Jan 31 - BC gets a new representative to the King

Good morning !

The provincial government has sacked all members of the Greater Victoria School Board, BC has a new lieutenant-governor, and we’re likely getting some snow flurries this weekend. As they said in Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.” (Just don’t complain to anyone in the rest of the country.)

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 8 / 3

Tomorrow: 🌨️ 5 / 2

Sunday: 🌨️ 4 / 1

NEWS

Education minister fires Victoria School Board en masse

All members of the Victoria School Board were fired yesterday, as Education Minister Lisa Beare followed through on warnings she gave weeks ago.

The board and ministry have been at odds over the inclusion of school police liaison officer (SPLO) programs in the school district’s safety plans. The board cut the program in 2023—and the ministry didn’t like it.

Sherri Bell, former president of Camosun College, has been hired as the official trustee to oversee SD61, with her role expected to continue until the next school board election in fall 2026. Kevin Godden—who was previously appointed as a special adviser to assist the board in creating a revised safety plan—has been reappointed to the same advisory role to assist Bell. Godden quit his position as an adviser after the board rejected the safety plan he developed with community stakeholders.

In September, Beare ordered the board to create an updated school safety plan and expected it to address a purported rise in gang activity on school grounds. Plans submitted by the board in November and this month excluded SPLO programs, only allowing police in schools in times of an emergency.

The submitted plans also lacked input from key community partners Beare had asked for, including First Nations and police.

The School Act allows the province, in specific circumstances, to appoint a trustee to replace a board. According to a release from the province, the board was fired for demonstrating significant governance issues, failing to collaborate with partners in creating a safety plan, and not assisting the special adviser. 

Read the full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Wintry road conditions expected this weekend. [Brine being applied]

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

For King and province: BC’s new L-G is sworn in

Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia is the province’s 31st lieutenant-governor and the King’s new representative in BC.

Dignitaries from across the political spectrum, including Premier David Eby, Chief Justice Leonard Marchand, and Union of BC Municipalities President Trish Mandewo attended yesterday’s instalment ceremony held at the BC legislature. 

The event was ushered in by the Royal Canadian Navy’s Naden Band and introduced with a traditional welcome by Coun. Norman Gary Sam and Songhees Nation dancers. The ceremony concluded with a moving rendition of Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah,” marking a new chapter in BC's history.

Lisogar-Cocchia, known for her leadership in business, philanthropy, and advocacy for social inclusion, replaces outgoing L-G Janet Austin.

As the King’s representative in BC, the lieutenant-governor’s duties are both ceremonial and official, including granting royal assent to provincial laws and overseeing government function more broadly.

Lisogar-Cocchia has worked in the business, tourism, and not-for-profit sectors—she co-founded the Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN). Her achievements have earned her prestigious accolades such as the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada.

In her address, Lisogar-Cocchia spoke of the importance of empathy and service, vowing to lead with compassion, perseverance, and a commitment to creating a better, more inclusive future for BC. She also acknowledged the sacred relationship the province has with its 203 First Nations.

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

NEWS

Wintry weekend: What to know about the snow

Don’t get the toboggan out just yet. We’re not expecting a hey-let’s-go-outside-and-make-a-snowman kind of storm but snow is projected to fall on Sunday and Monday—bringing a stark end to an unusually sunny mid-late January.

That stretch has included the longest streak (in 85 years of records) of January days without precipitation at the airport weather station. This winter also took longer to hit -1C than any other year on record.

Both trends now reverse, with cold and precipitation not only here but throughout BC's south coast. Here’s the forecast for the coming days. 

Today: 
An Environment Canada alert for the bulk of southwestern BC warns of snow heading into today, then mainly rain over the day—which will freeze tonight and make the wet ground slippery. A special weather statement advises that the Malahat will have wintry conditions through next week, with wet snow possible at high elevations.

The East Island may also get flurries today, with other areas receiving snow mainly on the weekend. Expect wind chill as well, as there is a high wind warning tonight and into tomorrow, particularly along the Juan de Fuca Strait. So button it up if you’re headed for a walk along Dallas.

Sat.-Sun.
Accumulating (i.e. not simply falling and melting) snow flurries may develop, but the forecasters aren't yet sure exactly where. They warn of a “sudden reduction in visibility in convective flurries” if you're driving through the south coast. 

Cold and dry air, 5-8C below seasonal, is expected early next week. Snow may accumulate “from Nanaimo to the Saanich Peninsula.”

This all comes a little over a year after a major cold snap struck Victoria, producing the coldest day in 50+ years, in what up until that time had been a mild winter. 

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⭐️ Capital Picks

⚾  Men with Bats to play Men Without Hats. [HarbourCats]

🎵🏒 Do you love hockey and writing songs? Submit an original hockey-themed song and you could win $5K and perform at Century Celebration Music Night.*

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🗞️ In Other News

Victoria nurse disciplined for taking selfie at work
BC’s College of Nurses and Midwives says early last year, Brian Lee used his cellphone to take a photo of himself and medical equipment in a patient-care area—and that breached patient confidentiality regulations. Lee, who was suspended for three days, shared the photo with fellow health-care staff not involved in caring for the patient, the college said. [Times Colonist]

With tariffs on the table for Saturday, consumers supporting Canadian goods
At Country Grocer, for example, shoppers are asking which items were produced here, hoping to support Canadian companies bracing for declining sales in the US once the tariffs kick in. Country Grocer said it plans to put more signs up to point customers to Canadian products. US President Donald Trump has vowed to implement 25% tariffs on goods from north—and south—of the border. He was to decide last night whether that would include oil. [CHEK]

Tiny founders make big difference, earn Distinguished Entrepreneurs of the Year honours
Victoria-based businessmen Andrew ­Wilkinson and Chris Sparling are being recognized by UVic for building “a world-class company from ­Victoria while actively supporting our local ­business ecosystem.” Wilkinson and Sparling co-founded Tiny, a holding company consisting of 40+ businesses and will be feted at the university’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business awards ceremony in June. Wilkinson is also a founder of Overstory Media Group, the parent company of Capital Daily. [UVic]

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🗓️ Things to do

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Supper: Enjoy an unforgettable experience watching the Veselka Ukrainian Dancers and tasting exquisite hand-made perogies, cabbage rolls, and borscht. Tonight. Ukrainian Cultural Centre. 5-8pm. [Info]

😂 The Crowd Work Show: A 100% improvised stand-up comedy show. Alex Forman and Nash Park will be taking the stage at the same time with absolutely zero material prepared. The Mint. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🎤 Playlist: Writer and performer Ivan Coyote’s playlist of stories that sing about how they managed to discover a coded but very possible queer future hidden in the music of the AM radio. The Metro Studio Theatre. Tonight-Sun. 7:30pm. 2pm on Sun. [Info]

🖤 Black History Month 2025 Launch. Start Black History Month off with BC Black History Awareness Society's annual BHM Launch. Music, food and more. KWENCH. Tomorrow. 7-9pm. [Info]

⛸️ Friday Theme Skates: Superhero Skate. Dress as your fave superhero for a super skate. Pearkes Rec Centre. Today. 5:45pm-645pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: 9-1-1 dispatch cost download; More calls for killer whale protection; Crystal Pool tiff at city hall. [Jan. 30] 

10 South Island mayors protest $4.9M emergency call costs. [Capital Daily] 

Conservation groups take the federal government to court for orcas. [Capital Daily]

5 years since BC’s 1st COVID case: Bonnie Henry looks back. [CHEK]

1.2 million BC patients on specialist wait list, say doctors. [CTV / CP]

Winter Boardwalk coming to Oak Bay’s Uplands Park, to reduce the impact on the many endangered species in the nature park. [Oak Bay Parks & Rec]

Foam party: Sea-foam covers a beach in Pacific Rim National Park. [Facebook photo]

That’s it!

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