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Step into Christmas past at Duncan museum

The Christmas Past Comes Alive! Event is celebrating 10 years at the Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives on Friday evening.
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Head to the museum for an atmospheric Christmas on Friday.

The Christmas Past Comes Alive! Event is celebrating 10 years at the Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives on Friday evening.

Organizers describe it as “a fun-filled family activity held in the Train Station, from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., during Duncan’s Christmas Kick-Off”.

Entry is by donation.

“This is the perfect night for a little time travel at the museum,” Museum and Archives staff said. “Volunteers dress in period costumes and assume identities from Cowichan’s past. Meet Mrs. Castley baking a batch of cookies, Mrs. Whidden busy writing Christmas letters to family in the ‘Old Country’ and Mrs. Ford working at the post office.”

There will be copies of archival postcards of winters past are available for visitors to take home and there will be a Christmas craft for kids to do.

A Winter Wonderland will be created in the temporary gallery, inspired by a Christmas card sent decades ago by Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Savage (the 1929 editor of the Cowichan Leader).

“Take a step back in time to see old-fashioned sports artifacts and a letterbox bursting with Christmas mail,” staff said.

This display will be on view until Dec. 18.

The Cowichan Valley Museum and Archives is located downtown in the Duncan Train Station on Canada Avenue. The museum is open Wednesday to Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturdays 1-4 p.m. Admission is by donation. Call curator Kathryn Gagnon at 250-746-6612 or email cvmuseum.archives@shaw.ca