A Warm Welcome

Canada celebrates Heritage Week every third week of February, and the focus this year is "Pastimes in Past Times". We invite you to consider a visit to the museum a rewarding community pastime and a chance to celebrate timeless-to-more-recent heritage.

This month, the museum team celebrates heritage with an important addition of a new welcome panel in the main foyer, created by local, international, Indigenous Artist and Curator, Andy Everson. There will be more exciting upgrades and updates to the museum's Indigenous exhibit spaces soon, with sincere thanks to Andy and funders. And thank you to all of you!

Spring is Coming - Annual Spring Fling and Easter Things
Saturday, April 12th @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Museum staff are pleased to provide a sneak preview for the upcoming annual Spring Fling and Easter Things event on Saturday, April 12th!

By popular demand, here are a sample of the returning attractions: face painting by Amy Louise, a petting zoo from the Barnyard Party Animals, and the wonderful music and entertainment of Mr. Day and his puppets.

The event will run from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, so make sure to mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details in the next month’s newsletter and social media.

New Exhibit: Broken Promises
February 21st - August 16th, 2025

Two children look into the window of a Japanese store, closed after the forced relocation of Japanese nationals. Credit: Jack Lindsay, Image courtesy of City of Vancouver Archives. 1184-1537.

This travelling exhibit from the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre presents stories of Japanese Canadian dispossession in the 1940s and the lasting impacts of the policies aimed at people of Japanese descent living in coastal British Columbia. This exhibit will be located in the upstairs Changing Exhibition Gallery.

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Heritage - It’s Natural!

People around the world have found ammonite fossils in ancient marine deposits for thousands of years. Ammonites had a many-chambered shell and are believed to be relatives of the octopus and squids that live today. Through time there were at least 10,000 and, possibly, up to 20,000 different species.

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Heritage Week: Pastimes in Past Times
February 17th - 23rd, 2025

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From the Archives: Photo of the Month

CDM #986.1.22 Upper Falls of Courtenay River, 1912

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

Gift Shop News - Gotta Have a Gnome

Gotta have a gnome? If you’re searching for an unique DIY craft this month to relax and spend time with a mythological being on a rainy day, look no further than the busy Museum Gift Shop.

The Shop, known for its fun and creative items for all ages, now has a limited number of paint-your-own gnome kits. And they’re going fast! Each $17.95 kit includes your gnome, brush, and paint set.

Sweet Valentine Treats

A sweet treat for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day.

This recipe comes to you from a mid-century fundraising cookbook. It was assembled locally from dozens of Comox Valley residents who shared their favourite homemade goodies with the community.

Click for the Recipe and Bonus Photo

Your Membership and Donations Make A Difference

Purchasing a membership to the Courtenay and District Museum, now in its 64th 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.

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Follow the Courtenay Museum on Instagram!

If you’ve visited the museum recently, feel free to post a pic and tag us with #CourtenayMuseum, we would love to see your posts!

The museum is scheduling lectures and events throughout the year, so follow us on Instagram and stay up to date on all events and news.

We Want Your Feedback

If you’ve been to the museum recently, we’re interested in your feedback. Fill out our short survey to explore what people enjoy and where they’re visiting from.

Click here to take the survey

Museum Funding

In 1961, founders of the Courtenay and District Historical Society began with a regional mandate to create the Courtenay and District Museum (CDM) to collect, preserve and interpret natural and cultural heritage of the Comox Valley. Core values encompass integrity, inclusiveness, community service, rigorous research, objective interpretation and public outreach.

Proud sponsors of the Courtenay & District Museum:

Thank you to the team at ABC Printing & Signs for ongoing fantastic work!