Good morning {{First name}}!

Our first story is undeniably sad—but it’s also beautiful.
Ten years after her death, a mother of two is remembered with so much love.

Our second story is for anyone looking to get away for a few hours to give something back to nature (and get even more in return).

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: 🌤️ 13 / 1

Tomorrow: ☀️ 16 / 1

Thursday: ☀️ 18 / 4

7-day forecast

This past Sunday marked 10 years since the on-duty death of West Shore RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett and her peers have released a video in her remembrance.

Her widower, Brad Aschenbrenner, said he remembers meeting Sarah for the first time and reflected on her "enormous smile” that she passed along to their children.

“She left me with the best part of her—those boys,” he said, referring to sons Lucas and Emmitt.

“Having a front-row seat to that, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Former colleagues spoke of her kindness and spirit.

“She had a way about her to make you feel really special and to make you feel that you were being heard and listened to,” said West Shore RCMP Const. Elyse Patten.

Beckett, 32, and an 11-year RCMP veteran, died when a pickup slammed into her police car on April 5, 2016. The investigation determined that the truck driver was impaired. 

“Anybody who got to meet her and spend time with her was lucky,” said retired Supt. Phil Lue, who worked with Sarah in Port McNeill.

“She always wanted to help, always wanted to help,” he said.

“I think anyone who knew her misses that and misses that part about her.” 

Held each spring since 2019, the Sarah Beckett Memorial Run has raised $160K for non-profit organizations, including BGC South Vancouver Island (formerly the Boys and Girls Club), the Goldstream Food Bank, and the Const. Sarah Beckett Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to post-secondary students interested in a career in law enforcement.

Join the 2026 Sarah Beckett Memorial Run

Recall of CO-OP brand Creamy Garlic and Spinach Salad due to potential Listeria contamination. 

Blanshard lane closures:
Caledonia to Bay, through April 17

Cook Construction: lane closures, traffic disruptions
Maplewood closed at Cook, work hours through April 14
Vista Hts. closed (from Rise to Cook), work hours through April 14

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’re looking for a little mental lift, you may want to consider a little time in the woods.

We’re not saying you have to go full Henry David Thoreau, but a case can be made about how good you can feel when you give a little something back to Mother Nature.

Since 2014, the Greater Victoria Green Team (GVGT) has been organizing hands-on environmental activities that restore local ecosystems. It just finished a two-day cleanup of invasive English ivy along UVic’s Alumni Chip Trail on the university’s campus.

Nasty stuff that ivy. A real sunlight thief and forest killer.

But in a scene played out myriad times here on the Island, a group of people, mostly students—60 one day late last month and 40 a couple of days later—pulled more than 18 cubic metres of the choking vine. That’s more than 100 bathtubs full, the GVGT says.

The work effectively restored about 180 square metres of habitat, potentially saving dozens of trees and countless native plants from being overtaken.

It gets better.

Working with the Victoria Foundation, the nonprofit GVGT surveyed participants. Even though we’re talking about a minuscule sample size, the results suggested a real win-win.

Read the rest of the story here.

💮 Rhodo Rave at Abkhazi Garden. [Starts Friday]

🥾 Summer camp registration opens April 13. [City of Victoria]

🧁 St. Luke’s Spring Fair is on April 25.

🦅🦅 Watch: 2 bald eagles rescued after being caught in power lines in Surrey. [CTV]

👡 Take your mama out. Join us at Fluevog Shoes on Thursday for an evening of community, creativity, and fantastic footwear! RSVP here.*

*Sponsored Listing

More cancellations at BC Ferries with strong winds expected
Last night’s 8pm sailing from Swartz Bay and the 10pm return from Tsawwassen were cancelled. BC Ferries cited Environment Canada’s special weather statement calling for “westerly winds gusting up to 70 km/h” developing in the wake of a passing cold front. The carrier warned that if conditions did not improve, this morning’s eight o’clock ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen and the 10am from the mainland could also be scrubbed. Check current conditions here. [CHEK]

Students try to rescue middle school music programs before SD61 budget vote
Hoping to pull off a Hermann’s-type comeback, students from Mount Douglas Secondary launched the Save Our Music SD61 campaign. They’re rallying to support middle school jazz band, choir, and musical theatre programs facing a $250K reduction in the district's proposed $331 million budget, which is expected to be approved tomorrow. The district confirmed that all money raised by 4pm tomorrow will be used to support middle school music programs for the next school year. [Times Colonist]

1 dead, 1 seriously injured in Sooke house fire
Emergency crews called to a single-family home just after 5:20 yesterday morning arrived to find the house on fire and two people inside. One of the occupants was pronounced dead at the scene; the other was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, the RCMP said. Early in the investigative process, there was “no indication of criminality,” police said. [CBC]

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.

🤠 Honky Tonk Tuesday: Canadian poet and singer-songwriter Elise LeBlanc performs, with a special guest set from Slim Sandy & The Hillbilly Boppers. Encore Victoria. Today. 7pm. [Info]

🎷 Big Band Tuesday: Bayside Big Band and Stelly's Jazz Band: The Bayside Big Band and Stelly's Secondary School Jazz Band share the stage for a fundraising double bill, culminating in a combined 40-piece finale. The Coda. Today. Doors 6:30pm, show 7-9pm. [Info]

🎺 Big Band featuring Joe Coughlin: The Metro Big Band performs a program of Frank Sinatra and Count Basie swing, joined by Canadian jazz vocalist Joe Coughlin. Alix Goolden Performance Hall. Today. 7-9pm. [Info]

🎶 Swang Thang!: An upbeat and vibrant ensemble bringing the infectious energy of Swing, Blues, and Latin dance party music straight from the golden era of 1940 to 1965. The Loft Pub. Today. 6-9pm. [Info]

🔍 Victoria Networking Scavengers: An alternative way to network, create, and refine your personal brand. These scavenger hunt events bring business owners together. Tomorrow. 10:30am-1pm. Inner Harbour, street level at Milestones. [Info]

🗣️ Master Storytelling: Jan Blake shares myths and tales that reconnect her with her African heritage and Jamaican roots, transforming ancestral bone memory into a source of healing and joyful self‑expression. Percussion and soundscape by Reg Wilford. Sunset Labs. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🐴 Trot into Spring: The first-ever Trot Into Spring, a spring-themed community event hosted by Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association (VTRA) in collaboration with Ponies & Paint Nights. VTRA Barn, 6917 Veyaness, Saanichton. Saturday. 10am-12pm. Deadline tomorrow. [Info] 

🎵 Anything’s Possible: SingYourJoy Adult Chorus’s 15th anniversary celebration concert. A concert that honours our humble beginnings, our challenging years, and our collective successes. Dave Dunnet Community Theatre. Saturday. 7-9pm. [Info]

Friday’s headlines: BC Ferries ship lineup limps into the long weekend; Olympic dreams begin here; a First Nation first. [April 3]

Art gone: years-old Songhees Walkway pirate installation is removed. [CHEK]   

4 more BC Ferries sailings cancelled yesterday due to mechanical issues. [Times Colonist]

Rock Bay waste management facility fire deemed suspicious. [CTV]

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

Have your say, Langford: Climate Action Plan survey. Closes end of day tomorrow.

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

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

And before you go, let us know: