters.

The temporary exhibit will be included in the special Howe Sound Legacies curriculum-based education program the Museum offers to elementary and high schools during the month of October. The school field trip covers many of the BC curriculum's Big Ideas across all grades, and takes teachers and students on a Copper Quest journey into the underground mine, and includes the BOOM! Mill show, an interactive interpreter-led education session and hands-on experience with the exhibit.

The Museum would like to thank Dr. Briar Sexton and Mr. Craig Gauld for their generous donation to make this exhibit possible

The Britannia Mine Museum provides unique and memorable experiences that engage visitors of all ages. Visitors can enjoy fun exhibits and crowd favourites like the underground mine train, gold panning, the historic 20-storey concentrator Mill building and its BOOM! special effects show, the Terralab STEAM learning space, the minerals and gem gallery, and the Beaty Lundin Visitor Centre.

Located 45 minutes north of Vancouver on the picturesque Sea-to-Sky highway, the award-winning Britannia Mine Museum is open seven days a week with appropriate COVID-19 safety measures and procedures in place. This includes enhanced staff training, smaller bubble tour sizes, accommodating appropriate physical distancing, and implementing site sanitation protocols. Masks are required indoors and inside the mine tunnel for visitors over the age of 12. Advanced ticket purchase and reservation is recommended.

The Museum is encouraging everyone to practice safe COVID-19 protocols including frequent hand washing, physical distancing and staying at home if you are sick.

Check the Museum’s website for specific tour times and to purchase tickets in advance.

About Britannia Mine Museum:

The Britannia Mine Museum is a mining legacy site and a vibrant, internationally recognized education and tourist destination located between Vancouver and Whistler on the Sea-to-Sky highway. It is a National Historic Site and a non-profit organization encouraging mining awareness through entertaining, experiential education programs and exhibits, important historic collection preservation and insightful public engagement that allows guests to leave with a better understanding of mining in BC; past, present and future. www.britanniaminemuseum.ca

Facebook: @BritanniaMineMuseum Instagram: @BritanniaMineMuseum

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Media contact: Yvonne Chiang, 604-880-5090, ychiang@bcmm.ca

[i] https://www.howesoundbri.org/latest-news/2021/6/9/september-15th-2021-media-release