Courtenay and District Museum & Palaeontology Centre

Lecture: The Best Loved Boat: Princess Maquinna
2024-03-12 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Vancouver) | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Event type: In-person
Time and Date: 7pm, Tuesday, March 12 (6:30pm Doors Open)
Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum
Speaker: Ian Kennedy
Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for general public. Advance tickets recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.
Kennedy’s talk, based on the book of the same title, tells the story of the BC built ship, the Princess Maquinna that sailed up and down the west cost of Vancouver Island for nearly forty years from 1913 until 1952.
Princess Maquinna, sometimes referred to as the “Ugly Princess” but most often “Old Faithful,” transported Indigenous people, settlers, missionaries, loggers, cannery workers, prospectors and travellers of all kinds up and down Vancouver Island’s rugged and dangerous west coast, stopping at up to forty ports of call on her seven-day run.
The Maquinna faithfully served as the lifeline for all those who lived on the west coast of Vancouver Island before it became accessible by roads. Because of this strong connection she became the “Best Loved Boat” in BC’s maritime history.
The people on the west coast relied on the Maquinna for their supplies, medical needs, food, mail, newspapers, liquor and transportation in and out of their communities. Weddings were timed to the ship’s schedule; women took her to hospitals in Port Alberni or Victoria for the births of their children, and tourists flocked to buy tickets to cruise on her in the summers. She made three, 1500 km. long, trips a month from Victoria to Holberg, near the top of the Island, and back, stopping at over thirty ports, some of which had no wharves.
In his book Kennedy recounts battles through eighty-knot gales along the exposed coastline sailors called “The Graveyard of the Pacific,” and reveals the bigotry that forced Indigenous and Chinese passengers to remain on the foredeck of the ship while other passengers sheltered from the elements inside. He brings the history of this beloved ship to life with rich detail, recalling a time when this remote part of British Columbia was alive with mines, canneries and now-forgotten settlements.
Copies of The Best Loved Boat (Harbour Publishing) will be available for purchase ($35 cash or cheque only) and signing after the talk.
Ian Kennedy is the author of several books about BC history including 2010’s The Life and Times of Joseph McPhee, Courtenay’s Founding Father and co-author of Tofino and Clayoquot Sound: A History with Margaret Horsfield published in 2014.

Holiday Closure
2023-12-24 16:00 - 2024-01-01 17:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
We will be closed for the holiday from Sunday, December 24, 2023 thru to Monday, January 1, 2024. Our regular hours resume Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

Live Music: Tranquil Harp
2023-12-16 13:00 - 15:00, 2023-12-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Patt Scrivener is passionate about the Celtic harp. A long distance move forced her to leave her beloved grand piano behind and in 2001 she replaced it with a Celtic harp. Patt has been fortunate to study with some great harpists from Canada, USA, Israel, Wales and Scotland.
She plays music in many genres including, Scandinavian, Classical, Celtic, Latin and Pop. Her extensive piano background has been an asset in teaching herself and others to play the harp. Patt makes her home in Parksville, BC and performs for celebrations of all kinds and teaches music in her home studio.
Tranquil Harp’s Website

Exhibit Opening: Our Living Languages
2023-12-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in British Columbia
December 16, 2023 to April 6, 2024
You might find yourself expanding your vocabulary—and appreciation for the state of Indigenous languages spoken in BC—after visiting the Courtenay and District Museum to view the Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC travelling exhibition.
Learn what First Nations communities throughout the province are doing to help 34 different languages survive and flourish, in Our Living Languages, a beautifully designed exhibition from the Royal BC Museum and First Peoples’ Cultural Council that celebrates the resilience and diversity of Indigenous languages in the face of change.
Languages, especially the languages we grow up with, are powerful and potent markers of identity and culture. BC, one of the planet’s most linguistically diverse regions, is known as a linguistic “hotspot” because of the diversity and vitality of the First Nations languages in BC.
Through interactive stations, video and audio, Our Living Languages: First Peoples’ Voices in BC provides visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the history of disrupted languages in BC, the complexity of these languages, and the people–and entire communities–that are working tirelessly to document and revitalize them.
The original exhibition of the same name was developed in partnership with the First Peoples’ Cultural Council and was displayed at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria before being adapted and developed as a travelling exhibition to be enjoyed by people throughout the province.
The travelling exhibition runs from December 16, 2023 to April 6, 2024 at the Courtenay Museum.

Members-Only Gift Shop Sale
2023-12-01 - 2023-12-23 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
From December 1st through to the 23rd, Courtenay Museum members will receive a special 25% discount on most items in our gift shop. Not a member? No worries! Purchase a membership at the front desk and you will immediately qualify for the member’s-only sale.
We’re happy to announce plenty of new items hitting the gift shop shelves this month and into December, including tea towels, metal signs, glasses cases, and much more from Emma Bridgewater and Thornback & Peel. Come and check us out to start making your shopping list!
Please note, this offer does not apply to items already marked down or on consignment. Your valid membership card must be shown at the time of purchase.

Lecture: Tales of the Elasmosaur
2023-11-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Event type: In-person
Time and Date: 7 pm, Tuesday, November 28th
Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum
Speaker: Pat Trask
Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for the general public. Advance tickets are recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.
Join Courtenay Museum Natural History Curator, Pat Trask, for an evening all about palaeontological discovery in the Comox Valley. Trask will recount “Tales of the Elasmosaur” at 7pm on Tuesday, November 28th in the museum gallery.
Trask will focus on the 1988 discovery of the Puntledge River elasmosaur (which was just officially designated as BC’s provincial fossil emblem), discoveries made by others in the Comox Valley, and on his own recent find of a juvenile elasmosaur on the Trent River. Pat’s lecture will include slides and a walk through the exhibit area.
Pat Trask is well known in the Comox Valley for his passion for palaeontology. Thousands of school children and members of the public have attended his fossil tours over the years. He is also the recipient of the Rene Savenye Award that is given to honour an amateur palaeontologist who has demonstrated outstanding service to the science or to palaeontological education in BC.

Elasmosaur’s Birthday
2023-11-25 11:00 - 14:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Courtenay’s very own Puntledge River Elasmosaur is turning 80,000,035 this November! Join us at the museum on Saturday, November 25th from 11:00am – 2:00pm for a special birthday party for the Elasmosaur, and celebrate its official designation as the provincial fossil of BC. This event is fun for all ages. With some help from adults, kids can craft, wear, and take home their own birthday hat. Attendees will also be given a commemorative postcard certificate that they can sign and keep, as well as a special custom button to celebrate the event. Please join the museum team and volunteers for door prizes, birthday decorations, cake and cupcakes, juice, and a visit from the museum mascot. Thank you to MLA Ronna-Rae Leonard for giving a special welcome at 12:30 pm.

Lecture: Sheltering in the Backrush, A History of Twin Islands
2023-11-21 19:00 - 20:30 | BC
Event type: In-person
Time and Date: 7 pm, Tuesday, November 21st
Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum
Speaker: Jeanette Taylor
Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for the general public. Advance tickets are recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.
A treasure trove of intriguing photos and stories emerged when historian Jeanette Taylor set to work on her latest book, Sheltering in the Backrush, A History of Twin Islands. Some of the stories are so bizarre, says Taylor, they prove the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction.
Twin Islands, which lies to the south of Cortes, belonged to German royalty for several decades and visits by Queen Elizabeth II and family gave the islands cachet. But it’s Twin’s livewire cast of former owners and caretakers who generate the most interest among readers. They include unconventional lovers, the victim of an unsolved murder, WWII spies and espionage, newspaper moguls and an anonymous heiress who saved the islands from clear cut logging.
Twin’s unsolved murder involves an Irish aristocrat who bought property on the islands after leaving his wife and sons on Denman Island in 1912. A few years later he was shot through the jaw while lounging on his yacht. Nixon wrote a note, suggesting there must have been a blasting cap in his tobacco, which exploded when he lit his pipe. But when police investigation revealed he’d been shot through the porthole of his boat by a high calibre rifle, Nixon wondered if a ‘pit-lamper’ (someone hunting at night with a light to transfix a deer’s eyes) mistook the flare of his match for an animal. Nixon died a month later and as no more plausible theory emerged, the case was closed.
Dick and Ethel Andrews, Americans with a steel import business in Japan, bought the islands in 1936 as a refuge during World War II. They hired a local foreman and crew to build a massive log lodge. Their first task was to cut logs for a structure and furnishings that remain largely as built. “The Twin Islands Lodge,” says Taylor, “is a stunning example of north Vancouver Island’s architectural heritage.”
Twin Islands Lodge c.1939 courtesy John Harrison.
Taylor found the descendants of most of Twin’s former owners and caretakers. Telephone interviews, like one with a German prince, from his castle in the Black Forest, and meeting descendants of the Depression-era owners and their construction crew were highlights. Many had photographs to share, including a large collection of sepia-toned images of the crew and construction of the lodge. Among them, says Taylor, are images of the crew’s cook wagging a warning finger at a pig and another of the same woman in a daring pair of tailored slacks, posed in front of a stack of roof shakes.
Helge Rasmussen with roof shingles. From C. Rasmussen collection. Courtesy Rita Rasmussen.
Speaker/Author Jeanette Taylor. Photo by Gerry Cote.
Copies of Sheltering in the Backrush, A History of Twin Islands” will be available for purchase ($24.95 plus tax, Harbour Publishing) and signing after the talk.
Jeanette Taylor is the author of five nonfiction books about our region. She’s currently working on a biography of Courtenay settler Reginald Pidcock, historical fiction, and a history of the Broughtons/mainland inlets. Taylor also teaches fiction and nonfiction writing workshops for the McLoughlin Gardens Society.

Moonlight & Magic 2023
2023-11-17 17:00 - 20:30 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
The museum will be open from 5:00pm to 8:30pm for Courtenay’s 2023 Moonlight and Magic event on Friday, November 17th. Walk the streets of Courtenay and enjoy events, music, food, and shops open later than usual. Admission to the museum will be by donation while our hours extend into the evening for the public.
Click for Details

Live Music: Blaine Dunaway
2023-10-28 11:00 - 13:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Enhance your museum experience through the improvisational melodies crafted by Blaine Dunaway as you navigate through the exhibits to the sounds of his violin.
Blaine Dunaway is a local composer, music teacher, violinist, and trumpet player. Known Canada-wide, his experience composing music spans many styles, ranging from 15-piece bands to meditation tracks. He teaches cello, violin, flugelhorn, trumpet, and beginner guitar to students of all ages.
Blaine’s Website

Lecture: Fascinating Fungi ***SOLD OUT***
2023-10-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Event type: In-person ***SOLD OUT***
Time and Date: 7 pm, Tuesday, October 17th
Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum
Speaker: Rick Ross
Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for the general public. Advance tickets are recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.
THIS EVENT IS NOW ***SOLD OUT***
Discover the fascinating world of fungi with biologist Rick Ross.
Rick will be your guide to explore the intriguing world of BC mushrooms. He has years of experience to provide valuable insight for mushroom hunting season, and attendees are welcome to bring mushrooms for help with identification.
Rick Ross earned a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Botany with Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria. His education led to a stint with the Pacific Forest Research Centre before joining Western Evergreens Ltd, a Non-Timber Forest Products company for over two decades.
This lecture coincides with the Courtenay Museum hosting the travelling exhibition “BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms,” created by the Royal BC Museum and on exhibit here until December 9th.

Live Music: Alan Jossul
2023-10-14 11:00 - 13:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Elevate your museum visit with the soothing sounds of Alan Jossul’s ambient music as you explore the exhibits and immerse yourself in the atmosphere.
Alan Jossul is a local, nationally known, solo and ensemble guitarist. As an educator, he specializes in teaching students of all ages and levels to play and enjoy string-fretted instruments.

Exhibit Opening Day: BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms
2023-09-08 | BC
A new travelling exhibition, BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms, created by the Royal BC Museum, explore the scientific and practical uses of mushrooms today, highlighting some of the most fascinating of the 3,400 known species in the province.
BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms encourages visitors to learn more about BC mushrooms and their versality. It introduces a cross-section of different species—some familiar, some bizarre, some delicious and some deadly. Their lives are interwoven with every part of British Columbia ecosystems.
Mushrooms are not only a subject of scientific study but also a source of food, dyes, and medicine; and objects of ceremony and beauty. This exhibition delves into the many facets of these fabulous fungi.
The fungi exhibit will be on display in the museum’s second floor gallery from September 8th until December 9th, 2023.
Click for Details

Summer Kids’ Crafts
2023-08-26 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-08-19 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-08-12 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-08-05 08:00 - 17:00, 2023-07-29 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-07-22 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-07-15 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-07-08 11:00 - 13:00 and 1 more date | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Be sure to stop by before the end of the summer break. From now until August 26th, the Courtenay and District Museum will continue Kids’ Craft Saturdays.
Join our Kids Craft Coordinator, Hannah, as she guides youth and parents through the steps to make new weekly creations you can take home. The museum provides all materials and tools needed for the event.

BC Day Closure
2023-08-06 - 2023-08-07 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
The museum will be closed on Sunday, August 6th and Monday, August 7th. Wishing everyone a safe and happy BC Day holiday!

Canada Day Celebrations
2023-07-01 11:00 - 15:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Explore our country’s rich history this Canada Day by stopping by the museum’s open house from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. People of all ages are invited to celebrate the day with music from Alan Jossul and kids crafts provided by museum staff.
Jossul is a local, nationally known, solo and ensemble guitarist. As an educator, he specializes in teaching students of all ages and levels to play and enjoy string fretted instruments.

Summer Kids’ Crafts
2023-06-24 11:00 - 13:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Due to the community’s overwhelming support and the popularity of this weekend event, the Courtenay and District Museum will continue the Kids’ Crafts Saturdays throughout the rest of the month, until June 24th.
Join Kids’ Crafts Coordinator, Hannah, as she guides youth and parents through the steps to make creations they can take home. The museum will provide all materials and tools needed.

Spring Kids' Crafts
2023-06-17 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-06-10 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-06-03 11:00 - 13:00, 2023-05-27 11:00 - 13:00 | Courtenay & District Museum, 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay, BC, V9N 1G7, Canada
Due to the community’s overwhelming support and the popularity of this weekend event, the Courtenay and District Museum will continue the Kids’ Crafts Saturdays throughout the rest of spring, until June 17th.
Join Kids’ Crafts Coordinator, Hannah, as she guides youth and parents through the steps to make creations they can take home. The museum will provide all materials and tools needed.
