In recent years, the growth in West Shore communities and more reasonable commercial lease rates has prompted various in-town merchants to open up shop out here.
Looking to capitalize on the expanded customer base close by, companies such as Capital Iron, Costco, Staples, Andrew Sheret, Odeon Cineplex and many other smaller organizations have enjoyed success catering to a still-growing populace that increasingly looks for ways to avoid heading into Victoria.
That view to the West Shore from downtown Victoria hasn’t been limited to retail and other commercial operations, however.
Community social service organizations such as Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul have operated thrift stores here for years, recognizing the need.
And more recent arrivals, such as Habitat for Humanity, which moved its Greater Victoria head office and ReStore operations to Langford several years back, and Bridges for Women, which opened up a satellite campus in the city to offer career planning and support services for West Shore and Sooke residents, have become active members of the greater community.
Next week, another new social service-oriented group will make its presence felt on the West Shore. The Victoria Women in Need Community Co-operative, known better by most of us as WIN, has chosen downtown Langford to locate its fourth resale clothing and household goods store in the region.
No doubt they’ll find the competition tough in a geographical area that features a number of shops that market to a similar customer base. But the point is, this charitable organization, whose mandate is to help women in crisis and those facing other challenges to get back on their feet, sees our area as a place to further that admirable goal.
While we cannot advise readers to shop at one store over another, it’s nice to see that various aspects of our greater society in the region are choosing to provide services and products on the West Shore, giving our residents the opportunity to make even more of a difference with their purchases.