Come by the CHA Thrift Shoppe on Tuesday March 13, 2012, 10:00 am–4:00 pm and help celebrate our 13th anniversary. Come see the changes, enjoy a cup of coffee and cookies, and check out the great deals happening!
9236 Main St., Chilliwack, BC
Hope to see you there!
On International Women’s Day, take a moment to reflect that it was, and is, a small group of women who have raised money to build and maintain the Chilliwack hospital for over 100 years.
The story of the Auxiliary is a very human story. It is the story of women, many of them who’s names are no longer known, who came together and baked pies, sold tags, raffle tickets, sewed, knitted, and promoted the work of the hospital through wars, depression, and changing times.
These remarkable women have given 276,332 volunteer hours between 1998 – 2010 and supported the growth of the hospital from 13 beds to 138 beds plus 97 extended care beds; the growth of Chilliwack from a population of 1657 to approximately 80, 000. They have raised approximately the equivalent of 5 million dollars in today’s money contributed to the hospital in the last century.
The Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary invites everyone to continue supporting them in their endeavours to provide a variety of volunteer support services and fundraising initiatives to assist in the continuation and growth of healthcare services for Chilliwack General Hospital; at one time or other some member of your family has needed the services of the hospital.
The first Chilliwack hospital officially opened February 28, 1912 completely free from debt. The women of the Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary raised $5000 of the total expenditure of $10,000.In addition to fundraising, the Auxiliary women gathered supplies for the hospital wards. They supplied feathers and made pillows. They put notices in the paper for donations of fruits, jelly, vegetables, furniture and bed linens.
The hospital was located at western portion of the city. The hospital was two storeys with three wards, doctors’ preparatory room, reception, operating room, toilet and bath rooms, kitchen, orderly’s room, matron’s room and a nurses’ sitting room. The hospital had room for between 13 patients but could accommodate 20 patients if required. It had no elevator and patients had to be carried between floors.
Indefatigable in their work are the members of the Hospital Auxiliary. The president, Mrs. Henry Eckert, and the secretary, Miss Grossman, along with the other members, have done noble work in pushing along the work. To them, the thanks of the public is due and they can rightly take credit for the building being ready and open today.
The Chilliwack Progress, March 6, 1912
Chilliwack General Hospital has expanded significantly from its humble beginnings. The women of the Auxiliary wish the hospital a happy birthday as they continue together in their work to support health care in the community.
Many aspects of British Columbia history are not found, or are sketchily covered, in online sources. The British Columbia Historical Federation has begun a project to build an online encylopedia of British Columbia history.
A brief history and timeline of the Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary has been added to the online encylopedia by author Andrea Lister.
The Auxiliary’s book, Commitment to Caring: Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary’s 100 Years, 1911-2011, will be for sale at the Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market at Heritage Park. Look for it at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives booth and pick up a copy of the book as a Christmas present for someone you know.
Fri, November 18 – 10am to 9pm
Sat, November 19 – 10am to 6pm
Sun, November 20 – 10am to 4pm
The 37th Annual Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market, presented by the Chilliwack Arts Council is a traditional highlight of the Chilliwack Christmas shopping season.
Admission is $2 with children ten and under admitted FREE.
The Chilliwack Museum and Archives is celebrating its 4,000-square-foot, half-million-dollar expansion with an open house. The museum will celebrate its new addition with an open house on Oct. 15 from 1 to 3 p.m. Staff will give behind-the-scenes tours of items and records rarely seen by the public.
The Chilliwack Museum and Archives has kindly given the Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary some space to sell their book Commitment to Caring: Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary’s 100 Years, 1911-2011, ($20.00, ISBN: 978-0-9868333-0-4) by Andrea Lister.
Look forward to seeing you there.
The fall issue of BC BookWorld has given Commitment to Caring a bit of space. Look for it on page 3, in the Who’s Who British Columbia. Pick up a copy at your local library or read it online at ABC Book World. Our thanks to Alan Twigg, publisher.
“”If you continue to give the service and constancy of effort which you have given in the 27 years since your inception, you will continue to merit the wonderful support that you have had in the past,” said Mayor C.A. Barber, Saturday afternoon, on officially opening the attractive new Hospital auxiliary dining hall at the fair grounds.”” (Chilliwack Progress, August 31, 1938, p2).
The Auxiliary Dining Hall was used for many years to serve the fair meals. They sold the hall to the Chilliwack Light Horse Breeders and Riding Club in the 1950s but continued to use the building until they stopped catering fair meals in 1965.
The Auxiliary ladies will be at the 139th Annual Chilliwack Fair, August 5, 6, and 7, although not to serve meals; they will be conducting a recruitment drive. Be sure to drop by and say hello.
Read more about the Auxiliary and their involvement at the Chilliwack Fair in their book, Commitment to Caring: Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary’s 100 Years, 1911-2011, for sale at the Thrift Shoppe, Chilliwack Museum, and at the 2011 Chilliwack Fair.
Catering the meals served at the refreshment tent at the fall agricultural fair was a main fundraiser for the Chilliwack Auxiliary for 54 years. They started serving meals out of a 20 by 20 foot tent in 1911.
The Auxiliary ladies will be at the 139th Annual Chilliwack Fair, August 5, 6, and 7, although not to serve meals; they will be conducting a recruitment drive. Be sure to drop by and say hello.
Read more about the Auxiliary and their involvement at the Chilliwack Fair in their book, Commitment to Caring: Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary’s 100 Years, 1911-2011, for sale at the Thrift Shoppe, Chilliwack Museum, and at the 2011 Chilliwack Fair.
The Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary Centennial Planning Committee would like to thank everyone for attending our successful Centennial Celebration, Saturday, May 14, 2011, where we celebrated 100 years of service. We enjoyed seeing Mayor Sharon Gaetz, Councilman Stewart McLean, Site Director Elma Pauls and Clinical Coordinator of Redesign Project, Elsie Duncan in attendance. The Chilliwack Hospital Service League, as well as past members, and members from the Abbotsford and Mission Hospital Auxiliaries were also present.
The 100th anniversary cake, made and decorated by Terry Grier, was delicious and completely edible, even the dogwood icing branches! The poster depicted the Auxiliary donated $5,000,000 to the Chilliwack General Hospital over the past 100 years for equipment and patient care and comfort items.
Author, Andrea Lister, of the Auxiliary’s 100 years, Commitment to Caring signed books and greeted guests. The book chronicles the early fundraising efforts starting in 1908 and through the formation of the Auxiliary in 1911 to the present. The book includes interesting facts and stories about the Auxiliary, Service League and how they have supported the growth of the Chilliwack General Hospital for the past 100 years.
Barbershop quartet HiQ took guests through decades of song.
‘Elvis’ (Steve Elliott) rocked the room with an entertaining act.
Everyone who attended had a wonderful time and I’m sure the event will be the ‘talk of the town’ for some time to come!!
The Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary Centennial Committee would like to say thank you very much to the following for contributing and making our recent event so successful.
