Jan 12 - City council is dreaming of a green rooftop

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Good morning !

If you‘re reading this at 8am, there’s only a 10% chance of snow right now, but with the wind gusting as high as 60 clicks, Environment Canada says the temperature out there may feel like -20.

You read that right 😱 

— Mark

Today’s approx read time: 4.5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ -7 / -9

Tomorrow: 🌤️ -3 / -6

Sunday: ☀️ 0 / -5

7-day forecast / Special weather statement

NEWS

Victoria gets the green light for more green roofs

Some may be white today, but soon you may be seeing a lot more green rooftops in Victoria.

Set aside the snow and picture a variety of plants or grasses growing on a rooftop near you. Councilors Matt Dell and Jeremy Caradonna tabled a motion yesterday to remove barriers to adding green roofs, rooftop solar, and rooftop patios to Victoria’s built environment. 

Green rooftops can lower energy consumption on hot days, contributing to more sustainable and eco-friendly urban environments. The CRD boasts of two green roofs, which it says have retained almost 40% of rainfall and have provided tangible thermal insulation. But green roofs can cost a lot of green. They can be expensive to construct and make for all kinds of legal, zoning, and insurance headaches for developers lawmakers, and owners alike.  

Council members in Victoria raised the prospects of the benefits and drawbacks of green roofs in their recent meeting and decided to give the green light to the further exploration of removing barriers to building them.

Read the full story by Sidney Coles here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

City of Victoria’s Arctic Air advisory: What’s closed for public safety.

Extreme weather shelter in Sooke open as temperatures drop. 

Signs of hypothermia and frostbite to look out for.

David Strong building reopens, all classes to resume by Mon.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

City Fortifies bike lanes, project nears completion

It might be a bit challenging with today’s weather conditions, but cyclists can now pedal their way in both directions from Foul Bay to Cook along a 2.7-km stretch of just-finished protected bike lanes on Fort. 

The $9.4M project—$3.6M from the feds—was completed ahead of schedule, and when combined with downtown Fort lanes that opened six years ago, make for a 3.9km east-west pathway, with the new stretch continuous. 

If you’re wondering what slightly south of $10M gets besides a tad fewer than three clicks of painted asphalt, the city has put in new trees, upgraded sidewalks and crosswalks, traffic signals, and stormwater features so streets aren’t flooded after significant rainstorms—or this week, snowfalls.

According to city statistics, 13% of all resident trips in 2022 were completed on a bicycle, compared with 9% in 2017. Those ridership numbers are based on the CRD Origin and Destination Household Travel Survey and bicycle count data from locations across the city’s cycling network from both automatic counters and general traffic counts.

The city said minor work will continue through the winter, including the installation of EV fast-charging stations along the route. Next up for bike lanes is the Gorge, from Government, toward and past the Goose. Construction is slated to begin in the spring. 

Here’s a city map of bike lanes—protected, shared, and painted.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🍪 Gingerbread Showcase winner announced. This year’s theme for Habitat for Humanity's fundraiser was family traditions.

🌯 Victoria is getting its first Chipotle. The Mexican-inspired restaurant chain is hiring a General Manager for a location downtown.

☑️ Royal BC Museum launches survey on its future look. [Survey]

🦅 An eagle flies over some mighty waves in Ucluelet. [Photo]

⛴️ Water rushes onto Washington state ferry during storm. [ABC Video]

🤝 Now hiring: Income Assistance Legal Advocate (Nanaimo) at Together Against Poverty Society.

🗞️ In Other News

Board of directors resigns en masse from St. Margaret’s private school
In an email to parents, the school says the entire board has stepped down “due to financial distress, which could not be resolved by the current team.” A new board has been appointed. St. Margaret’s School (SMS) was founded in 1908 and is the Island’s only girl-centred school. [CHEK]

Saanich council approves pickleball plan for Fowler Park 
The park near Cordova Bay Golf Course could get as many as six pickleball courts and a tennis court beginning this summer. Sound reduction is built into the plan which would include bike parking, a washroom, and a play area, depending on the budget. [Times Colonist] 

CRD’s $2B H20 supply plan could increase water bills X5: Study
A housing industry group, including former Johnson Street Bridge project director Jonathan Huggett, says cost overruns could increase residents’ water bills as much as fivefold, and add thousands of dollars to the price of new homes. Huggett says the plan, which includes a $1-billion filtration plant, uses flawed projections and other questionable data. [Victoria News]

BC Supreme Court denies appeal to former BC Lion in ex-girlfriend’s murder 
Ex-wide receiver Josh Boden was trying to overturn his 2022 conviction in the second-degree murder of Kimberly Hallgarth in Burnaby in 2009. Boden argued evidence heard at his trial was prejudicial. The court ruled 3-0 that it wasn’t. Boden, 37, played for the Lions in 2007. He’s serving a life sentence. [CTV]

🗓️ Things to do

🎤 Firebird. Quw’utsun Valley’s newest folk-pop band performs original songs, leaning heavily into three-part harmonies. St. John’s United Church. Tonight. 7:30pm-9pm. [Info]

🎧 Rakata Latin Night: Dance along to Latin music with special guest EP The Latino at Capital Ballroom. Tonight. 9pm. [Info]

📝 Poetry in Light: An evening of poetry at the Greater Victoria Public Library, James Bay Branch. Today. 7-9pm. [Info]

🎻 Aisslinn Nosky plays Bach and Vivaldi: The violinist will lead Victoria Baroque in a concert of Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann, and Emily Doolittle at the Church of St John the Divine. Tonight. 7:30-9:30pm. [Info]

🤸 Cirque du Soleil: Corteo. A joyous circus performance with acrobatics, comedy, and dramatic theatrics. SoF Memorial Centre. Though Sunday. [Info]

🎭 Entertainment Village, featuring Randee Neumeyer and some of the best local improv talent. The Mint. Tonight. 8pm. Doors at 7pm. [Info]

🎺🎺 Trumpet Fiesta: Miguelito Valdes, Lachlan Craven. Enjoy the rare beauty of two trumpets playing together in a quintet setting. Hermann’s. Tonight. 7pm-9pm. Doors at 5:30pm. [Info]

🎹 A Night to Buena Vista Social Club with Pablo Cardenas. The Cuban pianist will wow you. Hermann’s Upstairs. 8pm-11pm. Doors at 7pm. [SOLD OUT]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Christmas lights spotlight downtown businesses: 80K+ take in Lights of Wonder, many shopped. [Capital Daily] 

Thu. Headlines: New 2SLGBTQIA+ liaison nurse; Vic General lab evacuated; Saanich asks CRD to remove cycling trail bollards, and more. [Jan 11] 

Photos released of arson suspect: VicPD says it has video of someone throwing a lit object through the window of Ricky’s restaurant, which burned down.

Victoria 0 Moose Jaw 5: Royals blown out in regulation on Wed. after splitting previous four previous games which all went to OT.

Hold the foam—what’s that on the trail? Watch as sea foam takes over a Tofino-area pathway.

That’s it!

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