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AGM Coming Up The Annual General Meeting of the Courtenay and District Historical Society will take place at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 in the museum Rotary Gallery. New members welcome!
Merville - 100 Years and Counting Merville's importance as a soldier settlement precipitated the Prince of Wales' visit to the Comox Valley on September 26, 1919. The Cumberland Islander of September 27 covered the event and you can read that story below. But what about those little details that didn't make it into the article? For example, the royal car was part of a "parade" led by A.B. (Charlie) Ball down to the Agricultural Grounds. Jeff Hannay presented an ice cream cone to his Highness in the middle of the main street. And the royal route? It was E&N Station, down main street to the Agricultural Grounds, Dyke Road to St. Joseph's Hospital, Back Road to admire the view and then off to Merville. Bonus photo:
Bonus bonus:
School Programmes Summer may be coming to an end, but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop! Join the Courtenay and District Museum with your group or class and explore our various educational programmes. Topics cover early settlement to volcanoes, to dinosaurs and more! Click here for more information on the different interactive educational experiences we offer all year long.
It's All There in Black and White A brush with "celebrity" for Valleyites in September of 1927 when Premier J.D. MacLean officially opened the new consolidated schools. The article from the September 8th edition of the Courtenay Free Press goes on to list some interesting statistics about the growth of education in BC. With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo. 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: Division 2 class from the Fanny Bay School, 1939. Teacher Irene Jones is standing on the far right of the photograph with the boys. CDM 984.39.1 Page 179. Photo caption: "From 1926 until 1942, about half the students at the two-room Fanny Bay School were of Japanese descent. Their fathers worked for the Kagetsu Logging Company, which had a sizeable operation in the area. It was important to the families to preserve their culture, and the children would often entertain their classmates with costumed performances of song and dance. They brought lunches of raw clams, rice balls and seaweed to eat alongside their friends." Page 178. Click Here for a Larger Version
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. Your Membership and Donations Make A Difference Purchasing a membership to the Courtenay and District Museum, now in its 58th year, supports heritage preservation in the Comox Valley through special events, lectures, education programmes, research and exhibitions. Your membership benefits these award winning programmes on a year round basis and we appreciate it! Becoming a member provides you with discounts in the gift shop and on lectures and an opportunity to support one of the most active regional museums in British Columbia. Thank you for your support.
Periodical Wisdom It's harvest time! Who wouldn't want a brand new Massey-Harris binder? And while you're at it, how about a new tractor too? They both look great on paper but may not have been within everyone's reach as this advertisement is from The Nor'- West Farmer magazine of July 21, 1930. By then the effects of the Great Depression would be noticeable. All kinds of helpful hints, advertisements and practical "how-to" advice can all be found in periodicals from our archival collection. Chamber Reaches Milestone The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce was first founded as the Board of Trade in 1913. It was incorporated on March 22, 1919 and in 1948 the name was changed to Chamber of Commerce. The first building was constructed from donated supplies and volunteer labour in 1958 on Cliffe Avenue. Once the building was completed and funding was secured from the City, students were hired to provide tourist information. The new location was perfect for the arrival of the "Deuce," the logging locomotive donated to the City of Courtenay from the Comox Logging & Railway Company. In the 1970s times were tough for the Chamber, but good ideas were created. Frank Lockwood came up with the idea for Market Days and Ruth McKellar produced Citizen of the Year awards. This year the Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating their official 100th anniversary at the Native Sons Hall on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 8pm. Tickets are available online or in person at the Chamber office.
Photo of the Month CDM #989.22.1
You can view more photos like this on our website. Click here to visit our holdings. Museum Funding The Courtenay and District Historical Society was registered as a nonprofit society in 1961 to preserve and interpret cultural and natural heritage of the Comox Valley. It has functioned as an independent society since that time. Funds are derived from the generous support of the City of Courtenay, British Columbia Arts Council, Comox Valley Regional District, British Columbia Gaming Branch, and from museum generated revenues and donations. Proud sponsors of the Courtenay & District Museum:
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