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| Linda Stanton of Fairfield chooses a plant at John and Toni's successful plant sale last Saturday. Money raised will help support widows and orphans in Rwanda, a project that John spearheaded and which our club supports enthusiastically. |
President
Joan welcomed everyone and said that “Peace through service” is
the theme for this Rotary year. As we involve ourselves in our Rotary
tasks, projects and endeavours, we have been asked by RI President
Tanaka to focus on a shared goal that is for the good of all. Jessica
Van der Veen introduced the one visiting Rotarian - our friend from
Laguna Beach, Bruce Willats and our guests, Betty Pitt (Vicky’s
mom) and from the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Kevin and Shawna Walker, Jenna
Lee Brach and Brian Hobson.
Eugen
reported that David Phillip is feeling good and is getting better and
hopes to be able to join us again; he says thank you for all the
support from the club. Pres.
Joan welcomed back George who has had back surgery and David Sills
who had eye surgery.
Perry
reminded everyone of the Pennies from Heaven campaign and announced
it has been extended to the end of July; our bankers Anne and
Joan will help rolling pennies if you do not “roll your own”.
John
Edgell has asked for input for the new “display
plastic things” (photo collages) on the tables.
Lynne
will be away for a couple of weeks. In her absence please let John
Edgell know if you will not be attending a meeting so we can give the Recreation Centre accurate numbers.
The
fines master, John Snively, had a very full agenda: Jim
Laing was fined for having a real Rolex (John’s cost $24 at the
night market in Chang Mai. Fines
were levied for :1) missing the installation dinner, 2) missing the
plant sale at John Jordan’s; 3) forgetting pennies
for "Pennies from Heaven"; 4) anyone who went through the food line
ahead of guests; 5) leaving Late! - corrected to leaving early; 6) in
after the bell. He finished off with several Rotary-related questions to the tables. Anniversaries: Ted Chambers - 9 years in our club.
Happy
Birthday to Peter L. who was born on the 4th
of July (sounds like a song).
Ron
Cooley had a happy 50cents - all his other money already having been
collected by the fines master - for Surfing in the sun while the sun
was out with his lady
Cory
was happy to be back
John
Edgell bought back all the pennies he gave to the kids but got more then
just pennies from Ally who gave him $18.40 in silver as well
Tricia
is happy that APU (the girl’s school in Malawi) received a mention
in the RI magazine (the around the world section) and a 2.5 page
spread in the RI Canada magazine - she has also put a change
separator at the cash desk for any loose change anyone wishes to drop
in for the school
Perry
said thank you for the support for Pennies from Heaven - David gave
him a jar with $30.00 in pennies that he sold at a profit to a lady
looking for pre 1996 (all copper) coins for making jewellery.
Tav
is happy because he has completed the golf tournament (see below), he has
finished his term as Assistant DG and he has sold his business so now
he has nothing to do.
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| Above: Jack Petrie, David Maxwell, and Walter Moore, one of our regular club visitors, from Berri, Australia. They were players in Tav's Rotary District 5020 Golf Tournament at Hyland Pacific Golf Course last week. Tricia Timmermans completed the foursome, who came Second overall ... and won lots of goodies. Go Oak Bay! |
Lori
had a great weekend with the girls up at Shawnigan and said what
happens there stays there.
John
Jordan is happy because the plant sale raised $1200 for the Rwanda project (see photo at top of page).
Pres
Joan had the winning number and won $15 but pulled a black marble so
did not get the whole pot.
John
Snively has fresh dried oregano if any one wishes to have some.
Wendy
received her name tag.
Phil
Neurotsos (above) introduced the Speaker, Kevin Walker, who has a long association with
the club through both his father (a charter member) and our club’s
long attendance at the OBBH until it closed. Both he and his wife Shawna are
Paul Harris Fellows.
Kevin
talked about being around the club in the early days when we were
meeting at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel back in 1976 and that his
philosophy, like that of Rotary, is about giving back. He talked about
the history of the changes, the need to rebuild due to seismic
requirements and the long community process to develop a hotel that
would be big enough to be financially feasible but minimize the
impact on the community. He spoke of Chris Causton who originally
said that the Hotel would come down “over his dead body” but who
was still mayor when the plans were approved and who is still a
friend.
In
2007 the old hotel was demolished, but, rather than doing it quickly,
the process was very slow to allow as much of the hotel to be
recycled or saved as possible. In the end, 95% was recycled - the old
foundations being used in the fill for the McTavish overpass. All the
beams and special glass and the historical pieces were kept and many
have been incorporated into the new Hotel which is now slated to open
in October. The main lobby and The Snug especially will be very
familiar, the new ones including many features of the originals so
you will still be able to reach out and touch history.
In
2009 the blasting began with Megs and Diane Turner who spearheaded
the Friends of the New Oak Bay Hotel having the honour of pushing the
button. The blasting took over a year, and there were 7,600 truckloads
removed from the site, and crushed. Much of this returned as fill as
the site was developed.
In
May 2012, the Hotel sponsored the David Foster Foundation Fundraiser.
Because the Hotel could not be finished in time for the fundraiser,
the Empress provided the space but allowed the staff of the OBBH to
run the event inside the Empress themselves. Kevin said how very
unusual it was for one Hotel to assist another in this way. The
fundraiser was extremely successful, raising 7 million, more than
other such fundraisers in larger cities. The OBBH has committed to
raise 2 million for the David Foster Foundation over the next ten
years and will do so using the new David Foster Dinner Theatre in the
Hotel. This is the space that we will be meeting in if the club returns to
the Hotel.
The
Hotel is now mostly complete - the staff are moving in while the
interior work continues. There will be several soft openings as parts
of the Hotel open with the main opening scheduled for October, 2012.
The
new Snug will be like the old one, but better - the community were
very clear it should not be changed.
There
will be hot therapy pools by the water, but the heat will be provided
in part by the recapture of excess heat from the garage. The technology is
sophisticated and expensive, but it is part of the commitment to the
environment of the new Hotel. The adventure programming will be back
as well.
Kate’s Café will front the hotel and will include hot chocolate and cookies
which the Hotel has always had available for guests in the lobby.
There
are 20 private residences for sale as part of the complex. Five are
sold and it looks like most of them will sell within the next year
based on the level of interest. The prices range from $995,000 to
3.95 million. There are also vacation hotel suites for sale from
$350,000 to 1.3 million which should provide a 3.25% return, triple
net. These are whole ownership units (strata title) which can then be
leased back to the hotel.
Finally
Kevin touched on the rumours:
1)
not going to finish - there is a date - October.
2)
selling time shares - not so, the sales are whole ownerships only.
3)
trouble with financing - there was some earlier but financing has
been on a solid footing for the last three years.
4)
the units won’t sell at those prices - they are selling and the
level of serious interest indicates they will all be sold this year.
Hans
Ockermueller (above) gave Kevin our thanks for his lively and informative talk and
presented the mug.
President
Joan announced that the board has approved two people for membership
and that there are, as required by the bylaws, 7 days from
publishing of their names for members to state any objections if
they have any. The names are: John Playfair proposed by Peter Sou, and
Emma Dixon Wills proposed by Jim Force.
We
then sang to Her majesty and the meeting was adjourned.
