Nov 4 - Centuries of local BBQ tradition

Good morning !

Today we have news stories on a flying connection to the future and an earthy connection to the past.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 15 / 9

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 13 / 7

Day after: 🌧️ 14 / 8

7-day forecast

NEWS

Photos: A traditional Coast Salish pit cook

In a day filled with food, fire, tradition, and song, Camosun College hosted its second traditional Coast Salish pit cook on Thursday at the Interurban Campus.

Led by Tsawout knowledge keeper (and frequent Camosun guest speaker) John Bradley (J.B.) Williams, students from Eyēʔ Sqȃ’lewen observed and helped, in order to learn about a cooking practice used by Coast Salish nations long before contact.

Volcanic rock, Douglas fir firewood, Goldstream chum, potato, yam, and snowberry branches all come together to produce an ideal Island meal that has been enjoyed here for generations and generations.

Read our latest photo story to see how it happened. 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Remember to “fall back” tonight: Another hour of sleep awaits you after the clocks change in the early Sunday morning hours.

Wind warning for North Island, with a risk of thunderstorms today.

Missing person: Islander Garrett Sahm, 28, was reported missing Sept. 3. He requires urgent medication according to his family.

NEWS

Helijet plans to go electric in 3 years

Helijet aims to become the first Canadian air carrier to provide flights for passengers and cargo using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

It has ordered four “ALIA” eVOTLs from US-based BETA Technologies—aircraft that don’t look quite like helicopters, but fill much of the same niche. Currently in advanced flight standards development, the six-seater ALIAs are expected to get regulatory approval in 2026 and take flight shortly afterward.

BETA says the zero-emission ALIA is cheaper and much quieter than the existing Helijet choppers (likely some welcome news to James Bay residents near the heliport).

Helijet is looking to use the eVOTLs for emergency response and air ambulance and organ transfer services—and that’s attracted the attention of BC’s premier.

Read the full story from Mark Brennae for more on the upcoming eVOTLS, Eby’s comments on Helijet, and an update on Victoria’s other upcoming electric-flight options.

NEWS

Multiple railway battery heists across Island, RCMP say

Since August, railway control boxes from Langford up to Comox Valley have been raided, according to Nanaimo RCMP. They report 5 such thefts in Nanaimo alone and a total of $800,000 in damage and replacement costs.

The thefts happen very late, in the dark without witnesses or nearby security cams, RCMP say. They believe multiple people are involved, and could even be disguising themselves as construction workers in high-vis vests.

These fall thefts come after a spring in which 2.5km of copper wire was stolen from highway lamps north of Nanaimo, leaving a stretch of the Island highway without light for days.

SPONSORED BY NEXT DAY ACCESS

Stay independent while increasing the value of your home

For access in and out of your home, Next Day Access has the solutions and expertise to keep you safe in your home.

Outside your home there are multiple solutions from ramps to vertical platform lifts. Inside, stairlifts are a common solution to get you from one floor to another, but if you’re interested in increasing your home value, then a residential one level elevator may be the right fit!

Schedule your free in-home assessment to find the best solution to keep you in your home!

⭐️ Capital Picks

9 specialty stores in Victoria to check out, with wares from olive oil to candy to plantains. [Tasting Victoria]

Compost Education Centre wants your pumpkins to feed their worms. [Details]

Now hiring: Out of School Care Team Lead at Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group

🗞️ In Other News

Oak Bay High locked down on Friday while police investigated a report of a man with a possible handgun near Hampshire. Students were instructed to remain indoors until the area was confirmed clear.

RCMP search for man and boat after crew member found dead on Gabriola
A mayday call, saying the boat was taking on water, was received a day after the man bought the boat and hired another man to help him. That crew member was found dead six days after the distress call. Search and rescue has found no sign of the man or boat. [CTV]

UVic soccer misses bronze-medal chance
The Vikes lost the Canada West third-place match on Friday, falling 2-4 to Saskatchewan in a shootout after tying the main game 0-0. For the UVic women (10-5-3), it was the first trip to the Final Four since 2017.

SPONSORED BY SHELLEY DAVIES

Support local today and enter for a chance to win

Local Victoria artist Shelley Davies is offering a chance to win one of 5 prizes by Cobble Hill Puzzles. Sign up for her quarterly e-newsletter by November 8 to enter.

Shelley has launched a line of Art Prints, fabrics and even wallpaper, all made from her modern abstract designs.

🗓️ Things to do

👨‍🎨 The Cordova Bay Art Group show and sale: Art in various mediums, including oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel, and mixed media. Annex adjacent to Cordova Bay Elementary. Today. 10am-3pm. [Info]

🏑 UVic field hockey in a must-win game, in the national championship series. 11am on CBC Sports.

🩰 Ballet Rocks See elegant dance combined with genre-defining music for this rocking show today and tomorrow at Kirk Hall. [Info]

Celebrate the season with the Magic of Christmas December 1 – January 6 at The Butchart Gardens. Please reserve your date and time to visit by clicking here.*

🕺🏽 The Comic Strippers: Catch this raunchy improv show at the McPherson Playhouse tonight at 8pm. [Info]

🇸🇾 A Syrian Night: Enjoy an evening of art and Syrian food and help bring a Syrian refugee family to Canada at the Fernwood Community Centre, tonight at 6:30pm. [Info]

🪩 Late Lounge: The night is young—get dancing at this late-night DJ set, tonight at 11pm at Hermann’s upstairs. [Info]

 🔮 Intuitive Arts Festival: Let’s get metaphysical—this showcase will feature the best in psychics, crystals, and healing at the Da Vinci Centre, today and tomorrow. [Info]

📕 Blood on the Breakwater author ‍Jean Paetkau appears at the Read Locally Book Fair, First Metropolitan Church. Today. 10am-3pm.

🎃 Smashing Pumpkins. Not the band, the action. View Royal Firefighters Association annual Pumpkin Smash. Today, 10am to 2pm.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Victoria author’s murder mystery stars James Bay. [Capital Daily]

CRD acquires old golf course to be used as public green space. [Capital Daily]

Woman, 79, deposits car into RBC window in Oak Bay. She’s alright. Car’s not. 

Man, 67, knifed in hand and face in James Bay last Monday after refusing to hand over cash, police say.

1K Sidney residents may lose doctor due to test error: The doctor’s permanent residency application was rejected because he took the wrong English test. [Times Colonist]

That’s it!

Please consider forwarding this newsletter to a fellow Victorian.