Latest News
Annual Spring Fling Approaching
If you like fuzzy animals and wacky hats (and let's face it, who doesn't?), you'll want to mark Saturday, March 24 on your calendar right now! That day is the annual "Spring Fling & Easter Things" event here at the museum from 11am to 2pm. Watch for more details in the March newsletter.
It’s All There in Black and White: A Visit to the Big City
This month's article is a tongue-in-cheek account of the 1934 Anglican Young People's Association conference that appeared in the February 15th edition of the Comox District Free Press. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
February 2018 BC Heritage Week
February includes BC Heritage Week. The 2018 theme is "Heritage Stands the Test of Time." Be sure to check out the local Heritage Faire on Saturday, February 17th in Cumberland. Read More
Science and Art Converge at 2018 BC Paleontological Alliance Symposium
Science and art will converge in Courtenay from August 17-20 as Key Note Speaker, Dr. Richard Hebda and Special Guest Speaker, Artist, Ray Troll, lead off the 2018 BC Paleontological Alliance Symposium in Courtenay. Supported by the Vancouver Island Paleontological Society and the Courtenay and District Museum, the symposium will feature fifteen formal presentations, field trips and a fossil prep workshop. Historically, the BCPA symposiums feature an art exhibit of varied media and paleo-imagination and this tradition will continue. In tandem with the symposium, the museum will be hosting an exhibit of in-house and private fossil collections from May to December. Symposium registration fees [...]
Lecture: The Queen of the North Disaster, The Captain’s Story
Time and Date: 7 pm, Thursday, March 15, 2018 Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum Speaker: Colin Henthorne Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for general public (plus GST). Advance tickets recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 5. The captain of the Queen of the North reveals a first-hand account of what really happened the night of the ship's sinking in 2006 and examines the aftermath of the disaster. Click for More Info
Happy New Year! Bonne Année!
Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and productive 2018. To honour the occasion, here's a look back at what The Review's Publisher, Norman Boden, reported about life in Courtenay one hundred years ago on January 17, 1918. Courtesy of the University of British Columbia Library's Open Collections. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image
Genealogy Group Meets
The Comox Valley Genealogy Group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 1:00 pm in the Courtenay Library. All are welcome! FMI: info@cvgenealogygroup.org
January 2017 Gift Shop News
Make sure to visit the gift shop Sale Table with items now 75% off the last ticketed price. The table sports a good variety of merchandise to choose from – t-shirts, Canada snap bands, model sail boats and some one-off items. Also, insulated water bottles and travel mugs are 40% off until January 31st. Shop early for best selection. This past year saw a tremendous response by museum members taking advantage of the annual 25% off Christmas sale. Keep in mind that as a member you qualify for 15% off most purchases year round! The quest to find more unique, locally made products continues [...]
January 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 Riverside Hotel made an impressive sight at the corner of 5th Street and Cliffe Avenue, 1944. Charles Sillence photograph. Page 180-181. Photo caption: "When the Riverside was lost to fire in 1968 [January 2], people perhaps missed it most for the curved wall that marked the corner and provided a seat for those with time to spare. Here, they would comment on the passersby, venture an opinion on matters of local and national import, and [...]
It’s All There in Black and White: Neon Arrives in Courtenay
Bright lights, big city. Courtenay hit the big time in 1929 with the arrival of neon signs on our main street. This article from the January 17, 1930 Comox District Free Press will enlighten readers on the merits of the neon tube – all in the name of commerce! With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
Holiday Reading and Gift Suggestions
Comox Air Force Museum The Comox Air Force Museum: Our First Thirty Years by Colonel (Ret.) Jon Ambler. Available for a $30 donation at the museum Gift Shop, with stock arriving by 8 December. Comox Museum and Archives St. Joseph's General Hospital - 100 Years of service Ghost Ships of Royston -Rick James (both available at the Comox Museum) Courtenay and District Museum Black Creek Settlement-- John Falk's Memoirs and More sells for $20; James' Stories of Our Founders for $15. Copies of the books are only available through the authors. For Memoirs and More email elvera.falk@gmail.com and for Stories of Our Founders call [...]
An Historic 2017 Thank You!
The Courtenay and District Museum staff are marking the 2017 holiday season by thanking the many supporters who help to keep the museum ticking throughout the year. They include: City of Courtenay, Comox Valley Regional District, British Columbia Arts Council, Service Canada, BC Gaming Commission, Comox Valley Community Foundation and the visitors, members, donors, volunteers and colleagues who provide support on many levels. Also, a big thank you to local history authors who continue to research and write books that inform the work we do daily. A recent example, authors, John Falk and Terrance James delivered a late November presentation to a full house [...]
Thank You Ruth Masters
Thank you Ruth. For your humour, for your energy in preserving cultural and natural history, for getting up, it appeared to be, every day of your life, and doing something that made a difference while constantly acknowledging each person, creature, and natural feature around you. Thank you for your legacy contributions that live on. Ruth Masters served on the Courtenay and District Museum Board for over forty years. Her support and creativity were endless. Thank you Ruth Masters. Please read Past President, Judy Hagen’s, tribute to Ruth