The Hall

A community hall on Wood Avenue, run by the chamber for the people of Armstrong and Spallumcheen.

Book the hall

The hall is available for community events, meetings, classes, markets, and gatherings. To check availability or book a date, email manager@aschamber.com or call (250) 546-8155.

What happens in the hall

The hall hosts the Lions Club bingo and the indoor farmers’ market on a regular schedule. Water district AGMs, summer camp programs, community meetings, and private events all use the space throughout the year. The chamber handles the bookings.

A bit of history

The hall is older than the City of Armstrong.

It was built in 1909 by the Independent Order of Foresters, four years before Armstrong was incorporated as a city in 1913. The brick is local. Over more than a century, the building has served as a Presbyterian church (1925 to 1928), the Armstrong public library (1930s), the Armstrong school district office (1940s), and a temporary classroom during the construction of Pleasant Valley Secondary. Former mayor Chris Pieper learned woodworking in the building as a student.

In the spring of 1953, the City of Armstrong sold the hall to School District #21 so it could be used for classroom space while the new high school was built. The district kept ownership for the next 31 years.

1984 was a pivotal year for the building. The school district demolished the Armstrong Junior Secondary School next door, leaving the hall standing alone on the lot. The district sold the hall to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for $1. The same year, the Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce decided for the first time that it needed an office of its own.

The Oddfellows operated the hall as the Oddfellows Hall for the next 40 years.

The Oddfellows

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal order founded in the 18th century and brought to North America in 1819. The Armstrong lodge, Coronation Lodge #48, was instituted in 1903 (ten years before Armstrong itself was incorporated). For more than a hundred years, the Oddfellows met here, gave annual bursaries to local high school students, and invested their funds back into the community.

By the mid-2020s, the Armstrong Oddfellows numbered three members. Continuing to run the building on their own was no longer feasible. They issued a request for proposals to find a new owner who would keep the hall as a community space. Five organizations submitted proposals. The chamber’s was selected.

The arrangement

The chamber took possession of the building in March 2025 and is finalizing the purchase. No money exchanged hands. The chamber pays the operating costs and contributes a small monthly stipend that funds the Oddfellows’ annual high school bursary.

The chamber operates the front end of the building as the Visitor Centre and chamber office. The main hall stays as it has always been: a community gathering space.

The Oddfellows asked for one more thing as part of the agreement: that people would always know this was the Oddfellows Hall.

Paul Eichinger, who has been an Armstrong Oddfellow for 58 years, cut the ribbon at the chamber’s grand opening on March 19, 2025.

What’s coming

The chamber has additional improvements planned, including new signage, exterior maintenance, accessibility upgrades (ramps and doorway modifications), and a permanent exhibit recognizing the Oddfellows’ century of contribution to Armstrong.

Visit

The hall and Visitor Centre are at 3005 Wood Avenue, Armstrong, BC V4Y 0J3. Office hours are 10 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday.