Did you know that Oak Bay has four village centres within its boundaries? Oak Bay Avenue is the largest village, commonly referred to as “the Village.” But residents and visitors have three other villages to visit and enjoy, each with their own vibrancy and small local businesses that are a boon to our local economy.
The second largest is Estevan Village, home to the famous Fish and Chips shop that attracts locals and tourists alike, a great gift shop, Bungalow, a florist and a pharmacy, among others. The third is Cadboro Bay Rd. Village, that includes Pure Vanilla Bakery and Coffee Shop and across the street, a variety of food-related businesses, including a liquor outlet, Slater’s Butcher, Willows Pizza, a Japanese restaurant and the more recent Old Farm Market.
The fourth is the Foul Bay Rd. Village (bottom of the hill) that includes Tomley’s Market, a variety of smaller shops and well known Charelli’s Cheese Shop.
These four commercial nodes provide great services and unique shopping experiences and make a large contribution to the local ambiance of small scale village shopping. If I have left anyone out, my apologies but I wanted to provide a sense of some of the mainstays of each location and am aware that new businesses have opened in all of these locations within the past 2 years.
These are also ideal locations for electioneering, where I can meet and greet residents and engage in conversation about what matters to them and what they are looking for in candidates and in a new Council.
Note: I have chosen not to walk door-to-door, given that COVID is still among us and I have had many residents say to me that they appreciate that I am both respectful and cautious about not door-knocking during this campaign. I also recovered from a bout of COVID myself at the end of the summer and feel a responsibility to protect my own family. But please look for me in the villages over the next two weeks and don’t hesitate to stop and chat, at a comfortable distance.