Maritime Museum of British Columbia
634 Humboldt St V8W 1A4 Victoria, BC, Canada

Are you a fan of our #NauticalNights Speaker Series? Why not buy a talk bundle now, and save $5 for a season of four maritime experts' and adventurers' talks! Talks are on the 3rd Thursday every month, and are available in our store now: https://store.mmbc.bc.ca//pro/talks-bundle-nautical-nights #ShopLocal

Did you know Canada gains nearly $8.6 billion a year in economic benefits from the existence of non-profit galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs)? It’s true: bit.ly/GLAMs #GLAMFacts

Before she joined the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service during WWII, Lieutenant Grace Brodie was a member of the Canadian Red Cross Society (from 1939-1942). She is pictured here in her Red Cross uniform, now in the MMBC Collection. #MaritimeHistory MMBC VF - Brodie, Grace

Do you need a small token or a cute knick-knack for someone who loves small treasures? We have you covered, with artist-made gifts of all kinds for maritime-minded folks on your list! https://store.mmbc.bc.ca/collections/gifts-and-decor #HolidayGiftGuide #ExploreBC #GiftShop

John Kung, pictured in 1937, worked as part of the galley team on numerous CPR coastal steamers--16 different ships over 50 years. He began on the Princess Kathleen in 1925, and retired as Chief Cook on the Princess of Vancouver in 1975. #MuseumAtHome MMBC VF Kung, John

You may recall the significance of December 8th from the Winter 2019 exhibit at MMBC, the Lost Fleet. Directly after the Pearl Harbor attack by Japan on the USA, December 1941 on the Fraser River--a small snapshot of the 1200 fishing vessels owned by Japanese-Canadian fishers that the Canadian government forcibly confiscated and then sold. Sold, along with houses, personal belongings and motor vehicles, in order to fund the internment in BC of 22000 people of Japanese heritag...e from 1941-1949. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King presided over the decision to use the War Measures Act to declare citizens as enemy aliens; many of those interned were born in Canada. Families were often separated in the internment camps, and the resulting community fractures have been felt long after internment ended. An official apology and compensation package--and reinstatement of citizenship to those deported--was not offered by the federal government until 1988. For more information: http://najc.ca/japanese-canadian-history/ The Lost Fleet: https://mmbc.bc.ca/events/thelostfleet/2019-03-14/ MMBC Archives P3586.01 #MuseumAtHome #Archives See more

The final Tea & Talk of the season is your opportunity to dive right into the MMBC Textiles Collection! "Work and Wear" will be a virtual exhibit of clothing and uniforms in the new year; get a sneak peek on December 3rd at 2:30 PM PST.

A beautifully tailored and constructed variety of #NavalUniform sleeves from our #MuseumCollections. #BehindTheScenes #MuseumAtHome #MaritimeHistory #MilitaryHistory #FashionHistory

For the duration of the holiday season, we are open Fridays AND Saturdays! Hours are 10 AM - 2 PM. Appointments are required. Book here for your weekend adventure: https://store.mmbc.bc.ca//products/museum-visit-appointment #ExploreBC #ExploreYYJ #YYJ #VisitTheMuseum

Thanks so much for your visit and review, Michael! You got some great shots of our exhibits and building!

The new #JamesBond film was supposed to be released this coming week...but it has been delayed again! To tide you over, did you catch our latest #MaritimeMinutes, of a very Bond-like cane gun? #MuseumAtHome #BehindTheScenes #MuseumCollections https://youtu.be/8TZRizdSiE0

We are so thrilled to announce that we will be reopening the Maritime Museum, Fridays from 10AM to 2PM. To keep our staff and guests safe, we'll be doing visits by appointment. Reserve your spot now: https://mmbc.bc.ca/visit/

A beautifully framed shot of the Princess Louise from 1899. #BeautifulBC #ExploreBC P3071

#DidYouKnow that your fingernails and hair are made of the same protein as baleen: Keratin? Baleen whales have the mouths full of long strips of baleen--they filter a big mouthful of water out, so that only krill are left in the whale's mouth. Nitahieb, Wikimedia Commons

An incredible mid-century shot of the aftermath of a fire at Victoria Machinery Depot, Plant #2. A shipbuilder with a long history in BC--part of it was founded in 1863--it was involved in war work during both world wars. #MaritimeHistory #ExploreYYJ MMBC Archives 993.128.0340

An evocative shot circa the mid-20th century: a submarine being refitted. The back of the photo is labelled that the camera is looking down the "conning tower" of a submarine. #NavalHistory #MaritimeHistory #MuseumAtHome MMBC Archives P1780. 10

This week at MMBC: it is a busy Thursday! Our Collections tour will go LIVE on our Facebook page at 2 PM. Our final #NauticalNight of the Fall, Bert terHart's highly anticipated "Seaburban Around Alone" will be at 7 PM. Tickets here: http://ow.ly/zRrU50CrioI

Though the weather has stopped our outdoor adventures this week, we are hoping to show you how the museum staff uses our archives to create the social media posts you all love!

#DidYouKnow that "The Blob"--an unusually warm patch of water in the Pacific Ocean--existed from roughly 2013-2016? In 2015, water in some areas was 3 degrees celsius higher than average. #OceanFacts #ClimateScience NASA Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center

A bosun's whistle, or boatswain's call, is a tiny pipe. It has historically been used to communicate to the crew of a ship--it's easier to hear than someone yelling! It is used for ceremonies, commands, and announcements in the Navy. #MuseumAtHome ThoKay/Wikimedia Commons

An exciting #MaritimeMinutes goes live on Tuesday. A hint--this week's object might be something you would expect in a certain spy's story, or a Victorian detective novel...tune in to find out! #ExploreBC #MuseumAtHome #BehindTheScenes #MuseumCollection

It's so nice to see all our favourite displays at Nootka Court when we are open on Fridays and Saturdays--like this model of the Sudbury II, a deep sea salvage tug. MMBC volunteer Adrian Bull served aboard from 1964-1970. #MuseumAtHome #ExploreBC #MaritimeHistory 981.29.1

Don't miss this adventure of a Nautical Night! Brent terHart, the only person to have circumnavigated the globe solo, non-stop, using only traditional navigational tools (like celestial navigation!) will be speaking on Zoom at 7 PM PST, November 26. Tickets are only $5 + GST. Follow the link on our Facebook event page, or click here to our online store: https://store.mmbc.bc.ca//virtual-nautical-nights-speaker-

This week at MMBC: a brand new Virtual Tour is LIVE on Facebook on Tuesday. Don't forget to join us on Thursday for our next Tea & Talk. Dave North speaks on Captain Vancouver: His Life and Times and Relationship with First Nations of BC. Tickets here: https://store.mmbc.bc.ca//produc/virtual-program-tea-talks #EventsYYJ #

There are a lot of spooky maritime stories out there! We love #Halloween's connection to history and storytelling--and costumes! Some socially-distanced ideas: writing stories; Halloween crafts; or, a great pumpkin bake-off! Have a safe and thrilling evening! #MuseumsEh

A final evocative Arne Baker #RoyalCanadianNavy pen & ink drawing from our #Archives to round out November. That looks like a monkey's fist knot at the end of a line, being caught by the waiting sailor. #ArtFromTheArchives MMBC P987.6.11

Another fantastic Arne Baker pen & ink drawings of #RoyalCanadianNavy life. A line of ships--WWII-era Corvettes, perhaps?--with signal flags displayed. #NavalHistory #MaritimeHistory #MaritimeArt MMBC Archives P987.6.9

On the last day of #WomensHistoryMonth, we leave you with local author, and member of the #ThermoplyaeClub, Ursula Jupp's 1971 "Home Port Victoria" book release, and her potent Thermopylae Mainbrace cocktail: 1 oz Demara rum 0.5 oz light rum 0.5 oz Galiana ... splash triple sec 1 oz lime juice 1 oz orange juice Directions: Serve when the sun is over the yard arm, in a tall Collins glass over crushed ice. Drink and see if you can walk the plank. #1970sRecipe MMBC VF Jupp, Ursula

This year, Bert terHart circumnavigated the globe using only traditional navigation methods! Hear about his thrilling adventure next week on Thursday, November 26 at 7:00 PM PST. "Seaburban Around Alone: The Lure of the Distant and the Difficult" is a must-see virtual program at MMBC. Get your tickets for $5 + GST here: https://store.mmbc.bc.ca//virtual-nautical-nights-speaker-... #YYJ #ExploreBC #Sailing #YYJEvents

Enjoy this festival of lights! Wishing a very happy and prosperous Diwali to everyone who celebrates.

Our next Tea & Talk is next week on Thursday! Get your tickets for the 2:30 PM talk by Dave North on Captain Vancouver: His Life and Times and Relationship with First Nations of BC. Tickets here: https://store.mmbc.bc.ca//produc/virtual-program-tea-talks #EventsYYJ #YYJ #ExploreBC #MuseumAtHome #MaritimeHistory

You may have heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. #DidYouKnow that there are actually 5 garbage "patches" in the world's oceans? Incredible volumes of #PlasticWaste are caught in ocean gyres by the movement of currents. This has dire consequences for #OceanLife. Pixabay

Signalwoman Madge Foster of Vancouver, pictured with Yeoman Walter Clements, was one of four west-coast "Wrens" to debut bell-bottom trousers. The Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service entitled signallers and motor drivers to wear trousers by 1944. #WomensHistoryMonth #NavalHistory #FashionHistory #MilitaryUniform #WRCNS MMBC Archives P88.100.6.1-39

Tune in at 2 PM today on Facebook LIVE for a brand new #CollectionTour with School and Programs Manager Laura Robin and Assistant Archivist Jeffrey Olafson! #YYJ #ExploreBC #YYJEvents #MuseSocial #BehindTheScenes #MuseumCollection

A beautiful spectacle of nature--but stay 100 metres back! #DidYouKnow, according to Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations, that 100 metres is the minimum distance that should be maintained between a vessel and most whales, dolphins and porpoises? #ExploreBC #OceanFacts Pixabay

Princess Margaret's historic review of the Canadian fleet in 1958, aboard HMCS Crescent, is highlighted in the "Women" section of the Victoria Daily Times. #WomensHistoryMonth #20thCenturyHistory MMBC Archives VF Princess Margaret