Correspondence from David Screech Re: CRD Arts Service

From: David & Jean Screech Sent: November 16, 2025 6:27 PM To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca Cc: Elena Bolster EBolster@viewroyal.ca Subject: Fwd: letter for Tuesdays agenda

Please place on Tuesdays agenda as a late item.

Thank-you.

Dear Mayor Tobias & Council,

I write in regards to the Town's level of participation in the CRD arts service. While the goal to cut costs is laudable I fear it is somewhat misguided as well. The net savings to residents here is minuscule and the cost to the Arts organizations significant, not to mention the damage to the Town Of View Royal's reputation regionally. View Royal is a core municipality and all the other core municipalities are Level one participants. I am not sure what possible justification there can be for View Royal residents to pay less than their neighbours in Saanich or Esquimalt.

The new arts facility service that is coming on line will bring the possibility of a performing arts centre on the West Shore one step closer. Why on earth would we want to risk alienating the support of the other arts service members over this? And how is it logical to support the bricks and mortar aspect but not fully fund those that perform in the buildings? The amount of money involved is small but the principles are large.

View Royal has been a member of the regional arts service since 2007 and for 17 of those years we have been a Level one participant. The argument that we were a Group 2 member initially really does not hold water.

I cannot understand the rush to change this with no consultation with arts organizations, residents, regional partners, etc etc. I was amazed that my request to table this for a few weeks so that I could seek feedback from interested parties was denied. It is far too late for the 2026 CRD budget, what is the rush?

Yours truly,

David Screech. Burnside Road West.