About Us
Our Vision
The Gorge Tillicum Community Association envisions a welcoming, inclusive, and caring community whose diverse citizens collaborate in creating a distinct neighbourhood that is informed, creative, resilient, and sustainable.
Our Objectives
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Build a diverse, responsive, proactive, collaborative, and robust Board and Association.
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Promote engagement, participation, and a sense of belonging and pride in our community.
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Optimize individual and collective well-being within natural ecosystems and built environments.
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Create and promote welcoming community spaces.
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Promote learning and the sharing of ideas.
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Promote Association and community collaboration with governments, businesses, developers, and other organizations in support of the GTCA’s stated purposes.
2023/2024 GTCA Board of Directors
President
VERA WYNN-WILLIAMS
Vera has lived in the Gorge Tillicum area for over 15 years with her husband and two children. She has long been interested in community issues having worked for the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Area and served as President of the Business Improvement Areas of BC (BIABC). She has been the editor/designer of the GTCA Newsletter for the past five years. Vera has 20 years of marketing/communications experience and currently runs her own marketing company.
Vice President
PHIL LANCASTER
Phil Lancaster moved to the Gorge Tillicum area in 2001. After a varied career that included a full military career and extensive humanitarian work in Africa, he is now an avid walker and gardener. Phil has served on the Saanich Governance Review Citizens Advisory Committee and currently chairs the GTCA Mobility and Transportation Working Group. Phil was first elected to the GTCA Board in 2018.
Treasurer
CHRIS KASK
Chris grew up in Victoria and has lived in the Gorge Tillicum neighbourhood since 2001. Chris has served on the GTCA Board since 2010 and also serves as Chair on the Gorge Canada Day Picnic organizing committee. Chris completed his degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting at Simon Fraser University and has been working in tax and accounting for over 29 years now. He enjoys hiking, camping, and travel, having made it to 52 countries so far!
Communications Coordinator
BRANDON DEVNICH
Brandon and his wife have called the Gorge Tillicum neighbourhood home since 2007. After nearly 20 years running a web technologies company, Brandon segued into teaching computer science at Camosun College in 2021. As a result of certain events during the pandemic, Brandon got a taste for community building and started a Block Watch for his street. Brandon began helping with the Gorge Canada Day Picnic organizing committee in 2023 and, then more recently, in September 2023, Brandon was elected to the Board and the role of Communications Coordinator.
Membership Coordinator
Xi Yao
Xi moved to the island in 2009, and has lived in the Gorge Tillicum neighbourhood since 2015. Xi fell in love with what the area has to offer, and enjoys walking her Husky pup with her husband along the Gorge Waterway while taking in all the tranquil characteristics of this growing neighbourhood. Xi is a local real estate agent and a legal interpreter/translator, and she looks forward to contributing to her community and advocating for its members! Xi was elected to the Board and the role of Membership Coordinator in September 2023.
Secretary
ARDEN LITTLE
Arden has lived in the Gorge Tillicum neighbourhood for nearly 30 years. He hails originally from Thunder Bay and much enjoys the relatively moderate weather that Victoria has to offer. Arden is currently Chair of the GTCA Culture and Celebration Working Group. His interests include travel, songwriting and, sadly, the Vancouver Canucks.
General Director
CHRIS BULLOCK
Formerly an English professor, Chris and his wife Kay Stewart bought a condo in the Gorge-Tillicum area in 2000 and managed to move in 2008. Chris is a writer and has co-authored three detective novels with Kay. He is a great believer in the role of arts in the community, and writes a regular column on local artists for the GTCA Newsletter. He also loves dancing, music, and hiking.
General Director
MAURICIO CURBELO
Mauricio moved to the Gorge Tillicum neighbourhood in 2020 after he and his partner Lauren fell in love with an 1895 heritage house near Rudd Park. Born in Uruguay, he grew up in rental apartments in Toronto's suburbs and lived briefly in Vancouver before moving to Saanich. He participates in the GTCA's Land Use working group, advocating for a greater diversity of housing and transportation options in our community, and also serves on the Saanich Heritage Foundation, helping preserve the municipality's historic buildings. Mauricio is a civil engineer with experience in the building materials and renewable energy sectors.
General Director
MARIE-NICOLE DUBOIS
Born in Chicoutimi, Québec, Marie-Nicole is the mother of two adults who graduated from UVIC, and proudly bilingual. Retired now, she practiced dentistry for 30 years. She has the privilege of living in our beautiful Gorge-Tillicum neighbourhood since 1993 with her spouse. She has seen a lot of changes over the last thirty years. She has decided to get directly involved in the many projects happening in the area. This is why Marie-Nicole is joining the Gorge Tillicum Community Association as director. Marie-Nicole was elected to the Board, April 20th, 2023.
General Director
SCOTT KARPES
Scott was born and raised in the area and spent a good part of this youth somewhere along the Gorge. He and his wife and kids have lived in the neighbourhood for the past 15 years and love the area for its rich history and the strong community spirit they’ve discovered here.
General Director
MEGHAN MERGAERT
With her young family, Meghan moved to the Gorge Tillicum neighbourhood in 2018. She loves that her family can walk their canoe down to the Gorge waterway for a paddle, ride the forest trails or admire the many gardens in the neighbourhood. Meghan has over 15 years experience in non-profit management specifically with immigrant and refugee communities in Victoria, BC and holds a Masters degree in Community Development.
General Director
PAUL SAVINKOFF
Paul moved to the neighbourhood in 2009 and quickly became enamoured with it - its historic feel with so many character homes, long, lazy, tree-lined streets, proximity to the Gorge, downtown, Costco (lol) etc. When not walking his English bulldogs you'll find him puttering around in his vegetable garden or cooking up something tasty. His participation on the board will be to promote a more prolific and varied tree canopy, healthy and safe parks, and to champion the 2004 Urban Design Charette Report created by the GTCA.
General Director
REB STEVENSON
Born and raised on the island, Reb moved to Ottawa in pursuit of a journalism degree and worked for several of Canada’s largest newspapers as a writer, photographer and travel columnist before starting her own online music video series for kids with her partner. In 2019, they moved to the Gorge with their young daughter. Reb has traipsed all over England, walking its enchanting footpaths and visiting historic towns. Taking inspiration from her travels, she dreams of a complete village hub in the Gorge and is a passionate advocate of walkability.
General Director
JENNIFER WHITE
Jennifer grew up in Victoria and spent many years in the neighbourhood with her grandparents. When she returned to Victoria in 2011, she was delighted to move to the Gorge Tillicum neighborhood herself. Jennifer is an avid gardener and can often be found walking through the neighbourhood with her family and dog Archie. She is an Environmental Engineer specializing in management of large projects, and also currently serves as President of the Saanich Heritage Foundation. Jennifer was elected to the Board in April 2023.
Our Neighbourhood
The GTCA works to improve the well-being of the Gorge Tillicum neighbourhood. This historic neighbourhood is known for heritage homes, for a stunning waterfront, for its urban forest, and as a home to Indigenous communities for over 10,000 years.
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Our boundaries are the Gorge Waterway and Portage Inlet shorelines, the Trans-Canada Highway to the north and Harriet/Burnside/Whittier/Harriet to the east.
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To learn more about Saanich Community Associations and view the boundaries, click here.