Amy Marie Visits: Comox & Courtney for Canada Day
We joined the Canada Day celebration in the town of Courtney. The day's festivities started with a parade down the main street, across the bridge and into their city park. We had El Salvadorian food for lunch and listened to the music of various bands. It was clear that Canadians love celebrating their Independence Day as crowds were large and enthusiastic.
A year ago, we helped the Canadians celebrate Canada Day in Montreal. It was one of our favorite stops on our Great Loop Trip.
To get some background on this part of Vancouver Island we visited the Courtney Museum to acquaint ourselves with the history of the area. Lumber, farming, and coal were the main early economic drivers. One interesting discovery was that the river delta on which Courney is built is a location rich in dinosaur fossils. Many complete skeletons have been found and are exhibited in the museum.
Here you can see two of the defining aspects of the Comox plain. In the distance the Comox Glacier is visible in the mountains. In the foreground is the alluvial plain which attracted farmers and foresters to the region. It is in the alluvial deposits that many intact dinosaur fossils have been preserved for discovery and study.
Comox
Comox hosts an active fishing industry.
Both fish and prawns were available for purchase, right off the boats.
Comox has a deep-water harbor that was value by the British Navy in early times.
The town of Comox clearly values its nautical heritage. Here you can see a building which incorporates nautical elements. The town has many shopping options and is a good place to reprovision. There is a large well stocked grocery store and an excellent nearby ice cream shop. We spent a morning in their Regional Library taking advantage of their high-speed internet.
The Bald Eagle population makes effective use of a mast as a vantage point.
A full moon illuminates Comox Harbour.
Mother Nature's Haul Out
One advantage of boating in areas with large tidal excursions is the ability to perform do-it-yourself haul outs. The process begins at high tide by parking your boat next to two columns. Underneath your keel is an open grid steel pad. As the tide recedes, your vessel comes to rest on the grid, and you tie it to the columns.
Here you can see the same sailboat at low tide. A boat's normally underwater surfaces and features are accessible for maintenance. You must keep in mind that the tide will eventually rise again. In most cases it can take several tide cycles to complete a bottom painting job for example.
Filberg Park
The home and gardens of a local lumber baron have new life as a park just south of the marina. It is free to visit. It contains a pleasant network of walking paths and exhibits.
It also has an onsite restaurant at which you can enjoy your favorite beverage or have a meal.
The tables were decorated with flowers from the estate's cutting garden.
The Filberg Mansion is a 1930's Arts and Crafts style mansion originally built as a summer home for Rober Filberg and his family. It is located on 9 acres just south of the central part of town.
This impressive arbor shades a lovely path down to the waterfront.
One of several outbuildings on the estate.
When traveling north or south along the east coast of Vancouver Island, the Comox/Courtney area is worth a visit. The marina has good facilities, and a pub is conveniently located just off site as you walk into town. We found good stores and restaurants in town capable of providing any provisioning item we might require. As always, we sought out the library for fast internet. It was comfortable and up to the task. It was also a short walk from the marina and near an ice cream shop! There is also a good regional bus system that will facilitate your visit to Courtney if you don't want to walk the 3 miles between the two towns.
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I must also plan for a trip like this! Great photos.
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