Christ Church National Historic Site is embarking on a new project, called ‘Sharing the Past: Forging a New Hope.’
‘Sharing the Past’ is chance for residents and seniors to share, listen and meet friends, while Christ Church furthers their mandate to learn and preserve the stories of Hope.
“The goal of the program is to learn the stories of the people who live in Hope, and how they came to be here. These stories will form part of our permanent collection within our archives, and those of the Hope Museum,” says Darla Dickinson, supervisor of Christ Church National Historic Site.
Once collected, these stories will be a huge asset to the community, and any future efforts to publish a second edition of the ‘Forging a New Hope’ book.
The funding for the 'Sharing the Past: Forging a New Horizon' project is through the New Horizons for Seniors Program through the Government of Canada.
Participation can be a one-time sharing or you can come out for several sessions, both as a 'teller' or a 'listener.'
All people are more than welcome to participate.
“The diversity of our community, both from relatively new residents and those that that have been here all their lives will make for some very interesting stories,” says Dickinson. “This is a project that we cannot wait to get started on.”
Transportation is available for anyone who would like to participate – but does not feel up to driving. That service is being provided through the Care Transit Society. The Anglican Church Women’s Guild will be providing tea and refreshments. Each session will consist of tellers and listeners.
Anyone who has some good memories, some funny stories, recollections of what living in the Hope area has been like is being encouraged to come out. Anyone who would like to come out and listen to tidbits of Hope's past over tea is also welcome.
"Even if you are new to the Hope area, we would love to hear what brought you here and what keeps you here," Dickinson says.
Who knows? You may meet some new friends along the way. The first session will be on May 31 at 10 a.m.
Please contact Marilyn Manuel, Project Coordinator. She can be reached through christchurch1861@yahoo.com or by calling 604-869-9703.