St. Roch Revitalization
The Vancouver Maritime Museum is excited to announce a project to revitalize the St. Roch exhibit.
Opening Winter 2026/27
The Vancouver Maritime Museum is undertaking its largest project in 66 years—an Inuit-led revitalization of the St. Roch exhibit, the first major renewal since 1974.
About St. Roch
Built in 1928 in North Vancouver for the RCMP to patrol the Arctic, St. Roch is a significant piece of maritime history. The ship made several voyages in extreme Arctic conditions, sometimes trapped in ice for 10 months per year.
Led by Inuit Voices
The renewal is led by Inuit Consultants Deborah Kigjugalik Webster, anthropologist and researcher, and Martha Kyak, artist and educator from Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), Nunavut.
“The story of St. Roch and the crew, including Inuit and their stories, is an intriguing part of Arctic history that needs to be told more fully,” says Webster.
The Experience
A Deeper Story
The revitalized exhibit honors the essential contributions of Inuit guides—including women and children—whose knowledge and technologies ensured survival of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in the Arctic.
The Panikpakuttuk Family
Eight members of Martha Kyak’s family, Panikpakuttuk; Ajaqutti; Panikpak; Arreak; Panigusiq; Sophie; Palluq; and Kalluk, were part of the 1944 voyage that completed the Northwest Passage in a record 86 days. After being dropped on Herschel Island, they journeyed over 1,000 kilometers by dog sled over two years to return home.
The Experience
The transformed gallery will offer an immersive Arctic perspective and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, allowing visitors to move freely and interact with the ship and its stories. Contemporary and historical content will be interwoven to present the truths of colonialism connected with the history of St. Roch.
“Giving space to Indigenous cultures is so important to our collective growth as an empathetic society,” says Kyak.
“Bringing Indigenous perspectives to the foreground and upgrading the exhibit’s presentation to modern standards will be the biggest upgrade to the museum since the St. Roch exhibit opened in 1974. This project will upgrade the stories being told and the technology we are using to tell them.”David Jordan, Executive Director
A revitalized St. Roch exhibit is a key part of the vision for the future of the VMM.
This project was made possible by contributions from the Destination Development Fund, Pacific Economic Development Fund, Gaming Commission, BC Arts Council, Parks Canada, the VMM Strategic Projects Fund, and the Vancouver Maritime Museum’s generous donors.
“The story of the St. Roch and the crew, including Inuit and their stories, is an intriguing part of Arctic history that needs to be told more fully. After months of the team working on this interpretive plan and schematic design, it was presented to us. I was so moved to tears. It really touched my heart to realize that visitors will soon be able to learn the full story of the St. Roch through an Inuit lens. I’m very happy that the Vancouver Maritime Museum is moving forward. In this time of reconciliation, it’s very important to share all of our history, and in a way that was not done before. So, by including people like Martha, myself and other experts from the North to give our perspective and let that be part of the story, that was outstanding.”Deborah Kigjugalik Webster, Inuit consultant
About our consultants
MARTHA KYAK
Martha Kyak is a seasoned educator with extensive experience in Nunavut education. Since joining Nunavut Sivuniksavut College in 2010, she has made significant contributions, including teaching Inuit History and Inuktitut. Her diverse background includes roles as a classroom teacher, Principal of Ulaajuk School in Pond Inlet, Superintendent of Schools at Qikiqtani School Operations, and Manager of the Teaching and Learning Centre. Martha earned her Bachelor of Education from McGill University and currently serves as the Executive Director of Nunavut Sivuniksavut.
DEBORAH KIGJUGALIK WEBSTER
Deborah Kigjugalik Webster is a researcher (RCMP Inuit Special Constables), author and guest lecturer. Highlights of her career include being a former Curator of Heritage Collections, Government of Nunavut, Advisor to the Diefenbunker Museum. She has held numerous board positions, her most rewarding being President of the Inuit Heritage Trust in Nunavut for eight years.
FUNDERS
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through Pacific Economic Development Canada, and Parks Canada; and the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council, Destination Development Fund, and the BC Capital Gaming Fund.
OFFICIAL HOTEL SPONSOR
“PacifiCan is proud to support the revitalization of the St. Roch gallery, transforming it into a vibrant showcase of maritime history and Indigenous stories. This project, led by the Vancouver Maritime Museum, is creating unforgettable arts and cultural experiences for both Vancouverites and visitors from around the world, making our community a great place to live, work and grow businesses.”The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
FAQs
In 2023, the museum launched a new Strategic Plan to transform the organization through innovation and diversity. A key part of the vision for the future of the Vancouver Maritime Museum is a revitalized St. Roch exhibit.
The St. Roch exhibit has had minimal changes since it was opened in 1974, so it is overdue an update!
We are planning to temporarily close the St. Roch gallery while we install the new exhibit. The exact dates of the closures will be announced later this year.
The renovated gallery featuring new content is scheduled to open in winter 2026/27. More details on any temporary changes to visiting the existing St. Roch exhibit will be released soon.
The artefact that is the ship will not be altered. The gallery around the ship will be transformed with new audiovisual equipment that will allow visitors to be immersed in the St. Roch’s stories and learn about the details that make this historic voyage special.
The goal is to bring Inuit perspectives to the foreground and upgrade the exhibit’s presentation to modern standards.
Detailed design is still in progress, and we will have more information when that process is complete. The stories will be told through audiovisual elements (projections, video, sound), new text panels, and belongings and artefacts on display.
We are building flexibility into the exhibit design, so that the stories can be added to over time. There are so many stories to be told and it is not possible to include them all in the exhibit alone. The renewed exhibit will focus primarily on the first journey through the Northwest passage east to west, and the first circumnavigation of North America.
For a deep dive, visitors can go to stroch.net
For more information, please contact our Curator ermen dellicarpini ermen@vanmaritime.com
You can donate to the museum through our website and you can specify which project you would like your donation to go towards.
vanmaritime.com/support
For more information, please contact Louise Chapman, Director of Development, louise@vanmaritime.com