Oak Bay Rotary Bulletin

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 4^th 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.

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.