Nov 26 - Fall COVID wave dipping, but other illnesses rise

Good morning !

Last night featured the parade that many locals consider the unofficial kickoff the the winter and holiday seasons. If you were there and took photos, feel free to send them in!

First, though, we cover the other ongoing season—cold season—and another recent season—drought season.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 8 / 2 

Tomorrow: ☀️ 8 / 3

Tuesday: ☀️ 8 / 1

7-day forecast

NEWS

Fall COVID wave tapering down, but illness season continues

New BC CDC numbers tallied 197 COVID hospitalizations (59 on the Island) in mid-Nov.—down from a fall peak of 428 and the fewest since the “fall” wave began in August. Weekly new hospitalizations peaked at 328 in early Oct., then fell below 200 in early Nov. and to just 95 in mid-Nov. 

Test positivity has also declined. However, COVID’s prevalence in wastewater data has remained stable or increased throughout many parts of BC (reliable Island-specific data hasn’t been available).

After very low summer levels, COVID indicators rocketed up from Aug. until Oct. During that time, most in BC had not had a recent COVID booster; the fall rollout began in mid-Oct., and only about 10% of BC residents got a booster during the smaller spring rollout. 

Boosters key as flu & RSV rise, BC says

This month the BC CDC has also reported a rise in flu (mainly Influenza A) and RSV (particularly among kids) in BC. In Canada overall, it says, flu is below seasonal average but RSV is above.  

Dr. Bonnie Henry said two weeks ago that BC had a relatively early COVID peak, but flagged the overlap of now-climbing RSV and flu. To that end, the province is asking people to get vaccinated for COVID and flu to quell hospital numbers, which last year peaked in early Jan. 

Rollout has had some hiccups

The vaccine rollout was criticized in its early weeks for having few or no available appointments for weeks in some areas; some northern BCers, drove 100+km to get shots. 

Advocates with Protect Our Province BC argued in the Tyee this month that any bugs with the vaccine rollout are exacerbated by what they call BC’s under-reliance on other factors such as ventilation, masking, and giving public info on local transmission levels.  

NEWS

How salmon “SWAT teams” protected Island fish from the drought

More than 85% of BC’s water basins suffered extreme drought this summer. The  East Island’s Tsolum river hit Level 5 drought by mid-July, the river hit Level 5 on the provincial drought scale —at which adverse impacts on fish health, ecosystems or society are certain—by mid-July.  

But this summer, for the first time, those adverse effects were blunted by the work of localized “SWAT teams” who sprang into action. Many used shovels or heavy excavators to dig escape channels for trapped fish. 

But the team at Tsolum had a different challenge: getting the fish oxygen. In the past three years of drought there, there wasn’t enough water running through the gravel beds or feeding small pools to maintain adequate oxygen, and in 2021 over a thousand spawning pink salmon died as a result.  

The team aerated the water by blasting in air bubbles using a generator, compressor, tubing, and ceramic stones. Experimenting with interventions in different pools where the fish gather, they were able to raise oxygen up to 30%.

Read the full story at Capital Daily / LJI for more on how they did it, other salmon-saving stories in BC, and the plans for next year.

NEWS

10 of Victoria’s most vegan-friendly restaurants

For years, it was a challenge to find many restaurants with real vegan options. Not so any more. Dedicated vegan food has become a real part of mainstream menus over the past decade, and Victoria in particular has a great range of reliable restaurants for vegans and vegetarians. 

From tofu that looks like a fried egg to “chicken” made from oyster mushrooms, Victoria eateries are pushing the boundaries of what is expected of vegan cooking. 

Tasting Victoria rounded up 10 of the most exciting plant-based options to try in town—no prior vegan experience required! 

SPONSORED BY THE ROOT CELLAR

Locally grown goodness from your locally owned green grocer

Time spent gathered around the table is what connects us as people, families, and communities. Step into one of the two Root Cellar markets here in Victoria to experience it, including their second location in Cook Street Village. 

Both markets offer Vancouver Island’s largest selection of locally grown, organic, and conventional produce, as well as full-service butchers, delis, artisanal grocery, and more. Poised at the intersection of Victoria’s urban and agricultural regions, their McKenzie Corner flagship, founded in 2008, is also home to the Potting Shed, a boutique florist and beloved garden centre. 

Cultivating a strong appreciation of fresh local food and sustainable food systems in the community is a responsibility the award winning Root Cellar takes seriously. 

Discover it for yourself at The Root Cellar.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🎺 Daniel Lapp’s 20th Annual Home for Christmas Concert. With Valdy. Royal Theatre. Dec. 20 & 21. [Tickets]

🎅 Jolly old St. Nick visited Victoria for his parade. [Photo]

🏠 Want to age in place? Next Day Access delivers and installs mobility and accessibility products right to your home. Schedule your free in-home assessment today!*

🐿️ Black squirrel, white tail tip: This interesting-looking critter was spotted in Nanaimo. [Photo / Facebook]

🤝 Now hiring: Cooks at the Butchart Gardens.

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🗞️ In Other News

UVic’s Jane Gumley is the first woman ever to three-peat as Coach of the Year in university rowing
Gumley used to be a coxswain (who sits in the boat to coach, pace, and steer the rowers) for UVic and Canada’s men’s teams; she said that role prepared her well for head coaching, but that more recently she’s improved at managing player relationships. [Vikes]

Cat found after 200-day disappearance 
Mucky and his family were reunited last week after he apparently hopped in the back of a truck in Mill Bay 6.5 months ago and got out at Mt. Prevost in Duncan. [Finding Felines]

Victoria country-bluegrass singer featured in new Hunger Games film
Bella White’s track “Burn Me Once” is part of the soundtrack for the new blockbuster, which just pulled over $100M internationally in its opening weekend. White features alongside big names such as Olivia Rodrigo and Rachel Zegler.

Large toy store in Langford files for creditor protection
Mastermind is expected to close some of its 66 Canadian stores but not all. [Goldstream Gazette]

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🗓️ Things to do

🎤 Dead Bob at Capital Ballroom: Canadian musician and songwriter will perform tonight. Doors 7:30pm, show 8:30pm.  

🎻 Being Robert Schumann: Christian Kluxen will conduct a performance of Schumann’s "Spring" symphony at the Royal Theatre today, 2:30pm.  

🛍️ Community Art Market: Shop gifts and artworks from local artists today at Fernwood Community Centre, 1-5pm. Free entry. 

🎺 The Don Leppard Big Band: Listen to classic and contemporary jazz tonight at Hermann’s Jazz Club. Doors 5:30pm, show 7pm. 

💃 Flamenco Tablao: Watch live flamenco performances tonight at The Mint, 7-9pm.

👀 In Case You Missed It

New Saanich fire hall is being build to house a growing dept. that is bursting past its facilities’ capacity. [Capital Daily]

Online harassment in academia is a problem local researchers want to bring more attention to, saying it deters presenting research to the public. [Capital Daily]

Victoria 1 Spokane 8 as Royals’ blowout loss drops them down a spot in WHL table.

BC Ferries pursuing more hybrid ships to replace BC’s aging ships. [Capital Daily]

Hero sandwich pop-up on Dec. 4 will be the last.

Esquimalt Food Drive in support of Esquimalt Neighbourhood House.

That’s it!

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