STORY OF THE MUSEUM ON THE PIER
Located in Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, the Centre was built in 1988 from a condemned fuel loading dock and former Chevron warehouse. The Centre is run by the non-profit Wooden Boat Society. Our mandate is:
- To preserve and present the Heritage of British Columbia's Maritime past as it relates to Cowichan Bay.
- To increase awareness and appreciation of this heritage
- To offer boat building programs and restoration projects
- To conduct community activities that celebrate our maritime history
To this end, we maintain a museum which is comprised of 3 buildings (along our 350' pier) often referred to as pods (see slideshow below)
The warehouse became the boatbuilding shop where the courses that we offer are held. Between courses, the workshop is busy with volunteers working on restorations and repairs.
During the summer we offer formal guided tours with our volunteer ambassadors. Come and share the experience, hear about the workshop, our boatbuilding courses and restoration projects, they are all creative active exhibits - works in progress! They range from simple plywood dinghies to elegant cedar lapstrake boats. Become members and volunteer for one of our wooden boat restoration projects.
In 2005 the Cowichan Wooden Boat Society started the construction of their marine ways with completion in 2006. The ways are the traditional railway-type of which there were more than 5 operating since the turn of the century in Cowichan Bay. Only two are left today. All wooden boat enthusiasts are encouraged to come and watch the ways in action.
The ways are an integral part of our interpretive displays, demonstrating wooden boat maintenance and restoration. Visitors can view boats being pulled up the ways, out of the water, where they will ‘sit’ while being worked on. We are proud to preserve these marine ways as a part of Cowichan Bay’s maritime history.
As you walk along our 350' pier the permanent exhibits are housed in unique pods designed to reflect the surrounding landscape and reveal the rich maritime history of Cowichan Bay.
The exhibits range from the history of Cowichan Bay to boatbuilding techniques and restored marine engines.
In the second pod, all supplies and tools are always available for children to build toy boats.
The end pavilion offers a "boat display" which changes regularly. Boats on display have been built by Harvey George and the scale model Tall Ships by Dr. Dwresteg. (see gallery images in the museum gallery)
