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Welcome to the Chemainus Valley Museum

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(250) 246-2445

Welcome to the Chemainus Valley Museum

Welcome to the Chemainus Valley MuseumWelcome to the Chemainus Valley MuseumWelcome to the Chemainus Valley Museum

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filler@godaddy.com

  • Home/Contact Us
  • CHEMAINUS HISTORY
  • In the News
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  • The House Project
  • GIFT SHOP
  • OUR RESOURCES

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We're a great little museum.

Another mill artifact finds a place in Chemainus museum

Another mill artifact finds a place in Chemainus museum

 

 Don't just take our word! Read a few reviews of us:

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g154926-d12701664-Reviews-Chemainus_Valley_Museum-Chemainus_Vancouver_Island_British_Columbia.html


https://www.inspirock.com/canada/chemainus/chemainus-valley-museum-a5482664601

https://theexhibitionlist.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/chemainus-valley-museum-gardens-vancouver-island-canada/​

Another mill artifact finds a place in Chemainus museum

Another mill artifact finds a place in Chemainus museum

Another mill artifact finds a place in Chemainus museum


Famous door salvaged from storage holds a special significance for former manager Phil Dobson

Opportunity knocked and a valuable door that’s a big part of Chemainus history is now on display at the Chemainus Valley Museum. The Museum recently installed the old Chemainus sawmill door in the new addition, with the help of muscle power from Chemainus firefighters. 


Read more 

 in the Chemainus Courier Dec. 17, 2018 11:10 a.m.
DON BODGER/COMMUNITY

Shovels break ground for Chemainus Valley

Another mill artifact finds a place in Chemainus museum

Shovels break ground for Chemainus Valley

Museum expansion

Construction of the long-awaited Chemainus Valley Museum expansion is expected to begin within a week or two.
Notable locals gathered outside the Chemainus Valley Museum (CVM) Friday afternoon (April 5) to break ground on the museum’s long-anticipated expansion.

Read more in 

 https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/shovels-break-ground-for-chemainus-valley-museum-expansion/
Apr. 9, 2013 10:00 a.m.
by NICK BEKOLAY 

Chemainus Museum turning 25

Historical photo donated to Chemainus Valley Museum

Shovels break ground for Chemainus Valley

The Chemainus Valley Museum is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a big party on Wednesday, Aug. 17 (2016) at Waterwheel Plaza.


Read more in

https://www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com/community/chemainus-museum-turning-25/

printed Aug. 11, 2016 5:00 p.m.
article by LEXI BAINAS     


Historical photo donated to Chemainus Valley Museum

Historical photo donated to Chemainus Valley Museum

Historical photo donated to Chemainus Valley Museum

The Chemainus and District Chamber of Commerce recently presented a photo of Chemainus from the 

early 1970s to the museum. 


 Brad Grigor (far left) and Peter Matthews from the Chemainus and District Chamber of Commerce presented this photo of Chemainus from the early 1970s to Erik Viestrup, president of the Chemainus Valley Historical Society, Dec. 14 at the Chemainus Valley Museum. 


Read more in

 https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/historical-photo-donated-to-chemainus-valley-museum/ 

​
printed Dec. 30, 2013 2:00 p.m.
article by LINDSAY CHUNG

Newest Chemainus mural a collaborative effort

Historical photo donated to Chemainus Valley Museum

Historical photo donated to Chemainus Valley Museum

 Story of the 5 Cent Chocolate Bar War depicted


"It’s a collaborative effort in the truest sense of the word.The new 5 Cent Candy Bar War Mural for the outdoor gallery brought together many different facets of the community, including the Chemainus Festival of Murals Society, Cowichan Neighbourhood House, the Chemainus Valley Museum, Chemainus Secondary School students and others. "  


Mural, mural, soon to be on the wall… With the 5 Cent Mural, from left are: Peter Collum, Shannon Bellamy, Cim MacDonald, Moe Vessey, Gabi Jones, Anjilee Manhas, Arlene Robinson and Amy Brophy. (Photo by Don Bodger) 


“That’s why it’s such a collaborative effort,” stressed Chemainus 

Valley Museum board member Amy Brophy, who helped facilitate its completion.


printed i CHEMAINUS VALLEY COURIER



History in the Making

The Mill Whistle

Saturday celebration marks Chemainus Valley Museum expansion

Expanded Chemainus Valley Museum reopens

"Chemainus is itself almost a living museum, it unashamedly displays it`s history on the walls of the town and has become a major tourist attraction on Vancouver Island. It also has a small museum in Waterwheel Park which has many interesting artifacts on display. Of note are items attributed to Bob Swanson during his tenure as mill engineer. Mr. Swanson was famous for his work on air horns, for example, the horns atop the old B.C. Hydro building in Vancouver that play O'Canada at noon. He was also the major moving force behind the refurbishing of the Royal Hudson locomotive that now hauls excursions to Squamish from West Vancouver."


from: http://www.chemainus.com/arts/museums.htm

Expanded Chemainus Valley Museum reopens

Saturday celebration marks Chemainus Valley Museum expansion

Expanded Chemainus Valley Museum reopens

Big team behind the scenes makes all the necessary arrangements

The expanded Chemainus Valley Museum re-opened March 1 with new and reconfigured displays.

Volunteers have been busy redesigning the museum within its new space since Dec. 15, according to Amy Trippe Brophy, president of the Chemainus Valley Historical Society and Museum.

“We welcome the community to come and visit the ‘new’ museum and get re-acquainted with our wonderful history,” noted Brophy.

She added tremendous thanks are due to Chemainus Fire Department men and women who gladly stepped forward and helped move heavy artifacts and cases several times. Eric Veistrup, along with contractor Ken Stanton, managed the construction project over the past five-plus years; Norma Greer spearheaded the lion’s share of fundraising, supported by treasurer Johanna van Barneveld; logging historian Sandy Macham offered his expertise along with former MacMillan Bloedel employee Doug Simmonds; the planning committee of Val Galvin, Darcie Edwards, Linda Tucker and Brophy executed the move and redesign; Galvin’s friends and family also stepped up handily to the task to meet the March 1 opening; and Peggy Allen-Newman provided invaluable guidance with her display expertise along with her creative and educational window displays facing Waterwheel Plaza for numerous years.

New members and volunteers are always welcomed. The museum’s spring hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

printed in Chemainus Courier and Ladysmith Chronicle

DON BODGER/COMMUNITY
Mar. 5, 2019 10:30 a.m.

Saturday celebration marks Chemainus Valley Museum expansion

Saturday celebration marks Chemainus Valley Museum expansion

Saturday celebration marks Chemainus Valley Museum expansion

More space for exhibits and audio-visual displays

Chemainus Valley Museum members are thrilled with the completion of the expanded museum in downtown Chemainus and look forward to the ribbon-cutting celebration event Saturday, Aug. 17 (2019) at noon.

”The added space – twice its original size – has allowed for more artifacts, improved displays, interactive exhibits and a better audio-visual area,” pointed out Amy Trippe Brophy, current president of the Chemainus Valley Historical Society and Museum.

The most famous recent addition with the expansion is ‘The Door’ that H.R. MacMillan slammed on the way out of the Chemainus Mill in 1916 on the verge of being fired, only to say the next time he passed through the door he’d own the place. And that’s exactly what happened.

MacMillan bought the Victoria Lumber Company in 1948 and the rest, as they say, is history.

The museum has also just acquired a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft model with an eight-foot span. Known around these parts as the Work Horse of the West Coast, it is now swooping down from the beams at the entrance to the museum.

The original museum opened 28 years ago in 1991. 


  printed in the Chemainus Valley Courier Aug. 13, 2019 4:35 p.m.
DON BODGER/COMMUNITY 

Saturday celebration marks Chemainus Valley Museum expansion

Museum Connections

Stanton leaves a legacy of volunteering

 Longtime firefighter devoted himself to the community  One of own! Read about Dick Stanton in the Chemainus Courier

  • DON BODGER
  • Oct. 26, 2021 10:50 a.m.
  • LOCAL NEWS

Great fun was had by all!

Well over a hundred came to wander through our scavenger hunt. We even "spooked" a few with our live mannequins!

Museum Volunteers in Costume ....

 with help from a genuine mounty!  


"Many thanks to Cst. Mitch McLean of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP and the many volunteers who helped bring the Museum to life today. And thank you to the community for stopping in and taking part in our Halloween Hunt. A fun time was had by all!" 

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Connect with history

Collaborative effort brings new life to historic carving

Collaborative effort brings new life to historic carving

Raising a cougar sculpture to a Museum perch requires many hands

  German born Horst (Pat) Herrmann had created the beautiful animal carvings that graced Waterwheel Park and has been installed by Ian Shaw. The cougar was just one of them. Mr Herrmann passed away in the summer of 2009.
 

Raising a cougar sculpture to a Museum perch requires many hands

Raising a cougar sculpture to a Museum perch requires many hands

  

On September 8th 2000, the Cougar was placed on a stump behind the fence by the H.R.MacMillan statue. It remained there for over 15 years when the Municipality had to remove it due to the stump rotting out.

Many tourists and local citizens missed seeing it and the Municipality brought it back and placed it on top of the entry arch to Waterwheel Park where it had to be removed again after 3 years due to rot in the archway. 


  The cougar can be now seen on display in the front window or close up inside the Museum. 

 "It truly takes a village to raise a cougar", observed Chemainus Valley Museum Board member Amy Brophy.  

 "The Chemainus Valley Museum and Municipality of North Cowichan collaborated on a project with several community volunteers to bring a six-foot historic cougar sculpture out of the elements – where it experienced considerable wear and tear over the years – and into a new forever home inside the Museum. The cougar now looks out proudly over its new domain from the Museum window at the current exit doors."


Read more on how this came to be Chemainus Courier 

article by DON BODGER/COMMUNITYOct. 15, 2020 8:30 a.m.
 

 

About the song and the writer "The Day They Closed the Old Mill Down"

Frank Ludwig, a former member of the band TROOPER,  grew up on Vancouver Island. Frank Ludwig said about the song, “It’s really about the spirit of a Vancouver Island town, specifically Chemainus and Alberni.” 

to the Chemainus valley Courier's article

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