November 17th – 23rd marks this year’s BC Archives Awareness Week and offers a chance to increase the public’s appreciation and understanding of archives. The CDM Archives collects and preserves records relating to Comox Valley regional heritage and is open by appointment from Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm.
The museum will be open from 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm for Courtenay’s 2024 Moonlight and Magic event on Friday, November 15th. With this year’s theme of Electric Creatures, you may spot our famous fossil out walking the streets!
The Courtenay Museum is excited to offer a new and educational tour of Dinosaurs of BC, a travelling exhibit from the Royal BC Museum. This program is perfect for school groups and will spark curiosity about the creatures that lived in ancient British Columbia’s land and sea.
The new design and image of the elasmosaur, BC’s provincial fossil emblem, has been added to the provincial symbols list. Northwest Coast Artist, Andy Everson, was selected to design and create the emblem artwork.
From now until November 12th, a Remembrance Day exhibit will be displayed in the second level gallery. It includes Ruth Masters’ Lest We Forget album, along with the medals of Howard Slessor and various wartime publications.
Joseph McPhee, c. 1945/46. Photographed by Robert Filberg. That’s Lewis Park and the Courtenay Hotel in the background.
This month’s article is a tribute to the man known as the father of Courtenay, Joseph McPhee, the namesake of McPhee Avenue. Local historian Dorothy Isabelle Stubbs (1905-2003) wrote columns for different newspapers over the years including this one from the May 6th, 1970 edition of the Comox District Free Press.
Día de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) is a holiday that is primarily celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. It's a tradition that combines Indigenous and Spanish Catholic customs and is typically observed on November 1st and 2nd. The holiday is all about honoring deceased loved ones and is often marked by elaborate altars, colorful decorations, and festive gatherings.
In 1992, the Government of Canada designated October as Women’s History Month, marking the beginning of an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of women and girls throughout Canada’s history.
Leighton’s shop, c. 1912. Located in Courtenay’s first city centre near the intersection of the current Old Island Highway and Comox Road. George Brunskill Leighton (1865-1935) is 4th from left.
