Courtenay & District Museum




  • Lecture: Watershed Moments
  • Lecture: Joseph William McKay: A Métis Business Leader in Colonial British Columbia
  • October is Women’s History Month
  • Photo of the Month
  • Your Membership and Donations Make A Difference
  • Raise a Glass to 100 Years of Running Water
  • Stepping into Wilderness
  • It's All There in Black and White
  • Museum Funding






  • Phone:
    250-334-0686

    Email:
    info@courtenaymuseum.ca

    Website:
    www.courtenaymuseum.ca

    Mailing Address:
    207 Fourth Street,
    Courtenay BC,
    V9N 1G7





    Tuesday – Saturday
    10:00 am to 4:00 pm





    President
    John Wilson

    Vice President
    Daryl Wright

    Past President
    April Shopland

    Rick Ross
    Jim Haggart
    Ross Dingwall
    Mary Everson
    Julie Fortin
    Christine Dickinson

    Member of...

    British Columbia Museums Association

    Canadian Museums
    Association

    Archives Association of
    British Columbia

    British Columbia Historical Federation





    Comox Museum

    Cumberland Museum

    Comox Air Force Museum

    Filberg Heritage Lodge

    I-Hos Gallery

    HMCS ALBERNI Museum and Memorial

    Nim Nim Interpretive Centre

    Strathcona Wilderness Institute

    Project Watershed

    Sid Williams Theatre

    Comox Valley Art Gallery

    Comox Valley Arts




    We respectfully acknowledge that the museum provides services within the traditional territory of K'ómoks First Nation.

    We respect the diversity of cultures, stories and experiences that form the richness of our regional heritage.




     

    Lecture: Watershed Moments


    Event type: Virtual

    Time and Date: 7 pm, Thursday, October 21, 2021

    Speakers: Christine Dickinson and Deborah Griffiths

    Free Event

    Local authors Dickinson and Griffiths bring Comox Valley history to life through stories and photographs from the Courtenay Museum book Watershed Moments - A Pictorial History of Courtenay and District.

    Click here for more details and the Zoom Link


     

    Lecture: Joseph William McKay: A Métis Business Leader in Colonial British Columbia


    Event type: In-person

    Time and Date: 7 pm, Tuesday, November 9, 2021

    Location: Rotary Gallery of the Courtenay and District Museum

    Speakers: Greg N. Fraser

    Tickets: $5 for Historical Society members; $6 for general public. Advance tickets recommended. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 250-334-0686 ext 2.

    Public health measures in effect and reduced seating capacity in place.

    When examining the history of British Columbia, one would be hard-pressed to find an Indigenous person who so successfully navigated the echelons of colonial power as did Joseph William McKay (1829–1900).

    Click for More Info


     

    October is Women's History Month


    A friendly gathering in front of the Carroll family house, ca. 1912. Left to right: Lizzie Gibson, Agnes “Aggie” Shopland, Leila Carroll, Ida Carroll, Elizabeth “Bessie” Woods, Annie Carroll, Olive Hodgson, Mary Hodgson, Ina Carter, Tina Davidson. CDM 2004.20.10.

    In honour of Women’s History Month, a look back at career options, both general and localized, from one hundred years ago.

    Read More


     

    Photo of the Month


    CDM #990.24.305 Nelson House, Union Bay, c. 1905

    You can view more photos like this on our website. Click here to visit our holdings.


     

    Your Membership and Donations Make A Difference

    Purchasing a membership to the Courtenay and District Museum, now in its 60th 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.

    Click Here to Join

    Click Here to Make a Donation


     

    Raise a Glass to 100 Years of Running Water


    Courtenay BC after the fire July 21st, 1916. Photo by The King Studio, Vancouver, BC. CDM 972.54.6.

    One hundred years ago, Courtenay joined the modern era when its new waterworks system opened, providing residents with a stable source of running water in their homes. But the new water mains offered more than just material comfort -- they brought safety and security to a beleaguered city that had suffered major fires.

    Read More


     

    Stepping into Wilderness

    Here now is an image from the museum’s newest award-winning book Step into Wilderness – A Pictorial History of Outdoor Exploration in and around the Comox Valley.


    Photo credit: Frank Lalonde’s stage awaits passengers at the E&N Railway station in Courtenay, 1924. Photo: 2004.27.4. Page 76.

    Photo caption: “Comox Valley communities relied on water transportation for their personal and commercial needs until the arrival of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, the E&N, on August 6, 1914, from Victoria. The 146-mile trip from Victoria to Courtenay station took approximately seven hours.” Page 77.

    Click for Larger Image


     

    It's All There in Black and White


    Looks like 1971 was a year to remember for Halloween damage. This article from the November 3, 1971 Comox District Free Press lists transgressions. Food for thought to realize that the adolescent vandals of 50 years ago are today’s old-age pensioners.

    Read More

    With legacy support from the Bickle Family and the Comox Valley Echo.


     

    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:

    The City of Courtenay

    BC Arts Councils

    Regional District Comox-Strathcona

    British Columbia Gaming Commision