Trident Nov 16 2009 - Tridentnews.ca

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TRIDENT, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
Lost to the Maritime Command Museum
By Benjamin J. DeLong
Trident Staff
The Maritime Command Museum
has had its troubles: it has
lacked funding, employees, and
sufficient attention for a long time.
Through the last 37 years, there was
only one woman who kept it going.
Marilyn Gurney, 61, was proud to
be the museum’s director, but as of
Friday, October 30, 2009, and after
a long employment at the museum,
Gurney has retired.
She stills plans to work as a volunteer
at the museum every Wednesday,
but also sees her retirement as an
opportunity to travel. She would like
to visit her daughter and grandchildren
in Saint John, New Brunswick,
and she plans to travel across Canada,
America, and Europe with a
friend from the Annapolis Valley.
Gurney was honoured on her last
day with a small open house function
in the Maritime Command
Museum. A few attendees came in
costume, because they were permitted
to wear their Halloween costumes.
Cdr Lin Paddock, Formation
Administration Officer, dressed as
a pirate, complete with a sword he
Capt(N) John Newton, Cdr Lin Paddock, dressed as a pirate for Halloween, and Ellen Rhind listen as Marilyn
Gurney speaks at her retirement function on Friday, October 30, at the Maritime Command Museum.
borrowed from the Maritime Command
Museum.
“Marilyn has been an important
part of preserving where we have
been, where we are, and where we
are going,” Cdr Paddock said, signalling
the importance of the museum
to the Navy. Many people spoke
a word of thanks to Gurney, either
because of the importance of the
museum, or the helpfulness of Gurney,
herself. One person explained it
BENJAMIN J. DELONG
like this: “It’s not so much a question
of ‘what’s in the Maritime Command
Museum’, it’s more like, ‘what does
Marilyn know about this’”
Gurney started working at the
Maritime Command Museum on
January 2, 1974, as a Reservist and
joined the public service in 1982 as
the museum’s curator, and later its
director. During her stay, Gurney
would create several exhibits, and
write articles and books such as The
King’s Yard: An Illustrated History
of the Halifax Dockyard. She’s
written various articles on historical
ships and buildings, and helped
students and professional writers
who would come by the museum.
Notably, she created the CF Diversity
display, which features Canadians
of visible minorities in the military
from 1605. This exhibit is now
available CF-wide.
This was Gurney’s one and only
full-time job. “And it was a hard
job,” according to Capt(N) John
Newton, CFB Halifax Base Commander.
“We were always looking
for temps or students to take positions
at the museum.” While many
employees had left the museum
without putting much time into
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