The working dock at the North Pacific Cannery is one step closer to completion with a $75,000 grant awarded for the project from the British Columbia Museum Association (BCMA).
The funds will support the continuation of the initiative, with the cannery’s board of directors aiming to have the dock finished by July.
The dock, situated at the mouth of the Skeena River, has been a multi-year endeavor since workers started repairing the historic site to host festivals, concerts, weddings and even a half-marathon.
The $75,000 is among the higher amounts of grant money doled out to various projects across B.C. as part of the Canada 150 plan. Other projects that are receiving funding from the grant program include a Kitimat museum initiative and four projects in Terrace (airport heritage signage project, churchyard and cemetery interpretive structure, reshoring heritage buildings at Heritage Park Museum and a history book initiative documenting Terrace family biographies). Masset also received $16,0000 for a Dixon Entrance Maritime Museum Society building improvement.
"We applied for the BCMA Canada 150 grant on Feb. 10, 2017 ... We applied for the maximum amount of $100,000 for completing the conservation of the working dock at North Pacific Cannery (with other funding partners)," said Steve Milum, conservation manager at the cannery.
Milum added that the good news may not stop there, as he's awaiting word on another grant opportunity as early as later this April.
"We also applied for funding ($1 million) through Parks Canada's Cost Sharing Program, with an emphasis on Canada's 150th anniversary and we hope to hear a positive decision later this month," stated the manager.Last year, the board applied for two other Canada 150-related grants - one for conservation and one for events planning/support - but were unsuccessful, he added. No other Canada 150 grants are expected to come from here on out.
"Workers will start in the project April 24 ... The project, budgeted at $783,000, is scheduled for completion by July 15, 2017, when the dock will be used to host North Pacific Cannery's Inter-Tidal Music Festival!" Milum said.
Check out some of the things the North Pacific Cannery is doing this year below, including the festivall.
READ the story and WATCH the video: North Pacific Cannery restoration project on the work completed in 2016.
Events scheduled for the cannery this year.
- Friday, May 12/17 - 150 Heritage Fair - this involves 100 students from the northern B.C. school districts doing Heritage projects
- Saturday, July 15/17 - The Inter-Tidal Music Festival - live bands from all over the province showcased at the cannery
- Saturday, Aug 16-19/17 - Canada 150 Film Contest - Theatre Festival - Udderfest at the Cannery
- Saturday, September 16/17 - Canada 150 Cannery Workers Reunion
- Saturday, October 14/17 - Canada 150 Writing Contest
- Sunday, October 29/17 - Terror at the Cannery - Halloween