The Province has chosen the Forager Foundation as interim operator of Point Ellice House to ensure the heritage site remains open to the public while plans are underway to find a long-term site manager.

Point Ellice House was built in 1861 and was the residence of the O’Reilly family from 1867 until 1975. After 108 years, the family moved and left behind nearly 16,000 artifacts, one of the largest collections of late Victorian artifacts in North America. Once one of many homes in a bustling residential neighbourhood, Point Ellice House is now situated in an area of industrial development in Victoria.

“Point Ellice House belongs to the people of British Columbia, and we are committed to keeping this important heritage site open for locals and visitors,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “We are excited the Forager Foundation will reopen this special heritage site and continue to keep its rich history accessible to everyone.”

Founded in 2013, the Forager Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on the preservation and promotion of natural and cultural heritage. The foundation specializes in educational program development, including VR Voyage, an interactive virtual reality platform that allows the public to engage with arts, culture and heritage across B.C. To date, Forager has partnered with 25% of B.C.'s heritage sector, actively working on projects with a number of these organizations.

“As acting director of Heritage at Forager Foundation, my team is excited to work with the Province to keep the doors open at Point Ellice House,” said Bryce Mathew Watts, founder and president of Forager Foundation. “We will be working to build off of the legacy of previous site managers and create new programs and resources that share Point Ellice's unique story with a broader audience in Victoria and across the province.”

The Province provides funding for provincial heritage sites to support operations and maintenance, ensure conservation and support public access. Over the past two years, more than $50 million has been invested to preserve and protect B.C.’s heritage assets, including $20 million in 2021 through the Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure program. As well, the Province committed $30 million through the BC 150 Time Immemorial Grant Program.

The B.C. government has also renewed a contract for site operations with the Carr House Community Society, established in March 2021, for the next five years. The society board members and employees have a unique combined background in heritage interpretation, non-profit management and public programming. Their mission is to operate Carr House as a historic site and creative centre celebrating Emily Carr’s work and life by offering encouragement and space for community creativity and innovation. Emily Carr House welcomes approximately 6,000 visitors each year through its programs and tours.

Quotes:

Paul Nursey, CEO, Destination Greater Victoria –

“Destination Greater Victoria is pleased to see there will be business continuity at Emily Carr House and Point Ellice House. Having a variety of experiences for both locals and visitors to both learn from and enjoy is an essential component of a vibrant and diversified visitor economy. Destination Greater Victoria’s 2019 Visitor Survey research shows that 48% of visitors to Greater Victoria visit an attraction as part of their overall vacation experience. It is wonderful to have two more choices, focused on telling the story of British Columbia’s heritage, as part of the visitor experience mix.”

Pascale Halliday, executive director, Emily Carr House –

“Carr House Community Society is pleased to be continuing its management of the Emily Carr House heritage site. Since its beginning in 2021, the society has taken great pride in providing programming that embraces innovation in living, working and creating together through learning and celebration of Emily Carr’s life themes: art, writing, nature and the environment, feminism, animal rights, emerging creativity and mentorship.”

Marianne Alto, mayor, Victoria –

“As a provincial heritage site, Victoria's Point Ellice House is an important landmark of our city’s colonial history. Across B.C., such sites are treasured reflections of our past, providing windows into our diverse stories. I’m happy to join the Province in ensuring visitors and residents have access to Point Ellice House as it transitions to new opportunities for experiential learning. This decision will benefit residents and visitors and contribute to the Capital Region’s vibrant tourism sector.”

Quick Facts:

• Point Ellice House will reopen to the public by the end of May.
• The Province has made significant financial investments in Point Ellice House since 2019, including:
  • $425,000 for site operations;
  • $337,813 for site maintenance; and
  • a one-time grant of $226,000 through the BC 150 Time Immemorial Grant Program.
• Prior to the pandemic, Point Ellice House hosted 1,600 to 3,000 annual visitors.
• The Forager Foundation was recently named the successful proponent for the site operations of Yale Historic Site in a competitive procurement process used for all provincial heritage operations contracts. Transition discussions are ongoing.

Learn More:

For information about provincial heritage properties, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/celebrating-british-columbia/historic-places/provincial-heritage-properties