TOGETHER WITH | | COMMUNITY EVENTS | 📚 TC Book Sale: The massive book sale is back at the Victoria Curling Club, with thousands of used books available for a low price. Sat. & Sun. | 🎨 Design Victoria: Four-day celebration of creativity across multiple-design disciplines at various venues, Thurs-Sun.
🎵 Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9: Victoria Chamber Orchestra and Victoria Choral Society anniversary concert at UVic’s Farquhar Auditorium this Saturday at 7:30pm. | 🐶 ‘Coachella for dogs’ is coming to Oak Bay in August. [Black Press] |
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| | IN THE NEWS | 😶 Concert organizer speaking out against added Oak Bay talking rule
Beacon Ridge Productions, which presents up to 40 area concerts each year, says a new clause in its contract with the district, which would allow people to talk during shows at the Rec Centre’s Upper Lounge, interrupts a no-talk policy the company has been successfully using for more than a decade. The company has made some noise by sending 4K people on its mailing list an email that identified by name—and included a phone number and email address—of the Oak Bay official responsible for contract negotiations. [Black Press] | 🏦 Disguised man gets nothing in Oak Bay bank robbery attempt
A man wearing a black cloak and sunglasses walked into the TD Canada Trust at 2000 Cadboro Bay around lunchtime on Tuesday of last week, passed a note demanding cash, but got rattled and fled on foot. The man didn’t produce a weapon. A source tells Capital Daily the suspect had entered the bank a few minutes earlier but hurried off to a nearby fast-food restaurant before returning for his ill-fated robbery attempt. Police brought in the canine unit but could not locate the suspect. [Times Colonist] | 🛝 Carnarvon Park retrofit nears reality with $1M architecture deal
Oak Bay council has been kicking around the idea of updating the nearly 10-acre park since 2018, and last week, it hired Vancouver-based Shape Architecture to produce eight tender-ready designs by next summer. The upgrades are expected to include new tennis and pickleball courts—with sound absorption panels—a half-sized basketball court, an off-leash dog area, and EV charging stations. Work will be done over six years. [Black Press] | 🐶 Warmer weather coming: don’t leave dogs in cars, say police
Oak Bay Police said they received a report of two dogs locked inside a vehicle parked at Estevan and Musgrave on April 24. Officers were about to “take action” when the owner appeared and apologized, police said. [Oak Bay Police] | 🛍️ Oak Bay panel says shop here, avoid US tariffs
Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Diana Gibson, Steven Seltzer of local business advocate Think Local First, and Martin Cownden of the Oak Bay Business Improvement Association spoke at the April 23 discussion at the Windsor Pavilion. Some two dozen residents talked about the benefits of shopping locally. [Black Press] | 🛵 Scooter stolen from Oak Bay bike rack
The owner says they left the scooter locked in the rack at the front of the school on April 23 and returned 20 minutes later to find the lock had been cut, and the scooter taken. The Gyrocopters J30 electric easy wheeler is pictured here. | | P.S. Did someone forward you this email*? Subscribe here. | | PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT | To join the conversation, become a member of the Oak Bay Local Facebook Group | | SPONSORED BY PRESSUREPROS | | Is your home disappearing under Victoria's green blanket? | The signs are unmistakable: black streaks down your siding, slippery moss on your walkway, and that green film that makes your driveway look decades older than it is. Just yesterday, PressurePros transformed an Oak Bay property in hours, removing years of Victoria's notorious moss and algae build-up. Using advanced equipment and eco-safe solutions, they safely restore everything from heritage brick to modern surfaces. | Why wait? Spring cleaning season is here, and spots are filling quickly. Save thousands compared to replacement costs, and protect your property value. | Book your free estimate today and receive a complimentary gutter inspection ($75 value). |
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| | Hey, new to Oak Bay! | 🍽 Liv Cafe & Bistro opened today at 713 St. Patrick. | 🥐 Bond Bond’s Bakery has opened a new location in Oak Bay at 2865 Foul Bay. This location was formerly The Allenby Coffee Bar, which closed at the end of March. [Oak Bay Local] | | |
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| Welcoming new Canadians | A local has posted about greeting a Syrian family that fled the civil war but then lost members in an earthquake in Turkey.
The family of six has a rental ready in Saanich but needs a few items, including a microwave, phone, outdoor table and chairs, a hose, a watering can, and other items. | | |
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| More popular posts | Chicken soup recommendations in Oak Bay. Here’s a resource list for navigating health in Victoria, created by an Oak Bay resident. An Oak Bay resident is offering tutoring sessions to help students finish off the school year strong, to help them prep for their final exams, or to prep for the upcoming school year. A local is searching for an apartment after being in the same private rental home for 22 years. The Kid’s Free Little Library on Bowker and Monteith is looking a little empty these days. If you are spring cleaning and come across some children’s books you no longer need, consider donating them here. Recommendations for a good pedicure in Oak Bay.
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| | The size of extra builds | One resident said they were surprised by how large an add-on being built next to an Oak Bay home looks to be. | | IN OTHER NEWS | | Paper Shredding Fundraising Event | Head over to the Save-On-Foods parking lot at Fort and Foul Bay on Saturday, May 31, to securely dispose of your paper documents while making a difference. 100% of proceeds are used to support local organizations, with a particular emphasis on our local community. Hosted by the Victoria Chinatown Lioness Lions. | | | PHOTO OF THE WEEK |
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|  | Image credit: Angela Meredith Gabaldon |
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