The Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society held its annual general meeting on April 26. The event was well-attended, but there was one very obvious empty chair that was acknowledged by all of the speakers. 

Society president Bob Bell started off the evening by remembering Fred Kofin, the society’s long-time treasurer who passed away over the winter. Fred’s wife, Gertie, was there in his place. 

“I cannot begin this report without first taking a moment to remember our dear Fred Kofin who left us this past winter,” Bell said in his president’s report. “We were blessed with Fred and he will always be in our memory. I hope we can all try and keep his passions with us as we continue on the path that he began.”

Bell finished by thanking the tireless volunteer, and offering his condolences and support to Gertie. 

The president’s report outlined a decline in funding the museum has seen over the past few years, and noted the incredible contributions by the board members, staff and many volunteers. While funding has decreased, Bell said they have had many successes that should give hope for the museum. 

“It’s not all bad – we have been successful in recent fundraising efforts and have several upcoming events that will bring more well-deserved successes,” he said. 

Karen Byers, museum manager, presented a year in the life of the museum, showing a slideshow of photos from all of the many successful events the museum hosted throughout the year. Some of those events included the many mini-outings, exhibits by local artists, the annual Taste of the Town, coffee hours, school programs and much more. Byers said the events welcomed the public and helped attract new people to the museum. 

“We really gained lots of fans,” she said, adding that a highlight was the exhibit on the Canoe River Train Wreck, which welcomed young students who were unaware of the tragedy. “That was really well received, not only by adults but by school children who didn’t know the story.”

Byers also mentioned Kofin, saying she missed his frequent visits to her office in her manager’s report. 

“As I think back on 2010, I can’t help but think about Fred,” she said. “Early in the year he was still dropping by my/his office to keep tabs on me – just moving a little slower than he had the year before. I still think of him every day and know his spirit will continue to guide the museum for many years to come.”

Next to speak was board member and historian Joe Couture, who presented the financial report. He spoke about the establishment of a full-time fundraising committee, and the changes in membership due to the economy. 

“We’re hoping to see it rebound this year,” he said. 

Couture addressed the accomplishments of the fundraising committee, saying that the society is now raising about half of what they need to maintain the building and exhibits, but stressed that the society needs to come up with a way to become sustainable for the long term. The museum has dipped into reserve funds to support its operations. 

The museum has many upcoming events that should encourage visitation and raise some funds, Couture said, including the 50th anniversary of the Jasper arena which will include a hockey game between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Prince George Cougars. 

“That, we hope, will generate a fair amount of revenue,” Couture said. 

He went on to discuss creating a special membership fee for businesses to help gather more revenue. 

“We have a number of businesses in town that are patrons,” Couture said. 

He then asked for a motion to create a corporate membership, which was moved by the group. 

Society member Chris Garnham raised a concern about how low the general membership fee is – set at $30, which was raised from $25 last year – suggesting the fees be raised. Couture said the fees are kept low to encourage membership, and the new corporate memberships will help offset that cost. 

Herb Robinson, vice-president of the society, spoke about the successful Canada Day celebrations and discussed the possibility of making the fundraiser bigger and better this year. He suggested the fundraiser could become as big as January’s Taste of the Town. 

Robinson said the museum had previously planned to do a voyageur canoe trip to commemorate the David Thompson bi-centennial, and the opportunity to join the upcoming Athabasca River Voyageur Canoe Brigade had come up. Robinson said that anyone interested in filling a few vacant spots in a canoe that are available should contact him.

“It’s a once in a lifetime trip,” he said. “I’d like to have some sort of presence from the historical society on that boat.”

Bell took to the podium again to announce the night’s two award winners. DJ Bowen, who organized several fundraisers throughout the year including a wine tasting at the museum, was given the Brainiac Award for coming up with the best fundraising ideas.

“(He) started off with one idea and it’s kind of gone on to four or five ideas,” Bell said. “For all these ideas that DJ Bowen keeps coming up with, we are forever grateful.”

The volunteer of the year honour was then awarded to none other than Kofin, for his many years as the museum’s treasurer. Bell thanked his wife Gertie again, and the crowd broke into a round of applause. 

To end the evening, the election of the board was completed. All current members were re-elected into their positions; Bell as president, Robinson as vice-president, Cynthia Bell as secretary, Couture as historian, Shelley McQueen as treasurer and Mike Wasuita, Jake Derksen and Mike Cameron as directors. 

Derksen moved to nominate Heather Young-Leslie as a new director. The motion went unopposed. Ken Walker will remain as the representative from Parks Canada, and Gilbert Wall will once again be the representative from the municipality.