JULIE LAWLOR
WEST SHORE – I’ve been thinking a lot about community.
This has been influenced by two events I attended on May 28th. The first was the unveiling of a totem pole at the View Royal Public Safety Building on May 28th. Created by Master Carver Tom Lafortune of the Tsawout First Nation, Tom explained that the bear with the salmon represents the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations, and the eagle with spread wings represents community. This was a theme that came up throughout the unveiling ceremony.
After that, I facilitated a ribbon cutting at Cowichan Eyecare and Resonance Hearing Langford. Their Grand Opening ran from 11 am-3 pm and was attended by members of the public, WestShore Chamber members, board & staff, and Mayor Stew Young, Councillor Denise Blackwell, and Councillor Norma Stewart of the City of Langford. I was chatting to Cowichan Eyecare staff throughout the event, and one of them commented on how thrilled they had been with the turnout that day, and how much they felt like they’d been welcomed into the community.
Community is a lot of things. It is our friends and family, the groups that we belong to, and the causes we support. It’s our neighbourhoods and our parks & libraries, our governments, and our schools. And it is our businesses. Businesses provide a significant contribution to our tax base, which supports so many of the public amenities that we value. They provide services and products that we need, create employment, and support our local non-profits and charities. When you support a local business, you are part of something much greater than just the purchase you make.
This is a great time to remind you that if you haven’t yet taken the Buy Local Pledge, now is the perfect time to do so! An initiative of Think Local First Victoria and the WestShore Chamber of Commerce, the Buy Local Pledge is a gentle way to get you thinking about how your purchases make a real, tangible difference to your community. You can find out more or take the pledge at buylocalpledge.ca
To find out more about the WestShore Chamber community, you can sign up for our e-news on our “Contact Us” page at westshore.bc.ca or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We’re here to help!
Julie Lawlor is Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce
