Fri. June 30 - Long Canadian Weekend Ahead

Good morning !

— Mark

NEWS

HarbourCats get set for big Bells weekend

The HarbourCats begin an important playoff push toward a North Division first-half title as the West Coast League season inches closer to its midway point.

The ‘Cats sit two games back of the Bellingham Bells heading into a key Canada Day weekend showdown.

Each club has a league-leading 16 wins but the Bells have lost four fewer games.

“This is a tight race and we have to play our best baseball, and Bellingham has strong pitching,” says HarbourCats president Jim Swanson.

“We play very well at home.” That, they do.

The ‘Cats are 11-1 in the friendly confines of Royal Athletic Park this season. “Our fans make our players feel a few inches taller,” quips Swanson.

The second of four fireworks shows will be held following tonight’s contest, and on Saturday the clubs will play a Canada Day matinee.

Pyrotechnics aside, the HarbourCats have been making a lot of noise this summer.

They’ve been led by shortstop Hudson Shupe (#17), who is hitting an outrageous .488 and outfielder Nick Dumesnil (#22), who’s belted four home runs and collected 18 RBI.

Watch this guy: Catcher Tripp Clark (#31). At 6-foot-three and 230 lbs., he’s pro-sized— and hitting .350.

This guy’s also a stud: Pitcher Ryan Magdic (#29). The lefthander is 6-foot-5

and weighs in at 240 lbs. The Ontario chucker’s fastball clocks in at 93 mph.

As of last night, only general admission tickets were left for tonight’s lid lifter, which starts at 6:05pm.

See our HarbourCats photo essay here. 

Capital Bulletin

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny. High 23C/ low 12C.  

🌫️ Air quality: Low risk today (2/10), no smoke expected.   

⛴️ BC Ferries cancellations: Over the long weekend, there will be eight fewer sailings daily between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen due to an unplanned vessel repair. BC Ferries announced last week that travellers should expect cancellations this summer.

💊 Pharmacist booking system opens: Book prescription appointments for minor ailments and contraceptives through a new online system.

🏕️ New notification service for available campsites: Sign up for email notifications to reserve previously booked available campsites.

🔍Missing Victoria teen: Lia Barker, 17, was last seen on Pandora Street on June 20 and is considered at-risk. [VicPD]

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NEWS

Still missing: Nanaimo’s Lisa Marie Young was last seen 21 years ago today

The Tla-o-qui-aht woman, 21 at the time, was at a house party with friends when she got into a vehicle with a man she had just met. They were going to get something to eat. 

They never came back.

Young’s biological parents realized something was wrong that morning when their daughter didn’t answer her phone the next morning. Young’s foster parents were called. Her friends, too. 

No one knew where she was. 

“It was a bit of shock, fear, because one thing about Lisa was that she was very reliable,” says Carolann Bosma, a friend and former roommate.

Cyndy Hall, a friend of both women and an advocate for MMIWG, says families of loved ones who go missing are often sad, overwhelmed, and frustrated when their case goes cold, as seems to be the situation with Young’s.

“When Lisa first went missing, I really think the RCMP dropped the ball,” she said. “I do think for quite a few years the file wasn’t investigated as much as it could have been.”

Paul Manly, MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith, told the House of Commons about Young’s story in October, in the hopes of drawing more attention to it.

He said the “RCMP did not take this case seriously, making numerous mistakes and failing to act on important tips and suspects.” 

Last Sunday, dozens of people–friends and others who never met her–took part in an annual justice march, which began in front of Nanaimo's RCMP detachment–a less-than-gentle reminder they still hold out hope police will find out what happened to her.

If you go to Nanaimo, you’ll see dozens of signs Hall has put up to remind people of the disappearance.

Anybody with information on the Lisa Marie Young case is directed to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250-758-2345.

NEWS

Saanich approves plan: dogs to be on-leash in some parks

The proposed People, Pets, and Parks Strategy was unanimously approved Wed. night in a special council meeting. The implementation of the plan is proposed to take five years, and will begin with an amendment to the Animal Bylaw this fall. 

The plan will require all pets to be on-leash except in designated off-leash zones. The plan’s aim is to find a solution for sharing Saanich’s parks that adapts to changing community needs, environmental concerns, and increased park usage. 

The decision follows a series of public engagement sessions that led to the issue being recessed. 

Last week, Capital Daily reported that over 7,000 people had signed a petition to stop the plan from being approved. Petitioners cited concerns over the cost of the strategy and limitations to places where dogs could run freely, especially with more people living in condominiums. The drafted strategy estimated that the transition would cost between $5.3 and $7.1M and that 57 parks would have dedicated off-leash areas.   

Capital Picks

🎺 LowDown Brass Band at Bullen Park: As a part of TD Victoria International JazzFest, this brass band that fuses soul, ska, hip-hop, and rock will perform today, 6:30pm. 

🏠 Junior 1-bedroom For Sale: The lowest price unit at the amenity rich, Hudson Place One. Asking $450,000. View photos and request a viewing.*

🎙️ Barbra Lica at Hermann’s Jazz Club: The Juno-nominated singer-songwriter will perform today during JazzFest, 7pm.  

🎷 Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few at Hermann’s Upstairs: Chicago-based saxophonist Isaiah Collier will play alongside drummer Michael Ode and bassist Jeremiah Hunt for JazzFest tonight, 9:15pm.   

🏳️‍🌈 Salon Q Pride Cabaret: As a part of Victoria Pride Festival, watch this campy cabaret hosted by Gouda Gabor and Jana Morrison, 7:30pm. 

🎤 Music in the Park: The Capital City Syncopators will perform at Beacon Hill Park’s Cameron Bandshell today, 1:30-3:20pm.

 🎭 Blue Bridge Theatre presents The Guardsman by Ferenc Molnar (adapted by Bonnie Monte) A classic farce about the perils, and joys, of infidelity! Jul. 4-16, 2023 | The Roxy Theatre | 250-382-3370*

🤝 Now hiring: Accountant at Victoria Hospice Society. *Sponsored Listing

In Other News

🖥️ Google will remove Canadian news links
You’ll soon not be able to find Canadian news articles when you do a Google search. The most popular two-syllabled company on the planet announced yesterday it will remove shared Canadian news content, in response to Canada’s nascent Online News Act which forces digital companies to pay media outlets to share their content.

🏒 Nanaimo NHL draft pick going from Harbour City to Music City 
Former Victoria Grizzlies forward Matthew Wood became the sixth-highest drafted Vancouver Island player when the Nashville Predators selected him 15th overall in the NHL draft Wednesday night. Wood, 18, tallied 11 goals and 23 assists in 35 games for the University of Connecticut last season, a year after winning the BCHL scoring championship with the Grizzlies. The six-foot-four forward plans to return to UConn this fall. [Times Colonist]

🌬️ Free AC units for medically vulnerable and low-income people in extreme heat
The province will allocate $10M to expand this program, helping BC Hydro to install roughly 8,000 new units over three years for those who qualify. [BC Gov] 
🌡️The hot, hard truth about the heat dome
More than 600 people in BC were killed by extreme heat during the 2021 heat dome—as well as billions of marine animals. Most people who died did not have access to fans or AC, and 90% were over the age of 60.

🏳️‍🌈 Pride crosswalk painted black in Saanich 
The crosswalk outside GR Pearkes Recreation Centre that honours the 2SLGBTQIA+ community was vandalized between Tue. evening and Wed. morning. It appears that the crosswalk was completely blacked out using a paint roller. Saanich police seek nearby dashcam footage. [CHEK] 

In Case You Missed It

🚧 Hwy 4 closure shows need for climate change measures: BC made significant economic investments in reopening the highway after wildfires forced it to close for two weeks. [Capital Daily] 

🍷 BC wine supply affected by last winter’s temperatures: Freezing weather in the Okanagan means there will be fewer BC wines available, though prices will not increase. [Capital Daily] 

🕰️ Uber saves riders 13 million hours a year—the equivalent of traveling Vancouver to Ottawa 300,000+ times. Learn more about Uber’s impact in BC.*

🚔 One year since Saanich shootout: One year later, three of six police officers injured in a shootout outside a Shelbourne bank are still physically recovering. 

🚗 Get back on the road. The experienced lawyers at Acumen Law Corporation will give you the best legal support for your driving prohibition case. Visit VancouverCriminalLaw.com.*

📰 Thursday’s headlines: Online inquiry form created for those impacted by Victoria investment firm, five puppies missing after Nanaimo theft, Victoria Pride Festival begins, and more. [June 29] 

🚨 Sooke death investigated: RCMP had attended to the man’s Kemp Lake residence on Tuesday before his death, so BC’s police watchdog will now examine their handling of the distressed person.

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