In the segment of the March 13, 2019, Strathcona Regional District board meeting devoted to correspondence, Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams asked staff for clarification about a phrase used by one of Cortes Island’s better known anti-hall tax advocates. She described the proposed hall tax as using “public funds for private organizations.” It is good to see this kind of communication in the public record, where inaccuracies can be dealt with. The answers he received were adequate, but one of the island’s two hall managers was actually sitting in the spectator section directly behind Mayor Adams. Had he been given the opportunity to speak, this is how Howie Roman would have responded to the question, ” is Gorge Hall a private club?”
Anyone Can Use The Hall
The hall was built for the community to use.
“In the seven years I have been Gorge Hall’s manager for the Whaletown Community Club, no one has ever been denied use of the hall for anything other than scheduling problems. The hall is open to anybody that wants to rent it and it’s not very expensive rental. We try to keep it reasonable so people can use it.” – Howie Roman
In The Podcast Above:
- What is Gorge Hall used for?
- How often is the hall used?
- Who oversees the way the Gorge Hall is used ?
- Do they look after any other facilities?
Rates & Membership
You can find a full list of rental rates on the Whaletown Community Club website. It says, for example, that the rate for groups of under 50 people is:
- (members) – $15 an hour – up to a maximum of $50 per day;
- (non members) – $20 an hour – up to a maximum of $75 per day.
Membership is $10 a year for an individual and $15 for a family.
“ The Whaletown Community Club welcomes anyone to become a member and to be involved in the activities of the Club—you don’t have to be a Whaletown resident. Membership allows you to rent the Hall at a reduced rate, and to participate in members-only activities. Unless you are a resident of Whaletown/Gorge, however, you can’t vote— here’s why … (Go to http://whaletowncommunityclub.ca/?page_id=60)
