Residents of Thetis Island have successfully raised $2.3 million to expand and renovate Forbes Hall Community Centre, completing the ambitious project two years ahead of schedule.
The fundraising campaign, led by the Thetis Island Community Association, has been described as an extraordinary achievement for the small island community of just 450 residents.
Thetis Island residents relied entirely on fundraising, donations and grants to finance the expansion, with no funding from taxation. Approximately 21.4 per cent of the total funding came from government and corporate grants, including contributions from BC Ferries, the Province of B.C., the Cowichan Valley Regional District and the Mid Island Co-op.
“This accomplishment would be remarkable for any community, but it is rare for a community of only 450 residents on a small island to raise over $2 million,” said Ann Dickie, Thetis Island Community Association president. “We’ve created a grassroots template which will work for other small communities while showing what could be accomplished with a community’s determination and generosity of time and money.”
The project was launched in 2016 to upgrade the 30-year-old hall, expanding its size by more than double. With an initial $100,000 contribution, the association relied on volunteer fundraising, personal donations and grants to finance the expansion. By late 2020, construction was nearing completion, but with $1.9 million raised, the project was still short $335,000.
Rather than turn to commercial loans with high interest rates, the Thetis Island Community Association developed the Local Lender Program, asking community members for loans between $10,000 and $50,000 for three years at low or no interest. Sixteen residents participated, securing the final amount needed to complete construction.
Forbes Hall officially opened in September 2021.
To repay the loans, the Thetis Island Community Association launched another innovative initiative, the Back into the Black Pledge Program in 2022. The association asked community members to commit to monthly or annual donations for a period of three years. The response exceeded expectations and on Jan. 10, 2025, two years ahead of schedule, the last local lender was repaid.
“This was an immense project for a community of this size to take on, and it was not without its trials,” said Dr. Michelle Sutter, chair of the Forbes Hall Health Services Group. “With more than half of the island’s population donating $1,000 or more and some giving tens of thousands, we can see just how important this facility is to our community.”
The expanded Forbes Hall now includes a health care station, library, multi-use spaces, commercial kitchen facilities, public access Wi-Fi and an EV charging station. The health care station provides a nurse practitioner clinic and other medical services. The hall also serves as the designated emergency shelter for Thetis Island, offering a refuge during extreme weather events and power outages.
Forbes Hall is one of only a few community-run and funded centres in the coastal region built and maintained without tax dollars.
