Each year, for as long as I can remember, the Village of Oak Bay has presented ... the Oak Bay Tea Party.
The reigning powers close down the main street, and on Saturday morning, they have the official parade to
kick it all off. It’s a Norman Rockwell-comes-to-Canada experience; a cartoon-like glimpse of West Coast life at its best.
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Half the community marches, and the other half watches. Schools, daycares, fire stations, army veterans, marching
bands and local businesses all join in. Some are on pilgrimage from such distant and exotic locations as Metchosin
and Sidney (all of 15 kilometres away). Local politicians sit atop borrowed convertibles, to remind us of who won the
last election. Children position themselves along the route in strategic locations, since many of the parade participants
come armed with candy. They toss the sweets as they pass, and the children dart recklessly into oncoming Model T
traffic to fetch it. Not really the best life lesson, but lots of fun.
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The end of the parade snakes through the streets, the good residents of Oak-Hamlin fall into formation and follow the
tail to Willows Beach Park. There, they take part in the ritual that ushers in the first days of summer.
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The Tea Party midway consists of as many cheesy, nausea-inducing thrill rides as they can pack into this tiny park space.
All ringed by old-time arcade games, teasing your kids with the reward of a poorly made plush toy at a vastly inflated
price ... if you’re lucky.
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At the concession stand, there’s BBQ beef on a bun – a fundraising device for some worthy cause. It’s hard to imagine
how they could mess that up. The taste is sad, but the cause is good. You can, however, make peace with you taste
buds, nibbling on those warm, cholesterol-boosting, sugar-coated ringlets of heaven known as “mini donuts.”
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Don’t forget to take sunscreen and a pocket full of cash for which you have no other use. It’s worth every penny..   Mark Heine