Feb 13 - Valentine's Day events this weekend

Good morning !

We’ve got your rundown on Valentine’s Day events happening throughout the weekend. While the holiday is typically focused on romantic love, there are plenty of ways to show appreciation for the friends and family who also bring love to your life.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

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Today: ⛅️ 3 / 0

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Day after: 🌧️ 5 / 5

NEWS

Valentine’s Day events around Greater Victoria

Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love in all its forms—whether it’s a romantic date, a fun outing with friends, or quality time with family, Victoria has you covered with lots to do. 

If you’re looking to make this year’s celebration special, there are a variety of events in the city that can help you create some unforgettable memories. Whether you’re partnered or single, there’s something for everyone to take part in—you can join a speed dating and mingling night, learn how to make chocolate as a fun—and tasty—date, or enjoy a night of laughs at a romantic comedy show. 

From themed workshops to lively parties, we’ve rounded up all the lovey-dovey ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the city. See our full list here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Missing person located: A 35-year-old woman was last seen Jan. 30 and was reported missing to Sidney/North Saanich RCMP on Feb. 10. She has been located.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

Scamming reminder: It's happening out there and online

Sue Genest is no dumbbell. When the Victoria resident found what looked like an online deal for weights but the supposed seller demanded money in advance, she knew her goal of sculpting her body had attracted a chiseler. 

“I was interested in getting the dumbbells, but because I’ve been ripped off before, I refused to give a deposit—of course, they said they were legit—I went to the address they told me to go to at 4pm and the person at home had no idea what I was talking about,” Genest tells Capital Daily in an email.

Genest checked the ad and… poof: “The complete conversation was gone,” deleted from the internet.

Genest says she’s been tracking scammers on Facebook Marketplace who are posting a dumbbell set for sale. She took a series of screenshots of similar photos used with different profiles with physical addresses in Victoria.

Pretending to sell items such as weights must make a good scam, she says, because she was seeing them daily. Genest has taken an interest in online scams and has a list of them she’s spotted. Often, they involve a swindler stealing a legitimate online ad from a different city—quite possibly not unlike the dumbbell saga—and localizing the details to rip someone off.

Capital Daily recently ran a poll asking readers if they’ve ever been the victim of an online scam and 28% of respondents said they had.

For more, read here.

NEWS

Royals put ‘Pink in the Rink’ as hockey fights cancer

Red is the traditional colour of Valentine’s Day but tomorrow night, the Victoria Royals want you to wear pink.

The Vancouver Giants are in town to take on the good guys, but the real giant the WHL club wants to help slay is cancer as it holds its annual Pink in the Rink night to raise awareness and money for cancer research and care.

“We want to challenge our fans to pack the rink pink, wear the colour, celebrate those affected by cancer, and help us make an even bigger impact through attendance and donations,” says Joey Poljanowski, the club’s vice-president of hockey operations. 

The Royals—sitting nicely first in their division, thank you—hope to raise $35K through the Victoria Royals Foundation and its partners who have pledged to donate $5K to the Canadian Cancer Society, and Vancouver Island Lodge, a cancer care facility near the Royal Jubilee that offers 20 rooms with 38 beds for people with cancer and their caregivers. 

West Coast Cranes has also pledged to match that, and proceeds from the game’s 50-50 draw will go to Vancouver Island Lodge, which got a visit from Royals players on Tue. 

Additionally, the Fancy and David Foundation will contribute $5 per ticket sold to the BC Cancer Foundation to support the CAR-T immunotherapy research project at Victoria’s Deeley Research Centre.

The Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre will have a dedication wall where fans can honour loved ones affected by cancer, and the rink boards will be pink, to match the hue of the Royals and those sitting behind and beyond the glass.

“This event is more than just a hockey game,” says Poljanowski. “It’s a night of community-led action and reflection.”

SPONSORED BY PACIFIC OPERA VICTORIA

The Little Prince and Family Day fun

The Little Prince takes flight in a magical opera! Perfect for families, with $15 Youth Tickets. Be a part of the adventure, February 19–25.

And join in for Family Day at the Royal Theatre on February 17 from 12-3.
There will be an open house (free admission) to explore and play with Pacific Opera Victoria, Victoria Symphony, and friends.

Discover sets and costume pieces from productions including The Cunning Little Vixen, The Garden of Alice, The Birds, and The Little Prince. Interact with giant bird puppets, make your own crown or fox ears, and try out a new instrument at the “petting zoo”.

Attend for free, please RSVP.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🦉 Now you see me…: An owl’s feathers camouflage it in a Comox Valley tree, photographed by Alan Murphy. [Facebook photo]

📸 Market Square through the years. [Instagram]

🗞️ In Other News

Keeping UVic’s McKinnon Pool temporarily open would cost $5M
The pool has been closed since last Sept., to the vocal frustration of students, staff, and community members who use the pool. The impending closures of the Crystal Pool and the downtown YMCA, for renos and relocation respectively, have increased the need for a community pool. After the outcry, UVic ordered an engineering assessment to evaluate keeping the pool open for another four to five years. Recent results show a $5.1M cost, plus or minus 25% depending on market fluctuations. [CHEK]

Thief takes off with $500 in LEGO from Uptown mall toy store
LEGO is so named after the abbreviation of the two Danish words “leg godt,” meaning “play well.” Someone wasn’t doing that at Uptown this week, and there’s proof. Crime Stoppers posted photos of a suspect seemingly in the act carrying an orange bucket. [Times Colonist]

All 13 Canadian premiers head to Washington, DC to appeal tariff threats
The premiers met with senior White House officials yesterday. BC Premier David Eby said they were clear that Canada becoming the 51st state was a “non-starter.” A White House official later said he "never agreed that Canada would not be the 51st state," only to pass this info along. The premiers said the meeting went well, with Eby calling it constructive. [CBC]

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SPONSORED BY BEAM BEAUTY & WELLNESS CENTRE

Lips you'll love this Valentine's

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🗓️ Things to do

🎨 Paint and Cider Night: Join this special paint night experience at Sea Cider Farm tonight. 6pm. [Info]

🎶 Kellylee Evans: See the jazz and soul vocalist perform live at Hermann's tonight. 7pm. [Info]

💗 Slow Burn Dating: Intimacy coaches will host this evening of low-pressure connections—for people ages 25-55—and inspiring conversations at the Royal BC Museum's Old Town tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🤣 From Dylan with Love: A Valentine's Day Extravaganza: Join comedian Dylan Williams for a night of laughter and love at the Metro Theatre tomorrow. 8pm. [Info]

🪩 GAYBAR: Kick off the weekend with a night inspired by the '90s New York gay-bar scene at Capital Ballroom tomorrow. 8:30pm. [Info] 

👪 Family Day Weekend Storybook Walks: Take the family out for a self-guided Storybook Walk at four Langford parks and Langford Station. Tomorrow through Mon. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Ogden Point plug-ins coming for cruise ships; Coldest Night of the Year is a week from Sat.; City says province is freezing it out of shelter aid. [Feb. 12]

Victoria gets $22.5M for cruise ship docking upgrade. [Capital Daily]

Our Place walkathon returns next weekend. [Capital Daily]

Ministry of Health to investigate the case of a nine-year-old Happy Valley student with a terminal disease who has been denied funding for essential drugs. [Times Colonist]

List of BC’s Top Employers includes BC Ferries, BC Transit, BC Public Service, District of Saanich, and Saanich Police. [Details]

Red-breasted sapsucker feeds on a tree near Sproat Lake. [Facebook photo]

Fashion Splash spotlights the Island’s fashion industry. [On Sat.]

The Coda—a new music venue above Hermann’s—holds grand opening this weekend. [Details]

That’s it!

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