Latest News
Christmas Closure
The museum will be closed from December 23 through to January 1. Regular winter hours resume Wednesday, January 2, 2019.
December 2018 Watershed Moments
Here is the latest newsletter installment of an image and quote from the museum's award-winning book Watershed Moments - A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District. Photo credit: The Comox Co-operative Creamery building, 1927. CDM 986.73.3. Pages 84-85. Photo caption: "...the Creamery became a one-stop shop for dairy products, grains and farm supplies for Courtenay and the valley, and its milk, butter, cheese and ice cream were sold throughout British Columbia. By 1920, 2,700 cows were contributing to the co-op." Page 86.
Holiday Cooking from 1922
This year the newsletter includes two recipes to delight your taste buds. The Bestway Cookery Gift Book from 1922 is the source for the spin on turkey prep and A Calendar of Dinners with 615 Recipes including the Story of Crisco from 1916 provides a Christmas Dinner menu as well as a plum pudding recipe that (you guessed it) features Crisco as a key ingredient.
1948 Eaton’s Toyland Advertisement
Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image 1948 Eaton’s Toyland Advertisement
It’s All There in Black and White: Eaton’s Opens in the Comox Valley
Christmas shopping got a bit of a shake up when the T. Eaton Company came to town as seen in this Comox District Free Press article from December 2, 1948. Bonus! Click here to see the 1948 Eaton's Toyland Advertisement from the same edition. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
December 2018 Gift Shop News
A reminder that the Museum Members Only Christmas Sale is on until Saturday, December 22, 2018. Members receive a 25% discount on most items in the shop. Valid membership cards need to be shown at time of purchase. Please note that the discount does not apply to consignment or already marked down items. The museum store also has a pre-Christmas sale table where everything is 50% off. There are still some wonderful gift ideas for the taking.
Season’s Greetings
As the festive season approaches, the Courtenay and District Museum board and staff would like to extend wishes to all for a wonderful and safe holiday. Season's Greetings and Happy New Year to you and yours!
November 2018 Watershed Moments
Here is the latest newsletter installment of an image and quote from the museum's award-winning book Watershed Moments - A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District. Photo credit: A tranquil view of the Courtenay River, ca. 1900. CDM 972.235.9. Pages 22-23. Photo caption: "The Courtenay River, one of the shortest navigable rivers in Canada, runs through today's downtown Courtenay. The Puntledge, Browns and Tsolum Rivers empty into it. Settlers' homes and farms stretched along the shorelines and on to the rivers' upper and lower prairies." Page 23.
Periodical Wisdom: November 2018
Women's magazines and periodicals from the past offer some great advice on things like how to economize in the home or care for your baby's teeth. This month's sampling is from Farm & Home, The Magazine of rural British Columbia published November 15, 1930. This particular article provides some tips for the gardener - you'd get all that and more for the grand price of 5 cents per issue back in the day.
November 2018 Gift Shop News
Members Only Sale Dust off your debit cards! It's almost time for the annual Museum Members Only Christmas Sale. From December 1 to December 22, members receive a 25% discount on most items in the store. 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. Not a member? Don't despair! Purchase a membership and you immediately qualify for the special holiday period discount.
It’s All There in Black and White: Grey Cup in the Comox Valley
Grey Cup coming up! Courtenay entered a float in the 1963 Vancouver Grey Cup parade. Our float was described as the biggest in the procession and was truly a community effort to produce. All in the name of showing support for the BC Lions who held training camps here (on and off) starting in 1961. Check out this article from the Comox District Free Press of November 27, 1963. Bonus! Click here Click here to see photos including one of the Comox Valley float. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
National Philanthropy Day
The Courtenay and District Historical Society was registered as a nonprofit society in 1961 to preserve and interpret cultural and natural heritage of the Comox Valley. Funds are derived from the generous support of the City of Courtenay, British Columbia Arts Council, Comox Valley Regional District, British Columbia Gaming Branch, and from museum generated revenues. Your donations play a critical role in making special projects and future growth possible. November 15, is National Philanthropy Day. This month, the CDM sends out appreciation to the Comox Valley Community Foundation, which has helped to grow donors’ generous contributions to the museum’s endowment fund since 1996. If [...]
Remembrance Day Reminder
A look back through an excerpt from The Courtenaian, Journal of the Courtenay Public Schools, Vancouver Island, B.C. Vol. 1. No. 2. November, 1914 "On Monday, Nov. 2nd, the pupils of Divisions I and II went up to the station to say good-bye and give three cheers to the men who are going to the front. The platform was well crowded with people, and we had to wait quite a while before the train started. As the train pulled out we gave three hearty cheers to the Courtenay men who are answering the call of duty."