The Cherished old Hall (Shawnigan Lake Community Hall)

by Kate Roberts

The first time upon entering the marvellous old hall in 1970 I never imagined that years later I would be required to stoke the furnace in the dark, eerie, cavernous basement starting in the year 1988! Over the years I have shared many happy memories with my family and friends surrounding the huge old hall. Our family never missed a Shawnigan Lake Flower Show and when my children were young they would enter posies and animals constructed from vegetables.

Our four children also performed in Christmas concerts when they attended Elsie Miles Elementary School. The evening always ended with a visit from Santa Claus who gave out candy canes. My husband, John, and I    attended or acted in many  of the Shawnigan Players productions which started in 1977 with ‘Under Milkwood’ by Dylan Thomas. Our kids and I took dance lessons there, attended Brownie and Guide functions (in fact I was Tawnie Owl one year) and we were present at many community or private functions.

In 1988 I was hired as a teacher at Elsie Miles Elementary  School up the hill from the old Hall. Twice a week each teacher with key in hand would walk his or her class down a trail through the woods and up the steps to the doorway of the old hall. Once inside, the children would line up along the wall, shed their coats and sit down and put on their indoor shoes for gym class.

The special helper for the day and I would open the nearby door and proceed down the long narrow steps to the dingy, dark cellar below. After loading the furnace with a new log we would hasten  upstairs to the awaiting children. I must admit I was not too keen on that part of the job  but luckily I didn't have a fear of spiders as some of the other teachers did!

Note: The old hall was demolished in 2015.