2020 Conference Panellists
Silvia Mangue Alene
Born in Equatorial Guinea and raised in Spain, Silvia is now a proud Canadian. Before coming to Canada Silvia lived in six different countries in Europe: Spain, England, Finland, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland. To this experience, Silvia says “I took from each country the cultural aspects I liked the best and applied them to my personal life. My life experiences in these countries have helped shape who I am today” Silvia holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a major in Human Resources from Camosun College and a postgraduate diploma in Intercultural Education from the University of Victoria. Silvia is an entrepreneur, she is the founder and manager of two businesses, Kulea Love and Kulea Culture. Silvia’s passions among many others are women’s issues, her two businesses, and fitness and wellness.
Robert G. Allan
Robert G. Allan is a third-generation naval architect who with his predecessors have practised naval architecture continuously in BC since 1919. That business, incorporated as Robert Allan Ltd. in 1961, is the oldest in its field in Canada. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in BC, and a Fellow of both SNAME and RINA. Mr. Allan has authored numerous papers and several textbook chapters on the subject of tugboat and workboat design. He has received numerous major peer awards for this work. He is a long-term Trustee of the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and a member of the SS Master Society.
Janice Alpine, Ktunaxa
Early in my career I became key in conducting many research projects and policy development that have paved the way my nation approaches governance systems. As a youth I became key in conducting many research projects and policy development that paved the way my nation approaches governance. I moved on to enhance my education taking an intensive course in Tourism Management through the Hotel/Motel Association, a two-year program that was condensed into nine months passing with a 4.0 average. In 2011 I challenged the Technical Level of Aboriginal Economic Development and received my certification though Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. As I advanced in my position I was able to acquire my certification in Later Violence. Boards: Community Futures East Kootenay, Ministers Tourism Engagement Council, Kootenay Rockies Tourism, Cranbrook Tourism, ʔakisq̓nuk Housing Authority, Committees: College of the Rockies Business Management Program, Qat̓muk Steering, Crown of the Continent Executive and Columbia River Treaty Heritage Project
Jennifer (Jenny) Botica
Katherine Carlson
Katherine Carlson is the Executive Director of the Central BC Railway and Forestry Museum (in Prince George). Having been with the organization in varying capacities over the past decade, she has heard stories of the lived experiences from visitors and their connection to (railway and industrial) community, as well as to particular railway pieces that hold strong meaning. She sits on the Cultural Services Advisory Committee for the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, is the Vice Chair for the Prince George Heritage Commission and is on the Board of Directors of Heritage BC.
Angela Clarke
Dr. Angela Clarke is the Museum Director and Curator of Il Museo at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of British Columbia specializing in Italian women, religion and decorative art. Recent publications include a book on Italian Renaissance marriage plates, entitled Ideal Brides: Deruta maiolica and marriage c.1500 to 1550. Since 2015 Dr. Clarke’s research has focused on generational differences in the Italian community and shifting cultural interests and needs. This has led to exhibitions exploring generational attitudes towards family, spirituality and gender such as Family Lines: Lesbian Family Heraldry, An Achievement of Arms and the immigration-themed European Union Project Performagrations.
Britney Dack
Britney Dack is the Heritage Planner at the City of New Westminster. In this capacity, she administers the City’s Heritage Conservation Area, Historic Districts, Heritage Revitalization Agreement program, and a variety of protected properties. She has a Master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from UBC and an Honours degree in Public Policy from Carleton University. Britney has been working in the heritage sector for eight years between museums, historic sites, education, and community planning, though currently specializes in development policy and long-range planning. Britney is Past President of the BC Heritage Fairs Society, a Heritage BC award-winning program form youth engagement in local history, past Chair of the City of Richmond’s Community Heritage Commission, and a current board member with Heritage BC.
Karen Dearlove
Karen Dearlove is the Curator for the North Vancouver Museum and Archives (NVMA). After completing her PhD in History at McMaster University Karen worked at the historical house museum McDougall Cottage in Waterloo Region, and then Curator of Chiefswood National Historical Site, the childhood home of Mohawk poet E. Pauline Johnson, located on the reserve of the Six Nations of the Grand River. Karen moved to Vancouver in 2013, and worked initially as Capacity Planner at Heritage BC. As Curator at the NVMA Karen designed the award winning travelling exhibit Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist in collaboration with the George Family and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and is deeply involved in creating the exhibits for the new North Vancouver Museum, set to open in October 2020 in Lower Lonsdale.
Jacqueline Gijssen – Project Director
Jacqueline works with non-profits / social entrepreneurs, architects, developers, planners, real estate professionals and funders to preserve and create space for community. As Project Director and a founding member of the Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative, she helps mitigate the impacts of the real estate market on non-profits and social enterprises, assisting them with their real estate needs. The former Vancouver Senior Planner for Cultural Spaces / Infrastructure, Ms. Gijssen has also served in multiple leadership roles in arts, culture, museums and heritage and is the recipient of several awards for work individually and as part of collaborative teams in culture, housing, heritage, neighbourhood planning and environment.
Hayley Gray and Elad Tzadok
Hayley and Elad are award winning directors, producers and writers based in Vancouver BC. Their work has screened nationally and internationally on CBC, Air Canada, Telus Optik Local and festivals worldwide. Their latest short documentary Hayashi Studio deals with Japanese history on Vancouver Island through the lens of photographer Senjiro Hayashi and they are currently in development with the NFB on their upcoming feature documentary Unarchived which looks at diverse history across BC.
Lucas Hung
Lucas Hung is a member of the BC Heritage Fairs Society. He is currently embarking on the “Taking Reconcili-Action” project, where he had the opportunity to interview three elders of the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations and is now creating teaching material to help educators bring traditional knowledge into their classrooms. From 2013-19, he served on the BCHFS Alumni Council, taking on a variety of responsibilities including leading fundraising initiatives, volunteering as a student leader at three provincial heritage fairs, and facilitating discussions on conference calls with fellow alumni. Lucas is extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity to participate in another Heritage BC Conference!
Anna Irwin
Anna Irwin holds a BA from the University of the Fraser Valley in History and French and a Professional Specialization Certificate in Collections Management from the University of Victoria. Anna began her career at the Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford (MSA) Museum Society (now Heritage Abbotsford Society), working several exhibition, collections and education-based contracts before obtaining a permanent position in museum education. Anna is now the Curator at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives.
Jennifer Johnstone
Jennifer Johnstone is President & CEO of Central City Foundation, an organization that has been working to improve lives in Vancouver’s inner-city since 1907. Today, CCF is a $40 million foundation with 40% of its capital invested in innovative, sustainable social purpose real estate properties that provide low-income housing, integrated family services and early childhood development, healthcare including BC’s only rural long-term treatment centre for youth challenged by addiction, youth services and social enterprise. Jennifer’s background is in non-profit management and community resource development and over the past 30 years she has held key leadership positions with organizations including Vancity Community Foundation, Battered Women’s Support Services, Vancouver Status of Women, and Ballet British Columbia. Jennifer is a founding member of the Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative, sits on the national Board of the Association Fundraising Professionals and serves as a volunteer Board member for several local organizations.
Imogene L. Lim
A descendant of Cumberland and Vancouver’s Chinatowns, Dr. Lim is an anthropologist at Vancouver Island University (Department of Anthropology, and Global Studies Program). For the past two decades she has focused her research interests on Vancouver Island—primarily, ethnicity in Canada and Asian Canadian history, including food and culture. She was a co-researcher on the SSHRC project, Asian Canadians on Vancouver Island. She actively serves her community, which includes, in part, the Coal Creek Historic Park Advisory Committee (Cumberland, Vancouver Island), Working Group-Chinese Canadian Museum of BC, and exhibition advisory committee, A Seat at the Table, opening May 2020 (MoV).
Sarah Ling
Sarah Ling is a multidisciplinary storyteller and scholar. She serves as President of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC and on the City of Vancouver’s Chinatown Historic Area Planning Committee. As the Principal of Saltwater City Consulting Inc., she specializes in community engagement, content development and project management for public history and cultural heritage initiatives. Her research focus is on the history of early Chinese-Indigenous relations. She produced the award-winning documentary “All Our Father’s Relations” and co-edited the publications “Journeys of Hope: Challenging Discrimination and Building on Vancouver Chinatown’s Legacies” and “Chinatown Through a Wide Lens: The Hidden Photographs of Yucho Chow.”
Richard Linzey
Richard Linzey is director of the Provincial Heritage Branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. Raised in Kent, England, he attained a Masters in Architecture at Plymouth and a Masters in Building Conservation at the Architectural Association in London, becoming a chartered architect in 1992. Prior to immigrating to Canada in 2002, he led English Heritage’s Architecture Team in historic environment policy development, and repair of national historic buildings and monuments. He is an authority and published author on the conservation of post-mediaeval military engineering. In Canada, he worked for Commonwealth Historic Resources Management in Vancouver, and the City of Victoria Planning department, and has run his own consulting practice, Past Perfect. He joined the Heritage Branch in 2007, and is committed to connecting British Columbians with their history and historic environment. He and wife Kim live in Victoria, BC.
John MacFarlane
John MacFarlane has been interpreting and preserving Canada’s natural and cultural heritage resources since 1969. After a brief career in the navy, he joined Parks Canada and stayed with them for twenty years. Afterwards, he was the Director and curator of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria. He is the Curator of the website – The Nauticapedia – which shares a vast resource related to British Columbia’s nautical history – and has two extensive searchable databases of ships and people. He has written many articles and books on this theme.
Fran Morrison
Fran originates from Nova Scotia, graduated from the Business Administration and Management Program, Cape Breton University in 1972, earned the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification in 2002, and then completed programs in Project Management Strategies and Negotiating Skills, Strategies, Tactics through George Washington University and the Sauder School of Business, UBC. Her work experience includes business administration, project management, contract management, communications management and information technology in both the private and public sector.
Fran moved to B.C. with her family in 1992; she joined the BC Black History Awareness Society in 2008 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2010. Fran manages the Society’s website which is an important medium for relating the stories of BC’s Black Pioneers and she is the project manager for a current initiative with the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Nav Nagra
Nav Nagra is a writer, facilitator, and friend. The Communications Manager and Diversity and Inclusion facilitator at Vantage Point, Nav has had the pleasure of working with many organizations to find their path to better inclusion and equitable practices. A certified coach through Essential Impact, Nav understands the importance of compassion, listening, and understanding and what it takes to find care for one’s self and others. Nav has also served on the board of the Vancouver Art Book Fair and on the Professional Development Committee of AFP Vancouver. Nav is also the current Publisher of Room Magazine.
Christina Reid
Christina Reid is the Executive Director for Heritage Abbotsford Society. She holds a Master’s Degree in Archaeology and Heritage from Leicester University (UK), with a specialty in built heritage. After starting a career in interpretation and CRM in Sweden, Christina moved to British Columbia, where she has continued pursuing a career in heritage services. Her passion is training and mentoring emerging heritage professionals – helping them “find their passion” – as a way to not just support them, but a way to build a stronger foundation for heritage to thrive on in the future.
Adrian Sinclair
Adrian Sinclair was born in Winnipeg Manitoba in 1981. He is Northern-Scottish on his father’s side and Ukrainian Mennonite on his mother’s side. Adrian is co-founder and Director of Engagement at The Vancouver Mural Festival (VMF) and Visiting Faculty at SFU’s CityStudio. Adrian’s superpower is producing thoughtful public art via a mix of intersectional analysis and public engagement where he fosters a passion for dynamic, creative and inclusive cities. At VMF, he has been blessed to co-create public projects with organizations like the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation, SFU Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies, Overdose Prevention Society, Indian Summer Festival, and Downtown Eastside Centre for the Arts. Adrian completed his MA in Philosophy at The University of Western Ontario.
Wilco van Bemmel
Lorisa Williams
Lorisa Williams was born in Chilliwack, BC, and has Indigenous and European family background. Experienced in not-for-profit work, Lorisa started at Heritage Abbotsford Society as a summer student in 2019, funded through Stó:lō Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training, and has been hired for the permanent-fulltime position as Collections Manager. Lorisa is a current student at the University of the Fraser Valley in the Bachelor of Arts program, completing a major in History and minor in Indigenous Studies. Lorisa is passionate about learning and promoting Indigenous history, which has created opportunities and partnerships in her role at Heritage Abbotsford Society.