Editor:
Re: 153 Mile Store moves closer to possible heritage site within city. July 9, 2018
Congratulations to everyone involved in ensuring our local history is preserved by moving the 153 Mile store to a permanent, accessible site for Cariboo residents and visitors.
This priceless historical treasure deserves a prominent place in our community and the Patenaude family and the Cariboo Heritage Park Society deserve credit for taking on this worthy project.
Kudos also to our Mayor and Council for supporting the concept and providing the space. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin in the Tribune’s online article of July 9. I do hope City Council and the current board of the Museum are still committed to providing a permanent home for the Museum within the city’s boundaries.
While the current site for the museum, at the Tourism Discovery Centre, is an adequate, temporary home for a small part of the Museum’s extensive collection of historical artifacts, it should not be considered a permanent home.
The TDC was built as a tourist information centre and does not have the museum-standard conditions necessary for preserving this valuable collection for future generations.
In the absence of a stand-alone facility, the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin deserves a place within the planned heritage site.
Together, the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin, the 153 Mile Store, the First Nations site, and other heritage buildings will provide an outstanding display of local history that will serve residents and visitors of the Cariboo and Chilcotin for many years.
Sheila Wyse
Williams Lake