Good morning {{First name}}!

Hope you had a fun Canada Day.
I sure did.
I went crabbing in Sooke during the day and watched the fireworks at night.
Having a day off in the middle of the workweek is a nice change of pace.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: 🌧️ 14 / 12

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 20 / 11

Saturday: 🌤️ 22 / 12

7-day forecast

With tens of thousands of people hanging around the Inner Harbour for yesterday’s Canada Day festivities, a few knowing eyes no doubt caught a glimpse of the just-restored Belleville House.

After slightly less than 10 months of what it’s calling “careful” restoration, the heritage inn—originally built in 1877—is welcoming guests again, the owner, Huntingdon Hotel & Suites, announced on Tuesday.

The goal of the restoration was to update the structure for modern travellers while preserving its historic character. The challenge was to carefully weave almost “150 years of history together with today’s building standards, technology and the needs of a modern hotel,” said Ann Squire-Ferguson, owner of Western Design Build, one of the companies that worked on the project.

Workers made a surprise find along the way—an original gold-leaf, stained-glass dome, hidden for decades, was discovered and fully restored.

“Our vision from the beginning was never simply to renovate a building,” said Erin Cassels, the property’s general manager. “It was to respectfully restore an important piece of Victoria’s history.”

The restoration resulted in eight boutique guest rooms in the home originally owned by Alexander Blair Gray, who came to BC during the Cariboo Gold Rush in the 1860s before establishing himself in Victoria and serving as a justice of the peace.
His residence at 327 Belleville was viewed as one of the city’s most admired homes.

The restoration included work to the property’s exterior character and historic gardens.

Overdose advisory issued for Greater Victoria. [Island Health]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

On the water today? Check the tide times for Victoria.

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As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more sophisticated, many are finding it harder to spot fake videos or images. This difficulty in discerning what’s real and what’s not has led to an increase in misinformation and AI-fueled fraud and scams, which are projected to cost $40B USD a year worldwide by 2027.

But with the right training, people can learn how to differentiate between generated images and the real deal, according to a study led by UVic’s Different Minds Lab.

The psychology research lab partnered with the Australian National University (ANU) to develop a quick and effective way to train people to spot AI-generated faces. 

The training focuses on identifying six perceptual facial qualities: distinctiveness, memorability, proportionality, symmetry, attractiveness, and expressiveness.

According to the study, people implicitly are able to detect these differences—AI faces are often more symmetrical or “attractive” than human faces but are usually less distinctive, memorable, and expressive. However, without training, most fail to use their inherent sensitivity to these differences.

Both universities tested out the training and found people could eventually identify even the “most convincing fakes available,” according to Amy Dawel, director of the ANU Emotions and Faces Lab. 

“It was amazing to see the dramatic improvement in people’s ability to detect AI faces,” Dawel said.

Jim Tanaka, lead researcher for Different Minds, said his team was surprised by how quickly people improved: in less than an hour, participants' accurate AI face detection increased by nearly 30%. The highest performers in the study were able to detect nearly 100% of deepfakes.

“Our results show that AI detection can be trained up like other forms of perceptual expertise,” Tanaka said.

The results were the same at ANU, confirming the training’s effectiveness, said the study.

The research teams said they hope this training will help people navigate “complex online environments,” especially as AI image generation improves at a rapid pace.

Summer nights come alive at The Butchart Gardens with Summer Entertainment and Firework Saturdays. From July 3-Sept. 5, enjoy live outdoor performances Wednesday–Sunday, plus world‑class fireworks on Saturday evenings. Schedules vary; please visit the website for concert and fireworks information.

🏳️‍🌈 Pride Week began yesterday and runs through July 12.

☀️ The Caribbean Carnival Parade is 11:30am-1:30pm Saturday on Government.

⚾ HarbourCats host Nanaimo at RAP tonight at 6:35pm.

📱 Remembering what your doctor said can be tough—the Marcus Health app is here to help.*

🏡 Seniors and their families are thinking ahead about a home’s long-term fit for aging in place. This free screening guide helps with the process.*

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2 men charged after woman driven from Nanaimo and allegedly sexually assaulted
VicPD responded to a call from Nanaimo RCMP who said a woman told them that on June 19 she was driven to a home on Meares near Cook, where she said she was sexually assaulted multiple times and not permitted to leave. Two days later, VicPD arrested two men: Rahul Chahar, 24, has been charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm, unlawful confinement and attempting to choke to overcome resistance. Nagender Nagender, 22, has been charged with trafficking in persons. [Times Colonist]

5 people rescued after boat strikes reef and capsizes near Saturna Island
The boat capsized around 5pm Monday, sending all five people overboard, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. Nearby vessels quickly responded, pulling everyone out of the water. All five were wearing life jackets, and no injuries were reported. The successful rescue happened one day after another vessel capsized in the Georgia Strait. Six people are missing and presumed drowned. [CHEK]

4 Greater Victoria players drafted into NHL
Former Victoria Royals defenceman Keaton Verhoeff became the highest draft pick in the franchise’s history after being selected ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the NHL draft. The next day, Royals defenceman Timofei Runtso went to the Montreal Canadiens 57th overall in the second round. Langford’s Gio Pantelas was selected in the fifth round by the LA Kings, and Victoria’s Noah Kosick got picked by the Anaheim Ducks in the sixth round. [Black Press]

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🎞 Story Pole: Indigenous Veterans and the Tallest Pole in the World. Free screening of the film, followed by a 30-minute Q&A with director Geoffrey Bird. Royal BC Museum. Today. 5pm. [Info] 

🎮 VR Game Challenge Night: Make friends. Play VR games. Win prizes. Infusion VR Arcade on Yates. Every Thursday. 6-9pm. [Info] 

💃 Swinging in the Shell: Learn how to swing dance and enjoy this social party at Cameron Bandshell today. Lessons 7-8pm; social dance 8-9:30pm. [Info]

🎵 Andrea & Adam Zonnis: The Roxy Talent Show. A special three-hour showcase featuring fan faves from the year. Andrea and Adam will play a half-hour set. Roxy Theatre. 7pm. [Info]

🏖️ i-Land Fest: The Caribbean carnival will be at Ship Point for three days of music, food, and culture. Tomorrow through Sunday. [Info]

🌈 Notes of Pride: This concert, postponed by rain on June 25, will feature live music and poetry at Cridge Park today. 6:30-8pm. [Info] 

🎉 Junction Fest: This family-friendly festival will feature three days of bouncy castles, games, magic, circus performances, live music, and more at Junction Cidery. Tomorrow through Sunday. 11am-6pm. [Info]

🎵 Music in the Parkade: The Meating, a jazz-ambient duo project, will perform a 50-minute set in UVic’s CARSA parkade (off Vikes Way) tomorrow. 7:15pm. [Info] 

🎶 Victoria Folk Music Festival: Headlined by Chantal Kreviazuk, the festival also features The Sadies, Barney Bentall, The Deep Dark Woods, Daniel Wesley, Shari Ulrich, Valdy, The Unfaithful Servants, and more across two stages. RAP. Saturday. 12pm. [Info]

🍓 Saanich Strawberry Festival: This summertime highlight returns for its 59th year, with live music, kids’ games, and plenty of strawberries with ice cream. Beaver Lake Regional Park. Sunday. 11am-4pm. [Info]

🏹 Robin Hood by Ben Moore and Kelley Rourke: See talented young performers (ages 8-18) alongside professional artists in Pacific Opera Victoria’s retelling of the classic legend at the Baumann Centre. July 17-19. [Info]

Tuesday’s headlines: Escaped William Head inmate found dead; Big Brother Big Sister in need of funding; BC nurses’ union issues strike notice. [June 30]

Self-isolation ends for cruise passengers exposed to hantavirus. [CHEK / CP]

Saanich police looking for cycling assailant after BC Transit driver hit with spit on Shelbourne. [Times Colonist]

Recall: Super Off-Road 12,000 mAh Solar Wireless Power Banks due to fire hazard. 

Point Ellice Bridge closed in both directions tonight, 7pm-7am.

Emergency Aid for Venezuela. [Give here]

Inaugural Victoria-Port Angeles ferry: See photos and newspaper clippings from the 1955 launch of MV Kalakala. [Facebook photos] 

World Cup: Summer of Soccer Victoria and Langford United.

Tillicum Burnside Plan survey is open until July 30. [Saanich]

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