Spring usually brings Girl Guides door-to-door cheerfully selling their delicious boxes of chocolate and vanilla cookies.

For the past 30+ years in Elkford, members of Girl Guides of Canada including the Sparks, Brownies and Guides would do this together with their parents and Guiders/Leaders – it has become a time-honoured tradition across Canada since 1927.

Girl Guide Cookies are a vital part of the Guiding program – they help us locally to fund things like badges, insignia, awards, craft supplies, resources and more. They also subsidize training for Guiders and offset costs for activities and camping as well as support national and international trips.

In the fall of 2017, we approached the Elkford Union Hall – United Steelworkers Local 7884 (USW Local 7884) to ask if we could have our orders of cookies delivered and stored in their building until the town blitz night (typically one to three weeks later).

We were so thankful that USW Local 7884 graciously agreed to do that and have done so for the past six campaigns (fall and spring each year). We have also appreciated them allowing us to use this location for occasional meetings and sleepovers for many years prior to this additional support.

In mid-March of this year, the spring cookies were delivered to the Union Hall – a total of 1,320 boxes! Very soon after, the COVID-19 virus meant that all face-to-face Guiding activities were halted, and all communities across Canada had to practice social/physical distancing. This also meant that selling the cookies was on “hold.”

We were hopeful that as soon as it was possible, we could go out into the community and safely sell them; however, with each week it seemed that would be further and further into the future. In-person Guiding activities have now been suspended for this Guiding year.

On April 1, the USW 7884 contacted us with an incredible offer! In a joint effort, Teck Coal-Fording River Operations and USW Local 7884 offered to buy all of the cookies being stored for a total of $6,600! WOW! This is unbelievable and means that Guiding in Elkford does not have to worry about how to pay our cookie bill or how to sell them safely in the future!

Once it is safe to do so, they will look at options to distribute the cookies to their employees.

Both organizations are long-time supporters of Elkford youth programs; many residents have benefited and will continue to for years to come.

On behalf of all the members of Girl Guides of Canada in Elkford we are extremely thankful and overwhelmed by this generous and amazing support by Teck Coal-Fording River Operations and USW Local 7884!

Lead image from Kootenay Area Girl Guides

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