Ellen Frood, third from right, and Chris Alemany, second from right, of Sage Haven Society, are joined by community leaders to officially open Wiiksahiqu?il, Sage Haven's new second stage housing complex. (SUSAN QUINN/ Alberni Valley News)
The Alberni Valley community is mourning the loss of Ellen Frood, recently retired executive director of Sage Haven Society, who died suddenly Oct. 15 of complications from surgery.
Don Tecson, chair of the Sage Haven Society board, said Frood would often tell people "life brought me here (to Port Alberni. I love this community. This is a mighty community."
"Port Alberni has suffered a great loss," said Tecson, who considered Frood a friend as well as mentor.
Frood came to the city nearly 10 years ago and served nine and a half years as executive director with Sage Haven. She was a strong advocate for Port Alberni's most vulnerable people, and spoke up against domestic violence in her role.
She is best known for opening wiiksahiqu?ilth, a second-stage housing complex for women and children in the Alberni Valley, in November 2023. The two-storey wooden structure provides 22 homes of varying sizes to for women and gender-diverse people leaving violence, including transgender women, Two-Spirit and non-binary people, and their dependent children in Port Alberni and surrounding areas.
Frood also led the effort to host an annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser in the Alberni Valley.
Ron Merk co-chaired the Port Alberni Community Action Team with Frood for four years, and said he was heartbroken to hear of her passing. "I came to know what an extraordinary woman she was," he posted on a social media memorial. "Always grounded in common sense, always advocating for those who are too often unheard, Ellen led with compassion, strength and humility.
"She made a lasting difference in the lives of so many, and I feel truly fortunate to have called her a friend. I will miss her more than words can ever express."
More than 120 people attended two celebrations of life for Frood on Wednesday, Oct. 22. At a community dinner held at the Best Western Barclay Hotel, Port Alberni City Councillor Deb Haggard talked of her respect for Frood.
"To Ellen, helping people meant dreaming boldly and refusing to settle for small solutions. The lives we touch, she reminded us, deserve our most ambitious efforts."
Major Michael Ramsay of the Salvation Army in Port Alberni worked closely with Frood, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, when several organizations joined forces to ensure the city's most vulnerable were looked after. "Ellen worked diligently for our community," Ramsay said.
Frood thrived on change, said her sister Janet Frood. Ellen lived in 35 different homes, settling in five different provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. "She built community in every single one of them. She absolutely loved this city and she loved the work she was able to do here. She was joyful and happy during her time here in Port Alberni."
Ellen Frood served the social sector significantly, said Janet, but also worked in health care and the university sector as well as for Habitat for Humanity.
Away from work "she loved her cars, she loved her dogs, and she loved her kids, Chris and Tara." She loved gardening with her husband, Jimmy Kohut.
Janet Frood said it was a shock to lose her sister so suddenly. "She had just retired and was really looking forward to participating in the community in a different way too. It was a huge time of transition for her; there is a huge sadness that she didn't get to enjoy the retirement stage of life."
Teresa Ludvigson, retired from Ty Watson House Hospice, first met Ellen Frood in Ontario through Habitat for Humanity. She remembers asking Ellen why she suffered through Ontario winters, and urged her to move to "the Hawaii of Canada: Vancouver Island."
"The thing about Ellen is she is passionate, she's so intelligent, she's so well-spoken and she's so considerate of everyone, not just the people that she worked with in her job but in her life," Ludvigson said through tears. Through the time they spent together as colleagues, they became friends. "She was a unique blend of mentor and colleague and best buddy and sister," Ludvigson said.
"I feel so blessed to have had her in my life."
Sage Haven Society will honour Frood's legacy with a bursary in her name as well as a memorial wall at the Sage Haven office.
Frood is survived by her husband Jimmy Kohut, children Chris and Tara, siblings Janet and Peter Frood "and is beloved by many, many friends," Janet Frood said.