Good morning {{First name}}!

I just happened to be looking out my living room window late Tuesday night when that fireball lit up the sky. It was so bright and so fast.
Pretty cool. Never seen anything like it.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: 🌤️ 18 / 11

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 18 / 9

Saturday: 🌤️ 19 / 12 

7-day forecast

They’re fairly rare and zoom through the sky at 40 kilometres per second—so, if you missed the bright, fast-moving fireball just after midnight Tuesday night, you weren’t alone.

Astronomers figure it was a bolide meteor. “Just looking at the tapes, I would agree with that judgment,” said Chris Gainor, former president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. “We can surmise it's a bolide because of the brightness.”

Videos of the meteor lighting up the sky lit up social media and caught the attention of Victoria astronomer Dave Balam, the principal investigator at Spaceguard Canada, which tracks these celestial sightings.

“We have 121 reports (at the American Meteor Society) all the way from 100 Mile House north all the way down to Newton, Ore.,” said Balam, who “guesstimates” the bolide meteor to have been “somewhere between the size of a baseball and a football, not big.”
Balam speculates it likely broke up into pieces in northern Oregon or southern Washington state.

Read more about this cosmic story here.
See videos on the American Meteor Society website.

Missing man: Clement, 41, was last seen on Sunday on Gorge East.

Boil water advisory for East Sooke.

Cook construction between Hillside and Bay: Expect delays due to milling and paving work today. 

Saanich road closure: 1878 Allenby between Richmond and Foul Bay, today 9am to 4:30pm.

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.

Many area melophiles are familiar with Victoria’s Capriccio Vocal Ensemble, a choir that has been in tune for decades.

Acclaimed for its annual Christmas and Remembrance Day concerts, the choristers habitually put on a spring show that gets a lot of buzz. This year, it’s the BC premiere of “The Lost Birds” by Grammy Award-winning American composer Christopher Tin, part of the choir’s Illuminare: Wings of Silence production.

Performances scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria and Sunday evening at Sidney’s St. Elizabeth’s Church have been billed as a tribute to the beauty of birds and a reminder of what we stand to lose.

Bird pictures from local photographers and members of the Rocky Point Bird Observatory are part of the show, adding a visual component to the auditory experience.

“Audience members might recognize their own backyards in the presentation,” says Adam Con, the choir’s artistic director and conductor.

The Capriccio Vocal Ensemble choir will be joined by the Emily Carr String Quartet, featuring Josh Layne on harp and Malcolm Armstrong on double bass.

Before the music plays, Dr. Tracy Underwood, W̱SÁNEĆ Matriarch and a UVic professor, will offer an Indigenous perspective on stewardship, knowledge, and connection to the land.

Con calls it an opportunity to hear directly from an important Indigenous voice how each of us has a part to play in the stewardship of the Saanich Peninsula.

“It’s not only about the voices, the species that we've lost, but also the hope that still exists for the ones we can save,” he says.

Illuminare Concert: Wings of Silence:

Mateína’s new Zero Sugar line delivers smooth, organic energy from yerba mate—no crash, no weird ingredients. With clean caffeine and theobromine, it supports lasting focus and mental clarity. It’s plant-powered fuel that helps you stay sharp, alert, and energized—without the sugar. Try it out today.

🍾 FIZZ Non-Alcohol Bottle Shop cocktail workshop tonight. [Register here]

🧑‍🏫 Missed our Open House? Book a tour to explore our campuses and see how personalized learning and belonging shape extraordinary futures at Glenlyon Norfolk School.*

🎵 Indie-pop maestro Patrick Watson performs tomorrow night at the Royal Theatre.

🎞️ Short Circuit Film Festival this weekend with 20+ local short films at The Vic Theatre, plus Odeon Alley and INDIE+INDUSTRY.*

👮 Saanich Police unveil a new online incident reporting system. 

🎸 The Guess Who is coming to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Aug. 25, with Chilliwack. 

*Sponsored Listing

Island Health’s new ‘most responsible physician’ policy put into question
Doctors of BC, which advocates for 16K medical professionals, wants Island Health to revisit a policy that determines under whose care a patient is assigned when there is a difference of opinion. When a patient arrives at the emergency department, the emergency physician is that provider, but it changes once the patient is admitted. The group is concerned that providers could be paired with patients they aren’t qualified to properly treat. [Times Colonist]

Online dating scammer ‘strongly advised to turn himself in to Saanich Police’
Brodie Brooks, who last year pleaded guilty to defrauding 14 people, mostly women, of more than $90K, is wanted for breaching his court-ordered conditions. Brooks was arrested on multiple counts of online fraud in June 2023 and again that September for criminal harassment. This past January, Brooks was charged with breaching probation. [CHEK]

Don’t sweat it: upper bench sauna seating to return to Juan de Fuca Rec Centre
When West Shore Park and Recreation renovated the sauna, they left out the top bench “to open up more seating.” That didn’t sit well with some of the Colwood hot room’s users, so they started a petition. The rec department took the heat in stride, agreeing that staggered seating allows everyone to find their preferred temperature and promising a plan to put the top seating back. [Victoria Buzz]

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.

🎵 Victoria's Swiftsure Big Band: Featuring vocalist Brenda Morie and music director Don Bishop, the band will swing through a program spanning Sammy Nestico, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, and more. The Coda. Tonight. 6:30pm. [19+] [Info]

🤣 Dialed-in Tour: Abbas Wahab—known for his viral social media series and appearances on The Boys and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—brings his sharp, grounded standup to Victoria. Hecklers. Tonight. 8pm. [Info] 

🎭 Harold Night: Garden City Improv performs The Harold—long-form improv's most ambitious format—with interwoven characters and storylines all built from a single audience suggestion. Theatre SKAM. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🎼 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: The musical retelling of the biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, and his 11 brothers begins its 10-day run at McPherson Playhouse tomorrow night. 7:30pm. [Info]

🚶 Walking Group: The Christ Church Cathedral group is 100+ members strong, with between eight and 20 regular walkers. The activity is open to anyone—newcomers, veterans, young and not-so-young, visitors, and residents. Saturday. 10am-12pm. [Info]

🎶 Victoria Folk Music Society Weekly Gathering: Everyone is welcome. Jam at 6:45pm. Open Stage at 7:30pm. Feature Performers: BC Fiddle Orchestra at 9pm. Friendship Hall (formerly Norway House). Sunday. [Info]

Wednesday’s headlines: Pro-Palestinian group to file OPCC complaint against VicPD; Juan de Fuca Trail to reopen this summer; and Oak Bay to vaccinate deer again. [April 29] 

Saanich plans to mirror Victoria’s short-term rental policy. [Times Colonist] 

Bay Street Bridge still expected to reopen in mid-June. [CHEK]

BC Highway Patrol to concentrate on high-risk driving and motorcycles for May. 

The Victoria Symphony Spring Gala is tonight at the Empress. The virtual auction is open until Sunday. 

Design Victoria is on today through Sunday.

Mother’s Day Concert in Playfair Park. May 10, 2-4pm.

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

And before you go, let us know: