Dec 4 - Faith groups unite to sponsor Palestinian-Syrian refugee family

Good morning !

In what to me is slightly reminiscent of that Seinfeld episode where George just kept going to work after he was fired, the BC Conservatives have a strange situation on their hands.
The party’s board says it has “removed” John Rustad as its leader. It’s even named MLA Trevor Halford as his interim replacement.
But Rustad says he’s not going anywhere, that he’s still in charge.
As of the time of this writing, Rustad is one Schrödinger's cat—he’s both the present and former leader of the Opposition.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 7 / 7

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Saturday: 🌦️ 10 / 8

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NEWS

Group hopes weekend art auction helps paint a new future for a Palestinian-Syrian family

A group of Victorians from various religious backgrounds has centred on one goal: bringing a widow and her two daughters from the Middle East to Canada to start new lives.

Her name is private for security reasons, but R, as we’ll call her, escaped violence in the West Bank about a decade ago, only to land smack dab in the Syrian civil war, where she witnessed her husband being shot to death.

Fighting cancer, she waits in an undisclosed country with her two university-aged daughters, hoping this project will come to fruition so they can come to Canada. 

So far, the sponsorship group has raised $40K and needs $10K-$15K more to pay to get the three women here, set them up for success, and help with R’s medical costs. 

To that end, the group has called in the art community, which responded by donating dozens of creations to be auctioned this weekend. Non-artists kicked in too, giving up pieces they previously purchased in the hopes it will help to land three new Canadians.

Artist and silent auction organizer Farley Cates tells Capital Daily that a wide range of abstract art is up for grabs.

“Abstract Impressionism, abstract expressionism—we have landscapes, still lifes, and wildlife; it pretty much runs the gamut. And we also have some 3D objects, such as some pottery and ceramics and jewelry, and carvings.”

The silent auction is scheduled for Sunday from 2pm to 4:30pm at St. Philip Anglican Church in Oak Bay. We’re told an anonymous group of supporters plans to match the first $5K raised.

If you can’t make it but would like to donate, click here, and if you’d like to see a short video on the project, please click here.  

“This has truly become a community-development project, bringing together people who don’t usually share the same spaces,” said Farouk Mitha, one of the organizers of the Gleams of Hope project. 

“Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or none of the above—those labels fall away in this work. It makes me wonder if this is what the world could look like.”

If you’re wondering about the name, Gleam has always meant light, and Hope is something you must continually work toward. Together, they capture exactly what this project is about, Mitha says.

“We've had to cross a lot of bridges, but we've realized how enriching this multi-faith, interfaith community has been for each one of us.”

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Recall: Various pistachios and pistachio-containing products imported from Iran, due to Salmonella. [CFIA] 

Saanich road closures: 

• Roy between Carey and Wilkinson. 8am-4pm, through Dec. 15

• Iona between Cedar Hill Cross and Broadmead, through Dec. 12

• Reynolds at Cedar Hill Cross, 9am-3pm, through Friday

• Maddock West between Davin and Harriet through Friday

Saanich single-lane alternating: Hartland, 9am-3pm, through Friday.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Saanich’s Spectrum Community School is finally getting its turf

The Greater Victoria School District (SD61) announced it will install a new all-weather sports playing surface and is committed to finding funding for lighting.  

That’s welcome news to the many sports teams who’ve endured the grass field’s messy, muddy conditions over the years. It’s why Spectrum’s football and soccer teams haven’t played a home game in 15 years.

The school board hasn’t said how much it will cost for a new synthetic field on its own, but turf and a clubhouse came in at around $2.7 million in 2023 money, according to project proponents at the time.
Saanich is putting up $300K and Peninsula Co-op is kicking in $20K. And while it’s likely the cost has gone up, sports groups pitching a new pitch for a decade appear to have raised a big chunk of the eventual price tag.

“Contributions, including a generous $2 million anonymous donation, and strong advocacy from the school community over the past eight years, have been key to the success of fundraising for this project,” says Katrina Stride, SD61’s secretary-treasurer.
And that’s expected to have a noticeable effect at an opportune time.

“It's excitement, it's happiness, it's joy,” says Eddie Mukahanana, founder of soccer development academy Westcastle International, whose 300 players aged three to 24 are among the many who use what’s been deemed an unusable field.  

“I mean, it's an opportunity for us to provide more, you know, accessibility to the game of soccer to more players, especially with the World Cup around the corner here in Canada,” the former Zimbabwean national team player tells Capital Daily.

“We expect that there's going to be growth in the game—so this is an absolutely perfect time for something like this to happen.”

For about a decade, sports groups have been trying to get a new playing surface installed at Spectrum to replace the quagmire that the grass becomes, particularly in the fall and spring, when the field is in heavy demand.

“Where do I start?” says Pat MacDonald, president of the Victoria Spartans Football Club, when asked what’s wrong with the field at Spectrum.

“It’s just not an even playing surface—there are tons of ditches.”

The school does the best it can to maintain it, he says, but during the rainy season, the field gets flooded with muddy water, often mixed with gifts from Canada geese.   

The other major problem, the former CFL defensive lineman and two-time Grey Cup champ says, is the lack of lights.

“It's incredibly challenging to have, you know, consistent practices, just not only football, but other sports and then games as well,” MacDonald says, recalling his teams having resorted to renting generators—and when the gas ran out, lining up cars to light the field.

The school district pledged to “explore ways to obtain the funding required to install permanent lighting in the future.”
A timeline for construction will be announced once the plan is finalized, the school district said.

This story ran for our Insiders on Nov. 30. Consider becoming an Insider today and be the first to receive stories every Sunday.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🎼 Postsecondary Thursday Lunch Concert: Victoria Conservatory of Music. [12:30-1:30pm today]

🔆 GVHA Harbour Holiday Lights. [Today, 5-8pm]

🎞️ Victoria actor Dominic Fox makes film debut in the just-released Netflix flick My Secret Santa.

🎗️ Registered charities now contribute $5.4 billion annually to the capital region's economy. That's on par with the local technology sector! Read the new Civil Society Impact Study today.*

♻️ Pop-up: Recycling for hard-to-recycle items. [Saturday in Quadra Village]

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Victoria’s November real estate sales drop 18% from last year
The 451 properties sold last month were exactly 100 fewer than last November—and represented a drop of 26.9% from October. Condo sales took a big hit—down 36% year-over-year from last November, with 119 sold. The sale of single-family homes (241 of them) dropped 8.4% from last November. The chair of the Victoria Real Estate Board said brisk spring sales and lower late-year sales balance out and leave the yearly numbers close to what they have been for the last four years. [Black Press]

Victoria's tax hike may be single-digit, the mayor says
Right now, Victoria homeowners are looking at a 10.4% tax increase—which Mayor Marianne Alto called “astronomically high”—although the council plans to discuss ways to lower that in the new year. The city’s portion accounts for a 5.4% rate increase, and then you have to add VicPD’s 5.2% budget boost. Alto said she had expected VicPD’s increase to be half that. The police have asked for a budget of $89.5 million for 2026, $10.85 million more than last year. Victoria would be on the hook for $77.98 million, with Esquimalt expected to pay $11.86 million. [Times Colonist]

Saanich Police looking for 6.7% budget increase for next year
That would represent an extra $3.5 million, and bring the police services’ total budget to $55.68 million. Saanich Police Chief Dean Duthie said most of the asked-for increase—$2.7 million—would be spent on operating expenses, including salaries, with half a million dollars requested to beef up the district’s community safety officer program and to hire two mental-health first response constables and two more patrol officers. [CHEK]

🗓️ Things To Do

🧑‍🌾 Esquimalt Fall Indoor Farmers Market: Shop local with farmers, food producers, bakers, and artisans offering fresh produce, delicious eats, and handcrafted gifts in a cozy indoor setting. Esquimalt Recreation Centre. Today. 4:30-7pm. [Info]

🎤 Singer-Songwriter Showcase Session 6: Experience an evening of original music from three handpicked local singer-songwriters, including Kele Fleming, Sandra Taylor, and Cooper Mills. The Coda, Bar Stage. Today. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

🤶 Yuletide Market Series: Browse rotating vendors at one of Victoria's most popular Christmas craft markets, featuring local artisans, live music, and pizza from the outdoor cob oven. Bilston Creek Farm. Tomorrow-Sun. 10am-4pm. [Info]

🍕 Pizza by Hustle & Dough: Enjoy Napoletana-style wood-fired pizza from Chef David Tozer in the orchard, with hot and cold beverages available from the farm café. Bilston Creek Farm. Tomorrow-Sun. 11am-4pm. [Info]

🦃 Holiday Celebration Lunch: Savour a traditional turkey dinner with holiday entertainment at this catered event that requires no cooking or cleanup. Esquimalt Recreation Centre. Tomorrow. Noon-1:30pm. [Info]

🎵 American Beauties: Experience the music of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen through powerful vocals, bluesy piano, and upright bass in this intimate tribute concert. The Coda, Bar Stage. Tomorrow. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

🎶 The Peninsula Singers ‘Winter Wonderland’: Step into a festive celebration featuring stunning vocals, timeless holiday classics, and modern favourites performed by talented local singers. Charlie White Theatre. Tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday. 7:30pm & 2pm. [Info]

🎭️ Student Improv Night: Watch graduates from Garden City's Improv 201 class showcase their comedic talents in this special student performance. Theatre SKAM. Tomorrow. Doors 8:15pm, show 8:30-9:40pm. [Info]

🛌 Silverware Slumber Party: Get cozy in your pajamas for an indie party featuring Silverware, figrin Sam, and sun shower with good drinks, great music, and lively vibes. The Coda, Main Stage. Tomorrow Doors 9pm, show 9:30pm-1:30am. [Info]

🎨 Fifty Shades of Ink: Ink paintings from the AGGV Collection. This exhibition draws from the Gallery’s rich collection of Asian ink paintings. Also on display are affiliated historical ink sticks and ink stones. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Opens Saturday with a special presentation 11am-1pm. Admission is free on Saturday. [Info]

🎵 Trio Mediæval: The Early Music Society of the Islands (EMSI) welcomes the Grammy-nominated Norwegian vocal group for a concert of traditional Scandinavian and English Christmastime folk songs and hymns, and two contemporary works written for the trio. St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Sunday. 4pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Tensions rise at non-sanctioned UVic event; BC Ferries ups its BC game; Domtar to close Crofton pulp mill. [Dec. 3] 

Witness now required when using safe supply drugs. [CP / Times Colonist]

Victoria Honorary Citizen Awards: Given to businessman Al Hasham and 8 others. [CHEK]

Domtar is closing its pulp mill in Crofton. [350 people to lose jobs]

Rockland closed at Cyril until Dec. 9, 24/7; take an alternate route. [City of Victoria]

🅿️ Downtown holiday parking credit. [JOY25] 

That’s it!

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