By Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins
As we head into what may well be a white Christmas I wanted to wish everyone a safe and healthy Christmas season and let you know what’s up and coming in Esquimalt through the holidays and into the New Year.
If you’d like to get truly into the spirit of the season, stop by our Christmas Tree Village until Dec. 26 and vote for your favourite tree. We have more than 40 trees beautifully decorated by local businesses and organizations and they are distributed throughout the Esquimalt Recreation Centre on Fraser Street and the Archie Browning Sports Centre at the Esquimalt Plaza.
While at our recreation facilities look into our skating, swimming and drop-in fitness schedules for the holiday season. Santa will be at the sports centre on Dec. 17 and there’ll be a Christmas Café at the recreation centre on Dec. 21.
Join us on Dec. 16 for our holiday drive-in movies, being held in the sports centre rear parking lot. Entrance is by donation of a non-perishable food item to the Rainbow Kitchen.
Our 17th Annual Esquimalt Christmas Food Drive in support of Esquimalt Neighbourhood House is also in full swing. We have donation drop boxes in all of our facilities if you are able to donate non-perishable food items for this vital community society. We are hoping to improve on last year’s donation of 2,000 pounds of food. Our public works crews have been picking up generous donations that residents have left alongside their bins for the last two weeks.
This is a time of year when music is inspiring, especially when performed live. Plan to attend the Township Classics concert at the English Inn on Dec. 18, featuring Janie Woods-Morris. What a great way to start the week before Christmas. Also at the English Inn, the artist in residence is Lynda Colbeck, featuring a collection of her paintings.
On behalf of council and all of our staff at the township, I wish you happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous new year.