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- Feb 19 - Canadian Coho passengers to get red-carpet treatment
Feb 19 - Canadian Coho passengers to get red-carpet treatment
Newborn L-Pod calf confirmed. BC Ambulance paramedics vote to strike.
Capital Daily Team
February 19, 2026
Good morning !
Today, we have some good news about Southern Resident killer whales, whose population has risen to 76. As someone who often reports on the bad news about the at-risk whale population, it’s always refreshing to share something positive.
— Robyn
Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes
🌡️ Weather Forecast
NEWS
Port Angeles is rolling out the red carpet for
Coho passengers today
US residents welcomed Canadians to Port Angeles last year. Photo: Port Angeles Waterfront District
When the Coho ferry arrives in Washington state around noon today, about 200 Canadian walk-on passengers will disembark to the sound of the Port Angeles High School Marching Band.
They’ll walk to shore on a red carpet as the occupants of 100 or so vehicles snake past the smiles of Washingtonians—many waving friendly signs and tiny red and white flags to welcome the Canucks—just like last year.
It won’t simply be to mark the Coho’s first visit of the season, although it is.
And it won’t be just because last year’s Canada appreciation event went so well; it’ll be because there are some in PA who worry the currently frayed Canada-US relationship could become a forever thing.
“We recognize that in our community, there is a possibility for generational changing habits, and that's, like, really upsetting for us,” says Sam Grello, whose job as executive director of the Port Angeles Waterfront District is to drum up tourism dollars for a former logging town so culturally tied to Vancouver Island that they like to call Port Angeles the “Lost American Suburb of Victoria.”
“It's a four-and-a-half to five-hour drive over to Seattle, so we are really culturally connected with Victoria,” says Grello, who listens to Victoria’s The Zone @ 91.3 FM when he drives to work each day. The Zoner pulled some strings, and there’s a poutine and a now-cold Timmy’s double-double on the Coho this morning with his name on them.
The impact of the political rhetoric between the two countries—although admittedly, pretty much unidirectional—is borne out in stats. Black Ball says vehicle traffic dropped 18% last year, and passenger traffic was down 15%.
That’s a big deal considering the ferry line brings an estimated US$64M into the Port Angeles economy and is responsible for 625 jobs.
Last year, PA reallocated its tourism advertising, aiming domestically instead of northward, which led to a successful summer. But Grello knows that, in the long term, the plan must include Canadians—the way it has been since MV COHO began its route in December 1959.
“I fully believe that we will go back to how things were, but, you know, I think it's going to take a new administration that is just a little more stable, right?”
And then, an acknowledgment that this isn’t the US’s finest moment.
“It’s really easy to paint Americans with a broad stroke right now,” he says, and today’s welcome Canadians event is a way to “just humanize ourselves a little bit.”
⚠️ Capital Bulletin
Condolence book for Tumbler Ridge: Share your support with the town after last week’s tragedy. [Online book]
Highway 4 will be closed next Wednesday, 9am-3pm. [BC Gov]
Dashcam footage wanted in a car-pedestrian collision. [Saanich PD]
Saanich single-lane traffic: By 3477 Quadra near Cook, today, 9am-3pm.
NEWS
New Southern Resident calf confirmed to be
swimming with L-Pod
L129 seen swimming with L-Pod. Photo: Center for Whale Research
The Washington state-based Center for Whale Research (CWR) confirmed yesterday that a newborn calf was seen swimming alongside two female whales near Race Rocks.
The calf, named L129, was seen with L55 and her daughter, L103. The researchers say it’s currently unclear who the calf’s mother is, though it is likely one of the two seen with her.
If the 42-year-old L55 is the parent, CWR says this would make her an “exceptionally old” Southern Resident mother. If L103 is the mother, it would be her second calf.
The first year is a tough one for young Southern Resident killer whales—few make it past the neonatal stage. But any addition to the pods can offer hope for the future of the struggling population.
“With such a young individual, we always balance our optimism with caution,” CWR said in a release. “The calf appears to be very young, likely just a few days old at most, and it’s too early to say much about its health.
“We hope to see L129 again soon and that the calf’s mother can find enough food to keep this new addition healthy.”
Last year, the pod gained a new member but also lost one, which left its population at 33. It’s the largest of the three Southern Resident pods—but that’s not saying much. The at-risk orca population has been declining for years, with many scientists warning they could be hurtling toward extinction soon.
K-Pod welcomed a new calf in December, raising its population to 15. Five calves were born to J-Pod last year, though only three survived, bringing its number to 28.
The new calf brings L-Pod to 34 members. In total, there are 76 Southern Resident orcas living in the wild.
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⭐️ Capital Picks
🏮 Lunar New Year Parade & Blessing of Merchants: Celebrate the year of the horse with lion and dragon dances, kung fu performances, and blessings for Chinatown merchants this Sunday. [Info]
♥️ Love on the Spectrum casting call: The popular Netflix show is looking for Vancouver Island women interested in a date with a young man on the autism spectrum. Open to those aged 18 to 30 who have autism or another intellectual or developmental disability. [Details]
🎭 "Just staggering." Maanomaa, My Brother is on now through March 1 at the Belfry Theatre. Pay-what-you-want tickets are available for all performances.*
🦅 🦦 Tasty meal: An eagle and two river otters enjoy lunch on side-by-side rocks at Eaglecrest Beach. [Facebook photo]
🏒🍁 Olympics: Canada vs. USA in women’s hockey gold-medal game. 10:10am today.
📖 KWENCH Writers Festival launches Feb 28–March 1 with conversations that go beyond the book. Join leading writers exploring craft, creativity, and the future of storytelling.*
*Sponsored Listing
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NYC's acclaimed GALLIM in Victoria premiere
On March 6 + 7, New York’s acclaimed GALLIM brings a raw, exhilarating program to the Royal Theatre. Led by visionary Artistic Director Andrea Miller, the company fuses classical, pop, and electronic music—from Strauss to Sade—with unfiltered emotion and striking precision. Tickets from $34.
🗞️ In Other News
BC Ambulance paramedics vote 97% in favour of striking
The union representing 6K ambulance paramedics and dispatchers says Tuesday’s voting results send a “clear message” that frontline workers will do what they must to get improved working conditions. Their union says the provincial government’s contract offers have not sufficiently addressed their safety and mental-health concerns. Ambulance Paramedics of BC—CUPE 873 and its employer, BC Emergency Health Services, have been negotiating since September. The union said it would have an update today on its next move. [City News]
Rock Bay business worried about Bay bridge partial closure
The recently reopened Brass Monkey Brewery team says it’s concerned the bridge’s partial closure could run into the summer, leading to diverted traffic that could hurt its first peak season since coming under new ownership. The brewery’s owner says he was disappointed with how the City of Victoria communicated the project to nearby businesses. The city says the work is slated to be finished in June, but the Brass Monkey team questions the timeline. City staff maintains that the repairs are essential to extend the bridge’s life. [CHEK]
Drivers urged to watch out for low-flying owls in Greater Victoria
Wildlife experts say dozens of owls are struck by cars every year while hunting on Greater Victoria roads, particularly during fall and late winter (February is especially dangerous). Metchosin’s Wild ARC staff treat an average of 60 owls annually due to road collisions. Right now, it’s looking after two that were involved in road incidents. Barred owls are the species most commonly struck. Owls fly low over open ground to hear their prey. Food thrown from vehicles can also draw rodents to roadways, increasing the risk of owls being hit. [Victoria News]
CORRECTION: A story that appeared here yesterday should have read Hullo runs as many as 14 daily trips between Nanaimo and Vancouver.
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🗓️ Things To Do
🎵 Legends Show: Hear the music of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, and Elvis Presley at the McPherson Playhouse tonight. 7pm. [Info]
🎙️CCPA presents Showtune Piano Bar Cabaret #2: Canadian College of Performing Arts Year II students will present a New York-style cabaret at Hermann’s tonight. 7pm. [Info]
🎸 Alpha Yaya Diallo: See the Juno-winning guitarist and singer at the Christian Science Church tomorrow. 7:30pm [Info]
🧑🎤 Dark Eighties: Dance to cult hits from the 1980s at Capital Ballroom tomorrow. 10pm. [Info]
🎭 Tosca: See the iconic Puccini opera at Royal Theatre through Feb. 24. 7:30pm. [Info]
🎶 Forever Seger: Catch this Bob Seger tribute act at McPherson Playhouse tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]
😂 Andy Haynes: See the comedian—who has graced the stages of the Tonight Show and Conan—at Hecklers. Saturday. 7pm & 10pm. [Info]
👀 In Case You Missed It
Wednesday’s headlines: BC Budget released, bringing job cuts and stalled UVic housing plans; CRD begins AAP for new performing arts service; VicPD helps arrest Nanaimo shooting suspect. [Feb. 18]
BC post-secondary grads facing ‘brutal’ job market, say economists. [Vancouver Sun]
Expanded hours for Peninsula Primary Care Access Clinic: Same-day appointments can be booked Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 8pm, and Saturdays, 8:30am to 1pm. No walk-ins permitted. [Island Health]
Point Ellice Bridge construction: No eastbound traffic for next four months. [City of Victoria]
Saanich road closure: Kremlin between Broadmead and Kisber, through Feb. 27, 4pm-8am.
Delays expected on the Galloping Goose near Viaduct Park, today and tomorrow. 9am-3pm. [CRD]
Quantum Days 2026 at the Victoria Conference Centre. [Through tomorrow]
That’s it!
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