Good morning {{First name}}!

Sounds like it’s going to be like this often until we get new ships—heavy lineups at Swartz Bay any time there’s a ship or two in sick bay.
If you’re taking a ferry off the Island without a vehicle reservation, you’re likely in for a multi-sailing wait. BC Ferries says standby space will be “extremely limited” this weekend.

We’re going to take an Easter break, and we’ll be back in your inboxes on Tuesday morning.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: 🌦️ 11 / 6

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 15 / 6

Sunday: 🌤️ 18 / 8

7-day forecast

Being two ships down at BC Ferries could cause delays for those hoping to hop on or off the Island this Easter long weekend. 

The Spirit of Vancouver Island, which ferries folks between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen, is out of service because of an issue with its starboard generator. That’s forced the company to revise the route’s schedule. 

BC Ferries also had to cancel a half-dozen sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point because the Queen of Surrey’s scheduled refit is taking longer than expected.

“We knew it was a tight window," said Stephen Jones, the company's vice-president of engineering. "But the reality is that it's the only one we had."

In an attempt to ease the stress of yesterday’s and today’s cancellations, BC Ferries is adding a pair of sailings between Nanaimo and the mainland tomorrow and Sunday. The company said it would contact reservation holders whose sailings were cancelled to either rebook or refund them.

“We know this is not the level of service people expect from us,” said BC Ferries president Nicolas Jimenez.

Read the rest of the story here.

Saanich road closure:
Christmas at Kremlin, 24 hours, through April 17
Kremlin between Kisber and Midgard, 4pm to 8am (overnight), through April 17

Saanich single-lane alternating traffic:
Reynolds between Cedar Hill and Cumberland, 8:30am to 3:30pm, through next Friday
Admirals between Cowper and Arundel, 9am to 3:30pm, through April 17

Sooke Road: Overnight BC Hydro work. [Until April 24]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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

If you or someone you know thinks they have the right stuff to become an Olympian, they can find out next Saturday when Canada’s official Olympic talent search—the RBC Training Ground—visits UVic’s CARSA Field House.

“If I had known about this when I was in the age range, I would have been all about it,” says program spokesperson Larissa Franklin, from Maple Ridge.

Franklin, who won bronze with Canada’s softball team at the 2020 Tokyo Games, wasn’t in that 14-to-25 age range when she first heard of the program, but she knows what the first step is to competing on the world stage.

“Just by having the courage and being willing to take the risk and putting yourself out there,” she says. “Those are all qualities that I think make Olympic athletes.”

At RBC Training Ground’s free qualifying events, athletes are tested for speed, strength, power, and endurance—and they do it in front of scouts from 16 winter and summer national sports organizations.

Read the full story here.

⚽ Pacific FC vs. Cavalry FC on Sunday at Starlight. 

🥽 Take the Cold Water Dip Challenge. [Until April 30]

🐰 Peninsula Co-op Easter Festival. [Tomorrow in Oak Bay]

🪸 Have your say, Langford: Climate Action Plan survey.

🎶 Pacific Opera Victoria presents Orpheus & Eurydice at the Royal Theatre, April 22-28, a powerful opera exploring love, loss, and devotion through a timeless myth.*

*Sponsored Listing

Canadian first: Nuchatlaht First Nation wins legal victory in Nootka Island claim
For the first time in Canadian history, a nation has won full Aboriginal title over its claim. In 2024, the BC Supreme Court granted the Nuchatlaht First Nation rights over an 11-kilometre sliver of land on the island north of Tofino. But in a landmark decision, a Court of Appeal panel has ruled the land in question to be much larger—210 square kilometres—and that the Supreme Court judge erred when he drew an “arbitrary boundary.”
[Business in Vancouver]

Oak Bay Police arrest a driver for allegedly tailing a car and trying to hit it
OB Police said they got a call around dinnertime last Sunday, with the caller saying it looked like a car was following another and attempting to crash into it. They said it had been going on for 15 minutes. The driver of the car in advance pulled into the police and fire station, where officers watched the suspect vehicle narrowly avoid a collision in the parking lot. The driver was arrested, and the car was towed away. [OB Police]

Bif Naked among headliners for SoberFest at Starlight Stadium 
The alcohol- and cannabis-free festival will enter its fifth year when acts hit the Langford stage on Aug. 15. Bif Naked, Snak the Ripper, and Maestro Fresh Wes—a special guest MC—are among those slated to appear. The festival helps people struggling with addiction. Proceeds will benefit the ReWired Recovery Foundation, an organization that assists individuals and families in navigating the path to recovery. [Times Colonist]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Capital Region.

✍️ Unwind & Create: A Friday Night Art Journalling Workshop: Participants learn the basics of art journalling through collage, colour, and mark-making. Hanna Kaye Art Therapy & Counselling. Tonight. 6:30-8pm. [Info]

🎭 Improv with Musical Guest: Local improvisers take the stage alongside musician Tasha Cadence to build comedy scenes inspired by her original songs. The Coda. Tonight. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

🎤 Brandon Isaak and the Mood Swings: the Yukon-born blues veteran offers an evening of original blues, harmonica, and guitar. Hermann's Jazz Club. Tonight. Doors 5:30pm, show 7-9pm. [Info]

🚵🎞️ The Brickyard Social: Kick off mountain bike season with bike films, live music, prize draws, and gear giveaways. Market Square. Tomorrow. Doors at 5pm. [Info]

🎵 Victoria Folk Music Society weekly gathering: Everyone is welcome. Jam at 6:45pm. Open Stage at 7:30pm. Featured performers: Savior Faire at 9pm. Friendship Hall (formerly Norway House). Sunday. [Info]

🎸 Jeff Tweedy: Twilight Override Tour: Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy performs songs spanning his extensive catalogue alongside material from his latest solo record, joined by his sons and longtime collaborators. Royal Theatre. Sunday. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎶 Fernwood Square Series #2: Pull up a blanket and soak in an afternoon of live local music in the heart of the neighbourhood. Fernwood Square. Monday. 2–6pm. [Info]

🐰 Looking for a place to look for Easter eggs? Check the Capital Daily April event listings for an assortment of Easter long-weekend fun.

Thursday’s headlines: BC craft beer makers welcome federal tax break; Ocean dippers dive in to support African school program; and BC Ferries cancellation woes. [April 2]

Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson honoured by Chamber of Commerce. [Times Colonist]

Oak Bay Police arrest driver for allegedly tailing a car and trying to collide with it. [CHEK]

VicPD looking for witnesses in Fernwood playground fire.

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

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

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to a fellow Victorian.

And before you go, let us know: