Jazz on the Rocks, Texada Island
Community Info
The following groups, organizations and societies contribute to the heart of community on Texada  for island visitors, residents and businesses:

TEXADA ISLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Texada Chamber of Commerce is an association of business owners and individual members who band together to improve business and the community on the Island.  The after dinner meeting is an excellent venue for keeping informed with what’s happening on the Island and generally a barometer of local concerns and issues that are acted upon locally or passed on to Regional, Provincial and Federal governments.

Dinner meetings are held at the Legion the last Friday of every 2nd month beginning in September and finishing in May.  A wide variety of guest speakers are invited.
For more information call :  Rolly Thorpe  (Pres.)  486-7675

TEXADA HEALTH SERVICES SOCIETY

The Texada Health Services Society provides community advice and support to the Director of the Texada Island Community Health Centre with respect to the ongoing health care of the approximately 1100 residents of this island.

The Texada Health Services Society’s mandate is to facilitate the provision of a range of health care services that will address the changing health care needs of the people of Texada Island.  For more information call Jim Johnson (President) at 604-486-7466.

TEXADA ISLAND HERITAGE SOCIETY

Concerned citizens who wished to keep alive the rich Island history founded the Texada Island Heritage Society in 1987.  It is a registered non-profit society able to give tax receipts for donations and to apply for grant monies.   The Society was successful in obtaining federal government grant monies and the Texada Museum is now a reality.  The Society meets on the second Wednesday of every other month.  For more information call Ken Barton (President) at 604-486-0044 or visit their website at http://www.texadaheritagesociety.com

BRANCH 153 OLD AGE PENSIONERS ORGANIZATION (OAPO)

(Also known as the “Texada Seniors”).  The official title is misleading since you do not have to be in receipt of the old pension in order to join the group.  The OAPO extends across BC and consists of an executive at the Provincial level and a number of individual branches. The organization was formed in 1932 to fight for senior’s rights and that remains the primary function of the provincial executive. At the local level the OAPO also fulfills a social function providing members a number of ways in which they can enjoy each others company such as potluck dinners, excursions, weekly community luncheon, a spring tea and bazaar and many other interesting functions.  Meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month Sept. to June at the old school in Gillies Bay.  For more information call Joy Pretty at 604-486-7538.

TEXADA ISLAND RECREATION COMMISSION

The Texada Island Recreation Commission is a volunteer board made up of Texada residents that works with the Powell River Regional District to manage recreational facilities on Texada. The Commission also considers Grant in Aid requests from local recreation groups. Thanks to volunteer efforts and the Island’s industrial past it has a relatively large number of recreational facilities to manage. These include the Texada Island Community Hall, the Gillies Bay tennis courts, Smithson Park and the Gillies Bay Ball Field and Farmers Market area. Recent acquisitions are Erikson Beach, the Van Anda Cove Property and the Old School.  For more information call chairman Dave Opko at 604-486-7686.

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 232

The Texada branch of the Legion received its charter from Legion Dominion Command in 1949.  It has operated continuously since then, starting out in a converted brush pickers’ shed by Van Anda Creek and moving to its present location at 2611 Legion Rd in 1961, into a new building built primarily by volunteer labour.  Membership in the Legion is open to all Canadian citizens and landed immigrants over 19 years of age.

TEXADA ARTS, CULTURE & TOURISM SOCIETY (TACT)
TACT was formed in early 2004.  Its mission is:
1.To support and nurture the arts, culture and tourism on Texada Island.
2.To encourage arts, culture and tourism in harmony with the existing economic activities which are the mainstay of Texada Island, and in a way which supports the overall island community
3.To develop and stimulate ways for people working in the arts, culture and tourism fields to be a strong part of the economic base of Texada Island.
TACT sponsors the Texada Island Visitors Centre and also this website. TACT also sponsors various island cultural activities and founded the annual jazz festival "Jazz on the Rocks."  For more information go to About Tact or call our membership co-ordinator Mary Crowe at 604-486-0333 or email kmdcrowe@telus.net

TEXADA BOAT CLUB

The boat club lies safe and secure ringed by steep treed bluffs and a mammoth rock breakwater. The dream of a viable community Boat Club started in the 60’s by forward thinking Islanders has become a reality through the dedicated hard work of club members, the generosity of local landowners and the quarries and especially through community support throughout its history.  Volunteer work parties are the backbone of the Club’s expansion, which now extends to over 500 feet of docks, including substantial transient moorage for the accommodation of visitor boats, all which generates income for the Club. Membership is open to residents who reside full time on Texada.  For more information contact Dig Pedneault (President) at 604-486-7470.

TEXADA ISLAND COMMUNITY SOCIETY (TICS)

TICS has been a registered Society since 1930 and the general mandate is to encourage the enhancement of youth and community, support the advancement of education and to assist the needy.

In addition to hosting the 11 monthly Bingos (1st Friday of each month, September through June, plus Sandcastle Weekend) TICS also has an annual Swap Meet in May.  The main revenue generating activity is what is fondly referred to as our ‘Publishing Empire’, which includes the monthly Express Lines, the quarterly Texada Lines and the bi-annual Telephone Directory.

Many island groups and organizations benefit directly or indirectly from TICS.  As a sub-committee of TICS, Sandcastle Weekend has run annually for 21 years.  This three day event is usually held in July (but sometimes in August) and includes a lip-sync contest, moonbag launch, parade, bed races, chalk drawing, kids crafts, a beer garden and craft vendors.   For more information call Elayne Boloten (President) at 604-486-7457.

TEXADA ISLAND’S VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS

Both Van Anda and Gillies Bay and the surrounding area are protected by two volunteer fire departments that routinely work together to fight fires on the island. Both departments are members of the Volunteer Fire Fighters' Association of British Columbia.  Members of the two departments hold weekly meetings and training sessions, where proper equipment usage and maintenance is covered.

The fire departments are responsible for issuing burning permits and also informing the public of fire bans during the fire season. Current Fire Chief for Van Anda department is Aaron Mitchell (604-486-0069), and the temporary Fire Chief for Gillies Bay is Mark Rousseau (604-486-7274).  For more information about joining please call either chief at the numbers listed.

TEXADA LIBRARY

The Texada Library is located in the Old School at Gillies Bay, which is administered by the Texada Recreation Commission on behalf of the Powell River Regional District.  The Library maintains its own permanent collection of donated and purchased fiction, non-fiction and reference books, plus videos, CDs, DVDs and books on tape.  Special collections include children’s fiction, boating, and local history.  Any resident or visitor to Texada Island may borrow circulating Library materials.  The library now has high-speed internet available for community use.

A rotating block loan of approximately 150 books is supplied from the Powell River Public Library collection every three months. This includes several books in large print.  Block loan books should always be returned to the Texada Library.  Texada residents who borrow books directly from the Powell River Public Library may return those books via a drop box at the Texada Island Inn in Van Anda.   For information about the Texada Library call John Wood at 604-486-7511.

TEXADA WOMEN’S ISLAND NETWORK (TWIN)

Texada Women’s Island Network is a non-partisan, non-religious, non-affiliated group and does not have any single focus interest. The group has a monthly luncheon meeting and is dedicated to bringing women together from all walks of life so that they may share and support each others goals and interests, exchange ideas and enjoy each other’s company.  For more information call Linn Rairie at 604-486-7468.