Tues. April 25 - Langford highrise being evacuated over structural concerns—again

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

At Cap Daily and The Westshore we’ve done a lot of reporting over the past few years to reveal what went wrong with Danbrook One, the Langford building abruptly emptied in late 2019 due to structural concerns. But even with all we’ve learned about the project, it’s still a shock that after being remediated and re-occupied, the rental tower is right back to where it started.

The City of Langford announced yesterday that it has revoked the occupancy permit once again. More on that today.

NEWS

Former Danbrook One building being evacuated again over continued structural issues

For the second time in four years, residents of what is now called RidgeView Place will have to find a new place to stay.

Langford announced Monday that it has revoked the building’s occupancy rights over unresolved structural safety concerns flagged this month by BC’s engineering association and an engineering firm. Mayor Scott Goodmanson did not say whether the city was committed to spend emergency funding to house affected tenants, as it did four years ago when an occupancy permit was revoked for the same building in late 2019.

The structural concerns flagged at that time led to years of reviews that eventually saw both main engineers’ licences removed. The 11-storey building, designed by an engineer whose experience was in much shorter wood-frames, was not structurally reliable enough in the event of an earthquake.

It is not clear which specific structural issues remain unresolved, but BC’s Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists is unconvinced that a comprehensive structural review was ever conducted during the remediation.

Read the full details of this latest development, and the history of the situation, at The Westshore.

Capital Bulletin

☀️ Today’s weather: Mainly sunny. Fog patches dissipating in morning. Light wind. High 12C / low 4C.

🔎 Missing woman: Patricia Nzuza, 55, was last seen arriving at YYJ on April 15 and departing it by bus at 9:36am on April 16. Her daughter wrote online that Nzuza travelled here to meet someone she knew online. [Photo/ description]

🔎 Missing man: Saanich police seek Bernard (Ben) Fournier, 62, who was last seen April 16 when he was believed to be headed up to Nanaimo. [Photos]

👾 Giant bouncy obstacle course this summer: The Monster course comes to Canada to take over Royal Athletic Park June 8-11.

FOOD

The Wandering Mollusk settles on a home

For nine years, Jess Taylor of The Wandering Mollusk has lived by the credo of his business: wandering around Victoria and Vancouver Island shucking oysters and providing a “West Coast seafood experience.”

But Taylor won’t be wandering as much anymore, as he gets ready to take over Shine Café on Fort Street at the end of this month and anticipates opening his new restaurant, Shuck Taylor’s, in June.

“I’ve always wanted a restaurant space as a way to prove my concept,” he told Tasting Victoria. “The timing is perfect.”

In January, Taylor posted in the Victoria Hospitality Facebook group that he was looking for a space, and that if someone was looking to get out of the industry, transferring the lease to him would be a simple way out.

The next morning, Taylor said he “serendipitously” received an email from Lauren Thomson, the owner of Shine Café.

The Wandering Mollusk has become a fixture in the local foodie community, and it’s common to see Taylor shucking oysters at Whistle Buoy Brewing in Market Square on a summer’s day. If you’ve been in the industry, Taylor’s ascent is likely not a surprise.

Read the full story to learn more about Taylor and his upcoming restaurant, Shuck Taylor’s, at Tasting Victoria.

COMMUNITY

Popular local balloon man and magician dies at 60

Paul Kilshaw, who died last week from a heart attack, performed at local festivals for more than 30 years. His sister Catherine Dempsey told the Times Colonist that Kilshaw’s passion began when he saw a magician performing at Willows Beach as a child. Kilshaw went on to perform for the UK royals William, Kate, and their children during their 2016 visit to Victoria.

He took time off from his packed performing schedule only to recover from his heart surgery in 2019, and he especially prioritized Oak Bay’s Christmas light-up, friend and collaborator Kelly Kurta of the Greater Victoria Festival Society told Oak Bay News. The festival society will dedicate this year’s Victoria Day One World Celebration to Kilshaw, Kurta said.

You can see Kilshaw work his magic yourself in the videos on his website.

His death comes barely a month after the loss of another well-known local entertainer, Victoria’s Flower Man Alfred Sillem.

TOGETHER WITH 8X REAL ESTATE

Condo for sale: West facing 1-bedroom + den with 1.5 baths at The Falls

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Plus, don’t forget the air conditioning! Stay cool during the hot island summers or step out to the outdoor pool, jacuzzi, and gym.

Up to two dogs or cats, one underground parking, and best of all short term rentals and AirBnB permitted!

Book your showing today.

Capital Picks

🧗 An evening with Maureen Beck: National Geographic Live presents paraclimber Maureen Beck at the Royal Theatre tonight at 7pm, featuring a post-show Q&A. [Details/Tickets]

🥾 Mental health care meets mother nature. Tall Tree’s nature-based counselling combines therapeutic counselling with time in nature for a better approach to growth, connection, and wellness.*

📚 Stormbrewer Book Release Party: Author Mary Walz is celebrating the release of her latest novel Stormbrewer at Hotel Zed Victoria. She will be doing a reading and a Q&A from 7-8:30pm tonight. [Details]

📣 This survey is for all residents of Greater Victoria! Take Victoria’s 2023 Vital Signs survey today for a chance to win prizes.*

🤝 Now hiring: Packaging/Shipping and Receiving Operator at Seastar Chemicals.

*Sponsored Listing

In Other News

📜 New poet laureates announced for Victoria
For the next two years, Marie Metaphor Specht will serve as Victoria’s poet laureate, alongside Irena Datcu-Romano as the city’s youth poet laureate. Specht is known for her spoken-word poetry and Datcu-Romano is in her second year at UVic, studying a double major in religion and culture and writing. Both will use their platforms to promote literature, poetry, and language arts in and around Victoria, while also creating new work of their own. [City of Victoria]

🔨 Victoria carpenters to carry naloxone kits
In an effort to curb the high rate of toxic drug deaths in BC’s construction industry, a pilot program will provide overdose-reversing naloxone to local Carpenters’ Regional Council members. Construction workers are particularly at-risk for overdoses, accounting for 20% of opioid deaths in the last seven years. [CBC]

 🧠 Victoria tech company lands spot in Montreal’s highly competitive Next AI program
Revela, which offers a monitoring system for AI machine learning, will receive mentorship and education through Next AI to improve its platform. The AI monitoring system can flag issues with AI programs to prevent their accuracy from degrading overtime. [Victoria Tech Journal]

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DANCE VICTORIA

ADVERTISER CONTENT

Cuba’s Malpaso Dance Company at the Royal Theatre

Cuba’s hottest contemporary dance company shares a little slice of Havana in a dynamic program of movement and music.

Malpaso Dance Company Mixed Repertoire | Apr. 28-29, 7:30 pm | Royal Theatre

Tickets from $31 at DanceVictoria.com.

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