Feb 19 - The stories of Island families

Good morning !

Welcome to the last day of the long weekend! We hope you're able to enjoy the holiday today and spend Family Day with family.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 9 / 3

Tuesday: 🌧️ 9 / 5

Wednesday: ☀️ 9 / 7

7-day forecast

NEWS

Our stories of Island families

Over the years, Capital Daily has been fortunate to be able to tell the stories of many different Island families of all kinds. From inspiring stories to difficult ones, we’ve detailed how far locals will go for their loved ones—often literally hundreds or thousands of kilometres. 

These stories have included acclaimed books, artwork, and plays that people have made about their families. They have included practical sacrifices that people have made to try to put their families in a better position. And they’ve included the incredible things local families have created together—food, businesses, new words, and much more.

We’ve collected a bunch of them together, and this Family Day we hope you’ll be interested in reading a few.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Missing man found: Owen Weld, 19, was reportedly found Sunday evening, after he was last seen Feb. 14 in Lake Cowichan. 

🅿️ Holiday hours & parking for Family Day. [City of Victoria]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Langford begins 2024 budgeting

The new budget's largest area, at 21%, is for policing and bylaw enforcement, including the planned hiring of three new RCMP officers and three new bylaw staff. The city also plans to hire nine more firefighters.

But those safety services don't come cheap, and the city says it is also facing costs from inflation and population growth. The result: tax increases. 

The city's five-year plan currently has a large property tax hike for 2024 (nearly 12%), declining to 8% and then 5%. Langford residents pay lower property taxes than many local municipalities, and for much of the past decade the city has reduced increases by drawing from the General Amenity Fund. That fund, the city's finance director says, would more typically go to amenities such as sidewalks and parks. 

Read more at The Westshore on that fund, the tax plans, and other ways the city Jones to manage money.

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NEWS

Formal complaint to Victoria police board over Ferris “fiasco”

A former board member wants an independent investigation into VicPD policies after a $30M bust was derailed by the role of Robb Ferris, which other officers hid from the court. Ferris was known to be under RCMP anti-corruption investigation; he later resigned.

Paul Schachter told CTV that the department has breached trust by misleading the court and that the public deserves to know how this all happened.  

Retired lawyer Schachter, appointed by the province, resigned in fall 2022. He told Capital Daily at the time that he felt the board was not being given sufficient information or authority to address key policing issues. Those included budgeting and handling of vulnerable people such as those in mental health calls.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🐙 Ruby octopus babies near Nanaimo, from loonie- to golf-ball-sized. [Video]

🌹“Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)”: See if you recognize all the Victoria locations in Wranglr's new black & white music video.

🍂 Upcoming book on extinction in Canada will feature Island stories including a hunt for local lichens. [Info / order]

🤝 Now hiring: Finance Manager at Pacific Opera Victoria.

🗞️ In Other News

Six-storey rental pitched for Government and Chatham
The Victoria Transmission site in Chinatown would get 79 suites and ground-floor stores in the new plan from Nicola Wealth, which is already developing the surrounding block. The 1908-built Sam Kee Laundry would get heritage restoration. [Citified]

Pickleball vs. roller derby conflict resolved, Esquimalt says
The township says the long-running Eves of Destruction derby league will no longer have its training time bumped to a later slot. Instead, it will use an earlier time vacated by the ball hockey league moving practices to CFB Esquimalt. [Township release]

Tahsis will need double-byelection this spring
One resignation in the west-Island village was simply due to moving away for work. The other came out of a long and acrimonious saga that council says involved defaming them and sharing confidential information. [My Campbell River Now]

🗓️ Things to do

🖍️ Saanich Family Arts Festival: This family-friendly event at Cedar Hill Arts Centre features creative activities including pottery, beading, robotics, crafts, and more. Watch live performances from Chinese Dance Victoria, Lekwungen Traditional Dancers, and Mr. Mojo. Today. 11am-3pm. Free admission. 

🎙️ The Power and Joy of Words and Music: As a part of Black History Month, author and poet Addena Sumter-Freitag and jazz singer Maureen Washington will perform at Belfry Theatre. Today. 7-9pm.

🌭 Family Day at Esquimalt Recreation Centre: This free family-friendly event includes swimming, kindergym, and other activities. Esquimalt Lions will be selling hot dogs by donation. Today. 9am-1pm.

🎉 Family Fun Day: This Family Day event at Meadow Park Green includes kids activities, hot drinks, and a photo booth. Today. 11am-2pm.    

🤗 More Family Day events: See the full list of today's holiday activities at Capital Daily. 

🪗 Winter Arts Fest free events: The new festival wraps up with lantern-making today. 

👀 In Case You Missed It

Sunday news: Oak Bay overhauling sewer. Victoria teen in airplane incident. Rental scam sentencing. [Feb. 18]

Can kelp handle the heat? New UVic research on Island marine health. [Capital Daily / LJI]

Saturday news: A new arts festival; rainbow crosswalk targeted; 900 Island homes funded; tides return lost wallet; and more. [Feb. 17]

Fire at Craigflower & Admirals, in small wooden replica blacksmith shop. [CHEK]

Medical emergency turned around ferry from Nanaimo on Sat., delaying its schedule 2 hours. [CTV]

A very cute visit from a little pine marten in Sayward.

A delusional love story in local singer Cati Landry's new music video “Mind's Eye.”

That’s it!

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