Maritime Heritage Centre

08/31/2026

🚌⚓ Bring your classroom to the coast

Teachers, are you starting to map out the year ahead?

The Maritime Heritage Centre welcomes school groups for hands-on learning about Campbell River's maritime history. Students can get out of the classroom and into the stories of fishing, navigation, communication, boats and the people who helped shape our community.

And there's something pretty special about learning the story of the BCP 45 while standing beside the actual boat.

We're now booking school visits for the coming school year. Get in touch with Will us to talk about a visit that works for your class. [email protected]

08/29/2026

🎬⚓ A riveting story than many old time Campbell Riverites will recognize...

Will has been behind the camera again this summer, working on a series of short documentaries that help us tell some of the stories behind our collection and our local maritime history.

Among them is a very riveting piece co-produced with Parker about the Besseggen and the craftsmanship and history behind her, along with several other projects that are still in the works. You may have seen her when the Elk Falls Mill was operational.

The good news is that summer ending doesn't mean the cameras are being packed away. Will will be continuing his work with us into the fall, researching, filming and editing more stories for us to share.

We're really excited about the growing collection of short films being created here at the MHC. There are so many stories in this building, and sometimes the best way to tell one is to press record. 🎥

Learn about The Besseggen! A specialized cargo ship that transferre...

08/28/2026

our first edit are you proud of us:))

08/27/2026

because we are the best ;)

08/26/2026

With our students ending their work terms we had our final week at the Campbell River Farmers market & Arts Faire last weekend. So much fun meeting all of the families at this fun summer event!

Thanks and good bye to the great summer crew from Maritime Heritage Centre. They staffed the Toyota Kids Activity Tent and brought tons of great activities for the children. We are so grateful for the partnership! See you next year.

08/26/2026

⚓ Remember Expo '86?

While millions of people were heading to Vancouver to see futuristic transportation, international pavilions and the newly opened SkyTrain, one little wooden fishing boat was there representing a very different piece of British Columbia.

The BCP 45 went to Expo!

Captain and owner Ollie Chickite moored the famous seiner at Expo '86 for five weeks, living aboard and welcoming visitors from around the world onto the boat.

Already famous for appearing on Canada's five-dollar bill, the BCP 45 became a floating ambassador for BC's commercial fishing heritage.

This summer we've put together a small exhibit at the Maritime Heritage Centre celebrating the BCP 45's Expo '86 adventure, and it's worth a look before summer disappears.

And because Expo '86 seems to bring out some GREAT stories...

Did you go? What do you remember most? Bonus points if you remember seeing the BCP 45!

08/25/2026

One of the things we've loved this summer has been watching Parker find new ways to tell some very old stories. Will and Parker were an unstoppable team.

He's been experimenting with Reels, humour, trends and short-form video to introduce the Maritime Heritage Centre to people who might not otherwise have thought of following a heritage organization. And yes, that has occasionally meant the rest of us trying to understand what exactly the young people are doing on Instagram these days.

We're thrilled that his creativity has helped us reach some new and younger faces online. He's also been working on oral history projects, short documentaries on the Besseggen and Caulking that you can see on our YouTube Channel, and several projects that Will will continue to work on this fall and winter.

Museums preserve the past, but how we share it doesn't have to stay there.

Thanks, Parker, for bringing your creativity, humour and fresh perspective to the MHC this summer. We can't wait to see where those skills take you next.

Thanks the the Canadian Museums Association for working with Young Canada Works to keep our oral history projects alive by funding this position.

(Will is a permanent part of the team so going forward he will bear responsibility for keeping it youthful around here.)

08/24/2026

We see this every day at the Maritime Heritage Centre.

Visitors aren’t just looking for things to do, they’re looking for ways to understand the places they visit. They want the stories, the people, and the history that make a community distinct.

In Campbell River, our connection to the sea and our working waterfront are a huge part of that story.

This Forbes article explores the growing importance of heritage tourism, noting that 73% of global travellers are actively seeking more local experiences.

That’s what heritage tourism can do: help visitors go beyond seeing a place to really getting to know it.

And we think Campbell River has a pretty great story to tell. ⚓

Heritage tourism is growing, but the real opportunity isn't just attracting more visitors. It's about recognizing the value of what makes a place distinct and finding meaningful ways to share that with others.

Heritage tourism is now a US$607 billion global market, driven in part by travellers looking for more authentic connections to the places they visit.

There is a real opportunity here for Canadian communities, particularly smaller and rural communities where local history and culture are often deeply connected to a sense of place.

Done well, heritage tourism can strengthen the local economy while giving communities another reason to invest in the places and stories that matter to them.

The opportunity is to grow heritage tourism in a way that still feels true to the place.

Read more: www(dot)forbes(dot)com

08/21/2026

☀️⚓ What a summer!

If you spotted the Maritime Heritage Centre out and about in Campbell River this summer, chances are you met our Outreach Team Madison and Evan!

They've spent their summer taking maritime heritage beyond our walls, popping up at local parks, bringing activities to the Farmers Market, setting up outside the Centre on Saturdays, and hosting our Friday Maritime Activity Days.

There have been Morse code bracelets, tinfoil boats, navigation challenges, knot tying, signaling, buttons, and a LOT of beads.

Most importantly, they've had hundreds of conversations with kids, families, visitors and locals about our maritime history and what we do here at the Centre.

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped to make something, learn something, ask a question, or just say hello. And an even bigger thank you to our summer students for bringing so much energy and creativity to the community this summer.

There is still time to see them this weekend at the Farmer's Market and for the final Maritime Activity Days August 21 & 28. And if you are luck you may run into them at a local playground in the coming week.

We hope you had as much fun as they did! ⚓🌊

Thanks City of Campbell River - Local Government for letting us set up in your parks, to the Campbell River Farmers market & Arts Faire for making us feel so welcome every weekend, and to Aaron Gunn and the Young Canada Works Program for funding this work experience program. We wish Madison and Evan all the best with school in the fall!