Jan 21 - Climate activist may be victim of bureaucratic bungling

Good morning !

Declaring the "golden age of America begins right now,” Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US president last night. Soon after, he repeated his promise/threat to impose 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada. "I think we'll do it Feb. 1," he said.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 5 / 1 

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 5 / 3

Thursday: 🌦️ 7 / 3

7-day forecast

NEWS

BC climate activist faces deportation again—this time due to lost paperwork

Last year, Zain Haq, a BC climate activist who has spent years living in Vancouver and Victoria with his wife Sophia Pap, was nearly deported to his birthplace in Pakistan. 

His legal team argued that his deportation was retribution for his peaceful climate activism—if deported, his supporters said he would be the first person to be forced from Canada for environmental activism. 

But two days before his April 22 deportation date, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller intervened, granting Haq a temporary resident permit while processing continued on his spousal sponsorship request. Haq and Pap were relieved when they found out they wouldn’t be forced to live across the world from one another. 

But this month, they learned they’re not out of the woods yet and in four days, Haq is once again set to be deported.

Lost paperwork could tear Haq from his life in Vancouver

Haq’s temporary resident permit (TRP) was meant to last six months while his spousal sponsorship with his Canadian wife was processed. Before it expired, Haq made sure to apply for a new TRP in October, unsure if his spousal sponsorship—which has been processing with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for 20 months—would be approved before expiration.

Despite sending the application for a new TRP through an expedited FedEx shipment—a shipment he has receipts for, including sending and its reception at the IRCC's mailing address—the department claims his forms were never received. 

Pap told Capital Daily it was a "colossal bureaucratic mess-up,” that has caused immense stress for her and Haq. If he’s deported before the spousal sponsorship is approved, the application will be cancelled and the nearly two-year process will need to start over.

Haq said in a statement that the thought of being separated from his wife was “devastating.”

Yesterday, Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May slammed the IRCC’s paperwork failures, saying Haq deserved due process.

“This is not just about Zain—it’s about ensuring that Canada upholds its values of democracy and justice.”

Read the full story about Haq’s impending deportation—set to happen this Sat.—and why supporters say his climate activism is at the heart of the case.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Construction on Blanshard downtown: Travel lanes to be shifted all week. 

Advanced voting: Cast your vote in the Crystal Pool referendum early, on Jan. 29, Feb. 3, and Feb. 5, at Crystal Garden. [Info]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

NEWS

The planets are aligning—really

Stargazers looking forward to looking upward tonight may want to temper their expectations—particularly since it’s expected to be cloudy—according to local astronomy expert Chris Gainor.

“I'm not sure how many people who are really seriously into astronomy are running out to take advantage of the [planetary alignment] tonight,” the president of the Victoria Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada tells Capital Daily.

“I would just say it's an unusual opportunity to see most of the planets, you know, in one go,” the British Interplanetary Society Fellow said. “They aren't sitting right next to each other.”

Graphics—including the one you see above—appear to show the planets stacked up on each other, but you’ll have to move your head a bit to see them in the sky tonight and over the next few days. 

Gainor, whose exceptional career in all things outer space earned him the honour of having an asteroid named after him, says it’s kind of like what that sticker says on your car door mirror. 

“Objects may be farther apart from each other than they seem in these photos,” he says.

But if we panned back a huge, interstellar amount, we would see these planets pretty much lined up. “They're always along a line in the sky that is called the Ecliptic,” says Ben Dorman, chair of the organization that runs the Centre of the Universe at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich.

“It's also the line that all the stars and all the signs of the zodiac are on,” he says.

What’s different is there will be six planets gathered closely on one side of the sun simultaneously. “So, we’ve got Venus and Saturn very close together, close to the sun on the west side of the sky, and Jupiter and Mars over on the other side of the sky,” Dorman says.

Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye. You’ll need a telescope to see Neptune and Uranus.

The best time to view the alignment is 45 minutes or so after sunset, so a bit before 6pm. Weather, of course, will limit what will be visible, with cloudy skies forecast.

SPONSORED BY PRESSUREPROS

At 9:14 this morning, an Oak Bay homeowner wondered why her neighbour's house looked brand new

The answer was simple: 48 hours earlier, the PressurePros team had removed 3.2 years of Victoria's notoriously stubborn moss, black algae, and embedded grime from her neighbour's front driveway and walk. Using precisely calibrated 3500 PSI commercial-grade equipment and biodegradable cleaning solutions, they restored her home's original lustre in a matter of hours.

PressurePros delivers the same premium service trusted by property managers to residential clients. From heritage brick to windows and modern siding, our certified technicians transform properties, restoring your property's original beauty for a fraction of the price of other interventions.

Book your free estimate today and receive a complimentary gutter inspection ($75 value).

⭐️ Capital Picks

🌉 The first Gorge bridge: See the 1866 bridge made from logs. [Facebook photo]

🖼️ UVic hangs new banners depicting Lekwungen art across campus. [Details]

🗞️ In Other News

Victoria Conference Centre bookings on the increase
The city’s largest conference centre is starting the year with a near-record number—100+—of events booked for 2025, following what Destination Greater Victoria says was a “strong performance” last year. The Victoria Conference Centre (VCC) hosted 147 events in 2024, attracting 94K+ delegate days, which was an increase of 10% over the previous year. [DGV]

Number of black bears killed by BCCOS has fallen to lowest level since 2011
BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) says the number has fallen by 50% in the last year—down to 303 euthanizations in 2024 from 603 in 2023. The number of calls about black bear-human conflicts has decreased by 10K since 2023. Of the calls made, only 1.7% led to black bears being destroyed. BCCOS says the drop is thanks to abundant wild food sources and better public awareness of securing garbage bins and other human food sources. [CHEK]

VicPD arrests man with imitation gun at Hillside Mall
VicPD responded to a call that a man was in the mall with what appeared to be a handgun tucked into his waistband. VicPD deemed it a high-risk situation, so several officers were dispatched, and the man was located quickly and searched. Turns out, it was a pellet gun. The man, who was in breach of court-ordered conditions and had outstanding warrants, was arrested without incident. [VicPD]

Was yesterday the most depressing day of the year? 
Not really, say experts, who caution that “Blue Monday” was just one psychologist's marketing gimmick for an airline. But it can still be a way to discuss real seasonal depression, some argue. [Canadian Press] And of course, it makes for a heck of a dance track, while Canadian baseball fans, particularly from Eastern Canada, somberly remember Blue Monday.

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Capital Region. 

🗓️ Things to do

🎨 Open House & Craft Night: Anti-Violence Project. Enjoy a drop-in evening of crafting with a side of snacks, to learn what this non-profit does. UVic Student Union Building basement. B024. Today. 5-7pm. [Info]

🎂 Cake Decoration Workshop Night: Join us for a fun night of decorating cakes with friends and learning new techniques. 2830 Peatt Rd. unit 105. Tonight. 6:15pm-8:45pm. [Info] 

🍴 Dine Around and Stay in Town: Eat & Drink. 50 of Victoria’s top restaurants highlight their best dishes through three-course menus set at deliciously low prices. Fri.-Feb.9. [Info] 

❓ Benji’s Pub quiz: Tickling the collective memory banks and encouraging open thinking, the focus is on play and the enjoyment of working together. Whistle Buoy. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🎶 Tom Vickery Trio: Join the party with Tom and friends, celebrating 40 years of performing. Hermann’s. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Monday’s headlines: West Coast Trail registration opens; New ocean tech partnerships in Vic; Nanaimo First Nation completes purchase of View Royal casino. [Jan. 20]

Why is there so little change on Pandora, after an end-of-year 'deadline' to move people off the street? [Times Colonist]

Tossing salmon carcasses is more than a ritual. [Saanich News]

Orca mother carrying dead calf helps prove animals truly grieve, researcher argues. [CP]

CRD park/trail closures: Next Monday: Sooke Hills trail partly closed. Next month: Matheson Lake Park bridge; Galloping Goose at Cecelia Cove Park. [CRD info]

Some eggs in BC were recalled over salmonella concerns.

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

That’s it!

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to a fellow Victorian.

And before you go, let us know: