Advisory Board Members Unite to Celebrate a Landmark Opening on Vancouver Island

When The Salvation Army opened the doors of its newest Thrift Store at 2455 Beacon Avenue in Sidney, B.C., the community showed up in a big way.

At the centre of it all were Greater Victoria Advisory Board members Patricia Mamic and Nichola Wade, who attended on behalf of The Salvation Army. Their presence reflected whatadvisory boardmembership looks like in practice: showing up, standing alongside the mission and championing the work in the community.

Patricia brings a wealth of experience and deep community ties to her role on the advisory board. A former director of public and government affairs for The Salvation Army in British Columbia, she is a Sidney resident and local business owner who knows this community intimately, its people, its needs and what a new Salvation Army presence means for those who call it home. For Nichola, whose career has been defined by a deep commitment to public service and supporting vulnerable individuals and families, the ribbon cutting was a natural extension of the work she champions every day as a board member.

The grand opening drew remarkable support from across the region. Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada and member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands, Emily Lowan, leader of the Green Party of British Columbia, and Rob Botterell, member of the legislative assembly for Saanich North and the Islands, all joined the celebration, a testament to the deep goodwill The Salvation Army has built in Greater Victoria.

Also present at the ribbon cutting were representatives from The Salvation Army’s Victoria Citadel Next Steps Resource Centre, Connection Point Church and Resource Centre, and High Point Community Church. Together, they serve thousands of people across the region each year, offering food, shelter, recovery support and family services to those who need it most.