queenswood closing oct. 3, 2010

Share with the Queenswood community your favourite photos from the last 43 years.  Upload them to our server and we'll include them in a collage that will be displayed at Queenswood's last concert on Sat. Aug. 28, as well as at other special events. Click here to upload your files.

Queenswood will be closing to the public as of Oct. 3, 2010

Queenswood will close on Oct. 3, 2010 rather than Sept 30, 2010 as originally stated in the public announcement.  This extension is to accommodate retreat programs and rental groups that had planned to be here at Queenswood on the weekend of Oct. 1-3.  Please note that the pool will, however, still close to the public on Sept. 30, 2010.

No fundraising campaign

Please note that there is no public fundraising campaign underway.  Any public appeals being made for funding are unauthorized by the Queenswood Board. Please do not give money to groups claiming to represent Queenswood.

Donations to offset the cost of the closure are gratefully accepted and may be made by contacting Marina Smith at marina@ssabc.ca. Charitable receipts will be provided.

What does Queenswood mean to you?

June 22, 2010

Lynn Thompson is the host and producer of "Living on Purpose" podcast.  She happened to be staying at Queenswood last week and graciously offered to interview Queenswood community members about their experiences of Queenswood.  We're extremely grateful to Lynn for support and generosity.  Visit her webpage at http://www.LivingOnPurposeLynn.com.

Wayne

Miriam (2 parts)

Carol (2 parts)

Sister Eileen

Lynn

Harriet (2 parts)

CBC radio interview

June 18, 2010

Click here to listen to Queenswood Board Chair Sigurd Johannesen interviewed on CBC Radio 1's On the Island with Gregor Craigie on June 18, 2010.  We thank CBC Radio 1 in Victoria for permission to reproduce this interview.

Media release

June 17, 2010

A copy of the media release send to local media announcing the closure of Queenswood can be downloaded here in .pdf format.

Letter to Queenswood community

June 17, 2010

Dear Queenswood guests, supporters and neighbours,

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Queenswood retreat centre will close permanently on October 1st,  2010.

As you may know, Queenswood has been in operation for over 40 years, and it has always been subsidized by the Sisters of St. Ann.  The Queenswood Society for Spiritual Growth was established in 2004 to assume the management of the retreat centre and help Queenswood continue its service to the community as a long-term legacy of the Sisters of St. Ann.  On January 1, 2008, the Sisters of St. Ann and Queenswood Society entered into a 3-year agreement with the hope that Queenswood would achieve financial sustainability independent of the continuing subsidy from the Sisters by the end of December 2010.

In March 2010, the Sisters of St. Ann announced the sale of their Arbutus Road property to the University of Victoria (UVic).  It was hoped that Queenswood might continue its operations as a tenant of the university.  Negotiations for a lease with UVic proceeded with good will, but with the best terms possible, capital and operational expenses would require fundraising a minimum of $3.5 million over the next five years in order to fund a 10-year lease, capital costs and operations.  We were advised by fundraising experts that this target is not feasible.  Therefore, last week the Queenswood board of directors recommended the orderly closure of Queenswood.

Some practical information:

• Queenswood will continue to be available for community event rentals until October 3 2010.  
• Pool and library members who have paid for memberships that extend beyond Sept. 30, 2010 will be reimbursed the pro-rated amount by the end of September. 
• Queenswood programs will continue to be offered as planned until Oct. 3, with the exception of "A Listening Heart" (Sept. 10-14) and "Ecology and Wellness" (Oct. 1-3), which will unfortunately be canceled. 

Further updates on the closure of Queenswood will be posted on the Queenswood website at www.QueenswoodVictoria.ca/closure, including ways for the Queenswood community to come together before the closure.

We wanted to let you know personally about this decision, which will be announced in the news today.  Meanwhile, we hope you will consider taking a summer workshop or retreat to enjoy Queenswood one last time.  Descriptions of our summer programs are available online at www.QueenswoodVictoria.ca/summer.

Thank you for your support and prayers.

Sincerely yours,

Sigurd Johannesen Queenswood Board Chair sigurdj@shaw.ca

Sr. Marie Zarowny Province Leader, Sisters of St. Ann mzarowny@ssabc.ca