Exploring the BEST of the West Shore
On Oct. 29, we celebrated the Best of the West Shore 2015 at an Awards Gala held at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. With 300 people in attendance, the Gala was the culmination of a public voting process which saw votes being cast in 41 categories ranging from “Best Hiking Trail” (Thetis Lake, in case you’re wondering) to “Best Second Hand Shopping” (Baja Rosi’s.)
With rain in the forecast and the holidays drawing closer, it’s a great time to explore the shops and eateries of the West Shore. Brown’s The Florist, located on Jacklin Road in Langford, was voted as the “Best Flower/Garden Shop.” Brown’s is very generous in their community support and provided all of the flowers for the Awards Gala and the finalists who attended. Knowledgeable and friendly, Brown’s staff would be only too delighted to help you find the right floral selection for your needs.
Across the road from Brown’s is the Westshore Town Centre, in which resides another award winner – appropriately titled Winners/HomeSense. Winners came first in the category “Best Retailer”, and the other finalists voted into the top three were Capital Iron and Costco Wholesale. All three stores have a dazzling array of Christmas merchandise making an appearance right now, so you’ll have to visit all three to decide which is your favourite!
While the public like to support larger stores, they also support smaller businesses. This was evident in the voting for the “Best for Breakfast” category – the winner was Floyd’s Diner in Langford, which prides itself on being the “Home of the Mahoney.” If you don’t know what the Mahoney is, you’ll just have to get over to Floyd’s to find out! If you’d like to do a tour of this award category, finalist Fountain Diner is just around the corner, and the third finalist Jasmine’s Family Restaurant is located on Sooke Road in Colwood.
Some categories had ties for second or third place, which meant there were four finalists instead of three. A prime example of this is the “Best U-Brew.” Staff and owners of The Wine Maker on the Old Island Highway in View Royal were delighted to be named as the winner in this category. Island Brew Byou, Grapes to Glass Winery and the Happy Homebrewer were also voted into the top slots by – one expects – their happy customers! Bottling your own wine is great fun and any of these fine establishments would be happy to assist you.
To close, I’ll point out that if you need to refuel in your comings and goings, Peninsula Co-op has locations on Goldstream Ave., Wale Ave. and Millstream Ave. As our Title Sponsor for the Best of the West Shore Awards 2015, the WestShore Chamber of Commerce is very grateful for Peninsula Co-op’s support!
For more information on businesses in the West Shore, award winners and photos from the Gala, please go to the WestShore Chamber of Commerce website at: westshore.bc.ca.