Call to Researchers (Expression of Interest) – City of New Westminster

All News • March 24, 2025

Call to Researchers (Expression of Interest) – Place-Based Research and Dissemination of the History of Japanese Canadian Residents of New Westminster

Submission Deadline: 11:59 pm (PST) on April 9, 2025

Researcher Fee: $75,000 (with additional project funds for necessary research travel available to the Researcher)

The City of New Westminster Museum and Archives (NWMA) is looking to hire an experienced and passionate Researcher to source, collect, and analyze information about New Westminster’s historic Japanese Canadian community; with a particular emphasis on the development of this community prior to the Second World War.

Working with NWMA staff, the Researcher will assess municipal and non-municipal document-based archival materials. The research process will also prioritize Japanese Canadian knowledge through 1) material created by the community that reference their experiences, and 2) by engaging with Japanese Canadians connected to New Westminster to document the stories of local families through oral history interviews. Note travel between the Lower Mainland in British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario is an important component of the work.

The Researcher’s findings will create a strong foundation for NWMA’s multiphase project; their efforts will inform the development of physical heritage interpretation placed across multiple sites in New Westminster. The findings will also support ongoing City effort and responsibility to continually build and increase the visibility and accessibility of Japanese Canadian stories in the community.

Research Timeline

All research must be completed by December 31, 2025. Work will begin in early May and progress in three phases:

Phase 1 Contemplated work includes municipal records assessment and external sourcing; outreach and planning. A milestone report is due June 30, 2025.

Phase 2 Contemplated work includes research collection, research travel, research analysis and thematic work planning. A milestone report is due October 31, 2025.

Phase 3 Contemplated work includes preparation of research findings for transfer to City archives, preparation of content for public facing webpage, work with interpretive team to communicate key research findings. Final reporting is due December 31, 2025.

For full details click HERE

Deadline
11:59 pm on April 9, 2025 (PST)

Selection Process
Submissions are part of a two-phase process. A Selection Panel of New Westminster Museum and Archives staff will review submissions and shortlist applicants for interview and further consideration.

Contact

Questions?
Contact Rebeca Salas, Cultural Heritage Supervisor
Email: rsalas@newwestcity.ca
Phone: 604.515.3829

Japanese Canadian Legacies are initiatives that honour our elders past and present. We are grateful to be doing this work on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples.