For thousands of years before the first contact with European explorers, Courtenay had been the home to the Como people now the Kooks First Nation. The Kooks people were able to utilize the rich agricultural land to produce crops and proximity to the local waterways allowed for fishing and trade with nearby First Nations people. In the Como language, Kooks means "plenty" – resulting in the Valley being known as the "Land of Plenty". In 1792, Captain George Vancouver, anchored HMS Discovery in what soon would be known as the Como Harbour and made contact with the First Nations people in the area. In recent years, there has been some speculation whether or not Vancouver was the first explorer to make contact with the people in this area. According to research by Sam Bawl, it could be that Sir Francis Drake made first contact with them in 1579, on a secret expedition ordered by Queen Elizabeth I.
Early settlers
The settlement of Courtenay began in the spring of 1862. The first settlers were coal miners from Nanaimo who were drawn to the area, because it had been known as one of the best agricultural districts in the Colony. The early settlers relied on the knowledge and help of the local First Nations people. They hired them for general labour and farm work, although they were paid low wages as were most non-white people during that time. Many of the settlers ended up marrying or living with First Nations women who provided trading and social connections to surrounding First Nations people.
In 1864, Robert Brown, leading the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition, discovered coal deposits in the Como Valley, and by 1888 Robert Dunsmuir purchased mining claims in the area. He eventually established a mine in Union, later renamed Cumberland, which brought an influx of settlers, and Chinese and Japanese immigrants. During the establishment of the mining and farming industry, the downtown of Courtenay developed on both sides of the Courtenay
