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News this morning on craft beer and ocean dipping—separately, that is—and two major area properties being sold.
If you’re taking a ferry this weekend, definitely read our first bit In Other News.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: 🌦️ 13 / 7

Tomorrow: ☁️ 12 / 6

Saturday: 🌤️ 13 / 6

7-day forecast

Craft brewers, wineries, and distilleries got some good news yesterday when the federal government announced it will extend relief on alcohol excise taxes, something the industry sees as a way to control some of its costs.

“For many of our members, this isn't just a policy change; it's the difference between struggling and stabilizing, between holding on and being able to invest in the future,” Thom Riley, chair of the BC Craft Brewers Guild, said at a gathering at Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. on Government.

The feds have extended the cap on yearly increases in alcohol excise taxes, meaning companies that produce beer, wine, and spirits will pay 2% instead of a higher rate in line with inflation. 

Additionally, the excise duty rate on the first 15K hectolitres of beer brewed in Canada will remain cut by half. A hectolitre is equal to 100 litres and is how the beer industry measures volume.

The two measures are expected to provide more than $30 million in total relief through to 2028, the federal government said.

Victoria MP Will Greaves, who was on hand at Phillips to make the announcement, said reducing the excise duty rate by 50% on the first 15K hectolitres will provide the typical craft brewery with up to $90K in tax relief.

Read the full story here.

Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay route under revised schedule for holiday weekend due to 2 vessels being out of service. [BC Ferries]

VicPD looking for witnesses in Fernwood playground fire.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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As we dive into April, Victoria’s Laura Thomson is back in the water to raise money to help feed students in Kibera, Kenya, one of Africa’s most impoverished areas.

“Last year I did 30 dips in a row and raised $5K to help support the food program at Soweto Junior School,” Thomson says.

Kibera, a neighbourhood of Nairobi, is considered the largest urban slum in Africa. For many of the 300 students at Soweto Junior School, the food program provides the only meal they can depend on.

“The kids are [aged] 4-12,” says Thomson, who works as a consultant. “This food program is vital for them so they can focus on learning and have fun being kids, instead of worrying about their next meal.”

Born in Zambia and a Victorian for 30 years now, Thomson began dipping regularly during the pandemic as a way to socialize and now goes in with friends two or three times a week. 

She started her Soweto student swims in 2021, and since then, Support Soweto Junior School (SSJS) has raised more than $15K.

This month, she’s challenging swimmers to take 20 cold-water dips before April 30, and to ask friends and family to pledge a buck per plunge. All money raised will go directly to the food program.

“I'm so grateful that our community is coming together to support feeding the vulnerable children in Kenya,” says Alyssa Jackson, an SSJS board director at large, who planned a dip with friends under last night’s full moon. 

Jackson and Thomson invite all ocean swimmers to Willows Beach for a community dip on Saturday, April 25.

“We are hoping for a big turnout with over a hundred dippers,” Thomson says.

To contribute, click here. 

Princess Grace Award winner Omar Román de Jesús brings his boundary-pushing vision to Canada for the first time as Dance Victoria presents the Canadian premiere of Boca Tuya on April 10 & 11 at the Royal Theatre. This unforgettable, surreal program pulses with a Puerto Rican heartbeat. Tickets from $34.

🔑 UVic Real Estate Spring Social is tonight. [Info]

🎼 Illuminare: Wings of Silence featuring the Emily Carr String Quartet. [Coming in May]

👢 Wow, you look great! Join us at Fluevog Shoes on April 9 for an evening of community, creativity, and fantastic footwear! RSVP here.*

🕴️Downtown Victoria Business Association member survey.

🎨 Fairfield Artists Studio Tour is happening on May 2-3. [Free to all]

🐰 Children’s Easter Bunny Hunt at The Butchart Gardens, April 3 to 6. Find the 10 bunnies hiding throughout The Gardens and receive an Easter treat!*

*Sponsored Listing

BC Ferries’ ship issues affecting sea travel to and from Victoria and Nanaimo
Just ahead of the Easter long weekend, the ferry service is down a couple of vessels. The Spirit of Vancouver Island is in for repairs, forcing the cancellation and rescheduling of some sailings between Victoria and the mainland. Additionally, the Queen of Surrey is undergoing a retrofit, which is taking longer than expected, resulting in some scrubbed sailings on the Tsawwassen–Duke Point route. BC Ferries is holding a news conference this morning to provide an operations update. [CHEK]

Hotel Grand Pacific sold to a Toronto-based company
InnVest Hotels has purchased the luxury lifestyle hotel from Vancouver’s P. Su’s Enterprises, which famously incorporated Feng Shui, or “wind and water,” when it bought the Inner Harbour hotel in 1996. The Grand Pacific was built in 1989 on the site of the former Crest Motel. It has since been expanded to 10 floors and 304 rooms. InnVest Hotels is Canada’s largest hotelier, with more than 100 properties, including Toronto’s St. Regis, and partners with such brands as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt.

Bear Mountain development also sold—for $141M, no longer under court-appointed receiver 
The new owners are Groundplay Developments, whose principal, Dan Matthews, was one of the development’s partners before the courts intervened in 2024. The partners couldn’t agree on how to manage the property or develop the land. The new structure will see Groundplay Properties, which has partnered with investment firm Tiga, hold all the real estate and development lands. The resort’s two golf courses and tennis facility will be managed by Bear Mountain Golf and Tennis Club. [Times Colonist]

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🎶 Postsecondary Thursday Lunch Concert: VCM students share works-in-progress spanning classical, jazz, bluegrass, and original compositions in a free drop-in concert. Robin & Winifred Wood Hall, Victoria Conservatory of Music. Today. 12:30-1:30pm. [Info]

✍️🎵 Songwriters Circle: Six Vancouver Island songwriters—including Felicia Harding, Claire Coupland, and Marina Avros—share songs and stories in an intimate, living-room-style setting. The Coda. Today. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

🎷🎹 Masashi Usui Japan/Montreal Trio: Award-winning Japanese saxophonist Masashi Usui joins Montréal pianist Kate Wyatt and bassist Adrian Vedady for an evening of jazz standards and original works. Hermann's. Today. 7pm. [Info]

😆 Darcy & Jer: Average at Best: The comedic married duo behind the No Refunds World Tour returns with a new show riffing on neurodiversity, parenting, and suburban life. Royal Theatre. Today. 8pm. [Info]

🎼 UVic Concert Band: Retro: The UVic Concert Band traces a century of wind ensemble music, from early symphonic band classics through to contemporary works by Frank Ticheli and Cait Nishimura. Farquhar Auditorium, UVic. Today. 8pm. [Info]

🐰 Children's Easter Bunny Hunt: Kids follow a map through the Gardens to locate 10 hidden bunnies, with completed maps exchanged for an Easter treat and a chance to win an Easter basket. The Butchart Gardens. Today-Monday. [Info]

🌱 Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society presents Geir Moen from Oslo, who will discuss preserving rare alpine species & inspiring sustainable practices in rock gardening. First Memorial Meeting Room, 4725 Falaise & on Zoom. Tuesday. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎺 The Swiftsure Big Band: featuring vocalist Brenda Morie, with Don Bishop, music director. A night built for jazz lovers who crave colour, swing, and the joy of a full horn section in flight. The Coda. April 30. 6:30pm. [Info] [Originally scheduled for Hermann’s]

Wednesday’s headlines: Playground fire in Fernwood’s Stadacona Park; Events for April; and a pleasing housing reprieve for Cook Street Village resident. [April 1]

VIATEC Awards bring together an area tech community facing an uncertain economic and AI future. [Times Colonist]

Water turned off on 2 more BC Ferries vessels. [CHEK]

BC Lions in Langford tickets SOLD OUT Tuesday.

Call to Artists: Exhibit your work at the McPherson Playhouse. [Applications until May 10]

Langford survey: Draft Arts and Culture Strategy. 

Victoria’s Citrus & Cane and Humboldt Bar make North America’s Best Bar list.

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