Cozy Soup Workshop

Sunday, January 19, 2025, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Foods Room – #1124, Royal Bay Secondary School, 3500 Ryder Hesjedal Way, Colwood
FREE! Pre-registration Required.
Workshop Full; Wait-list being taken.

Join ReImagine and Carly Fraser to learn how to stretch your food dollar$ by making delicious and nutritious soup from scratch!

We welcome kitchen beginners and food enthusiasts alike in this workshop, making a delicious, creamy chowder with simple, plant-based ingredients. We’ll connect over a warm meal and savour our creations together. 

Following an afternoon of cooking and breaking bread, each participant is encouraged to bring their learning home to share with their family and friends!

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Pacific Mobile Recycling Depot

Saturday, February 8, 2025, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Belmont Secondary School
3041 Langford Lake Rd, Langford, BC

Take your recycling game Beyond the Blue Box at the West Shore’s monthly (every 2nd Saturday) Pacific Mobile Depot

If you’re not quite sure what the depot accepts, please check out our short video and visit the PMD website for further info.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Documentary Film Screening:
In My Backyard

A West Shore Seedy Saturday Pre-Event

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Colwood City Hall
3300 Wishart Road, Colwood, BC
Admission is FREE or By Donation
Space is Limited: Pre-Registration is Required

In My Backyard chronicles director Jamie Day Fleck’s personal journey into urban agriculture, converting her entire backyard into a kitchen garden. Using her personal story as a jumping-off point, she branches out to look at the various solutions that backyard gardeners and urban growers have dreamed up and implemented in her city — Toronto, Ontario, Canada. By looking at the stories of individuals that are changing their communities through local food production, it becomes evident that positive changes are being implemented and solutions are available. To many people global environmental problems seem insurmountable but a few people are working diligently to create new paradigms and show bright possibilities within urban spaces. Running time is 73 minutes.

Special thanks to the City of Colwood for allowing us the use of their council space for the screening! 🙏🏼🎥🌱

Saturday, February 22 AND Saturday, September 27, 2025

Repair Café West Shore

Saturday, February 22, 2025, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Gordon United Church, 935 Goldstream Avenue, Langford

A ReImagine West Shore community collaboration with the Langford Residents Association.

What do you do with a broken toaster? Or a bike wheel that’s out of alignment … and what about a sweater full of moth holes? Toss it? No way! Bring them to the Repair Café, where our fantastic volunteer repair team can assess and more than likely help you get your item repaired. And for those who want to give DIY a try, there will be tools and materials on hand for you to work on fixing some things yourself!

Got the tools and some time? If you’re a Handy Superhero like our mascot Reggie the Wrench Guy, we’d love to have you join our righteous repair quest. Repair Café ReImagine West Shore could use more handy volunteers and we’re looking for local residents with different skills who can serve as repair experts during our Repair Café meetings. Check out our Call to Handyfolk and let us know if you can lend us a hand at an upcoming Repair Café!

Sponsored by the Capital Regional District, City of Colwood, City of Langford, Town of View Royal, District of Metchosin, District of Highlands and Vancity. Thank you also to WD-40 for providing terrific product supplies to support our volunteer Handyfolk!  🙏🏼🛠️💚

Saturday, March 8, 2025

West Shore Seedy Saturday 2025

11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Belmont Secondary School
3041 Langford Lake Road, Langford, BC
General Admission is FREE or By Donation
Click Below for Exhibitor Registration

Come and connect with farmers, seed vendors, gardeners, and community groups to find your local seeds for the season, swap seeds and seed origin stories, learn how to grow more of your own food, and create nurturing spaces for pollinators.

For this 2nd Annual West Shore Seedy Saturday, we’ll have more space for our exhibitors and a dedicated area for speakers to share knowledge throughout the day … with a special focus on Tomatoes! 🍅

West Shore Seedy Saturday is a ReImagine West Shore community collaboration with Flourish! School Food Society.

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Building Incredible Soil

Thursday, March 13, 2025
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Belmont Secondary School, Learning Commons (Room B215)
3041 Langford Lake Road, Langford, BC
FREE! Space is Limited. Pre-registration Required

In this workshop we’ll explore the basis of all life on earth: Healthy Soil!

Join Kayla Siefried from the Compost Education Centre to explore what soil is made of and the vast importance of soil microbes. We’ll answer these questions and many more:

• What is soil made of and why does soil chemistry matter for growing healthy gardens?
• What is the function of beneficial soil microbes?
• What are some gardening methods that can help my garden thrive with beneficial soil microbes and healthy soil chemistry?
• How can I compost like an expert, mulch like a superstar and build soil organic matter every day of the year?

Come learn why soil is so important for plant growth and how to build incredible soil.  

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Container Gardening

Thursday, April 3, 2025
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Royal Bay Secondary School, Foods Room (#1124)
3500 Ryder Hesjedal Way, Colwood
FREE! Space is Limited. Pre-registration Required

Growing veggies, flowers and fruits is not only for the garden – growing in containers can be an incredibly rewarding and abundant way to add nourishment and local veg to your meals.

Join Kayla Siefried from the Compost Education Centre to learn about what types of containers are the best to use, how to replenish nutrients and choose the right soil, and what varieties of fruit, veg and flowers are best grown in containers.

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Exploring Citizen Science: For adults & kids 10 year and older

Sunday, April 6, 2025
10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
The Hub, Arts & Culture Colwood
170 Goldfinch Road, Colwood
FREE! Space is Limited. Pre-registration Required
Children must be accompanied by an adult.

What is Citizen Science? How can we connect with the biodiversity in our neighbourhoods? In this workshop, Jeffrey Ellom from the Compost Education Centre will help participants conduct a biodiversity survey near Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary and learn how to publish the data they record using the iNaturalist platform.

We will discuss the importance of citizen science as a tool for deepening our understanding of the world around us, as well as connecting with other nature enthusiasts and contributing to scientific research and stewardship.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own smartphone or tablet to use, and to download and install the iNaturalist app on their device prior to the workshop. A limited number of devices will be available to borrow during the workshop for participants who need one.

Links to download the iNaturalist app on the Apple App store and Google Play Store can be found at the bottom of the iNaturalist homepage. https://www.inaturalist.org

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Composting Basics

Saturday, April 12, 2025
10:00 to 12:00 noon
Learning Commons (Room B215), Belmont Secondary School
3041 Langford Lake Road, Langford
FREE! Space is Limited. Pre-registration Required

What is the recipe for compost success and why does composting matter? This workshop will explore the answer to these questions and will offer instructions on what it takes to produce an amendment* for your garden that is rich in beneficial microorganisms and nutrients!

Join Kayla Siefried from the Compost Education Centre to learn about the 6 factors for composting success, how to choose the best composting system for your needs and how to increase the rodent resistance of your compost pile.

* Something which is added to soil to improve its texture or fertility. 

Various Dates | April & May 2025

West Shore Tomato Challenge

Kicking Off During Earth Week in April
Various Locations/Times TBA
FREE Plant Starts!  Limited to 2 Plants/Household
Pre-registration is Required.

Wanna take a bite out of your food bill this year and have some fun while you’re at it?! Join our West Shore Tomato Challenge and be part of the local food revolution … you can grow tomatoes almost anywhere!!! 🍅

How the Tomato Challenge works

ReImagine will be giving away tomato seedlings to hundreds of West Shore residents interested in growing their own this year. We provide the local and organic plants (grown from seed by local farm folk and some Sooke School District students) along with details on how to grow tomatoes, and ask you to keep us posted about your growing journey via our social media channels. There will also be opportunities to get together to celebrate tomatoes throughout the growing season, and we plan to wrap it all up at the Luxton Fall Fair with a fresh tomato salsa contest come September!

Green Friday Map & Tip Sheet

Online initiative to promote shopping local for the holidays! 🎄

The time has come to turn Black Friday 💚 GREEN 💚 in the West Shore!

ReImagine’s Green Friday Tip Sheet includes over 90 local vendors, experiences, and businesses. There’s something for everyone – and we all get to lend a hand in supporting great local enterprises! And keep an eye out for listings with a star 🌟 for special Green Friday deals!

ReImagine Swap & Shop

Saturday & Sunday, December 14 & 15, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
DIY Room, Metchosin Arts & Cultural Centre, 4495 Happy Valley Road, Metchosin, BC
Part of the Very Merry Makers Market

Bring stuff to swap, pay what you can, or take something home for free!

Donations of your gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, as well as small non-plastic and very gently used toys (under 8″ diameter) will be gratefully accepted (please no stained, ripped, or broken items).

Donation Drop-Off
From December 9 to 13 folks are invited to drop off their items in the bins under the front stairs of the Metchosin Arts & Culture Centre at 4495 Happy Valley Rd. If you’re uncertain about whether a donation will be accepted, please message us to check. Thank you! 🎄🧑🏻‍🎄

Planning Your Year-Round Veggie Garden with Kayla from the Compost Education Centre!

Saturday, November 2, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Learning Commons – B215 – Belmont Secondary School
3041 Langford Lake Rd, Langford
FREE!  Pre-registration Required

Here on the West Shore good planning makes it possible to harvest produce from our gardens during every month of the year. Knowing when to sow seeds is important. But it’s just as crucial to know when and how to transition one crop to another. This presentation will show you how to plan to grow year-round, care for your soil, protect your crops in winter, and we’ll even touch on pests and diseases!

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Pop-Up Sewing Makerspace

Sunday, October 20, 2024, Drop-in between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
DIY Room, Metchosin Arts & Cultural Centre, 4495 Happy Valley Road, Metchosin, BC

Join Heather Ireland (tailor, upcycler and costume-designer) of Langford-based Mythrose for a fantastic opportunity to work on personal projects, learn new techniques, and connect with fellow sewing enthusiasts. Heather will bring sewing machines, a serger and other equipment, offer valuable guidance, answer your questions, and help you tackle your sewing projects!

Drop-in, get inspired, and enjoy a supportive space where your sewing ideas can come to life. You can even get some help with those last-minute Halloween costumes or holiday projects!
🎃🧙🎄🎅

What you should bring:

• Fabric(s)
• Notions (thread, buttons, zippers, etc.)
• Sewing machine if you have one.

Mythrose will provide:

• 3 Sewing Machines
• Serger
• Scissors and other equipment (maybe even an Embroidery Machine!)

Got a question or curiosity about this drop-in session?  Drop us a note.

Sunday, July 28, 2024

POWER PLAY: Family Festival Celebrating Community and All Things Electric

Sunday, July 28, 2024, Noon to 4:00 p.m.
Victoria Scottish Community Centre
1803 Admirals Road, View Royal
FREE!  Upcycled Costumes are Encouraged!  

It’s a costume party with a purpose! Dress up as your fave superhero (the more electric and shiny the better …  you could even win a PRIZE!) and enjoy a free family festival celebrating community and all things electric.  We’ll have funky live music from HOT POT, a chance to cruise cool exhibits, hang out in the KIDZONE, and watch a culinary throw-down between Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi and View Royal Mayor Sid Tobias …  who will reign supreme?!?

It’ll be a clash of culinary titans in our 21st century take on tailgating when these two local politicos face off at 1pm on electric induction cooktops powered by two Ford F-150 Lightning electric pick-up trucks!  The mayors will be preparing their best small plate dishes to be judged by Executive Chef Ken Nakano of the Inn at Laurel Point (Aura Waterfront Restaurant & Patio) together with Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson, Metchosin Mayor Marie-Térèse Little, and Sooke Mayor Maja Tait.

Playful people of all ages are encouraged to come in a costume and enjoy a whimsical afternoon with us, then at 3pm costumed folk of all ages will be asked to assemble at our event performance space where the audience will help us select the BEST COSTUME for the Grand Prize of a $50 Gift Card courtesy of Lee Valley. We’ll have some cool runner up giveaways too, courtesy of Emotive.

So, if you’re jonesing for a chill afternoon of tunes, cool community groups, and the latest in electrified and sustainable living like EVs, E-bikes, solar power, heat pumps and great info about government rebates and how you can save money and conserve energy, this is the West Shore event for you!

A community collaboration with the Town of View Royal, City of Colwood, Capital Regional District, View Royal Climate Coalition, and the South Island Climate Action Network. We are also grateful for the event sponsorship of BC Hydro, Gablecraft Homes, Canadian Tire, Thrifty Foods, Four Mile BrewPub, Campus Auto Group, Westhills, Glenoak Ford and Vancity.