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- March 14 - Victoria robots headed to Texas
March 14 - Victoria robots headed to Texas
Plus: CRD under pressure for waste plan, coral reef thriving off BC coast
Capital Daily team
March 14, 2024
Good morning !
The Beacon Hill Children’s Farm has reopened just in time for March break and it has three new-born additions to the goat family.
Visiting the petting zoo always brings back core childhood memories of “goat stampedes” and feeding baby sheep. Let us know if you have any fond memories of the Children’s Farm!
— Robyn
Do you visit the Beacon Hill Children's Farm? |
Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes
🌡️ Weather Forecast
NEWS
CRD under pressure to make a plan for biosolid waste by June
Hartland Landfill. Photo: CRD
The Capital Regional District (CRD) is facing mounting pressure to address its biosolids and solid-waste management amidst construction plans to expand the Hartland landfill. With a provincial deadline looming for a final waste management plan by June, the CRD is grappling with the challenges on multiple fronts, including having to make high-stakes decisions about biosolid management.
Despite having received significant feedback from regional stakeholders and environmental advocacy groups, it is waiting on a provincial report from a technical working group on contaminants emerging and will seek help from UVic researchers.
Stakes are high because biosolids contain contaminants, including persistent "forever chemicals" like PFAS, raising health and environmental concerns. While the province views biosolids as beneficial, debate surrounds their safe disposal.
Delayed provincial reports on organic matter recycling regulations exacerbate the CRD's decision-making challenges.
The fundamental issue is how to safely, efficiently, and sustainably manage waste. It is also exploring a second quarry location for biosolids in Nanaimo, in the face of a rejection of its plan from the NRD.
⚠️ Capital Bulletin
Beacon Hill Children’s Farm reopens for spring season, with three newborn baby goats.
Goldstream campground closed for routine danger tree mitigation work, and reopens tomorrow.
Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.
COMMUNITY
Reynolds Secondary off to Houston for world robotics championship
First Tech Challenge BC Championships. Photo: YouTube
The Reynolds Secondary robotics team won the provincial title last month in Surrey, so it’s onto Texas where everything’s bigger—including the competition. Some 600 teams will compete at the First Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics world championship April 17-20.
“Robotics is just a lot of fun,” says Kas Karin, a math and science teacher at Reynolds, and the team’s head coach. “It’s a team sport, a lot of fun and exciting. You get to see what the team accomplishes, win or lose.”
Robotics is the study and practice of robot design, construction, operation, and use. As a competition, it’s a little complicated—at least to the uninitiated.
See that photo up there? Notice those wheeled cyborgs everyone’s looking at? Well, those are the robots the kids designed, built, and during competition (Reynolds went undefeated in 18 matches this year), controlled—except when it's time for the robot to do the work.
The Reybots also have a GoFundMe page to help them get to Texas.
SPONSORED BY THE BAY CENTRE
Save the date: “Meet the Makers” last market
Mark your calendars for April 7 for the final “Meet the Makers” market at the Bay Centre – their biggest one yet!
Featuring over 40 local vendors, market highlights include free 3-hour parking, complimentary spring bouquets for the first 100 attendees, and a chance to win a $500 Bay Centre shopping spree.
The April 7 market is the final installment of a three-part monthly market series, hosted at the Bay Centre on the first Sunday of the month. Browse two levels of locally made art, homeware, clothing, jewelry, and more.
This event is created by the female led trio of artisans and founders of the Market Collective with a mission to create a platform to support local and handmade from grassroots to Canadian professional artisans.
⭐️ Capital Picks
🌸 Blossom hunt: Find out where trees are blooming in Victoria with this interactive map.
🥐 What’s the best bakery in Vic? Check out the nine finalists and vote for your top choice in the Tasting Victoria Best Restaurant Awards.
📈 Join over 2000 subscribers getting the latest insights on our region's pressing economic issues like housing, healthcare and more from South Island Prosperity Partnership’s weekly newsletter.*
🌙 Moonrise in Ucluelet photographed by David McColm. [Photo]
🤝 Now hiring: Program Coordinator at Scale Collaborative.
*Sponsored Listing
🗞️ In Other News
Suspect arrested after alleged stabbing in James Bay
Police say they were called to a multi-unit building Tuesday night, where the suspect had barricaded himself in a unit. Officers say after hours of attempted negotiations and de-escalation, they received a warrant to breach the unit. The victim was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. [VicPD]
Coral reef thriving on BC coast ‘shouldn’t exist’
Canada’s only known live coral reef—and the most northern coral reef in the Pacific—was first spotted by a local First Nation after noticing fish hanging around a bump on the ocean floor in Finlayson Channel. The DFO has indefinitely closed the channel to all commercial and recreational bottom-contact fisheries. [CTV]
VicPD misplaces second officer notebook in little over a year
Officers are warning people whose personal information was in the notebook to stay in a secondary location with locked doors after the notebook went missing for nine days last month. Police say the notebook was in “possession of the criminal element” in Victoria. It took six days for the department to become aware of the breach that occurred Feb. 14. [Times Colonist]
Former Vancouver-Victoria ferry spotted in Caribbean
The ferry that briefly offered luxury travel between the Island and mainland from 2017-2020 was recently seen in its new home in Antigua and Barbuda, still sporting the same Coast Salish paint design from its PNW years. [Daily Hive]
SPONSORED BY THE CANADIAN CLUB OF VICTORIA
Luncheon with Captain Roger Williams
On March 19, Captain Roger Williams of the BC Coast Pilots will be speaking at the Hotel Grand Pacific to members and guests of the Canadian Club of Victoria. The talk will begin after the luncheon, which begins at 11:45 am.
Pilots are the brave souls who climb a ladder from their boat, 9 metres up to the rails of huge foreign ships that ply our local waters to and from Vancouver. They take over the steering to safely navigate them to and from the open Pacific Ocean. Captain Rogers will explain this fascinating service that has existed from the mid-1800s.
Tickets may be purchased here through the CCV website.
🗓️ Things to do
🎹 How to Jazz: Enjoy this entertainment lecture for non-musicians, tonight at 7pm. [Info]
🎧 Open Decks: This open mic for emerging DJs will offer an eclectic mix at Hermann’s Upstairs, tonight at 9pm. [Info]
🎭 The Hot L Baltimore: See this classic comedy at Phoenix Theatre. Starting tonight at 8pm and running until March 23. [Info]
😂 Julie Kim: See the comedian perform her women-centred comedy at the Charlie White Theatre, tonight at 7:30pm. [Info]
📻 CFUV funding drive kickoff concert: The local campus radio station’s show features Millet, Sofia Miller, Head With Feet, and Sweet Delirium. Tonight at Upstairs Cabaret, doors at 8pm. [Info]
🎸 The Legendary Life of Tom Petty: See this tribute show to the legendary musician at the McPherson Playhouse, tomorrow at 7:30pm. [Info]
🍷 Sommelier Dinner at Apero: Explore the rich flavours of South America at this tasting event, tomorrow at 6pm. [Info]
💐 Crafted Farmhouse Spring Market: Check out this boutique artisan market with 60+ handmade BC makers, tomorrow and Saturday. [Info]
👀 In Case You Missed It
Wednesday’s headlines: Greater Victoria man gets four years for strangling, confining girlfriend; Island resident wins $18M. [March 13]
Hermann’s Upstairs closes, another loss for Victoria’s music scene. [Capital Daily]
TV series about death of Reena Virk premieres April 17. [Trailer]
ICBC warns of fake texts about traffic tickets.
Goldstream highway project faces objections by First Nations. [Times Colonist]
Former VIU dean donates 1K graphic novels, comics to library. [CHEK]
That’s it!
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