April 11 - Terry Fox collection housed at Victoria museum

Good morning !

The Royal BC Museum will house a collection of Terry Fox’s items, including the running shoes and prosthetic leg that carried him through his marathon-a-day journey. The museum will care for the items and ensure they’re preserved, but it hasn’t decided yet if they’ll be on display for the public.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

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NEWS

Citizens to tell Victoria council to ‘Stop the Sweeps’

Today a group of citizens will address Victoria council about the ongoing issue of “street sweeps,” in which bylaw officers dismantle homeless encampments and seize property. While the council meets, a rally calling to end the sweeps is scheduled for outside city hall.

The sweep bylaws exist to prevent “entrenchment,” where people stay in one place too long. However, when enforced, these policies can lead to unhoused people being displaced and their basic needs, like clothing and tents, being taken. Displacement has been linked to a higher risk of overdoses and death.

CTV News reported that Victoria spends roughly $660K a year on encampment enforcement, and an additional $350K for two VicPD officers to accompany bylaw officers for nine months of the year (Jan-Oct). A report from Victoria’s bylaw department says the city impounds roughly 5-10 tonnes of seized property each week.

In Dec., Victoria council unanimously voted to shorten how long the city can hold property, to 14 days from 30. If items aren’t picked up after 14 days, the city has 48 hours to attempt to find the owners before disposing of them.

The council also voted to charge fees for those who have had property seized more than once. It costs $50 to retrieve items for a second impoundment and $100 thereafter for any other retrievals, though fees may be waived for “life-sustaining objects,” like tents. 

The bylaw changes give city staff “more discretion to discard material that is clearly identifiable as rubbish, hazardous, or bulky items, rather than being required to impound, transport, and document such items,” according to a staff report. Poverty advocates worry this could include food, harm-reduction materials, or personal items deemed unusable.

Backpack Project Victoria, who will address the council about the sweeps, has claimed that the city has impounded hundreds of dollars worth of donated items.

The rally is expected to begin at 5:30pm in front of city hall, one hour before the council meets inside.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Nanaimo woman missing since Mar. 17. [RCMP]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Royal BC Museum to house Terry Fox collection

Forty-four years ago tomorrow, the 21-year-old Fox dipped his prosthetic leg into the Atlantic Ocean near St. John’s N.L. and filled a couple of water bottles with seawater—one to keep, the other to pour into the Pacific when he got to Mile Zero here in Victoria.

That never happened. Fox’s Marathon of Hope cross-country trek came to an end in Thunder Bay, 143 days of marathons and 5,373km later, and the inspiring young Canadian would lose his battle with cancer the following June. 

The BC-raised Fox wanted to raise a dollar for each of Canada’s 24 million people at the time. Four and a half decades later, the Terry Fox run has raised close to $1B worldwide. Fox is cemented as a genuine hero in Canada with dozens of roads, streets, trails, schools, and other buildings bearing his name and a slew of statues honouring his likeness.

For the next 20 years, the RBCM will care for and preserve “All Things Terry”, including his prosthetic leg, the Adidas Orion runners he wore, the van he used throughout the Marathon of Hope, and a large collection of letters school children from across Canada wrote to him.

“For 44 years, Terry Fox has been an inspiration to Canadians and we are thrilled to be entrusted with the stewardship of this important collection,” said Tracey Drake, CEO of the Royal BC Museum, which made the announcement yesterday.

The RBCM said it has not yet determined whether the items will go on display. “As we look to the future, we will collaborate with the Terry Fox Centre and the Fox family, who will remain owners of the collection, on any exhibitions or provincial displays,” a museum spokesperson told Capital Daily.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🛟 Rescue materials have arrived to relocate orphaned orca in Zeballos. [Photos]

🌊 Undersea wonders: Nudibranchs, anemones, sea stars and more, photographed in Barkley Sound. [Photos]

🩰 Dance Victoria presents Ballets Jazz Montréal (BJM) in Essence, a triple bill by all-female choreographers at the Royal Theatre on April 26 and 27. Find out more.*

☀️ CRD’s new extreme heat information portal. [For this summer]

🤝 Now hiring: Executive Director at Capital Bike.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

VicPD seeks witnesses to stabbing death on Douglas
Shortly before midnight Tuesday police were called to an incident in the parking lot of the Douglas Centre plaza near Burnside. They found a man suffering from stab wounds. Paramedics arrived but the man succumbed to his injuries. [VicPD]

Sidney’s orca statue on the move to visitor info centre
The eight-foot (2.5m) sculpture currently stands in front of the Mary Winspear Centre, which is donating it to the town. “Florca” is covered in tiles and pieces of broken china. Created by Vic artist Anne Swannell, it was installed on Fort in Vic as part of a 2004 public art project. Expect to see Florca on Beacon in the summer. [Sidney Release]

BC changes building code: wood allowed up to 18 storeys from 12
It’s a move designed to increase housing affordability and to help tackle the climate crisis. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says the changes support the BC forestry sector, will help reduce carbon pollution, and will result in more homes being built. [BC Gov’t]

🗓️ Things to do

🎭 Incoming Festival: Check out this theatre fest with new works from local and touring artists. Today until April 20. [Info] 

🎵 Tribute to Joe Henderson: The Andrew Greenwood Quintet will perform Henderson’s work at Hermann’s, tonight at 7pm. [Info]

🎸 Pop Punk Night: Catch this lineup of pop punk bands at Lucky Bar, tomorrow at 7pm. [Info]

🎤 OK Dope: Crowd Work Show: Join in on the fun at this show where comedians chat with the audience and improvise jokes, tomorrow at 8pm. [Info]

🩰 Knotted: Broken Rhythm Victoria will perform this original contemporary dance show at McPherson Playhouse, tomorrow at 7:30pm. [Info]

😂 Bianca Del Rio: The RuPaul’s Drag Race winner will bring her standup comedy to the Royal Theatre, Sat. 8pm. [Info]

🎶 Lime Cordiale: The Australian pop rockers will perform two nights of music at Capital Ballroom. Sat. & Sun. at 8pm. [Info]

🪄 Sin City Illusions: Be wowed by this magic show featuring two of Canada’s top magicians at McPherson Playhouse, Sat. 7pm. [Info]

Want more events? Subscribe to This Week In Vic and get our weekly events newsletter every Tuesday.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Bouncy castle stolen in Langford; Hockey Day in Vic nets region $4M; Orphaned orca still trapped in up-Island lagoon; And more. [April 10] 

Province putting legal beagles in one regulatory basket: [Capital Daily] 

Savages motorcycle club’s Langford HQ for sale for $1.5M:  [Times Colonist]

Shelter Aid For Elderly Renters one-time $430 benefit announced. [SAFER]

Orcas in synchronized breach near Comox. [Instagram]

That’s it!

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