Maritime Museum of British Columbia

06/17/2026

Let's play a little trivia!

J.J. Robinson, Shipwright and Boatbuilder, built a significant vessel to us. Which one is it?

Answer in 3...

2...

1...

If you said SV Dorothy, you are correct! J.J. Robinson built her is 1897 and she is still sailing today.

MMBC , P1985.02

06/15/2026

We would like to say a huge welcome to Rosemary Kemp, who has recently joined our team as Curator.

Rosemary is originally from Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta. She spent much of her childhood hiking and skiing in the Rocky Mountains and working as a sailing instructor at the Glenmore Sailing School.

She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Victoria and a Diploma of Fine Art from the Victoria College of Art. Later living in Montreal for several years, she gained her Master’s in Art History from Concordia University specializing in material culture, significance, and preservation.

Rosemary has worked at various museums, archives and arts organizations in Victoria and Montreal, including the BC Aviation Museum, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and ARCMTL. She is motivated by a passion for learning and a deep commitment to the preservation of material culture.

Welcome, Rosemary!

06/14/2026

The SS Maude in Nanaimo, 1872 (also the year she was built).

Over her four-decade career, she served as a vital lifeline for the Pacific Northwest. In 1883, she established passenger and freight service between Victoria and points on Burrard Inlet, before taking on the Victoria-Alberni run a year later.

As the coast grew and changed, so did the Maude. She was converted into a salvage vessel in 1903, and even after being dismantled in Victoria Harbour in 1914, her hull continued to work the waters as a barge.

MMBC , P4200

06/13/2026

Did you know that July 1942 was the first time women were permitted to enlist in non-medical occupational trades within the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)? Of the 50,000 Canadian women who served during the Second World War, 6,700 were members of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS). Adopted from the British Women’s Royal Naval Service, they were known as the "Wrens."

Initially, the 22 trades open to the Wrens in 1942 were restricted to roles traditionally viewed as women's work at the time, such as clerks, stenographers, and switchboard operators. However, by 1943, Wrens were breaking new ground in critical specializations like signalling and naval intelligence.

Although the WRCNS was disbanded in 1946, it was reconstituted in 1951 to support the Korean War effort, drawing back many experienced Second World War veterans. This legacy of service culminated in 1955 when women were fully integrated into the RCN, establishing Canada as the first Commonwealth nation to integrate women into its permanent naval force.

Learn more about the Wrens in our current exhibit, Getting Tiddley: Navy Uniforms from Cap to Boot, on now.

06/12/2026

Imagine being towed out to open water, left to fish for days, and sleeping under the stars (rain or shine)...a dream for some, less so for others! 🐟

That's exactly what happened to boats like the ones pictured here. A tugboat would tow them out to sea, leave the crews to fish in the open elements for a couple of days, and then return to tow them back, heavily loaded with their catch.

MMBC , 017.FIC.045

06/10/2026

Lights, camera, action! 🎥🎬 We’re challenging you to play detective using artefacts and photos from our collection and figure out what movie each slide represents. Swipe through the clues and drop your guesses in the comments below.

Note: The artefacts do not represent direct ties to the films or their subject matter, but instead act as clues.

06/08/2026

Its !

There are so many ways to connect with the ocean. For some, it’s a diving adventure; for others, it’s connecting from the shore. For us, it’s about preserving and sharing its rich history!

How do you connect to the ocean? Share a photo or memory from your most memorable ocean adventure in the comments 🌊💙

MMBC , P1784.80

06/07/2026

Whoops! 🚢 On August 5, 1910, in heavy fog, the SS Princess May dramatically ran aground on Sentinel Island, Alaska, tilting at a 23° angle. Thankfully, all 100 passengers and 68 crew were rescued. After a costly $115,000 (~$3M today) salvage and repair, she returned to service, later converted into an oil burner. This maritime mishap was so visually striking that it later became a widely reproduced postcard.

MMBC , 992.104.0027

Post information supplemented by Nauticapedia.

The original copy of 019.FIC.001 is held by the Department of National Defence. Contact the Department of National Defence for any reproduction and/or rights request.

06/04/2026

Tomorrow! See you there. ⚓🥰

This event is free with museum admission!

Turmoil: The Life & Times of Philip Hankin is the latest work by award-winning author Michael Layland. Layland will give a talk on the many ships of Philip Hankin sailed on during his time on Vancouver Island, followed by a Q & A.

Signed copies of Turmoil will be available for purchase.

About the book: Hankin’s remarkable life brought abuse, hardship, and controversy, adventure, opportunity, and reward. It earned him a place in BC history as acting head of governments at a tumultuous time, and for recording parts of a 19th century Huu-ay-aht language. This list of common phrases and drawings lay misfiled in a British archive for more than a century until the author unearthed it during his research.

About the Author:

Born and educated in England, Michael Layland trained as an officer and mapmaker in the Royal Engineers of the British Army.

His extensive research of the cartographic and exploration history of Vancouver Island fuelled his first two books: The Land of Heart’s Delight: Early Maps and Charts of Vancouver Island, & A Perfect Eden: Encounters by Early Explorers of Vancouver Island . In the third, In Nature’s Realm, he combined his love of exploration history with a deep, life-long interest in the natural world.

06/03/2026

Mark your calendars! Your Labour Day weekend plans are officially set.

The 47th Annual Classic Boat Festival is taking over Victoria’s Inner Harbour this September 4–6, and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate the classic vessels of the Pacific Northwest.

Boater registration is currently open and underway, so stay tuned for exciting updates.

See you on the water!

PS. This year’s stunning festival poster was designed by the incredibly talented Meg Randall!

Learn More: https://mmbc.bc.ca/classic-boat-festival/