Dec 3 - The team keeping Victoria nightlife safe

Good morning !

There are less than two weeks left to use the services at the Nellie McClung Library branch before it closes for three years while the building is developed for a housing project, which includes a revamped, twice-as-big library. Unfortunately, the temporary replacement space at 3561 Shelbourne won’t open until February.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 8 / 4

Tomorrow: ⛅ 7 / 6

Day after: 🌧️ 7 / 7

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NEWS

Fundraiser aims to help non-profit keeping people safe in Victoria’s nightlife district

If you’re out late at night in downtown Victoria, you may have seen a pair of people walking around with peach-coloured shirts. They can often be found near the Sticky Wicket, Lucky Bar, Bastion Square, and along Douglas. These places are hotspots for young people looking for a fun night out. Unfortunately, they’re also hotspots for harassment and sexual assaults at night. The peach-shirt pair is working to stop these occurrences before they escalate and offer support for those being preyed upon. 

They’re the Good Night Out (GNO) street team, a pilot program that launched this summer in Victoria after years of success on Granville St. in Vancouver. It was the first of its kind in North America when it was launched in 2017. During the busy summer months, two volunteer team members, who are skilled in bystander intervention, work to curb incidents of gendered violence and support the safety of those enjoying downtown between the hours of 11:30pm and 3am.

They act as the eyes and ears of vulnerable people out at night—from helping a drunk person get a cab home, to stepping in when an interaction seems negative. They’ll even help you charge your phone to make sure you get home safe. GNO also hosts consent workshops for businesses and offers safety support at events, making sure everyone has a good—and safe—night out.

For the entire month of December, local hotel chain Hotel Zed will be giving GNO a boost by matching donations up to $25K. The fundraising partnership launched Sat. to mark International Consent Day, with both organizations dedicated to a safe, sex-positive ethos.

Read more about GNO’s work and why Hotel Zed wanted to support its mission.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Nellie McClung Library closure: Dec. 14 is the last day to access library services before the branch closes for renovation for three years.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

NEWS

Cascadia Seaweed raises $4M in its first round of fundraising

Sidney’s Cascadia Seaweed announced the first close of its Series A funding round last month, raising $4 million of its $7 million target.

In a press release, the company said it would use the funds to build a commercial-scale seaweed biorefinery on the West Coast, increase biomass production, and expand sales and marketing of its liquid kelp extracts, biostimulants, and livestock products.

“We are thrilled with the support from both new and existing investors," said Michael Williamson, CEO of Cascadia Seaweed. “We’ve built a vertically integrated business that delivers real environmental and economic benefits, and this funding will enable us to scale up and provide surety of supply of innovative inputs to our customers while contributing to more resilient food production in North America.”

Cascadia Seaweed is focused on turning sustainably cultivated seaweed into premium products for land-based farmers, working with the Tsawout Nation to operate between the Saanichton and James Island. The seaweed can increase crop yields and livestock productivity, while reducing agricultural emissions.

Kelp forests are incredibly important for maintaining a thriving ecosystem in the Salish Sea—a single stalk of kelp can act as a home to roughly 80K organisms—and for fighting climate change. UVic researchers are currently working to regrow forests in Bamfield.

Read more about Cascadia Seaweed at Victoria Tech Journal.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

⛴️ Extra BC Ferry sailings added this weekend for the Taylor Swift concerts and Canucks games. BC Transit will also offer additional Route 70 bus trips to match the ferry schedules. [Details]

📸 Esquimalt Road through the years: See pictures of the road in 1895, 1919, and 1959. [Facebook photos]

🦃 "Just plain hilarious..." Mom's the Word: Talkin' Turkey previews tonight at the Belfry Theatre. Tickets are going fast - get yours here.*

💫 Municipal Christmas wish: Let your councillors know what you wish for your municipality in 2025. Send your wishes to [email protected] by Wednesday, Dec. 4.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Protest camp in front of Victoria City Hall dismantled 
The encampment, protesting city bylaws that regulate outdoor sheltering in the city, was erected Sunday and torn down by Monday morning. The encampment organizer said there were no plans to return to the site and a new plan for protesting will be developed. An estimated 10 people stayed overnight in the four tents. [Times Colonist]

Saanich man with dementia found dead in Langford after week-long search
Christian Dube, 64, went missing from his care home, Broadmead Lodge, on the night of Nov. 23, when he escaped in his slippers through “2 locked doors” and walked past the front reception to the exit. He was found dead Nov. 30 in an unused section of a Langford trailer park. His niece said he appeared to have died from a medical issue, but BC Coroners Service will investigate his death. Police called off the search for Dube on Nov. 28 after an exhaustive search in Saanich. [CHEK]

Campaign to bring surgical robot to the Island gets $250K boost
Terry and Leslie Farmer have offered to match donations up to $250K for the It's Time for Surgical Innovation campaign, between today and Dec. 20. Leslie studied at the RJH nursing school in the 1960s and worked at the Royal Jubilee for much of her career. The fundraiser was launched by the Victoria Hospital Foundation in October with a goal of raising $17M. The money will be used to purchase equipment for both Victoria hospitals—including the Da Vinci robot for RJH, which would make it one of the first community hospitals to own one. [Victoria News]

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🗓️ Things to do

🍝 A Night with Alderlea: Visit Nowhere A Restaurant tonight for a seven-course pairing dinner, with Zac Brown and Julie Powell from Alderlea Wines in Duncan. Multiple time slots starting at 5pm. [Info]

🎄 In the Christmas Mood with Glenn Miller Orchestra: See the new holiday show at the Royal Theatre, as the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra performs favourite holiday tunes tonight. 7pm. [Info]

Looking for something to do this weekend? Subscribe to This Week In Vic to get the full list of what’s on this week.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Monday’s headlines: 12 years since Emma Fillipoff disappeared from Inner Harbour, Saanich to sell or lease land near Royal Oak mall, Island fire chief fights fire in his own home. [Dec. 2]

Victoria’s new omakase bar combines traditional Japanese flavours with modern cooking techniques. [Tasting Victoria]

Missing Westshore woman located. [RCMP]

Sea creatures washed up by last month’s wild weather. [Facebook photos]

New music from Shoplifter: Hear 5 tracks from the Victoria band. [Bandcamp]

Holiday parties: Local restaurants that are great for work or family get-togethers this month. [Tasting Victoria]

That’s it!

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