Miners Memorial hosts a series of events including Song of the Workers and a graveside vigil commemorating the lives lost and pays tribute to those who fought on their behalf for safer working conditions. This time-honoured event upholds the commitment to continue the fight for workers of today and commemorates the loss of over 300 lives in Cumberland mines, who never returned home after a day of work.
The Museum will also host a series of events including talks, walking tours, a community picnic and in-museum tours over the weekend. Check out the full schedule of events coming soon.
2024 Schedule – More Updates Coming
Friday, June 14 at 7 PM – 10:30 PM | Songs of the Workers
Location: The Cumberland Cultural Centre, 2687 Dunsmuir Ave
The Songs of the Workers concert event features local and visiting musicians sharing stories and music about workers and their lives – coal mines, textile factories, farms, kitchens, logging camps, fish plants, kitchens, assembly lines, picket lines, and unemployment lines. Work that builds us up and work that tears us down. The struggle, triumphs and tribulations of all our labours.
Admission to the event is by donation, all are welcome and will be accommodated until capacity is met. No registration is required for entry donations will be accepted at the door.
Saturday, June 17 at 8 AM – 10 AM| Pancake Breakfast
Location: The Cumberland Recreation Institute, 2665 Dunsmuir Ave
Start the day with ‘ food for the people’; with its limited ingredients and short preparation time, the pancake has historically been a working-class food. This year the BCGEU’s Cross Component Committee will be serving up fluffy cakes to be buttered and soaked in syrup as desired.
Breakfast is by donation; please drop in between 8 am and 9: 30 am.
This event is sponsored by the BCGEU Cross Component Committee.
Saturday, June 15 at 11 AM | Graveside Vigil
Location: The Cumberland Municipal Cemetery, 4441 Minto Road & Japanese and Chinese Cemeteries, Union Road
This year we look forward to hosting a gathering of people at the Cumberland Municipal Cemetery and Japanese and Chinese Cemeteries. The graveside vigil commemorates the lives lost in the Cumberland mines and pays tribute to those who fought on their behalf for safer working conditions and worker rights. There will be an opening welcome and short addresses from Union and community members, followed by the tradition of laying a bouquet on individual graves. This time-honoured tradition upholds the commitment to continue the fight for workers of today and commemorates the loss of individual lives, over 300 in Cumberland, and the challenges faced by the families whose loved ones never returned home after a day of work.
A bouquet can be purchased for those intending to come on the day or for those who would like a volunteer to lay a bouquet in their honour.
For additional information, questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Rosslyn Shipp at director@cumberlandmuseum.ca
This year’s bouquests will be crafted by Valley Home Meals, a local Comox Valley like minded small business; 5% of all flower sales go to Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation for Cancer. When you purchase your Miners Memorial Bouquet your support moves beyond our event and lives on within our community.
Saturday, June 17 at 2- 4 PM | Community Cold Plate Lunch
Location: Cumberland Cultural Centre, 2674 Dunsmuir Ave
This mid-day lunch will is an opportunity to join your comrades for a cold plate picnic lunch (vegetarian and GF options included). Lunch tickets are available sliding scale $10-$30, but we’re asking folks to register for their lunch tickets in advance for our volunteer crew knows how many potatoes to peel!
Saturday, June 17 at 1:30 PM | Talk about human and civil rights activist Wong Foon Sien
Location: Cumberland Museum & Archives, 2680 Dunsmuir Ave
Wong Foon Sien immigrated to Canada around 1910, joining his merchant father in Cumberland. Upon his arrival, he was detained by British guards who called him names like ‘pig’ and cut off his hair. This introduction to Canada impacted his life’s work. He became a court interpreter after studying law and a union leader who worked for the welfare of the Chinese Canadian community, improved working conditions and interracial relations, and promoted Chinese and Canadian patriotism. Learn more about his legacies as a Chinese labour activist during this talk with Cumberland Museum & Archives Director Rosslyn Shipp.
No registration is required, please just drop-in.
Saturday, June 17 at 2:30 PM | Cumberland Chinatown Guided Walking Tour
Location: This tour starts at Jumbo’s (Hor Sue Mah) Cabin, 1951 Comox Lake Road
Saturday, June 17 at 2- 4 PM | Community Cold Plate Picnic
Location: Cumberland Cultural Centre, 2674 Dunsmuir Ave
To cap off the day’s events join your comrades for a cold plate picnic dinner (vegetarian and GF options included). Dinner tickets are available sliding scale $10-$30, but we’re asking folks to register for their dinner tickets in advance for our volunteer crew knows how many potatoes to peel!
There will be live music and more. The evening will host a special screening of The March Of The Innocents, by TheatreWorks’ Kymme Patrick. The film production takes us back to 1903 and introduces us to the organizer of the one-hundred-mile March of the Mill Children, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, also a co-founder of the Industrial Workers of the World. Through her challenging address, we are introduced to many of these young people trapped by circumstances, their childhood hijacked by daily struggles to survive the harsh reality of working in mines, in mills, in clothing factories and even on Main Street. Kymme will facilitate a question-and-answer period following the film.
Please register for the picnic so we know how much food to prep! This event is sponsored by CUPE 556.
Sunday, June 18 at 10 am | Cumberland Cemetery Tour
Location: The Cumberland Municipal Cemetery, 4441 Minto Road
Sunday, June 18 at 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm | Museum Tour
Location: Cumberland Museum & Archives, 2680 Dunsmuir Ave
Join Cumberland Museum & Archives Director Rosslyn Shipp for a 30-minute tour of the new exhibition, A Seat At The Table: Chinese Immigration and British Columbia.
A Seat at the Table is a multi-site and collaborative exhibition project that explores historical and contemporary stories of Chinese Canadians in BC and their struggles for belonging.
Using food and restaurant culture as entry point, the project highlights stories that reveal the great diversity of immigrant experiences and of the communities immigrants develop. It also addresses themes of belonging, racism, agency, resilience and reparation as important facets of the complex picture of Chinese migrants and their descendants in the province.
No registration is required, please just drop-in.
