Summer Tours

There's still time to be part of the summer fun here at the Courtenay Museum as public fossil tours continue. Join in and learn more about the ancient marine world that existed right beneath your feet!

Click Here to Find Out More

Scrumptious Fund Raiser

Hot Chocolates owner Jorden Marshall is modelling the latest in delicious treats!

A portion of sales from boxes of Hot Chocolates truffles featuring a historic Little River picnic photograph from our archives will help support museum programming.

This scrumptious fund raiser is a great way to help the museum and celebrate the city's centennial so be sure to pick up a box or two soon.

Gift Shop News

It has been an amazing season for gift shop sales thanks to our constantly changing and unique inventory. The latest arrivals are Yo Sox for men and women. These socks come in fabulous colours and subjects and are lightweight for easy packing or mailing. We have everything from dinosaurs (including T-Rex) to planets, cupcakes and flower prints. At only $8.99 a pair, they are affordable and fun.

Also new in the shop are limited edition prints by Kirsty V Pedersen. Kirsty is a local artist whose business name is fogANDswell. She produces stunning bright and cheerful prints with mainly nautical themes such as whales, sea stars or jelly fish, but she also has distinctive prints of a whale ship and the view from a kayak.

Please be sure to bring your visitors by for an unusual shopping experience...

Your Membership Makes A Difference

Purchasing a membership to the Courtenay and District Museum, now in its 54th 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

Courtenay's Centennial

Throughout this year, the museum newsletter will be providing glimpses into the back story on the City's Incorporation, history and development.

Finished at Last!
Downtown Courtenay's singular heritage building, the Native Sons Hall, opened on August 17, 1928 with a special dance and celebration. It opened, but was not completed for another two years.

"Native Sons' Hall, Is Finished

The Native Sons' Hall has been completed according to the original design and the improvement is most marked. Owing to lack of funds to finish the outside, scaffolding was long left up on Courtenay's unique building. But it is now down. The ends of the nine 72 feet fir logs that support the roof are now exposed and they look very fine. Each of these logs weighs four and a half tons.

At the back a balcony has been built overlooking the Courtenay River and commanding a fine view of the vale. The railing is of fir posts and rustic finish and the balcony itself is of concrete. It is 96 feet long by 16 feet wide.

A concrete sidewalk has now been laid in front of the hall. The hall is said to be unique in its kind: There is no building made of such massive logs."

Comox Argus, July 31, 1930

Photo of the Month

CDM #989.183.157
Forbidden Plateau lake, c. 1945

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

It's All There in Black and White

Remember driving those dusty gravel roads of the past as you went on your summer travels? Here's an advancement in local "modern transportation" as noted in the Comox District Free Press of August 16, 1961.

Read this newspaper article from our archives

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

A Courtenay Keepsake

The Comox Valley Echo and the Courtenay Museum have teamed up to produce a Courtenay Centennial souvenir magazine featuring museum and community images and historic stories by local authors. Courtenay 100 Years of History, 1915-2015 is a tribute to the centennial year.

"We say thank you to the Echo who have given generously on this project and done a great job and to the many businesses who have advertised. The proceeds from Courtenay 100 Years of History will go to museum programming," said John Wilson, President of the Courtenay and District Museum society.

This affordable, 50 page full- colour magazine is available at the museum and the Comox Valley Echo office.

Museum Sponsors

Dogwood
Comox Valley Community Foundation
Judy Hagen
The Robert Hunt Family
Bruce McPhee
Microsoft
Vancouver Island Exploration Group
Daryl and Evelyn Wright - Francis Jewellers Ltd.

Arbutus
The Bickle Family
Comox Valley Echo
Comox Valley Monarch Lions Club
Ed LaFleur
Marjorie Thorpe
John Wilson and Family

Fir
Elizabeth Braithwaite
Des Kennedy

Seedling

Christine Dickinson Coral Dunn Dove and Mike Hendren Peggy Hildebrandt Ted Lovegrove Ruth Masters

D. Mobley Jim Peacock April Shopland Jean & Ian Sibbald Roberts & Adela Smith Comox Valley Family History Research Group

If you're considering donating to a charity, please consider the Courtenay and District Museum. Your support goes towards education programmes, lectures and collection management. We provide a tax receipt to donors.

Please click here to donate

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: