Feb 27 - Kids' camp planning made easier

Good morning !

I’m not a parent, so I have zero concept of this.
But I hear it can be a bit of a process trying to get your kid into spring or summer camp.
That’s what the founders of a solution to this particular challenge have told me, so that’s how I wrote it up.

Also, someone’s finally done something for one of the most underrated burger toppings of all time. (Oh, I know, it’s much more than a topping.)

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 10 / 4

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 9 / 4

Sunday: ☀️ 9 / 4

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NEWS

2 Central Saanich dads just made kids’ camp planning a lot less painful

The fathers figure they’ve come up with a way to save parents time and worry when searching for a spring or summer camp for their kids. 

“There's just so many providers out there, and they all have different websites, and they all have different ways of formatting the information," says Craig Frew, co-developer of a new app called CampMatch. 

“You kind of have to go to like, 15, 20 different websites—just through Googling—register at all of them, try to find something that fits your schedule and has before- and after-care, so you end up sitting there for usually, like a weekend with a spreadsheet,” says Michael Doyle, the other co-developer.

Not looking forward to another weekend peering into an imposing spreadsheet, they decided parents needed a place to shop for camps. So, turning to their web backgrounds, they pulled data from BC and Alberta rec centres, schools, and municipalities and put it all on one site.

CampMatch is a database of more than 6K camps, public and private. Parents can sift through to compare options, to make their kids’ spring and summer-camp plans all in one place. 

“So, you can essentially add your kid, put their age, or their grade. What their swimming level is. What their bike level is. And it can either recommend—or you could search based on those parameters—exactly what you need for your kids, and pretty much build a schedule. That would have taken you, like a day before—in like 20 minutes,” Doyle tells Capital Daily.

Frew says their “evolving platform" has been a hit for the 3K or so parents who have used it since it went live one month ago.

Read the full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

E&N Trail will be closed on Monday between Admirals and Stancombe Pl., 9am-3pm. [CRD]

Saanich road closure: Reynolds at Cedar Hill Cross. Through Tuesday, 9am-3pm.

Saanich single-lane alternating traffic: Reynolds between Cedar Hill Cross and Cumberland, through Wednesday, 8:30am-3:30pm.

Saanich single-lane traffic: Quadra at Saanich, today, 8am-3pm.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

NEWS

Dill with it: Picklefest is coming to Victoria this summer

If you get a call this August from a friend or relative declaring they’re “in a pickle,” don’t be alarmed—it’s actually a fun thing.

Picklefest is coming to Victoria, bringing what organizers call Canada’s largest and fastest-growing festival, “celebrating all things pickled and fermented.”

It’s a one-day, all-ages, picklepalooza featuring 35+ vendors ready to sell everything from kimchi to kombucha to zesty hot sauces. The pickle fun will run from 11am to 7pm on Saturday, Aug. 15, at Phillips Backyard on Government. 

According to its website, Picklefest launched in Toronto in 2023 through Henderson Brewing Company. The founders say it’s more than just a food or beer festival, although it's not clear whether a pickleball game will break out.

"It's a cultural phenomenon that celebrates the diverse tapestry of flavours that pickling brings to the culinary world," says Adin Wener, a Henderson Brewing co-founder.

“As craft beer aficionados, we revel in the complex fermentation processes, making this festival a perfect fusion of our passions. Plus, I just love watching people’s faces light up when they talk about pickles.”

After expanding to Vancouver last year, the post-cucumber festival is ready to take a bite out of other parts of Canada, by hitting Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, and Charlottetown. 

Tickets are already on sale, ranging from early bird general admission at $14.95 (+ fees) to regular general admission at $24.95 (+ fees). For an extra $10, you can upgrade to a VIP (very important pickle) pass, which gets you in an hour early for extra brine time, ahead of all the pickle people.  

Kids 12 and under get in free with a pickle-parent or ticket-holding guardian.

SPONSORED BY PACIFIC OPERA VICTORIA

See Orpheus & Eurydice in April

Pacific Opera Victoria just wrapped its sold-out performances of Puccini's Tosca, and they're getting the stage set for the next one—Gluck's Orpheus & Eurydice, coming to the Royal in April. Featuring dancers from Ballet Victoria, this opera is a timeless retelling of one of mythology’s most haunting romances.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🍞⚕️Grocers Go Beyond for BC Cancer Nanaimo.

🧑‍🏫 Glenlyon Norfolk School empowers students to lead with confidence. Attend an upcoming Open House to see how IB learning and belonging shape extraordinary futures.*

🗑️ Pop-up yard waste drop-off. [Langford, March 7, 14, & 21]

🌞 Make career goals feel less like a dream. Skill up today with Continuing Studies at UVic and step into your future with confidence.*

🥒 Picklefest: The new food festival will be at Phillips Backyard Aug. 15. [Details]

🚴 Esquimalt bike lanes: Phase 2 survey.

^{*Sponsored Listing}

🗞️ In Other News

Scaled-down Shelbourne plan gets green light from Saanich council
The council amended the plan to cap building heights at six storeys, instead of what was initially proposed—limits of 12 and 18-storeys. The updated plan is meant to be a 30-year blueprint for land-use and transportation decisions in the area. Few changes will be made to transportation as the Shelbourne Street Improvement Project is nearing completion. Council is expected to vote on a final draft later this spring, with a public hearing likely to be held in late April or early May. The updated plan—in the works since 2024—will replace the current one, adopted in 2017. [Times Colonist]

BC’s minimum wage to rise to $18.25 per hour in 3 months
The change will take effect on June 1. It’s a 40-cent increase from the current general minimum wage of $17.85 per hour. Minimum wage for app-based ride-hailing and delivery service workers will also go up that day, to $21.89 per hour of engaged time, a one-dollar increase from the current hourly wage. The changes are in line with BC’s average monthly inflation rate from last year, 2.1%. In 2011, B.C.’s minimum wage was the lowest in Canada, at just $8 per hour. It’s currently the highest provincially, just ahead of Ontario and behind two territories: Nunavut and Yukon. [BC Gov’t]

Arm’s-length and out of reach: feds can’t scrutinize BC Ferries' ship deal with China
In July, the House of Commons transport committee launched a study into BC Ferries’ $1B loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to help pay for four new electric-diesel ships from a Chinese manufacturer. The conclusion: the feds had no authority to conduct a security review into a province’s purchases. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree also said since the CIB is an “arm’s-length” organization, the federal government doesn’t have the legal power to review funding to examine security issues.[CHEK]

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🗓️ Things To Do

🎶 An Evening with Twenty Fingers, featuring Doug Cox & Steve Mitchell: After a 30-year hiatus, veteran West Coast musicians reunite for a loose, adventurous show featuring dobro, tenor ukulele, and four new original songs. The Coda. Tonight. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

🎻 Pacific Baroque Festival 2026—Concert #3: Fervour and Fantasy: Soprano Rachel Allen, who began singing with the Victoria Children's Choir and now performs in London concert halls, returns to perform Spanish and Neapolitan cantatas. Alix Goolden Performance Hall. Tonight. 7-9pm. [Info]

🥖 Les Misérables School Edition: St. Michael's University School presents Victor Hugo's epic musical. A student cast, crew, and orchestra follow Jean Valjean's lifelong struggle for redemption. McPherson Playhouse. Through Sunday. Various times. [Info]

🤼 USS: The Ultimate Weekend Warrior Tour: USS brings their sophisticated sound and myth-like presence to Victoria with vocalist/guitarist Ashley Boo-Schultz and hypeman/turntablist Human Kebab leading the nine-piece band. Royal Theatre. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🪸 Mini Mariner Mornings: Home Sweet Home!: Explore coral reefs and kelp forests through story, dance, and crafts, making your own Lophelia reef while learning about ecosystems. Maritime Museum of BC. Tomorrow. 10-11am. [Info]

👒 Winter Vintage Fair: Something for everyone at this vintage fair and makers market featuring vendors and entertainment, including Polynesian dance, a fashion show, and special guest Melanie Kohn, the voice of Lucy from “The Peanuts." Mary Winspear Centre. Tomorrow. 9:30am-4pm. [Info]

💃 PYP Dance Extravaganza: Peninsula Young Performers present a special preview of group routines headed to competition in two shows. Charlie White Theatre. Tomorrow. 2pm and 7pm. [Info]

🩰 Kix 'N' Rhythm: Karen Clark Dance Studio presents a fast-paced evening with dancers of all ages performing tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, and acrobatics. Royal Theatre. Tomorrow. 6:30pm. [Info]

🎼 Pacific Baroque Festival 2026—Concert #4: A Night in Madrid with Luigi Boccherini: Experience the Italian composer's quintets, composed during his exile with the Spanish Infante, including music featured in Master and Commander. Alix Goolden Performance Hall. Tomorrow. 7-9pm. [Info]

🥃 Vancouver Island Whisky Fest: Vancouver Island's whisky makers come together to showcase the depth, character, and craftsmanship of Island-distilled whisky. Merridale Cidery. Sat. 7-9pm. [Info]  

🎷 Gordon Clements Trio: Victoria Music Hall of Fame inductee Gordon Clements performs on clarinet, saxophone, and flute, sharing decades of jazz expertise. Inn at Laurel Point, Fathom Lounge. Tomorrow. 7:30-10pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: 600 flower baskets hang in the balance;  The kid who ran Saanich for a morning; Tentative deal for community health workers. [Feb. 26] 

Flu and norovirus outbreaks at four Island hospitals, including two in Greater Victoria. [CHEK]

Changes to UK passport rules leave dual citizens scrambling. [CTV]

Brass Monkey Taproom (formerly Moon Under Water) has its grand opening tonight. [Info]

Hockey night in Victoria: See skaters on a frozen Panama Flats in 1972. [Facebook photo]

Sea lions and seagulls feast on herring during spawning season. [Facebook photos]

That’s it!

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