Discover the vibrant experiences of our community with the CMA’s Community Tours Program, where cultural and historical engagement come to life. Shaped by community dialogue, oral history interviews, and extensive research, each tour is crafted to nurture empathy, promote understanding, and establish a meaningful connection with the past. Embark with us on a walk through time, place, and heritage.
Upcoming Tours
Japanese Canadians in Cumberland Guided Walking Tour
Led by Dawn Copeman, leaves from Coal Creek Historic Park No.1 Town parking lot, next left past Jumbo’s Cabin on Comox Lake Rd. Allow for 1.5 hours
Thirty-one cherry trees commemorate the last families to live at No.1 Town. Some old cement pillars are all that is left of this once bustling Japanese Canadian community. They came with their families to settle and work in the Dunsmuir coal mines, but unsafe working conditions and poor pay created challenges and opportunities to thrive. Forcible removal in 1942 changed the fabric of Cumberland forever.
Tour Dates:
Saturday, May 24 at 2:00 PM – COMPLETED
Sunday, August 17 at 11:00 PM
Tickets Available HERE
Cumberland Chinatown Guided Walking Tour
Led by Dawn Copeman, leaves from Jumbo’s Cabin at Coal Creek Historic Park on Comox Lake Rd. Allow for 1.5 hours
A quest for a better life. Loneliness. Isolation. Racism. Physical danger in the mines. Jumbo’s cabin is all that is left standing from Cumberland’s once-bustling Chinatown, but the wetlands hold tales of community, intrigue and triumph. Learn the fascinating history of the Chinese people who came to work in the Dunsmuir coal mines and left a lasting legacy.
This walk will have an emphasis on the lives of Chinese miners and their struggles within the labour movement in B.C.
Tour Dates:
Sunday, June 22 at 3:00 PM
Saturday, September 13 at 1:00 PM
Tickets Available HERE
Old Townsite Guided Walking Tour
LED BYDawn Copeman. Leaves from Jumbo’s Cabin at Coal Creek Historic Park on Comox Lake Rd. Allow for 1.5 to 2 hours
Explore the rich history of Cumberland’s Japanese and Chinese Communities. This special tour was guided by local historian Dawn Copeman whom combined the poignant stories of two once-thriving neighbourhoods.
Cumberland’s Chinatown: Begin your journey at Jumbo’s cabin, the last standing structure from Cumberland’s historic Chinatown. Walk through the main streets of Hai Gai and Low Gai, where, from 1888 to 1968, a vibrant community flourished with shops, churches, factories, clubhouses, bakeries, theatres, and family-run farms. Dawn will recount the lives of the ordinary and extraordinary people who made Chinatown a self-contained and thriving community nestled in the wetlands.
Japanese Community of No. 1 Town: Next, you will visit the site where thirty-one cherry trees stand as a tribute to the last families who lived in No. 1 Town. Here, you will see the remnants of old cement pillars, all that remains of a bustling Japanese Canadian community that came to work in the Dunsmuir coal mines. Despite facing unsafe working conditions and poor pay, these families found ways to thrive until their forcible removal in 1942, an event that forever altered the fabric of Cumberland. Dawn will share her extensive work with the families and descendants of this community, bringing their stories to life.
Tour Dates:
Saturday, July 19 at 11:00 AM
Saturday, October 11 at 1:00 PM
Tickets Available HERE
Past Tours
Miners’ Memorial Weekend | Labour History Tour
Saturday, June 14 at 3:00 PM
Location: Cumberland Museum & Archives
Address: 2680 Dunsmuir Ave Courtenay, BC V9N 9N7
Japanese Canadians in Cumberland
Sunday, October 27 at 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Cumberland Cemetery
Address: 4441 Minto Road Courtenay, BC V9N 9N7
Cumberland Cemetery Guided Walk
Sunday, October 27 at 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Cumberland Cemetery
Address: 4441 Minto Road Courtenay, BC V9N 9N7
Come and learn about the ordinary people who did extraordinary things.
Join us for a 90-minute guided walk at the Cumberland Cemetery, a final resting place for labour activists, miners, and everyday individuals.
Established in 1895, the Cumberland Cemetery continues to stand as an enduring symbol of strength and perseverance. Through the intertwined narratives of these lived experiences, we gain insight into the tribulations and obstacles faced by the inhabitants of an early mining community.
The Cumberland Museum & Archives is entrusted with preserving the memory of the people who helped shape Cumberland into what it is today. As a non-profit entity, your contribution will contribute to the preservation of these narratives, ensuring they endure and be shared for generations to come.
Saturday, October 12 at 2 pm| Old Townsite Tour
Location: 1951 Comox Lake Rd #1888, Cumberland, BC V0R 1S0
Explore the rich history of Cumberland’s Japanese and Chinese Communities. This special tour was guided by local historian Dawn Copeman whom combined the poignant stories of two once-thriving neighbourhoods.
Cumberland’s Chinatown: Begin your journey at Jumbo’s cabin, the last standing structure from Cumberland’s historic Chinatown. Walk through the main streets of Hai Gai and Low Gai, where, from 1888 to 1968, a vibrant community flourished with shops, churches, factories, clubhouses, bakeries, theatres, and family-run farms. Dawn will recount the lives of the ordinary and extraordinary people who made Chinatown a self-contained and thriving community nestled in the wetlands.
Japanese Community of No. 1 Town: Next, you will visit the site where thirty-one cherry trees stand as a tribute to the last families who lived in No. 1 Town. Here, you will see the remnants of old cement pillars, all that remains of a bustling Japanese Canadian community that came to work in the Dunsmuir coal mines. Despite facing unsafe working conditions and poor pay, these families found ways to thrive until their forcible removal in 1942, an event that forever altered the fabric of Cumberland. Dawn will share her extensive work with the families and descendants of this community, bringing their stories to life.
Sunday, June 16 at 10 am | Guided Heritage Walk of The Cumberland Cemetery
Location: Cumberland Cemetery
Discover the stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things. Join us for a 90-minute guided walk at the Cumberland Cemetery, the final resting place for labour activists, miners, and everyday individuals. Established in 1895, this cemetery stands as an enduring symbol of strength and perseverance. Through the intertwined narratives of these lived experiences, we gain insight into the tribulations and obstacles faced by the inhabitants of this early mining community.
Learn about Albert “Ginger” Goodwin, a prominent labour leader whose legacy continues to inspire. The Cumberland Museum & Archives is dedicated to preserving the memory of the people who helped shape Cumberland. As a non-profit entity, your contribution supports the preservation of these narratives, ensuring they endure for future generations.