TELLING OUR STORY: Education & Engagement
"Tell me the facts and I'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe.
But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever."
~ an old First Nations proverb
Story-telling has always formed the underlying basis of human communication. Our stories are the ways we connect ourselves to one another and to our communities. They help define who we are and where we come from.
In addition to the protection and care of the Lighthouse site and structures, SPLPS is also committed to telling the Lighthouse’s stories – and in so doing, keeping those stories alive and thriving.
There are several projects and ongoing programs we use to help tell our stories:
Educational and Engagement Programs
One of our priority goals is to engage as many people as possible in helping to protect and care for the Sheringham Point Lighthouse, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to engage people in learning more about the lighthouse.
ON-SITE LEARNING: the new VISITORS’ CENTRE provides a focus for on-site learning, with key artifacts displayed and an opportunity for visitors to engage with Society volunteers to build their understanding of the Lighthouse, how it worked and what it meant for the development of Canada’s West Coast.
TARGETED SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES: Society volunteers are available to speak with groups or attend events to speak about the Lighthouse, its history, and our work to ensure its conservation. For more information, or to arrange a speaking opportunity, please contact us.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: The Society has developed a couple of programs – “Exploring the Lighthouse” and the “Lightkeepers Program” – specifically designed to engage children in learning about the Lighthouse and, in so doing, to gain a greater understanding about their own communities, their own history and their own place in the world.
Interpretive Materials & History Books
INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS: To help build and disseminate understanding about the Lighthouse, the Society has developed on-site interpretive signage, as well as brochures and other printed materials. Also we are active on several social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube – as well as maintaining our websites.
HISTORY BOOKS: The Society has created “SHERINGHAM: A CANADIAN HERITAGE STORY”, a 60-page book detailing the history of Sheringham Point Lighthouse. Written by Society Volunteer, Rebecca Quinn, this history book tells the story of the Lighthouse from its inception in 1912 to its transfer into the Society’s hands in 2015. It is available for purchase through our online store.
We also were involved in publishing “TO THE LIGHTHOUSE: An Explorer’s Guide to the Island Lighthouses of Southwestern British Columbia”. This 220-page book, created and written by Peter Johnson and John Walls, with photography by Richard Paddle, is a guide to 25 Lighthouses, including their key features and stories. It is available for purchase through our online store.
Archives & Collections Management
Since taking on responsibility for looking after the Lighthouse, the Society has begun to collect historic artifacts, documents, photographs, and other materials relating to the history and development of the site. We continue to be offered additional materials on a regular basis. These materials are valuable, from a historical perspective, and we want to make sure that they are well cared for as well as being made available for the public (and for researchers to access). Some of these materials are on display at our Visitors Centre, and the remainder are being digitized and made available through our HISTORY AND ARCHIVES WEBSITE. This website is continually under development as additional materials are added. The website is located at https://sheringhamarchive.org/
For more details about our Archives and Collections Management program, please click here.