100 Years of Cobble Hill Hall

One 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.

OLD FOREST CAMPGROUND ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

SALT SPRING ISLAND Where the Cowichan Valley meets the Salish Sea!

Large Park • Trails • Seaside Walk • Awesome Destination Gallery/Gift Shop • Hardy Plant Nursery • Variety of Campsites

Mid Week Islanders Special

MONDAY – WEDNESDAY Stay 2 nights get a 3rd night free To Reserve call Shayne or Shirley 250-537-4346 gardenfaire@saltspring.com

www.gardenfaire.ca

Wilderness Kayaking

LESSONS • TOURS • RENTALS • SALES www.wilderness-kayaking.com Get On e Water From Maple Bay!

ALSO OFFERING: family paddles, sup rentals, harbour tours, moonlight paddles, birthday parties, day tours, multi day tours, double kayaks, single kayaks, rentals, sales, lessons and more. Call for more info or to reserve.

• KAYAK KIDS - INTRODUCTION TO SEA KAYAKING August 10 - 13 Sessions Tuesday - Thursday 9am - 1pm • YOUTH DAY TRIP ADVENTURES Paddling in the Maple Bay area August 20 Fridays 9am - 3pm • MOONLIGHT PADDLE An enchanted evening paddle in Maple Bay August 21 and 23

6683 Beaumont Ave, Maple Bay 250 746-0151 Cell: 250 715 7482 info@wilderness-kayaking.com

A MAGICAL MOONLIGHT PADDLE

Heading out for a Moonlight Paddle is an absolute must when you are in the Cowichan Valley area. Maple Bay is a great spot to launch from and watch the moon rise over Salt Spring Island and then it slowly bathes its moonlight across Maple Bay. Wilderness Kayaking has been offering Moonlight and Bioluminescence tours since 1990, expect to be pampered on this gentle two-hour tour of the Bay. We provide delicious local desert treats and a warm beverage to be enjoyed as we raft up in a quiet cove along the tour.

When in a kayak you silently slip through the water and can float over shallow reefs and rocky ledges where you can catch glimpses of the magical dance of bioluminescence. You can see a sparkling trail of light as it is agitated by passing fish, your paddle dipping into the water or your hand teasing the waves… is alights with a shimmering blueish glow for a brief second or two.

Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism and the most commonly seen bioluminescence in Maple Bay is from single cell marine plankton. This Bioluminescent plankton occurs in all the world’s oceans and is best seen in late spring and during the Summer months when there is more sunlight which enables the plankton to store this energy which it then release as the telltale Bioluminescent magical glow.

Come and experience the magic for yourself on a Full Moon Tour or New Moon - Bioluminescence Tour with Wilderness Kayaking! No experience necessary. Bring along a flash light or headlamp and dress in light layers; all other equipment and snacks are provided. Wilderness Kayaking offers two types of late evening paddles:

Moonlight kayak tours occur the three days around the full moon (August 21 & 22).

New Moon - Bioluminescence tours occur during the dark phase of the New Moon and this allows for greater viewing of the bioluminescence (August 6 & 7).

Pre-booking is necessary these tours do fill up quickly. 250.746.0151 Wilderness-Kayaking.com

Written by Nancy Hamilton

Recycled Bird Feeder

by Naomi Kulhawy

We love birds. KinPark is becoming a haven for all kinds of little birds. There are bird houses mounted all over the park, including several in front of the KinPark Kids Camp Building. All season we listen to cheerful bird song ringing through the park.

How do we attract birds to the space? We have worked hard to establish diverse habitat for them. We have a variety of trees, shrubs, flowers, and a mix of native and food producing crops. In the fall we allow non invasive plants to go to seed which provides a food source as fall turns to winter. Come walk through KinPark at 5789 Alderlea Street to appreciate all the colours, textures, smells, and the many birds, bugs, and critters that call the park home.

Another way to encourage birds to visit is to feed them. At KinPark Kid’s Camp, we value re-using and recycling as much as we can to limit our environmental footprint. Campers learn to be stewards of the environment and participate in loads of up-cycled crafts. Why not turn a plastic bottle into a handy bird feeder? When you’re done, hang it outside your home and observe all the different kinds of birds that come to visit and note your observations in a journal. How many different species did you see? Can you name some of the species? What time of the day was the feeder busiest?

Featured Artist at Imagine That! Artisans in Duncan

The Garage 45 years experience painting commissions of houses & gardens. www.jenniferlawsonart.com 250 748-2142

MATERIALS NEEDED:

One clean plastic bottle with cap A pin and scissors Two sticks long enough to poke through both sides of the bottle String or wire Bird seed *Always ask an adult for help when using sharp tools.

1. Use the pin to make drainage holes in the bottom of the bottle.

2. Use the pin and scissors to make two holes on either side of the bottle, just a little smaller than the stick. Push the stick through both holes. Make a second set of holes slightly higher at 90º to the first set of holes and insert the second stick.

3. Approximately 3-4 cm above your perches, use the pin and scissors to make feeding holes. These should be 5-8mm wide. If you are using large bird seed, you might need to make the holes a little bigger.

4. Tie or wrap string or wire around the bottle neck so the feeder can be hung.

5. Fill with seed, cap the bottle, and hang outside! Time to watch and see who come’s to visit!