Are you missing a historic photo album with black and white pictures dating back to 1939? Did you ever have a storage unit in Abbotsford, B.C.? If you answered yes to both of these questions, this may be your lucky day.
Abbotsford resident Kristen Gunther is searching for the owner of a photo album her dad found while cleaning out a storage unit at Simpson Mini Storage three years ago.
Her mother used to work at the company, and her Dad was allowed to clean out storage lockers when people could no longer pay or had abandoned their items. That’s when he came across the photo album.
“He knew this was a piece of history and extremely important to somebody, so he kept it,” she said, noting that her dad was “big on family.” “He couldn't throw it out - he didn't have the heart to.”
Her father passed away in September 2014, and many of his items went into the family’s own storage unit. Several weeks ago, Gunther and her sister decided to sort through some of his belongings – and that’s when they discovered the weathered album.
“I remembered everything he had said about it, and how important he thought it was,” she said. “I knew right then and there that I needed to do something.”
Gunther posted some of the album’s photos to Facebook hoping someone would recognize the pictures – and it was shared close to 600 times.
She has also been messaged “non-stop” with helpful tips, including the suggestion that she donates the album to a museum, but Gunther hopes the real owners will come forward.
“It is a piece of history, but I feel as if it’s not my photos, not my memories to just donate,” she said.
Some important clues have been uncovered in the album mystery, Gunther adds. Two of the photographed locations have been identified: the Indian Residential School in Kamloops in 1943, and Douglas Lake, B.C. Some of the photos date back as far as 1939.
Some of the names of people in the photos have also been found, including Elsie McDougal, August McCouley, Gwen Ward, Angela, Phil, Berry, Naneen, Dinny, Sheila and Rossy.
Gunther is optimistic that these clues will bring her closer to connecting the album with its rightful owners – something her dad would have wanted as well.
“I know if I had lost something so important to me I hope somebody would take the time to find me, and reunite me with those memories,” Gunther said.
“And I really think my Dad would be happy and proud about this. I think he would like the album to be reunited with the family.”
Check out more photos from the album here.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Michele Brunoro
