Latest News
Kids Discover!
The summer programme schedule is up and we are taking bookings already for childrens' programmes for July and August. Click Here for Details
100 Year Old Boom
From The Cumberland Islander Saturday, April 12, 1913 "Courtenay is on the boom, active business has commenced and the main street is now lined with building material. The Builders’ Supply Company have commenced to erect a large addition to their warehouse. O.H. Fechner, proprietor of the Riverside Hotel, is also doubling the size of his hotel and when completed it will be the most modern house on the north end of the Island. The foundation for C.H. Tarbell’s hardware store is nearing completion, with several other buildings in course of erection. The C.P.R. have their road graded into Courtenay." Stubbs Collection at CDM [...]
It’s All There in Black and White: A Perpetual Local Issue
In this Comox District Free Press article from April 30, 1953 you'll note that some stories just keep coming up!
On the Track for Happy Anniversaries
CDM 989.204.3Courtenay E&N station under construction. The Courtenay and District Museum is gearing up for the 100th Anniversary of the E&N Railway coming to Courtenay on August 14, 2014 and to the 100th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the City of Courtenay on January 1, 1915. To start on the right track, we'll be lending a hand to the Courtenay Rotary Club's Trail Along the Rails project by getting information out about their online auction. If you want to find out more about this initiative here's the link. In addition, the super curatorial team at the museum has been delving into archival, [...]
Easter Celebration Wrap Up
Our Easter Celebration at the museum was a fabulous success with over 300 visitors attending! There was a line up for everyone who wanted to make crafts; the most popular craft of the day was the rabbit mask. The mineral egg collection was also a hit. We would like to give a huge thank you to the Shamrock Gumboot 4-H Club for bringing a vast array of animals for the petting zoo and to the volunteers who helped us prepare for the day. It was such a wonderful opportunity for all the children to be introduced to friendly farm animals. To top it off [...]
Upcoming Lecture: Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway
Friday May 10, 2013 - 7 pm Join Robert (Bob) Turner, a leading authority on transportation history in BC, as he discusses the story of the E&N Railway's CPR steam years. During the days of steam power on the railway, the E&N was a distant outpost of the Canadian Pacific Railway's vast system, but it was a profitable one. It hauled logs and coal, fish and paper, strawberries and raspberries, beer and wine, automobiles and oil, and tons and tons of wood. Click Here for Details
Vancouver Island Mountaineering History
We hosted a great lecture last night with some wonderful slides about Vancouver Island mountaineering. To find out more about our speaker Lindsay Elms and how to purchase his book “Above the Bush, A Century of Climbing on Vancouver Island 1912-2012” click here
Before Television: WWI Easter Postcard
A lovely Easter postcard from our collection. It is from the WW I era and features what might be a primula bouquet on the cross. Sending postcards with their handwritten messages has definitely been on the decline since the invention of the internet and e-cards. Just ask Canada Post.
Bye Bye Wendy
The museum bids a fond farewell to longtime employee Wendy Fried Olsson who leaves us to move to eastern Canada. Wendy has been with the museum on and off since 1992. She has pretty much done every job under the sun here: from fossil casts to exhibit creation to archival processing. Why she has even been known to scrub clothes on a washboard for furthering the knowledge of social history! Wendy has made major contributions to Comox Valley research, organization of archives and to community projects such as the Wall of Remembrance on the Sid Williams Theatre. We extend our best wishes to Wendy [...]
It’s All There in Black and White: Pursued by a Prehistoric Monster
In this March 17, 1949 edition of the Comox District Free Press you will read about one man’s terrifying experience with a prehistoric monster. Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image Click for Larger Image With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.
Register for Spring Break Programmes
March 26 to April 4 Spring break is on the way. This year we are offering three different sessions for kids to choose from: The Age of Dinosaurs, Go Fly a Kite! and Kid’s Rock! Continue Reading
Easter Celebrations – March 23, 2013
Easter will be coming to the Museum a little early this year! Mark Saturday, March 23rd on your calendars for a fun time for the whole family. Our Easter celebration will run from 11 am to 3 pm. Admission is by donation. There will be the opportunity to make some fun Easter crafts. Make a nest with baby birds, an Easter chicken or rabbit. A special display of over 100 amazing brightly coloured egg-shaped minerals will be on exhibit. The “eggs” are machine ground and polished showing their inner textures. The Hot Chocolates rabbit will be hopping in at some point to pay us [...]