Jan 20 - Will you challenge this 75km trail?

Good morning !

The Island's (in)famously challenging hiking trail opens for registration today, though you'll have to wait four months for better weather to actually attempt it. Today we run down what makes the trail so memorable—and so grueling.

But first: January has brought big news to Victoria's ocean technology sector and the “blue economy" that it drives.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤 5 / 2

Tomorrow: ☀️ 6 / 0

Wednesday: ⛅ 6 / 1

7-day forecast

NEWS

More ocean tech collaborations coming to Victoria

Canada’s first dedicated ocean venture accelerator opens in Victoria

Earlier this month the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) announced the launch of Blue Action Canada, a pilot accelerator that will support eight BC-based blue economy startups. Over four months, the startups will focus on operations, product development, technology, customer discovery, commercialization, and fundraising.

To host the pilot, COAST has teamed up with Blue Action, a Bahamas-based climatech accelerator, and Founders Factory, a UK-based company that builds and funds startups.

The accelerator will also provide a platform for companies to access a global community of investors and partners, including Blue Action’s growing network of ports and government partners spanning ten countries, to explore pathways to pilots, testing grounds, and commercial partnerships.

The Blue Action Canada pilot kicks off this month and will end with a residential program in May 2025, bringing the startups to Vancouver and overlapping with Web Summit in the city.

Victoria's MarineLabs teams up with Canada's Ocean Supercluster on $4.5M project

Last Thursday, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced three new projects valued at over $9M, including a partnership with MarineLabs on the Forecast AI Project.

MarineLabs says that last year's AI-assisted addition to its forecast program had 50% fewer errors than publicly available forecasts. It argues that most predictions from those models rely on info from large-scale grids and struggle to capture precise local wave and wind conditions. Its tools pull from very site-specific data taken from its local sensors, which it says will help port operations and vessel pilots become more safely and efficiently.

MarineLabs’ customers include the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, and BC Ferries.

You can read more at Victoria Tech Journal.

Files from VicTJ's Emily Edwards.

NEWS

Reservations open today for the iconic but challenging West Coast Trail

The bulk of camping reservations for provincial parks on the Island and mainland opened last week, but the biggest South Island camping challenge gets its own day. Overnight reservations for the higher-risk West Coast Trail begin at 8am this morning.

The notoriously difficult backcountry trail closed for the season on Oct. 7, as it does every winter due to the typical heavy rains, winds, tides, waves, and darkness. Over the summer season (May-Sept.), up to 10,000 people attempt the 75km route from Port Renfrew to Bamfield—though every year a few hundred need to abandon it early due to injury or physical defeat, and many of them need to be evacuated.

All hikers need permits, and even experienced ones can struggle with the 100+ ladders, calf-deep mud, and often worse-for-wear boardwalks.

Read Capital Daily's guide to safely & successfully attempting the trail.

The trails are maintained—and plenty of the hikers are saved—by the Trail Guardians. They hail from the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, and Huu-ay-aht nations, whose traditional territories Canada made into a park without consultation in the 1970s. 

More people coming through the lands has meant more emergencies (and more damage to infrastructure, vegetation, and sacred sites). So the guardians spend 7 months of the year hauling 30+kg of gear, maintaining the trail, and providing visitors with help and some of the cultural history of the region.

Read more about the guardians at Capital Daily.

Their work will take on an additional challenge this year after last fall's de-staffing of two lighthouses along the trail, whose keepers would often assist people in need along the coast. Part of the reason the trail was created was as a means of helping and extracting seafarers stranded along that stretch of forested coast. The nations have said that they were not properly consulted about the federal decision to automate the lighthouses.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🌌 A “planetary parade” of 6 celestial bodies becomes visible in the night sky tomorrow. [AP]

🌱 Discover the beauty and benefits of native plants at Swan Lake's Native Plant Workshops. Workshops start soon—reserve your spot today!*

🦢 Trumpeter swans a-swimming in Cedar. [VanIsleWildlife photos]

🌓 Rizwan Manji, from the hit TV series, Schitt's Creek, stars in Behind the Moon at the Belfry Theatre from February 4 to March 2.*

🎸 Spellbound Blues, the new rock record from Victoria's Conjure Hand, is now out. Listen below:

🍴 Dine Around and Stay in Town returns on January 24 with nearly 60 of the city's best restaurants highlighting top dishes with set three-course menus.*

👶🏽 Olive Fertility Centre has opened a new clinic in Victoria. Click here to read Dr. Riki Dayan's five tips for making 2025 a fertile year.*

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Snowshoer injured after sliding 100m down mountainside into tree
The Alberni Valley Rescue Squad says that bystanders kept her warm while crews climbed down the icy slope of the 5040 mountain cliff to get her airlifted out. [More info / photos]

Snuneymuxw First Nation completes purchase of Elements casino
The Nanaimo-area nation announced the purchase of the View Royal casino four months ago. It's economic development company has now been granted approval by the regulator to add both that casino and Casino Nanaimo. [Nanaimo Bulletin]

‘Friendly’ underwater volcano 500m off coast of Island expected to erupt this year
Researchers here and throughout the Pacific Northwest are ready to study the impending eruption of the notably active Axial Seamount, which blows about once per decade. [CBC video]

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🗓️ Things to do

 🎂 Cake Decoration Workshop: Tues. 6:15pm at Flourish BeauTea in Langford. [Info]

✍ The locally famous Benji's Pub Quiz is now on Tuesdays at Whistle Buoy. [Tickets]

🎵 Tom Vickery Trio celebrates 40 years of playing at Hermann's. Weds. [Info / tickets]

🏀 Varsity basketball returns to UVic later this week. [Tickets]

🌟 Coming of Light market & community celebration for “earth freaks” is at Little Fernwood on Feb. 2 with seed swaps, crafts, woolens, vintage metalwork, tea, and more.

👀 In Case You Missed It

The best local non-alcoholic drinks. Plus: Laketown Shakedown ends. [Sunday newsletter]

Become an Insider member to help support our local journalism and to receive the full Sunday edition every weekend.

Trial resumes for Langford man accused of killing his mother 4 years ago. [The Westshore]

Ambulance staffing shortages at “critical levels,” union says.

Handling of Central Saanich officer allegations by Vancouver Police has been backed by survivor support org in letter. [CTV]

Meet a flying squirrel from Powell River. [Instagram photos]

CFUV radio's top 100 most-played albums of 2024.

See the many tiny cups of bird's nest fungi. [Wanderin’ Weeta blog]