Holiday Wishes

A Christmas card from a scrapbook that belonged to Mrs. Edward Farmer (mother of Doris Farmer Tonkin).

This scrapbook contains items from about 1890 to 1940. Scrapbooking was a popular craft in that time period, just like today.

Doris Farmer Tonkin (1902-1979) was a past President and Secretary of the Courtenay and District Historical Society. Mrs. Tonkin was also an avid writer and promoter of the arts.

Christmas Recipe

Anyone for a Christmas treat of homemade candy?

These recipes are from the 1917 Purity Flour Cook Book which is credited to Western Canada Flour Mills Company.

Excerpt from the foreword:

"The book is exclusively designed to cover the requirements of the housewife in preparing food for her family. All expensive and highly technical recipes vouched for by famous chefs, have been eliminated in the text, and the PURITY FLOUR COOK BOOK is offered to the housewives of Canada as a general purpose culinary reference work."

Click here for the Recipe

Museum Holiday Hours

Christmas:
December 24, 25, 26, 27 – Closed
Regular business hours resume Wednesday, December 28.

New Years:
Closed at 12 noon on Saturday, December 31.
January 1, 2, 3 - Closed
Regular business hours resume Wednesday, January 4.

Anniversary Give Away

This month our congratulations go out to the November winners of The Comox Valley book – Stewart Ritchie and Facebook fan Sarah Pay!

We continue our year long 50th anniversary celebration of the Courtenay and District Historical Society with a monthly prize draw to receive a complimentary copy of the coffee table book by Paula Wild.

All current, paid-up members to the Society are automatically entered to win, and now we’ve increased your chances of winning by doing a separate draw for fans to our Facebook page.

Before Television
What Happens When We Turn off the Remote

The museum recently received this ship model made by Joseph Hubert Holden as a donation.

But there is something a little bit different about this ship – it is made from a turkey breast bone!

Mr. Holden was a Comox resident who hand crafted ship models after hours of careful planning and scale drawings.

His obituary states: “Many homes in the Comox Valley and all over Canada have his model sailing ships fashioned from the breast bone of Christmas turkeys, delicately rigged as schooners or full rigged sailing ships.”

This particular ship had once been given to Lieutenant-Governor George Pearkes as a gift after he had admired ship models on display during a visit to local schools.

Mr. Holden died in December of 1963.

When Technologies Collide

From The [Courtenay] Review newspaper Thursday, September 5, 1918…

"Both sides of Isabel [Cliffe Avenue] and Union [Fifth] Streets in the business section were well covered with automobiles on Saturday night. But two solitary horses were in evidence."

It's All There in Black and White

We hope you enjoy this December 22, 1931 front page of the Comox District Free Press.

A couple of items to note:

1) the border features a turkey, plum pudding, toys and Christmas crackers

2) the paper heading reads: "Comox District Free Press with which is incorporated Courtenay Free Press, Cumberland Islander and Cumberland News. Leading Journal of the famous Comox Valley and the great Comox coal fields."

Read this newspaper article from our archives

We have visitors coming to spend a warm family Christmas at Capes Escape this holiday season, and shortly afterwards, we have some Saskatchewan residents looking for a warmer winter on Vancouver Island.

We would like to wish you and all of our guests, past and present, a wonderful and safe holiday season and a Merry Christmas to all.

What's In A Membership?

Lots! News on lectures and events, fifteen percent discounts in the gift shop on non-consignment items, discounts on lectures and a chance to be involved with one of the most active regional museums in B.C.

Buying a membership supports heritage, education and activities. If you’re not a member already, please join us today!

Click here to Join

Donations

Please consider supporting the Courtenay and District Museum through a charitable donation. Your donation helps support programming, museum activities and long term operating of the Courtenay and District Museum. This is a great time of year to donate and receive a tax receipt.

You can donate online or by mail, details for both are available through the link below. Either way, we'll send acknowledgment and a receipt as soon as your donation is received.

Click here to Donate Now

Museum Sponsors

Dogwood
Judy and Stan Hagen
Comox Valley Community Foundation
Daryl and Evelyn Wright-Francis Jeweller's Ltd.
The Rotary Club of Courtenay Foundation
The Robert Hunt Family
Don and Marie Gordon
M. Jean McMullan Estate
Bruce McPhee

Arbutus
Comox Valley Echo
Marjorie Thorpe
The Bickle Family
Lorna Gunn
John Wilson and Family
Judy Gurr
Sue and Ian Leakey
Ed LaFleur
Ron Moffat
Paula Moffat

Fir
Elizabeth Braithwaite
Jean Hawthorne

Seedling
Dove and Mike Hendren
Ruth Masters
John and Joan Wilson
George E. Sprogis
Gordon Schnare
Mary Mobley
D. Mobley
M.E. McKerrow

Photo of the Month

CDM #988.207.2
Lorne Hotel, Comox, 1920s

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: