Latest News
Winter Hours
The museum is now operating on our winter hours schedule. Please note that we are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
It’s All There in Black and White: The Seale & Thomson Building
The Seale & Thomson building has seen a lot of changes since it opened in March of 1948. Have a look at one of its incarnations from the September 8, 1971 Comox District Free Press. More changes are afoot. Mudsharks Coffee Bar just completed a patio resurfacing courtesy of a grant from the Downtown Business Improvement Association façade improvement program and the Gladstone Brewing company hopes to open there later this year. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image
Shop at CDM
Getting Ready for Christmas! Step right up and get ready for those Christmas lists with gifts and items from the CDM Museum Shop which, with great new items, has doubled its popularity and revenues over the past year. Maps, children’s stuffies, baskets, and elasmosaur coffee from Royston Roasting are just a few of the new items. A Good Turn from Talented People If you’re looking for s special gift this year that will do a whole lot of good, pick up your copy of the 2015 Comox Valley Calendar created to benefit the Comox Valley Food Bank. The brain child of Frieda Home with [...]
The Great Outdoors
A Short Drive to Paradise Meadows The Courtenay and District Museum has a mandate of cultural and natural history. Because of that, the society has always had a large number of outdoor enthusiasts in its membership. The fall months are a beautiful time of year to enjoy Strathcona Park. Check out these great hikes with the Strathcona Wilderness Institute by clicking here. For those happy to stroll the accessible pathways and day hikes here's more information.
Fall Museum Discovery Days
The Courtenay and District Museum is now actively presenting Fall Museum Discovery Days for children 6-12 while schools are closed. Attendance has been great and students and parents are providing good feedback. Discovery Days include learning about the cultural and natural history of the Comox Valley through activities. The classes are popular, so please book in advance. Instructor and guide: Pat Trask Topic: Learn about the cultural, pioneer and natural history of the Comox Valley through activities and tours. Activities: Crafts, fossil casting, dinosaur movies, a behind the scenes look at collection areas and interactive games. Daily: Monday to Friday 9am - 3pm Fee: [...]
Gift Shop News With a Roar!
If you’ve visited the Courtenay and District Museum gift shop recently you’ll know what we’re talking about when we say—“It looks great!” With the help of Visitor Services Manager, Gillian Miller, we’ve sourced more one-of-a-kind items that are making the gift shop a unique place to shop in the valley. From maps, to great history and children’s books, to hand-made stuffies of elasmosaurs and ammonites, to children’s bear and wolf hats for the fall, sales have increased. Grrrrr! And it all helps support museum programming. Bonus if you buy a membership because it’s 15% off for most items. Try it, you’ll like it!
Would Our Mothers Have Called Them Heritage Crafts?
Coming Fall 2014! There's a new spin on knitting, crocheting, weaving and many other domestic crafts. In some circles, they're now called heritage crafts. Works for us. Because heritage is the business we love. That's why we're going to be presenting knitting, fiber days and general craft days throughout the fall. Stay tuned to our September newsletter for more information on these activities.
Fall School Programmes
Keeping it Current—and Historic! With the help of Aleta Salmon, Summer Programme Coordinator, the museum is rolling out a whole new line-up of programming for students for the 2014-2015 school year. Currently, the museum is strong on presenting programmes in the earth sciences. Added to this, museum staff are working on revamping and creating new programming in settlement history, First Nations and general natural history to match education curriculum for varied grade levels. We're looking forward to a busy fall and winter season! More information will be available on this programming by the end of August and we'll be sending out a special email [...]
It’s All There in Black and White: A House for $4000
Amazing deal being offered by Central Builders’ Supply – basically an entire house for just over $4000! But wait, wait...the sale ended 56 years ago. Darn. It still makes for fun reading though so check out this ad from the August 20, 1958 edition of the Comox District Free Press. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image
Annual General Meeting: 53 Years and Counting
The Courtenay and District Historical Society will host its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, September 10th beginning at 6:30 pm in the museum’s Rotary Gallery. Fifty three years ago, in 1961, founders of the Courtenay and District Historical Society began the organization with a regional mandate to create the Courtenay and District Museum (CDM) in order to collect, preserve and interpret cultural and natural heritage of the Comox Valley. Core values of the museum encompass integrity, inclusiveness, community service, rigorous research, objective interpretation and public outreach. Up to 1987, a diverse group of volunteers managed the governance and everyday operation of the museum. [...]
Upscale! Our New Elasmosaur
Have you met the new guy in town? He’s tall, green and handsome. If you haven’t seen him in person yet you soon will as he’s often out partying at community events. How’d he come to be here? Well, he sprang from the fertile imagination and nimble fingers of volunteer Coral Dunn. A job well done, Coral. The museum and marine reptile fans everywhere thank you.
Get to Courtenay Museum by Bus!
Photo courtesy of husseinabdallah The Comox Valley Regional District is trying to encourage the use of transit in the Comox Valley. One way of doing this is via technology and showing the public how easy it is to plan your route via Google Maps. Below is a link to Google Maps, with the destination of the Museum already entered: Click Here to Plan Your Journey » Give it a try, and you'll see how easy it is to use! You can also visit the CVRD website for more locations in the Comox Valley.
It’s All There in Black and White: That Rings a Bell
Who’s up for a round of “That Rings a Bell”’? Take a look at this list from the Comox District Free Press of July 14, 1965 and see how many community minded businesses you can recognize. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.