(September 1969 – December 2024) – Still a Member
Sherry moved to Fort St. James in August 1969 along with her husband and 2-year-old son. She was 4 months pregnant at the time and due in January. The Fort was a community with only a clinic – no hospital. The closest hospital was in Vanderhoof, 62 kilometres away, and road conditions were not the best. Back then, there were only landline phones, which were hit and miss during the winter months. Sherry wasn’t sure if this was a place she wanted to be in while pregnant.
An Auxiliary member, Arvilla Silver, approached her once she was settled and asked her to join the Stuart Lake Auxiliary to the proposed hospital. Sherry thought, why not? It was a good way to meet people in the community. Besides making new connections, Sherry felt she was a perfect person to represent the reason the members were working so hard for a hospital in Fort St. James. Sherry attended her first meeting in September 1969.
The Auxiliary’s purpose was to start fundraising and save funds for the future hospital that was being discussed. Being young, pregnant, and concerned about driving in winter conditions to reach a hospital, Sherry embraced the cause. She had an electric typewriter, so she became the poster maker. Back then, posters were decorated with color using pencil crayons. This was a wonderful way to contribute, as Sherry could do this work from home, which became her focus during her first couple of years with the Auxiliary.
The hospital arrived in the summer of 1972, consisting of a large number of portable trailers placed in such a manner that a roof connected them all together. Auxiliary services were definitely needed. With so many requests from doctors for equipment and supplies, the Auxiliary went into full fundraising mode.
The Auxiliary met monthly in members’ personal homes at first, then later moved to the Firehall meeting room. Eventually, monthly meetings were held at the Stuart Lake Hospital on the first Wednesday of each month in the evening, in the hospital cafeteria. This continued until 2023, when meetings moved to the Seniors Centre. In 2025, meetings will relocate to the new hospital, where the Auxiliary will have its own space for storage and gatherings.
Positions Held
– President
– Vice President
– Treasurer
– Recording Secretary
– Gift Cupboard Purchaser
– Historian (keeper of the history albums), a position Sherry has held for the last 6 years and continues to this day.
In 2004, Sherry received a Life Membership Recognition from the Stuart Lake Hospital Auxiliary after 35 years of dedicated service.
In October 2023, Sherry was privileged to receive the British Columbia Association of Hospital Auxiliaries Award of Achievement for her 55 years of volunteer service. It was presented to her by the President of the BCAHA at the annual conference.
Why Volunteer?
Having good health and free time to donate has given me great joy. The friendships you make are lifelong. The gatherings, the laughs, the teamwork – we all shared the same goals. We were a united front in everything we did as a group. Spending time together was such an awesome way to put free time to good use. The people of Fort St. James, along with the nurses and doctors, were so appreciative of the services the Auxiliary provided for the community and those less fortunate. I just love to help out whenever and wherever I can. The Auxiliary is a group that helps everyone; it’s not a special interest group at all.
