April 15 - Canada's oldest Chinese temple is a Victoria gem

Good morning !

We’ve got three days of sunny, 16-17C weather ahead of us. Unfortunately, it’s only during the work week—Sat. and Sun. are expected to drop down to 13C and 10C respectively. For those working, you may want to take a long walk at lunchtime.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 17 / 7

Tomorrow: ☀️ 17 / 9

Day after: ☀️ 16 / 9

7-day forecast

NEWS

Victoria’s Tam Kung Temple vying for top heritage prize

In a small room on the top floor of a building on Government Street, a tradition that dates back to the Qing Dynasty is kept alive in Victoria.

Tam Kung Temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Canada and the only temple dedicated to the deity outside of Asia. It was declared a national historic site last month.

Tam Kung is a young deity of the sea in Taoism, deified during the Qing dynasty but worshipped for far longer by the Hakka people of China.

The temple began as a small roadside shrine set up by a gold-rush pioneer for his Tam Kung statue, but through the efforts of Hakka Chinese immigrants in Victoria, it was built into the historic site that stands today.

Now, the society that runs the temple is looking to fix it up and draw more visitors to the site—and they’re hoping a contest run by the National Trust for Canada will bring in the necessary funding.

There are still two days and one morning left to cast votes for Tam Kung Temple in the Next Great Save—you can vote once a day—before the contest closes Thu. at 10am.

Read more to learn about the history of the temple and see photos of the heritage site.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Election listening session with four major parties tomorrow. [Chamber of Commerce]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

Cruise ship season is underway

Looking out into the Juan de Fuca and passing by Ogden Point, you’re going to start seeing the big voyage vessels in the coming days.

Princess Cruise Lines’ Grand Princess was in port yesterday, and beginning on Fri., there’ll be a ship a day—usually two and often three—docked at Ogden.

The Disney Wonder made a stop here on March 6 on its way to Alaska from San Diego, but the cruise ship season officially began on April 4, with the arrival of Holland America’s Koningsdam.

Traditional dancers from the Songhees Nation and Lək̓ʷəŋən Traditional Dancers were there to greet passengers and crew in a celebration of community, culture, and tradition.

According to this year’s cruise schedule, there will be 320 ship visits, including five inaugural calls. 

The largest vessels on the docket include Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, which is slated to visit 17 times, with as many as 4,919 passengers aboard, and the Norwegian Bliss, which can accommodate as many as 4,250 passengers, will dock at Ogden 24 times.

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority says it expects more than 1M passengers and crew to pass through the terminal.

The ships originate from California and Washington state and will be coming at a time of very low tide in Canadian-US relations. 

As the Trump trade war began last month, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan fired a salvo of his own, suggesting the US Congress could pass an exemption to the law that requires cruise ships en route to Alaska from the Continental US to stop in BC.

“You know, Canada, you don’t want to mess with Alaska,” the senator said in response to Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on US goods.

The rhetoric has since been put on hold, with no further action taken, and two weeks ago, Republican Rep. Chuck Kopp spoke out against US President Donald Trump's assertions that Canada should become America’s 51st state.

The representative from Alaska—the US’s 49th state—went as far as to propose a joint resolution in that state legislature affirming Canada’s sovereignty. 

“We can’t imagine Alaska without Canada,” he said.

NEWS

No evidence of ‘neglect in duty to care’ in Central Saanich police officer’s death: IIO

Two officers, Matthew Ball and Ryan Johnston, were facing sexual assault charges concerning a woman they had met while on duty and continued to interact with between 2019 and 2023.

They were arrested Dec.17, given mental-health assessments, and released. The following day, Ball’s body was found in a forested area near Shawnigan Lake. He had died by suicide. 

In a report released yesterday, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) said it found “no indication that there was a neglect in duty to care, and no reasonable grounds to believe any officer may have committed an offence.”

Jessica Berglund, the chief civilian director, reviewed witness and police statements and documents, medical reports, and CCTV footage, and determined there was no reason to refer the case to the BC Prosecution Service to consider charges.

The IIO, which investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, said its investigation into Ball’s death is over.

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) had been investigating since Oct., and in a news conference the day of the officers’ arrest, Fiona Wilson—who takes over as VicPD chief at the end of Aug., but was a VPD deputy chief at the time—was heavily criticized for calling the allegations "deeply corrosive to the public trust." 

The Vancouver Police Union said the “overly charged” language affects the forces’ morale, erodes public confidence in policing, and undermines the presumption of innocence.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🛶 Summer camp registration opens today. [City of Victoria]

🥚 Meet BC’s new generation of farmers: Jared de Dood blends tech, tradition, and tenacity to raise certified organic eggs—and a family—on his thriving poultry farm.*

🍿 Outdoor movie by the Johnson Street Bridge. [Tomorrow night]

🌷 Spring is upon us. Have Shield Landscaping come out and clean up your garden. They can do all the weeding so you can relax.*

🤝🚂 Mattick’s Farm’s mini railway back in the day. [Facebook photos]

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

‘Alarming’ 24% year-over-year increase in food bank use 
Mustard Seed executive director Treska Watson says food bank workers are wondering how they’re going to make ends meet after seeing almost one-quarter more people than last year coming in for food. Watson worries the tariff war will make for even more people dependent on Victoria’s food banks. The Mustard Seed says roughly one in 10 people in Greater Victoria relies on a food bank. [CHEK]

Overdose prevention pop-up returned to Royal Jubilee
The pop-up site was set up Sunday morning outside the hospital, a day before the ninth anniversary of BC’s toxic drug health emergency. Run by physicians—a group called Doctors for Safer Drug Policy—the site lays out harm reduction supplies, food, and clothing for those in need. The sites, paid out of pocket by the doctors, are unsanctioned by the hospital; in November, the group’s sites in Nanaimo and at the Jubilee were shut down by police. The doctors say the province promised these services on the Island, but has not followed through. [Victoria News]

Budget cut clash at Camosun College: faculty asks for mediation 
The college says it faces a money crunch because the federal government issued one-third fewer international student visas last year—in part to address their effect on the health-care system and housing supply. Because international students typically pay as much as four times more than domestic students to attend Canadian universities, fewer international students mean lower revenues. The college says it’s facing an $11M budget shortfall and the Camosun College Faculty Association, which represents 600 teaching and support staffers, said it wants to see the numbers. [Times Colonist]

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🗓️ Things to do

🍸 A Vermouth Masterclass & Pairings: As part of Victoria Cocktail Week, Matadora Taperia and Esquimalt Vermouth are doing two immersive masterclasses today. 5:30pm. [Info]

🎱 Drag Bingo: Play bingo with local drag stars and win prizes at the Vicious Poodle tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🎶 Wesli: The Juno-winning artist will bing his Afrobeat, reggae, and Haitian style sound to Wicket Hall tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]

🩰 Ballet Victoria: Cinderella: Ballet Victoria presents a charming retelling of the classic fairy tale with original choreography, humour, and magic at the McPherson Playhouse. Opens Friday at 7:30pm. [Info]

📚 Times Colonist Book Drive: Drop off used books at the Victoria Curling Club this weekend for the popular sale in May. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Monday’s headlines: Federal riding spotlight: Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke; View Royal’s HandyDart hub opens; Spring bus schedule begins for BC Transit users. [April 14]

The Last of Us: HBO show transforms Nanaimo. [CHEK]

Cheaper ferry tickets on less-busy sailings: BC Ferries recently added more Saver Fares for spring.

Tsunami Preparedness Week: Victoria advises residents to check their area's hazards level.

Octopus’s garden at Gyro Park. [Doug Clement]

Waiting for coffee: A peacock peeks into Bubby Rose’s. [Facebook photo]

That’s it!

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