Volunteer recruitment interviews began this week for Oak Bay’s new Environment Committee and what a wealth of strong and talented candidates who have applied! Oak Bay is indeed fortunate to have so many residents who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise and participate on this committee and on the new Active Transportation Committee.
In fact, we are overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response, making it a very tough decision to select just eleven committee members for the Environment Committee. Councillors Kevin Murdoch, Pam Copley and I are conducting brief interviews of new applicants and are impressed not only with their credentials and backgrounds, but also with their commitment and dedication to the environment and to their community.
In my experience, an Environmental Advisory Committee attracts a lot of interest and is fundamental to local land use planning and environmental protection. I am very pleased to see Oak Bay embrace the idea and with the calibre of people who have applied to this new committee, the future of our local environment is bright.
Volunteers are at the heart of this work and without them, local governments would face challenges not easily overcome in a climate of shrinking resources. So my thanks goes out to all applicants who applied to the Environment Committee and new Active Transportation Committee. I understand that Mayor and Council hopes to confirm all appointments within two weeks.