It's a patchwork of stories created via a patchwork of volunteers, all in the name of celebrating the centennial.

Stitching Our History, a large-scale wall hanging celebrating Port Moody's past and present, is nearing completion, although the final touches will entail some help from the public.

Starting today (Wednesday, Feb. 20), the four-by-14-foot piece will be hung in the Galleria at Port Moody City Hall for three weeks, giving residents an opportunity to add some stitching to the nearly completed work.

"You can put in one stitch or you can put in 100," said Ann Kitching, who brought the idea to life about two years ago.

"It's very much a grass roots community project. We are creating a picture of Port Moody."

The outlines of various images still need to be filled in; that's where the resident participation comes in.

"I tell you, this project has been so much fun," Kitching said.

"Some of the stitching is just beautiful. We have the imagination and talent of so many members of our community."

The images currently on the quilt reference a number of aspects of city life, both past and present: Col. Richard Moody, sulphur piles, blackberries, blue trees and even penguins have found a home on the quilt.

The story of the SS Scenic is also represented. In service between 1908 and 1970, the Scenic was the only floating post office in the history of the Commonwealth.

"It would bring supplies, the passengers and the mail to Port Moody and then it would go back to Ioco, and then to Deep Cove and then back to Vancouver," Kitching said.

"That was how people came backwards and forwards before the Barnet Highway was built."

The idea to put the quilt together was hatched by Kitching about two years ago. She ran the concept by city staff and was given the green light, before enlisting about 30 volunteers to help move the idea from vision to reality.

On top of her team of volunteers, all of the intangibles - the glass, wood and carpentry work - have been donated by Port Moody residents as well.

"It's all Port Moody. I'm very proud of this city," Kitching said.

Despite the project winding down, Kitching doesn't necessarily see the quilt ever being finished, per se. Instead, it can be added on to and become an evolving project over time.

"I'm sure there are things that we've forgotten," she said.

"There's bound to be people asking about certain things.

But there's always more room for additions."

The quilt will be in the Galleria at City Hall through March 1.

Residents can add to the quilt between 2 and 4 p.m. each day, and their names will then be added to a registry of all of those who took part.

jkurucz@thenownews.com

For more information on the project, see www.facebook. com/pages/Stitching-Our-History-Port-Moody.