Parksville Museum
1245 E. Island Highway v9p 2e5 Parksville, BC, Canada

June 27, 1942 Burg Van Horne and Cecilia Longsmuir in Coombs

Tom and Millicent (Marchall) Williamson Coombs 1920's

Thinking of weddings, we had a wedding in the Knox Heritage Church this past weekend. Lots of restrictions but they can still happen! Thinking of tying the knot, this might be the place. Email [email protected] for rates and possibilities

Allan Ford and his daughter, the bride, Margaret Rafter and his other daughter, far left, Jean Murray.

The Ford Family On right is Alan with his wife Rachel (daughter of John Hirst and Ann Harris Hirst) behind him; Ethel and Mabel Ford (almost look like twins); Walter and his wife Rachel; and their daughter Florence to the right of Walter. Alan' s daughter Jean Murray holding baby Alan and in far left her cousin Jean Kennedy. Many children in Coombs were born in the Ford Log House and the two older Ford daughters were probably experienced mid wives. * photo and text courtesy of Sharon Cox Gustafson

Enjoy old pictures? Our historical calendar is for you $20 each and available at Parksville Home Hardware or free local delivery or by mail. Email [email protected] for details or 250-240-2865

The Parksville Cenotaph in its original location, at the end of Memorial Avenue. Erected in 1923 in honour of the local lives lost in World War One, it was rededicated in 2001 when it was moved to the plaza outside the Civic and Community Centre. Today it stands to honour all the men and women of Parksville who have given their lives for or served their country in wartime.

Wondering who won BEST!!! light display for Parksville in building category....... it would be PARKSVILLE MUSEUM!!!!!!Come take a look - thank you Parksville Chamber of Commerce -

Nearing the end of the series of photographs in our look at sports, we feature the 1945 Rod and Gun Basketball Team. As you know, the Rod and Gun was built and opened by the Hirst family in 1898 and is still in business today. As is often the case, local businesses had sports teams for their staff, or sponsored local sports teams. Do you have any information on whether these young men were employees of the hotel, or was this a local team that they funded? At any rate, it's ...unlikely that they’d go thirsty at the end of a practice session or a game! 1945 was a momentous year for Parksville, not only as the year when World War Two ended, but it’s the year that Parksville was incorporated into a village. As always, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us below, or email us at: mailto:[email protected]

These three images honour some the men of Parksville, Nanoose Bay, Errington, Hilliers, Coombs and Qualicum, who joined up to fight in World War One and Two. Many of these young men did not return home, and it is in their memory that we show these images. The first image shows a group of men, boys mostly, having joined up and now waiting to be united with their regiment. Undated, and with no names attached, this photograph is especially poignant given the smiles on their fa...ces one wonders how many of them came back in 1918? The second photograph, taken in Victoria in 1916 at the Bay Street Armory, shows some of the members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, drawn from the Oceanside area. There are many familiar family names in that picture. The third pictures is of William James (Jim) Kingsley, Captain James Kingsley’s son. You may remember we mentioned him on our post of the Pacific Coast Rangers. His son was a paratrooper in WW 2 and this is a photo of him on the front, left. The title we have for the photo is Basic training (Army) at Camrose, Alberta, 1943. Tomorrow, across Canada and the Commonwealth, we take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice that men and women made to their country. Please comment below or email us: @[email protected]

The first image is of the 1911 Parksville team, with Albert Hirst 4th from the back left. Do the initials BFA stand for British Football Association, or a local sponsor perhaps? By the 1920s their football uniform had changed to a striped jersey, as the second team photograph shows. The final photograph, also from the 1920s, shows the Parksville team lineup in the goalmouth together with the lads from Coombs. Hard to believe this is nearly 100 years ago. If you have any stories about local soccer here that you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. Please let us know below, or email us at: [email protected]

These four handsome chaps, in this 1910 picture from our Coombs collection look all ready for a game of soccer but where is the rest of their team?

We’re quite certain that the coach for this local hockey team in the undated photograph is Howie Meeker. We wonder - was it taken at Oceanside Place and are you in the photograph? Born in Ontario in 1923, Mr. Meeker is a former right winger in the National Hockey League, youth coach and educator in ice hockey, and television sports announcer, as well as a former Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament. Mr. Meeker is the last surviving member of the Maple Leafs 1947 Stan...ley Cup team, the Maple Leaf 1949 Stanley Cup team, the Maple Leaf 1951 Stanley Cup team, and the inaugural NHL All-Star Game. If you are of a certain age, you may remember his analyses of replays using the telestrator and his excited directions to the technician to stop it right here!! One of his lasting contributions to the game is the inspiration he brought and continues to bring to the caliber of hockey schools and coaching...and he now lives in Parksville at the grand age of 96. If you have any stories about local hockey here in the Oceanside area, please let us know, or email us at: [email protected]

Come for a visit - Though the museum is closed, the grounds are open to enjoy. Our heritage buildings are twinkling with sparkle and light. Thanks to the Parksville Fire Department who helped with the most challenging areas to reach with Christmas lights (December 2019)

A modified version of this scene will be enacted all over Canada and the Commonwealth on Wednesday, as we remember the men and women who gave their lives for their countries in the World Wars. In Canada, men and women of the Korean War and all conflicts since then where members of the Canadian Armed Forces have served are also honoured. The men and women of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 49, are shown here in the 1979 Remembrance Day Parade, marching to The Cenotaph, whic...h was, by that time situated in the Community Park. Together with supporters from other service groups and members of the public, they lead us annually in tribute to and remembrance of their lost and injured comrades. The Legion, together with the Women’s Institute were instrumental in raising funds to purchase the granite; have it dressed and inscribed with the names of the fallen; and erect The Cenotaph in 1923. Now after almost ninety-seven years, it stands in the plaza outside the Civic and Community Centre. If you have anything to add to this post, please feel free to comment below or at: [email protected]

Team sports has always played a big part in the social life of the area, and friendly rivalry between local teams keeps a bit of fun going between the towns. We have a number of great pictures in our collection and we’ll take a look at them over the next few posts. Baseball team photos are first, with the top picture from the 1940s, showing the Coombs team. Obviously, many are in a celebratory mood their winners' cup and big smiles proudly on display. The Coombs team also... feature in the second photo, this time undated, and with different uniforms. The logo on the tunics looks like RS Mill..., we can’t quite read it. Love the look the smoker at the back right is getting from some of his fellow team-mates! Finally, we have the Parksville Loggers, in the bottom picture from 1954, which we believe was taken at the Community Park. Any comments, or more information about any of the photos can be shared below, or at: [email protected]

Likely taken around 1935, and labelled as ‘Experimental Farm Errington', this looks like a very nice experiment. If it’s indeed a vineyard I hope it worked out cheers!

Before we leave our theme of farming, and in honor of the Thanksgiving Holiday, let's look at some of the bounty that could be reaped towards of the end of the growing season as a result of all the previous months’ hard work. Nothing went to waste in preparing to feed livestock and the family over the winter months. The first picture shows a haymaking ‘party’ in the 1940s, readying hay for sale, or for feeding the animals on the home farm. The caption reads ‘...Cox and Will...iams’. The families are enjoying a break from their hard work. Do you know any of the folks in these images? The other photograph is a wonderful image of somewhere in excess of 40 jars of preserves being put down for the winter. Look at that stove and range it's hot enough making jam today, in cool clean kitchens, with gas or electric ranges, just think of how it must have been with a wood stove! What are your favorites ways of making the most of the summer’s bounty pickles, preserves, freezing, or just eating it all when it's plentiful? Share your ideas with us below, or email us at:

A group of the Pacific Coast Militia-our local unsung heroes.

City Parksville to honour veterans with commemorative bannersThe City of Parksville will hang a series of banners honouring veterans. Beginning Oct. 13 and through the month of November, commemorative banners to honour local veterans who gave their lives will be displayed along Highway 19A between McMillan and McVickers Streets. Earlier this year, Parksville council approved the veteran banner program to honour the veterans whose names are listed on the Parksville Cenotaph. T...here are 60 names from both the First and Second World Wars, and through extensive research, city staff obtained images and information for 31 veterans. As a community, it is important we remember and recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by our veterans. The city is extremely proud of this project and honoured to launch this ongoing memorial banner project. As residents drive along Highway 19A, we hope they will take a moment to reflect on the significance, said Mayor Ed Mayne in a release. Research for the project began in April, and although it has presented some incredible findings, it also posed many challenges. Researcher Valda Stefani was pleased to pursue the veterans’ stories even though worldwide archives were closed for months due to the pandemic. Stefani established relationships with military museums, with other researchers, and conducted interviews to ensure that they could put faces to as many names as possible. Many of the local young men who enlisted, especially in the First World War, had recently arrived from the United Kingdom and Australia. Many were too young to have started families, adding to the challenge of finding photographs. Images were received from archives in England, Ireland, Parksville Museum and Archives, personal collections and other sources. Many residents have shared personal stories and valuable information about family members, which was otherwise unobtainable through archives or museums. During the next year research will continue and as the program evolves photographs and stories will be shared on the city website. The search for information will continue, and if anyone can offer assistance, they are asked to contact Deb Tardiff at 250-954-3073, or by email at [email protected]. NEWS Staff, submitted See more

Diversity of livestock is a great way to spread the risks this early promotional brochure for farming on Vancouver Island suggests the benefits of poutlry and pigs. Pretty noisy neighbours!

Help us ring the bells at the Knox Heritage Church on the beautiful grounds of the Parksville Museum! We are excited to launch a fundraising initiative to purchase and install a digital carillon in the Knox Heritage Church. This exciting project will bring the church alive with bells and chimes to celebrate Parksville’s 75th birthday on June 19, 2021and other special occasions in the community and at the museum. Your financial gift to the museum will help ring the bells!... We need your support! Please consider making a financial gift to help us realize our goal to purchase, install and maintain the carillon. We have already made a great start towards our $15,000 goal with several generous financial gifts! With your help, the bells will be chiming in time for Parksville’s birthday celebrations in 2021! For more information and a donation form go to our website: https://parksvillemuseum.com//digital-carillon-for-knox-h/ Mail your gift to: Parksville Museum, 1245 E. Island Highway, Parksville, V9P 2E5 Or We will come pick up your gift and provide additional information: John Wearing ([email protected]) Ron Woodward ([email protected]) Learn more about this exciting fundraiser on CTV news: https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video

Running a farm, especially starting from scratch in a new country required everyone to pitch in and ‘do their bit’. Without the entire family taking on the tasks of running the farm, many of the early homesteaders would have failed. The first image is an undated picture of ‘Mrs. Jane Davies of Errington’ tending to her hogs. Mrs. Davies was also instrumental in having St. Mary’s Church built in Errington in 1927. Up until then, visiting clergy from Nanaimo held services in lo...cal homes and farmsteads - no doubt Mrs. Davies hosted many Sunday Services in her time. The second image from 1914, also shows a woman, in this case un-named, on her way to plough with a horse-drawn tractor. Neither of these pictures look ‘posed’, but rather, reflect the hard-working lives of everyone on the early farms. As always, we welcome your comments here or at: [email protected]

Starting a new life in a strange country must have been daunting for settlers coming from Europe and seeking to better their circumstances. Images of sod-roofed huts or log cabins would not be that appealing. The aim of the Vancouver Fruit Lands initiative was to encourage optimism and so its promotional materials included images like the first one shown here, of the relative ease and comfort that could be enjoyed by settlers; large imposing homes, and comfortable leisure tim...e for games and beach activities. The upper picture shows Major Hickey’s house on Wembley Road, with tennis courts and home in the background. The other images are inspirational quotes from the brochure, extolling the virtues and rewards of hard work, and the help and advice available to settlers. Sounds almost too good to be true...likely it was not always that easy for the ground-breaking pioneers. What is interesting to the present day reader is that the quotes speak directly to the man of the family but we know that women (wives, mothers, sisters and daughters...) all took on a fair share of labor, whether clearing land, keeping livestock, running the dairy, and raising children; without the whole family pulling together, their endeavors would have likely failed more often. We’d love to know more about early life in the area, so if you have any stories about early farming to share with us? Please let us know below, or just email us at: mailto:[email protected]

On Vancouver Island, we don’t see as many sheep as cows, but the Craigs certainly kept a sizeable flock!