Feb 2 - The last "Big One"

Good morning !

We hope you are holding up in the cold, and remember that you can always send us your photos of the recent snowfall—we'll share many of them with the rest of the audience. Stay safe, and watch out for ice on the sidewalks, stairs, and roads.

— Cam

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Approx. read time: 4 minutes / 7 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌨 4 / -1

Tomorrow: 🌨 1 / -4

Day after: 🌤 2 / -5

7-day forecast

NEWS

Housing ministry looks to make Oak Bay & Sooke build more & denser housing

Independent advisor sent to Oak Bay

The Housing Ministry is assigning Oak Bay an independent advisor in an effort to get the district to meet mandatory housing targets. Minister Ravi Kahlon is “not entirely sure what is going on at Oak Bay,” he told Black Press, but said that the purpose of contracting Victoria's James Ridge Consulting is to glean insight into council decisions, staff processes, and housing priorities.

In numbers released late last year, Oak Bay was among the two least-successful munis when it came to hitting BC's mandated annual housing construction targets. It completed just 16 units, against a target of 56 (29%).

The municipality has long been known for its reluctance to build new housing, and Kahlon said it was “a little disappointing” that Oak Bay was barely in double digits given its neighbours Victoria and Saanich's relative success at higher volumes.

Mayor Kevin Murdoch, and his West Van counterpart, argued that their small municipalities were being unfairly singled out. The district has made the pro-density zoning shifts the province wants it to, Murdoch contended, and homes are in the pipeline and just had not arrived yet.

To reach its overall target of 664 new homes, Oak Bay now needs to deliver about 160 units per year.

Sooke has just over 2 weeks to change course 

Sooke has openly defied BC's mandates on zoning reform bylaws, with a local bylaw failing in a 3-3 tie late last year. Opponents including Mayor Maja Tait argue that the fast-growing district lacks the infrastructure to add many more homes.

More on that situation at The Westshore.

Now, the ministry is threatening to adjust Oak Bay's bylaws directly, through the province's powers. A letter from Kahlon last month gave Sooke 30 days ( beginning from Jan. 16, which was itself 30 days from the previous deadline of Dec. 16, which was an extension from the summer 2026)

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Advance voting in Crystal Pool referendum tomorrow. 

Cold & dry air, 5-8C below seasonal, is expected early next week. Snow may accumulate “from Nanaimo to the Saanich Peninsula” today and into the week.

Avoid certain Morbier cheese, Food Inspection Agency advises.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

HISTORY

The last time The Big One hit

It was 325 years ago this past week that the Island was struck by the “Big One”—the major Pacific tsunami that devastatingly blew through here and is due to come around again one of these days, years, or decades. 

There still are physical signs of the disaster, including the fossilized root structures and a “ghost forest” of dead trees that point to a rush of powerful salt water. 

These signs, though, are subtle enough that Western scientists did not confirm the event until the 1980s. But numerous stories have been passed down by First Nations in the region that describe gigantic waves. 

In our feature on the 1700 Big One for its 320th anniversary, we looked at some of those stories and some of the physical traces left by the tsunami that rocked the region—and will one day do so again.

Read it at Capital Daily.

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