Musician and producer David Foster surprised Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin Friday with a $50,000 contribution toward enhancements to David Foster Way — the harbour pathway named in his honour.
Foster and his wife, Yolanda, joined Fortin at Ship Point Friday for a brief media session before hopping on a boat to take a look at what the city has planned for the walkway.
“I know we need some funding. If I could just start by donating a $50,000 cheque to get it going, maybe that would inspire others to join in,” Foster said. “I’m happy to do it.”
Victoria councillors this week gave approval in principle to a new David Foster Way Special Place Concepts plan — a vision for the five-kilometre walkway stretching from Ogden Point to Rock Bay that will cost up to $40 million to complete and include 11 “special places,” including a performance area at Ship Point styled after the keys of a piano.
On a picture-perfect day, Foster and his wife were effusive in their praise of Victoria and the vision for the walkway.
“Honestly, it’s such a great honour for me to know that this is called the David Foster Way, but if you take my name out of the picture completely, this is something that’s going to be so beautiful for the city that we love so much,” Foster said.
He added that when he first brought Yolanda to the city, she remarked that the Victoria native grew up in “Disneyland.” “You can travel anywhere in the world and this place will beat it,” said Yolanda, a native of Holland.
Foster said the walkway with its enhanced landmarks will be a great place for people to gather to enjoy music and the arts.
Fortin said it was appropriate to fête Foster, nicknamed the Hit Man, at Ship Point, where a venue for concerts is planned.
“What’s going to be here is the piano stamped in the concrete; these columns that are going to have these beautiful lights that are going to attract and bring people here and an opportunity for musical venues,” Fortin said.
“And you know, that is actually for our citizens. ... That’s where we first want to start. Everybody owns downtown Victoria. Everybody owns this harbour.”
One of the more contentious concepts for the walkway is the idea of paving over the lower part of the legislature lawn to transform it into a festival venue known as Celebration Place that stretches to the Lower Causeway.
Both David and Yolanda Foster said the idea is worth considering.
“I think rules are made to be broken,” David Foster said.
“I certainly do it in music. Just when I think: No way, no way, no way. I will not. I will not. I cannot. I cannot. Then I end up doing it.”
