One week ago today, Cyril Colonel passed away.
Not only was he a very dear friend of mine, and one of the people who hired me for my job twenty-two years ago, he was also, as far as I know, the last remaining member of that group of determined people who started the Creston Museum in the first place.
The Creston Museum has its origins in the Yahk Pioneer Park Museum, a privately run museum that went bankrupt in 1979. The Creston Historical Society bought their collection of local artifacts – comprising over 3,500 objects – at auction. There were a number of challenges involved in that (court injunctions, hasty fundraising, security-guarding, and so on), and that was just step one. Step two was finding a place to move the artifacts after they had been purchased (also plenty of challenges) and step three was actually finding a building and adapting it to serve as a museum (even more challenges).
People like Hugh Byrnes, Charlie Wilson, Rae Masse, Margaret Moore, Art Snyder, and many, many others were among those who fought to keep that collection of artifacts for the community. Cyril was president of the Chamber of Commerce at the time which, under his leadership, called in a number of favours in support of the Historical Society’s efforts. The Society elected him president the following year – a role in which he served for at least ten years.
Cyril was still Past President of the Historical Society when I was hired in the spring of 1998. He and I had many, many conversations over the years in which he told me about those early challenges: everything from renovating a building with the help of an alleged resident ghost to undertaking some pretty creative fundraisers to support the operations. He also shared with me the vision the Museum’s founders had for it.
“It’s the community’s museum,” he told me, in one of our most recent conversations. “Not the Town, the government, but the people – that’s who it belongs to. We decided early on that we weren’t going to have a bunch of artifacts behind chicken wire and glass; they had to be out in the open and accessible to the people they belong to.”
I can’t tell you how much I miss Cyril. Just a few days after he passed away, I found myself having to go through old Historical Society minutes to find some details on earlier activities – something that, just a few weeks ago, I would have called him up to ask. While he answered my questions, he would have told me a few stories – he lived a remarkable life and had many, many stories that he loved to share – and quite possibly would have suggested a field trip somewhere to check something out. Those field trips were always a highlight of my day.
It feels very strange to be doing this job without him there in the background, knowing I could call him at any time or that he might drop in or call or send an email, to talk about things the Museum is doing now and connect it with that vision of our founders. He was the last connection we had with that dedicated band, and I am only now realising just how much of a guiding role he played.
Well, the definition of “open and accessible,” as it applies to museums, has changed a lot in the forty years that have passed since that group of founders purchased the Museum’s site. Today, “open and accessible” means presenting a complete, multi-perspective story of the community, connecting to and helping address current issues, being a welcoming space for all and not just for those who traditionally, typically, visit museums. Cyril saw us moving towards that role – and, I am happy to say, approved of it. I am honoured and privileged to have been entrusted with carrying it forward into the future. And, Cyril, I promise: there will be no chicken wire.
Thinking of you always – Tammy
