Aug 23 - Saanich taxes to go up—here's why

Good morning !

This weekend Victoria will host its first Caribbean Carnival at Centennial Square.

For years I lived in Toronto where the yearly Caribana festival would bring millions of tourists to walk in the grand parade and celebrate throughout the weekend. It was always the highlight of the summer and I’m looking forward to seeing what this weekend’s i-Land Festival has in store. Are you planning to go?

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 17 / 14

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 17 / 10

Sunday: 🌤️ 18 / 12

7-day forecast

NEWS

Inflation and aging infrastructure add percentage points to taxes for Saanich

Saanich residents are bracing for a 7.93% jump in property taxes next year, which means an extra $271.08 per household annually. This increase comes as the district wrestles with soaring costs for maintaining its aging infrastructure and coping with inflation.

Many of Saanich’s facilities, from roads to recreation centres, are over 50 years old. As federal and provincial funds have dwindled, the responsibility for repairs and upgrades has shifted to local taxpayers. The new budget includes an additional $12.8 million, primarily due to higher labour and material costs. 

Mayor Dean Murdock emphasizes the need for a more proactive approach to managing these aging assets to avoid future financial strain. The delay in updating the asset management plan and outdated data systems have only made the situation more challenging. 

While federal funding helps, it’s not enough to cover all the costs. This struggle highlights a bigger issue many local governments face: managing old infrastructure that all have similar expiry dates with tight budgets and rising costs. 

Delays in updating asset management strategies, compounded by high inflation rates, have exacerbated the financial strain in Saanich and taxpayers are left shouldering the hike.  

Read the full story from Sidney Coles here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Road closure: BC Hydro work at Burnside & Washington continues today. 9am-3pm. 

Death cap mushrooms found growing in Oak Bay, district warns to keep kids and pets away. [Info]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

EVENTS

Victoria to host first-ever Caribbean Carnival this weekend

The weather may have turned chilly in the last week, but this weekend, a little slice of Caribbean heat will be on display at Centennial Square. For the first time ever, Victoria will host a traditional Caribbean Carnival with two days packed with colourful celebration and culture.

The vibrant festivals are an annual staple in all Caribbean nations, as well as cities where the diaspora lives. 

Oneil Randall, organizer of Victoria’s i-Land Festival, told Capital Daily that a local Caribbean carnival could be a huge draw for tourists here, with people from the US and across Canada planning to attend the festival this weekend. 

“It's about time that the capital of BC delivers something of this magnitude,” said Randall. 

The festival has been in the works since 2021, but they decided this was the year to pull the trigger. Randall says that as the Caribbean population grows in Victoria, many are looking to connect to their homelands but can’t always travel to other cities. 

“We have a lot of Caribbean people here that need to experience this without having to be going on a ferry to have this experience,” said Randall. “Being from Jamaica, I really, really, really miss my culture.”

Festival attendees can expect brightly coloured costumes, traditional Caribbean music and dance, and some tasty cuisine. But Randall points out that it’s also important to remember that the origins of Carnival festivals came from a much darker chapter of history, as they first began as a celebration of emancipation from slavery. 

He hopes through education and celebration, this festival will bring together those from the Caribbean diaspora and locals throughout Victoria as a collective community. 

So far, he’s found the reception from locals and the city to be overwhelmingly positive and anticipates that the festival will grow larger with each passing year.

Learn more about the history of Caribbean Carnivals and what’s in store for this year’s fest here.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🦎 Carbon copy: See the perfectly shed skin of a northern alligator lizard near Buckley Bay. [Facebook photos]

🌊 Discover the COAST Innovation Space, where innovative ocean ideas come to life. Learn more here or email [email protected] to book a tour today!*

💗 The Victoria Disability Resource Centre is a local non-profit that aims to instill confidence in people with disabilities in Victoria, and raise awareness among their peers. The centre provides support, community and endless learning opportunities, and is an invaluable resource. Read more on how they strive to empower an inclusive future.*

🤝 Now hiring: Seed and Gift Store Supervisor at Butchart Gardens.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Bus driver union requests for stops near Pandora and Quadra to be closed
Unifor Local 333 cites safety concerns at three bus stops in a 100m radius of the intersection. The request is being considered by City of Victoria and BC Transit—who are reviewing the safety of the stops due to the area’s recent increased police presence. Proposed closures would affect routes 2, 5, 6, 27, and 28. [Times Colonist] 

More shelter beds coming to Our Place and The Salvation Army
BC Housing is funding 40 new beds at Our Place, while The Salvation Army will get 32. The addition aims to address immediate indoor temporary housing needs, while long-term housing options are finalized. [BC Gov] 

UVic study finds that global fisheries’ sustainability is likely overstated
The study conducted by marine ecologist Amanda Bates found that two thirds of the 230 fisheries analyzed over-estimated how many fish were available. Consistent over-estimation can lead to declines in stock available. Among the fisheries analyzed were Pacific herring fisheries on the west Island and in the Strait of Georgia. [UVic] 

🗓️ Things to do

🎵 John Fogerty: See the Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman at this solo show at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Today. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎺 Viva Latin America: Pablo Cardenas and The West Coast Cuban Orchestra presents this night of Latin American music at Hermann’s Jazz Club. Today. 7pm. [Info]  

🌼 When Fern Flowers Bloom: As a part of Victoria Fringe Festival, Sarah Ivanco and Erik Karklins give a dramatic performance told through traditional Latvian folklore at SKAM Satellite Studio. Today. 6pm. [Info] 

🎶 Harbour Blues 'n Roots Festival: The Dip: The Seattle-based R&B band will perform with Krystle Dos Santos opening at Ship Point. Today. 7pm. [Info]

🕊️ Pony and Bologna: Matthew Gordon’s dramedy play explores grief during Victoria Fringe Festival at Intrepid Studio. Today. 6:30pm. [Info] 

🎭 Castle of Glass: Victoria-based band The Wasteland Preachers perform this musical at Metro Studio during the Victoria Fringe Festival. Today. 5:15pm. [Info] 

✍️ Dear Jax: Learn about the late journalist Susan Maclean through her letters written to her spiritual guide Jax at Wood Hall. Today. 6:45pm. [Info]

🎥 Free-B Film Festival: Watch the 2003 rom-com Down With Love today and 1957 sci-fi film Plan 9 from Outer Space tomorrow at the Cameron Bandshell at Beacon Hill Park. 9pm. [Info] 

💛 Good Grief: See this one-man Fringe show about dealing with the loss of a parent at The Bauman Centre. Today and tomorrow. 6:45pm. [Info]

🧶 City of Gardens Quilt Show and Sale: Victoria Quilters’ Guild hosts an art sale at Pearkes Recreation Centre featuring over 250 quilts. Today until Sunday. 10am-5pm. [Info] 

🎵 Colwood’s Music in the Park: Black Angus will perform at Colwood City Hall and Green Goose Grill will be offering food. Today. 5:30-7:30pm. [Info] 

🎥 2001: A Space Odyssey at Cinecenta: Watch the classic Stanley Kubrick film at the UVic theatre. Today. 5pm and 7:45pm. [Info] 

🎶 Music in the Park: Mamaskatch Jazz Project will perform funk and blues tunes at the Cameron Bandshell at Beacon Hill Park. Today. 1:30-3:30pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: VicPD Chief Del Manak to step down; Otters fatally injure dog; Saanich police to drop surnames from missing person alerts; and more. [Aug. 22] 

Harvest food festival comes to Saanichton this Sun. [Tasting Victoria] 

Sea gooseberry: See the small blobby jellyfish on a beach in San Josef Bay. [Facebook photos]

Homecoming: Two sea otter pups rescued near the Island are now at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Indigenizing education is the focus of delegates to Camosun’s S’TEṈISTOLW̱ conference. [Capital Daily]

CRD reopens some trails to visitors after Sooke wildfire. [The Westshore]

That’s it!

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