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1st Meeting and Formation of Shawnigan Lake Historical Committee   MINUTES OF THE SHAWNIGAN LAKE HISTORICAL COMMITTEE   November 2nd, 1976   Sara Tillie was appointed interim secretary Mr. Henslow was appointed interim chairman Father Leonard was appointed interim treasurer   Mrs. Gibson gave an explanation of the purpose of the meeting and a brief history. The purpose of the meeting being two fold; a) the sale and printing of the histories b) the fostering and promotion of a

Victoria Daily Standard Friday, May 19, 1871 Under the pre-emption laws of this colony, any one being a British subject may take up 160 acres of land on this Island and on the Lower Fraser, and 320 acres behind the Cascades. Now, it is a matter of importance to all who may be disposed to engage in farming, that they should understand that as soon as the line of railway to Canada shall have been decided on, no more pre-emptions will be allowed to be taken up within twenty mile

by Emery Sanderson Museum Summer Assistant The Crab (1968) Many know of the colossal, six-metre-tall stainless-steel crab outside of Vancouver's MacMillan Space centre or the abstract, intertwined, Dynamic Mobile Steel Sculpture (1979) in the entrance to the Victoria public library. Or, perhaps attentive locals have seen the intricate carvings of the Shawnigan Community Centre or own a map, or painting, carefully signed G.A. Norris, but how many know the artist behind all thi

By ART STOTT VICTORIA TIMES OCTOBER 19, 1965 To me one of the off-season joys of Shawnigan has been the solid sleep that comes with the longer nights and the relative lack of nocturnal human activity around our bay. No late visitors pass in their boats, growling the gutturals of slow-speed outboards, nor rev up their cars preparatory to driving home. A man, no longer offered the inducements of a balmy evening, comes indoors as early dusk brings its chill. He can sit by the he

The King Solomon Mine   By Brue Pollock   King Solomon Mines was a rather insignificant mine located near Shawnigan Lake that left a rather large name-sake legacy. From 1904 to 1907, this tiny mine near the Koksilah River produced enough copper ore to barely fill three rail cars - resulting in a total of 18,000kg of copper.   Although pretty well insignificant in the region's mining history, it was around long enough to have a local rail stop named after it - the Kinsol Stati

By Tim Robishaw, Heather Harvey, & Joseph Fletcher National Research Council Canada Publication Gladys A. Harvey (née Young, 1916-1995) was a staff member of the Radio and Electrical Engineering Division (REED) of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) from 1948 to 1976. Gladys received B.A. and M.A. degrees from McMaster University in the field of mathematics, and then received a teaching certificate from the Ontario College of Education. After a number of years worki

by Brownie Gibson When “Green Branches & Fallen Leaves” was written in 1966, edited by Brownie Gibson, as noted, there were still a number of families living in the area, that were a source information from “the early days”.   Now there are fewer of these families to pass on information, but at the Museum, we are always eager to hear stories of the past, no matter whether from just a just a few years past, or from stories that your grandparents shared with you.   After all… m

January 12, 1929 A Bit of Malahat Ridge on a Frosty Morning; Across the Drift; Cliff-dwelling Plants; the Mossy North By Robert Connell – noted Island Naturalist A silver morning again!  Roofs white with frost, dead leaves edged and patterned with ice-crystals, blades of ice running out into wayside pools.  Already the sun is at work, but there are soft clouds, warm-tinted, purple shadowed, coming up over the blue of the sky to intercept the rays.   As the train pulls into Cl

by Brownie Gibson from Green Branches & Fallen Leaves In 1900, the Strathcona Hotel was built at what was then known as Gilesville (after an early settler). For the following enlightening information concerning the hotel, we are greatly indebted to the Provincial Archivist, Mr. Willard Ireland, who did a painstaking job of research. Contrary to popular belief, the hotel did not start as a C.P.R. Hotel. In 1900 the Shawnigan Lake Hotel Company Limited was incorporated with hea

LIFESTYLES – The Cowichan Leader It’s a long journey from an Alberta homestead to one’s own art gallery at Shawnigan Lake. c late 1980s By KEITH NORBURY John Rusnak has come a long way since he was born in a log cabin on his parent’s homestead 75 miles north of Edmonton.That was 53 years ago. Since then, he has completed a 33-year career with Woodward’s department stores, the last 10 as a buyer; taken up painting, first as a hobby and now as his profession; and built a spacio

Entrance to Howe Sound was painted in 1949 and sold for $4.8 million. Author of the article: By John Mackie   Published Nov 22, 2025    E.J. Hughes paints in his Duncan studio in 2004. Photo by Darren Stone /Times Colonist Article content   The E.J. Hughes painting Entrance to Howe Sound sold for $4,801,250 at a Heffel auction in Toronto on Nov. 19, the highest price ever paid for an artwork by a B.C. artist. It was painted in 1949, based on a graphite sketch Hughes had done

November 18, 2001 Times Colonist – The Islander By Danda Humphreys   Running between Fort Street and Pandora Avenue, a short street called Elford reminds us of a family whose name lives on in South Vancouver Island. Let’s take a look at just a few of these illustrious people. The first Elfords to arrive were Robert and Hannah. They were born a year apart in adjoining English counties — Robert in Devonshire, Hannah in Cornwall — and shared the same love of adventure. Leaving B

..Cliff Moffat- 2017 The year is 1953,when a small enthusiastic group of  people first  started water-skiing on the salt-water of Bamberton Inlet. They named themselves the Victoria Outboard Club . The  sport  was new, daring and  exciting.  As time marched on, any patch of flat water lured them in, including Elk Lake.   Some  of the  skiers forming this new  sports  club included Jim Leech, Bill Hughes,  Cliff  and Knute  Johnson, Stu Mcinnis, Chuck  Dumeresque, Barry...

by Lori Treloar   Ravenhill Road winds through a section of the Shawnigan Beach Estates. The road is named for the Ravenhill family who settled in Shawnigan Lake early in the 20 th  century.  Alice Ravenhill and her sister Edith followed their brother and nephew to Shawnigan Lake in 1910, to set up a family home and take care of them.   Miss Cole, a friend of the Ravenhills, used their home at Shawnigan Lake to open a school for girls in 1912. Unfortunately, Miss Cole ran int

ON THE TIMES BY ART STOTT Victoria Daily Times March 22, 1955 You can stand on a float in Cigarmakers' Bay these day and whip a fly out...

BY SARAH GLEN Times Colonist staff July 22, 2002   SHAWNIGAN LAKE — Arson is suspected in a stubborn blaze that destroyed the heart of Shawnigan Lake village Sunday and left residents reeling. "This is a major, major loss to the community," said Shawnigan Lake RCMP Const. Trent Richards.  The Shawnigan Lake fire department was called to the blaze, which started at 5:30 a.m., as it ripped through Shawnigan Lake People’s Pharmacy, That’s Entertainment Video Store and Banana Bel

By Jesse Winter   ● Nanaimo ● October 6, 2020 The Discourse Read our story about the potential future of the railway here  and...

By Barbara Rodgers The Islander December 11, 1983 Like a jewel, Shawnigan Lake has many facets offering many attractions to many people....

$70,000 Loss Partly Insured By Monte Roberts Victoria Daily Times September 30, 1958 A roaring, $70,000 fire totally destroyed the...

https:// anglersparadise.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/the-morton-house-at-shawnigan-lake. Posted by  Diana Pedersen  in  Cowichan  ...