The Mary Winspear Centre is welcoming a new executive director after Chad Rintoul left the position last month.
Bradley Edgett, originally from St. Albert, Alberta, comes to the Centre with a special knowledge of what it stands for.
“I worked at the Empress Hotel for 12-and-a-half years in the art galleries,” explained Edgett adding, “That’s how I met Mr. and Mrs. Winspear.”
Through his job with the Empress selling art and eventually managing the galleries there, Edgett became close with the Winspears and even helped them do art installations in their homes.
“I learned about the family and centre through them without even really realizing it,” he said.
Edgett left his position with the Empress in 2008 and moved into the software sales industry in Vancouver where he eventually managed the sales team for all of Canada and the western U.S.A.
“Metasoft helps non-profits source out funding so through my work with them I did a lot of work with (non-profit) boards much like the one here,” said Edgett.
Edgett’s wife Deryn, a pharmacist, got a job on the Peninsula and the two moved to the Island a couple of years ago.
“The Peninsula is an amazing place,” said Edgett. “It really is magical in that it has everything. Shopping, restaurants, great hiking and boating, it’s all here.”
Edgett said his goal with the Centre is to bring the Centre to the community and the community to the Centre.
“I want to make the Centre a place where there is something for everyone,” he said. “We’ve got a great core group here and the staff are fantastic. Ian (Hennigar) and Chad (Rintoul) did a great job connecting with the community and now it’s about bringing the community into the centre. I want to hear what they want out of it.”
Edgett said he welcomes input from residents on the types of events and programming offered at the Centre. He can be reached at 250-656-0275 (ext. 223) or by email at bedgett@marywinspear.ca.