What defined Cadboro Bay's "iconic" coffee shop was and always will be its owner, William.
He was so much more than a business proprietor. He provided an island of tranquility, purposely without wifi connection, suffused with background music – classical, opera and jazz. He was there for us continuously, seven days a week, even through the COVID crisis. His knowledge, especially of literature and art, was all-encompassing.
For years, he hosted Olive Olio's after-hours book club of which I was very thankfully a member. He knew his regular customers by name and, being a good listener, their life stories – current, past and glimpses of future hopes. All this and yet a very private person. The personification of what holds a community together.
Michael Tripp
Saanich
