April 26 - Locals prove Arctic fish grunt

Good morning !

Last weekend before the election, and we’re almost into May, which means it’s going to start getting busy with summertime events pretty soon.
But first, we spring into the TC 10K, which this year, takes a different route.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 17 / 7

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 17 / 11

Monday: 🌧️ 12 / 9

7-day forecast

NEWS

Exoect busy streets tomorrow for TC 10k and Khalsa Day Parade

If you’ve got some running around to do near the downtown core, better to do it today than tomorrow—unless you’re looking for gridlock and blocked-off streets.

Best to leave the running to those in the Times Colonist 10K, which goes this Sunday. The race, along with the Khalsa Day Parade, will make driving a challenge.

Parade, performances, and food in Burnside Gorge area

The parade for Khalsa Day, a.k.a the Vaisakhi festival, is a Sikh event that marks the beginning of spring harvest and the time of the establishment of the Khalsa order by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

The Khalsa Day Parade begins at 10:30 tomorrow morning in the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood and runs until 1:30pm, but performers and participants are expected to be celebrating well into the afternoon. 

The parade route runs from Cecelia to Burnside, moving down Alpha, Douglas, Finlayson, and Jutland before returning to Cecelia. It will stop for approximately 20 minutes for performances on Finlayson between Douglas and Burnside, while the festival will continue at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha on Cecelia.

The TC 10K follows a new route this year

Runners will no longer be hoofing it through the downtown core. Instead the race, which starts at 8am tomorrow, will wind through James Bay and then through to Fairfield before returning to Dallas.

“Due to heavy traffic disruptions on race day, please allow extra time for your journey if you’re planning to use the Coho Ferry or BC Transit,” VicPD said in a release.

Belleville between Government and Menzies will close tonight, while Menzies from Quebec to Belleville will be closed at 4pm tomorrow. There will be other road closures in James Bay and along the wider race route from 7:30am tomorrow to noon.

New police drone will be used

VicPD reminds residents and tourists alike that the force will be deploying CCTV and, for one of the first times, its Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)—essentially camera-equipped drones. Police say the cameras aren’t on auto-record, and that information is collected only if an incident occurs or police are conducting a criminal investigation.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Federal election is Mon. [Capital Daily 2025 Election Hub]

CCTV deployment for downtown demonstration today. [2-4pm]

PST exemption on electric vehicles ends next week. [May 1]

Hwy 1 northbound Colquitz River bridge is closed for construction tonight. [7pm-9am tomorrow]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

UVic researchers launch ‘codcast’ about their work proving that arctic cod grunt

It all started not with a bang, but with a grunt. In search of proof that Arctic cod could produce sounds, UVic researcher Amalis Riera—on a team led by UVic marine ecologist Francis Juanes—put a hydrophone in a tank with the fish at UBC. For the first time, Riera caught grunt sounds coming from the fish, proving they were a sound-producing species.

Her discovery launched a years-long project through UVic—spearheaded by Juanes— to develop a full picture of the Arctic cod sounds. 

The team of marine biologists is identifying how these grunts are being used, learning how seasons affect the fish—especially when it comes to spawning—and determining how the sounds are produced. 

Arctic climate changes make research difficult

The research is crucial to understanding how climate change is affecting the Arctic, particularly for a fish as critical to the environment as the Arctic cod, which makes up 92% of fish species in some areas and serves as a food source for almost every other creature.

“As the Arctic is changing, we’re struggling to monitor or even get a good baseline understanding of current Arctic cod population health using traditional survey methods,” says Juanes, who explains the ultimate goal is to gain a better understanding of the sounds to be able to “employ passive acoustics to monitor and track the population.”

4-part cod pod coming soon

They’re sharing their research—including the discovery of the sounds, how they developed their study, and what they’ve learned so far—in a new, four-episode podcast called The Codcast.

“We wanted to create this podcast to help open people’s eyes and ears to this underwater soundscape, and increase awareness of how important a simple little fish like Arctic cod can be,” Juanes says. 

The podcast launched this month and is available on most podcast apps. 

NEWS

Family still searching for boater missing near Finlayson Arm

A boat was found empty on Tues. after a family went overboard. The mother and child were soon found nearby in serious condition, after the woman swam them to shore. They are now recovering in hospital. But the man remains missing, and a major search-and-rescue operation to find him was called off on Weds.

Family members say they will continue to search for Ryan Mazar, 43, who had gone prawning with his wife and child. The family searchers told CHEK that they went out Thursday and that professional rescue ops restarted that afternoon.

All were thrown overboard, and West Shore RCMP Cpl Nancy Saggar said that the woman and infant were significantly affected by their exposure to the elements. She told Black Press that the boating trio had not been wearing life jackets, but noted that “this is not to shame anybody at all,” saying she doesn't think “anybody who was on that boat could have predicted what was going to happen.”

⭐️ Capital Picks

📸 Vintage Island: See downtown Duncan in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. [Facebook photos]

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

🏫 Cedar Hill Middle School open house: Alumni can take one last look at the school today before it’s demolished. [Victoria Buzz]

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

🗞️ In Other News

Saanich teachers create free lesson plans on streams and watersheds
The curriculum is part of a nationwide initiative to keep kids engaged with nature, with each course focusing on solutions in different communities. This course centres on stream keeping in the Saanich Peninsula and has additional materials for middle-school and Grade 12 students. Unlike most lesson plans that adhere to the requirements of BC's education ministry, this course will not come at a cost to educators. [Victoria News]

Departures Travel’s Cathy Scott gets Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Award of Distinction
The Chamber said that over her 20 years in the travel industry, Scott has mentored women entrepreneurs, championed local businesses, and promoted the region globally. She also recently received an award in Las Vegas: Ensemble’s Member Excellence Award for Canada. [Award of Distinction]

The kicker: West Shore RCMP looking for a mischief suspect
Police say around 4:30 in the afternoon on April 6—a Sunday—a man driving a dark blue Toyota Tacoma pickup on Goldstream near Carlow in Langford got out of their vehicle and allegedly kicked the back end of a Toyota Venza, damaging it. [RCMP]

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🗓️ Things to do

🍽 Downtown Flavour Trails Festival: Celebrate the vibrant and diverse array of flavours in the downtown core this weekend. The self-guided festival offers cooking demos, workshops, and dishes featuring local, seasonal ingredients. Today and tomorrow. Downtown. All day. [Info]

🧪 S.T.E.A.M. Fair for Kids at Mayfair Mall: A fun, interactive fair where kids can explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math through hands-on activities. Mayfair. Today. 11am–3pm. [Info]

🎡 Mayfair Mall Fair: The spring fair will bring rides, games, and food trucks to the mall parking lot. Mayfair. Through Sun. 12-10pm today. 12-7pm tomorrow. [Info]

👕 Big Brothers Big Sisters Donation Station: Donate clothing, household goods, and small furniture to support youth mentorship and keep usable items out of the landfill. Today. 9:30am-1:30pm. [Info]

🌎 Climate Talk, Park Cleanup, & Silent Disco: Celebrate Earth Day at Banfield Park with a climate talk and hands-on cleanup, and a silent disco party to close the day. Today. 4-7pm. [Info]

🤣 Jerry Seinfeld: See the iconic comedian deliver his standup show about nothing at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Tonight 7:30pm. [Info] 

🌸 Spring-O-Ween: The spooky springtime market will return to Market Square this weekend. [Info]

👠 Cinderella: A whimsical retelling of the classic fairy tale, featuring the Canadian College of Performing Arts’ signature mix of humour, romance, and stunning choreography. McPherson Playhouse. Today. 2pm and 7:30pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: 8 questions for your candidates in the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke riding; UVic partners with COAST to create a marine decarbonization hub. [April 25]

BC hits brakes on used zero–emission vehicle sales tax exemption. [CHEK]

MD-Stat: Colwood-run clinic looks to the US for new doctors. [CTV]

Election 2025: Victoria riding close, polling suggests. [Times Colonist]

‘Coachella for dogs’ coming to Oak Bay in Aug. [Black Press]

Best brunch in Canada: 2 Vic restos make list. [OpenTable]