FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 24, 2009
KASLO, B.C. – Get out your ‘straw boater’, put on your Sunday best, and get ready for a steamer excursion! On March 14 and 15, 2009, join the Kootenay Lake Historical Society and TLC The Land Conservancy of BC at a fashion display and workshop on dress and textiles of the early 1900′s.
The SS Moyie was one of hundreds of steamers working on nearly every river in the west in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Imagine going on a trip to Nelson aboard the SS Moyie, and perhaps from there by overnight train to Vancouver. What would you be wearing? Or maybe you have Grandma’s afternoon tea dress in a box in the attic, and have always wondered how to restore it?
Using live models, heritage costumes expert Ivan Sayers will demonstrate how people dressed in the early 1900′s and explain all that went into a period costume and how it was worn. Sayers will also answer questions about how to care for, store, and restore heritage textiles.
"We’d love to have people bring in family photos and outfits," says Bob Turner, Project Historian for the SS Moyie National Historic Site. "Sayers can provide expert advice on how to recreate those costumes based on photos or heirloom pieces."
The SS Moyie was built in 1898 for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and steamed on Kootenay Lake until 1957. Over her nearly 60 years of service the SS Moyie filled many roles with the CPR’s B.C. Lake and River Service. In the 1920′s, the SS Moyie was used on excursions with as many as 200 passengers travelling for the day between Nelson and Proctor or Nelson and Kaslo.
This workshop has been funded by the BC 150 – Heritage Legacy Program fund to celebrate B.C.’s heritage.
What: Heritage Costumes and Textiles Workshop and Demonstrations
When: Saturday, March 14, 1 – 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 15, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Where: Aboard the SS Moyie National Historic Site in Kaslo
Cost: By donation. RSVP appreciated, but drop-ins welcome.
Contact: RSVP to SS Moyie at 250-383-2525 or TLC at 250-427-4711
Ivan Sayers
Ivan Sayers was brought up in the Okanagan Valley, and attended UBC where he majored in Classical Studies. He began as a volunteer at the Vancouver Museum in October 1974, and after four years working on a contract basis, was given a permanent position as Curator of History, a role he filled from 1976 to 1991. Ivan was always interested in history, particularly how people presented themselves, and started to collect costumes while still in high school. He set up his first museum in the family garage when he was 13, complete with museum labels and guided tours. His collection now is considered one of the finest in Canada and includes garments from the 1750′s to the present day. Ivan is a specialist in conserving and reproducing period clothing, and regularly gives lectures and fashion shows all over North America.
SS Moyie National Historic Site
When the Moyie was retired in 1957, after a 59-year career with the CPR, she was the last operating passenger sternwheeler in Canada. The City of Kaslo purchased the SS Moyie from CPR for $1 and the Kootenay Lake Historical Society was formed to preserve and maintain her. Since then a dedicated group of volunteers has brought the ship through 50 years of fundraising, preservation and restoration to see her celebrate her 110 th year in 2008. A National Historic Site, the SS Moyie is open for public tours from mid-May to October.
TLC The Land Conservancy of BC
Since 2006, the SS Moyie National Historic site has operated as a TLC Affiliated Site. TLC is a non-profit, charitable land trust working throughout BC to protect natural areas, historic sites, farms and ranches, and places of recreational importance. Over the past 12 years, TLC has protected over 125,000 acres of sensitive and threatened lands around the province, involving more than 300 projects. With offices in Victoria, Burnaby, Penticton, Kimberley and Prince George, TLC has grown to include over 7,000 members, and is now part of an international network of National Trusts with over 7.5 million members.
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Contact:
| Kathryn Martell Kootenay Area Manager The Land Conservancy of BC Ph: 250-427-4711 kmartell@conservancy.bc.ca |
SS Moyie National Historic Site Ph: 250-383-2525 ssmoyie@klhs.bc.ca |
