Land of Thundering Snow

Land of Thundering Snow is a travelling exhibit that aims to teach visitors about avalanche history and safety in Canada.

Propelled by gravity, snow avalanches are releases of snow that rush downhill in steep terrain, altering the landscape and ecosystem as they pass. The unimaginable power of an avalanche carves new patterns into the landscape, and becomes fresh ground for species of plants and animals that thrive in slide paths. The exhibit also emphasizes the impact that avalanches have had on human settlement, migration, travel, and transportation. From the mapping of railways and highways to the technological advances of avalanche mitigation, the story of avalanches encompasses the story of humans and landscape and ties them together for museum visitors in an engaging and interactive experience.

Opens in April, 2023

Produced by:

Upcoming Exhibit

Broken Promises​

Grounded in research from Landscapes of Injustice – a 7 year multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, community engaged project, this exhibit explores the dispossession of Japanese Canadians in the 1940s. It illuminates the loss of home and the struggle for justice of one racially marginalized community. The story unfolds by following seven narrators. Learn about life for Japanese Canadians in Canada before war, the administration of their lives during and after war ends, and how legacies of dispossession continue to this day.

Broken Promises is curated by the Nikkei National Museum and the Royal British Columbia Museum in partnership with Landscapes of Injustice, a research project headquartered at the University of Victoria, with collaborators across Canada.

Coming September 23, 2023

More About George...

George Phillips was a key figure in the history of the Exploration Place Museum + Science Centre.  His arrival as Executive Director in 1992 heralded the beginning of our transformation from a small, local history museum to the world-class, multidisciplinary organization we are today.  

He believed passionately that the future of collecting institutions depended on their relevance to their communities; a relevance that was built one-on-one, beginning as early as possible.  He often said words to the effect that someone doesn't just wake up at 18 years old and decide to be an engineer; that an affinity for the arts and the sciences  grows over a lifetime of experiences.  Museums are one place where those experiences can originate.  Dedicating our temporary exhibit space to George is both to honour his memory and the impact he had on this Museum, as well as to imbed that philosophy of discovery and inspiration in the culture of our organization.  

The George Phillips Exhibit Gallery will play host to traveling and in house exhibits, embracing a vast array of topics. It is a perfect legacy for a man who brought the world to our community by inviting us to look closely at our history while dreaming about our collective future.

Benefits to being a Community Keeper

• All donations come with a receipt for income tax purposes
• You will receive an invitation for you and a guest to join us for our annual Evening with the Vet, for Community Keepers only!
• With donations of $25 or more, or with a monthly recurring donation, you will receive a personalized digital certificate
• With donations of $100 or more, or with a monthly recurring donation, your name or business logo will be displayed on our website for one year
• Invitation to our Members & Sponsors Christmas Party
• Invitations to other special events throughout the year