A signed guitar used on stage by Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger will be raffled off by the Cowichan District Hospital Foundation.
Canadian rock band Nickelback’s impact on Vancouver Island this summer will go beyond its Aug. 9 concert at the Cowichan Valley’s Laketown Ranch.
Thanks to the people at RBC, a guitar used on stage by the band’s Chad Kroeger — and signed by him and the rest of the band members — will be raffled off by the Cowichan District Hospital Foundation.
The acoustic Epiphone guitar was played on Toronto’s Budweiser Stage in June 2017 and comes with a letter of authenticity.
The foundation has created the Rockin’ Out for Healthcare Raffle to give people a chance to win the guitar, with tickets for sale online at $25 each.
Money raised will go toward state-of-the-art medical equipment for the new Cowichan District Hospital set to open in 2027.
Ticket sales are already underway as the foundation continues its efforts to raise $20 million for the hospital.
There will be a maximum of 5,000 tickets sold, and buyers must be 19 or older.
Adding some zest to the ticket sales is businessman Jim Pattison offering to match proceeds from the raffle, meaning every ticket purchase will have twice the effect for the foundation.
Ticket sales will continue until Aug. 14., with the draw for the winner on Aug. 15 at the foundation offices at 7233 Trans-Canada Highway.
The Chad Kroeger guitar is on display at Duncan’s RBC branch at 395 Trunk Rd.
Tickers are available atcdhfraffle.ca.
Supporters and staff of the Royal Jubilee Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop gathered recently to honour 101 years of helping the Victoria hospital.
A registered charity run by more than 60 volunteers, the gift shop has raised over $6 million since 1962 to purchase medical equipment for patient care as requested by the hospital. It also contributes six annual bursaries for nursing students at the University of Victoria and Camosun College.
Susan Petford, the gift shop’s co-buyer, has been a part of the organization for four years. She said that the fundraising celebration on June 25 attracted several hundred attendees and featured activities like prize giveaways, food platters, refreshments, product discounts and “Health Care Hero” mugs for hospital staff.
“We had people who had been there 24 and 26 years,” Petford said.
The gift shop’s roots date back to 1924, when a group of women got together and began raising money under the name Ladies Junior Auxiliary, according to Petford.
“They did bake sales and bingo, and bridge games and whatever, and they raised money for the hospital — that’s how it originally started,” Petford said.
In 1939, it was a thrift shop on Fisgard Street. By 1952, it included a mobile cart to bring items like magazines and candy directly to hospital patients. The cart was in operation until the 1990s.
In 1962, the first physical gift shop was created, in what is now a laboratory in the West Block of the hospital.
The shop moved to a couple of different locations over the years before landing in its current location at the Patient Care Centre in 2011, offering an assorted selection of products like clothing, electronics, toys, home decor, medical aids for patients and more.
Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can visit the Jubilee Hospital Gift Shop site athttps://rjhaux.ca/.
Over 500 volunteers provided more than 114,400 hours of service to help deliver Beacon Community Service programs in 2024-25, the group says in its annual report.
That included volunteer drivers who covered close to 110,000 kilometres to get clients to medical appointments and volunteers who prepared 1,700 income-tax returns for clients.
The social agency also delivered 12,381 meals to vulnerable seniors, supported 95 people with rent supplements and helped 299 individuals and families keep their housing during tough financial times.
In addition, its BEAMS (Beacon’s Empathetic and Aspirational Method of Service) pilot project — created to help people facing challenges to employment such as mental health or substance use — assisted 96 clients and connected more than 170 others to mental-health services.
The agency’s Out of the Rain Youth Shelter was run year-round for the first time and helped 20 youths transition to more stable living arrangements.
“These numbers reflect something greater than data, they represent care, connection and community in action,” said chief executive Tricia Gueulette. “We’re deeply grateful to our volunteers, staff, partners and funders for helping us meet people where they are and offer the supports they need.”
Beacon Community Services grew out of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee, established in 1974 by a small group of volunteers looking to address social issues on the Saanich Peninsula.
The agency now serves southern Vancouver Island and the outer Gulf Islands with about 300 staff.
The full annual report is available atbeaconcs.ca/publication.
The Strathcona Regional District will host a water-safety event on July 21 at McIvor Lake to mark National Drowning Prevention Week, with participation from the City of Campbell River, the Campbell River Search and Rescue Society and Campbell River RCMP.
The event will run from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Hill Beach and will have lifeguards from the Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex in attendance.
There will be free one-on-one swimming sessions with the lifeguards and activities for children.
The regional district said that drowning is a leading cause of preventable death in the province, and warned that drowning can happen in fewer than 10 seconds..
The upcoming event follows a reminder about water safety issued by Island Health, which said that preliminary data from the B.C. Coroners Service shows there were 23 drowning deaths in Island Health’s jurisdiction in 2024.
That total is down from 32 in 2023 but is still higher than the 11-year historical average of 17.
Most drownings — 80 per cent — happen in natural water bodies like lakes and rivers. Fatal incidents are most likely to occur in the summer, especially during weekends in July and August.
Now is a good time to improve water-safety and swimming skills, said Island Health injury-prevention lead Neil Arason.
“Swimming lessons may reduce the risk of drowning in children under four years of age,” he said. “Swimming skills are just one part of a robust safety plan that also includes close, constant, attentive supervision, and learning lifesaving skills.”
Island Health has partnered with the B.C. & Yukon Branch of the Lifesaving Society of B.C. to offer the Swim to Survive program in remote and underserved areas, including Indigenous communities.
Interested communities can send an email to[email protected].
Island Health said that for every fatal drowning, three non-fatal drownings can cause damage to the brain or other organs.
“Non-fatal drowning can be life-altering,” Arason said.
He said a review found that 27 per cent of non-fatal drownings involved alcohol or other substances.
The West Shore RCMP’s Community & Indigenous Policing Unit has started its annual foray into area parks this summer to connect with youth and families.
Officers will be handing freezies, stickers and a range of RCMP swag, and engaging in activities throughout July and August.
They will be at the Juan De Fuca Skate Park every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and rotate through various parks on Thursdays during the same time.
Here is the unit’s remaining schedule:
• July 17 – Twinflower Park (Millstream Rd, Highlands)
• July 24 – View Royal Park (60 Pheasant Lane, View Royal)
• July 31 – Metchosin Elementary School (4495 Happy Valley Rd., Metchosin)
• Aug. 7 – Willway Elementary School (2939 Mt Wells Dr., Langford)
• Aug. 14 – John Stubbs Memorial School (301 Zealous Crescent, Colwood)
• Aug. 21 – Centennial Park (2805 Carlow Rd., Langford)
A $1.15-million donation from an anonymous donor will help the Islands Trust Conservancy with ongoing environmental efforts around the Salish Sea, the conservancy says.
“This donation arrives as the Islands Trust Conservancy celebrates its 35th anniversary,” said Lisa Gauvreau, chair of the conservancy’s board. “We cannot thank this donor enough for this remarkable anniversary gift that supports the continued protection of the most ecologically and culturally significant places in the Salish Sea region.”
A million dollars of the donation goes to the conservancy’s opportunity fund for land-protection projects or for matching funds to generate contributions to land-acquisition efforts.
The other $157,300 is for the property management fund, which supports the ongoing management of donated areas, including the removal of invasive species and maintenance of trails.
The conservancy has protected over 1,385 hectares of ecosystems since 1990, with the land located within 34 nature reserves and covered by 81 conservation covenants.
Central Saanich police are hosting a 24-hour running fundraiser to raise funds for a youth clinic in Sidney.
Corporal Pat Bryant and police board member Sarah Riddell plan to run a 4.64-kilometre lap around Central Saanich’s Centennial Park every hour for 24 hours, starting at noon on Saturday, July 19.
The run, dubbed the CS Police 24-Hour Backyard Ultra, was created last year to raise funds for the Saanich Peninsula Youth Clinic, which serves people ages 12 to 24 in a free and confidential setting.
The clinic is operated almost solely with donor funding, and Ridell said their goal this year is to raise $10,000 to help with its mental, sexual and general health services provided without requiring a referral, health card or parent.
Bryant started the run last year with another Central Saanich police officer, but this is Riddell’s first attempt. She has experience with long-distance running and said she’s been training extensively to make sure she’s prepared for the challenge.
Riddell said it can be tricky to stay motivated while running overnight, but she’ll be thinking about the cause during tough moments, adding that Bryant will also help her stay on course.
“We’re going to have each other,” she said, noting she’s hopeful people will come out to support them throughout the night.
“It’s joyful — it’s a fun event. It’s a chance to bring people together,” she said.
Riddell encourages community members to come to the park during the fundraiser to either join in for a lap or spend time cheering from the sidelines.
Grace Warren, the clinic’s peer educator program coordinator, said she’s looking forward to supporting the runners and spreading awareness about the services her team provides.
She said people often say they wish they’d heard about the clinic sooner, pointing to an increased demand for youth-centred health services in recent years.
The clinic, which began as a pilot project in 2018, offers free supplies on top of its clinical services, like menstrual products and sexual health resources.
“Our donations go a really long way,” said Warren. “The community’s donations and support makes such a difference for us,” she said.
A link to the fundraising page can be found on the Central Saanich Police Department website atcspolice.ca.
[email protected]
— With files from Hannah Link and Yeorgios Prontzos