The West Vancouver Historical Society is trying to capture something before it’s lost.
The group is launching a pilot project to collect memories and experiences of longtime West Vancouver residents.
“There’s no substitute for the human voice when we’re talking about history,” says Barbara Hunter, a member of the society’s board of directors.
Although it’s still in its beginning stage, the West Vancouver Living Stories project already has volunteer interviewers and interviewees. Participants were found by word of mouth and by reaching out to local seniors organizations and churches.
Stories will be collected on audio and video, and will also feature a written component compiled by the volunteer interviewers.
Hunter explains that the project is focusing on more than just factual data. They are hoping to collect interesting stories about the history and changes of West Vancouver through the personal perspectives of those who have lived it. Sprinkled with anecdotes and opinions, the stories can paint a picture of the area that may not be fully reflected in traditional archival material. The digitized material will then be made available to the public.
Each story is expected to take about 30 hours to create, so the group is starting out with a small batch of subjects this summer and are hoping to be done by fall.
The goal is to eventually expand the project to include many participants, and to open the project up to other organizations that can also collect stories.
“It’s creating a legacy for future generations as well as providing the opportunity for these people to share their story,” says Hunter.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the project or volunteering can contact North Shore News seniors columnist Laura Anderson (who is involved in the project) by phone at 778-279-2275 or email at [email protected].
