Sat. June 3 - Our "big blue backyard"

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, weekend. Nice to see you again.

It’s another massive weekend for events, from Centennial Square out to Brentwood Bay. Festivities won’t stop on Sunday evening though—events focusing on the ocean surrounding us here on the South Island will continue all this week.

There’s so much happening. Let’s go.

NEWS

Ocean Week Victoria celebrates our “big blue backyard”

The 10-day ocean celebration is back in town with exciting—and educational—activities for everyone. The 40 local events are among 160 across Canada.

Paddleboarding and kayak tours, marine-themed arts and crafts, ocean pub trivia, and more will be available to test your ocean knowledge and highlight the different ways to enjoy our waters.

“We’re so blessed to be surrounded by beautiful beaches and coastlines,” said Heather Murray, organizer for World Ocean Week Victoria. “We’re also home to a growing ocean marine science and tech sector, as well as an ocean blue economy.”

Several years ago, while working with Canadian Network of Ocean Education, Murray wanted to launch a Canada-wide festival in conjunction with World Ocean Day—so she decided to start in her own hometown of Victoria

In 2019, planning began for the Victoria version, but the pandemic forced all events to take place virtually in 2020 and 2021. This year’s festival marks the second in-person and Murray says it continues to grow.

The week aims to encourage “connections from individuals to the oceans, but also from organizations and businesses that are trying to make a difference,” according to Murray.

With climate change and overfishing affecting ocean life around Victoria and beyond, Murray said that encouraging people to feel this connection is more important than ever.

Starting this weekend, festivals at Royal Roads and Sidney’s Beacon Park will kick off the fun, with family-friendly activities, food trucks and games. Events will continue throughout the week before capping off with a day of celebrations at Fisherman’s Wharf on Sunday the 11th, where touch tanks and diving demonstrations will take place.

Read Capital Daily’s feature on the local blue economy.

Capital Bulletin

☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny. High 21C / low 9C.

🎊 Parade takes over Oak Bay streets today: The parade will begin at Windsor Park at 10:30am and will end at Willows Beach.

🔥 Sayward wildfire now over 200 hectares and still classified as out of control.

NEWS

Victoria company launches remote monitoring system in Arctic

Victoria-based Barnacle Systems (stylized as BRNKL), a security and monitoring tech company for boats, has developed a remote monitoring solution in the Arctic for the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF).

A 2022 auditor general’s report found aging infrastructure and poor surveillance as tangible threats to Canadian monitoring of the Arctic, and the DND/CAF launched new funding for monitoring. Barnacle was awarded a contract in partnership with Virginia-based surveillance tech supplier McQ.

It just completed production and testing of the BRNKL Arctic Deploy — an autonomous remote monitoring solution suitable for northern latitudes.

Read more at Victoria Tech Journal, plus other local tech news, events, and jobs. And be sure to subscribe to their 2x weekly newsletter.

SPONSORED BY BAY CENTRE

Over 40 reasons to visit today’s Makers Market

Today is your last chance to meet and support over 40 local artisans at the “Meet the Makers” market at the Bay Centre! Join the Market Collective and over 40 local and handmade artisans today from 10am until 6pm for their final “Meet the Makers” monthly mini market series.

While you are there enjoy 3-hours free parking in the Bay Centre’s underground parkade. The market is free to attend.

The “Meet the Makers” market is the creation of Cory Judge, Katrina Dwulit, and Vanessa Gaudet, the three female makers behind the Market Collective shop at the Bay Centre. The Market Collective shop features more than 140 makers from Canada’s handmade movement—many are from Victoria.

Capital Picks

🎶 Music in the Park: Bring your picnic blankets to Beacon Hill for the first instalment of this weekly live music event, this week featuring BackBeat playing a ’60s tribute. [Details]

🎉 Folktoria: This multicultural celebration today and tomorrow includes performing arts, dance, and food at Centennial Square. [Details]

🥞 Brentwood Bay Festival: A pancake breakfast kicks off events today at Pioneer Park including a parade, performances, and games. [Details]

🤤 Book your seats to Pacific Opera's 23/24 full-flavoured season: deliciously epic Die Walküre (Wagner), spicy flamenco-fusion Ainadamar (Golijov), and scrumptious The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)—three shows for $72!^*

🎡 Oak Bay Tea Party: Food, rides, local entertainment, and more at the 61st annual Willows Park community party. [Details]

🛟 Canadian Coast Guard Day: Explore a coast guard ship at this public open house—watch a rescue demonstration, see a hovercraft, and score some awesome prizes. 10am-3pm. [Details]

🏢 Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia: The exhibit on ancient Angkor, featuring 120 original artworks and artifacts, at the RBCM is now open. [Details]

🖼️ The Street at AGGV: This new exhibit about the urban street opens today and features mediums including photography, sculpture, and painting.

📷 Opening reception for Elemental at Fortune Gallery: The event celebrates the opening of Ken G. Miner’s wet plate collodion photography exhibit. Today 12-5pm. [Details]

🤝 Now hiring: Cooks at The Butchart Gardens.

🎸 Econoline Crush at Upstairs Cabaret: See these Canadian rock veterans live as they perform new music from their first album in over a decade. Tickets $27.29, show 7pm.

😂 Spencer Streichert at the Mint: In need of a laugh? Spencer Streichert will be performing his goofy, loveable stand up at the Mint. Tickets are by table, starting at $30 for a table of two. Show at 10pm.

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In Other News

⚖️ BC seeks court order to force former Saanich IT manager to destroy or return files
The District approached BC attorney general last year for help with what it alleges was a theft by Guy Gondor of hundreds of files . The province’s court petition states that an email received from Gondor’s son, making a tree-cutting complaint about a neighbour he had long feuded with, contained non-public materials. An external firm’s investigation found Gondor’s login was used to make DVDs of 2,580 internal files a few months before the email, the petition says. He denies these claims. [CBC]

🏥 Island Health announces more emergency care limits Ladysmith Urgent Care will begin closing its patient registration earlier, at 9:30pm rather than 10:30, while the Cormorant Island Community Health Centre emergency dept. is closed June 1-4 due to staffing. Recent months have seen rollbacks of several Island ERs’ hours and capacity as hospitals try to limit the impact of staffing shortages.

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ABOUT LAST NIGHT

Canada’s women’s national basketball team took on Japan at Save On Foods Memorial Centre in an exhibition match ahead of the 2024 Olympic qualifying stages. The 2020 Olympics’ silver medalists were too strong, defeating the home team 80-60. Canada is ranked fifth in the world to Japan’s ninth, but was without key WNBA stars such as Kia Nurse.

“Representing Canada in itself is a huge honour and to be able to wear the Canadian jersey in a Canadian city is something that doesn’t come by often, hopefully more and more in the future, but there’s no feeling like it,” said Team Canada veteran guard Sami Hill. “The fans were amazing.”

It was the national team’s first home game since 2019 and its first in Victoria in two decades. Victoria also recently hosted the Toronto Raptors’ training camp last fall, a last-chance pre-Olympic men’s tournament in summer 2021, and a tournament with some of the top US women’s college teams in late 2019.

In Case You Missed It

🎡 Friday newsletter: Murdoch vs. Murdock as mayors face off for charity at this weekend’s Tea Party. Royal Roads gardens get revamp. Victoria mortgage broker loses licence and faces multiple lawsuits. [June 2]

🍻 Swans is calling: With 58 draught lines in the 100-year-old granary warehouse, Swans will definitely leave you with unforgettable memories and good times. Reserve your table now.^*

🚦 Thursday newsletter: Street safety money for Oak Bay, Metchosin, and Songhees land. Seaweed farming gets boost. Victoria mayor’s community safety plan. Sooke arson suspect. [June 1]

🎥 Local film buffs mourn Pic-A-Flic closure: The local video store, closing in Sept., amassed a huge collection of rare and unique movies. What happens to that now? [Capital Daily]

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