I attended this week a gathering coordinated by Mayor Nils Jensen and Councillor Tara Ney that brought together all Council members and municipal Committees and Commissions for a “meet and greet.”
Members from Parks and Recreation, including Director Ray Herman, the Business Improvement Association, the Community Initiatives Committee, the Oak Bay Tourism Committee, the Heritage Commission (apologies if I missed anyone), and the owners and manager of the new Oak Bay Beach Hotel (the Walkers and Michelle Le Sage), joined Mayor and Council at the Penny Farthing Pub to meet one another and share information about their role, activities and planned events for the coming year.
Mayor Jensen opened the gathering with the question, “How can we support one another?” As you know, the heart of Oak Bay beats to the commitment of so many dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of our community, adding significant value to what we love about Oak Bay. I believe that this was one of the first opportunities to get together and learn about what each other is doing. It also provided an informal venue for members to connect and identify how they can build new partnerships that enhance the vitality and energy of their activities and events.
Thanks to everyone who attended. For me, it was another learning experience and a pleasure to meet the people who help make Oak Bay tick.