News

(for older news item, check our News Archive)

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Adrienne's has a new owner

Fay Huxtall is retiring and has sold Adrienne's Tea House in Mattick's Farm to Sabine Schwaiger. Click here for Times Colonist article.

Sayward intersection public forum

Interested to know the proposed plans for the Pat Bay Hightway/Sayward Road intersection? Lana Popham and her committee invite you to attend a meeting on 29 February at 6.30 p.m. in the 55 Plus Centre adjacent to the Cordova Bay Elementary School.

**New Supermarket for Cordova Bay**

Tru Value Foods will be the new supermarket at Cordova Bay Plaza, replacing Food Forum which will close on Jan. 31, the Plaza announced on Jan. 23. The new store will take possession on Feb. 1 and has two months to renovate the existing premises. An opening date for the new store has yet to be established.
Tru Value Foods has stores on Mayne Island, Pender Island and two on Quadra Island and had a store on West Saanich Road in Brentwood Bay until 2010. Its mission statement states: “Tru Value Foods is a community-based chain of full-service grocery stores on and around Vancouver Island, BC. Our mission is to provide our customers with high-quality, healthy, competitively-priced foods in a clean and friendly environment; and to support and give back to the communities we serve.”
The company has been in business since the early 1990s and has its head office and warehouse on Keating Cross Road in Central Saanich. To read the Times Colonist article dated Jan 26., please click here.

Cordova Bay Food Forum is closing at the end of January

The Food Forum, the tenanted supermarket at Cordova Bay Plaza, has announced that it's “going out of business” and its doors will close on 31 January 2012. The store is advertising 30% off selected items. Handwritten notices are posted at the store.
The CBA has learned that the supermarket has been losing money and decided not to renew its lease. It's at least the third supermarket to operate since the shopping centre was built in 1960. The first was Super Valu. Smith’s Supermarket suffered a major fire in 1985 but was rebuilt and reopened the same year.
Initially called Seaview Plaza, the shopping centre was owned by the McMorran family as McMorran’s Cordova Bay Ltd until it was sold to Capital Super Foods Ltd in 1972. In 1979, Capital Super Foods, as well as Cadboro Bay Food Market Ltd and Capital Market Ltd, were all amalgamated as Capital Market Ltd. In 1981, Capital Market changed its name to Your Family Food Mart Ltd. The company is owned by the Pang brothers.

Cordova Bay Plaza News

What's happening these days at Cordova Bay Plaza? A new plaza development with a much bigger supermarket, 16 apartments above shops in another building, and a stand-alone Scotiabank building was approved by Saanich council in 1999. But before the Development Permit was issued - underground gasoline pollution was detected and the development could not go ahead. Former CBA president Roger Stonebanks, a retired journalist, asks - what will happen to the 1960 strip mall? And, when? For the latest details, click here.
And to read archived information and background on the Plaza, please click here.

McMorran's Beach House is now The Beach House

New owner, Kate Phoenix, says the name will be THE BEACH HOUSE and she is hoping to re-open the restaurant in the first week of March 2012. She has had many delays to contend with - the latest being reconnection of the gas.
NB: On 15 April, 2011, the CBA was informed that the Saanich Board of Variance had approved "the structural alterations to the non-conforming building."

Interchange not an option for Sayward and Pat Bay

Changes are coming to one of the region's most accident-prone intersections – but not before you have your say on the matter. To read a news item dated 30 November in the Saanich News: please click here. and for further information, check out the articles on: the Traffic page by clicking here.

Sidewalk construction on Cordova Bay Road

Construction of the new sidewalk on the west side of Cordova Bay Road, between Gloria Place and 5110 Cordova Bay Road, has been completed. The remainder of the project, extending the sidewalk south from Gloria Place to Haliburton Road, will be constructed this year with a start possible in March.
There will be traffic control people on site to assist. Please obey their directions and all traffic signs. All vehicles including emergency vehicles will have access.

Claremont to offer school of fine arts free to students

Claremont Secondary School, Cordova Bay plans to open a school of fine arts next fall, positioning itself as a destination of choice for students interested in music, dance, drama and visual arts. Billed as a "school within a school," the program will offer students a chance to graduate with two diplomas - one for completing their regular high school requirements and a second for earning 40 credits from the Claremont School of Fine Arts. Unlike sports academies that charge a fee, the fine arts school will be free for students enrolled in Grades 9 to 12. For information, contact Colin Plant at Claremont.

There's lots going on at St David by the Sea
Anglican Church

Have you heard of the "Three Saints Ministry" or "Theology Pub" or "Messy Church"?
Times are a changing and things are happening at St. David by the Sea, 5182 Cordova Bay Road. Reverend Canon Chris Parsons (on right in photo) and his team are working hard for the residents of Cordova Bay.

Check out the news on their up-to-date blog by clicking here.

Baaahhh - sheep at the Golf Club!

We know there are goats on the golf course; and now there's sheep! Open the link and scroll down to the third item of the newsletter to read about them. Cordova Bay Golf Club November newsletter.

CBA's recent community donations

Generous memberships from Cordova Bay residents have given us the opportunity of making $1,000 donations to two very special and worthy non-profit organizations in Cordova Bay.

Haliburton Community Organic Farm is using the $1,000 to build a storage shed to be used by the volunteer farmers for storing their tools and seeds; and for benches to be placed along the farm's new woodchip trail.

The Cordova Bay 55 Plus Association is putting the $1,000 towards buying a large flat-screen TV for the main meeting room at the Centre. It will facilitate the showing of special-event TV shows that are much more fun to watch as a group than alone, and can act as a second screen for meetings when presenting in power-point.

(Above) Elmarie Roberts, representing the Haliburton Farm, is presented
with a $1,000 cheque by CBA director, Ed Boomars.
(Below) CBA director, Penny Joppe enjoyed giving a cheque
for $1,000 to Rich McMorran, president of the 55 Plus.

2011 All Candidates Meeting

Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs and Blenkinsop Valley Community Association hosted a very successful joint All Candidates Meeting on 26 October 2011.

Students at Claremont Secondary School kindly filmed the whole event in the Ridge Theatre where the forum was held:
Click on first or second part links below:
Click on "View on Megavideo" found towards the top right-hand corner. This is almost instantaneous, but you will have to close pop-up ads that come up, then click the 'Play' buttons a couple of times.
Film for 1st part of evening.
Film for 2nd part of evening.

(Above) 16 of the 18 candidates attended, including 3 for the School District 63
(Below) CBA director, Sylvia Burkhardt, went 'overboard'
with her membership table 'seaside' theme!

It's official - it's now McMorran Park

The small waterfront property that Saanich bought for $869,000 in the wake of the closure and sale of McMorran’s Beach House/Charters Restaurant has now been named by council as McMorran Park in honour of the pioneer Cordova Bay family.
The Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBA) earlier recommended to Saanich that the property be named McMorran Park. Already sited in the park are two community benches – one donated by the McMorran family and the other a joint contribution by the CBA and Saanich.
Two other parks in Cordova Bay were also named by council – Story Lane Park at the end of Westbury Road and Fowler Park alongside Fowler Road south of Hunt Road.

New Pharmacy and Post Office are open

Owner Bob Mehr opened his third Pure Pharmacy, with a post office, on Monday 4 July at the former Beklen's restaurant location on Cordova Bay Road.
Opening hours are 8.00a.m.-6.00p.m. Monday to Friday and 9.00a.m.-5.00p.m. Saturday.

Take your prescriptions along and one of the three Pharmacists: Mike, Howard or Terry, will compare prices, and spend time advising you on traditional and compounding prescriptions. You're welcome to make a complimentary consultation with one of them.
Sabina is a Chartered Herbalist, Perfumer and Cosmetic Formulator. She's happy to show you around the unique natural selection of cosmetics and skin care for people looking for alternative products. Try some of the fabulous testers, including the Vitale natural-care range handmade on Vancouver Island. How about a custom perfume creation with your own private label.
Gifty's natural skin-care products, using unrefined shea butter, are hand crafted by the Takpo widows' group of northern Ghana, Africa.
Art Knapp and ScentSational Plants provided the plants - many of them herbal and medicinal - which Kathy has planted so beautifully in containers on the outdoor patio area.
And behind the post office counter is Bonita, who many of you will recognise from the old Cordova Bay Variety Store.
Sign up in the Pharmacy or phone 250-590-6053 for the free BC Hearing Services or the Cardiovascular Health clinics, both in February and if you want to know "all about hormones" there's a free lecture on March 1.

The official opening of the pharmacy on 26 July was an all-day fun affair with a huge celebratory cake. Sid and Sandy Ball, commented: "The pharmacy will be extremely convenient for Cordova Bay residents. The staff is very friendly...and the cake is excellent!”
And Sylvia Punguntzky said: "this is the most beautiful integrated pharmacy I’ve seen."

(Above) Owner, Bob Mehr, greets customers and (below)
CBA member, Don Johnson, at the pharmacy counter with Pharmacy Manager, Mike March.

Cordova Bay Day - 2011

Another great Cordova Bay Day was staged on Saturday June 25, 2011, by the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBA) on the front lawn of St. David by the Sea Anglican Church on Cordova Bay Road at Sutcliffe Road.
This was the eighth annual Cordova Bay Day organized by the CBA as a community get-together, fun time and a silent auction to raise funds for Cordova Bay groups and endeavours. This year $2,230 was raised at the silent auction. If you have thoughts as to potential non-profit recipients in Cordova Bay, please email:cba.president@cbasn.com.

The Shriners were back with hot dogs, pop and popcorn and a clown as well as a calliope that played throughout the event; the clown led the parade of proud youngsters riding their decorated bikes and trikes; Cordova Bay Pre-School had a bake sale; Block Watch was present; CHIP (cardiovascular health) took blood pressures; Scotiabank at Cordova Bay Plaza again sponsored the live Latin band, Mike Lefebvre and Perros Libre; the CBA had its membership table and the Times Colonist newspaper was given away free; face painter Rhonda Broadfoot, sponsored by Saanich South MLA Lana Popham, was kept busy; the historical photographic display included a photo album belonging to Anne Pearson - her "Sea-Lake: Recollections and History of Cordova Bay and Elk Lake," which was published in 1981, is available at the Greater Victoria Public Library; Century Group of 5150 Cordova Bay Road sponsored the always-popular bouncy castle; a banana throwing game was sponsored by Pure Pharmacy, which opens on July 4, 2011, at the former Beklens Restaurant location - the first pharmacy in Cordova Bay; Victoria Pilates was present; St. David's Church had a coffee and tea table; inside, an inter-generational "messy church" was held focusing on families with young children; the golf challenge game was sponsored by Leila Cassels, Mortgage Depot.

Here's Sally's slideshow: http://Click here to open photos. Then click 'Slide Show', top left.
And here's Penny and Tony's accompanied by photos from Helen Ayers, Richard Alexander and Sally Tuckey: PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CB DAY 2011 ALBUM (91 photos). OPEN THIS ALBUM, DOUBLE CLICK ON THE FIRST PHOTO, THEN CLICK 'SLIDESHOW' OR JUST ENLARGE INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS - ENJOY!

What a wonderful transformation!

Mrs Outerbridge with Lana Popham, MLA Saanich South.
Photo by David Cubberley.

Our most successful AGM ever!

The Mayor of Saanich, Frank Leonard, was the guest speaker at the Annual General Meeting of the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBA) on April 20, 2011.

As a thank you to the CBA board of directors for its recent donation, Katie Hennessy and Matthew & Faith Davison from the Cordova Bay PreSchool kindly presented CBA President, Richard Alexander, with a beautiful card made by all the children at the preschool.

Cordova Bay Esso has closed

Mike Burkmar has leased space for car repairs at No. 1, 6809 Kirkpatrick Crescent, off Keating Cross Road in Central Saanich and the new company name is Burkmar Automotive. As Mike lives in Cordova Bay, he can collect your car and deliver it back to you.

CBA DONATES $1,000 TO
CORDOVA BAY CO-OPERATIVE PRESCHOOL

Some of the profit from the 2010 Cordova Bay Day has given the CBA the opportunity to donate $1,000 to Cordova Bay Co-operative Preschool, a non-profit group that operates behind St. David by the Sea Anglican Church at the corner of Cordova Bay Road and Sutcliffe Road.
The donation will be used towards repairing the preschool's shed, sandbox and purchase of window coverings.
"We will be honouring the CBA with a plaque to show our appreciation for your generosity and look forward to working together in the future," pre-school vice-president Katie Hennessy told the CBA's Penny Joppe who presented the cheque for $1,000.

The CBA raises funds for Cordova Bay community groups and endeavours through its annual Cordova Bay Day. Past beneficiaries have included Cordova Bay 55 Plus Association, Haliburton Community Organic Farm Society and Cordova Bay Soccer Club. As well, jointly with Saanich, the CBA has provided redwood benches at the bus stops on Cordova Bay Road at Maxine Lane, Sunnygrove Terrace and Galey Way and in McMinn Park/Lochside Regional Trail, Lochside Park and the newly named McMorran Park beside the former McMorran's Beach House.

Two cedar benches at new Saanich park

Just before Thanksgiving Day weekend 2010, Saanich Parks installed, for public enjoyment, two cedar benches in its new park close to the former McMorran's Beach House/Charters Restaurant - with glorious views overlooking Cordova Bay.

One bench was contributed by the McMorran family and honours pioneers George and Ida McMorran. The other was initiated by the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBA) and the $2,558 installed cost of the bench and its concrete pad was split equally with Saanich. It is the sixth community bench in Cordova Bay sponsored by the CBA and Saanich. The others are on Cordova Bay Road at the Maxine Lane, Sunnygrove Terrace and Galey Way bus stops, McMinn Park/Lochside Regional Trail and Lochside Park - paid for from net proceeds of the silent auction at the CBA's annual Cordova Bay Day.

Enjoying the view from McMorran Park

Cordova Bay development news