Latest News
Andy Everson Design Adds New Dimension to Galleries
Thank you to Northwest Coast Artist, Andy Everson as Courtenay and District Museum visitors are now enjoying seeing his killer whale creation, “Perspective”, large-scale on an 11x19 ft wall directly below the second floor house front design he created in 2000. Known locally and internationally, Andy Everson’s expertise and design refinements for “Perspective” made it possible to work with ABC Printing’s pro vinyl wrap team who applied the design to the wall this fall. The installation is extraordinary and adds a new dimension to the museum’s galleries. Here is what Andy Everson has to say about “Perspective” "One of the things I [...]
It’s All There in Black and White: Comox Valley Halloween Vandalism Causes Deep Concern
Looks like 1971 was a year to remember for Halloween damage. This article from the November 3, 1971 Comox District Free Press lists transgressions. Food for thought to realize that the adolescent vandals of 50 years ago are today’s old-age pensioners. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
October 2021 Stepping into Wilderness
Here now is an image from the museum's newest award-winning book Step into Wilderness – A Pictorial History of Outdoor Exploration in and around the Comox Valley. Photo credit: Frank Lalonde’s stage awaits passengers at the E&N Railway station in Courtenay, 1924. Photo: 2004.27.4. Page 76. Photo caption: "Comox Valley communities relied on water transportation for their personal and commercial needs until the arrival of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, the E&N, on August 6, 1914, from Victoria. The 146-mile trip from Victoria to Courtenay station took approximately seven hours." Page 77.
Raise a Glass to 100 Years of Running Water
Courtenay BC after the fire July 21st, 1916. Photo by The King Studio, Vancouver, BC. CDM 972.54.6. One hundred years ago, Courtenay joined the modern era when its new waterworks system opened, providing residents with a stable source of running water in their homes. But the new water mains offered more than just material comfort -- they brought safety and security to a beleaguered city that had suffered major fires. On the night of July 21, 1916, the manager of Courtenay Opera House, Bert Whittle, was closing up when he heard the sound of crackling flames. The fire brigade was assembled with the [...]
October is Women’s History Month
A friendly gathering in front of the Carroll family house, ca. 1912. Left to right: Lizzie Gibson, Agnes “Aggie” Shopland, Leila Carroll, Ida Carroll, Elizabeth “Bessie” Woods, Annie Carroll, Olive Hodgson, Mary Hodgson, Ina Carter, Tina Davidson. CDM 2004.20.10. In honour of Women’s History Month, a look back at career options, both general and localized, from one hundred years ago. Women might marry and take on the domestic responsibilities that came with running a home and raising a family. Spinsters might continue to live with their parents and work at the family home or farm. Working outside the home could mean nurse, [...]
Online Lecture: Watershed Moments
Local authors Dickinson and Griffiths bring Comox Valley history to life through stories and photographs from the Courtenay Museum book Watershed Moments, A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District.
Lecture: Joseph William McKay: A Métis Business Leader in Colonial British Columbia
When examining the history of British Columbia, one would be hard-pressed to find an Indigenous person who so successfully navigated the echelons of colonial power as did Joseph William McKay (1829–1900).
Car Rally Wrap Up
The Crown Isle 2021 Hot August Nights Car Show August 14-15 was a big success with proceeds going to the Comox Valley Child Development Association. For those who want a bird’s eye view of this event, here is drone footage provided courtesy of BlueForce UAV Consulting. And here's video of the cars rolling out for the two-hour Sunday Cruise. People throughout Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland, Royston, Union Bay and everywhere in-between, set out folding chairs and umbrellas in front of their homes to enjoy the cars driven by local enthusiasts as well as by people from all points on the island and lower [...]
Courtenay “Civic Centre” turns the big 5-0
Several hundred citizens were on hand to watch ceremonies marking the official opening of Courtenay’s Civic Centre complex by Premier W.A.C. Bennett. Bill Smith photo. Comox District Free Press Collection, September 15, 1971. Around 1889-1890, the Riverside Hotel was constructed at the corner of 5th Street and Cliffe Avenue. Right next to it on Cliffe, entrepreneur E.W. Bickle designed the Bickle Theatre which opened on June 20, 1935 with the movie Babes in Toyland. The Riverside Hotel continued as a well-known landmark in the area, but after Bickle's death in 1961, the theatre struggled and eventually fell vacant for several years. On [...]
September 2021 Stepping into Wilderness
Here now is an image from the museum's newest award-winning book Step into Wilderness – A Pictorial History of Outdoor Exploration in and around the Comox Valley. Photo credit: Katherine Capes, Ruth Masters and Peggy Sillence en route to Comox Glacier in September 1938. Photo: CDM Masters Collection. Page 102.
It’s All There in Black and White: Courtenay Elementary School 1947
Back to school in 1947 had a new look for some grade one and two students. Courtenay Elementary School, located on England Avenue between 6th and 8th Streets, had more students than space. Army hut to the rescue as seen in this August 7, 1947 Comox District Free Press article. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
World Rivers Day
September 26, 2021 On the fourth Sunday of every September, World Rivers Day celebrates waterways around the world and close to home. Waterways face a number of threats such as pollution and urban development, but through active involvement, our community can help boost their health for the future. Through public awareness and volunteer action, World Rivers Day encourages people to take an active role in river stewardship. In the Comox Valley, our main waterways are the Courtenay River, the Tsolum River, and the Puntledge River, but there are hundreds of small creeks and streams that are important to environmental health, too. These rivers [...]
Lecture: A Journey Back to Nature
The fascinating story of the century-long effort to define, access, preserve, develop, and exploit the uniquely beautiful Strathcona area of rugged wilderness in the centre of Vancouver Island.