March 13 - The dance is over Upstairs at Hermann's

Good morning !

A made-for-streaming US movie about Reena Virk’s death comes out on April 17. Part of me wants to watch it and part of me thinks out of deference to her memory and all involved here in Victoria, perhaps I shouldn’t.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 7 minutes

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NEWS

Hermann’s Upstairs to close, Victoria’s music scene shrinks further

The popular music and dance venue on the second and third floors will officially close on March 31 but Hermann’s Jazz Club on the ground floor will continue to operate as Canada's longest-continuously running jazz club.

According to a statement from its operators Arts on View, the decision to terminate the lease with the building’s owners—the Estate of Hermann Nieweler, who opened the cabaret in 1981—allows the non-profit to focus on the Jazz Club and the neighbouring View Street Social. Arts on View said it plans to explore new programming ideas that could make the upstairs lounge financially viable.

Due to financial issues, many mid-sized performance venues in Victoria have shut their doors in recent years. The Carlton Club closed last year and Logan’s Pub shuttered in 2021. Larger venues, such as the Royal Theatre and Capital Ballroom, usually bring in bigger names, making it an inaccessible price point for most local event hosts.

A CRD report from 2020 found that 70% of 166 artists and producers surveyed in the region said they rarely were able to access affordable spaces to rehearse and perform. 

Read more here about Hermann’s Upstairs closing, and how it affects local event organizers. 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

SD 61 public budget meeting tomorrow. [Registration] 

Island Health Community Wellness Grant program open for applications.

Help Esquimalt develop a new brand. [Today 4-7pm] 

ICBC warns of fake texts about traffic tickets.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Reena Virk’s tragic death the subject of US mini-series starting next month

An eight-part mini-series based on the 1997 murder of Victoria teen Reena Virk will air next month on American subscription streaming service Hulu. Under the Bridge is based on the late Rebecca Godfrey’s book of the same name, which was published in 2005, eight years after 14-year-old Virk’s horrific murder under the Craigflower Bridge in Saanich. 

Hulu has released a new trailer for the series which has actress Vritika Gupta playing the role of Virk, who was bullied, beaten, and drowned by a group of mostly young people. “Through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and a local police officer (Lily Gladstone), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder—revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer,” says the synopsis on the Hulu website. 

Kelly Ellard, who was 15 at the time and now goes by the name Kerry Marie Sim, is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.

On Sunday, Gladstone lost out to Emma Stone (for the film Poor Things) for Best Actress at the Oscars, following her well-received performance in Killers of the Flower Moon.

Hulu is not available to stream in Canada unless you use a virtual private network, a VPN, to connect to a US server.

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Know your limit, play within it. Must be 19+ to play. License #147901.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🎧 We have amazing people in our community and we want you to hear their stories. The Vital Victoria Podcast spotlights positive changemakers in Victoria. Listen today!*

🤝 Now hiring: Executive Director at Capital Bike.

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🐊 Dwarf caiman at Vic’s Butterfly Gardens. This little cutie—they don’t yet know its gender—pictured below is part of the alligator family from South America. It was being held illegally in Canada without the necessary permits so while that gets sorted, it’s going to hang at Victoria Butterfly Gardens.

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🗞️ In Other News

Testing for COVID-19 still huge for seniors, unvaccinated, says provincial health officer
It’s important for pregnant women and the immune-compromised, too. Since March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization officially declared it a pandemic, 58,475 Canadians—6,600 from BC—have died due to COVID-19. Many area pharmacies have tests available for free. [Times Colonist]

2 rushed to hospital after 6-car crash on the TCH
The elderly occupants of a vehicle were whisked off to Vic-Gen with non-life-threatening injuries, the only two hurt in the collision which happened just before 10 yesterday morning near the Helmcken exit. View Royal Fire says it looks like one of the drivers was experiencing a medical issue before the impact. Southbound lanes were closed for roughly one hour. [Times Colonist]

Here’s why the Goose was closed Mon. evening and yesterday morning
Saanich Police shut a portion of the bike trail from McKenzie to Grange to allow officers—aided by the canine unit—to search the area as part of a Major Crimes Unit investigation. Darkness forced the search to continue yesterday morning and police—who are not offering more information—reopened the Goose just before noon. [Saanich Police]

Horse-drawn carriage companies want a new contract, parking
The agreement is up for renewal and Donna Friedlander, owner of Tally-Ho Carriage Tours, says it’s usually a sure thing. She’s looking for parking on Menzies, too. Montreal banned horse-drawn carriages four years ago, and NYC and Houston are considering following suit. [CHEK]

Ucluelet woman wins $18M in Lotto Max: she’ll do some sailing 
Possibly buy a new sailboat, too. A car and some property are also on Sharon Fraser’s fresh list of things to buy after she won the Feb. 23 jackpot. The retiree says initially, her family didn’t believe it. Fun fact: The odds of matching all seven numbers are 33M:1. [BCLC]

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🗓️ Things to do

🎺 How to Jazz. Enjoy this entertainment lecture for non-musicians, led by UVic professor and jazz expert Jan Randall and musician Paul Wainwright. Hermann’s. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🎭 The Hot L Baltimore. See this classic comedy play at Phoenix Theatre, starting tomorrow, and running until March 23 with 2pm matinees on Saturday. [Info]

😆 Julie Kim. See the comedian perform her women-centred comedy at the Charlie White Theatre. Tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]

💸 Embrace Aging Month: Eldercare Foundation supports a free performance and workshop on how to protect yourself—and your loved ones—from scammers and fraudsters. Today. 1:30-3:30pm. Yakimovich Wellness Centre. [Register]

🎤 Open Decks. This open mic for emerging performers will offer an eclectic mix. Hermann’s Upstairs. Tonight. 7-10pm. Doors 6pm.  [Info]

🤣 Comedian Matt Rife takes his ProbleMATTic World Tour to town for two shows tonight. Royal Theatre. 7pm and 10pm. [Info]

🧑‍🚀 They Promised Her the Moon. The play about a woman astronaut reflecting on her life kicks off tonight and is scheduled to run until March 24. St. Luke’s Community Theatre. Tonight. 7:30pm. With 2pm weekend matinee showings. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: Vic council looks at short-term rental rule reprieve; Island artist helps design new coin; Candle causes camper fire; And more. [Mar. 12]

Higher taxes all around. [Capital Daily] 

Greater Victoria man gets four years for repeatedly strangling, confining girlfriend. [CHEK] 

Goldstream Park highway widening faces Indigenous rights objection. [Times Colonist]

Truckers who hit BC infrastructure may face stiffer fines. [CTV]

Give local restaurants some love. Vote for your favourite spots in this year’s Tasting Victoria Best Restaurant Awards. Voting is open!

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