– by Carole Pearson –
They also appeal to ‘snowbirds’ because you can just lock-up and go and it’s close to the airport. The location is great. You can walk everywhere and the bus stop is just outside the door.”
Not all old buildings are being replaced. In 1964, a group of parents asked the school district for permission to use the vacated West Saanich school building for Scouts and Girl Guides meetings. More than 30 years later, local volunteers decided to form the Brentwood Bay Old School Hall Society to solicit donations to preserve and maintain the building and manage its use. The building is owned by the District of Central Saanich but the Society has, over the years, installed some important upgrades to make the meeting space more comfortable.
The 2nd Tsartlip Scouts and the 1st Woodwyn Girl Guides are its main tenants and hold weekly meetings there. “Without the support of the Old School Hall Society, we wouldn’t a have a roof that wasn’t leaking – or heat,” says Walt. But in Brentwood Bay, community support doesn’t stop with one group. “Fortunately for us in the Guides and Scouting community, the bulk of our funding comes from sales at the “Beef in a Bun” stand at the Saanich Fair. It essentially pays the rent on the building for the year.”
“Brentwood Bay has a very strong sense of community,” says Kate Mansell, the Boys and Girls Club’s Director of development. “People really care.” The Club worked with Central Saanich to find a property for the new badly-needed clubhouse and the 1,400 square-foot building is nearing completion, near the Central Saanich Cultural Centre. With space for computers, the Club can now offer Rogers Raising the Grade, a program for students in Grades 8 to 12, supported through Rogers Youth Fund as well as other before and after school programs. “It’s a very exciting partnership for us,” says Mansell. “From my perspective, I can tell you our program is a needed resource for youth.”
No article about the village of Brentwood Bay is complete without a mention of the bay itself, a quiet cove off the Saanich Inlet that was an important fishery for the Malahat and Saanich First Nations for centuries. Today, the Saanich Inlet Protection Society and SeaChange Marine Conservation Society are just two groups involved in protecting and preserving the natural marine life found in Brentwood Bay and surrounding bodies of water.
“These are the calmest waters along the Saanich Inlet and a safe place for kayakers,” says Matt Smiley, manager of the Brentwood Bay Resort marina. It is quiet this time of year but in the summer, the Centre offers a full range of kayaking and canoe rentals, paddleboarding, and guided tours. There is also diving and snorkeling, to name a few activities for people wanting to get out and enjoy the water. Guided Eco-Tours into Saanich Inlet and Finlayson Arm are available for further exploration. In summer, half of the 50 slips are occupied by tourists. “For them, it’s a great spot to stop to do laundry, take a hot shower and enjoy a good meal in the restaurant,” says Smiley.
For residents, it’s a place they are proud to call home.
