Feb 15 - It's Flag Day and the Family Day weekend is here

Good morning !

We go from Valentine’s Day to Flag Day, to World Whale Day to Family Day. It's a good thing there are seven days in a week.

We’ve ordered a bit off-menu with our first story today because it’s one of my broadcast war stories and it involves former prime minister Jean Chretien, his Shawinigan Handshake, and the very first Flag Day, on this day 29 years ago.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 5 / 3

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 6 / 5

Monday: 🌥️7 / 5

7-day forecast

COMMENTARY

Hands up: will you be waving the flag today?

It may not look like it, but the photo above has much to do with Flag Day.

It’s one of the few—it’s a screenshot, really from a Global-TV video—taken that clearly shows what went down that first Canadian Flag Day on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River in 1996.
And what went down was a protester, at the hands of a prime minister.

The idea that afternoon, like today, was to commemorate the date Feb. 15, 1965—the first day our simple but beautiful flag first flapped in the wind atop the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

That cold day in a Hull/Gatineau park would soon get heated when Jean Chretien decided a demonstrator had gotten too close.

Read more from Mark Brennae’s first Flag Day remembrance here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

GST break ends today. [Gov’t of Canada]

Minimum wage in BC going up 2.6% to $17.85/hour on June 1.

Saanich Police scam alert. [Hang up on them]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

Family Day events around Greater Victoria

This Mon. marks Family Day, a chance to focus on quality time with loved ones and a moment to make lasting memories with your kids, parents, siblings, and chosen family. 

There are plenty of fun activities this weekend throughout Victoria for people of all ages. Get creative at the art gallery, check out a museum to discover something new, learn about a day in the life of a professional musician, or head to your local rec centre for a free swim and craft workshop. You don’t have to wait until Mon. either—many events kick off today, so you can keep your weekend jam-packed with activities.

Find events happening in downtown Victoria, Langford, Esquimalt, Saanich, and Sidney. Check out our list of activities happening this Family Day weekend.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

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🌱 Discover the beauty and benefits of native plants at Swan Lake's Native Plant Workshops. Workshops start soon—reserve your spot today!*

🏀 UVic women basketballers stage comeback to win last game of regular season.

💹 Tickets are still available for the March 6 virtual day of Rising Economy, the business event for business insiders. Get yours today.

🍋 Nobel sea lemon is seen in Kitty Islet. [Facebook photo]

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🗞️ In Other News

City of Victoria will avoid buying US products and plans to leave X (Twitter)
Council unanimously endorsed a motion to adjust the city’s procurement policies to avoid buying US goods, expressing frustration with the looming trade war. The city will also move away from using the Elon Musk-owned platform X—currently one of the main sources for city updates, such as traffic alerts—with one councillor calling it a “toxic hellscape” owned by an “oligarch.” [Times Colonist]

Thieves take off with $80K in broadcast equipment from Bell Media
Bell’s CTV and CFAX are moving from downtown near City Hall into new digs in Esquimalt but someone or two someones took advantage of boxed-up equipment, pilfering the production hardware early in the morning of Jan. 30. The two—a man wearing a blue NY Knicks hoodie and a woman wearing highly recognizable orange and black Nike shoes—are caught on camera at Bell’s new Park Place location. [CHEK]

Sailboat that disappeared with Salt Spring couple aboard caught fire
An investigation found the sailboat, which disappeared last summer just south of Nova Scotia’s Sable Island, sunk due to fire. The remains of the Salt Spring Island couple—both experienced sailors—were found in a small dinghy on Sable Island a month later, with investigators assuming they abandoned the burning boat. One person had been wearing a floatation suit that appeared to have burns on it. The sailboat has still not been found. [CP/ Vancouver Sun]

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🗓️ Things to do

🏳️‍🌈 Queer Valentine's Contra Dance: Join a lively contra-dance event celebrating Valentine's Day, featuring live fiddle music. Fernwood Community Centre. Tonight. 7pm. [Info] 

💗 Galentine's Yoga for a Cause: Enjoy a morning yoga class and one hour of pool/hot tub time to fundraise for the Goldstream Food Bank at the Bear Mountain Activity Centre. Today. 10am. [Info]

👠 Fashion Splash: Experience a fun fashion event, showcasing local designers, models, and beauty industry professionals. Victoria Scottish Community Centre. Tonight. 7:15pm. [Info]

🎶 Leif Vollebekk: See Montreal-based singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk—multi-instrumentalist philosophy student turned troubadour. McPherson Playhouse. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🧑‍🎤 Tsukino-Con 2025 at UVic: Celebrate Japanese animation and culture with panels, cosplay contests, AMV competitions, and special guests. University of Victoria. All weekend. [Info]

🍛 DWTN Winter Lime: This new cultural and family-friendly event will bring a burst of Caribbean warmth to the winter season. Tasty food, a market, and live music at Ship Point in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Mon. 10am-6pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: Woman dies in downtown stabbing; 3.8 quake felt in CRD; Province reneges on $1K grocery bonus. [Feb. 14]

Victoria mother has requests for an inquest into daughter’s UVic dorm-room death, now set for April. [Capital Daily]

Saanich Hardware store closes, putting the screws to some customers. [Capital Daily]

Victoria less vulnerable to US tariffs than other cities: Canadian Chamber of Commerce study. [CHEK] 

Tribunal forbids unleashed dogs from migratory bird sanctuaries no matter how well-trained they are. [Times Colonist]

Listing of Valentine’s Day events in Victoria. [Capital Daily]

My Great Neighbourhood grants are back. [Up to $7.5K]

Winter wellness tips from Island Health.

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