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Ladysmith Historical Society sees big turnout for salmon dinner fundraiser

Over 200 people attended the event held as a fundraiser to support the Society
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Guests at the Historical Society salmon dinner (Submitted photo)

It was a full house at the Aggie Hall on Saturday evening October 12th for a Salmon Dinner hosted by the Ladysmith & District Historical Society.

Over 200 people attended the event held as a fundraiser to support the Society whose Industrial Heritage Preservation Group has been hard at work over the past several years on Saturday mornings restoring artifacts such as Comox Logging and Railway Co’s massive steam Loci 11 and the Humdirgen, both of which used to work at the waterfront bringing lumber from the Nanaimo Lakes area to the log dump at Ladysmith Harbor.

Admission was by donation. Attendees were amply rewarded for their cash contribution to the Society with a delicious dinner, the fresh salmon courtesy of a generous donation by local commercial fisherman Ron Maddin who caught the fish in the waters off the Queen Charlotte Islands and flew the salmon in for the occasion.

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The meal was accompanied by the catchy rich musical tones of the Mid-Island Community Band whose members very kindly provided their services in exchange for supper.

Peter Verstupp masterfully cooked the food. Service was brisk with three candidates in the federal election (Michele Corfield – Liberal, Paul Manley – Green, and Bob Chamberlin – NDP), as well as Ladysmith’s Deputy Mayor Jeff Virtanen, assisting volunteers dish out the meal. Alex Stuart MC’d the event. In true community fashion a host of volunteers helped prepare the hall and did post-dinner cleanup.

In addition to the culinary feast, attendees had a rich choice of participation in a variety of fundraising activities which included a Silent Auction for items generously donated by local merchants, artists and artisans including A&W, 49th Parallel, Pharmasave, The Ladysmith Chronicle, The Ironworks Café, Guardian Fire Suppressant Systems, Cowichan Theatre, art by Jack Fisher, Michael Dean, and Derrick Chesterton, and a draw prize donated by TAKE 5.

Proceeds will be directed toward the development of interactive industrial heritage displays in the Arts & Heritage Hub area of the planned Waterfront Development.

The Historical Society welcomes members and volunteers to assist with projects in the Archives and the Museum. For information please call 250-245-0100 or email info@ladysmithhistoricalsociety.ca





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