April 20 - City set to ban camping in two more parks

Good morning !

Ommmm … I was wrong. The results of our poll from yesterday were surprising to me. Slightly more (228 votes, 33%) of our readers said they don’t partake in yoga, than those (219 votes, 31%) who said they did—and love it. A further 121 said they used to do yoga, 84 said they do it once in a while, and 32 said they’d like to.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 13 / 8

Tomorrow: ⛅ 12 / 3

Monday: ☀️14 / 5

7-day forecast

NEWS

Vic council sets in motion a plan to relocate people overnighting in 2 city parks

Victoria's committee of the whole voted in favour of relocating people sheltering in Vic West and Irving parks by Aug. 1. The motion directs city staff to find at least three indoor or outdoor shelter options for unhoused people who are currently in those parks, and to do it by June 15.

Councillors acknowledged the complexity of the issue and that whatever they come up with won’t be a "silver bullet" to larger, system-wide inequities and service gaps that are driving the crisis.

The HEART & HEARTH memorandum of understanding between the city and the province outlines the need for response teams to assist those in encampments and to get them into either temporary or more permanent housing. The motion's Aug. 1 deadline depends on feasible shelter availability, raising concerns about human rights, community safety, and the questions of just where individuals will go.

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Cougar warning for Mystic Vale Ravine at UVic. [Last seen Thu night]

Downtown demonstration: Traffic disruptions/CCTV use today.  [Approx. 3-5pm]

Drop off books today and tomorrow for the Times Colonist book drive. [May 4-5]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Earth Day events this weekend in Greater Victoria

If there’s one thing every Islander can agree on, it’s that we live in an incredibly beautiful place. Surrounded by so many natural wonders, we have front-row seats to wildlife in the ocean, mountains, and sky. This Monday is Earth Day and it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate all things natural, both in the crazy-gorgeous CRD and abroad, while learning how to protect our planet for future generations to enjoy.

Earth Day falls on Monday but most events in Greater Victoria will take place over the weekend.

Today

Saanich will host an educational day of fun at the Municipal Hall, with live music, food vendors, a kids' bike skills workshop, and tips on how to make small changes to protect the planet. 

Tomorrow

In the Westshore, you can get your hands dirty by removing invasive species at Murray’s Pond Park in Colwood or head to Jodie Lunn Bike Park in Langford for free family fun, with bike rides and refreshments.

In Vic West, there will be an Earth Day cleanup in Banfield Park, followed by a silent disco featuring three music channels. Make sure to reserve your headset for the disco before heading down. 

If you’re in Sidney, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is hosting activities all day. You and the family can play games, make crafts, and take home some native plant seeds.

On Monday, you can save some dough while getting around the city, with free rides on BC Transit.

If you don’t have time this weekend to take part in Earth Day activities, Butterfly Gardens is hosting an Earth-themed scavenger hunt until the end of the month.

NEWS

Climate activist Zain Haq’s deportation stopped (for now)

Haq received notice late yesterday that his deportation order had been cancelled. Earlier this week, his request for a stay was dismissed and it seemed inevitable he was going to be kicked out of the country this weekend.

Little information on the decision has been shared with Haq, 23, and his lawyer Randall Cohn, but Cohn told Capital Daily that a federal minister—either Immigration Minister Marc Miller or Intergovernmental Relations Minister Dominic LeBlanc—must have intervened.

The cancellation doesn’t mean Haq is out of the woods—while Cohn is optimistic he could receive temporary or permanent residency status to allow him to finish school, he stressed that his client may still be deported. Haq, who co-founded the group Save Old Growth, says he is being targeted because of his activism.

⭐️ Capital Picks

💎 Hidden gem alert! Did you know the Bay Centre has a recently renovated outdoor patio with skyline views of downtown Victoria? Check out downtown's most affordable patio experience.*

🎺 Phillips Backyard and Rifflandia announce lineups: [Capital Daily] 

💲 Want a chance to win $100 at Country Grocer? Take Victoria's 2024 Vital Signs short-form citizen survey today. Double your chances to win by completing the long-form version!*

🤝 Now hiring: Program Coordinator at Scale Collaborative.

🗞️ In Other News

Collection Correction: Yesterday, an article in this space incorrectly described the value of a stolen art collection worth $60K. Capital Daily regrets the error.

Orca rescuers up-Island: ‘You’re going to need a bigger boat’
Just as in that beach-busting summer blockbuster Jaws, more, bigger, and stronger equipment is needed to land the big fish. In this case, it’s an orphaned orca, confined of its own accord in the up-Island lagoon where its mother died. Marine experts from the Vancouver Aquarium, the DFO, and First Nations tried to corral Brave Little Hunter and lift her onto a truck last week but that didn’t work. [Nanaimo News Now] 

Prime Minister Trudeau drops into town, with post-secondary money
Trudeau announced a $2.6B scholarship, fellowship, and research grant package, $1.3B more in programs designed to make education more affordable, and $730K for research infrastructure. TRIUMF, UBC’s subatomic physics research lab (and an outdated acronym), will get just shy of $400M. Six of TRIUMF’s accelerator physicists are adjunct faculty members at UVic. [Release]

🗓️ Things to do

🎤 Bahamas: The Juno-nominated singer-songwriter will perform at the Royal Theatre. Today. 8pm. [Info]

🛍️ Night Market at The Mint: Check out local vendors and live music. Today. 5-10pm. [Info]

🎳 Lawn bowling open house: Coaches at the Juan de Fuca Lawn Bowling Club will teach you the basics. Tomorrow & next Sat. 1-3pm. [Info]

🎙️ The Best Is Yet To Come: Matt Dusk will sing the music of Tony Bennett at Mary Winspear Centre. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🎭 Anne of Green Gables: The musical based on the classic Canadian book will be performed at McPherson Playhouse. Until April 27. Today. 2pm. [Info] 

🎫 Baby Tyler’s Puppet Experiments: As part of Incoming Festival, this dark puppetry cabaret will be performed at Metro Studio Theatre. Tonight. 10pm. [Info]

🎨 Artist studios open house at Rockslide Gallery (Fairfield and Blanshard). 80+ artists & multiple galleries. Today. 2-8pm. By donation. [Info]

🍅 Tomato Days at the Edible Plant Nursery, with 25+ varieties. 10am-5pm. Today & Tomorrow. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: Feds may build homes at CFB Esquimalt; Low-flying choppers coming; Activist Zain Haq hears bad news; Art collection stolen; And more. [April 19] 

T’Sou-ke First Nation applies new tech to old oyster harvest: [Capital Daily]

Chorizo & Co. is closing: The tapas restaurant and bar at 807 Fort has sold its business after five and a half years. Its last day will be May 18.

Mount Baker and the Saanich Peninsula by Doug Clement. [Photo]

Vic’s Best Restaurants: The list of finalists is out, now you get to decide the winners. [Vote]

That’s it!

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