Remarks to Oak Bay Council re the Future of Spewhung (Oak Bay Marina) ReconciliACTION Oak Bay Co-Chairs Bruce Kilpatrick & Rev. Sarah Fanning June 15, 2026 “Thank you Mayor and Council. It’s also a real honour that Chief Thomas from the Xwesepsum Nation is here tonight as well. I’m Rev. Sarah Fanning. I’m the Minister with Oak Bay United Church and current cochair of the ReconciliACTION Oak Bay Network.”
“Good evening, my name is Bruce Kilpatrick. I’m an Oak Bay resident and I’m co-chair of the ReconciliACTION Oak Bay Network.
We really wanted to thank Council tonight for the opportunity to address this issue. Rev. Sarah and I are going to combine our remarks but won’t need anywhere near 6 minutes in order to cover our joint comments.”
“The ReconciliACTION Oak Bay Network is a collaboration of 12 community organizations encompassing faith, environmental, community, heritage, restoration and resurgence, recreation, and arts groups in Oak Bay. Collectively we have a community reach of more than 5,000 people.
Our network firmly believes that the publicly owned lands, waters and buildings at Spewhung represent one of our community’s most significant opportunities to advance Reconciliation in a way that supports the cultural, environmental stewardship, and economic development priorities of the Songhees and Xwesepsum Nations.
We live in Lekwungen Territory and if we are serious about the commitments we have made and about playing our role in the Reconciliation that is so critical to our future as a country, the future of Spewhung must be planned jointly by the Nations in whose territory it is located and by our community in accordance with the Reconciliation statement Council adopted in December as part of our community’s new Official Community Plan. To quote from the very first section of the OCP:
Guided by Council’s February 14, 2022 motion adopting UNDRIP as a framework for Reconciliation, Oak Bay commits to engaging with the Songhees Nation and [Xwsepsum] Nation…on matters related to land use and community planning that may be of interest to them, within municipal jurisdiction and capacity. The District will seek opportunities for meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and shared understanding as we plan for the community’s future.
The ReconciliACTION OB Network, from its founding in 2021, has been firm in its belief that the planning of the future of Spewhung must begin with and be shaped by meaningful and respectful conversations with the Songhees and Xwesepsum Nations around their potential interest in partnership, collaboration or co-management at Spewhung.”
“The fact that Oak Bay Council, as our elected representatives, has in front of it tonight an indication of clear interest in the marina operations from the Nations via their Xhamasung Holdings means that Council, on behalf of all of us as Oak Bay residents, has the ability to keep that conversation going with the Nations and a specific document to work with and respond to.
The District’s Expressions of Interest document lists “First Nations partnership” as its first objective and states that the process is intended to support the district’s objectives AND the objectives of the Nations for revenue generation, cultural presence, job creation and environmental stewardship.
While the financial model and financial return to the District of Oak Bay for the marina operations at Spewhung are important factors, they should not be allowed to completely override our community’s and our Council’s commitments to true Reconciliation. Fair market value should mean fair market value in that context.
And finally, we urge the District of Oak Bay to employ its communications and engagement resources to help to build understanding and support for this approach and to ensure that our community is informed about what the district is doing and why, what the way ahead looks like, and where and when our community will join the conversation about the future of this extraordinary site.
Thank you for your time and consideration.”