Help us preserve The Nonsuch
My name is Laird Rankin. I am a long-time supporter of The Manitoba Museum and a fan of the Nonsuch. I”m writing today to ask for your support. Last year at about this same time, The Museum board president, Ken Ross, invited you to donate to the conservation of this unique and valued treasure. Donor response was phenomenal. So many of us love, and are concerned for the future of, the Nonsuch.
Your initial generosity has helped to start the process of Nonsuch conservation. Consultants have been on board. Reports are being written. The real work can soon begin. I ask you to send your donation to the ongoing work on our little ketch replica. This unique artefact is very special to me.
It was my job with Hudson’s Bay Company that first brought me to the Nonsuch. I joined the Company in October 1967 to help carry out a number of projects developed to celebrate the Company’s 300th anniversary in 1970. Unique among them was the Nonsuch, a replica of the ship whose voyage in 1668 led to the founding of the Hbc in 1670. A prairie boy, without any nautical experience but with much good fortune, I drew the short straw and the ship was mine to manage for the next seven years. I had the oversight for her three summer tours in Canadian waters (1970, 1971 and 1972) and for bringing the replica overland to Winnipeg, in bits and pieces, for installation, repair and reassembly in The Manitoba Museum (1973-1974).
It was an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
While it has been decades since I last saw the ship work her magic on the water, whether that was her arrival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario (1970) or while under full sail in Puget Sound (1972), I only have to visit the Nonsuch Gallery to see that she has not lost her touch. Visitors fall under her spell and stare in wonder and awe at what they see towering above them and moored, at low tide, against a 17th century dock.
Aside from the considerable history this replica represents, the Nonsuch and her gallery home are unique in the world. They belong to us. We enjoy the bragging rights. But not in perpetuity, unless that is our unwise choice. Please send your donation today. Help keep this treasure in our Manitoba family.
A precious artifact like the Nonsuch, so meticulously built in 1968, requires a considerable annual investment
to keep her in showroom condition, to counteract the wear and tear from the traffic jams her immense
popularity generate annually. Even dusting the ship doesn”t come cheap!
Initially, I supported the Museum’s annual appeals in support of the ship out of a sense of obligation; she was an important part of my life. Did I really have a choice? Obligation, however, has evolved into responsibility and to do what I can financially to ensure that the ship is around for future generations to enjoy.
Help me and the Museum give the past a future.
Sincerely
Laird Rankin
P.S. You can donate on-line by going to The Manitoba Museum website and clicking on Donate Now.
P.P.S. I also invite you to join our latest contest; win dinner and a tour for you and five friends in the Nonsuch Gallery. I will be the host for the evening and I would love to share my memories of the Nonsuch with you. It’s as easy as going to www.manitobamuseumcontest.com or by mailing your name, address and phone number to Conserve the Nonsuch Contest, The Manitoba Museum, 190 Rupert Ave, Winnipeg MB, R3B 0N2.
P.P.P.S. Why not become a monthly donor? Simply indicate the amount you would like deducted from your credit card each month on the back of the attached coupon. It’s easy and convenient for you and helps the Museum all year round.
