What a perfect day for a Sunday drive! Richard (our Events Coordinator) provided an excellent route and directions. A great turnout of members enjoyed most of the drive, although some thought the roads were somewhat narrow and the roadside edge provided passengers and some drivers with a nervous “look down, look waaayyyy down” view. Then, we finished the drive with a wonderful late brunch at Floyd’s Diner on Station Rd in Langford BC. As large group, we were very fortunate to be seated in five minutes despite it being very busy. All in all, everyone enjoyed themselves and looked forward to our next outing to the Air Museum at the Victoria International Airport.
I know we are into 2025, but I thought I would save the 2024 Christmas Party celebration until now. Many thanks to Mike and Deb for once again opening their home and hosting the Club. The mulled wine was very good and the wonderful Chili they made was appreciated by all. There was a fantastic array of yummy Pot-luck offerings to fill the plates as well. A good turnout made for a festive occasion, and everyone enjoyed catching up with some of the Club’s alumni and current members. Don’t forget the get-together/meeting being held at the Hillside Shopping Centre. Here are the details The shopping Centre (Mall) is located at Shelbourne St and Hillside Ave. Date: Wednesday, 22 January 2025 Time: 7pm (1900 Hrs) Location: The Food Court (FATBURGER & STARBUCKS) area in the Hillside Shopping Centre 1644 Hillside Ave, (found nestled between Hillside Ave – Shelbourne St – North Dairy Rd) Victoria, BC V8T2C5 Shelbourne St still has a lot of roadwork going on between Cedar Hill Cross Road and North Dairy Rd, so I recommend avoiding it if you can. I suggest using Cedar Hill Rd if you are coming from the Northwest side of Saanich. There is plenty of parking by Canadian Tire/Thrifty Foods and it is a short walk from there to the Food Court. Hopefully, we will see you there.
The Annual General Meeting was held on 3 November 2024 in the 4-Mile House Restaurant. It was a good turnout of folks considering several members couldn’t make it because of previous engagements and other issues. Everyone in attendance enjoyed a good meal and refreshments prior to the meeting. Each member of the Executive delivered their individual reports. Additionally, through general-membership voting, all were re-elected by acclamation. Thanks to Linda for taking the Minutes of the Meeting. Equally important, thanks go out to Ruben Little of MINI Victoria for graciously providing draw prizes that were appreciated by those that attended. To see any photos please check out the website at https://victoriaminis.com/ or Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/772464342915077
If you are looking to renew your membership or know anyone else wishing to join the Club, please look at the details below: The annual membership fee is $30 per family. You have two methods to pay and submit the form: Using Canada Post, send the completed paper form and cheque for the membership fee made payable to: Victoria Minis Car Club Address: Mike Smith, 241 Hector Road, Victoria, BC, V9E 2C1; Electronically, you can use the e-transfer method and send the annual membership fee to Mike Smith’s email address victoriaminiscarclub@gmail.com . As well, if the person is new to the Club, please email a copy of the completed Membership form located at https://victoriaminis.com/club-information/join-the-club/https://victoriaminis.com/club-information/join-the-club/ to Mike at mikesmith.vic@gmail.com
It was a beauty of a day for a drive. Traffic on the Malahat was light and spirits were soaring. Thanks to Richard for planning the drive and stops along the way. Sometimes, on short trips like this, you encounter some minor issues. While on an inaugural drive (aka Test Drive) one of the Minis developed a fuel leak. However, without a lot of fanfare, a friend of Minis was able to provide a tool that would ultimately correct the problem of a loose fitting and after refuelling, we were off again. Of course, while waiting for the refuelling to be completed, we looked around and had drinks and ice cream. Then, we finished up the drive around the lake and returned to have a great tasting lunch at the 4-Mile House. One of the cars on the way home had rear suspension issues and had to pull over and get a tow-truck ride home. Everyone was safe and sound and looking forward to the next event.
Many thanks to Tim for organising a fantastic drive through the back-roads of Mill Bay & Duncan area to arrive at our destination the Genoa Bay Cafe. In case you have not been there, it is a great outdoor/indoor eating area on the dock in Genoa Bay. It has reasonable prices with fantastic service and a view to match the service. The folks from Victoria area met at the Tim Hortons on Mccallum Rd in Langford and proceeded North to the Park & Ride off Hwy 1 at Frayne Rd in Mill Bay. The group then took a 45-minute back-road drive to our destination. Everyone enjoyed themselves and a couple purchased of wonderful cinnamon buns for later in the day. After breakfast we each went our separate ways.
It was a beautiful day for Brits on the Beach in Ladysmith BC with attendees from many places on the Mainland and Island(s). It was a terrific drive that was done in a leisurely manner leaving at 7:45am and arriving at 8:45am-ish. Although not quite as many cars as there have been in previous years, there were several rare and high-quality vehicles in attendance. Both the attendees and the public enjoyed their time looking at the cars and asking many questions about them. One of the photos from the show has Sandra with the draw prize she won. The Classic Mini photo is of a meticulously restored 1968 Austin Mini Cooper S. Also included is a 1933 Riley Lynx and a British/Chinese Roewe750 which is a Re-branded Rover 75. Take a look at us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/772464342915077.
It was not the best weather at Beacon Hill Park in Victoria as it was a little cool and threatening to rain near mid-day. However, a good number of British vehicles made this event a successful one. As you can see by the photos, we had a good turnout of Minis/MINIs representing the Club and friends to celebrate this important day. Below are a few photos for you to enjoy.
The next event is Brits on the Beach being held 14 July 2024 from 10am-3pm at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith BC. If you are interested email victoriaminisclub@gmail.com for more details or checkout the Facebook Page at Victoria Minis Car Club | Facebook.
We exchanged sunshine for a bit of rain during the 17th Annual Restoration Fair and Swap Meet held on Sunday 2 Jun 2024. It was not too bad of a day with the vendors out in full force. There was a nice collection of Minis/MINIs and many other English marques as well. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and here are a few photos taken by Mike. Next up is the Father’s Day Picnic in the Park on 16 June 2024.
A big welcome was extended to the Vancouver Minis Club and the Vancouver MINI Cooper Club by the Victoria Minis Car Club. After arriving on the BC Ferry, Mike hosted them for coffee at his home and the group then proceeded to the Langford COSTCO/Staples parking area. The group had a short get-together with a few of our club members before continuing on the drive. Several of our visitors had never been on the Pacific Marine Circle Route so enjoyed the scenery. Here are a couple of pictures from the Clubs social rendezvous.
It had threatened rain all day, but it only fell in small amounts to spot the car’s wax job, but not enough to warrant a rain jacket. So much for the weather report and now GARAGE DAY! It was a small gathering that made for great interaction and passing of knowledge between everyone. I would like to thank all that attended to make this a successful event. Many thanks to Mike for opening his hobby garage to us as well as Richard for providing the technical expertise that was invaluable considering the mixed bag of vehicles. Thanks again to Linda for providing these photos of the day. We were able to look at several different vehicles on the hoist from Classic Minis and MINIS to a brand new hot-hatch Toyota GT Corolla. All were impressed with the variations in design and engineering throughout the years and manufacturers.
What a great day for celebrations – St Patrick’s Day and a Mini/MINI Club Get-together. It was great to see everyone, and we had a wide selection of vehicles for the folks to enjoy. It was nice to see new members Tadhg and Ian arriving in their 2010 MINI Cooper S Mayfair edition. Tim and Marylin had their 2019 MINI Clubman All-4 JCW Edition for oohs and aahs as well. I would like to thank Jean for opening her home to us and having wonderful appetizers and drinks as well. Mike our treasured Treasurer discussed several items including East Meets West Mini Meet that is being held in Spearfish, South Dakota 8 – 12 July 2024. Check out the website at: https://minimeeteast.regfox.com/2024 If you are interested in driving with a group to the East Meets West Mini Meet, please reply to this email. Richard, our esteemed Events Coordinator updated us on several upcoming activities, so it looks like we are back in full swing and will have a lot happening this year. Pauline as Sponsorship Chair and being very proactive, checked with MINI Victoria Official Homepage | MINI Victoria and they are willing to provide folks interested in MINIs a Club information sheet. It will be a collaborative effort between our Club and the Dealership. Check out the photos:
Thanks to everyone that took time out of their schedule to enjoy a great drive, tour and lunch. It was a true South Island drive with a mix of sun, cloud and rain which is typical for this time of year. Richard hosted the drive that started off at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney BC. After a leisurely drive around the scenic northern parts of the Saanich Peninsula, we reached our destination – the BC Aviation Museum. We had a wonderful tour which was full of interesting historical references about the role of Victoria in aviation. The group ended the occasion with a nice lunch at Mary’s Bleue Moon Cafe across from the BC Aviation Museum. Here are a few photos:
Hi Everyone, We will be holding the Club’s Annual General Meeting at 6:30pm on Friday, 17 November 2023 at 1550 Pub Style Restaurant located at 1550 Cedar Hill Cross Road. If you are interested in attending, please email victoriaminiscarclub@gmail.com . You must be a paid-up member to vote. Membership year begins1 November of the current year and ends 31 Oct of the next year. Annual membership dues are $30.00 per membership which can include family members as well. You can join or renew your membership at the meeting. Looking forward to seeing you there.
Here we are almost at the end of August and smoke has filled the air, so thanks to Richard Ford, we were on the road to Shawnigan Lake and the Kinsol Trestle (2869 Glen Eagles Rd Shawnigan Lake BC V0R 2W0). We gathered together at our usual spot on McCallum road in Langford for the up-island drive. It was very busy when we departed at 11 am, with a couple of cars getting separated from the main group, but after a minor course adjustment, we were able to get onto the Hwy 1 going north. Of course it was busy all the way with the construction zone and one lane merging, but the main body of cars waited for us as we turned left at the Shawnigan Lake – Mill Bay Rd traffic light. Once all together, we drove on through Shawnigan Lake village … not the Lake, to arrive at the Kinsol Trestle Parking Area. We enjoyed an extended walk (on the map it was just over 2km) to the trestle. After a few pictures and talking to several other visitors that said how much they loved our Minis/MINIs, we departed for the return journey to Victoria. We headed down the west side of Shawnigan Lake and back to Hwy 1 on the road to Victoria. Of course the travel south was busier with stop-and-go crawling, as the two lanes of traffic merged into one. However, it really did not seem too bad. Thanks to everyone that attended and enjoyed the drive, camaraderie and the picturesque Kinsol Trestle. Here are a few pictures of our adventure:
