Fall Fundraising Drive

One of the original structures at the McLoughlin Gardens is a small potting shed, tucked away behind the house.

This is where Sarah sifted the compost to make soil and potted up seedlings to give away or to plant in a new bed. For many years the rain barrel beside the shed was home to a trio of large koi who survived the winters and were fed on a daily basis by our neighbour Barry Godfrey when he came through on his daily stroll. The roof of the shed is made of cedar shingles, which are now at the end of their life-span.

The plan: Install a western red cedar shingle roof with a Class A fire rating. The price per square foot is $15.65, but as you can see, the roof is not large!

Please consider making a donation towards repairing and restoring the roof. If each of our members and regular visitors donates $15, the amount we need to do the work would accumulate quickly.

how to donate

1) e-transfer to mcloughlingardens16@gmail.com (no security password needed) Please include your name and email so we can thank you!
2) by cheque to McLoughlin Gardens Society, Box 1223 Comox, BC V9M 7Z8
3) as part of your membership renewal. Visit our membership page for options.

other ways to donate

By donating to the McLoughlin Gardens Fund at Vancity Community Foundation, you are assisting the Society in maintaining the gardens and the house over the long-term. Our donor-advised fund generates income for the Gardens on an annual basis. Increasing the size of the fund will support our long-term viability as a non-profit.

Become a patron of the arts...

Every summer, we host writers or poets for a period of four to six weeks, offering them a quiet, secluded place to reflect and create. Since 2016, we have hosted four Canadian writers, each of whom has made a significant contribution to Canadian literature.

Anne Simpson, winner of the Griffin Prize in Poetry

Arleen Paré, winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry

Maleea Acker, poet and essayist, doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria

Marcus Youssef, winner of the Siminovitch Award in Theatre

Jennifer Manuel, winner of the BC Book prize

Don McKay, winner of the Griffin Prize in Poetry as well the Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry

Darrel McLeod, winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction

Sara Cassidy, prolific writer of children’s books.

Yvonne Blomer, former poet laureate of Victoria, editor of several anthologies.

Your donation allows us to offer a modest honorarium to visiting writers. Consider donating $50, $100, $250, $500 or another amount.

We have set up a donor-advised fund through Vancity Community Foundation. All donations will be issued a charitable tax receipt. You can make your donation at this link: McLoughlin Gardens Fund.

Or perhaps you are more of a bricks and mortar type. You may wish to consider a donation towards the care and restoration of a heritage garden and unique home.

The cottage at the McLoughlin Gardens was designed by Sarah McLoughlin and built in 1976. Very little has been altered in the interior of the house, besides replacing the wood stove in the kitchen with an electric range and adding a wood insert in the living-room. Over the coming years, the McLoughlin Gardens has the following goals in terms of caring for the structures on the property.

1. Replace roof on the garden shed behind the house - $2100.

2. Convert large shed to a studio space for visiting artists and writers, awaiting updated estimate. The architectural drawings are already complete for this project.

3. Replace pergola and develop the caged garden as a nursery for hellebore seedlings and other plants and shrubs - awaiting estimate.

You can make your donation through our donor-advised fund at Vancity Community Foundation. All donations will be issued a charitable tax receipt. Follow this link: McLoughlin Gardens Fund.