The Museum & Archives of Vernon, in partnership with the Vernon Branch of the Okanagan Historical Society, is pleased to welcome archaeologist Emily Hails as the first speaker in the third season of the Hometown Histories speaker series. The presentation will take place on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00 PM at the Vernon Museum (3009 32nd Avenue).
Emily Hails has worked as a professional archaeologist since 2014 and has served as an archaeologist with Ursus Heritage Consulting since 2017. Based in Interior British Columbia, her work spans residential and municipal developments, as well as projects with BC Hydro, BC Parks, and Parks Canada. She holds a Master’s degree from Newcastle University (UK), where she contributed to the digital recording of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon settlement in Northumberland. Her field experience also includes excavations at a 13,000-year-old midden site on the Central Coast of British Columbia.
Specializing in lithic artifact analysis, Hails brings both technical expertise and a passion for uncovering the stories embedded in the land. When not in the field, she enjoys reading and exploring the outdoors. “Archaeology connects people to place in powerful ways,” says Gwyneth Evans. “It also reminds us that the histories of this region reach far beyond written records, including the deep and ongoing presence of Indigenous communities. We’re excited to start the season with a speaker who brings those layers into focus.”
Established in 2008, Ursus Heritage Consulting provides heritage and archaeological consulting services across a wide range of sectors, including partnerships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, developers, forestry clients, private landowners, BC Hydro, and local, provincial, and federal governments. The organization operates offices in Vernon, Kaslo, and the Comox Valley.
Ursus Heritage Consulting respectfully acknowledges that its team lives and works on Indigenous ancestral lands, particularly those of the syilx, Secwepemc, K’omoks, Sinixt, and Ktunaxa peoples.
The Hometown Histories speaker series continues to bring engaging, locally relevant historical topics to the Vernon community, fostering a deeper appreciation of the region’s past.
Tickets for the talk are $10 and can be purchased at https://greatervernonmuseum.square.site/product/speaker-series-with-emily-hails/VXUGZSIN6EJICGGK57MN3K4Y?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false. Proceeds support both the MAV and the OHS.
