Ottawa, July 5, 2021
Fire devastates two museums in Lytton, BC
The Canadian Museums Association (CMA) extends its deepest sympathies to the residents of Lytton, British Columbia and to the victims of the recent wildfires.
Among the casualties of the devastating fires were two museological institutions: the Lytton Chinese History Museum and the Lytton Museum and Archives. Though the contents of the Lytton Chinese History Museum collection had largely been digitized, the losses of this relatively new and award-winning museum will be felt not just in Lytton but throughout British Columbia and beyond.. The same is also true for the loss of the contents and building of the Lytton Museum and Archives which housed artefacts representing the area’s history from 125 million years ago to present-day.
Loss of important artefacts in any one of our institutions is a loss for Canadian heritage and history. We hope that these important institutions will soon be able begin to rebuild and reclaim their place as guardians of our history and interpreters of the present.
To help support the Lytton Museum and Archives and Lytton Chinese History Museum, donations can be made to the ‘Please Help the Lytton BC Museums Lost in the Fire’ gofundme campaign created by The Gold Trails and Ghost Towns Facebook Group. Funds raised will help both these important museums rebuild their collections, displays, and facilities.
In addition donations to the recovery efforts of Lytton Museum and Archives can be sent directly by mail to the following address, Lytton Museum and Archives, PO Box 640, Lytton, B.C., V0K 1Z0
While not necessarily applicable in situations involving wildfire, the Muse Magazine (Nov 2018) article When Disaster Strikes by Laura Suchan provides some insight and advice for preparing your museum to face disaster.
Disponible en français.