Location

I-Hos Gallery is located on the site of the original K'ómoks Village in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The gallery overlooks Queneesh (Comox Glacier) and the spectacular Comox Bay.

“Comox” is an anglicization of kw’umuxws, which is derived from the Kwakw’ala term, kw’umalha, meaning “plentiful, rich and wealthy”. The K'ómoks people are classified culturally as Northern Coast Salish. They spoke the Island Comox dialect of the Comox Coast Salish language; the last speaker of the dialect died in 1995. At the time of first contact with the Europeans in 1792, the Comox-speaking groups occupied settlements extending along Vancouver Island from the vicinity of Salmon River in the northwest to the area around Cape Lazo in the southeast, including Quadra Island and other islands adjacent to Vancouver Island (Comox Land Use and Reserve History, 1999).

The main community, where I-Hos Gallery is located, is at Comox Indian Reserve #1, adjacent to the Town of Comox. The Comox Indian Reserve #1 was allocated in 1867. The Pentledge Indian Reserve #2, is located at the confluence of the Puntledge and Tsolum rivers adjacent to the City of Courtenay. The Pentledge Indian Reserve #2 was also allocated in 1867. Goose Spit, the smallest reserve, is located on a narrow marine sand spit at the Comox Harbour entrance. The reserve formerly known as Graveyard Indian Reserve #3 was also allocated in 1867. Access to this reserve is greatly limited by an existing military base.

3310 Comox Road, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 3P8