Dec 21 - 84 deer removed from Sidney Island

Good morning !

We’ve got two stories today on invasive species around the Island: English ivy and European fallow deer on Sidney Island. The former can be seen growing throughout the south Island, taking space away from native species.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

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NEWS

In W̱SÁNEĆ territories, removing invasive English ivy makes way for Indigenous plants

A few years ago, Sarah Jim looked around her Saanich Peninsula village of Tseycum in W̱S͸ḴEM (Place of Clay), just under the flight path of nearby YYJ, and couldn’t help but notice the massive amount of English ivy weaving its way through the forest, slinking up tree trunks, meandering up walls and along the sides and tops of buildings.

The fast-growing evergreen vine—an invasive species, blanketing the forest floor, tightly winding itself around every tree in sight, choking the native plant species, and forever altering the makeup of the forest—may or may not have been seen as a microcosm for British Colonialism running amok over the first settlers of this country, but it’s difficult to not see the symbolism.

All Sarah knew was the ivy posed was no friend of the flora, and it had to go.

So she began to pull it. But the forest was vast, and Sarah needed help. So two years ago, she founded the W̱S͸ḴEM Ivy Project (Healing the Place of Clay) and has since partnered with Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT), a non-profit focused on land restoration, which has a big network of volunteers, and that meant these ivy pulls could happen once a month.

Now with Sarah and others tending to the forest, they see it as an act of decolonization, healing, and cultural revitalization.

Read the full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

BC Ferries extra holiday sailings: There will be an extra 112 sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay from Dec. 21-Jan.1.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

84 deer killed in first phase of Sidney Island eradication

Shots from helicopters during the day and from the ground at night led to the removal of 84 deer during the first phase of the eradication program, which ran from Dec 1-11, according to Parks Canada.

Most deer were killed with a single shot, though some required a second to “be certain of immediate and humane death,” Parks Canada said in a release.

Ensuring the deer did not go to waste, marksmen worked with Parks Canada staff and First Nations harvesters to “maximize the amount of meat and materials recovered,” with 800 kg (1,800 lbs) of meat, hides, and other materials distributed to local W̱SÁNEĆ communities.

The second phase is planned for between fall 2024 and spring 2025 when fencing will be installed to create enclosed zones ranging from 40 to 120 ha, which will be cleared by ground-based marksmen using tracking dogs.

Deer culls are not new to Sidney Island. Since 1981, there have been 17 hunting seasons, with approximately 15K deer killed over those 42 years. 

The population always has bounced back, leading to the recent decision—In Feb., residents of the private island narrowly voted in favour—to fully eradicate the invasive species.

The project to restore the island’s coastal Douglas fir ecosystem is expected to cost $6M over multiple years, with this first phase costing more than $800K.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🐋 Whale tails: See five humpback flukes captured near the Island.

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🗞️ In Other News

Man, 83, found dead inside car submerged in Sproat Lake
BC’s Independent Investigations Office (IIO) is looking for witnesses. Responding to a missing person’s report, the RCMP spoke with a man driving a green Pontiac Sunfire Wed. evening. Two days later a car matching that description turned up in the lake. The IIO will investigate the interaction to see what role if any, it played in the death. [IIO]

NDP, fire chiefs want increased tax credit for firefighting
In the latest call for increased compensation, Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns says volunteer firefighters and search-and-rescue workers should get a tax credit of $10K, a significant increase from the current $3K credit. Johns says the current credit saves a volunteer only $450 a year, and firefighting services are facing a shortage of volunteers. [InfoNews.ca]

Nanaimo drops the idea of housing on historic Five Acre Farm
After an online survey showed 75% of Nanaimo respondents voted to leave the farm grounds as a public green space, the council chose to move forward with looking at non-housing land options for the 19th-century farm. [Nanaimo News Bulletin]

Swan’s turns graffiti into new bird logo
The downtown pub has released images of its secondary logo to its Instagram, a replica of the four-inch sharpie graffiti left on the front door, writing that “while it was annoying and disrespectful we kind of liked the image.”

Cow on highway thought to be cause of multi-car crash near Chemainus
Cowichan RCMP were responding to a call of two missing cows when they found the “chain-reaction crash” on the Island Highway. Police say the first vehicle appeared to strike one cow, killing it and leading other vehicles to make contact. [Chemainus Valley Courier]

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🗓️ Things to do

Candlelight: The Nutcracker: Hear the holiday ballet score performed by candlelight, 5:45pm tonight at Christ Church Cathedral. [Info]

NWA Xmas Carol: Get festive at this gangster rap Christmas party at Lucky Bar, tonight at 10pm. [Info]

HundredHz - Motion: Enjoy this multi-genre rave at Hermann’s Upstairs, tonight at 10pm. [Info]

Desi Me Rollin: Head out to this Bollywood-themed evening at The Wicket with DJ Kino-B spinning, tonight at 9pm. [Info]

Charlie Brown Christmas: Listen to the Vince Guaraldi score performed tonight at Hermann’s at 5pm & 9pm. [Info]

Last-minute gifts: Ceramic market on Sat. at Touci ceramic studio, from 11am-3pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: CRD’s end of year roundup, Victoria arts programs get funding, Myra Falls mine closing. [Newsletter]

CRD glass collection to be paused from Jan. 2 - Feb. 1.

Royal BC Museum told to return First Nations sacred treasure. [Capital Daily]

See a bald eagle drag its lunch to shore.

New way to pay BC Hydro: New opt-in model drops prices overnight and raises them in peak hours (4-9pm).

That’s it!

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