A group of citizens have created the Sun Peaks Historical Society, saying this is to acknowledge the unique and fascinating history and culture of Sun Peaks and its surrounding areas.
The Sun Peaks Historical Society (SPHS) was initiated by Nancy Raine in recognition that as the anniversary of ski operations at Tod Mountain/Sun Peaks reaches its 60th year, much of the knowledge, stories and recorded history held by its ski and community pioneers will be lost without a concerted effort to collect and conserve it.
The ultimate purpose of this non-profit society will be to amass, preserve and present stories, records and artifacts that highlight the history of the Sun Peaks area - from its use by Indigenous peoples as a summer hunting and gathering place, to its forestry and ranching-led settlement, to its current identity as an international destination for winter and outdoor sports ,and a tight-knit mountain community.
The SPHS plan to achieve its aims via the development of an Archives Program. Still in its inception phase, there i s much work to be done. It is envisioned that the program will allow for both virtual and physical access to its collections - though it is currently unknown if t he program will eventually feature a “storefront” public facility.
The program will also include an educational and community outreach and engagement component and feature a particularly strong oral history element in keeping with the rich stories of the area and the foreseen enthusiasm of community members in contributing to i t.
The founding working group members (which later became the SPHS) includes Nancy Raine, local history enthusiasts Candise White and Kristin Passmore, and archivist Peggy Leduc. Mario Pozza and Ines Popig are serving as Municipal Council Liaisons.
Plans are currently underway to increase the society’s membership via calls out on local social media and direct recruitment of potential members who may have special skill sets or community knowledge of the area that would benefit the effort.
Those who are interested in membership or who may have stories, records or artifacts of interest to the history of Sun Peaks are encouraged to contact the club at: historicalsocietysp@gmail.com or to visit the society’s website at: www.sunpeakshistoricalsociety.ca.
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