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MONOVA: MUSEUM OF NORTH VANCOUVER

Location: North Vancouver, Canada

Category: Local History Museum

Website: www.monova.ca

ABOUT MONOVA: MUSEUM OF NORTH VANCOUVER

MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver, operated by the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, is a shared partner agency of the City and District of North Vancouver. With respect, the museum acknowledges its place on the traditional and unceded lands of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, whose ancestors have lived there for countless generations. MONOVA operates both the Museum of North Vancouver at 115 West Esplanade in The Shipyards and the Archives of North Vancouver at 3203 Institute Road located in Lynn Valley. In addition to the two physical visitor centers, MONOVA supports several other online programs and offsite experiences for the public to engage with and learn about the past, present and future stories of North Vancouver.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF NORTH VANCOUVER’S MISSION

MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver is transforming the way visitors experience North Vancouver’s stories. You’ll find yourself drawn into landscapes you knew nothing about, meeting people from different eras, and contemplating what it all means for the future. To belong to a community means knowing its stories and experiences. These stories are the threads that weave us together and form the fabric of the community. At MONOVA, they are taking these stories and building a community because a museum is where a community discovers itself.

Located in the heart of North Vancouver’s Shipyards District, the Museum of North Vancouver is adjacent to Lonsdale Quay, Polygon Gallery, and the SeaBus Terminal. In addition to being the new home of the restored Streetcar 153, the newly opened Museum is a place for interactive exhibits, innovative programming and public gatherings. The new Museum joins the Archives of North Vancouver in Lynn Valley under the MONOVA banner.

North Vancouver is fortunate to have a rich and storied past, an engaging present, and a promising future. Reflecting ancient cultures, resource-based and innovative industries, creative and energetic residents, as well as diverse communities, North Vancouver provides a rich tapestry of experiences for showcasing its story. MONOVA preserves historically valuable community records and artefacts; it makes them meaningful and accessible to the public by organizing exhibitions, delivering educational programs, caring for collections, and providing access to archival information. Through its collections, MONOVA encourages residents and visitors to explore North Vancouver’s fascinating history, to share reminiscences and stories, to research its players, characters and neighbourhoods, and experience programs that advance understanding of local people, cultures, and history.
North Vancouver History
MONOVA Vancouver History

EXPLORING THE MUSEUM OF NORTH VANCOUVER IN-PERSON

MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver is now open in The Shipyards on the North Vancouver waterfront.  In addition to being the new home of restored Streetcar 153, decades-long in completion, the Museum includes a powerful new cedar carving of Sch’ich’iyuy (The Two Sisters) by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh carver Wade Baker. And that’s just the lobby.

As the finishing touches are being completed to some exhibits, MONOVA will welcome visitors to explore its spacious permanent gallery, which includes interactive displays, as well as moving tributes to the past. A section dedicated to Residential School survivors and their families is particularly poignant. A Welcome Circle showcasing local Indigenous culture of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations is a central feature of this area.

Other features of the core exhibit gallery include:
  • Touched by Nature, including an Amazing Animals display with discovery drawers designed for children to explore
  • The changing face of outdoor recreation
  • A Connections section exploring the many ways people are connected in our community
  • Sports: past and present, including Olympic athletes
  • Women in Wartime
  • History of shipbuilding on the North Shore
  • North Vancouver’s waterfront and port operations
  • Innovative industries that took shape in North Vancouver
  • Two hands-on learning zones for children
And much more…

Exhibits were designed by Juan Tanus and his team from North Vancouver-based KEI Space Design with extensive input from community members, local historians, Indigenous cultural advisors, and MONOVA staff. Exhibits were fabricated by 3DS/Three Dimensional Services.

The Museum’s Feature Exhibition Gallery will open in early 2022. We invite you to stop by! The new Museum is currently open Thursdays to Sundays from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

MUSEUM OF NORTH VANCOUVER & THE VR VOYAGE

MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver is pleased to partner with The VR Voyage to expand access to our exhibits and programming at the newly opened Museum. With the onset of COVID-19, MONOVA has embraced digital tools to allow us to reach a new and broader audience. Introduced to us through a partnership with the BC Museums Association, The VR Voyage is a new virtual reality platform that is helping museums create guided virtual tours of their institutions. Through their innovative new platform, people from anywhere in the world can explore our collection and learn about what makes North Vancouver’s history so unique.

North Vancouver’s stories live here.
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