



Project Impact is capital project to triple the size of the current Museum to draw increased cultural tourism to the region, improve visitor experience, support new business development in Shawnigan Lake, and improve cultural programming for members of Shawnigan Lake and the CVRD. If you would like more information on the project, how to support the project, or ways to get involved, please contact Lori, at 250-743-8675 or by email at shawniganlakemuseum@shaw.ca.
You can see the ICET press release here:
http://islandcoastaltrust.ca/news/shawnigan-lake-museum-expansion-boost-visitation-and-expand-cultural-heritage
Winter Hours:
Thursday - Sunday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
By donation
Friendly guides
Interactive displays
Historical slide shows
EJ Hughes gallery
Kinsol Trestle models
1775 Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd.,
Shawnigan Lake, BC
What we're asking our visitors:
Please don't come to the Museum if you have:
As with all museums and businesses, the COVID-19 crisis has hugely impacted our revenue. Admission to the the museum gallery is by donation. However, if you would like to support our museum on a larger scale you can do so by considering a donation for a tax receipt (minimum $25), set up a monthly donation, and/or become member.
We appreciate your support!
E.J. Hughes lived at Shawnigan Lake for over twenty years until he found it too busy and noisy (circa 1970) and moved to Cobble Hill. Hughes' last studio, in a modest house in Duncan, was a spare bedroom, with a table and easel set close to a single north window. He painted there, in the afternoon, six days a week. Sunday was his day off.
Your GO TO SOURCE for information about the Kinsol Trestle at Shawnigan Lake. Stop by the Museum on your way to/from the Kinsol Trestle to learn it's history. We have two scale models: one 3 foot and one 10 foot! There are also historical and a time lapse restoration video of the Trestle for your enjoyment.
The Last Spike was ceremoniously placed by Sir John A. Macdonald in 1886, at Cliffside. He used a silver hammer and pounded a gold spike. In 1883, the British Columbia Government appealed to Robert Dunsmuir to build a railway. The 72 miles of track, which was laid starting from Esquimalt and Nanaimo met at Mile 25 (Cliffside, Shawnigan Lake).