Walk to the Rock and museum fundraising dinner on Oct. 21
The New Iceland Heritage Museum is raising awareness of the plight of refugees to Canada with its latest exhibit called Refuge Canada.
The travelling exhibit is on loan from the country’s national immigration museum, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax.
With ongoing refugee crises around the world, including in Canada, the exhibit is a timely presentation showing how refugees have to live. The exhibit speaks to Canada’s historical record on welcoming refugees and reveals the challenges refugees face or have faced in Canada. It also includes firsthand accounts from refugees who contributed to the country.
NIHM executive director Julianna Roberts said the interactive exhibit shows what it’s like to live in a shelter in a refugee camp.
“The interactive exhibit has panels showing what a refugee tent is like, giving you a feel for the space they have to live in. It’s meant to mimic a tent. The panels are 10 feet high with very vibrant pictures and interactive stations,” she said. “It also talks about refugees in Canada over the years starting with the Doukhobor immigrants at the turn of the twentieth century and onward including refugees that have come from places such as El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Bosnia to the present land crossings at the border.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 117.2 million people will be displaced and stateless in 134 countries and territories this year. Refugees fleeing war, famine and persecution require emergency assistance, clothing and medicine when they arrive in another country.
The NIHM is staging the exhibit from Oct. 2 to Nov. 30.
Other museum news:
The annual Walk to the Rock on Willow Island is scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 21, and it starts at noon outside the museum. There will be refreshments served after the walk.
In addition to the refugee exhibit, there are a number of events coming up, including a major fundraiser for the non-profit museum, which is one of the province’s designated Signature Museums.
The museum’s Chocolate Affair fundraiser this Saturday evening (Oct. 21) will be presented by Matlock-based author Doreen Pendgracs, better known as the Interlake’s Queen of Chocolate. It will feature a full course dinner with dishes that incorporate fine chocolate from around the world.
“The salad, for example, consists of spring baby greens topped with sundried cranberries, fresh strawberries and chocolate from the Dominican Republic,” said Roberts. “The main consists of prime rib with cacao and savoury roasted potatoes and vegetables. Dessert is a chocolate trifle with three layers of chocolate.”
The fundraising dinner costs $80, but attendees will get a tax receipt for $50.
Roberts said the proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards operating costs. It’s an important event as the museum is facing a “huge increase” in rent each year over the next five years.
“We are a non-profit organization and we rely on donors and their donations to operate. We do this one big fundraiser a year and it goes towards our operating costs,” said Roberts. “Our rent has gone up by $4,000 this year and will increase by the same amount next year and the years after. Within the next five years, we’ll be paying $20,000 more for rent.”
The Refuge Canada exhibit at the New Iceland Heritage Museum shows what its like to live in a refugee camp and challenges faced by refugees coming to Canada.
Roberts said the museum will need more money to survive in its current space, and the board is currently looking at all its options.
“We have a committee that’s considering what our future’s going to be and where we’re going to be,” she said. “We don’t want to go anywhere. We like it here. We have a great space that works for us and we have storage rooms. Everything here works well for us,” said Roberts. “But if the rent goes up, the way we operate will change. We just can’t continue to operate at the level we do; programming and services will suffer. It’s similar to governments when they tighten their belts – the first thing to go are services.”
The museum board is currently welcoming new volunteers – including younger people – to operate the museum gift shop where crafts such as Icelandic mittens and sweaters are sold. It’s also looking for volunteers to sit on its board of directors. Both are good opportunities to give back to the community as well as gain experience for future work endeavours.
The museum is holding its Annual General Meeting on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in person and via Zoom at the Waterfront Centre’s Lady of the Lake Theatre, just down the hall from the museum.
“At our AGM, we nominate new people for the board and we go over our audit. We only meet 10 times a year as board members so it’s not a great time commitment for new members looking to join,” said Roberts.
People interested in sitting on the board or volunteering in the gift shop can contact Julianna Roberts at the NIHM at (204) 642-4001. The museum is located at 94 First Avenue in the Waterfront Centre.
