History
The Town of Comox respectfully acknowledges that the land on which we gather and work is on the unceded traditional territory of the K’òmoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land.
Comox and the Comox Valley boasts excellent museums and organizations that focus on capturing and recognizing the history of the region, featuring organizations such as:
First settled by the Salish, the name Comox is derived from the Indian word “Koumuckthay”, meaning “Land of Plenty”. The Port of Comox was founded in the mid-1800’s on the slopes of the Comox Peninsula. Overlooking the protected waters of Comox Harbour, it was an important port for the ships of the Royal Navy and transport steamers. To learn more about the history of Comox, visit the Comox Archives & Museum.
HMCS Comox
Two ships have been commissioned HMCS Comox
The first, commissioned on November 23, 1938, the HMCS Comox, was stationed at Esquimalt at the outbreak of the war and carried out local patrol duties until March 1940, when with HMCS Nootka, she was ordered to the east coast. Arriving at Halifax in April, she spent the entire war on local mine-sweeping duties for the Halifax Local Defence Force. On January 15, 1945, with the HMCS Fundy, she rescued survivors from the US liberty ship Martin Van Buren, torpedoed off Halifax. She was paid off July 27, 1945, sold for commercial purposes in 1946 and converted to a tug, the Sung Ming.
The second was commissioned on April 2, 1954, and was paid off in 1957, then transferred to the Turkish Navy, which was renamed her Tirebolu.
Thanks to National Defence for the photos.
For more information on Comox history, visit the website for the Comox Archives & Museum Society.
