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Cap Bardot one of the colourful characters from Chemainus’ past

Chemainus Valley Museum features many displays and stories of the region’s history
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‘Cap’ Bardot.

The past comes alive at the Chemainus Valley Museum.

When Alick Bardot first came to the Chemainus area, he lived on Reid Island with the Silvey Family. He fished with the Silveys, worked at the cannery on Reid Island and cooked on Seine boats.

He was known far and wide as ‘Cap’ probably because year in and year out, he wore a very salty old yachtsman’s cap. Everyone who knew him has a favourite ‘Cap’ Bardot story.

Some stories were far out and some were comical, but all of them were entertaining and most based on the truth. It is a fact he was once in the old North West Mounted Police, stationed in Regina in the early 1920’s.

He was very independent, in his later years rarely missing a Friday trip to Chemainus. His pastime was painting pictures, a great many of them miniatures painted on oyster shells.

The story of Cap and other pioneers can be found in ‘Memories of the Chemainus Valley,’ a book compiled by Lillian Gustafson in 1978. It is available through the Chemainus Valley Museum at Waterwheel Park in Chemainus.

Drop in for a look.