Despite the differences in their ages, appearances, nationalities and life experiences, most of the swimmers, sunbathers and beachcombers I聽met at Cadboro-Gyro Park last week had one thing in common.
It was a profound, and in some cases newfound, appreciation for this Saanich beachfront oasis. While this natural resource is a beloved summertime destination, many users admitted they take it for granted.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a beautiful beach and we just forget about it, right?鈥� said Kim Lemieux, an unabashed sun worshipper who brought her daughters Lily, 12, and Fern, 9, to the beach for a family outing.
They were joined by her mother, JoAnne, and two nieces visiting from Calgary 鈥� Olivia, 9, and Avery, 7 鈥� after celebrating her grandmother鈥檚 100th birthday at the White Heather Tea Room.
鈥淲e decided to visit a different beach for a change. We haven鈥檛 been here in nine years,鈥� said Kim, whose mother echoed her enthusiasm for an oceanfront gem she says she should visit more often.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 come here at all,鈥� confessed JoAnne, shielding herself from the sun beneath a parasol on a balmy but breezy afternoon on Cadboro Bay鈥檚 picturesque waterfront. 鈥淚t鈥檚 only the third time I鈥檝e been here.鈥�
Indeed, the appeal of the historic park strewn with picnic tables and its sandy beach affording views of Juan De Fuca Strait and the Olympic Peninsula is as obvious as its visual spectacle is hard to miss.
Standout concrete sculptures in the park鈥檚 kid-friendly playground include its giant, iconic red concrete octopus, as well as its salmon, Cadborosaurus sea serpent and ship-like play apparatuses.
Then there is a particularly popular recent addition to the requisite slides and swing sets 鈥� a family-friendly zipline 鈥� in the park, which was significantly upgraded three years ago.
鈥淭his is a family affair,鈥� declared Marilyn Thomas who, with her husband Graham, brought their granddaughters Hazel, 10, and Evelyn, 13, down after outings to Mount Doug and Beacon Hill Park earlier in the week.
Echoing comments made by others blissfully enjoying the late-summer sunshine as a flotilla of tiny white yachts breezed by in the distance, they said the Saanich beachfront is a place where memories are made.
鈥淲e used to come here when we were kids,鈥� said Graham, recalling he also brought his own son to the park he admitted he hadn鈥檛 been to in awhile. 鈥淢y parents used to bring us here to play on that same octopus.鈥�
Diane Robinson was another grandmother among many enjoying family reunions this day, having just attended her granddaughter鈥檚 wedding at University of British Columbia.
The Sudbury-based vacationer dropped by with her daughter Meghan Guest, her husband Graham Guest, a blues musician chilling before a Burnaby gig this聽weekend, and their daughter Gracie, 3.
鈥淭his is the vacation part of our [wedding] trip,鈥� said Meghan, whose family is staying at a bed-and-breakfast in Fairfield while visiting from Edmonton.
鈥淚 used to come here all the time,鈥� recalled her husband, whose grandfather lived near Cadboro Bay Village for years. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a picture of me on the octopus somewhere, and now I鈥檓 bringing my daughter.鈥�
Claire Tweedie, who lived here before moving to London and settling in Geneva, Switzerland, was clearly happy to be back on a beach she has fond memories of.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting being able to bring my son here because he鈥檚 so used to mountains and forests but not beaches,鈥� she said with a grin as Toby, her wide-eyed toddler, played in the sand.
Wearing a white blouse and peach-coloured culottes, Anouck Alary, 27, seemed almost ethereal in contrast to the family crowds as she strolled, as if in slow motion, down the beach.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so beautiful. I see a lot of families here,鈥� said Alary, who was born in France but is studying sociology at the University of Montreal.
鈥淢y boyfriend studies at UVic, and I just had lunch with him and he suggested I come to the beach. I鈥檓 spending the rest of the summer here before returning to Montreal to continue my studies.鈥�
Another solitary beachgoer who found an ideal patch to admire the views and enjoy a good book during a two-hour lunch break was Angie Shields, a yoga instructor and dog trainer.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to soak up some sun while we still have it,鈥� said Shields, reflecting on our record summertime dry streak 鈥� 53 precipitation-free days when I聽dropped by on Thursday.
