A sold out salmon dinner fundraiser barbecue last month for the Ladysmith & District Historical Society Industrial Heritage Preservation Group’s ongoing projects raised close to $3,000.
All the salmon for the July 28 dinner was provided by Ron Maddin, who shipped the fish back from the coast of Haida Gwaii.
A total of 110 tickets were purchased for the sold out dinner on the Ladysmith Community Marina docks, raising awareness about the restoration of the Locomotive #11, Humdirgen, and other Comox Logging & Railway Co. forest industry artifacts and buildings that are being restored or refurbished.
Special mention was also extended to Myf and John Plecas, as well as Susan Erickson who helped to organize and make the dinner a success.
Shirley Blackstaff said community teamwork is key to preserving the town’s industrial heritage for now and in the future.
“We are reaching out to the community to help us achieve our heritage village projects on the original Comox & Logging Railway Company land just above the marina, where we will have an awesome waterfront site with experiences that promote our town’s heritage by the sea theme,” she said. “This forest industry site with its original large artifacts displayed with their stories, along with some operational equipment in the rail yard next to the original Machine Shop, will be a catalyst for tourism and educational endeavors.”
Master of ceremonies for the dinner was Duck Paterson and the Mt. Benson Ceili Band provided lively and fun entertainment. The cooking team was great and the food they prepared was superb.
Blackstaff concluded her remarks by referencing the shared vision of both the historical society and the maritime society.
“I believe our two societies with their teams and committees should work together to set big shared goals,”she said. “It is very powerful when everyone can see how their work contributes to those goals…when we collaborate internally as a team then and only then will collaboration with our community work.”
