White Bears and Other Curiosities: The First 100 Years of the Royal British Columbia Museum

Historian Peter Corley-Smith chronicles the provincial museum’s accomplishments since 1886, when 30 prominent citizens petitioned the government to establish a provincial museum. From its modest roots, the museum has grown to become one of the most renowned in North America. But this is a story about the people with the vision to preserve examples of this province’s history for generations to come. It’s also the story of the people with the imagination and creativity to tell BC’s story in a fashion that remains imprinted on the minds and in the hearts of so many visitors. The title comes from the story of the white Kermode Bear, a discovery brought to public attention in the 1920s by the provincial museum’s longest serving director, Francis Kermode. Was this a new species or just a white variation of the Black Bear?