The British Columbia Historical Federation encourages interest in the history of British Columbia through research, presentation, and support.
The Federation provides a collective voice for its member societies.
The British Columbia Historical Association was established on October 12, 1922, and on March 2, 1927, the Association was registered under the Societies Act. It was renamed the British Columbia Historical Federation on July 29, 1983 — a name that better reflects its role as an umbrella organization for provincial historical societies. The Federation is a nonprofit organization registered as a charitable society under the Income Tax Act.
The British Columbia Historical Federation publishes a monthly newsletter[1] and articles on its website. Its quarterly magazine, British Columbia History, is dedicated solely to the history of the province of British Columbia.
In 1923 the British Columbia Historical Association published its First Annual Report and Proceedings, edited by Walter Noble Sage. In 1937, it evolved into the British Columbia Historical Quarterly edited by W.K. Lamb. After a 10 year hiatus, the British Columbia Historical News appeared in the spring of 1968. Early issues included news from member societies and of local historical interest as well as a feature article. As the journal matured it published fewer news items and more feature articles, so to reflect this change the title was revised to British Columbia History in 2005. All of these publications from 1923 to 2015 have now been digitized and made available to researchers online[2] through a partnership with UBC Library. British Columbia History is a member of the Magazine Association of British Columbia.
Magazine editors | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Publication | Editor |
1923-1926 | First Annual Report and Proceedings | W.N. Sage |
1927-1929 | Reports and Proceedings | Donald A. Fraser |
1937-1946 | British Columbia Historical Quarterly | W.K. Lamb |
1947–1958 | British Columbia Historical Quarterly | Willard E. Ireland |
1968-1977 | BC Historical News | Philip Yandle |
1977-1980 | BC Historical News | Kent Haworth, Patricia Roy & Terry Eastwood |
1983–1986 | BC Historical News | Marie Elliott |
1986 | BC Historical News - Vancouver Centennial Issue[3] | Esther Birney |
1986–1988 | BC Historical News | R.J.C. Tyrrell |
1988–1999 | BC Historical News | Naomi Miller |
1999–2003 | BC Historical News | Fred Braches |
2003–2009 | British Columbia History | John Atkin |
2010 | British Columbia History - Transportation Issue | Barrie Sanford, guest editor |
2011 | British Columbia History - Education Issue | Dr. Penney Clark, guest editor |
2010-2020 | British Columbia History | Andrea Lister |
2021- | British Columbia History | K. Jane Watt (Managing Editor) |
K. Jane Watt is the current Managing Editor of British Columbia History magazine. Guest editors are now brought on for each issue.
In order to provide timely information to member societies, the British Columbia Historical Federation newsletter has been issued since June 2003. 42 issues of the newsletter were edited and produced by Ron Hyde from 2003 to 2013. The newsletter is now delivered electronically. The BCHF Buzz provides monthly information and is a forum for member societies to publicize events and activities. The BCHF Buzz is emailed to all BCHF members. Greg Nesteroff is the editor.
Presidents | |
Year | President |
1922–1925 | Judge F.W. Howay |
1926–1927 | John Hosie |
1928–1929 | V.L. Denton |
1930–1935 | Unknown |
1936–1937 | William Kaye Lamb |
1938 | Dr. Walter Noble Sage |
1939 | J.S. Plaskett |
1940 | T.A. Rickard |
1941 | Kenneth A. Waites |
1942 | J.C. Goodfellow |
1943–1944 | B.A. McKelvie |
1945 | Helen R. Boutilier |
1946 | Madge Wolfenden |
1947 | George B. White |
1948 | W.E. Ireland |
1949 | Dr. Margaret Ormsby |
1950 | Burt R. Campbell |
1951 | Maj. H.C. Holmes |
1952 | D.A. McGregor |
1953 | H.C. Gilliland |
1954 | Capt. C.W. Cates |
1955 | Elsie Turnbull |
1956 | Russell Potter |
1957 | W.N. Sage[4] |
1958-60 | Lois Haggen |
1961 | F.H. Johnson |
1962 | John E. Gibbard |
1963 | Maj. H.C. Holmes |
1964-66 | Donald New |
1967-69 | Mabel Jordon |
1970-71 | H.R. Brammall |
1972-73 | Col. G.S. Andrews |
1974-75 | Frank Street |
1976-77 | A.G. Slocomb |
1978 | Helen B. Akrigg |
1979-80 | Ruth Barnett |
1981-83 | Barbara Stannard |
1984-85 | Leonard G. McCann |
1986-87 | Naomi Miller |
1988-90 | John D. Spittle |
1991-93 | Myrtle Haslam |
1994-96 | Alice Glanville |
1997-99 | R.J. (Ron) Welwood |
2000-02 | Wayne Desrochers |
2003-05 | Jacqueline Gresko[5] |
2006-07 | Patricia Roy[6] |
2008-10 | Ron Greene |
2011-12 | Barbara Hynek |
2013 | Barry Gough |
2014 | Gary Mitchell |
2015-18 | K. Jane Watt[7] |
2019-22 | Shannon Bettles |
2022- | Rosa Flinton-Brown |
The British Columbia Historical Federation holds an annual conference typically along with its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The conference includes presentations about British Columbia history, field trips to historical places, sites, museums, archives, and monuments, social events, and an annual awards dinner.
Year | Dates | Location | Theme |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | May 4 | Chilliwack / Ts'elxwéyeqw | Bringing History Home |
2023 | July 20-23 | Princeton | |
2022 | June 2-5 | Victoria (virtual only) | Memory |
2021 | June 3-5 | Surrey (virtual only) | Connections |
2020 | Cancelled due to COVID 19 | ||
2019 | June 6-9 | Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland | Who's taking care of our history? |
2018 | May 24-27 | Nakusp | History. Springs. Eternal |
2017 | May 25-28 | Chilliwack | Land, Water, People |
2016 | May 26-29 | Revelstoke | |
2015 | May 21-23 | Quesnel | Journey to the Cariboo |
2014 | Cloverdale | ||
2013 | May 9-12 | Kamloops | |
2012 | May 3-10 | Campbell River | |
2011 | May 5 | Powell River | |
2010 | May 6 | Vancouver | |
2009 | Nelson | ||
2008 | New Westminster | ||
2007 | Victoria | ||
2006 | Kimberley | ||
2005 | Kelowna | ||
2004 | Nanaimo | ||
2003 | Prince George | ||
2002 | Revelstoke | ||
2001 | Richmond | ||
2000 | Port Alberni | ||
1999 | Merrit | ||
1998 | Surrey | ||
1997 | Nelson | ||
1996 | Williams Lake | ||
1995 | Chilliwack | ||
1994 | Parksville / Quallicum | ||
1993 | Kamloops | ||
1992 | Burnaby | ||
1991 | Duncan | ||
1990 | Grand Forks | ||
1989 | Victoria | ||
1988 | Banff, Alberta (joint BC-Alberta conference) | ||
1987 | Mission | ||
1986 | Vancouver (University of British Columbia) | ||
1985 | Galiano Island | ||
1984 | Vernon | ||
1983 | New Westminster | ||
1982 | Duncan (Cowichan Bay) | ||
1981 | Cranbrook | ||
1980 | Princeton | ||
1979 | Nanaimo | ||
1978 | Burnaby (Simon Fraser University) | ||
1977 | Burnaby | ||
1976 | Victoria | ||
1975 | Campbell River | ||
1974 | Cranbrook | ||
1973 | Vancouver (UBC) | ||
1972 | Port Alberni | ||
1971 | Victoria | ||
1970 | Nanaimo | ||
1969 | Penticton | ||
1968 | Victoria |