A Brief History of Black Creek Community Association
The Association was formed in 1958 by a group of local residents, many of whom still reside in the area and are still active in the community. Originally formed as a nonprofit recreation association, the group of volunteers involved initially purchased ten acres of land on Black Creek Road. A playing field was high on the list for the community. In 1961, they purchased the old Grantham School. The cost of moving the school would be about $500 and since no grants existed then, members of the Association raised the money. To prepare the site, the pioneers of the Association picked rocks, cleared the land - even drove a loaned C-2 Cat “day and night” because it was borrowed only for the weekend! By 1962 the facility was fully functional, complete with heat and bathrooms. Over the years, the baseball field was cleared and the original tennis court was constructed.
In the early ’80s a group of volunteers met to discuss what could be done to improve the building’s usage, which by then had fallen off. In the fall of 1981 the Nursery School was developed and opened it’s doors. More volunteer labour put in windows, built a wheelchair ramp, lowered the ceilings, added a new kitchen, and built the two-storey addition that provided a home for the nursery school.
The next major projects were the construction of the new double tennis court and a practice wall. The hall has had many expansions and upgrades over the years and currently we have an outside deck, a movable dividing wall upstairs so that more than one group can concurrently use the space, a lower area where the Nursery School meets, a playground, a basketball/hockey court, a self guided Nature Trail profiling the trees of the area and a covered BBQ area. Our Millennium Project involved an expansion which included the addition of a Fitness Room, handicapped washrooms/showers and office space
While most of the funds for activities organized by the Association have come from volunteer-run fund raising, the Association would not have been able to accomplish what it has today without the generosity of BC Government, Foundations and Corporate Grants.
As the focus eventually moved away from strictly recreation, the name was changed in the mid ’80s from the Recreation Association to the Black Creek Community Association. The Association now has staff people who plan recreational and educational program offerings and keep the administrative side of things running smoothly. The hall provides a home to many community groups (such as the Fibre Arts Guild, the V I Brazilian Embroidery Society, the Garden Society, the T.O.P.S group, the Pumpkin Patch Nursery School School, the Antique Tractor Club, and the Compassionate Friends of the Comox Valley as well as a place for weddings, parties, and meetings. The facilities offer to the residents of Black Creek an opportunity to use the tennis courts, baseball diamond, basketball court, and the children’s playground. Volunteer members of the Association plan regular activities for the benefit of the community, such as the Fall Fair, Casinos, Dances, Murder Mysteries, Arts Festival, Christmas Extravaganza, and the Halloween Party for Children.