Our History
In 2024, the North Shuswap Community Hall will celebrate its 90th anniversary.
The Hall is a shining example of volunteerism at its finest and a testament to the collective achievements of many helping hands since 1934.
Thankfully our Pioneers had great foresight!
They set aside the land as a town centre for the school, the cemetery, the church, a park, and the Hall back in 1914.
Construction of the Hall began in 1929 and was completed in 1934, solely with volunteer labour.
This was also the location of the first Celista School from 1919 until 1950.
Our Humble Beginnings
The origins of the hall can be traced back to a pivotal meeting in 1928 at the Celista Agricultural Institute, where plans for its construction were unanimously approved. This institute, comprising local farmers and residents, was dedicated to overseeing the welfare of the area.
Facing financial constraints but driven by a pioneering ethos, almost every capable person in the various North Shuswap communities volunteered their labour, time, materials, or expertise for the project.
The Hall's architectural design and construction plans were personally crafted by a volunteer named Billy Jack Brown from Magna Bay.
A Gathering Place For All
The floor's foundations were laid in 1931, with cedar logs donated for the floor beams and placed on concrete pillars. A hand-hewn timber subfloor was then installed.
Even before the walls were erected, events and dances were already being hosted on this rustic floor, including the inaugural North Shuswap Fall Fair.
Dances, Christmas concerts, weddings, birthday celebrations, club meetings and community meetings made the hall a lively gathering place for the whole community, just as it is today. In fact, the Hall was once famous for having the largest dance floor in all of British Columbia.
Let There Be Light!
In 1947, a ‘lighting plant’ was installed so that lanterns no longer had to be used for evening gatherings.
Since electricity didn’t come to the North Shuswap until 1957, the first Christmas trees were lit using a battery.
A Labour Of Love
The construction took several years, culminating in the completion of the roof adorned with donated hand-hewn cedar shakes.
Between 1952 and 1954 the original shake roof was replaced with an aluminum roof, and volunteers added the Clubroom onto the back of the hall.
Until 1964, outdoor biffies were the only toilets – summer and winter! That year, indoor toilets were thankfully added to the upper section.
On a roll, local volunteers continued to improve the hall by adding the main kitchen in 1967 as a Centennial project.
Since 1934, volunteers in our community have worked tirelessly to continue to renovate the Hall.
Over the years wheelchair ramps, handicap bathrooms , and a porch around the back were added. The bathrooms were all renovated, and a new water system was installed.
The Main Hall kitchen was renovated with new tiles on the floors, and a new heating/cooking system was installed. The Clubroom kitchen was rebuilt and the floor was replaced. To ensure no loss of power during a special event, a back-up generator was installed. A new storage room above the stage was added, and the entire floor in the main hall was donated and replaced again by volunteers in 2019.
The recent addition of the large picnic shelter has allowed families in our community to enjoy the great outdoors for their event, rain or shine.
Multiple generations of families and friends, and those who would eventually become part of such groups, have danced, celebrated weddings, sung Christmas carols, organized meetings, lectures, memorial services, exercise classes, bingo games, and have hosted a wide range of festive activities at the North Shuswap Community Hall. This includes fundraising events like wine and cheese tasting nights, the Christmas Market, and the well-attended Celista Farmer's Market. The Hall has been the heart of the community for close to 100 years.
Thanks to the dedication of numerous volunteers over the last 90 years, our cherished North Shuswap Community Hall continues to serve as a central gathering place for all to enjoy along the north shores of Shuswap Lake.
Pioneer Park
~ Established in 1914
This area where the North Shuswap Community Hall is located, was granted to the North Shuswap as the downtown of Celista in 1914, at which time Celista Park (Pioneer Park) came into being.
Improvements to the grounds and Pioneer Park have also been made over the years, with the addition of new concrete picnic tables, benches, bear-proof garbage cans, and two new concrete vault toilets.