Meg Lougheed, Nora Babuik, Donna Arneson and Klaudia Deschenes at the 25th Anniversary Party
1997 - 2007 the third decade
For eleven years the Guild enjoyed their home in the old CPR Station until the spring of 2001 when an arsonist set fire to the building. Though their area was not directly damaged, the smell of smoke on their books and fibre needed airing-out before going into storage in various garages. Homeless, the Guild had their June meeting at the Curling Club and their next in the old Firehall Station on Main Street. Luckily, they were able to stay at the Firehall on a temporary basis and had settled in well enough to celebrate the Guild's 25th Anniversary in 2002.
In the fall of that year, they moved again. This time back to the Community Centre, where they continued their weekly Thursday schedule in a studio space they shared on different days with a number of other groups such as the quilters and the potters.
During their first year back at the Community Centre a felting project began which turned into the Guild's collective creation - a beautiful yurt, tall enough to stand in and wide enough to sleep a small family. It won "Best of Show" in an international fibre exhibition and has been an important part of the Guild's displays since then. They participated in the Sunshine Festival, the Arts Council's Studio Days, Tinhorn’s Christmas Fair, Arts and Culture Week, Festival of the Arts, Home and Garden Show, Hester Creek Sale, Festival of the Grape to name only a few of a wide array of community events where they had demos and set up displays to exhibit and sell their work. The Guild also created their own events such as fashion shows, fibre events and even field trips to an Alpaca farm, a mountain mohair goat farm and a hemp farm. The 30th anniversary for the Guild in 2007 was another community tea party, but this time with a fanciful display of knitted and felted teacups and woven tapestries featuring cups and saucers.
GUILD PRESIDENTS DURING THE DECADE Joyce Thomson 1997-98-99 Klaudia Deschenes 1999-2000-01 Diane Lindsay 2001-02-03 Jen Allgeier 2003-04-05-06-07
Here's a small sampling of the many photos the Guild has kept in their archives and albums
The creative team working on the Yurt
Barb Wadey and Isobel Lee at a loom
Christine Lesmeister, Nora Babuik,Terry Irvine and Lynn Bremmer volunteering in the Kitchen for the Craft Fair. The Guild shared responsibility for the kitchen with the Quilters until 2012/3.
A Guild's Night Out at the Rotary Auction top row Linda Woronko, Brenda Willers, PJ Mohr sitting Jen Allgeier, Diane Hood, Klaudia Deschenes, Diane Lindsay
Diane Lindsay, Jan Pinard with Kathleen Blundell on the wheel 1998
Jen Allgieir spinning at a Thursday drop-in 2003
Klaudia Deschenes having fun with Terry Irvine's felted bras at the 30th Anniversary
Joyce Thomson on a workshop loom 2002
Young boy checking out the loom at the Guild's display at the Rock Creek Fair 2001
Maureen Wood and Linda Woronko at the 25th Anniversary party in 2002
After four years as President, Jen Allgeier chairing her final meeting in 2007.
Linda Woronko, Diane Lindsay, Barb Dunn with Lynn Bremmer kneeling at a sale in 2001