The Alberni Valley Museum has expanded its focus on the Good Friday Tsunami of 1964, to keep the memories alive for future generations.
Recently, the museum partnered with the Virtual Museum of Canada to create a permanent online exhibit, The Great Tsunami of 1964.
The exhibit begins with the catastrophic earthquake that struck Anchorage Alaska. A series of photographs, with text attachments, depict the destruction and dislocation that took place.
Shifting to Port Alberni, there are video and voice interviews with survivors, along with a host of photographs, from the iconic colour scenes recorded by Jan Jansma, to the less familiar shots from survivors, rescue personnel and government officials.
Again, there are text attachments providing further details on the disaster and the response. The exhibit also includes interviews with current city officials describing the steps taken to protect the public safety and to limit the damage should another tsunami strike.
Alberni Valley Museum education curator Shelley Harding said public education is all part of the program, because knowledge is perishable.
“I was in Hawaii in 2004, in Hilo, where they have the Pacific Tsunami Museum,” she said.
The village suffered a double tragedy, beginning in 1946, when a 14-metre high tsunami washed away 160 villagers.
“They established the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and installed a warning siren, but in 1960, there was a major earthquake in Chile, and when the warning siren went off, the villagers went down to the beach to watch it come in. All but one (61 in total) were swept away.”
The Hilo visit sparked a new emphasis on the Port Alberni tsunami, Harding said.
“We had a tsunami exhibit here for many years, and changed it up for the 40th anniversary,” she said. “We decided it would be appropriate to have it at the Maritime Heritage Centre, so we made it a permanent exhibit and installed it down there.”
But the permanent tsunami exhibit is going to hit the road this summer, moving to the Port Alberni Train Station in June.
“This year, we have a major whaling exhibit coming to the Maritime Centre, in partnership with Tseshaht First Nation. The tsunami exhibit moves to the train station for the summer, then it’s going to be travelling to different locations on the Island.”
The road show will include all the familiar displays and artifacts, plus a number of accompanying videos, including Run to High Ground.
“It’s an educational video for children made by Nuu-chah-nulth people from Washington State.”
Loosely based on the Nuu-chah-nulth oral histories of the devastating 1700 Cascadia earthquake and tsunami, Run to High Ground is yet another reminder that the next tsunami could strike at any time.
“So far, the exhibit is booked for Campbell River and Nanaimo, and tentatively in Parksville,” Harding said.
*Shayne Morrow is a freelance contributor to the News
