Latest News
January 2020 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: Bill Ardley's Garage, 1932, was located on Anderton Avenue near Central Builders Supply Ltd. and backed onto the Courtenay River. Charles Sillence photograph. Photo: CDM Sillence Collection. Page 152. Photo caption: "British Columbians adjusted to driving on the right-hand side of the road when it became the law on January 1, 1922. And due to the economic boom in the mid- to late 1920s automobile sales increased, which meant there were more drivers on the road. [...]
Merville – 100 Years and Counting Part 12
CDM 2003.34.1 To celebrate the end of Merville's anniversary year, we present this charming image painted by one of the community's early settlers, Malcolm MacKinnon. The watercolour graces the front of a Christmas card with the inside inscription "Compliments of the Season, From Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm MacKinnon, Merville, B.C., 1936."
Christmas Closure
The museum will be closed from 1 pm on Tuesday, December 24 through Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Open again Thursday, January 2 for regular winter hours.
Lloyd Family Gift
The Courtenay and District Museum is pleased to recognise a gift from the Griffin and Joyce Lloyd estate - a 1934 wood block print by Walter Joseph Phillips titled Hnausa. The Lloyd family has a special connection to Comox Valley history. Captain Edward Lloyd and wife Alexandra moved their family here in 1919 and their name became synonymous with tug boats and boat building along the Courtenay River. Grandson Griffin Lloyd was born in Comox and lived here until completing high school. He went on to UBC and trained in geology and mine engineering. His work took him to Alberta where he married Joyce [...]
December 2019 Gift Shop News
A reminder that the Museum Members Only Christmas Sale is on until 1 pm, Tuesday, December 24, 2019. 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.
Season’s Greetings from Courtenay & District Museum!
CDM 990.17.77 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!
It’s All There in Black and White: Courtenay Cold Storage Locker Opens 1946
The Comox Valley was really coming into its own with the opening of a cold storage locker plant at the corner of Fitzgerald Avenue and 5th Street in downtown Courtenay. Over 2,000 people attended the grand opening day that was advertised in the Comox District Free Press from December 12, 1946. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
December 2019 Watershed Moments
Here is the latest newsletter installment of an image from the museum's award-winning book Watershed Moments - A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District. Photo credit: Courtenay's 5th Street blanketed by snow, 1930s. Photo: 974.136.19. Page 166.
Holiday Cooking
Two delicious recipes for homemade candy treats to share! The first is for Turkish Delights and comes to you from the 1945 edition of the Purity Cook Book. The second is from the family of former Courtenay Mayor M.S. Stephens. These chocolate snowballs are made with the rather unlikely ingredient of mashed potatoes. If you decide to make this recipe take note: the centers must be completely cooled in the refrigerator (overnight would be best) before they are dipped in the chocolate coating.
Those were the Days…
When we depended on the post office to send all of our Christmas cards and gifts! Special parking restrictions applied as seen in the Comox District Free Press of December 8, 1965.
Merville – 100 Years and Counting Part 11
The area now known as Merville was logged by the Comox Logging & Railway Company. In his book Island Timber, historian and author Richard Mackie wrote: "Two other camps-4 and 5-were both short-lived, and logged most of the area that became Merville just prior to and during the First World War. Camp 4 was situated at what is now the corner of Merville Road and the west side of the Island Highway. After the war it was taken over by the Soldier Settlement Board. Camp 5, open from about 1914 to 1916, was a mile and a half down Williams Beach Road on what [...]
Periodical Wisdom: November 2019
Looking for ways to "Avoid Wars at Mealtime"? This article from the Farm & Home magazine of October 15, 1930 contains some thoughts on how to keep the peace with finicky eaters. As the author says "Every modern mother must ... combine her knowledge of dietetics with some of the tact of a seasoned diplomat." All kinds of helpful hints, advertisements and practical "how-to" advice can all be found in periodicals from our archival collection. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image
It’s All There in Black and White: Comox District Blackouts During WWII
Blackouts to avoid air attacks during WW II were not limited to Europe. The Comox Valley was also under threat and observed its first blackout in 1941. This article from the December 11 edition of the Comox District Free Press tells of some successes, a car accident and local first aid stations. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.