The Don Nearhood museum inside the former Peace Canyon Dam visitor centre may see its first visitors in quite some time later this year.
The Peace River Regional District is considering an outreach board meeting in Hudson’s Hope either in May or August, taking the time to visit the museum at the same time.
Electoral Director Karen Goodings says Nearhood's impressive collection of pioneer-era miniature replicas still needs a new home, as BC Hydro has indicated it would like to free up space at the Peace Canyon centre.
“I still think that we need to do something with this, and time is becoming of the essence for me to see that it happens,” Goodings said at a March 17 committee meeting of electoral area directors.
“I really believe that if our directors had the opportunity to view this somewhat unique museum that it might trigger someone coming forward to say, ‘You know what, we could house part of this’, or a suggestion on where it could be housed.”
The collection, handcrafted by Nearhood, was acquired by the PRRD in 1996 for $20,000, and includes historically significant replicas from the pioneer era: wagon teams, miniature log skids, sleighs, barns, agricultural equipment, ceramic horses, and a steamboat.
BC Hydro at the time offered to house the collection at Peace Canyon, though the visitor centre there ultimately closed.
The board was previously slated to host a meeting in Hudson's Hope before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, with restrictions putting the trip on hold.
Chair Brad Sperling says board meetings have already been scheduled and finalized for 2022, but the board could vote to hold an outreach meeting in Hudson's Hope instead, and suggested May as the first choice.
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