Dec 24 - The best local light-ups

Good morning !

When I was a kid, one of my favourite parts of the holidays was always my family bundling ourselves into the car to drive to the fancier neighbourhoods and see all their fancy Christmas lights.

Since then these displays have become much more common hobbies, for the fancy and less-fancy alike, and Greater Victoria boasts an impressive array.

Read about—and see—some of those below.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

For the fourth year in a row, we’re back with our holiday donation drive! Our Cap Daily readers have been phenomenal over the years – raising more than $440,000 between readers and matching donors!

This year, we’ve proud to partner with Saanich Neighbourhood Place to help local families, and focus support on three key areas and programs:

1. Inclusive childcare

2. Parent support programs

3. Food equity services

Our goal is to raise $100,000 in the next 7 days, and we have some very generous donors to help us get there – and match your funds raised!

Please consider joining our holiday drive – learn more about the campaign and then donate today.

Special thanks to Lochside Software and Tiny Foundation for matching donations!

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 8 / 4

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 8 / 7

Tuesday: 🌧️ 9 / 6

NEWS

Where to see the wild holiday light displays drawing local—and even international—eyes

It seems like local holiday light-up displays are growing every year in number, in elaborateness, and—this year, at least—in notoriety. 

Extravagant local display—and its #1 hater—draw international attention

One of Sooke’s most elaborate home displays, complete with reindeer and a big red bow, received a nasty letter in the mail this month. The anonymous mailer derided the setup as “the joke of the neighbourhood,” “Santa’s whorehouse,” and other rude descriptions. 

It turns out the occupant Cheryl Dinse had a very good reason behind the display: her son died recently, she told CTV, and the weeks-long project was a way to bring some light and joy to this difficult time. When her story was publicized, people from all over the world flooded her mailbox with much more positive letters, and local photographers stopped by to capture and celebrate the display. 

Several other light-ups have a local following

Near Colwood Corners, more than 100 inflatables have caught the public’s eye. The menagerie has come to take up an increasing share of Tasha Knight’s lawn and of her family’s life, and now fills a whole sea can storage unit in the off-season. 

As her display grows, another is winding down. Oak Bay’s Brad and Jill Williams are doing a final display after 15 years of delighting both kids and busloads of seniors with a lawn light show that is timed to music they broadcast on the 99.1FM frequency. 

See the region’s best light displays

There are several maps and lists featuring lit-up local houses, available from Do250, the Times Colonist, Victoria Buzz, and others. 

If you don’t want to go out and about, photographer Colin Smith also has an online photo gallery featuring some of the best displays. See everything from inflatable characters to glowing deer statues to pure string-light designs.

Another year of Lights of Wonder
The most official local light-up is the one in Victoria’s Centennial Square, which this year is running for more weeks than in the past. The Downtown Victoria Business Association bought the Lights of Wonder in 2019 for $500,000 spread over five years—a lower annual cost than the DVBA had been spending on temporary downtown winter attractions such as a ferris wheel and skating rink. It was not up in 2020; this December marks its fourth appearance. 

The display has been hosting food, music, free photo booths, and other entertainment during its run; tonight, The Festive Brass plays 5:30-7pm.

The Butchart Gardens also feature an annual light show; it runs until Jan. 6.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Vic-Van ferry times: [BC Ferries]

Holiday hours at local care centres: Downtown & Esquimalt UPCCs close at 4pm today; Esquimalt & James Bay are closed all day tomorrow. Other UPCCs are on standard hours.

Port Hardy Hospital emergency dept. closed today, Island Health has announced. It will reopen 7am tomorrow.

Wind warning for north Island—up to 90km/h on coastline, with gusts 110km/h.

NEWS

How does a ship’s crew spend Christmas?

Numerous commercial ships spend Christmas in Island waters, whether in Victoria or up around the east side of the Island.

All of them are crewed by people from around the world who are away from home over the holidays.

Last year Capital Daily talked to the crew of the Maersk Trader, a ship at Ogden Point, to find out how they spent their Christmas weekend on the water. 

Check out that story here to learn about their multi-national dinner spreads, their homesickness, and the challenges of life at sea.

SPONSORED BY VANTA

Your SOC 2 Compliance Checklist from Vanta

Are you building a business? Achieving SOC 2 compliance can help you win bigger deals, enter new markets and deepen trust with your customers — but it can also cost you real time and money.

Vanta automates up to 90% of the work for SOC 2 (along with other in-demand frameworks), getting you audit-ready in weeks instead of months. Save up to 400 hours and 85% of associated costs.

Download the free checklist to learn more about the SOC 2 compliance process and the road ahead. 

⭐️ Capital Picks

🦖 Santa claws: St. Nick is looking bony under that red hat at the local Dino Lab—and instead of coal, he’s left coprolite (fossilized dino droppings) by the tree. [Instagram]

🎄 Tis the season to prioritize your health. Tall Tree’s longevity medicine program helps you fight disease before it starts, when it’s easier to prevent*

📺 Love is Blind—but can still sightsee: A cast member just posted some photos from the reality show’s Christmas visit to Greater Victoria’s Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Butchart Gardens last winter.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Holiday travel holding up despite problems with ferry payments
The payment system went down on both Fri. and Sat., but South Island travel overall is going much more smoothly than the chaos a year ago.

Royal Oak cemetery’s “wind phone” helps locals mourn
A decommissioned phone booth installation overlooking the burial grounds prompts visitors to say their piece to lost loved ones. [CBC On the Island]

Yes, the “fire tornado” was real
Researchers have confirmed the twister recorded this summer at BC’s Gun Lake was a real tornado generated by nearby wildfire. [CP / Yahoo]

SPONSORED BY UNITED WAY SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND

Food for thought

As many of us celebrate the holidays with abundance, not everyone has a full dinner table. For many in our community, a modest meal of crackers or yogurt is a reality. This is not dinner – for anyone. Support United Way Southern Vancouver Island by Dec 31; your donation doubles and $25+ gifts enter you to win a $250 gift certificate from the Old Farm Market. Learn more.

🗓️ Things to do

🎄 Festival of Trees: 10am-8pm. Enjoy this holiday favourite at the Bay Centre with 70 festive trees decorated for Christmas.

🕯️ Candles and Carols: 10:30am. Enjoy Christmas tunes by candlelight at City Light Church.

🍗 Christmas Eve dinners at Bard & Banker (turkey), Fathom (turkey, prime rib, or mushroom bourguignon), Bear Mountain (4 courses, and kids’ options), and more. While spots last.
See Tasting Victoria for a full list of local Christmas dinners.

That’s it!

Enjoy your holiday weekend, and please consider forwarding this newsletter to friends or family if you think they’d find it useful.