O
ne hundred years ago, pioneers to the South Cowichan area decided to ‘build a community’ by constructing a great hall located at the corner of Watson Avenue and Heigh Street in the heart of the Cobble Hill Village. As no local government existed, citizens formed a building committee and charged it with ensuring the vision of a grand central gathering place was realized. Although a smaller hall already existed, the community dreamed of a much larger space: one suitable to accommodate weddings, dances, theatrical performances, social nights with tombolas and other events important to a growing community. The first item of business was to issue a call for donations. All forms and sizes of offerings came forward ranging from a low of $2.00 to a high of $25.00. A copy of the handwritten ledger shows that
100 Years of the Cobble Hill Hall first cash call netted $479.00 along with enough donated lumber and other material to begin the project’s construction. Timbers were laid as a foundation and the 32 x 72 foot hall was built through volunteer labour and community will. The official opening of the Cobble Hill Hall took place on May 24, 1921 with festivities held inside the not quite complete structure.
In 1985, Cobble Hill residents voted to provide the Farmers Institute with an annual grant toward the maintenance of the hall. With it, the hall was lifted from its foundation and a concrete basement was poured. Many other improvements have been made to the building over time, which have allowed the facility to remain current and provide up-to-date space for a wide variety of community events and gatherings.
The one thing remaining constant over the past 100 years is that the Cobble Hill Hall and grounds are maintained by volunteers dedicated who strive to ensure this community asset remains viable for generations to come. The community’s ‘generosity of spirit’ keeps this goal viable with their many donations to the Farmers Institute, the Fair and the other events held throughout the years. Although the pandemic has impacted us all by restricting activities, we look forward to hosting a family concert on Saturday, August 28th on the Cobble Hill Common with a Show and Shine on our fairgrounds. This event is designed to bring the community together and to help commemorate the Cobble Hill Hall’s centennial as well as celebrate the community vision held by those pioneer families more than a century ago.
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