Feb 5 - Day 2 of 'winter' wasn't so bad

Good morning !

Will this interminable winter ever end?
I kid because I love.
We may get another centimetre or two of snow today and it’s going to remain colder than usual for the next week or so, with temps hovering near freezing.
It’s expected to stay a bit on the chillier side until Valentine’s Day when we'll be back in the more familiar +6 and +7 range

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌨️ 1 / -2 

Tomorrow: ⛅ 2 / -1

Friday: 🌤️ 2 / 0

7-day forecast

NEWS

Weeeee! Snow day is a bonus day for some

It was a snow day for many yesterday—including the young ones, some of whom were afforded the rare and most welcome opportunity to toboggan or sled down Beacon Hill.

Snow and cold temperatures prompted pretty much all the school boards—Sooke being a nearby exception—to cancel classes with word from Environment Canada another 5cm was expected yesterday afternoon, bringing the two-day total to nearly 25cm in Greater Victoria, although much less in most parts of the city.

Still, it was enough for the area’s post-secondary schools—UVic, Camosun, Royal Roads, North Island College, and VIU to shut ‘er down. Same for the CRD’s recycling pickup, and some Vancouver sailings to the Southern Gulf Islands.

For the second straight day, snow not only fell on the Garden City, but a lot of it stayed, providing a slick—albeit pretty thin by Canadian winter standards—surface to slide down hills. Alas, it also made for some slippery roads, which put a big-time dent in BC Transit’s service.
The transit authority scratched service to multiple routes—buses here are not equipped with winter tires, so BC Transit errs on the side of caution.

City of Victoria crews were “working around the clock” to maintain roads and services, a city spokesperson said. They pre-treated top-priority roads with salt before the snow began to fall Mon. night, allowing for safe passage for most drivers. By mid-afternoon when snowfall warnings had been lifted, the city said all major roads had a cleared travel path, although some remained slippery and slushy.
Around 9pm, a car took out a hydro pole in a single-vehicle incident that left a four-block swath of homes in the Quadra-Topaz area without power on a chilly night

With minimal snow expected to fall over the next day or so, crews were to begin clearing residential streets late yesterday afternoon.

Residential garbage pickup is on schedule, the city said.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Fort closed between Blanshard and Quadra this week and next. 7am-5pm. [City of Victoria]

Upgrades coming to major Victoria streets, including Blanshard & Cook. [Info sessions] 

Today is the final day of advance voting in the Crystal Pool referendum. [Crystal Garden]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

Island toxic drug deaths hit a 2-year low last year

The Island lost 446 lives due to toxic drugs in 2024, 157 of which happened in Victoria, according to a report from the BC Coroners Service (BCCS). This is fewer than the last two years for the capital, but significantly more than all years before 2022.

BC lost 2,253 individuals to toxic drugs last year, falling below pre-2021 levels. It’s a 13% drop compared with last year when 2,578 died because of toxic drugs. However, the number still cracked 2K, which had been unheard of before 2021. The number of deaths last year was nearly double the number recorded in 2019.

Across the province, 147 people died of drug poisoning in December and 152 in November. On the Island, 21 people died of toxic drugs in December and 30 in November. 

In a release, Health Minister Josie Osborne said the drop in the number of toxic-related deaths last year “in no way diminishes grief that permeates our communities.”

“Behind every number is a child, parent, sibling, friend or neighbour, and their loss is felt deeply by those who knew and loved them,” Osborne said.

Overall, the number of toxic-drug deaths declined on the Island. Deaths involving those aged 19-29 declined significantly. Still, Island Health has the second-highest rate of toxic drug deaths (48 in 100K) following Northern Health (67 in 100K).

Read the full story here.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🖤 Black History Month at Royal BC Museum. [Sat. Feb. 8]

✍🏽 Victoria Writers’ Society: Meets today at 7pm at Russell Books, 747 Fort. Topic: The Small Press Experience: Insights from a Local Publisher & Author. Click here for more info.*

🏒 Victoria Brain Injury Society (VIBS) fundraiser: Saanich Predators vs. Westshore Wolves on Fri. [Info]

🔋 Are you looking to strengthen your nonprofit or charity? Applications are now open for the Victoria Foundation's 2025 Community Grants Program. Click here to apply.*

🐳 Orca says hello: A killer whale pokes its head out of the water in Comox Valley. [Facebook photo]

🐦 Red crown: See a ruby-crowned kinglet, photographed in Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. [Facebook photo]

🤝 Now hiring: Finance and Operations Manager at Scale Collaborative.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Big Bad Bids: after 79 years, Strath goes up for sale
Barney Olson opened the Strathcona Hotel in 1946 and the business, including all its bars—Big Bad John’s, the Sticky Wicket, Wicket Hall, the Maple Room—and the liquor store have been family-run ever since. Victoria Buzz has obtained a letter informing staff the Olsons are selling all their properties. According to the letter, the sale will take some time. [Victoria Buzz]

Vic-Van sailings cancelled: Coastal Inspiration taken out of service
Several sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen were scrubbed yesterday–for the second day in a row—due to mechanical issues with Inspiration’s main engine. BC Ferries added a vessel to the route and said it intended to contact everyone with a booking on one of the cancelled sailings to arrange travel on an alternate crossing. Some refunds will be given. [Times Colonist] 

Woman found guilty of paddling too close to orcas
Christie Jamieson, 40, was charged in 2021 after paddleboarding too close to a pod of orcas in Ucluelet. She will have to pay a $2,500 fine for coming within 200 metres of the whales, which breached the Federal Fisheries Act. A video of the experience was posted on YouTube, prompting the DFO to investigate. Jamieson testified she had no idea she was so close to the whales. She also said she was too scared to move away, though witnesses said she was seen paddling toward them. [CHEK]

Jack is back: US booze returned to BC liquor store shelves—for now
You can get Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Bacardi rum, and other Star-Spangled spirits that were pulled over the weekend as Canada and the US continued their tariff tiff. The Americans paused tariffs on Canadian products—and BC followed suit—after Canada announced 10K front liners would be stationed at the Canada-US border and a ‘fentanyl czar’ would be appointed, appeasing—at least for the moment—US President Donald Trump. [CTV] 

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🗓️ Things to do

🏃 LEAP: A Broken Rhythms Mixer: Join Broken Rhythms dancers, board members, and the artistic director as we celebrate the first day of ticket sales for ‘On Hold’, which takes place at the McPherson Theatre on April; 4. Gage Gallery. Tomorrow. 7-8:30pm. [Info]

⚰️ Speaking of Death: A safe space to discuss the taboo topic of end-of-life planning in a casual and supportive setting. Cafe Fantastico in North Park. Today. 6:30pm. [Info]

🎭 Ride The Cyclone: The Canadian College of Performing Arts’ Studio Ensemble presents this home-grown musical sensation about six teens looking for a story. Performance Hall, Oak Bay. Fri.-Feb. 15. [Info]

🎶 Peach Pit: Catch the Canadian indie pop band perform songs from its latest album, Magpie. Royal Theatre. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

♥️💰 100+ Women Who Care: Million-Dollar Donation Night. The philanthropic group will be reaching $1 million in community giving at this meeting, which is “Bring a Friend Night.” Tonight. Uplands Golf Course. 6pm. [Info]

📚**Cancelled** Michael Crummey & Holly Hogan: Join us for our first author event of the year with a special evening featuring husband-and-wife authors. Bolen Books. Tonight. [Info] 

🎬 Chicago: Teen Edition: Performed by Shawnigan Lake School. See the story of death-row inmates, Roxie and Velma Kelly as they search for the "American Dream": fame, fortune, and acquittal. McPherson Playhouse. Tonight-Sat. 7:30pm. Sat. 2pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: Fairy Creek; Pickleball; US tariffs put on pause; Women hit $1M donation mark; James Bay Starbucks to close in May. [Feb. 4]

BC extends old growth deferral at Fairy Creek. [Capital Daily]

New online hub served up for pickleball people. [Capital Daily]

Made in Canada Grocery Guide. [Buy Canadian]

Terrible Tariffs: Greater Victoria shoppers seek non-US items. [Times Colonist]

Highway driving reminder when you see flashing lights.

Six more weeks of winter, says Island marmot Violet. [Black Press] Meanwhile, Willie, Fred, and Sam are at odds over spring’s arrival. [Yahoo! / CP]

Longnose skate: A large skate—a fish in the ray family—washed up on a beach in Port Hardy (photographed with a pug for scale). [Facebook photos]

That’s it!

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