Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack store to close

Chilliwack thrift store poised to close later this year

Feb 3, 2025 | 10:33 AM

CHILLIWACK — Due to an aging volunteer base and an increase in its lease that more than doubled its monthly rent, the president of a local charity says its downtown Chilliwack thrift shoppe on Main Street will close later this year.

According to a statement from board president Karen Houlden, the Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary’s thrift store at 9236 Main Street will close its doors sometime this spring after its 26th anniversary is held in March. After the property was sold in 2023, the new ownership raised the rent beyond what it could afford, leaving the auxiliary and its volunteers in a pinch financially.

“The building was owned by Roger [Muir],” Houlden said. “He gave us a tremendous deal for 25 years but he sold the place and the new owners couldn’t match the $1,400 that was offered. We did try for a year but all we’re doing is working to pay rent, and our goal is to raise money for hospital equipment and patient comfort items. We have checked into the leases of several places but the rent is way beyond our ability to pay.”

At the same time, Houlden said she’s not resentful or upset with the new property ownership because of the nature of property acquisitions and the associated costs involved.

“We’re not blaming the new people at all. They bent over backward, they really wanted us to stay,” Houlden said. “To be fair, the new landlords offered us the cheapest rent in town so we can’t fault them. They really wanted to keep us there.”

Woman dies after being found unresponsive on Blackcomb Mountain in B.C.

9h ago

Amber Alert

UPDATE at 2:52 P.M. - Amber Alert for Vancouver child cancelled

12h ago

Victim identified

B.C. woman identified in Lytton homicide

14h ago

Another key factor in the decision to close the Main Street store is the non-profit’s aging volunteer base. Many charities and non-profits are struggling to attract and retain volunteers these days, and the auxiliary is no different.

Image: Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary / The Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary executive is pictured outside the downtown thrift store at 9236 Main Street.

“It is also true that we are an aging generation. Younger people these days are too busy working and looking after children, or maybe parents as well, so they don’t have much time to volunteer,” Houlden said. “Things are totally different now. It’s really hard to get volunteers. We’re trying to sort of target the ones who have just retired. Some seniors want to volunteer but then the grandkids come along and some are babysitting, or they have elderly parents to take care of. It’s really hard.”

The store is also caught in a bit of a catch-22. It needs ongoing donations in order to cover its costs but will need to liquidate its inventory by the end of April when their lease is up, though it could close sooner.

“We want to get rid of a bunch of stuff. Once we have our anniversary in March, we have to get rid of some stuff,” Houlden said. “If we’re out of there by mid-April, that could happen. We need to still take in donations so that we can sell our stuff.”

Fortunately, there’s an upside to the store’s closure. Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary is a registered charity, Houlden pointed out, meaning they can issue tax receipts for donations. Their goal is to continue fundraising through bake sales or raffles, some of which may occur in the lobby of Chilliwack General Hospital. One of their recent raffles in late 2024 raised at least $7,000.

“We just had a big raffle on December 5 at the Lions hall on Main Street,” she said. “We sold some knitting. We made quite a bit of money, $7,000 to $8,000 on that. We will still be an Auxiliary and will have to raise money by bake sales or raffles or other means.”