April 24 - CRD ponders biosolid pellet problem

Good morning !

Have you brought bottles back to a store lately? Are they taking them?
I thought the regulation was they had to accept 24 bottles. But from the reader mail we’re getting, it looks like returning bottles isn’t as easy as it used to be.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 12 / 6  

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 10 / 8

Friday: 🌧️ 12 / 6

7-day forecast

NEWS

CRD pressed to come to a long-term solution for biosolids management

The CRD is facing provincial pressure to address the growing volume of dried biosolids pellets at Hartland. Right now, biosolids are being landfilled as an emergency measure, but a pilot project for bio-solids management may start in early 2026 pending provincial approval and public support.

Synagro Technologies, the major stakeholder in Hartland's residual treatment facility, is facing some scrutiny due to a lawsuit filed by Texas farmers alleging harm from Synagro-produced biosolids. The suit claims high levels of PFAS in the fertilizer caused illness, animal deaths, and environmental contamination. Despite assurances from Synagro, concerns persist, especially regarding bio-solid use in the region.

Philippe Lucas of the Peninsula BioSolids Coalition questions whether the technology used by Synagro in Texas is any different from what is being used here. CRD's Forest Fertilization program, which currently spreads biosolids, raises further environmental concerns, particularly for the Nanaimo region’s water sources.

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Road closures: Check this map to see which roads are under construction in Victoria.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Unions, UVic students decry cuts, implore province to re-up university funding

Six UVic unions have sent a letter to the premier and minister of education calling on the province to increase public funding for post-secondary education. They say funding has dropped to 41% of Canada’s universities’ operating revenue, from 90% in the 1980s, leaving an overreliance on tuition to pay the bills at these institutions. 

“This puts immense pressure on the student community,” said the letter, arguing that tuition hikes create further barriers for marginalized students.  
“As wages fail to increase at the rate of both tuition and housing costs, students have to work longer hours or take on additional debt to continue their studies.”

UVic has to trim 4% ($13M) of its operating budget, forcing cutbacks that the unions and students call “unacceptable.” The upcoming federal cap on international students is expected to hurt universities further—international enrollment was already declining, with UVic citing the drop as the reason for the budget cuts. International students pay four to five times more in tuition; without them, schools will lose significant revenue. One-third of UVic’s tuition revenue comes from international students, who make up a disproportionate 11% of the student population. 

This reliance on international student tuition has drawn ire before. Last year when UVic cut a similar 4% from its budget, unions shared an open letter calling for change to the province’s current model that relies too heavily on students from abroad.

SPONSORED BY ROWHOMES AT ROYAL BAY

Rowhomes at Royal Bay now selling

Now selling! GableCraft Homes’ latest innovation in living, Rowhomes at Royal Bay. Freehold ownership with suites and no strata fees all in the Westshore’s award-winning seaside community. Learn more by registering on the website and discover the advantage of buying at presale prices.

Rowhomes are homes that share one or more common walls with neighbouring homes, yet provide freehold ownership, meaning purchasers have full and absolute ownership rights of the land and building.

Rowhomes at Royal Bay come with a single-car garage accessed from the rear laneway with a shared party wall and two concrete parking pads. Rowhomes are also outfitted with a one-bedroom suite in the basement. This mortgage helper increases affordability for families and investors. Rowhomes at Royal Bay, now selling!

⭐️ Capital Picks

📷 Lion's mane jellyfish in San Josef Bay at the tip of the Island. [Photo]

🦋 Beautiful butterflies get their photos taken at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens.

🍿 Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival is back at The Vic Theatre, May 2-5. Three dozen short films and much, much more!*

⚕️Vic’s first psychedelic healing centre opens. [On Fisgard]

🤝 Now hiring: Cash Accounting Clerk at The Butchart Gardens.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Man arrested after carjacking in downtown Vic
A woman called police just before noon Monday after she said a man pushed her away from her car as she tried to get in where it was parked on Johnson near Cook. The man climbed in and drove away, allegedly slamming into a vehicle on Cedar Hill Cross and Doncaster. Police said he hit another vehicle before abandoning the stolen car near Cook and Finlayson. They also said the same man was arrested on Sun. after an attempted carjacking on Shelbourne. [VicPD]

BC’s ombudsperson: Family development ministry should be embarrassed
Jay Chalke said the ministry has failed to make changes outlined in a 2021 ombudsperson report calling for “separate confinement” of young people to be limited and eventually abolished. He says 23 of 26 recommendations have not been fully implemented, and the ministry is “moving backwards” in how it isolates vulnerable youth in provincial custody. [Black Press]  

2 bodies found in Washington state: No confirmation to be missing kayakers
Police in San Juan County would not confirm the bodies to be those of two brothers missing since Sat. Daniel MacAlpine, 36, and Nicholas West, 26, were last seen kayaking between Island View Beach and Darcy Island, just north of Vic. Searchers on both sides of the border have used helicopters and boats to try to find the missing men. [CTV]

School Police Liaison Officer project: SD61 vs. VicPD
Last week, Vic’s school board released a statement explaining again, why it discontinued the cops–in-the-school program last May. It feels appropriately trained professionals such as teachers and principals can do the job. The police say those pros can’t replace the roles of SPLOs who should return immediately to keep kids safe from gangs, and drugs. VicPD Chief Del Manak put out a statement yesterday.

SPONSORED BY DANCE VICTORIA

Dance Victoria presents: Ballets Jazz Montréal

Ballets Jazz Montréal (BJM) returns to the Royal Theatre on April 26 and 27 with Essence, a mixed contemporary program by all-female choreographers celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary. This new triple bill pays homage to BJM’s roots and also serves as a springboard for a new artistic vision. Visit the Dance Victoria website for more information.

🗓️ Things to do

🍽️ Culinaire: Now a baker’s dozen years old, the food fest celebrates the best of the Island’s food scene. Victoria Conference Centre. Today. 5-7:15pm & 8-10:15pm. [Info]

🎹 Louise Rose: Alone Together. The living Canadian treasure has studied classical voice in the States and piano with the Great Oscar Peterson of Montreal. Hermann’s. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

💲The Lehman Trilogy. The Lehman brothers’ rise from shopkeepers to bankers, from obscurity to prominence, navigating the Civil War, the Great Depression, and generations of ethical dilemmas. Belfry Theatre. Runs through Sun. May 19. [Info]

🎸The Pack A.D. Singer/guitarist Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller have made a sound so gigantic, fierce, raw, and empowering, it's easy to forget just two people are playing. Wicket Hall. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🍑 Peaches’ Palace. Local Afro-Indigenous drag star Peaches N Screams will perform alongside other BIPOC drag and burlesque artists. Friend of Dorothy’s. Tomorrow. 8:30pm. [Info]

🎤 David Santana Quintet. A tribute to the Great John Coltrane with a Love Supreme, one of My Favorite Things. Hermann’s. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🎭 Anne of Green Gables. The Canadian College of Performing Arts will tell the beloved story of Anne Shirley. McPherson Playhouse. Tomorrow and Friday. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎸 Victoria Guitar Show: Check out all things guitar at the Victoria Conference Centre, Sat. 10am-3pm. [Info]

🐶 Paw Patrol Live: An interactive live stage show, where members of the audience get to be heroes unleashed, helping the pups as honourary members of the pack. Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Sat. 10am & 2pm. Sun. 10am & 3pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: King Charles’ sister Princess Anne coming to Victoria; Princess Royal and the Olympics; Kayak found, search for brothers continues; And more: [April 23]

Southern Resident orcas in trouble, study suggests: [Capital Daily]

Island man awarded bravery medal for river rescue: [CHEK]

Books aplenty await at this weekend’s TC book sale: [Times Colonist]

Following Oregon? BC decriminalization under the microscope: [CTV]

That’s it!

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