News from the History Department at
University of the Fraser Valley
March 2017

More recently my colleague Scott Shef- can inform how we approach our
field and I took a group of seven senior courses. Of course, they too benhistory students to the Qualicum Histo- efit from seeing the person bery Conference. This graduate level
hind the lecture. History, both
conference has always been welcoming the phenomenon of the past and
of undergraduates considering further its disciplinary present, is about
studies in the discipline. For our stuthe human experience and in
dents it was both inspiring and eyethese last months that quality has
opening. Making the decision to pur- revealed itself in the activities of
sue graduate studies is difficult and
the department.
hearing of the experiences of those doing it can complicate matters; their passion is self-evident, but the job prospects seem bleak. Nevertheless, seeing
that life is rarely a straight path and
hearing how our students balance their
ideals with practical reality is both sobering and inspiring. Having the time
to chat informally with students (and,
for that matter, colleagues from other
institutions) gives one perspective on
their often complex lives. It was a delight and a privilege to go to this conIn the last few weeks I have had the
ference with such dedicated students
pleasure of interacting with colleagues
and students in a productive and inspiring and faculty.
manner. For some time I have been
Of course, these interactions happen
working with UFV administrators and
staff to organize a regional debating tour- regularly. Molly Ungar supports a
number of practicum students and Robnament for high school students. This
in Anderson and Scot Sheffield are
was the first time UFV would host such
working with students in an unconvenan event and we relied on an external
tional course, HIST 440, Local History
organizer to make sure that many of the
on the Web. These collaborative and
details concerning the actual debating
practical approaches to history and inwere correctly arranged. Inviting the
struction are not only enriching but afcommunity onto the campus is essential
and the event was a tremendous success. ford an interaction with students that
has a very different quality than that
A large group of students and parents
created in a regular classroom.
arrived for the day of debating and we
Qualicum History Conference:
received positive comments about the
Kelly Miles, Colin Nichol, Evan
campus and its location. What was really While we strive to offer a range of
Funk, Melissa Wing, Rachel
gratifying was how well our student vol- teaching styles and educational opporVandenberg, Rachelle
tunities for our students, connecting
unteers responded to the call and they
Steegstra, Kelsey Ablitt, Chris
with them in a manner that sees their
similarly got praise for their work and
Leach, Scott Sheffield
three dimensionality is wonderful and
commitment.
Being a university teacher – professor, if you
prefer – is a
privilege.
Sometimes
one can forget the pleasures of this
job when the
papers pile
up awaiting
grades, meetings proliferate, and that
draft of an article, book, or review is not
getting the attention it needs. But the
richly human experience of teaching and
learning that happens at a university mercifully makes itself apparent quite regularly and when it does it is extremely
gratifying.

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On March 3, Dr. Barbara Messamore delivered the keynote address for the
Canada 150 Conference at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. The talk
was on “Confederation Myths”, and was hosted by the university's Institute
of English and American Studies.
http://ieas.unideb.hu/index.php?
p=menu&main=34&l=en
Messamore with Dr Peter Szaffko, the
director of the popular Debrecen
Summer School, which teaches
Hungarian to a wide range of students
and professionals, such as diplomats,
in an intensive program.
The
Debrecen University
Library, housed in the
Reformed
College.

On November 12th Professor Robin
Anderson pr esented a talk at the Sur rey Museum and Archives as part of
their Remembrance Day program. He
spoke on "Vancouver, Fitzmaurice, and
the First World War." There was a good
turnout and interesting discussion after
the talk. He was also invited to sit on the
organizing committee for the 2017 British Columbia Historical Federation Conference that will be taking place in Chilliwack this May.
On January 26th he participated as Moderator for the UFV Politalk Roundtable:”
Trump as President: What Now?” The
discussion included commentators from
a variety of disciplines, and included
History faculty members Dr. Scott Sheffield and Dr. Steven Schroeder. There
was a large and enthusiastic turnout to
what proved to be an interesting and unpredictable conversation on the meaning
and impact of Donald Trump.
Anderson’s History 401 student Melissa
Wing, has been pursuing an Applied
History Practicum at the Chilliwack Progress newspaper to help celebrate the

days of World War One and her second
looked at local reactions to the imposition of prohibition in British Columbia
in 1916 and 1918.
During this Winter semester, Sheffield
and Anderson have been overseeing
students in History 440: “Local History
for the Web”, for which students create
web pages of local history projects. In
this version of the course, students are
doing research projects on the history
of sport and recreation in the Fraser
Valley.

newspaper's 125 anniversary. Melissa has been busy
researching and writing articles on local Chilliwack
history, drawn from the
newspaper's archives and
published under the title
"History in Progress". The
articles so far have been
very well received; her first
article focused on Chilliwack's response to the early
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Students are attached to specific local
archives and their collections, and this
year's cohort are doing research at the
Surrey Archives, the Langley Centennial Museum, The Reach Archives in
Abbotsford, the Mission Community
Archives, and the Chilliwack Archives.
By the end of the semester, students
will have translated their research findings, words and visuals, into HTML
web pages and presented these for public consumption on the History 440
website, “Fraser Valley History”.

I just completed my 5th and final year
of my Bachelors of Arts degree in History. (graduated Winter of 2016). I currently work as the Digitization Assistant at The Reach Gallery Museum in
Abbotsford, having started there as Archives Collection Assistant. I work on
our online digital photo archive.
Using a Microfilm reader
(ScanPro1100) I go through archived
news from the A SM News
(Abbotsford, Sumas, & Matsqui), adding context to The Reach’s collection
of photos. I use the microfilm reader to
read the newspaper from 1925 – 2006.
Under the supervision of Archives &
Collection Manager Kris Foulds, I have
learned about archival practices and
procedures as well as collection and
digitization standards. These include
how to accession and de-accession collection items, how to read Collections
and assessment rolls, how to read past
civil engineer plans, how to clip and
organize files digitally and electronically, and how to answer questions related
to Abbotsford, Matsqui and Sumas.
Before I entered this position I did not
know that Abbotsford, as we know today, is actually an amalgamation of
Abbotsford, Matsqui Prairie, and
Sumas Prairie.
At The Reach, I’ve work in a number
of different areas. I help with personal
research projects for members of the
community and patrons of The Reach,
and as a summer intern in 2015 I was
directly involved in the research process for the development of “Voices of
the Valley”, a major museum exhibition which won the prestigious 2016
Governor General’s History Award for
Excellence in Community Programming.
I remember sitting in Molly Ungar’s
History 102 class in my second semester at UFV. I was a new student to
UFV, having transferred from UVIC
after 4 semesters there. During an aside
to a class lecture Molly discussed how
we as (History) students should look at
history outside the classroom, and try
to find student positions to engage us in
our field. I remember her using the cen-

otaph as an example. None
of us students at the time
could explain the relevance
of it, which dawned on me
immensely. On that day I
promised myself that my
summer job would not be at
my Dad’s work nor with a
landscaping company. Instead, I decided that I would
work or volunteer that summer at an institution pertaining to my academic interests
— Culture, Heritage and
History.
On my own intuitive, I checked various platforms for internship/summer
job positions for students. I found myself on Young Canada Works and
saw that an Archives Collection Assistant position was open at The
Reach Gallery, so I immediately sent my resume in. I did not care if I
worked in a basement or in the backroom of a library. As long as I was I
was working in the field of my study I knew I would be happy — and
this has proven true tenfold. My time at The Reach has been wonderful,
to say the least.
The courses I have taken at UFV have helped me immensely to understand the material and people I interact with. Having knowledge in a variety of national histories has helped me to understand the motive of patrons who come in wanting to know details about a certain event or
events. Moreover, when I read about an event from one of our archived
collection pieces, I am able to put that into a larger narrative that has
been discussed in one of my many courses. As well, my courses have
positively influenced my writing ability, and I can’t stress how important
this skill has been for my job.
My courses have also helped me to see the importance of understanding
“contingency” and “contingent factors”— the ripple effect. Before, I
used to think of Abbotsford as just my home town, nothing more. Now,
having completed my History Major and having been employed at The
Reach for a year and a half I have come to learn that Abbotsford is rich
in history. You just have to look beyond what you see, and ask the right
questions — who, what when, where, why, and how.

Additionally, my time at
The Reach has seen me involved with committees that
I would not have known
existed in our community -Arts, Civil Rights, Religious, and Political…And
because of my well-rounded
knowledge of historical
events pertaining to these
subjects I have rarely felt
out of place in terms of my
understanding! Thanks
PROFS!
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Brian at work in the Archives of
the B.C. Dairy Historical
Association

My Directed Studies course has given me the opportunity to do archival
work for the BC Dairy Historical
Society (BCDHS). The non-profit
organization is operated by members
of BC’s dairy industry who are dedicated to promoting its history. Since
1999, the BCDHS has put together a
significant collection of primary materials, culminating in a 590-page
inventory plus uncatalogued new
items. The society faces two main
challenges: lack of expertise, and
lack of steady labor. I’ve been asked
to bring my perspective as a history
student with some archival experience to this project.

was scattered across the collection in various boxes. The same
was true for most of the material.
Second, the society's previous
inventory was not accurate.
Therefore, I could not organize
the collection before taking an
entire inventory.

I was tasked with first taking complete inventory of the collection, and
second, presenting the society with
several options for the proper storage
of the collection; third, implementing
their preferred method of storage.

Once the collection is properly
stored, the society will have decisions to make regarding the
future of its material. Should
they continue to handle the collection, or find a professional
museum or archive to house it? I
will advise the society to attempt
the latter, but will ultimately assist the organization along
whichever course it takes.

I've encountered two main challenges in my work thus far. First, there
was minimal organization to the collection. For example, the society has
approximately 70 volumes of the
publication, Butter Fat. This series

As part of my Practicum course this semester, I have
had the opportunity to work at the MSA Museum and
at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives. At the MSA
Museum I spent most of my time hands-on with the
artefacts, learning processing and preservation techniques. Christina Reid, the Collections Manager and
Heritage Officer provided excellent feedback and
guidance. My favourite experience was exploring the
collection and finding interesting artefacts (like a real
leopard-fur coat and WWII rifle).

Going forward, I plan to continue researching archival storage
practices. I will present my work
to the society so that the board
can make an informed decision
which balances the longevity of
the collection with their financial
realities.

to the history of the Soroptimist organization in the Fraser Valley.

I learned how to use PastPerfect software, how to do
condition reports on objects, how to accession and
deaccession, how to properly store artefacts, and how
to write detailed descriptions.
I then began the second part of my Practicum at the
Chilliwack Archives, where I’m working with Tristan
Evans, the Archivist. So far, I’ve learned the basics of
Archives Collections Management, and have created a
processing plan for a collection of documents related
4

I graduated with a BA Major in
History from UFV in 2013. When I
was attending classes at UFV I did
not know what I would do, so I
continued along the academic path.
After leaving UFV I went to SFU to
do an MA in Communication,
Culture, & Media. I graduated in
2016 after conducting research and
completing a thesis entitled “To
Fight the Battles We Never Could:
The Militarization of Marvel’s
Cinematic Superheroes”.
While my MA was not directly
related to History, I was able to draw
on my history background to
analyze how Marvel comics film
adaptations have been used as part
of post 9/11 American military
culture – a sort of history of the
present.
Today, I once again find my history
foundation highly beneficial as I
pursue a PhD in Integrated Studies
in Education at McGill. I am able to
combine my appreciation for history
and culture with my interest in
media to research how people learn
empathy for difference and what are
the social barriers that exist when
educating towards empathy.
When I reflect back on my time at
UFV, what I learned has been
invaluable – and on a number of
levels. Historical thinking helps me
to look at the big picture of how and
why social trends occur. It helps me
to contextualize various events,
situations, and issues that inform our
daily lives. It has been a huge
benefit in graduate level work.

Brett in front of the Montreal skyline
And, when my grandparents wondered how would I get a job with a
History degree, they are now impressed that I have been able to work as a
teaching assistant and remain out of debt as a grad student.
As a teaching assistant at both SFU and McGill I have adopted many
techniques I learned
from observing the
UFV History faculty.
For example, I work
to grade assignments
and provide feedback
like Geoffrey Spurling and I run class
discussions like
Molly Ungar.
As I start to think
about life after my
PhD. I realize that
my foundation in
History has
expanded my
opportunities into a
variety of areas.

The classroom environment of
UFV’s history program was a
wonderful experience that, now
having seen larger universities
operate with their cavernous lecture
halls and grad student run tutorials (I
enjoyed facilitating them, but I don’t
think it compares to actually
discussing with the course
instructor), I appreciate it even
more.

UFV history student Brandon
Langhjelm completed his law degree
at UBC, and recently articled with
the Department of Justice. He was
called to the bar on February 17.
Brandon has a special interest in
constitutional history.
5

I had the opportunity to work
as a summer student for the
MSA Museum Society this
past summer of 2015, as an
historical animator.
Over the course of the
summer, I worked on
developing some of the
Museum’s programs, and I
gave public tours of
Trethewey House, the MSA’s
house museum. I gave
historical walking tours of
Mill Lake and translated this
tour into French.

who do a unit on local history. The MSA
has set up Joey’s Playhouse as a 1920s
one-room school house I played the part
of a 1920s teacher, and described to the
students what school was like nearly 100
years ago. I had some activities and

At the end of the summer, I
helped to plan the Museum’s
Summer Social event. This
was a family-friendly event
that ran all day and included a
pancake breakfast, hot dog
lunch, and pasta dinner and
FREE ice cream! There were
also 1920s-themed crafts,
games, and activities to do
throughout the day.
During this event, I gave
tours of Trethewey House
and ran some of the
children’s craft and game
areas.

I was also in charge of the
“Stories on the Porch”
program, which invited the
public out to the front porch
of Trethewey House to learn
about the local history of
Abbotsford and surrounding
communities.
I organized guest speakers to
come out once a week and
present talks for this
program. Guest included
some Abbotsford pioneers,
like Ernie Poignant and Cyril
Holbrow. Kris Foulds from
The Reach Gallery and
Museum came out to present
stories on the life of
Abbotsford pioneer Margaret
Weir, and the Fraser Valley
Regional Library also came
out on two days.

lessons planned for the students to use the slate chalkboards.

I also gave a speech at the
annual Pioneer Tea,
“DiversiTEA”, which was
held as part of the Summer
Social.

Élise speaking at the MSA’s “DiversiTEA”,
and below (right) with an MSA colleague

On the mornings when there
was no guest presenter, I was
in charge of coming up with
a story to share. This allowed
me to do some research of
my own into the local history
of Abbotsford.

As part of my work
experience, I was trained in
using museum software, and
helped to organize the museum’s collection
database. I also got to
archive a series of letters and
poems written by
William Jerdan. Many of his
letters were addressed to
L.E.L., and there some of her
poems included in the collection. The writing was all dated to the early 19th century
(about 1820 to 1850).
I also had the opportunity to
participate in painting a tile
for the Canada 150 mosaic
mural! (I painted a tile of
Trethewey House).

For May and June, I was in
charge of a major program on
“The 1920s School House
Experience”.

Overall, this was a
wonderful experience that
allowed me to learn all about
the local history of
Abbotsford! I hope to
continue working for the
MSA Museum next summer!

The MSA is a popular
location for field trips,
especially for grade 3 classes
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I currently work at the MSA Museum Society as
the Education Coordinator. In this capacity, I wear
a variety of hats (sometimes literally) – I am part
teacher, part researcher, part historian, part security
detail and more - and no day is ever the same.
In a single day, I can design and execute a variety
of different types of on-site programming,
including daycamps and school tours. I actively
research, compile and re-work materials for
educational kits to align them with B.C.’s new
curriculum, I do graphic design work, website
design and content development and help plan the
museum’s events. While most days consist of a
few of these duties, some consist of these and
more!
While at times it can be a dizzying whirlwind of
activity, working at a museum is an immensely and
deeply gratifying experience. Explaining and
sharing local history and the history of Trethewey
House to visitors and tour groups is one of the
most deeply satisfying experiences I have had.
Every day, I have the chance to be a catalyst and to
spark people to an “AHA!” moment when visitors,
both temporary visitors to the community or
longtime residents of Abbotsford, learn something
about the City’s past that they were unaware of. Be
it learning that the upright posts in Mill Lake are
train trestles that were used by the Abbotsford
Lumber Company or that the reason behind the
lake being called Mill Lake is because it was the
site of a working lumber mill before being
designated park land, watching the light go on in
people’s eyes when they understand and are
excited about something I shared with them is the
reason why I do what I do.
I also have the chance to do this while helping
people discover local history in my work as a
Museum Attendant at the Chilliwack Museum and
Archives. Here, I regularly greet and interact with
visitors as they go through the museum and answer
questions about artifacts on display or about the
changes that have occurred throughout the city
over the decades.
These exchanges are far from one way dialogues –
when talking with visitors, I have an equal
opportunity to hear new stories (from the young
and the young at heart!) about the city, and gain a
new perspective on events and local history
through their experiences. These lessons and new
ways of looking at the world can be useful later on

in other parts of my work, where I help design hands-on
activities and crafts for kids to complete during their
museum visit, amongst other things.
I graduated from UFV with a double major in History and
French in 2015, but my educational journey has not
stopped there. I am partway through completing a
Professional Specialization Certificate in Collections
Management at the University of Victoria, where I am
learning how to care for museum artifact collections and
how to display them for the public.

"As historians and storytellers, you play an essential role
in our society. You help us understand who we are as a
people, where we’ve come from, where we’ve made mistakes and where we’ve succeeded" -- Governor General
David Johnston, on the occasion of the presentation at
Rideau Hall of The Governor General’s History Awards
for Excellence in Community Programming for “Voices
of the Valley”, an exhibit to which a number of UFV
History students contributed, while working for both The
Reach Gallery Museum and the MSA Museum.
7

For the Fall semester’s research project,
an entire Hist 102 class worked on “The
Progress Project”, each student
researching one topic from the
Chilliwack Progress over a span of 125
years, to mark the 125th anniversary of
the newspaper.
Using the newspaper’s digital archives,
students chose 20 articles about their
topic, to show what has changed over
time in Chilliwack’s community.
Their research was made into “The
Progress Project Album”, a digital
collection that will be uploaded to the
newspaper’s website. In the photos
above, Editor Greg Knill attended and
spoke at the Group Presentation, after
which each student discussed their topic,
and then got together for a group photo.
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