Latest News
Courtenay’s Centennial: Bathing Barbers
Throughout this year, the museum newsletter will be providing glimpses into the back story on the City's Incorporation, history and development. Bathing Barbers Early barber shops in Courtenay also served as bath houses. In the 1914 Courtenay Review newspaper, the "Comox Barber Shop" listed itself as the oldest shop in Courtenay and provided bathing facilities. Bill Sutliff's "Courtenay Barber Shop" located on 5th Street between Duncan and Cliffe Avenues also offered use of a tub right up into the 1920s.
Capes Escape: July 2015 Update
Capes Escape Capes Escape, the museum’s vacation rental property, continues to do great business The 1700 sq. ft., 1930s heritage home is part of the Courtenay and District Museum visitor services. The Capes home, situated on seven acres of forested land on Cumberland Road, was donated to the museum by the late Katherine Capes. Located approximately 4 km from Highway 19, Capes Escape is only minutes from downtown Courtenay and Cumberland. Summer bookings are in full swing but there are still some openings in August and the first week of September if you are looking for a “home away from home” [...]
Gift Shop News: July 2015
Summer traffic is busy in the gift shop and gifts are going all over the world. People visiting from other parts of Canada, Europe and the Pacific stop in and pick up gifts to take home. Local residents visit to find items for family and friends. We have new shipments of beautiful hoodies for late summer with great hummingbird and salmon designs. We’re also carrying a new line of cards and note pads from Yellow Bird, designed and distributed from North Vancouver. To add to our stuffed animal zoo, we’ve gone local with a huge ammonite and giant hippo made by Ding Ding Dillio [...]
BC Day Closure
The museum will be closed on Monday, August 3rd. Wishing everyone a safe and happy BC Day holiday.
Slugzilla and Friends
The next time you visit the museum, meet our new African lungfish, Slugzilla, and his friends, Darth the algae eater, and Doodah the goldfish. We, students and the public, all missed Pam so much, we searched for a new African lungfish. Slug and his two friends were kindly donated to the museum by James Stanley from Calgary. All three of them were sent here on WestJet and have settled very well into their new home.
Summer Day Camps
The children's Summer Day Camps are well underway. Days are packed with games, arts and crafts, and making a new friend or two along the way! The kids have really enjoyed making dinosaur eggs and stegosaurus, but most of all they’ve enjoyed learning about dinosaurs and reptiles. Two different camps are offered this year: Sea, Sky and Land - Life in the Dinosaur Age Where'd You Go Dinosaur? Click for More Info
Walking With Our Sisters
K'ómoks Band Hall July 31 to August 15, 2015 Walking With Our Sisters is a memorial installation that honours the more than 1,181 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada and the United States. Comprised of over 1,763 pairs of moccasin tops plus 108 pairs of children’s tops, it was created by over 1,400 caring and concerned people to draw attention to this injustice. The Walking With Our Sisters K'ómoks Organizing Committee is honoured to bring this memorial to the K'ómoks Band Hall, 3320 Comox Road, Courtenay, BC. It is the first and only British Columbia venue for this international touring event. [...]
It’s All There in Black and White: The Great Fire
Known as the Sayward Fire, the Bloedel Fire or the Great Fire of 1938, it was a blaze that went down in history. This article from the Comox District Free Press of July 28, 1938 provides a day-by-day account of the event that would end with approximately 30,000 hectares of forest destroyed. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image
Courtenay’s Centennial: Still Standing
Throughout this year, the museum newsletter will be providing glimpses into the back story on the City's Incorporation, history and development. Still Standing The spring of 1962 saw a bit of a building surge in downtown Courtenay. The Anco Motel opened in late May of that year on Cliffe Avenue. There were a total of 28 units in its L-shaped design as well as a small coffee shop with seating for 16 guests. The $250,000 motel also boasted a heated swimming pool, first in the district, in its paved forecourt. A brand new $400,000 supermarket opened in June 1962 on England Avenue. It was [...]
Gift Shop News: Summer 2015
The gift shop has a new line of locally made products from "Giggling Gertie". There is a range of old fashion bunting (cloth banners), with either dinosaurs, bright pink and yellow flowers or pastel coloured polka dots. There is also a variety of cushion covers with brightly coloured buttons. Other new items arriving shortly will be beach hut birdhouses which will be a fun addition to the gift shop.
It’s All There in Black and White: E & N Railway Déjà Vu
Did you know there was a sulphur depot in Courtenay? A June 23, 1975 article from the Comox District Free Press touches on the subject as well as the continuing "on again; off again" nature of the E & N Railway. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image
Centennial Boxes at Hot Chocolates
Yet another reason to buy chocolate... For a limited time, Hot Chocolates on Fifth Street will be selling boxes of truffles to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Courtenay. A portion of sales from boxes with the centennial logo and historic Little River picnic photograph from our archives will help to support museum programming. Each box contains 12 truffles, half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate. At a price of $24 each, they cost the same as one of the regular boxes of 12 truffles. They're a great way to support the museum and celebrate the city's anniversary (and enjoy some delicious chocolate!) The Courtenay [...]
Fossil Tours
Can you dig it? With summer here it's a great time to go on one of Courtenay Museum's fossil tours! The tours are a fantastic way to learn about fossils and even to get the chance to dig up one yourself. Each tour includes a brief lecture about the numerous exhibits in the museum before heading off to one of the fossil sites. Hammers, chisels and other gear are supplied by the museum. Click Here for More Info