COMMUNITY EVENTS | 💃🏼 New Year’s Eve Dinner & Dance with The Sutcliffes on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 7pm at the Sports View Lounge at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre. | 🚶🏽♂️ New Year's Walk with Mayor and Council will be held on Monday, Jan. 1 at 12:30pm at Oak Bay Rec. The four-kilometre community walk will be followed by a meet and greet in the Sports View Lounge between 1:30 and 2:30 pm where coffee, tea, and cookies will be provided. | 🏊♂️ A Polar Bear Swim will be held on Jan. 1. Meet at the beach along Dallas Road between the intersection of Memorial Crescent and Eberts Street. The swim will kick off at noon. | 🎙 Oak Bay Parks & Recreation’s holiday schedule will remain in effect from Saturday, Dec. 23 until Friday, Jan. 5. | 🌲 Looking to get rid of your Christmas tree? Elgin Yard Waste Depot posted its holiday schedule. It will be closed on Monday, Jan. 1. |
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| | COMMUNITY NEWS | 🐦 Christmas bird count locates several rare birds despite less-than ideal weather conditions. Counters located 85,000 birds of 140 different species, including the first-ever Pygmy Nuthatches and White-breasted Nuthatch, which were discovered at Ross Bay Cemetery. [Oak Bay News] | 🕊 Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch stands up against antisemitism, anti-Muslim hate, as well as racism in all forms after local businesses report being targeted with hate crimes. [Oak Bay Local] | 🚗 Vehicle flipped fully upside-down in crash near École Willows Elementary. A medical episode appears to have caused the rollover near the Oak Bay school. The driver, 72, escaped with minor injuries. [CHEK] | 🍽 Oak Bay contest winner pays forward Christmas dinner prize. The act of kindness afforded some single parents and their kids an opportunity to enjoy a turkey supper, courtesy of the anonymous donor, along with the Oak Bay News, Old Farm Market, and Slaters Meats. [Saanich News] | 🎄 Oak Bay’s Brad and Jill Williams did a final holiday light-up display. The long-standing tradition ended after 15 years of delighting viewers of all generations with a lawn light show that was timed to music they broadcast on the 99.1 FM frequency. [Victoria News] | 🏀 Oak Bay was topped in the final of Bays’ own Gary Taylor Classic. Oak Bay is now ranking #3 in Quad A, while Saanich’s the Spectrum Thunder is now ranking #1 in BC in an impressive representation for the region. [Varsity Letters] | 👀 Researchers discover new orca calf in the J pod. Puget Sound killer whale researchers Maya and Mark Sears first spotted the new calf on Dec. 26. While much about the calf remains unknown, the photos offer hopeful signs of health ahead of the new year. [Center for Whale Research] | Hey local bird watchers, have you spotted any new or unusual birds this year? | | | 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 | Book clubs | One Oak Bay local reached out in search of a book club to join. After the original commenter posted, others chimed in that there are abundant options to choose from in the community with several who are currently accepting new additions. There are also several public options, including one highly recommended book club at Bolen’s, which meets on the last Thursday of the month in person at 6:30 in the back of the store. You can go online to register or go in person, and ask for Heidi. There is also a Victoria chapter of the Silent Book Club, which isn’t actively seeking new members but is always willing to accept another. | |
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| | | Another scam fraudulently impersonates Oak Bay organization | An Oak Bay local warned the community about another scam targeting residents, this one purporting to represent The Oak Bay Community Artists Society. Someone impersonating the president of the organization said that they need gift cards for donation to veterans at hospice and palliative care units. While one person who had received the request said that they did find it to be an odd request, others may not realize it is not coming from this organization. The artists have been notified, however it also serves as a reminder that such schemes can be tricky to identify as fraudulent. | |
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| | IN OTHER NEWS | | Tourtières in time for the new year | Oak Bay local community member Samantha Bentley-Crawshaw is selling some homemade tourtières for $60. For those who aren’t familiar with them, the savoury meat pies originate in Quebec and are made with ground pork, beef and turkey. | |
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| | | PHOTO OF THE WEEK |  | Photo credit: Keith McKewan |
| Log Jam, Cattle Point. |
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