By Carter Gulseth

Oh, Canada. What a country is this. From the glorious mountain ranges of British Columbia, to the folksy charm of the Maritimes, to Saskatchewan’s… well, to Saskatchewan; Canada holds more beauty in one tiny peninsula than most countries have in their entire national parks program.

Now, what if I told you about an exhibition going on right now (a FREE exhibition) that not only showcases Canada’s beauty, but also its history? What if all you truly wanted was to take a detailed and interactive look back into the history of this great country of ours? Well, as it happens, the upstairs gallery of the Key City Theatre has, with the help of the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History, been made up just for you.

For all the wonder and beauty Canada gives us, it seems only fair that when the old girl is feeling her age, we ought to throw her a party and remember her heady days of youth. Yes, it seems that our home and native land is to have a birthday, and not just any old birthday either, the big one-five-oh. Now, I hear you asking things like “What kind of party does a large land mass appreciate?” and “Where would I go to properly pay homage to my heritage?” and “What kind of cake is Canada’s favourite?” Well, fear not, for those questions are easily answerable. With the impending celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday on the first of July (and hints of Sam Steele still swirling in the air), the sentiment of you and yours could hardly be blamed for a little swell of patriotism, now could it?

The upstairs gallery of the Key has been laden down with images and fascinating facts relating to this little hamlet of ours, and the areas that have it surrounded. From the classic snapshots of Cranbrook Ed the Elephant, to never-before-seen photographs of some of the most outlandish antics ever to transpire in a drainage basin before the advent of television, this exhibit has you covered.

Despite all of the historical tidbits and canvases on display, the main attraction of the expo would have to be the map. At about twelve feet across and ten feet high, the map currently displayed in the Key is hard to miss by even the slowest of theatre goers. Depicting Cranbrook in 1948, the map was painstakingly compiled from several books of fire insurance records, and was printed on a canvas that could double as a car cover. Dotted all over the map are green stars denoting numbers; turn around and you’ll find hanging on the wall opposite a legend composed of framed photos, each accorded its own corresponding number. Voila! You’ve now got a scavenger hunt, a sense of hometown spirit, and a history lesson all rolled into one. What could be better?

If you enjoy the display of history and spectacle in the Key City Theatre (and you will), then there is little doubt that your senses and synapses would be delighted by the staggering amount of local history available for consumption online. With over 20,000 photographs from every era of the Columbia Basin on parade, you can follow your computer screen as the march of time strolls by. If you’re a born-and-bred Kootenier, go on an adventure to find your long-dead family members in our archive of thousands and thousands of names; if you’ve chosen to come from afar and make the Columbia Basin your home, explore your new streets by way of a direct connection to the past.

The Internet is so much more than just a place for Donald Trump to misspell monosyllabic words; it is a means of enriching your life, increasing your knowledge, and sharing things worth being shared. When you arrive home tonight or perhaps when you next bring your phone into the washroom at work, take a few moments and sidle over to the CBI website to spend a while in the Columbia Basin of yesteryear. You won’t have time for tweeting; you’ll be too busy over on memory lane.

The Columbia Basin Institute’s exhibition and all its finery will be available for viewing throughout the summer in the upstairs gallery of the Key City Theatre, which is open from Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or during any performance if you’ve got a ticket).

If, however, you are unlucky enough to miss it, the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History (located at 926 Baker Street) will again be displaying its vast collection of history as part of the Columbia Basin Culture Tour on August 12 and 13.

The tour takes place throughout the region and showcases what makes each participating city a unique part of our regional culture. Should you miss both, visit our immersive website at www.basininstitue.org. As Canada celebrates a monumental milestone, take time out visit the Key City Theatre and wish a happy birthday to the great white north; she may be 150 years old, but she’s still true, north, strong, and free.

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