Oct. 16 - Road finally fixed, 4 years after locals died

Good morning !

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway into October, but the evidence is undeniable—not just on the calendar page, but all around us in the form of cooler weather, changing leaves, and recently the living dead wandering the downtown streets (more on that below).

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 16 / 9

Tuesday: 🌧️ 13 / 10

Wednesday: 🌦️ 17 / 9

7-day forecast

NEWS

Bamfield road work completed, 4 years after Victoria students’ deaths

Last Tuesday the Huu-ay-aht celebrated the completion of the 76km ​​Bamfield Main Road Reconciliation Project. The First Nations had been calling for years for improvement to the risky unpaved road between Port Alberni and Bamfield. But change came only after a 2019 bus rollover killed two first-year UVic students.

The project has taken three years since it was announced, and involves chip-sealing, seal-coat hard surfacing, and drainage improvements to reduce flooding-related closures. BC put in $36M and the Huu-ay-aht contributed $5M.

That final cost grew some $10M from the initial estimate, and the project lasted further into 2024 than projected. A strategy for maintaining the new road still needs to be worked out, the Huu-ay-aht announcement said.

Crash led to UVic field trip policy changes—and to lawsuits

Winnipeg-raised Emma Machado and Iowa-raised John Geerdes, both 18, died after the bus went off the road shoulder with 45 students and 2 teaching assistants aboard. An RCMP report listed oncoming traffic and a curving, narrowing road as contributing factors.

Multiple lawsuits from survivors accused UVic of negligence, saying the school failed to consider visibility or road conditions in planning the field trip. UVic has denied this.

Machado and Geerdes are memorialized with a dedicated bench and student financial awards in their names.

Below: A fall 2022 update breaks down the road work process (starts at 3:30).

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

This week’s weather: Rain until Wednesday, then sun and cloud, with temps in mid-high teens.

Thunderstorm risk this afternoon for parts of the Isand.

Victoria road closures on Burdett, Prior, and Thurlow; obstructions on Blanshard. [List]

Oak Bay Ave. partly closed until Friday, from Foul Bay to Mitchell, for sewer repair. [Details / detour]

Missing senior found: Shortly after issuing a public notice on Sunday, Saanich Police located a missing man with Alzheimer’s.

NEWS

Severe fire season is finally subsiding

The onset of wet fall weather has dropped the Island’s fire danger rating all the way down to “very low” after a drought-filled summer that saw it often marked “extreme.”

As of last week 20 fires burned on the Island, with the majority in and around Strathcona Provincial Park and considered under control.

This year there have been 190 wildfires on the Island. That’s almost twice as many as last year, which had 106 through early October—though last year’s fire season did extend well into October due to unseasonably warm and dry weather.

Though the Cameron Bluffs fire significantly disrupted mid-Island travel, the Island was less affected by fires than many other areas in what was an all-time-record season for both BC and Canada.

With files from Alexandra Mehl, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa.

NEWS

Colwood weighs joining CRD arts council

The Westshore municipality received a presentation from the Capital Regional District about joining the local arts body, which distributes $2.6M in funding every year.

Colwood could apply for part of that funding to aid the Juan de Fuca Performing Arts Centre Society’s (PACS) quest to build a 350-seat West Shore Community Arts Centre, or for local events such as the Bloom Art Show at Pendray House.

Various local groups could also get CRD funding for events in Colwood; currently, Colwood’s non-membership has prevented the Sooke Philharmonic from getting CRD funding for a Royal Roads stop on its Westshore tour.

But to gain access, by joining the other municipalities on the regional council, it would have to pay a membership fee of either $7.50 per household or $24/household.

Full story at The Westshore.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🍞 The best bakeries in Victoria, as voted by readers like you. [Tasting Victoria]

🧟 The Victoria Zombie Walk just lurched and shambled through downtown for another successful year. See the many impressive costumes in nearly 100 photos from the always great Colin Smith.

🌱 Gain skills for your career or a start fresh with Continuing Studies at UVic. Deepen your perspective with our micro-credential, certificate and diploma programs.*

🌙 See more eclipse photos from the UVic Observatory, and feel free to send in your own, in a reply to this email, if you’d like us to run them.

🧠 Break the anxiety cycle and change unhelpful patterns. Tall Tree’s 8-week CBT course will give you evidence-based skills to manage stressful life situations.*

😊 Now hiring: Arborist at the Butchart Gardens.

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🗞️ In Other News

Nanaimo landlord fined $18K for booting terminally ill senior
Duart Rapton evicted Sharon Kowalchuk in March, citing frequent ambulance visits. The Residential Tenancy Branch has now fined Rapton $17,600 for six violations, after being directed to investigate by Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. [CHEK] Community support helped Kowalchuk relocate and live comfortably; she died last month.

Homelessness up 30% in Port Alberni
The latest point-in-time count had 163 people with no place of their own to stay for 30+ days, up from 125 people in 2021. Two thirds of them were Indigenous, compared to 15% of the population. [Ha-Shilth-Sa]

🤝 Now Hiring

Thinking of making your next career move? Let us help!

• Dining Room Reservationist & Office Assistant at the Butchart Gardens

• Front Desk Volunteer Coordinator (Mat Leave Cover) at Together Against Poverty Society

• Administrative Services Coordinator at Camosun College Faculty Association

• Comfort Advisor (Outside Sales) at Sasquatch Heat Pumps

• Digital Marketing Specialist at Westin Bear Mountain Resort & Spa

Looking for more openings? See 40+ jobs open now on YYJobs.

Hiring? Post your job to have it featured here, and fill your opening fast!

🗓️ Things to do

🗣️ Stop Making Sense: Cinecenta airs the 4K re-release of the iconic Talking Heads concert film today and tomorrow. Catch it before the days go by!

🧛‍♀️ Humanist Vampire: The Vic airs a romantic horror comedy from Quebec about a pacifist young vampire who, cut off from blood by her parents, seeks a human volunteer. Show times.

🖼️ Pacific Northwest landscape art: The paintings of Maria Josenhans show an ease and familiarity with local natural landscapes. Her show is at Avenue Gallery until Oct. 19.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Pacific FC reaches semifinals after winning two do-or-die playoff games, on opposite ends of the country, in 72 hours. [Sun. newsletter]

Rescue at Sea POV: US Coast Guard airlifted two Canadians near Island waters who had a dead generator, torn sails, and a broken propeller. [Video]

Victoria wants changes to local elections, while CRD has delayed paid parks parking decision. [Sat. newsletter]

Suspicious fire at Somass Mill site in Port Alberni was doused on Sat. [CHEK] There have been multiple fires at the shuttered mill this year.

See the eclipse over Victoria, shrouded by clouds, in this atmospheric shot by local photographer Alec Lee.

That’s it!

Thanks for reading, and once again we apologize if you received he newsletter twice on Sunday.