Good morning {{First name}}!

I can see how senior government execs and political staffers would welcome a two- or 2.5% bonus. Everyone’s wages should at least keep up with the rising cost of living.
But holy bad optics, Batman.
For the provincial government to spend $23 million on performance-based raises while allowing funding to a nonprofit like Saanich’s Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre (IDHHC) to lapse doesn’t add up.
The IDHHC closed earlier this summer. Thousands of deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing people lost precious access to interpreters and all kinds of supports.

I’m confused about priorities here.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: 🌤️ 24 / 14

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 26 / 16

Saturday: 🌧️ 23 / 15

7-day forecast

Starting Friday, dozens of bike parkades (like the one above) that have sprouted up in neighbourhoods across Victoria and Vic West will fill with lime-green and white electric bikes.

San Francisco-based Lime’s shared e-bike program is hitting the streets. 

“Our goal is to build a program that works well for the entire community, including riders and non-riders,” said Carling Dick, government relations director for Lime Canada.

“That means making it easy to ride, but also making sure bikes are parked properly and that people understand how to use the system responsibly.”

Riders, who must be 18, use the Lime app to locate and unlock a bike at a designated Lime parking zone, strap on a helmet, and ride to their destination. When finished, they lock it and leave it at one of Lime’s 100 or so designated zones located downtown, in James Bay, Hillside-Quadra, Burnside, North Park, and in Vic West.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but in other centres, it costs about $1.25 to unlock a bike and 40 cents per minute to ride.

Lime is paying to use 64 street parking spaces under a five-year contract, city spokesperson Colleen Mycroft told the Times Colonist.

In the Westshore, BCAA’s Evolve E-Bike landed in Langford last year and has expanded into Saanich and Colwood.

Lime is hosting a Hello Victoria party:

Where: 49 Below Ice Cream, 420 Craigflower
When: Friday, 1pm to 5pm.
What: Riding & parking tips
Free Stuff: Lime helmets
Free Cold Stuff: Popsicles for the first 200 with the Lime app

Saanich single-lane alternating traffic:
Carey between Judah and Ridgebank, 7am-3:30pm for the rest of the calendar year
Cochrane between Dean and Richmond, today 7:30am-3pm

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

On the water today? Check the tide times for Victoria.

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

Since the beginning of the month, Island Health has placed seven Greater Victoria beaches under advisory for elevated bacteria and contaminants.

The health authority is warning beachgoers—both people and pets—to avoid water activities, especially swimming, in these areas until advisories are lifted. 

"While public beaches are not technically ‘closed’ to public access, it is highly recommended to not enter the water while an advisory is in place," Island Health's website reads. 

There are currently 12 Island beaches on the advisory list, the majority of which are in the CRD.

Most of these beaches are experiencing high levels of E. coli or enterococci. The former is common in freshwater and the latter in saltwater, but both indicate fecal contamination. Blue-green algae is another source of contamination, common in freshwater.

Beaches added to the advisory list in the last month:

Two other beaches were added to the list earlier this summer—Prior Lake and Thetis Lake (Main Beach)—due to blue-green algae.

Two Greater Victoria beaches have had advisories in place for multiple years: Ross Bay Beach has had elevated enterococci since 2024, and Beaver Lake has had blue-green algae since 2023. 

The longest-running Island Health alert is for Art Mann Park in Duncan, which has been under an E. coli advisory since 2015.

Shawnigan Retreats offers the perfect cozy retreat for family gatherings or romantic getaways. Nestled by the serene Shawinigan Lake, our luxurious accommodations feature a sauna, hot tub, games room with ping-pong, cards, and board games—even a private pickleball court. Enjoy nearby hikes through breathtaking nature and unwind in comfort. With space for up to 18 guests, Shawnigan Retreats promises an unforgettable experience.

Explore Shawnigan Retreats and plan your getaway today. Learn more about Shawnigan Retreats.

🎵 lək̓ʷəŋən Traditional Dancers and The Soul Shakers at Willows Beach today at 6pm.

👨‍🎨 Art Battle Victoria is tomorrow at Magic Box Studios. 

🤠🎵 Country Roads: Langford Country Music Festival is Saturday, Aug. 29, at Starlight Stadium.

📚 Summer Reading Club feedback survey: Share your experience—and your kid's—with Greater Victoria Public Library. [Survey]

🦣 Mammoth tooth fossil found on a Gulf Island beach. [Facebook photos]

How to safely charge and store e-bike batteries
A lot of people are riding e-bikes, potentially adding another lithium-ion battery to the household. Also found in laptops, toys and power tools, the rechargeable batteries are convenient. But they’re also potentially dangerous because they can overheat and ignite or explode. For that reason, the Insurance Bureau of Canada recommends renters with e-bikes consider buying tenant insurance. [CTV]

After 40+ years, Central Saanich farmers can grow and sell potatoes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently lifted long-standing quarantine restrictions on the production and sale of potatoes in Central Saanich, as well as restrictions involving tomatoes and eggplants. The restriction had been in place since the 1980s, after the golden nematode—a microscopic organism that affects potato growth—was discovered in local crops. It's believed that the nematode arrived in Central Saanich from tulip seed stock from the Netherlands. With the ban lifted, Mitchell's Farms has dedicated an acre and a half to potato crops. [CHEK]

Canada's wildfire season on track to be 4th worst on record
At a regular fire briefing in Ottawa this week, federal forecasters said September’s fire risk will be well above seasonal averages across BC and other provinces. This year, wildfires scorched 40,000 square kilometres—an area almost the size of Nova Scotia—marking the first time in history that Canadian forests burned for four consecutive years. More than 500 buildings, including homes, were damaged by wildfires in BC this year. [CP / CTV]

📚 Summer Stories in the Park: Bring kids aged two to five to Saxe Point Park to hear stories from Canadian authors today. 10-11am. [Info] 

🎵 Marina Avros: A free lunchtime indie-folk concert as part of the city's Thursday summer series running through August. Fort Common. Today. 12–1pm. [Info]

🧘 All Levels Flow Yoga: Drop in for a free outdoor flow yoga class with One Yoga. Bring your own mat if you can. Ship Point. Today. 12–12:45pm. [Info]

🎩 The Vine Maze: The Vine Maze takes the busker stage as part of the city's free Tuesdays–Thursdays series running through the summer. Ship Point. Today. 4–5pm. [Info]

🎶 Sarah Smith: Canadian roots rock act Sarah Smith performs as part of the city's free evening concert series running Tuesdays through Thursdays through Labour Day. Ship Point. Today. 5:30–7pm. [Info]

🎸🪲 Dinner and a Show: The Boytles. Four talented young musicians pay tribute to the Beatles, paired with a BBQ-style buffet. Casino Victoria. Today. 6–9:15pm. [Info]

🎵 Fink: The English songwriter takes the stage at Capital Ballroom tonight. 9pm. [Info]

🎸 James Vickers Band: See the up-and-coming Canadian rockers at The Coda tomorrow. 6:30pm. [Info]

🧘 Rooftop Pilates + Mindfulness: Start your day with mindful movement. Inside, in front of lululemon, due to possible poor weather. Saturday. 9-10am. [Info]

🤖 Cybertronic Spree: Party like it's 1986 with this Toronto band of Transformers at Capital Ballroom. Saturday. 8pm. [Info]

💃 Bachata Outdoor Social: Join the last summer bachata night on the Songhees Walkway, with a beginner lesson, then dancing. Saturday. 6-10pm. [Info]

Wednesday's headlines: Society of Saint Vincent de Paul makes last call for summer food drive; Man, 27, dies swimming at Goldstream; Saanich Fire puts out 2 grass fires on Mount Tolmie. [Aug. 18]

New cataract surgery tool at Saanich Peninsula Hospital is a first for Western Canada. [Times Colonist]

Disorder and suffering permeate Pandora and beyond. [CHEK]

Saanich boy's lemonade fundraiser smashes goal for Victoria hospitals. [Saanich News]

Applications for municipal elections' mail-in voting now open for Esquimalt residents.

One month left of Crystal Pool programs. [Registration]

Greenhouse gas monitoring: CRD introduces an interactive GHG Inventory Dashboard.

Westshore Rebels host Okanagan Sun on Saturday at Starlight Stadium. [’90s Summer Bash]

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