Gleneden Hall: Looking Forward to the Next 100 Years
By Celia Dyer
There is something in the air at Gleneden Hall. There’s a buzz in this peaceful rural setting, where time can seem to stand still.
The hall will celebrate its centenary in 2029 and the dedicated volunteers who serve as its heartbeat are busy preparing for the milestone.
They aren’t quite at the party planning stage as there are essential priorities to be addressed. Improvements to the water system, lighting, bathrooms, kitchen, alongside plans for a new stage, are at the top of the list.
The work has started in earnest. A new well provides ample water, fundraising projects and grant applications are underway, and plans are being drawn up to reimagine the performance space in the hall.
The goal is to complete the renovations for the100th anniversary so that Gleneden can celebrate with the energy and spirit that have defined the community for the past century.
Ski-jumping event, Gleneden Hall, 1930s (photo courtesy of Salmon Arm Museum and Heritage Association)
Salmon Arm attracted many Finnish newcomers in the early 1900s and by the late 1920s, many of them had moved to Gleneden to farm. Gleneden Hall was built in 1929 by Finnish homesteaders on land donated by the Maki family.
The hall quickly became a community hub and was used for family gatherings, plays, sports and music events. A winter highlight was ski jumping. Ski jump “trestles” were built near the hall for fun and competition. The settlers also built a school close by which was in use until 1970 when it burned down.
(L to R) Coleen Thurston and Sandy Giszas, Hall board members, sisters, and lifelong Gleneden residents (photo credit Celia Dyer)
Sisters Sandy Giszas and Coleen Thurston are Gleneden born and bred. Sandy remembers attending the old school and trekking to the hall to prepare for Christmas concerts. Coleen remembers many buckets of water (no such thing as faucets) and a very scary outhouse.
The hall was destroyed by the massive Eden Fire in 1973. Eighteen homes were also lost. Sandy and Coleen’s home was spared. They hesitate slightly when remembering the fire: “We all have that feeling of dread… even so many years later”, says Coleen.
Locals rallied quickly to rebuild. Volunteer labour, fundraising and the indomitable Gleneden spirit came together and the new hall opened in 1975. The heart of the community was beating again. Sandy says: “The people who built this place were into music and dancing. This floor moves with the beat, the curtains sway to the music.”
When asked about their favourite hall memory, they are quick to respond in unison: Sandy’s wedding. “It was the best time ever. So much laughter. The hall ladies catered a delicious meal, the party went on through the night. People still talk about it”.
Salmon Arm’s favourite memory might be that the Roots and Blues festival began at Gleneden Hall. Linda Tanaka organized a two day festival in 1992 called “Damn Right We Got the Blues” which was the forerunner to one of the most successful summer festivals in BC. Linda recounts that “the Shuffle Demons were the headliner and they walked off the stage playing, and the audience followed them into the parking lot”.
It’s this enthusiasm that fuels the current efforts to revitalize the hall, fifty years since its first reincarnation. There have been quiet times in that half century; but the importance of a small community relying on friends and neighbours has never vanished.
Between yoga, pickle ball, board game nights, coffee houses, old time dances and concerts, the hall is a happening place. Linda is promoting bigger concert events like British roots guitarist Martin Harley, who played at the hall on May 9, and an upcoming performance by Canadian folk trio The Pairs on May 29. Wildwood Productions, a local collective led by Gleneden resident Jake Jacobson, staged their very successful show Death, the Musical at the beginning of May.
The current Board is active and they are working tirelessly on fundraising for the major infrastructure projects. And though there are challenges, both Coleen and Sandra are optimistic. Coleen says: “I’m feeling so good about the events and the commitment of our group.” This small, tight knit Shuswap community is truly honouring its past as it prepares for the future.
