The Friends of Rockwood (FOR) are planning a fund-raiser to fix up the Rockwood heritage house and start saving to rebuild the annex building, which is slated to be demolished in July.
You'll have the chance to pick up a bit of history at bargain pricing during the Rockwood Annex demolition and garage sale which started Thursday and runs daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sunday, April 2.
Lamps, furniture, decorations, household items, a piano and an antique typewriter are a few of the things now for sale. Tax receipts are available for purchases or donations of $25 or more. The entire community is invited to the fundraiser at the Rockwood in Sechelt at the end of Cowrie Street near Sechelt Elementary School.
The annex building has been well used by the community and interest groups from off-Coast since it was built in the 1970s.
It boasts 12 bedrooms and a large meeting space in the centre that has been a good fit for groups like the Vancouver Quilters' Guild that says one of the highlights of their year has been their annual retreats in the annex.
"We have not been able to hold a retreat since you closed. We have looked all over the Lower Mainland and there is no other place that suits our needs like Rockwood," said a letter from the guild.
The building has fallen into disrepair and been deemed unsafe, becoming a liability to the District of Sechelt, which holds the deed. There was a plan put forward by a developer in 2005 to rebuild the annex, but it did not proceed. The District estimates the cost to rebuild at around $2 million.
"We're hopeful there is still interest by a developer to rebuild the site and we look forward to the opportunity to talk about it," said Mayor Cam Reid, who noted the District does not have the money to rebuild.
"There is a real energy around this place, it's tremendous, but its role in our community has been underplayed," said Sandra Obrian, a member of the FOR committee that was formed last November when it was evident the annex building could not be restored.
She joined Mariette Berin-stein in starting FOR once they heard the building needed to go. They have gathered a group of dedicated people who used the space and understand its importance to the community.
"I have done all my Rosen Method workshops here since 1989 and I know a lot of sewing groups and quilting groups have really enjoyed the space," Berinstein said. "The annex building has brought in a lot of money to our small community through these workshops and different retreats. We asked people what they spend when they come and stay here and its anywhere from $700 to $1,000 each, each time they're here. That's a loss of maybe $150,000 to our community annually."
She realizes it's too late to save the annex building but her group wants to restore the heritage house beside the annex to be used for smaller retreats and start a fund to rebuild the annex.
"We'll also be looking for grants and heritage money because this is a heritage site. In the meantime, we want to refurbish the house," Berinstein said.
She is looking for more people to join FOR in their crusade and would like people in the community with stories about the Rockwood to share them with her.
"We'd like to create a list of people in the community who would be willing to help FOR fundraise or paint or bring whatever skills they have to help. And we want to capture the memories of this place and preserve them," she said.
If you would like to help, contact Berninstein at 604-885-0487 or Obrian at 604-885-5757. If you have a memory you'd like to share, bring it with you to the garage sale this weekend for Berninstein's files.
"We hope the community will get behind us on this and realize the importance of Rockwood," she added.
Any money raised by or donated to FOR will be held in a fund in trust with the District of Sechelt until repairs of the house or rebuilding of the annex can take place.
