September 7 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
If you’re after something a little different for Labour Day, the Museum is firing up their classic 1916 Empire Steam Donkey for a live demo.
The old whistle and puff of steam will be echoing across the grounds from 1pm to 4pm, and it’s all free.
This year’s demo’s a bit extra special, since the community just wrapped up a two-year restoration on the machine, even giving it a brand new yellow cedar sled.
The Steam Donkey itself was built in Vancouver and is one of the rare few still running anywhere in North America—so it’s a genuine piece of Campbell River history.
Besides watching the Steam Donkey in action, you can check out vintage logging films, sip on some boiler coffee, maybe grab a slice of pie, and let the kids dive into crafts and games.
There’ll also be some cool artifact challenges and a chance to learn about Japanese Canadian history.
Best part? You get free entry into the Museum galleries, so you can wander around and really take it all in.
Bring some friends or the family and get a close-up look at how logging used to be done around here. 🚂🥧
