Community Games Night turns the South Hall into a giant family living room. Tables are set up with Scrabble and Battleship, Risk and Connect 4. There are decks of cards, and a Twister mat on the floor for the younger kids. It began as a way for the Food Program to hold an evening kitchen to stock the freezer with meals for seniors, but has since grown (as do so many of our food program ideas) into a much-loved monthly event.

Games Nights happen once a month, on a Thursday, between 6 and 8pm. The cost is sliding scale: $5-$10 per person. Sometimes people bring their families with them for a chance to connect over a board game, others just meet up with friends (or make friends) when they get there. Someone is always looking for a partner to play a new game with. Everyone is welcome, and we have dozens of games to choose from.

Usually we have a feature game. Someone offers to teach a game to anyone who wants to learn. We’ve featured Chess, Mancala, Mexican Domino Train…we’re always interested in getting suggestions of games you’d like us to feature.

And did I mention there’s supper? Nothing fancy. I always make lots of pizzas, a big green salad, and a couple of main dishes. Sometimes it’s Black Bean Chili, or Lasagna, or Indian Butter chicken. (And every other month there might be fresh donuts for desert!)

So if you’ve never been before, come join us for Games Night, and a chance to connect with your family and neighbours over a friendly game of Chequers or Settlers of Catan, and you can see why everyone enjoys Games Night.

And if you would like to help in the kitchen, that would be wonderful, we always need volunteers from 3pm till 6pm, or for clean up after.

Thanks to the Galiano Parks and Rec Commission for helping this program run for another year, as it gets closer to being self sufficient.