April 25 - Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke candidates answer Cap Daily's questions

Good morning !

Three days out from the federal election, we have our fourth and final South Island riding preview for you: eight questions to the candidates of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke. And a ton of BC businesses are taking one for the team, putting country over profit.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 19 / 8

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 16 / 8

Sunday: 🌤️ 16 / 9

7-day forecast

FEDERAL ELECTION 2025

8 questions for your Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke candidates

In Canada, voters elect local candidates as Members of Parliament, who then represent their region in Ottawa and, in some cases, form part of the government. We sent out surveys to your local candidates to ask how they and their parties promise to help locals on various major issues.

The oddly shaped Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke electoral district skirts underneath the other Westshore riding. Its border hugs the coastline from Sooke at the edge through Metchosin and Colwood and then Esquimalt, and cuts inland to include View Royal and parts of Saanich.

The riding has existed for a decade, and the NDP's Randall Garrison held it until his retirement last year, winning comfortably three times.

His successor, Sooke Mayor Maja Tait, faces a battle to keep the seat with the NDP. There is a full roster of challengers: Liberal Stephanie McLean (a former Alberta NDP minister), Conservative Grant Cool (a successful aerospace engineer), Green Ben Homer-Dixon (a young activist and student), and a bevy of smaller parties and independents.

These competitors have given their responses to our questions on housing, healthcare, the environment, the US, and more.

You can read their replies, organized by candidate, here at The Westshore.

You can read the replies, organized by question, here at Capital Daily.

(The material is the same in both. It's up to you whether you'd rather read each candidate's responses to all eight questions together, or read all candidates’ responses under each question.)

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

36th-annual Times Colonist 10K goes on Sun.

Limited parking at View parkade—including EV charging stations—for several weeks while repairs are done.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

UVic partners with COAST to create a marine decarbonization hub

The BC Marine Energy & Decarbonization Hub—known as the Hub—will encourage companies within the ocean sector to take a green approach to protect the blue economy.

The Hub offers these companies an opportunity to test technology developed by the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST), along with researchers from UVic to accelerate the development and commercialization of marine renewable energy and decarbonization technologies.

COAST says deadlines to reach Canada’s emissions reduction targets are coming up quickly, making it imperative to fast-track solutions. The development of renewable energy technologies must be backed up with the development of supply chains and systems that find ways to capture and store carbon to create a cleaner marine industry.

The Hub aims to help BC—a province where 70% of the population lives near the coast—make a quicker transition to net-zero marine emissions.

"No single source of renewable energy or diesel alternative can catapult us to net-zero,” Jason Goldsworthy, executive director at COAST, said.

“Ocean innovators with potential solutions can face tremendous barriers to testing and demonstration of their technologies in marine environments, including high costs, lack of partner networks, or lack of supportive infrastructure.”

To get companies involved, the Hub plans to host “Innovation Challenges” with different regional stakeholders. Companies can propose new technology as a potential solution to a marine decarbonization problem; if the technology is chosen, the company can test it out here in BC. The first of these challenges is scheduled for later this year.

The Hub builds on 30 years of research conducted at the university by the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic), Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED), and Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET). 

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🍳 2 Victoria restaurants named best brunch in Canada. [OpenTable]

🚬 UNSMOKE Butt Blitz tomorrow. [9:45am-1pm, Langford]

🧳 Departures Travel’s Cathy Scott receives the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Award of Distinction.

🗞️ In Other News

2 area men get arrested for drug trafficking during their drug trafficking trial
Last April, Westshore residents Atta Otchere and Zoran Cooke were in the Supreme Court for several days on accusations of dealing crack cocaine in 2021. During breaks at the trial—even after being found guilty and before sentencing—both men were observed dealing drugs, police said. Saanich Police investigated and said officers seized approximately 38 grams of crack cocaine, divided into 106 small packages. On Tue., they were charged with possession with the purpose of trafficking. [VicPD]

Langford independent living home fined $13,600 for breaking provincial tenancy act
And if it doesn’t pay by May 28, Cherish at Central Park faces additional fines of $5K a day. The BC Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) says the company didn’t follow the Act when it increased rent, restricted guests, withheld security and pet deposits, failed to comply with RTB decisions, and omitted or altered standard terms of the tenancy agreement. The company contends Cherish is a health facility and should be exempt from the Act, which is an issue currently before the BC Supreme Court. [CHEK]

84% of BC retailers willing to pay more to avoid US supplies: survey
The Business Improvement Areas of BC report 84% of the 161 businesses surveyed said the Trump tariff war has them looking for new, non-American supply sources, and they say they’d rather lose profits, increase prices, and delay business growth rather than buy US goods. Some 58% of small- and medium-sized BC business owners said they already are getting supplies from new sources. Roughly 12% of businesses contacted said they’re tied into contracts with US suppliers, and can’t switch now. [Times Colonist]

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🗓️ Things to do

🧓 Victoria Seniors Business Network: Navigating community-based resources for seniors. Free session. St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. April 30. 1:30-3:30pm. [Info] 

🎤 Lunchtime Concerts at Market Square: Enjoy live music at Market Square's lower courtyard, presented by the Victoria Festival Society. Today. 12pm. [Info]

🤣 Improv Comedy at The Mint: Enjoy a night of spontaneous laughs and improv from local comedians. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🎹 Pablo Cardenas: Paying tribute to jazz piano masters and Afro-Cuban jazz legends at Hermann’s. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

☕️ Milk Steaming and Latte Art Workshop: Learn the art of steaming perfect microfoam and pour your first latte art design at The Stick's Roastoreum in Sooke. Tomorrow. 3pm. [Info]​

🎵 Music Bingo at Browns Crafthouse: Join the Vic West restaurant for music bingo. Two games, first come, first served. Tomorrow. 8pm. [Info]

🍎 Orchard Market at Junction Cidery: Shop local vendors, enjoy local pizzas and fresh coffee, and take in live music in a scenic farm setting. Sun. 11am. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: Eight questions for candidates in the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding; Cruise ships are on schedule; Conservatives accused of ‘disrespectful and troubling stance’ toward public meetings. [April 24]

Victoria man’s ‘bubble safety plan’ to avoid parade banishment. [Capital Daily]

TC10K to draw 20K this weekend, and hopes to leave zero litter. [Times Colonist]

American invasion: US visitors descend on Nanaimo to support Canada. [CHEK]

Community-based resources for seniors: Learn how to navigate resources in your community. [April 30]

Rifflandia freezes ticket prices, keeping them the same as last year. [Details]

Purple sea sponge as seen in Ucluelet. [Facebook photo]

That’s it!

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