April 18 - Spongy moth spraying approved

Good morning !

Bad news if you’re on the hunt for a one-bedroom—rent prices for these units in Greater Victoria have increased since last month. Currently Victoria sits in the top 10 for most expensive rental prices in Canada, according to two separate reports. — Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

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NEWS

We’re going to kill this little guy

The BC government will be spraying parts of the Island, along with Salt Spring, to try to eradicate the invasive spongy moth—whose caterpillars devour tree leaves and have eaten up sections of forests in Ontario and the eastern US.

Invasive spongy moths, also known as Lymantria moths, are threatening BC’s ecosystem, the province says. As caterpillars, they feed on more than 300 species of trees and shrubs.  

To kill them, the province will spray Foray 48B, an insecticide used in organic farming containing BtK, which is naturally present in BC soils. It affects only moth and butterfly caterpillars that eat it.

BtK was approved for use to kill the spongy moth larvae in Canada in 1961. The Ministry of Forests was not able to respond by publication time to a call concerning the level of danger—if any—for any person or animal exposed to the insecticide.

The province will apply three applications starting later this month, ending mid-June, seven to 10 days apart. They’ll start at daylight and end no later than 7:30am, and each application will take two days.

The following areas in the Vancouver Island region will be sprayed:

• North Saanich: 170 hectares (ha)

• Greater Victoria: Gorge-Tillicum: 120 ha; Esquimalt and Victoria West: 31 ha; Belmont: 430 ha

• Cowichan Bay: 126 ha

• Nanaimo: 130 ha

• Qualicum Beach: 96 ha

• Salt Spring Island: 48 ha

Formerly known as the gypsy moth, it was introduced from Europe to the northeastern US in 1869 and was first seen in BC in 1911.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Keep dogs leashed at PKOLS; it's ground-nesting season for birds such as the dark-eyed junco.

Have you seen Aidan? Missing teen last seen on Yates April 10. [VicPD]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Victoria 1-bedroom rents increased since March, while 2-bedrooms dipped

Two new reports show rising rents for one-bedrooms in Victoria. Rentals.ca and Zumper have released April’s rental reports, with Victoria listed as the tenth most-expensive city to rent in Canada for Rentals.ca and No. 4 for Zumper. 

Both reports collect data from active listings and exclude occupied units. The reports rely on different data points but offer a similar glimpse at market trends. 

The cost of one-bedrooms increased by 2.5% since March and 4% since last year, according to Zumper, with an average monthly rent of $2,080. Rentals.ca reports a 5% increase for one-bedrooms since last year, but only a 0.2% increase since March, with an average cost of $2,111.

Zumper says rental prices are up 7% across Canada and that Victoria’s median rent is 10% higher than the Canadian average.

However, the price for two-bedroom units saw a dip with both Rentals.ca and Zumper reporting a decrease of about 2%, averaging a monthly cost of more than $2,600.

Vancouver is the most expensive city to rent in Canada according to Rentals.ca, with an average one-bedroom cost of $2,650. Zumper puts North Vancouver in the top spot with a one-bedroom going on average for $2,700.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🐸 Pacific chorus frog egg mass photographed in Clayoquot Sound. [Photo]

📝 Victoria OCP update: Join this online session to learn about the Official Community Plan and share your opinions.

🤝 Now hiring: Certified Dental Assistant at Peninsula Dental.

🗞️ In Other News

Saanich property taxes set to climb by 7.9% 
Saanich’s budget was approved on Tuesday, with an added $12.8M in spending this year. Saanich’s capital budget this year will jump to $126 million from $95 million in 2023. Homeowners in the area can expect to pay an extra $271 on average. The budget includes extra funding for Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, new turf and staffing for Spectrum School and a police budget raise of nearly 10%. [Times Colonist]

Family of woman killed by VicPD says there was no reason to shoot
Video footage was shown during this week’s public hearing to review VicPD Const. Ron Kirkwood’s actions in the 2019 death of Lisa Rauch. Despite police claims they entered the apartment where Rauch had barricaded herself because they saw thick smoke coming from the door and flames in the entrance, the video showed no signs of fire. Rauch’s autopsy found no smoke inhalation or burns. Kirkwood faces allegations of abuse of authority for shooting Rauch with ARWEN rubber pellets. [CHEK]

CRD biosolids company denies claims its products harmed Texas farm
A lawsuit brought forward in February said the biosolids fertilizer used had high levels of “forever chemicals,” or PFAs, that made farmers sick and rendered property unusable. The company Synagro said it will contest these claims, saying the biosolids used met all the necessary requirements. [Victoria News]

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Join the Straight’s Playoff Bandwagon, fueled by Flight Centre! Experience playoff excitement in Nashville, Vegas, or LA. Rally with fans, explore cities and embark on a true fan pilgrimage. Book with Andrew Stafford at Flight Centre Kitsilano: [email protected] or (604) 235-6525.

🗓️ Things to do

🎹 Marianne Trudel: The Montreal-based award-winning pianist will perform at Hermann’s Jazz Club today. Doors 5:30pm, show 7pm. 

🖼️ Bloom Art Show: This floral-themed art exhibit at the Arts & Culture Centre in Colwood begins today. 10am-3pm.

🎤 Lies I Told My Parents: Confabulation Victoria presents a night of personal stories from six storytellers at Victoria Event Centre today. Doors 6:30pm, show 7:30pm. 

🎥 Hundreds of Beavers at Cinecenta: The indie comedy film about a 19th century fur trapper that defeats beavers will be shown at the UVic theatre today. 5pm and 7:10pm.  

💨 4/20 Party with The Earthly Delights: Herald Street Brew Works will host this live music show to celebrate the cannabis-themed day, Saturday at 7pm.

🎻 Coig Trio: See the Juno-nominated Celtic musicians perform at the Charlie White Theatre, Sunday at 7:30pm.

🚲 Critical Mass Ride Oak Bay: Join with family and friends in support of safer cycling lanes. Begins on UVic campus Monday, 5-6pm.

Want more? Get our weekly events roundup every Tuesday so you always know what’s coming up. Subscribe here.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Subsidized dental care coming; Emerson remerges but may be on the move again; Vic gets another Value Village. [April 17]

Chamber holds a safety panel on downtown violence. [Capital Daily]

First culturally supportive housing for Vic. [LJI / Capital Daily]

Doug Hudlin Memorial Way: Street named after Vic’s first Black umpire. [CHEK]

Victoria voted “dopest city” in Canada thanks to its high cannabis delivery rates. [Daily Hive]

Serenading a seal: Emerson enjoying the music of a guitar player on Gonzalez Beach. [Video]

That’s it!

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