April 30 - Bike lane construction begins on Gorge E

Good morning !

No pain, no gain. (Although many drivers may not see the gain part.)
Our stories today are about our evolving transportation choices, on the ground and in the air. Oh, and driving on part of the Gorge is going to be a bit of a drag for the next year.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 13 / 2

Tomorrow: ☀️ 14 / 5

Thursday: ☀️ 17 / 4

7-day forecast

NEWS

Gorge construction for a year as city expands cycling network

It’s not what drivers want to hear—and cyclists surely will see it differently—but Gorge East between Blanshard and Harriet will be a bit of a mess for the next year or so as the city expands its bike lane network. The city says there will be delays and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to look for alternate routes.

It’s going to take until next spring to get this $13.2M project done because there are a lot of moving parts. We’re talking protected bike lanes, road paving, bus stop and accessibility upgrades, new and upgraded crosswalks, traffic signal upgrades, landscaping, and new underground water mains.

“A more walkable street with additional crosswalks and dedicated space for people on bikes will make using the street more enjoyable,” says Vic Mayor Marianne Alto, referring to the five new crosswalks: safety measures for pedestrians and time-savers for BC Transit riders. “We know our residents are eager to have safer and more convenient ways to get around in Burnside Gorge.”

Upon completion, this will add 2km to the city’s All Ages and Abilities (AAA) cycling network and connect cyclists to the Galloping Goose, protected lanes on Government, and the Haultain and Kings cycling routes.

Just after Christmas, the city opened a 2.7km stretch of protected bike lanes from Cook to Foul Bay—Vic’s longest continuous tract of AAA lanes. Next up for expansion is Pandora East, from Cook to Fort with construction expected to begin this year and continuing into next. 

Find the full cycling map here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Missing woman Ashley, 20, last seen near Burnside. [VicPD]

London Drugs stores are closed but its pharmacies are open. Kinda. [CTV] [Updates on X]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Harbour Air sets out to electrify the seaplane business: buying 50 e-engines

Harbour Air will convert 50 planes to electric 

All-electric flights between the Inner Harbour and the mainland moved closer to reality this month. The seaplane airline announced on Earth Day that it had signed a letter of intent to buy 50 electric engines from its partner magniX. 

Harbour Air has been working on electrifying its fleet since its world-first electric flight in 2019 in Richmond. It flew 24 minutes from the Fraser near YVR to Pat Bay near YYJ in 2022. Its prototype plane has flown 78 times.

Delayed commercial debut now set for 2026

There have been few other updates as Harbour Air worked through logistical and regulatory hurdles. In late 2022, the company told Capital Daily the pandemic had delayed its research and testing, forcing its collaboration with Everett, WA-based magniX to be done remotely. Now, its eBeaver prototype—a magni650 engine in a DHC-2 Beaver aircraft—awaits Canadian and US certification. Harbour Air wants to be fully commercially certified in 2026 when it would begin to convert the rest of its planes and eventually, the planes of other companies.

James Bay’s HeliJet also targets electric 2026

The company said last fall that it had ordered four eVOTLs: Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing crafts, which are essentially e-helicopters designed for short flights. HeliJet said these “ALIA” eVOTLs will be cheaper to fuel—and much quieter to fly. 

Salish Sea is well-suited for electric air travel

After the 2019 flight Capital Daily covered reasons why our region may land Earth’s first e-planes—including climate, population distances, gas prices, and local attitudes.

SPONSORED BY CINEVIC

Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival

CineVic presents the 12th annual Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival, May 2-5 at the Vic Theatre. Featuring three dozen films from around the Pacific Ocean, including an opening night of local shorts from Victoria. Plus a panel, workshop, filmmaker Q&As, and more!

⭐️ Capital Picks

🌷Mother’s Day Musical Garden Tour. [Victoria Conservatory of Music]

 🐌🐌 Snail love: Islander records a clip of two affectionate snails taking it slowly in hours-long courtship.

⚾ HarbourCats summer kids camp registration is now open.  

🗞️ In Other News

BC Court of Appeal orders the release of Green Party’s Rainbow Eyes
Last week, Rainbow Eyes—deputy leader of the federal Green Party also known as Angela Davidson, her legal name—was sentenced to 60 days in a women’s prison in Maple Ridge for criminal contempt of court. The Fairy Creek protester was to be released on bail as she awaits an appeal, the Sierra Club reported yesterday. More than 1,200 were arrested at Fairy Creek in 2021. [BCIT documentary on Fairy Creek]

London Drugs remains mostly closed after cyber attack
But if you really need a prescription filled, they can do it. For all other needs, the stores in the Vic area are down—and the phone lines have been taken down—following a weekend computer data threat, which the store says didn’t yield any vital info. “At this time, we have no reason to believe that customer or employee data has been impacted,” the company said. [City News]

International students will be allowed to work 24 hours a week 
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the international student program is about studying, not working. Critics say allowing international students to work full-time could turn a study permit into an unofficial work visa, but students argue they need to be able to pay for their studies. Miller says 80% of international students currently work 20+ hours a week. [YouTube]

35th Times Colonist 10K run a colourful affair
The thousands of lime green official race shirts weren’t difficult to spot, nor was the pink Barbie look a pair of runners chose for this year’s ‘90s theme. Running her first official road 10K, Calgarian Makenna Fitzgerald finished in 34:15 to win the women’s title. Ottawan Thomas Nobbs repeated in the men’s with a time of 30:06. [Times Colonist]

🤝 Now Hiring

Thinking of making your next career move? Let us help!

• Enhanced Executive Support Analyst—Full Time at ISM

• Part-Time Brand Advocate / Farmer’s Market Sales Staff at DEVINE Distillery

• Director of Finance at Belfry Theatre

• Second Cook, The Blue Poppy Restaurant at The Butchart Gardens

• Arborist Assistant at The Butchart Gardens

• Horse-Drawn Carriage Driver & Sales People at Tally-Ho Carriage Tours

Looking for more openings? See more jobs open now on YYJobs.

Hiring? Post your job to have it featured here, and fill your opening fast!

🗓️ Things to do

🎭 A Dictionary of Emotions in War Time. An original play by Olena Astasieva. “Imagine for a second that your entire city is dead.” Metro Studio. May 3-11. Matinees at 2pm. Evenings at 7:30pm. [Info]

🪑Design Victoria. Designers and design businesses create special installations, exhibitions, events, open houses, tours, and workshops. Various events. May 9-12. [Info]

🎨 Fairfield Artists Studio Tour. It’s the 22nd year of the longest-running studio tour in the region. Forty artists show and sell their work in their studios and gardens. Various locations. May 4, 5. [Info]

📖 A Night of Sonnets. Hear a selection of sonnets in English, French, Spanish, and Italian from UVic’s humanities department. Hermann’s. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

💸 The Lehman Trilogy. The Lehman brothers rise from shopkeepers to bankers, from obscurity to prominence, navigating the Civil War, the Great Depression, and generations of ethical dilemmas. Belfry Theatre. Through May 19. [Info] 

🎥 Godzilla at Cinecenta: The classic 1950s film will be shown at the UVic theatre. Today. 5pm and 7pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Monday headlines: Saanich council to discuss merging firefighting forces with Vic, Esquimalt, and Oak Bay; Brothers who died kayaking were inseparable; London Drugs computer fog; Emerson is sealective about where he sits; And more. [April 29]

Six tasting menus in Vic worth every penny. [Tasting Victoria] 

Adopt a shelter pet today. Half-off adoption fees today. [BC SPCA]

Work-related deaths last year: 175 BC workers, including 12 in the CRD. [WorkSafe BC]

Why did the elephant seal cross the road? Emerson returns to the sea (for now). [CHEK]

Mink or marten? [Seems to be mink]

That’s it!

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