12/14/2025
Community supporting community ❤️
Bonnie here, writing this truly from the heart on behalf of the CVI.
I really felt the need to pause and share this, because over the last three weeks we experienced something I honestly do not think we have ever faced in the five years of running this restaurant.
In the middle of banquet season and holiday parties, when the pressure is high and expectations are even higher, some of our most critical kitchen equipment decided to fail. Not once. Not twice. But over and over again. It was exhausting, stressful, and at moments felt completely overwhelming for our team who still showed up every single day determined to make the show go on.
What happened next is something I will never forget.
I want to personally and deeply thank the owners of Duncan Meadows Golf for opening your doors and allowing us to use your equipment during your open hours. That level of generosity and trust is not something we take lightly. Thank you so much for supporting us when we truly needed it.
Thank you to Vancouver Island Motorsports for being our backup plan when we were scrambling for options and needed help immediately.
Thank you to Annette from Island Pastry Haus for your quick response and willingness to help with an emergency solution without hesitation.
Thank you to Lance and Liz from Craig Street Brew Pub, Oak Taphouse, Just Jakes for stepping in with temporary solutions that allowed us to keep service going and take care of our guests.
Thank you to Curtis from Red Arrow Brewing or the communication, support, and genuine care in helping us get moving toward solutions.
Thank you to FBM Plumbing, Baker Plumbing, and Tristar Plumbing Baker Plumbing & Renovations Fbm Plumbing for jumping in, answering urgent questions, and coming out for site visits when time was absolutely critical.
Thank you to Jeff from Old Firehouse The Old Firehouse Wine Bar for making powerful connections and helping open doors to even more solutions.
Thank you to Tek Manhas Tek Manhas, our local councillor, for driving additional connections and support when we needed momentum and guidance.
The community truly came together, and together we conquered. It honestly felt like a Christmas miracle for the CVI.
I also want to express my gratitude to everyone involved who I may not have mentioned by name. Please know that your efforts did not go unnoticed. This was not just about companies helping companies. This was about the hearts behind the brands. Owners and managers showing up with compassion, generosity, and a true spirit of service for another struggling local business. That meant everything to us.
Last but not least for the amazing team here at the CVI. Led by our executive chef Nick and management- no one walked away from the problem, no one expressed negativity, everyone knew they had to do with what they had, and pulled through harder days together. What an incredible team.
I know I reached out to so many people during this crisis, and every single one of you responded in a way that directly helped move us forward. Each call, each message, each suggestion mattered more than you know.
The last two weeks have been incredibly difficult for our team, but through it all we still saw smiles, we still served happy tummies, and that makes every ounce of stress worth it. ❤️
I am endlessly humbled by the support of this community and the way local businesses lift each other up when it matters most.
Thank you, thank you, thank you again.
