Exhibits
What’s On Now
Darn it! Our Maritime Make And Mend Culture
Featured Exhibit
November 8, 2022 – April 1, 2023
Hours stretched on like the endless open sea with nothing to stave off the boredom. And there it was! A solution to the problem: a tear in a shirt, a hole in a net, a spare piece of cloth that could be turned into something more.
Life at sea meant long periods of isolation with no one to rely on but those on board. Necessity bred both ingenuity and creativity; the skills that kept sailors alive could also keep them entertained. Out of this rose a culture of making new from old and mending what
they had. Everything that was used could be repaired and reused. Scraps could be carved or embroidered,
repurposed into art to be brought home to a loved one.
Visit the Maritime Museum of BC to discover just what can be done with a humble object, time, and a skilled pair of hands. Maybe you’ll even discover a new technique to repair something of your own.



Let There Be Light with Woodblock Prints
Featured Gallery
November 8, 2022 – April 1, 2023
Enjoy the beauty of renowned woodblock artist Graham Scholes’ incredible prints.
Visiting the lighthouses on the British Columbia coast with the co-operation of the Canadian Coast Guard, he gathered information and imagery for the innovative prints of the lighthouses. He recognized that the lighthouse structures belong to history, and the landscape and settings around the lights belong to his creative expression.
Detail Beyond Measure: Models, Half Hulls, and Name Plates from the Maritime Museum of BC’s Collection
Permanent Exhibit
The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Company completed the first transcontinental railroad across Canada in 1885, physically linking Canada’s colonial centres in the east with its relatively undeveloped colonial west. Shortly afterward, CPR was operating fleets of transpacific and transatlantic steamships, transporting people, cargo, and mail across the oceans. On British Columbia’s coast, the Steamship Terminal in Victoria’s inner harbour became the main hub for steamship transportation, and ultimately became known as the “gateway to Western Canada”. At the height of the Steamship era, luxurious Prince, Princess and Empress steamship lines dominated the BC’s coast and their influence can still be seen in the province today.

VIRTUAL EXHIBITS

Access our virtual exhibit platform here. Dive in to our Collections and get an in-depth look at objects and stories. Current exhibits include:
Life at Pine Island Light Station: 1957 to 1967
Pacific: Ocean Gateway to British Columbia
Work and Wear: A Peek into the MMBC’s Textile Collection
These virtual exhibits are available free of charge.