Aug 26 - Community sharing for outdoorsy people

Good morning !

You may have noticed we opened up our Sunday newsletter to everyone this week. It’s a little glimpse into what our Insiders receive every week, including a weekly roundup of stories.

The paywall will be back in place this weekend, so if you’re interested in getting the full scoop every Sunday, consider becoming an Insider.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 7 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ☀️ 27 / 14

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 23 / 15

Day after: 🌦️ 18 / 15

7-day forecast

NEWS

New Victoria company is rethinking how people get their outdoor gear

If there’s one well-known aspect of Island culture, it’s that people here love to get outside. A lot.

But some activities come with the need for expensive or specific gear that doesn’t get used frequently, like a once-a-year surfing trip to Tofino.

If you don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars on a new wetsuit or snowboard, a new Victoria app is geared to create a community of sharing among outdoor enthusiasts. Meerkat, founded by Rod Mackinnon and Matthew Haniak, launched earlier this month and has been in development since November—but really, it’s been years in the making. 

The duo have been buddies since high school in their hometown of Montreal. Mackinnon moved to Victoria over two years ago to access the Island’s nature. Haniak frequently comes out to visit so the two can explore BC. 

Mackinnon didn’t have a lot of disposable income when he arrived in Victoria, making it challenging to get the gear he needed to explore. When Haniak would visit, they would need double the equipment. 

They knew it was a problem many people deal with when looking to get outside, especially when entertaining visitors. The two had always wanted to create a project that would encourage sustainability and help people lower their carbon footprint. The idea for the app was born.

Creating community with outdoor enthusiasts

The name Meerkat was inspired by the animal, known to share duties among their small packs. 

This sense of communal borrowing was what Mackinnon and Haniak wanted to capture with their app. There’s no exchange of cash for lending or sharing on Meerkat; instead, people receive credits every time they lend an item, which can then be used to borrow other users' items. 

“We're trying to avoid people, for instance, going to the store to buy something new that they're only going to use once a year, if even again,” Mackinnon said. “So we still want to keep a little bit of that friendly community, casual nature that comes with borrowing and lending with a friend.

Read on to find out how to join the app and the duo’s future plans for growing Meerkat.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Out-of-control wildfire blazing outside Nanaimo. 

Pools closed for maintenance at Saanich Commonwealth Place. 

Delays on Lochside Trail: Crews will be sealing asphalt between Crease and McKenzie tomorrow. [CRD]

Chemainus feral kitten suspected to have rabies tested negative for the virus. Bats remain the only animals in BC known to carry rabies. [Island Health]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Still no word when James Bay gas station will open

Residents living near the corner of Menzies and Michigan say they’re frustrated by the apparent lack of progress on the derelict gas station that has dispensed zero fuel since it was a Save-On Gas almost eight years ago.

“People are angry and they want to see something happen,” James Bay resident Jen Reimer told CHEK.

The property has sat dormant since 2017, but over the past couple of years, construction on the site has indicated a new gas bar was in the works.  

Last October, acting on behalf of the owner who predominantly resides in China, a self-identified project manager told Capital Daily the shuttered station would reopen this past January, under the Chevron banner.

That didn’t happen.

Picking up on community concern, Reimer organized a petition that filled quickly with more than 1K names, but she says she’s heard nothing since sending it to the city. 

Reimer believes the property owner is taking advantage of a loophole by doing the minimal requirement to retain an active building permit.

There was some action at the site yesterday. An electrician working there told Capital Daily he will be installing indoor lighting over the next few days.

The city wasn’t able to shed much light on the issue, saying only that the work at 308 Menzies “is being carried out under issued building permits and the city is monitoring these permits and corresponding with the applicant as required.”

The protracted, on-again, off-again construction was Coun. Matt Dell’s first point of business after he was named James Bay neighbourhood liaison earlier this year.

He calls it a “complex and expensive” project and agrees it’s an “eyesore for the community and the city.”

“Residents expect landowners to do their part in helping improve the neighbourhood,” he says, but adds the city doesn’t have legal authority to force a landowner to do anything with a derelict property. 

“There are a number of these properties around town, and I’ve been reaching out to as many landowners as possible to work collaboratively with them to help get their vacant land or stalled project moving.”

NEWS

BC Bus Pass to join Umo system next Monday

Beginning next Monday, more Victoria commuters will be able to tap ‘n ride when they jump on a BC Transit bus. 

Instead of showing their BC Bus Pass—a program for low-income seniors or people who receive disability payments—to the driver for visual validation, riders can just use the same digital validator as Umo holders.

It’s a move that will affect tens of thousands of bus riders using transit systems that operate Umo digital payments across the province.

Umo allows riders to digitally load transit fare products and then use the app’s QR code or tap their card to pay. Now, the BC Bus Pass will offer the same efficiency.

Modernizing the BC Bus Pass validation process will help “create a universal rider experience, matching other BC Transit fixed-route fare products, and aligns with BC Bus Pass holders that travel on TransLink services,” the transit authority said. 

It also said data captured through the new digital system will help it better understand rider usage habits.

SPONSORED BY THE VICTORIA FOUNDATION

Pulse magazine spotlights social impact in the capital region!

Harjas Singh Popli was jobless in 2021 when he and his family started putting money from savings into their new mobile food bank called Fateh Care Charity.

One year earlier, Harjas, his wife Dr. Navneet Kaur Popli, and their two sons made a split-second decision to start fresh in Canada, amid a new and tumultuous pandemic. They packed their lives in eight bags and snagged the last flight from New Delhi to Canada before the Canadian airspace officially closed.

Since moving to Victoria, the Poplis have been tirelessly operating a mobile food bank for those with mobility challenges in Greater Victoria, which led to a prestigious King Charles III Coronation medal for their generosity.

In this year's Pulse magazine, read about Fateh Care's inspiring journey and other stories of incredible changemakers in the capital region!

⭐️ Capital Picks

🦋 It’s a bird, it’s a… moth? A hummingbird hawk moth is seen visiting flowers in Tofino. [Facebook video]

🐳 How high-tech drones helped scientists discover that Southern Resident killer whales use kelp as a tool. [Center for Whale Research]

🗞️ In Other News

Power returns to Bamfield 
As the Mount Underwood fire is held, the lights are back on in Bamfield. Around 500 BC Hydro customers in the small community went two weeks without power. This and road closures caused the small tourist town to lose business during its busiest season. The main road into Bamfield from Port Alberni remains closed; the route from Youbou is open, but is primarily a logging road with rough terrain. [Times Colonist]

Sidney looks to open first extreme weather shelter
The City of Victoria has been calling on other municipalities to help manage Greater Victoria’s homeless population, especially during extreme weather. Sidney council is looking to amend its OCP to bring an extreme-weather response (EWR) shelter to Wakefield Manor. Some residents oppose the idea because of the EWR’s proximity to a senior’s long-term care home. The EWR would only open during extreme weather events like cold snaps. [CHEK]

Victoria’s Tyson Barrie calls it an NHL career after 14 seasons
The steady defenceman gained prominence by putting up almost two points a game over 72 games as a 15-year-old with the junior league Juan de Fuca Grizzlies. Drafted 64th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2009, Barrie played 822 games in the NHL, tallying 508 points. He trails only Jamie Benn (956) for most points by a Victoria-born NHLer. Barrie also played for the Leafs, Oilers, Predators, and Flames. [Black Press]

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🗓️ Things to do

🎸 Boneyard Babes: Join the free celebration, featuring this live band alongside food trucks, games and outdoor fun for everyone at Ship Point today. 5-6:30pm. [Info]

🎵 Matt Stern: Catch this folk musician as part of the City's Folk Music Series, bringing acoustic sounds to Cameron Bandshell today. 6-7:30pm. [Info]

🍺 LampPost Beer Bus at Ship Point: Come hang out at this great third space to grab a bite, listen to live tunes, and enjoy a cold beer while connecting with the community today. 4-8pm. [Info]

🚴 Bike Moving Parade: Help move Bishop’s Family Cycles inventory from Pandora to its new Blanshard location in this fun cargo-bike parade along the bike lanes—bikes, snacks and route provided! Departing from Pandora today. 4-7pm (parade departs 5:30pm). [Info]

🌴 I-Land Festival: Victoria’s second-annual Caribbean Carnival festival will bring music, food, games, and fabulous costumes to Ship Point this weekend. [Info]

🛥️ Classic Boat Festival: The Maritime Museum is hosting this gathering of classic boats, with races, activities, and live music planned, in the Inner Harbour this weekend. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Sunday’s headlines: Emily Carr’s House of Allsorts in need of all sorts of work; Del Manak’s last week as VicPD chief; Victoria brewery makes branding change. [Aug. 24]

Victoria’s hot weather sets 109-year record. [CTV]

Victoria soldier from WWI has street named after him in France. [Times Colonist]

City of Victoria Official Community Plan public hearing is Sep. 11.

James Bay Neighbourhood Association survey on Victoria’s OCP.

GreekFest returns next weekend. [Admission is free]

That’s it!

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