Heritage Park Museum’s new curator Anna Glass is ready to take on the role of preserving and sharing Terrace’s history.
Moving to Terrace for the job, Glass will be overseeing the museum and its programs as she strives to digitalize its archives, organize events, and maintain the city’s historic documents.
The 24-year old from Kelowna also has a degree from Simon Fraser University in Archeology and First Nations studies. Most recently, Glass worked at the Lloydminster Cultural and Science Centre in Alberta where she focussed on organizing databases and cataloging.
After some experience working in the archeological field, Glass says she realized education and community outreach was her true passion.
“I felt there was a part of me that liked the museum aspect more,” she says. “When this position popped up, I got really excited.”
Glass has replaced long-time museum curator Kelsey Wiebe, who held the position for the past eight years.
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One initiative she says she’d like to focus on at the Heritage Park Museum is organizing a more easily accessible database where residents can see historic documents or photographs online. Currently, Terrace’s archives are spread out between the museum and city hall.
“I’m hoping with a database you’ll be able to have an inventory of everything’s that’s here and where it is, so if there is a transfer, it will be much easier to have all the information in one place,” Glass says.
When asked what event in Terrace history she finds the most interesting, Glass was quick to mention Terrace’s role in the longest lasting mutiny in Canadian history, when thousands of soldiers stationed in Terrace took up arms for five days in 1944 to protest the government’s decision to send them overseas.
The region’s rich Indigenous history and culture, and Terrace’s natural beauty also attracted her to the position.
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Glass says she had an early fascination with history and archeology, and being able to share that excitement with others is the most rewarding part of the job.
“For a lot of places in B.C. and Canada, the land has a rich history and has been occupied for thousands and thousands of years, and I think a lot of people don’t understand that,” Glass says. “Having a place like this where they can see that, and they can see how things have changed, it’s a great way to not only show our past, but our progress since then.”
Glass started in her new role at the beginning of October, and with the quick turn around, she says the annual Halloween trick-or-treat event at the museum won’t be possible this year due to staffing and time constraints.
“I’m sad I won’t be able to do that, but putting together this event in a week or two just isn’t feasible,” she says. However, she says organizing more community events and get-togethers is another one of her priorities moving forward.
Already, she says Terrace is starting to feel like home.
“I’m very excited to be here, I’m really excited to meet as many people as they can and just welcome them into this site.”
brittany@terracestandard.com
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