What's Happening: Cultural Services In Delta

December 2024

As the weather continues to cool, we have a delightful assortment of activities to choose from. Take in a bit of Christmas cheer at the Discovery Centre, participate in a holiday youth market at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre, or cozy up with your loved ones to watch a holiday classic at the North Delta Centre for the Arts.

Regardless of the holiday you celebrate, or even if you're just looking forward to the break, Delta has an event or a program just for you. Delta’s Cultural Services staff wish you a joyful holiday season!

You can find the most up to date information on Delta’s Cultural Services programs and events at Delta.ca/CulturalServices.

Upcoming Events & Programs

Delta Ukulele Circle

Join the Delta Ukes on Saturday, December 7 at 2:30pm for the last Ukulele Circle of 2024 at the North Delta Centre for the Arts. We hit all time high crowd levels in 2024. The Ukulele Circle will continue into 2025, on the first Saturday of the month. Join us February 1 for the first circle of the new year.

Learn more

Holiday Countdown at the Discovery Centre

Come by the Discovery Centre for a variety of holiday themed activities this winter. We have something every weekend in December and during the holiday break! Try your hand at cookie decorating or learn how to make your own cards, ornaments, flower crowns or magic lanterns. If you prefer to relax, we have a winter story time or a viewing of A Christmas Carol. All programs are free or low cost. We look forward to getting festive with you this December.

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Holiday Maker Series

The best part of the holidays is the giving, perhaps made even more meaningful when the gift is handmade. We have eight classes to choose from and all materials will be supplied. Register for the holiday classes in bundles of three, five, or eight to receive discounts! You can learn to make hand painted wooden gnomes, watercolour Christmas cards, clay fairy houses, and more!

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Youth Christmas Market

Proudly supporting our local youth artists and talented crafters, Delta invites you to make your way to the Tsawwassen Art Centre on Saturday, December 14. This is an exciting opportunity for young artisans to showcase and sell their crafts while offering them the chance to learn a little bit about business. Show your support with a visit and you might just find that last-minute gift item!

If you are a young artisan who is interested in participating in this Youth Christmas Market, please click "Learn more" to register.

Learn more

Winter Break Camps

Looking for something to keep the kids busy during Winter Break? Cultural Services has some fun and creative classes to keep them entertained.

Paint It – Create colourful and dynamic work in this painting class. For those who like to work with a brush and palette, this is the day camp for you!
Sculpt It – This program is for the kids who like to build, create, and work in 3D. Students will learn about sculpture as a medium. We will introduce participants to a variety of materials and processes, such as modelling clay, wire working, and using recycled or found materials.
Winter Wonderland Mixed Media Art Camp – This mixed-media collage camp will teach your child techniques to build their ability to work in a variety of mediums. Each day is a new artistic adventure including modeling clay, acrylic paints, coloured pencils, oil pastels, watercolour paints, and mixed media.

Holiday Movies

For only $5, including popcorn, visit North Delta Centre for the Arts and watch these holiday classics.

Wednesday, December 18, 7 pm: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Saturday, December 21, 7 pm: Christmas Vacation

Monday, December 23, 6:30 pm: Polar Express

Seasonal Events

Christmas Concerts

Back again to celebrate the merriest season are two well-loved community Christmas concerts featuring seasonal favorites and a singalong. Free admission with the donation of a non-perishable food item. Enjoy hot chocolate and goodies while you get into the holiday spirit.

Tuesday, December 3, 7pm - Delta Music Makers at the Ladner Community Centre.

Tuesday, December 10, 7pm - Delta Concert Band at the North Delta Centre for the Arts.

Sunday, December 15, 3pm - Family Christmas Concert at the North Delta Centre for the Arts

Ballet BC at the North Delta Centre for the Arts

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to engage with world-class ballet dancers at the North Delta Centre for the Arts on Saturday, December 14 at 7pm. Each season the Ballet BC annex dancers visit communities across the lower mainland to share their talents with audiences of all ages.

Purchase tickets.

Holiday Countdown: New Year’s Eve – Fancy Family Fête

Dressing fancy and celebrating New Year’s Eve isn’t just for adults. You don’t have to miss out on the fun even if you don’t think you can make it to midnight! Join us at the Discovery Centre for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration on Tuesday, December 31 between 3-5pm! Come dressed in your fancy attire to celebrate an early New Year’s Eve countdown with activities, light refreshments, and a photo booth.

Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre Updates

Immerse yourself in Delta’s rich cultural heritage at the Discovery Centre. Interact with our community’s engaging present while exploring the rich possibilities of Delta’s future. Delve into our unique and captivating digital exhibits. Reveal the intriguing community stories embedded in the artifacts on display. What will you discover about Delta? Come by for a visit today.

Visit us over the Winter Break. The Discovery Centre is open daily throughout the holiday break, except for Christmas Day on Wednesday, December 25. Check the website below for official hours. Admission is always free.

Delta.ca/DiscoveryCentre

Archives Update

Delta Archives, 2008-024-015, Arthur Swenson’s rugby team in WWI camp

There are plenty of exciting developments at the Archives, as the collection continues to grow. One recent addition to our online collection is the Swenson Family Fonds. Documenting Delta’s Swenson family during the WWI years, this collection includes many letters by Arthur and Sidney Swenson who served during the war, alongside several photos of Arthur Swenson overseas. All the letters are now scanned and transcribed to make them more accessible.

Recently we digitized some records belonging to Raymond Martin, a Vancouver singer, a descendant of the Wilson family from Canoe Pass (Hwlitsum First Nation). Raymond’s photos showcase various members of his family, fishing scenes, and his stay at a TB sanatorium in Kamloops. Also, of note, are copies of two songs he wrote about his experience as a young man in the fishing industry. Check them all out online.

View the Swenson Family Fonds

View the Henry Wilson Family and Hwlitsum First Nation Fonds.

Most of the work over the past few months has focused on processing the records of Doug Massey. This is one of the largest personal fonds in the archives, catching up has been very rewarding. Doug has contributed to our community in so many ways, from his time in municipal council, to his effort to save the Delta Hospital. Take some time to learn about this advocacy work protecting interests of the Delta community and it surrounding environment.

Listen here

Though not accessible yet, we have also accepted some accruals for the Annieville community from the Christiansen, Starheim, and Stokkeland families. Recently the last of the Larson family of Strawberry Hill and Dahl family of Annieville documents were accepted and processed. What a pleasure to see our collection grow to better represent the history of North Delta, a previously under documented part of Delta’s history within the Archives.

Curator's Corner

Culture Days Community “Landscapes” Reception and Current and Upcoming Exhibitions

Great times were had by all at the Community "Landscapes" reception hosted at the Discovery Centre on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. As a part of Culture Days in October, we invited the public to submit their interpretations of Delta “Landscapes” in a variety of mediums. The community answered with over 50 submissions which showcased our vibrant local landscape in a variety of art forms. Staff narrowed the submissions down to the top 10 and the public were invited to vote over the month of October 2024. Over 630 people cast their votes to help select the top three submissions. Peter Scurr won first place, Camryn Turnbull won second place, and Leah Terpsma won third place. Cultural services staff explored the future of collaboration and art exhibitions at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre and the North Delta Centre for the Arts with attendees. Look out for a display of the top 10 landscapes at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre later in November and the North Delta Centre for the Arts in the New Year!

City of Delta Artists Exhibition November 15, 2024 to April 15, 2025

Take some time to explore the imagination and creative expression of some of our Delta staff at the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre now through April 2025. We invited artists who work with the City of Delta to submit pieces for display in this exhibition. We were delighted to receive interest from a wide array of departments from Engineering to Parks, Recreation & Culture and Emergency Services. This space will feature pieces from emerging to established artists in a wide array of mediums. From sketches to photography to fiber arts, we have something that will appeal to a wide range of tastes. Come by the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre and view these unique works. We hope you find some inspiration to get creative in your own life.