After more than a decade of service, the Oyster Bay schoolhouse was barged over to Whaletown in 1950. There it opened its doors to the children of a new community.
Brigid Weiler started attending the Whaletown School in 1959.
Her earliest memories are in that area.
Continue reading Memories of the old Whaletown Schoolhouse
George Sirk explained some of the history and wildlife that he and Kim and their friend Janet Gemmel recently explored during a walk to Carrington Lagoon and Grandmother Grove.
“Janet Gemmel came to visit us for a week. Her husband, Jim Palmer, died last December. He had a very rare lung cancer.”
“Jim and Jan lived out in Carrington, at the Reversing Rapids, in the 80’s. So Jan wanted to take the ashes back and release them there, but she forgot to bring them from Courtenay.”
Continue reading A walk through memory lane to Carrington Lagoon and Grandmother Grove with George Sirk
The course of Denise Larson’s life took a radical change in 1983, when she and two of her band members came to Merville. They were professional musicians promoting her third record. It was nice to get out of Vancouver, but Denise did not have any expectations of a small dance in the Merville Hall. Then Ron Wolda walked into her life. She had actually met him two years earlier in Courtenay, but at that time they both had other partners. Now they were single. Ron sat himself down beside her at the dinner being given for the musicians. The next morning, Ron took her out to see the home he built beside the ocean.
Continue reading Denise Wolda (Part 2 of 2): Coming home to Cortes IslandThe Kwiakah and Tla’amin First Nations are now recognized in Strathcona Regional District (SRD) territorial acknowledgements. The SRD added their names in response to strong requests from both nations. A series of motions to this effect were passed at the July 19 SRD Board meeting, in Campbell River.
Continue reading SRD acknowledges Kwiakah and Tla’amin First NationsOn Wednesday, July 19, the Cortes Island Museum offered visitors a rare opportunity to see some of the clothing and accessories from its collections.
The event was organized by Lilly Allen, this summer’s intern, who was inspired by the dress that Margaret Smith wore when she married John Manson in the late 1890’s.
Continue reading Peeking into Cortes Island’s past through vintage clothing
