It鈥檚 putting it mildly to note most guests at Wednesday night鈥檚 gala dinner celebrating the opening of Royal sa国际传媒 Museum鈥檚 new exhibition were swept up in gold fever, not least Prof. Jack Lohman.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exhilarating. This is the moment we鈥檝e been working on for three years, and it has involved every single person in this organization,鈥� said the museum鈥檚 erudite CEO.
His elation was obvious as he greeted arrivals for a VIP viewing of Gold Rush! El Dorado in sa国际传媒, created in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of History and Museo Del Oro in Bogota, Colombia.
鈥淚t puts the museum on the world stage. This is world history most people don鈥檛 know about. We all know there was a gold rush, but we don鈥檛 know about the anguish, the pain, the riches, the dreams ... it鈥檚 all here.鈥�
While most people think about the Yukon when the gold rush comes up, 鈥渨e need to remind them you wouldn鈥檛 have places like Cariboo Wagon Road or Barkerville, without the gold rush,鈥� Lohman said.
He said the 鈥渞eally big international effort鈥� involved more than 90 lenders from across sa国际传媒 and places including South Africa, California and Australia.
Notable guests at the black-tie affair included His Excellency Jairo Raul Clopatofsky Ghisays, consul general of Colombia; sa国际传媒鈥檚 minister of international trade, Asia Pacific strategy and multi-culturalism Teresa Wat; Cowichan-based artist Arthur Vickers, whose gold masterwork Intangible Heritage is showcased; Liu Fei, consul general of the People鈥檚 Republic of China in Vancouver; and Starr McMichael, Tourism Victoria vice-chairwoman and transportation committee chairwoman.
Indeed, you couldn鈥檛 swing a gold watch without hitting one of this town鈥檚 major political, social, educational and cultural sector players.
Victoria Coun. Pam Madoff showed up wearing a 1950s vintage heavy golden silk brocade gown custom-made at Saks Fifth Avenue that she found in a Portland thrift shop.
鈥淭his is for when they do the exhibit on plastic vs. gold,鈥� joked Madoff, revealing a necklace of fake big gold baubles, and several gold bangles.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so much fun, and I think when an institution makes an effort, guests should, too. It鈥檚 part of the whole experience.鈥�
Coralee Oakes, sa国际传媒 minister of community, sport and cultural development, was beside herself with excitement.
鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting for this exhibit for two years,鈥� said Oakes, who hails from Quesnel. 鈥淓very year since I was little I鈥檝e been going to Barkerville and that鈥檚 the first thing you see when you walk in the door,鈥� Oakes said, referring to Billy Barker鈥檚 gold watch, part of a collection of rare artifacts, archival photographs, historical documents and multimedia components tracing the sa国际传媒 gold rush鈥檚 roots. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little piece of home here in Victoria.鈥�
Former lieutenant-governor Steven Point joked that the exhibition reminded him of how old our newspaper is.
鈥淭he first newspaper in the colony of Vancouver Island started [on Dec. 11, 1858] by Amor de Cosmos is one of the oldest institutions in the country,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly older than the [Cariboo] gold rush.鈥�
Tourism Victoria CEO Paul Nursey marvelled at exhibits and 400 objects including the 1,642-gram Turnagain Nugget, the largest existing sa国际传媒 gold nugget, a genuine stagecoach on loan from O鈥橩eefe ranch, Olympic gold medals, one of Bryan Adams鈥檚 gold records, Royal Canadian Mint鈥檚 million-dollar coin and interactive displays such as a scale revealing your weight in gold. (Mine was worth $3,790,020.)
鈥淭his is iconic,鈥� Nursey said. 鈥淭hese blockbuster attractions are such important tourism drivers.鈥�
Security was extra-tight 鈥渙n every level, through manning, CCTV cameras, the physical cases themselves,鈥� said Dr. Scott Cooper, the vice-president, exhibitions innovation, who couldn鈥檛 reveal more.
鈥淭he Canadian Mint people were here two days ago and were delighted with our levels of security. It鈥檚 鈥榣ocked down,鈥� to use the term they use in the movies.鈥�
