Jan 13 - Bus route changes to bring more reliable transit

Good morning !

Today and tomorrow are expected to be foggy, so don’t be surprised if you hear the blaring sound of a nearby foghorn. It’s just another fun feature of living in a coastal community.

Once the fog clears, a stretch of sunny days is ahead.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌫️ 13 / 8

Tomorrow: 🌫️ 10 / 6

Day after: 🌤️ 9 / 6

7-day forecast

NEWS

Bus service expands, more options now, says transportation ministry

Bus riders may find it easier to get from A to B after BC Transit and the Victoria Regional Transit System, Greater Victoria’s public transportation provider, did some tweaking to the schedule.

“By expanding service hours, adding new routes, and improving connections, we’re helping more people choose transit as a safe, affordable, and sustainable way to travel,” Mike Farnworth, BC’s transportation minister, said in a release. 

Route 40 Dockyard/UVic via Admirals and McKenzie is a new route designed to make it easier to travel between Saanich, View Royal, and Esquimalt.

As of last Monday, several routes have been adjusted “to improve connections and reliability,” including to the airport, where Route 88 Airport/Sidney via McDonald Park “will have improved service to the Victoria International Airport and West Sidney.”

Regular trips that don’t go to West Sidney will operate as Route 88A Airport/Sidney, BC Transit said. 

Other transit changes:

• Route 81 Brentwood/Saanichton/Sidney/Swartz Bay ends at the Saanichton Exchange and becomes Route 75 Saanichton/Royal Oak/Downtown

• Route 39 has been split into two routes, Route 38 Westhills/Interurban/Royal Oak and Route 39 UVic/Royal Oak/Interurban, to match up better with classes at UVic and the new John Horgan Westshore campus

• Route 51 is now 51X Westhills/UVic McKenzie Express, with hourly midday and additional evening service maintained between the Westshore and UVic without a  transfer

• Route 72 is rerouted via Carey and Ravine Way to use the new transit-only lane and serve the new bus stop on Ravine Way at Vernon 

The province points out that it has increased BC Transit’s operating budget by almost 70% since 2017. See all the changes here. 

20+ bus shelters to be replaced this year in Victoria, starting with… 

Douglas and Burdett, Shelbourne and Denman, along with Quadra and Bay, and Cook and Haultain—which you may have noticed are sans shelters. These four transit stops are scheduled to get new shelters next week. 

It’s part of BC Transit’s provincewide shelter program to replace approximately 20 of them this year, the city said. 

According to BC Transit, municipalities own and maintain most shelters, which vary in size and design depending on usage. BC Transit provides funding programs and technical support to ensure the stands meet standards.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Recall: no-name brand beef burgers, due to E. coli. [CFIA]

Douglas and Burnside lane reduction for the next five weeks.

Drilling/blasting at Rocky Point near Metchosin: as required, between 8am and 4:30pm through Jan. 26. 

Fake US dollars, real suspects: Can you ID them? [RCMP]

NEWS

Island-to-island partnership: UVic teams up with Estonian researchers to develop clean energy solutions

UVic’s latest partnership will bring together island knowledge from different sides of the planet. 

Researchers from the school will work with scientists in Estonia to find innovative ways of powering island communities and, in turn, strengthening their economies.

The UVic-led Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) initiative, with which Royal Roads University is also partnered, focuses on finding clean-energy solutions through community-based collaborations. 

To understand how clean and renewable energy sources can be optimized for island cities and towns, ACET researchers will help oversee studies on Estonia’s Baltic Sea islands. 

According to a statement from UVic, “Canadians will gain from policies, models and best practices for community-based clean energy economies from an advanced industrial democratic nation.”

The partners will prioritize three studies to kick off 2026 and plan to announce additional projects later this year.

One project will focus on biogas, a renewable energy source that typically relies on power from methane gas released from decomposing food or animal waste (these biofuels also prevent the release of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere). The researchers will explore how different biofuels can power the heating systems of Saaremaa, one of the Estonian islands.

Another study will focus on the community impacts of solar and wind farms on different islands. The researchers will speak with residents of multiple island communities to understand their perception of these energy sources and how governments can plan future projects that align with the needs of islanders.

The third study will follow a pilot project on Hiiumaa, another Estonian island, which is switching the region to a community-led energy system. According to UVic, this approach can make “local energy systems stronger and more reliable.” The ACET team will bring knowledge of Canadian energy cooperatives to guide the project and will compare the approaches in both countries.

“By bringing together Canadian research leadership and Estonian innovation and expertise, we are creating practical models that strengthen local energy independence while delivering lessons that can be scaled for communities around the world,” Curran Crawford, executive director of ACET, said in a release.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🌸 Butchart Gardens is closed Jan. 19-Feb. 1 for staff holidays… but if you want to work there, see this job fair on Feb. 18. 

🎨 Pursue your passions closer to home. Nurture your mind and learn something new at the John Horgan Campus in Langford.*

🏠 House moving in old Victoria: See a house on the move at the former Hillside-Douglas roundabout in the 1950s. [Facebook photo]

🍽️ Calling all foodies: Victoria, BC’s launching their favourite longstanding foodie festival this month! The Dine Around Gala Launch takes place January 23rd from 5-8pm.*

✍️ Emerging Local Authors: GVPL is looking for local writers and illustrators to submit their work by Jan. 18.

🌱 Discover the ease, beauty & benefits of native plants at Swan Lake's Workshops. Designated best place to learn in the CRD—reserve your spot today!*

^{*Sponsored Listing}

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Belle Spirale Dance Projects in "UNIVERSUS"

Worlds are born and collide in Belle Spirale Dance Projects' UNIVERSUS (Vancouver), a striking double bill choreographed by Alexis Fletcher and Fernando Hernando Magadan. Featuring eight exceptional dancers, the work explores resilience, balance, vulnerability, and our place in a changing world. Tickets from $34. January 16 | McPherson Playhouse.

🗞️ In Other News

2 separate crashes close TCH in View Royal yesterday
The Trans-Canada was closed after a driver crossed the median and crashed into a BC Transit bus and vehicle near the Six Mile exit. One person was sent to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Not long after the crash was cleared and the highway reopened, another collision forced the closure of  lanes near View Royal, causing traffic to back up into  Victoria. No injuries were reported from that crash as of yesterday afternoon. [CHEK]

Evacuations and road closures on Island as atmospheric river hits
Eleven homes near the Chemainus River and a campground near Englishman River were evacuated yesterday morning as flooding increased. Residents were asked to travel south toward Crofton or toward the Trans-Canada Highway. The Chemainus River bridge was closed and multiple nearby homes, including 60 near the campground, were placed on evacuation alert. By the afternoon, Chemainus’s evacuations were called off, but alerts were placed on homes near the Nanaimo River. [Times Colonist]

Saanich police charge man in suspicious death, investigate stabbing
The death occurred on or before Jan. 5 inside a home on Blair near Shelbourne, and although a suspect at the time, Muhammed Basar, no age given, was released with measures taken to ensure he wasn’t a threat to himself or others. The man has since been charged with murder. Saanich PD also is investigating what appears to be a stabbing in a home on Kenneth, near Quadra. They arrived at the home just before 5am Saturday to find one person with a stab wound that was considered serious but not life-threatening. The injured person was taken to the hospital, while the other was arrested and now faces several charges

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🗓️ Things To Do

🏃 South Island Sole: Join this BIPOC and ally-led running community for 5k route through Lək̓ʷəŋən territory, happening every Tuesday. The location varies, but the route is pinned weekly on Instagram. 6pm. [Info]

🎭 Sea Star Winter/Spring Musical Classes: Young performers aged 10+ can create a full production from start to finish,  with performances planned for July. Mary Winspear Centre. Tuesdays starting today. 5-7pm. [Info]

🎷 The Don Leppard Jazz Orchestra: Victoria's 17-piece big band swings through classics from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and more, at Hermann's tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🍏 The Sutcliffes: The Beatles' Legacy: The energetic stage show, featuring a thematic multimedia staging of The Beatles' legendary catalogue, returns to Hermann's. Thurs. 7pm. [Info]

😂 Snowed In Comedy Tour: Canada's biggest comedy tour returns for its 17th year with a powerhouse lineup at the Royal Theatre. Sat. 7:30pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Sunday’s headlines: View Royal looks for help in questioning provincial housing policies; Weekly roundup; Esquimalt firefighters first on Island to be fully fit with new protective gear.  [Jan. 12]

Proposed floating museum for Inner Harbour one step closer to reality. [Times Colonist]

New low-cost veterinary clinic opens on Bay. [CHEK]

Sunday hours return to the GVPL Central Branch.

Malahat crash leaves 1 dead, 3 injured over the weekend. [CTV] 

Early bird gets the… fish: An American dipper is seen snacking on alevins in Courtenay. [Facebook photo]

That’s it!

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