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- Dec 30 - Turbulent year for BC Ferries
Dec 30 - Turbulent year for BC Ferries
NYE ideas for you and the family, plus top worst 9-1-1 calls
Capital Daily Team
December 30, 2023
Good morning !
Well, we’re about halfway through the holiday season.
It’s going to take some serious discipline to wean myself off all this sugar.
Just a few more days and then it’s back to salads.
— Big Mark
Have you been eating too much over the holiday season? |
Today’s approx. read time: 7 minutes
We’re holding our 4th annual holiday fundraising drive! Every dollar readers donate from now until Dec. 31 will be matched and donated to Saanich Neighbourhood Place.
Funds raised will be used to support local families in the areas of inclusive childcare, parent education and support programs, and food equity services. Get all the details here.
Help us reach our goal of $100,000 by the end of the year!
Don’t wait: Tomorrow is the last day to make any charitable donations for the year!
Special thanks to Lochside Software and Tiny Foundation for generously matching donations
🌡️ Weather Forecast
NEWS
2023 was a stormy year for BC Ferries
A Christmas Day storm blew in forcing the cancellation of yuletide evening sailings from Swartz Bay to the Mainland last week, in what was somewhat of a microcosm of the year that was for BC Ferries.
Heck, it’s been worse. Remember the Canada Day long weekend and the long list of (48) cancellations?
In July, the Coastal Celebration was out of service for a week and a bit, and the company had no large vessel to replace it, which caused all kinds of passenger stress.
Between mechanical failures, strong winds, high waves, and at times low worker turnout, the year began with a cacophony of cancellations—amid record vehicle volume—and ended with a lawsuit.
The company and the union representing 4,700 of its workers are in a tense negotiation about wages and just a week before Christmas the union filed a complaint with the BC Labour Relations Board, seeking $2.1M and accusing the employer of bad behaviour.
Cancelling the Pacific Buffet in June, pulling back on its plans to electrify its fleet, and issuing a call for the design and construction of seven large diesel-battery hybrid ferries for 2029, kept BC Ferries in the news. But what may turn out to be the most impactful event of the year came in Oct. when the province announced beginning next year, the ferry will be docked provincial payments whenever it cancels core-service sailings due to staffing shortages.
The province also announced an injection of $500M to help keep fares down. Without the funding, the Transportation Ministry says fares would have gone up 9.2% each year over the next four. Instead, annual increases will be held to 3.2% until March 2028, the province said.
⚠️ Capital Bulletin
Missing woman last seen Dec. 18
Free New Year’s Eve rides tomorrow with BC Transit, starting at 6pm.
NEWS
Ideas to celebrate a new year
Government House / Flickr
The bars and restaurants all have their plans for tomorrow night’s countdown to 2024—here are just a few of those options, via Tasting Victoria.
But if you’re looking to do something a little different that doesn’t involve doing too much more damage to your credit cards to say goodbye to 2023, you could start the day at Craigdarroch Castle, where local band Cookeilidh will perform Celtic and seasonal music in the afternoon. [Castle]
New Year’s Eve’s Lights of Wonder will be a popular destination as families head to Centennial Square for Greater Victoria’s largest free outdoor light display. The New Year’s Sparkle and Glow Party features music and 1,000 free glow sticks! [Info]
They’ll also be handing out glow sticks at the Esquimalt Town Square for a silent disco where everyone is wearing headsets to hear the live DJs. You’ll need picture ID for collateral to use the headsets. The
Christ Church Cathedral offers Old Music for the New Year, in person and livestreamed, with violinist Mar Destrube and other Baroque music instrumentalists and singers.
Butchart Gardens celebrates the 12 Days of Christmas with lights, flowers, and seasonal carollers each day from 3pm-9pm.
Sidney continues with Christmas by the Sea, featuring festive displays, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a live brass band.
You can begin 2024 by taking a plunge into the Pacific Ocean. There’s a portable sauna that’s going to be set up Mon., from 10am to 4pm on Dallas between Boyd and San Jose. So you can run hot and cold!
You may want to put on something a bit more formal if you plan to attend the New Year’s Day Levee at BC Government House. Vice-regal offices across Canada do this every New Year’s Day, and this year it runs from 10:30am to 12:30pm.
If you’re feeling in a civic mood come Monday, and you live in Oak Bay, there’s a walk with the mayor and council from 12:30pm to 2:30pm on the first day of ‘24. Esquimalt has a similar nature walk with council.
If you’re in the Westshore, check out these NYE ideas.
And a reminder: you can take BC Transit for free tomorrow after 6pm.
⭐️ Capital Picks
🍼 Having a new year’s baby? BC’s top baby names 2023.
📞 Top 10 worst 9-1-1 calls in BC last year.
🥮 You can still get holiday treats at some of these local bakeries.
🤝 Now hiring: Sales Development Representative at Waterworth.
🗞️ In Other News
Courtenay-based retired general gets Order of Canada
Gen. Raymond Roland Henault was named a Member of the Order, one of 78 appointments Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has announced. Henault, originally from Winnipeg, served as Canada’s chief of the defence staff and chair of NATO's military committee in the early 2000s.
BC man sets ignominious Canadian drunk driving record
Roy Heide, 66, has now been charged with impaired driving 21 times. The latest came in the summer when he was arrested following a motorcycle accident in which his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit and he pleaded guilty to impaired driving, driving while disqualified, and driving while prohibited. He’s been sentenced to five years in jail. [CBC]
One injured in downtown parkade bear spray attack
It happened a little after midnight Thu., at the Bastion Square parking facility. The person who got hit with the spray is OK and didn’t have to go to hospital. VicPD says it suspects four young people, who were interrogated and then released. VicPD has not confirmed published reports that the victim is unhoused. [CHEK]
🗓️ Things to do
🎧 The End of the Year As We Know It. Hermann’s Upstairs. 9pm-2am today. [Info]
🎺 The Emmett Hodgins Quintet. Toronto and Victoria’s jazz scenes collide. Hermann’s. Tonight. 7pm-9pm. Doors 5:30pm. [Info]
🎸 Dead Karma’s Next to New Year Bash: Get your fill of rock music and pizza. Fernwood Community Centre. Today. 7pm. [Info]
🥌 BC Curling Championships. Under-18/Mixed Doubles. Victoria Curling Club. Through tomorrow. [Info]
🏒 Victoria Royals vs. Edmonton Oil Kings. WJHL action. Save On Foods Memorial Centre. Today. 6pm. Plus: One fan will win Taylor Swift concert tickets. [Tickets]
👀 In Case You Missed It
Friday’s headlines: Wanted man; missing man; Nanaimo-area teen killed on lawnmower. [Newsletter]
Figuring out Island Corridor’s future. [Capital Daily]
Century-old heat record falls in Vic. [CP/Yahoo]
Wind Cries Mary’s friend Rudi takes over the Sherwood location.
That’s it!
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