David Grove
Are you associated with or running as part of a slate? If so, which one?
Not running as part of a slate.
Do you live in the municipality where you are running, and if so, for how long? If not, what is your connection to that community?
I’ve been a proud resident of Colwood for almost 30 years and for 22 of those years we ran a neighbourhood bakery/deli also in Colwood.
What is your occupation, and for how long?
I am a retired professional baker and former restauranteur with over 40 years’ experience in the food and beverage/hospitality industry.
Tell us about your previous elected and/or community experience.
Never previously elected to public office. A commitment to community service was instilled early as a child, and has carried on throughout my life, first in Ontario where I grew up, and later when we settled our young family here in the early 1990s. Through our family business (Royal Bay Bakery), we supported a broad range of community initiatives, including school PAC fundraisers, youth sports, and the arts. Additionally, I have served on several non-profit boards encompassing local food, sustainability, and the arts and am currently the President of the Victoria Electric Vehicle Association.
Why are you running? What’s your motivation?
I’m running for Colwood Council because I am eager to be involved with others in making the strategic changes required to help create a more sustainable future for our community. For over 20 years my partner Gwen and I ran an award-winning family business which supported the quality of life of its employees and the customers who made the Royal Bay Bakery a local success. Now I want to share my energy and experience to help build authentic connections and a collaborative community culture that leaves no one behind.
What are your top three issues?
Seeking to work within a clear and integrated framework of measurable goals, fiscal oversight, community engagement, and transparent processes, my top three issues are:
Health – Working to provide excellent Quality of Life services and supports for Colwood residents of all ages. Good health and caring for one another is everything.
Home – Seeking thoughtful and balanced solutions to ensure that we have acquirable, sustainable, and safe homes for everyone in our community.
Food – Building community capacity for sowing, growing, harvesting, and processing more of our own food. Traditional skills are life skills. Food brings people together.
What’s your vision for your community in 25 years?
A truly sustainable community that delivers an excellent quality of life for its residents by balancing the social, cultural, environmental, and financial demands of civic life. That we have achieved our goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are fossil-fuel free. A place where all our schools and public facilities are proudly zero waste; where we enjoy a thoughtful balance of housing options to provide for all our residents; where more people of all ages know how to grow, harvest, and savour healthy and delicious local food; where quality community healthcare services are readily available and focused on prevention, and where people of all ages are supported by robust social programs carefully curated to achieve the very best outcomes for all.
What’s one “big idea” you have for your community?
A community food hub – a community centre with local food and culture at its heart … From learning about the traditional foods of the region’s Indigenous Peoples to cherished family recipes that span the multicultural nature of our community. It would have a central commissary for shared access to equipment, space, labour, direction (teaching), and supervision. The hub would include a local food sharing network to improve community access to fresh food while reducing food waste, and a community pantry where people could purchase affordable locally crafted food products or learn how to process and preserve the harvest themselves. Such a centre could also serve as a much-needed Community House where the people of Colwood could finally gather for simple and soulful celebrations.
