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July 11 - New guidelines for schools after UVic teen's death
$250K for Royal Roads teahouse, 1 in 10 drivers impaired Canada Day, May to run as MP again
Capital Daily Team
July 11, 2024
Good morning !
Royal Roads is getting another boost for its Japanese garden and its soon-to-be-complete teahouse. Do you frequent the Japanese garden? Would you if there was a teahouse? Let us know!
— Robyn
Will you visit the new teahouse at the Japanese garden when it opens? |
Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes
🌡️ Weather Forecast
NEWS
New provincewide university guidelines to prevent toxic drug deaths announced
The new measures are in response to the January death of UVic student Sidney McIntyre-Starko. Photo: sidneyshouldbehere.ca
BC’s Post-Secondary Overdose Prevention and Response Steering Committee has released its first list of actions to reduce the risk of toxic drugs, planned for implementation this fall.
The committee was formed in May after information on the death of Sidney McIntyre-Starko, 18, who died after taking recreational drugs in her UVic dorm in January, became public. McIntyre-Starko’s parents have criticized the school and how the incident was handled by campus security, saying her death could have been prevented. Her parents wrote in an open letter that, although campus security and 911 were both called, security waited nine minutes to administer the naloxone they carried and 12 minutes to begin CPR. It took nearly as much time for paramedics to be dispatched. A person can survive approximately four to six minutes without breathing before brain damage begins.
Post-secondary minister Lisa Beare admitted there were gaps in policies to address the toxic drug crisis at BC schools. She developed the committee—along with post-secondary faculty, health experts, and First Nations representatives—to spend the summer creating guidelines to prevent a repeat of what happened at UVic.
The committee will continue to develop overdose prevention and response actions for public post-secondary schools to take when the fall semester begins.
⚠️ Capital Bulletin
Blue-green algae at Elk, Beaver, and Thetis lakes.
Silk & Great Value plant milk recall Canada-wide over possible listeria. [Canada Gov]
Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.
NEWS
$250K donation for Royal Roads’ Japanese teahouse
Teahouse under construction. Photo: Royal Roads
Royal Roads University just got one step closer to reaching its fundraising goal to create a teahouse in its 100-year-old Japanese garden, and the campus is hoping to complete the project for fall of this year.
Last week, the university announced that alumni Eve Martin, a graduate of the Master of Arts in Leadership and Training program, and her husband Paul donated $250K towards the project. Currently under construction, the teahouse will become a place for tea ceremonies and special gatherings to give students and visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in an educational experience of Japanese culture, heritage, and tradition.
“I have many fond memories of the Japanese garden during my studies,” Martin said. “It was a calm, peaceful place that brought much needed space for reflection in the maelstrom of assignments, presentations and exams.”
Royal Roads’ 100-year-old Japanese garden is a well-known and loved spot to stop, mixing Japanese culture and history with beautiful wildlife and scenery. With the help of Martin’s donation, Royal Roads president and vice-chancellor Philip Steenkamp says that she is helping celebrate the importance of nature, history, and the future of students
The construction of the tea house is the first of several phases to revitalize the Japanese garden, with the university launching A Vision in Bloom in 2023, a fundraising campaign aiming to renew the garden while still keeping the design as close to the original as possible. Last year, TD bank donated $196K toward the food-growing garden at Royal Roads University.
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⭐️ Capital Picks
🍳 Fried-egg jellyfish: See the colourful creature captured near Quadra Island. [Photo]
🤝 Now hiring: Irrigations Trades Assistant at The Butchart Gardens.
🗞️ In Other News
Hot, hot heat on homeless population says Our Place
Spokesman Grant McKenzie said the 90 or so people living on Pandora are staying in hot tents and don’t have much shade. He says paramedics and outreach workers provide timely checks along with sunscreen and bottled water. Still, it’s easy for drug users to curl up in a ball with the hot sun pounding down on them, risking heat stroke. [Times Colonist]
May will run for Saanich-Gulf Islands MP again, she says as Green deputy resigns
Jonathan Pedneault says he’s stepping away for personal reasons. His resignation comes as members have yet to approve a change to their constitution to allow for a model of co-leadership. The two ran with that intention during the party's November 2022 leadership vote. May dealt with health issues last year following a stroke in June. [CP24]
Rock Bay recycling centre breaks out in flames
The fire started just after midnight Wed., at Cascades Recovery+ plant at 2800 Bridge. Several pallets of styrofoam and electronics were on fire near a warehouse on the property, the city said. Firefighters were able to control the flames before they spread to the warehouse. No one was injured. [CHEK]
BC Highway Patrol says 1 in 10 drivers impaired during Canada Day crackdown
Patrols were held in the Lake Cowichan area, with the Laketown Shakedown music festival and other holiday festivities on the go. The BCHP says it conducted 265 roadside breath tests and 26 drivers were impaired—24 by alcohol, two by drugs. On average 61 people are killed and 1,404 injured in crashes involving impaired drivers every year in BC, according to ICBC. [CTV]
🗓️ Things to do
🧘 Free Yoga in the Park Colwood: Bring your mat for a stretch in the sun at Royal Bay Meadow Park Green in Colwood tonight. 6pm. [Info]
🎶 Songs of Warrior North: Indigenous musician Kym Gouchie brings storytelling and song to Charlie White Theatre tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]
🎷 Cole Ashley Quartet: The saxophonist will perform with his quartet at Hermann’s tonight. 7pm. [Info]
🧘🏾 Mayfair x lululemon Yoga on the Roof: Former lululemon ambassador Erin Keir will teach this yoga class on the roof of Mayfair Mall tomorrow. 11am. [Info]
🌱 Portrait of a Seaweed Farmer: Learn about the growing industry of seaweed farming with Matt Obee from Cascadia Seaweed at Charlie White Theatre tomorrow. 6pm. [Info]
🎺 Josh Warren/Sarah Stevenson Quintet: The former Islanders will perform a mix of jazz, Latin, and modern grooves at Hermann’s tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]
🦀 Crab Fest: Enjoy this traditional summer Dungeness crab boil, with local music and kids activities at Banfield Park. Sat. 12-7pm [Info]
💃 Festival Mexicano: Celebrate Mexican culture at Ship Point, with live music, dancing, and lots of yummy food. Sat-Sun. 11am-6pm. [Info]
👀 In Case You Missed It
Wednesday’s headlines: Victoria veteran John Hillman dies at 105; Search ends for man missing in Youbou; Orphaned otter Tofino recovering; And more. [July 10]
North Saanich holds serve in latest pickleball noise salvo. [Capital Daily]
BC Hydro to spend $3B on Island’s power grid. [Capital Daily]
Provincewide campfire ban to come into effect at noon on Fri. after a week of hot, dry weather.
Victoria’s Adam Keenan off to Paris Olympics. [CHEK]
Throwback photo: Swartz Bay ferry terminal, 1965. [Photo]
Darkest Light 2124: New project from Artist in Residence Kemi Craig launches today.
Fairmont Empress is #2 Canadian city hotel in Travel + Leisure’s 2024 World's Best Awards.
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