Government and Governance, Power and Authority

British Columbia today is both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy, which means that British Columbians elect people to represent them at the provincial legislature. These elected representatives are called members of the legislative assembly (MLAs). Each MLA represents a different area, called an electoral district or a constituency. It is their job to…

How do we reconcile past wrongs? Look at documents and objects from the Royal BC Museum’s ethnology collection and archives to learn about the effects of Indian residential schools and think about how we can reach reconciliation.

Look into documents and artifacts from the Royal BC Museum and Archives to uncover how the Chinese Canadian community was treated in BC’s past.

It’s been more than 100 years since the beginning of the First World War. How can we now use artifacts, documents, and other primary sources to understand what life was like for people during this part of BC’s past?

Jack Webster was a well-known British Columbian journalist. BCTV donated all of the Webster! episodes to the Royal BC Museum. What will you discover about BC's recent past from the Jack Webster collection?

Explore the rich history of the people who learned and taught in St. Ann's Schoolhouse.

In 1858 word of gold rang out in the Fraser Canyon, setting off a dramatic migration of people and propelling this once remote region of western North American into the modern age. What can you discover about BC's gold rush?

Canada’s oldest Chinatown is in Victoria, BC. The Royal BC Museum exhibition Tradition in Felicities used video, photographs and the written word to celebrate the community of this national landmark. Teachers look for lesson plans in Watch!

Documentary film and photographic images held in the BC Archives help us to remember the First World War. Watch video, see photographs and read about the war sometimes called The Great War.

The role of the British Crown in Canada is mainly ceremonial, but the lieutenant-governor still plays a key part in the governing of British Columbia.