COMMUNITY EVENTS | 🎉 Oak Bay Bikes to celebrate its 90th birthday this Saturday, August 3 where there will be a barbecue, drinks, prizes, sale and more. Everyone is welcome at this event which will celebrate bikes, friends and more. | 😲 Multi-neighbourhood garage sale on Saturday, August 3 at 531 Linden Ave. from 8am to 1pm where you can find bicycles, furniture, garden supplies and other great finds. | 🌿 Bowker Creek Brush up and art sale will be held Sunday, August 11 at Bowker Creek Park from 11am to 4:30pm. Learn more here. | 🌚 Oak Bay Night Market is on Wednesday, August 14 from 4-8pm. Markets will be held on every second Wednesday of the month through September, where Oak Bay Village transforms into a European-style street market with fresh and local produce, food and artisanal goods. More info here. | 🧘🏻♀️ Summer Yoga in Abkhazi Garden will take place on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30pm for $15 per class. Email Kaitlyn at omoutsideyoga@gmail.com to reserve your spot! |
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| | COMMUNITY NEWS | 🚔 Former Oak Bay art gallery owner charged in case involving Emily Carr paintings. Calvin Lucyshyn, who operated Winchester Galleries, is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 10 to answer to charges of fraud over $5K in a case that dates to spring 2022. More than 1K pieces of art valued in the tens of millions of dollars were seized. Police contend Lucyshyn took artworks—including three by Carr—from people under the pretense of having them appraised or put on consignment. Police allege he then ghosted them. [Saanich Police] | 🚨 Oak Bay municipal worker assaulted near Willows Beach. A man was arrested after reports of punching a municipal worker in the face and threatening several others with a knife on Esplanade Road last Friday after he engaged in what police said was a “heated verbal dispute” with several municipal workers. The man was later released under several conditions, including that he not go anywhere near an Oak Bay park, municipal worker or vehicle. [Times Colonist] | 🏡 Places & Spaces Online Ideas Showcase is seeking feedback on Oak Bay Avenue’s future design. Community members are invited to review and comment on a draft urban design and policy direction for Oak Bay Avenue and other areas in Greater Victoria. The draft designs were developed this spring from several collaborative workshops with urban designers and city planners who worked with more than 200 community members. [City of Victoria] | 🎹 Oak Bay’s Painted Pianos are back. Artists Chris Paul, Robert Amos, Jennifer McIntyre, and Cameron Neufeld have painted the pop-up pianos that are installed at Cattle Point, Turkey Head, Willows Beach, Loon Bay Park, and Estevan Village where pianists of all kinds can interact with this unique form of public art. [CHEK] | 🇨🇦 Island Olympians compete during Paris Olympics. The Canada Olympic team's map of hometowns lists 11 Island athletes, however the actual number of locals competing is higher because many athletes live here to train. Capital Daily took a closer look at the Olympians, including Adam Keenan (hammer throwing, Victoria) who trains at Lambrick Park school but shifted to Oak Bay after losing access to his throwing cage at Lambrick in 2022. [Capital Daily] | ⭐ A brief trip to the Centre of the Universe. Explore constellations, galaxies, planets and much more at this historical observatory in Saanich. The Observatory hosts monthly Star Parties that allow visitors to catch stunning views of the night sky. Read more here.* | *Sponsored Listing | | P.S. Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here. |
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| | PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT | To join the conversation, become a member of the Oak Bay Local Facebook Group | | Community rallies to organize fundraiser in support of charity | An Oak Bay local reached out to the group in order to collect donations for an upcoming fundraiser at the end of August. The fifth annual clothing fundraiser previously raised $6,000 in support of the Victoria Women’s Transition House. | This year the team of sisters will be donating 100% of proceeds to the organization, as it provides essential support to women and children experiencing domestic violence. The sale will be on August 24 between 10am and 3pm, and further details will be provided as they are available. In the meantime, the team could use more donations of gently used adult clothing that they can pick up from around the community. Do you have anything to add to the effort? | |
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| | | Oak Bay clinic under strain | An Oak Bay local reached out to the group after they were having difficulty contacting the Oak Bay Medical Clinic this week. While the original poster was initially frustrated, a worker at the clinic and other community members did reach out and let everyone know that they are extremely short staffed at the moment due to turnover and reported retirement of a staff member. | Members of the community reached out to let everyone know about the phenomenal medical care they’ve received at this clinic in the past and said that while they are extremely thankful for this clinic, something needs to be done in order to address the growing medical needs of Oak Bay residents and beyond. | | Have you had trouble accessing medical care in Oak Bay? | | |
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| IN OTHER NEWS | | Oak Bay community member warns of speargrass dangers | A community member warned other locals about the presence of speargrass in the community, which poses dangers for dogs, including death. The above photo was taken on Windsor (next to the sidewalk) and the original poster asked others who may come across it to take a few minutes and cut it. Another local chimed in that it would be better yet to pull it out by the roots. | |
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| | | PHOTO OF THE WEEK |  | Photo credit: Mary Ellen Johnson |
| Local bouquets are available for pick up—while they last. | |
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