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Letters: Volunteers set the tone

Mountain Bike Symposium delegates appreciated museum hospitality

A great many things both inspired and impressed me at the MBTA Tourism Symposium that Sooke hosted from May 26-28.  I don’t want to diminish the value of any of these things by comparing, but I do feel a need to tell as many people as possible how impressed and inspired I was by the effort put forth by the Sooke Region Museum folk;  I was not the only one.

It’s no small feat to feed 100 mountain bikers. Indeed, mountain bikers are known in tourism circles as being the ultimate tourists, because we eat so much.  A buddy of mine in the business refers to us as ‘5000 calorie per day tourists.’

The spread put on by the museum folk was truly phenomenal, just based on quantity alone.  But the quality...well, now that’s what made it so special.  The salmon was prepared perfectly, the home baked goods were amazing and every other aspect of the feast was exemplary.  All the delegates I talked to were blown away by the hospitality shown by these kind members of our community, and also very impressed by the museum itself, which remained open long past closing hours.

One of the delegates, Phillip, told me that they had ‘no barbeques like this’ referring to the preparation of the salmon, but then again there aren’t a lot of salmon in Brazil where he traveled from.

The 135 delegates involved in various ways in mountain bike tourism will leave Sooke with some great memories, and full bellies! I would like to thank the good people of Sooke who helped them to feel welcome by feeding them and serving them with care and respect.

Thank you — all you volunteers. This was a very special event which will reverberate positively for years to come, and we have you to thank for setting the tone.

Lorien Arnold

Sooke