About Us

The Galiano Museum Society was incorporated in May 1997 with the mission of preserving and sharing the rich history of Galiano Island. Its focus spans the stories of the island's Indigenous people, resilient pioneers and families, farmers, loggers, and today's semi-rural community.

From the beginning, the Society gathered artifacts, photographs, and documents that reflect the island's diverse heritage. The collection includes local First Nations artifacts, diaries, art work, artifacts from Galiano families, and historic photographs and video.

The late Alistair Ross was instrumental in founding the Museum Society and guiding it through its early years. The Society's first display was a small showcase in the local school. By spring of 2000, the Museum opened its first official home in a rented cottage on Porlier Pass Road. For three years, this space welcomed visitors, hosted special events, and showcased the island's history. When the lease ended in 2003, the collection was moved into temporary storage.

To keep a public presence, the Museum Society established a seasonal venue in 2004 at Aunt Di's Cottage in the Lions' Park. For several summers, visitors and residents alike enjoyed rotating displays of photographs, documents, and artifacts. Alongside these exhibits, the Society hosted events to mark significant anniversaries and highlight aspects of local history—from the Queen's Jubilee, to the Japanese charcoal pits, the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers, the Dionisio Park village site, and the 150th anniversary of the island's naming by Captain Richards in 1858.

A lasting milestone came in 2002, when Gerry and Mary-Jean Elliott generously donated a parcel of land for the Museum's permanent site. Dedicated as a memorial to the victims of the Cap Rouge II tragedy, this gift represents a foundation for the Museum's long-term vision: to preserve and share Galiano's history for generations to come.