Thanks to the crew at the BC Community Networks Association, the BC History Portal now operates under the latest (version 1.2.1) release of the Scout Portal Toolkit.

The month of February is Black History Month in Canada and the United States.

HEARTLAND OR HINTERLAND?: BRITISH COLUMBIA FROM THE INSIDE OUT. | 2005 BC Studies Conference. | The 2005 BC Studies Conference will be held 28 ? 30 April 2005, at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. This interdisciplinary conference welcomes proposals for panels and papers from all areas of BC Studies, including history, literature, geography, sociology, anthropology, ethnohistory, political science, and education. | The deadline for submitting proposals is 31 August 2004. Send proposals and suggestions to: Jonathan Swainger or Mary Ellen Kelm, History Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9. | Email: swainger@unbc.ca or kelmm@unbc.ca

The Royal BC Museum published Grant Keddie's book Songhees Pictorial: A History of the Songhees People As Seen by Outsiders, 1790-1912 (January 2004). The paperback edition retails for $39.95 at the Royal Museum Shop, Victoria. The book is supplemented by a Web page containing corrections and additional information available at http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca in the Research section.

Friends of the B.C. Archives Lecture | Sunday, January 18th | 2:00 ? 4:00 p.m. | B.C. Archives | 655 Belleville Street, Victoria. One hundred and fifty-one years ago on January 16th, 1853, the ?Norman Morison? struggled into Esquimalt Harbour after a grueling 153 day voyage between England and British Columbia. Under the helmsmanship of Captain David Durham Wishart, this was her third voyage for the Hudson?s Bay Company to the virgin territory of Vancouver?s Island, and she brought with her 152 settlers who had agreed to work for the HBC in exchange for a new life in a new world. Joan McIlmoyl Cleghorn, a professional genealogist, will speak about the passengers, their lives and their impact on the new colony of Vancouver?s Island. Joan has an insider?s knowledge, being a descendant of four Norman Morison passengers. Join the Friends for this look back at an event that helped shape the future of our province. For more information contact Ann ten Cate, Outreach Coordinator, Access and Information Management Services 250-387-2970 or Ron Greene, Secretary of the Friends of the B.C. Archives at 250-598-1835. Free for members of the Friends, $5.00 for non-members, payable at the door.