The Chemainus Health Care Auxiliary is celebrating its 125th anniversary on Sept. 23 and Sept. 25.
Auxiliary members will be dedicating two new benches and a refurbished Auxiliary sign on Sept. 23 at the front of Chemainus Health Care Centre, located on Esplanade Street, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
On Sept. 25, the CHCA will celebrate at two locations; with the first event at its Thrift Shop, located at 9867 Maple St., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop will have reduced prices, prizes for adults and children, popcorn, refreshments and entertainment from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the CHCA will offer free horse and carriage rides between the Thrift Shop and the Chemainus Valley Museum in Waterwheel Park.
At Waterwheel Park, there will be entertainment at the bandshell, brief speeches and a cheque presentation, plus hamburgers and hot dogs and drinks sold at very low prices by the Chemainus Valley Arts and Cultural Society.
At the museum, there will be an exhibit of the history of the CHCA and a cutting of an anniversary cake to share with all.
The CHCA began in 1899 when 23 women came together in Chemainus amidst a serious typhoid epidemic.
At the time, a number of volunteers provided supplies and linens for a temporary hospital.
With the news that there would be a permanent hospital coming, these ladies decided there was a clear role for them because there were no other hospitals between Nanaimo and Victoria in those years. That meeting marked the beginning of the CHCA.
The CHCA’s initial support included a myriad of practical activities, including the sewing of bandages, drapes and hospital gowns. From those humble beginnings, the CHCA has become a fundraising institution to support the comfort and care of Chemainus Valley residents in healthcare facilities, and in 1958, the CHCA took the opportunity to open its first thrift shop in conjunction with the United Church Women’s Auxiliary.
The thrift shop proved to be a huge success and to this day is serving the community while at the same time raising significant funds to support health care.
In 2023 alone, the CHCA donated more than $370,000 to such facilities as the Chemainus Health Care Centre, the Cowichan District Hospital, hospitals in Victoria, Cowichan Valley Hospice House, Chemainus Harvest House and BC Children's Hospital and others.
“We are humbled and so appreciative of the support by our community, both for the donation of goods and patronage at the Thrift Shop,” the CHCA said in a press release.
