Feb 21 - Mayor wants changes to province's emergency protocols

Good morning !

Well, that was fun! From Chantal Kreviazuk’s altered version of O Canada to Connor McDavid’s electrifying game-winner in overtime, it felt like more than just a hockey game last night, eh?

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 8 / 7 

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 10 / 8

Sunday: 🌧️ 10 / 8

NEWS

City says province left it out in the cold during winter weather emergency

Mayor Marianne Alto wants the province to reassess its emergency response policies after the city’s shelter system was overwhelmed during a prolonged cold snap earlier this month.

From Feb. 3 to 15, temperatures in the city dropped below freezing, pushing not-for-profits and the city's resources to their limits. The breakdown forced the city to close its designated emergency operating centre last week—when it was still needed.

Alto says the province is mandated to provide staffing resources in a prolonged emergency. But she says Kelly Greene, the minister of emergency management, twice denied the city’s requests for it. The rejections forced the warming hub in the Cook Street Village to close before the cold snap ended.

Alto said the province’s current emergency response guidelines don’t account for the extended nature of extreme weather. She wants the definition of emergencies updated to address their growing frequency.

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

🏒 Canada 3 USA 2 (OT) [Connor’s goal and more]

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NEWS

BC ends take-home safer supply amid concerns of drug diversion

The province is changing its approach to safer supply management. Effective immediately, new users of the program—which provides safe alternatives to street drugs such as fentanyl—will be required to consume their prescribed alternative under the supervision of a health-care worker.

“In doing this work, we need to know that medications, like prescribed alternatives, are being used by the person they’re intended for,” Health Minister Josie Osborne said.

Ending the take-home option would “remove the risk of these medications ending up in the hands of gangs and organized crime,” Osborne said.

The new policy will lead those prescribed safer supply alternatives to visit these on-site health-care settings multiple times a day for each session of use. 

The advocacy group Moms Stop the Harm warns the new policy could lead many people to drop out of the safer supply program and return to street drugs which have a much higher rate of death.

For years, provincial health leaders have argued the program should be expanded to offer more alternative substances to those with—or without—a prescription. But a recent investigation from the health ministry has raised concerns of widespread diversion—drugs ending up in the hands of those they weren’t intended for.

Read more about the decision to walk back the province’s approach to safer supply—and whether the new approach can mitigate harm.

NEWS

CRD considers home pickup of recyclable soft plastics

Those plastic bags from the grocery store that you never felt comfortable tossing in the trash may soon have a better disposal destination than the city dump.

The CRD’s Environmental Services Committee has voted to explore expanding the district’s recycling program to include soft plastics—things like produce and bread bags, crinkly wrappers, bubble wrap, and the plastic wrapping that comes with so many products we buy today.

“This is an initiative that I have been championing at the CRD since early in 2024,” Victoria Coun. Jeremy Caradonna, a CRD director, said in a release.

The CRD doesn’t pick up soft plastics which account for more than 12% of the CRD’s landfilled waste, Caradonna said.

“While some people are diligent about bringing soft plastics to recycle depots, most of it ends up in landfill, or worse, dispersed in the environment,” he said.

Third-party recycling companies—the CRD uses GFL—who pick up from apartment and condo buildings rarely pick up soft plastics, opting to fill their boots with paper, cardboard, and mixed containers.

But last summer, Recycle BC and the Bottle Depot began a pilot project picking up soft, flexible plastics from apartment complexes. The project ends this spring and CRD staff will study how it all went.

This week, Caradonna said, committee members learned recycling is essentially cost-neutral to the CRD, mostly because the companies who make recyclable materials are required to cover their recycling costs. They pay Recycle BC, which pays the CRD, which passes payment onto recycling contractor GFL.

In theory, Caradonna said, adding soft plastics as a recycling stream shouldn’t add any costs to the district, or taxpayers.

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🗞️ In Other News

Former CFAX owner Mel Cooper dies at 92
A statement on behalf of his family said Cooper died suddenly yesterday. Cooper bought CFAX in 1974 and flipped its format into news/talk, as it remains today. A lifelong philanthropist, Cooper was well-known and connected in Victoria. He helped attract the 1994 Commonwealth Games to the city and was involved in Expo ‘86, the World’s Fair held in Vancouver. He is survived by his wife Carmella, five children, 12 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. [CFAX]

Victoria real estate market to be busy, have more available rentals, says CMHC 
In its 2025 Housing Market Outlook, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation predicts an increase in property resales in Victoria, mostly because of lower mortgage rates. And with a record-high number of new condos going up, the Crown corp. said there should be more rental vacancies in the city—although that doesn’t necessarily mean rent rates will go down. City of Victoria statistics indicate that 66% of the city’s residents rent. [CHEK]

Two-tower project in Langford never got off the ground
And what remains on the ground is a collection of boarded-up and mostly demolished homes and a lot of construction debris—everything including a kitchen sink—where the 22- and 18-storey residential buildings were supposed to stand. The Langford Gateway project—once hailed by former mayor Stew Young as the new beginning for Langford’s downtown—has been cancelled and the land is up for sale. [Times Colonist]

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🗓️ Things to do

🖤 Black History Month: Planet Earth Poetry with readings by Wayde Compton and Canadian Liberian poet J. William Ngenda. And an open-mic session reading passages by Black authors. Russell Books. Feb. 28. 7:30pm. [Info]

🛹 Vintage Fair & Entertainment: This two-day event has live music, toys, retro, vinyl, skateboards, clothing, video games. Probably kitchen sinks, too. Mary Winspear Centre. Today and tomorrow. 10am-5pm. [Info]

🥶 Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser: A family-friendly fundraising walk in support of Our Place Society, for people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness... because it’s cold out there. Tomorrow. Downtown and in Langford. [Info]

🎵 Herman’s 44th anniversary: Afro-Cuban Jazz Explosion. Pablo Cardenas and an all-star lineup performing Afro-Cuban jazz. Hermann’s. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🕯️Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer. Experience a mesmerizing evening as the Listeso String Quartet performs Hans Zimmer's iconic film scores, including pieces from Inception, The Lion King, and Interstellar. St. Ann's Academy. Tonight. 8:30pm. [Info]

🎼 An Evening with Blue Moon Marquee: A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette a.k.a. Badlands Jass (vocals/bass/drums) perform original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps, or grooves. McPherson Playhouse. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: Royal Roads student maps First Nation landmarks; Trump decision trips up Victoria aid to Africa; Esquimalt to hold provincial byelection April 5. [Feb. 20]

View Royal passes motion to buy Canadian first, US when in a pinch. [CHEK]

Langford mother asked for help for her son days before he killed her. [Times Colonist]

Mother Mother: Photos of Vancouver pop-rockers at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. [Times Colonist]

Habitat for Humanity looking for a variety of dynamic and interesting artistic creations to be auctioned off at Open A Door charity art auction. [Details]

Hummingbird collects fluff from a cattail reed in Nanaimo. [Facebook video]

That’s it!

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