I am not Originally from the Valley and i was showing my new Australian friend around the Comox Valley so i needed to be more informed myself of the history before i could show her around. We decided that the best place to find more History would be a Museum so, we walked down to the Courtenay & District Museum on 4th St.
As we walked in we were greeted by a welcoming Lady who informed us we would only be charged by Donation. These days you hardly find any activities by Donation, we figured this is a steal of a deal. We payed our dues and headed on in for a lesson in History.
I felt like a kid again, excited and giddy and eager to take in as much Information my brain can handle. The first exhibit we stopped at was the Elasmosaur. Discovered at the Puntledge River in the Winter of 1988, by two Amateurs, Mike Trask and his 12 year old Daughter; this ancient Marine Reptile was Extinct since the end of the Age of the Dinosaurs. I thought this was really neat that i have swam in the Puntledge River, where this Marine Reptile was discovered. Not too many people can say that!
The next area we ended up at was the "Open to the Public" Exhibit. These are Donations that have been given to the Museum to show the Community more about how past people have lived here in the Comox Valley. Some of the things they featured were tools for making butter, sewing machines, embroidery and pictures and panels explaining how they were used.
The most current Exhibit is in regards to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver BC. It showcases all the past sports using equipment and pictures to depict how sports were played here in the Comox Valley long ago. Sports from all varieties were played. Field hockey, horse Racing, fishing, snowshoeing and of course basbeball were all very popular.
I think the Courtenay & District Museum is a great place for anyone young or older. Whether it brings you down memory lane, or gives you a chance to find out more about the Comox Valley, the Museum is a fun, inexpensive place to spend a rainy afternoon as we did. I reccomend checking out the direct site to find out more on upcoming exhibits and events, but better yet i reccomend visiting the Courtenay & District Museum yourselves to take a break from the technology and learn about the many fasinating ways people in the Comox Valley thrived and survived.
I absolutely love the Courtenay Museum & Archives – it’s such a great place to learn about the Comox Valley’s history. Another place you should check out is the Cumberland Museum. They have a lot of really neat artifacts there worth seeing.
By: Keira-Anne on February 22, 2010
at 7:35 pm