The Black Creek Old Age Pensioners Society # 126, is set to host its first fundraiser and fair since COVID cancelled all activities in 2020.
Halbe Hall has been at the centre of the community for almost 100 years, starting as a school in Oyster River in the 1920s. The one-room building was moved to Black Creek in 1935 and ran as Black Creek School until 1971, with a couple of additions built over the years. From 1958, when the new Black Creek School on Ployart Road started with two rooms, it shared school duties, until 1971, when the Ployart Road school was large enough to accept the student population for the area.
In 1974, the newly formed Black Creek Old Age Pensioners group leased the hall from School District 71, assuming all the upkeep and maintenance work and costs of the buildings and grounds. In 2014, the property and hall, originally donated for the purpose of the school by William Halbe, was returned to the community for $1. The Black Creek OAPO, by then a registered non-profit society became the owner.
The hall has seen much of the community life, from school classes and programs, to meetings, dances, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and memorial gatherings. There are a number of active member groups including art, whist, and crafts. The hall is rented on a regular basis for evenings and weekends to a wide variety of community groups, including five days every week to the Campbell River and District Adult Care Society.
Members come from as far as Campbell River to Cumberland and everywhere in between those points. Funds are raised through rentals, grants, raffles and gatherings in order to keep the building and grounds in good and safe repair.
“The COVID years have been challenging as we were unable to host fairs or potluck dinners or other fundraisers,” said Black Creek OAPO treasurer Anna Moncey, in a press release. “With the relaxing of the COVID restrictions we have been able to plan our first event in over two years.
“Please join us on July 16 at Halbe Hall, 8369 North Island Highway in Black Creek, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a raffle, a bake sale, a white elephant and rummage sale, and an art show and sale by our members.”
Local crafters are invited to bring a table and their wares to sell. For more information about space, call Frances, 250-923-5131.