Dec 19 - BC Museum to return artifacts to Island First Nations

Good morning !

Weather predictions for next Monday are pointing towards us having a “green Christmas.” As a lifelong Islander, I personally prefer some mild weather around the holidays but my friends from the East Coast couldn’t imagine the day without some snow. What are your preferences for holiday weather?

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 10 / 6

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 10 / 5

Day after: ☁️ 8 / 5

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NEWS

Royal BC Museum receives declaration to repatriate sacred treasures to BC First Nations

Hereditary chiefs and other representatives from Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nation gathered in the totem hall of the Royal BC Museum on Dec. 6 to make a declaration for the return of sacred treasures to their community. 

“Repatriating the sacred treasures has been top of the list of our treaty negotiations since we started the process 15 years ago,” said Colleen Hemphill, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw treaty negotiator.

The declaration marks an important milestone in reclaiming their history, culture and identity. It’s another milestone for the museum as well, as they continue to redefine their repatriation practices in partnership with Indigenous communities, and also with guidance from Indigenous curators and staff who bring their expertise and perspective to those processes.

“We were one of the first institutions to really start [repatriating], particularly here in Canada,” said Elizabeth Peterson, director of Indigenous collections and repatriation. “It’s something that we've been doing for a long time. Each repatriation process is slightly different.”

Read more here about the return of sacred treasures to Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

800th little free library opened yesterday on Pembroke.

Local lost & found pets for this week via ROAM. 

New way to pay BC Hydro: Utilities commission approves new opt-in model that drops prices 5¢ / kWh overnight (11pm-7am) and raises them in peak hours (4-9pm).

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Victoria rental prices see a dip, but still higher than a year ago

Two new reports show a drop in rental prices since last month, with both showing a decrease of 1.8% for two-bedrooms and Zumper reporting a drop of 4.2% for one-bedroom units. 

Prices for one-bedrooms have also fallen 7% since last November, according to Zumper, though Rentals.ca shows instead a slight price increase of 0.1%.

This unfortunately, was not the case for two-bedrooms—Rentals.ca estimates prices have increased by 4.9%; Zumper says the increase falls closer to 8%.

Both reports collect data from active listings, rather than occupied units.

Of the 35 cities it surveys, Rentals.ca lists Victoria as the No.11 most expensive city in Canada, with Vancouver and Burnaby taking the top two spots.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🍻 Tickets on sale for Victoria Beer Week: The craft beer festival’s tenth annual celebration is happening from March 1-9. Full event list will be released in January. Get your tickets here.

📹 Video: Eagle scores lunch, drags fish into shore.

😊 Now hiring: Dental Assistant at Oaklands Dental.

🗞️ In Other News

Man injured in Sunday van fire off Pandora
The van owner’s’ hands, ankles, and face were burned, but his dog escaped unharmed. The cause is still under investigation, though the firefighters’ union suspects a poorly stored propane tank. 

Island-filmed nature series wins 4 Emmys
The Will-Arnett-narrated Island of the Sea Wolves had 7 nominations and won for Sound Mixing, Writing Team, Single Camera Editing, and Cinematography (Daytime Non-Fiction). The Netflix series was filmed around the Island and follows the titular pack of wolves along with bald eagles, bears, and other species. 

Royals enter holiday break tied for 6th in WHL
A win in Saturday’s Teddy Bear Toss game (highlights below) makes it 6 wins in the past 7 games for Victoria’s hockey team. The Royals have now won 20 of the past 30 games after starting the season 0-4. 

North Saanich mayor wants to see if airport should pay more taxes 
The mayor is calling for an audit on the airport to determine the use of its land—whether the property can be classified as farm use or commercial, a difference of $1M an acre—to determine if it’s paying enough to North Saanich. Council voted to direct staff to file an appeal against the Victoria Airport Authority by end of January. [CHEK]

Scheduling conflict moves Champions Cup match to Starlight Stadium
The Whitecaps vs Tigres UANL game will move from its original spot at BC Place to Langford, as the only other Concacaf-approved stadium available. Game to take place Feb. 7.

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🗓️ Things to do

It's A Wonderful Life at Cinecenta: The 1940s Christmas classic film will be shown today and tomorrow at 5pm and 7:30pm. 

Pop-Up Concert: Jesse Thomas Brown will perform in the Garden Court at Monterey Recreation Centre today from 11:45am-12:45pm. 

Bands!Bands!Bands!: Anteater Eater, Tontoloop, Meteor In The Metro, and Slugger will perform at the Victoria Event Centre today, 7-11pm.

Miracle on 34th Street at Oak Bay Beach Hotel: Watch the 1940s Christmas film at the hotel’s David Foster Foundation Theatre, today at 5pm. [Waitlist]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Drug deaths rise: Cold temperatures and the holidays can increase the risk of overdoses. [Capital Daily] 

Monday’s headlines: Local beer supports marmot conservation, council pushes View Towers review to new year, rare bird spotted, and more. [Dec. 18] 

Study on wildfire risks recommends clearing brush near homes, installing fire-rated roofs, and planning communities with 30m buffers. [CP]

The “giant red sea slug”: A large nudibranch photographed near Ogden Point. 

Island COVID hospital admissions remain around 20-25 per week. Influenza A continues to climb in BC as COVID tapers down. 

VIU hoops teams are 23-1 at holiday break—among the very best in Canada’s college league.

Island-area whales—and their poop—star on BBC. Also in Sun. newsletter: Carollers helping the hungry. UVic’s plan to slash emissions.

That’s it!

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