Bittancourt House Heritage Museum
Admission is free, donations are welcome.
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The Bittancourt Museum is located on the Institute’s grounds at 351 Rainbow Road. It is a heritage building that houses artifacts, farming implements, and antique equipment.
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The museum is situated in a 1884 house which was built in Vesuvius by Estalon Bittancourt. The house was then moved to the grounds of the Farmers Institute in 1980 to be used as a museum illustrating the lives of the early settlers on Salt Spring Island. The displays have since been expanded to include items from the 1880s to the 1950s. All of the items have been donated by local families.
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In 2007 and 2014 volunteers from the Farmers’ Institute built additions to the original house in order to accommodate the continued donation of historical items.
​​Among the pieces on display are:
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A large map, hand drawn in 1912, showing the boundaries of properties on the island at that time
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Photographs of some of the homes and farm activities from the early 1900s
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A large scale model of the HMS Ganges
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Housewares and kitchen utensils from turn of the century homes
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Displays illustrating the lives of Salt Spring settlers in the 1800s
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A summer kitchen and old farm machinery are on display outside
To arrange a visit, make a donation or to volunteer to assist with documentation or displays, contact the Museum at info@saltspringmuseum.com or by phone 778-353-0053.​
