Thanks to the generosity of a Vancouver based mining company, the Oliver and District Heritage Society became the delighted owners of over 1,000 running feet of mobile, moveable metal storage shelving just two weeks before Christmas.

“It’s a thrilling acquisition and an incredible gift, one that will benefit the Society for many years to come “ according to Heritage Manager Tracy Johnson. Purchased new, the shelving would cost between $35,000 and $40,000. Not only has it been donated, the anonymous donor even paid for shipping.  All the Society has had to cover is the cost of installation and even that is being largely taken care of through the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund grant announced in late fall by MP Dan Albas.

“Christmas came early” enthused an excited Johnson.” Our museum artifact storage can now meet professional preservation standards. What a legacy this represents!”

Additionally, the acquisition effectively doubles the capacity of the Society’s newly revamped collections area. Each shelving section is mounted on a set of rollers that runs along tracks anchored to the floor and the ceiling allowing individual units to be compressed together yet readily accessible when needed.

Tracy learned about the potential for the donation on the BC Archives list serve late one afternoon early last month.  She phoned immediately and found that a mining company was in the process of disposing of all its office equipment. Miraculously, the dimensions of the shelving that was also to be discarded was exactly what the Society needed to make its newly renovated storage area work at an optimum level.

“And the rest is history” she said “great history. An organization our size could never even dream of being able to afford this kind of shelving, let alone having it donated.”  Meeting the mining company’s disposal time line proved the only challenge. Storage renovations were only partially in hand when the donation was confirmed. However,   “our volunteers and local contractor really got behind making sure this windfall could happen.  From start to finish the undertaking took less than 2 weeks. Impressive. We are very grateful to the donor. ”

Picture submitted.  The chap is Randy from “Put Em Up Installations” out of Salmon Arm.