July 23 - Oak Bay told to build more

Good morning !

Oak Bay is back on the provincial government’s radar—and that means changes.
And we’ve got some details on Mon.’s late-night fire that lit up part of the downtown sky.

Speaking of which, did you see (and hear) the Snowbirds zoom through the sky last night around six? Pretty cool.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 26 / 14

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 24 / 13

Friday: 🌤️ 21 / 12

7-day forecast

NEWS

Province orders Oak Bay to speed up housing development

The province continues to put pressure on Oak Bay to make changes that would reduce barriers to new housing development. 

Earlier this year, an adviser was appointed for the municipality to observe its housing approval process and develop recommendations. 

In May, the province had narrowed down two of the adviser’s recommendations for Oak Bay to enact by the end of January. Now, the province has bumped the deadline up by a month, expecting these changes by the end of December.

By the end of this year, Oak Bay must amend:

• its Development Application Procedures bylaw to delegate minor variances to municipal staff

• its Parking Facilities bylaw to a minimum of one parking stall per unit (the bylaw currently requires a minimum of more than one parking stall per unit)

The municipality had 30 days to review and respond before the directives became official. Now that this period has passed, the directives are officially in place. 

In addition, the province expects to receive check-ins from the municipality about its Dec. 31 deadline to update its official community plan—which must have a focus on increased housing—and about amending its Building and Plumbing Bylaw for blasting activity, with consultation from developers in the community.

Oak Bay and West Vancouver have been flagged as the two districts most behind on their housing targets. The province called the municipalities “two of the most unaffordable places in BC.”

In 2023, Oak Bay’s goal was 56 new homes, but only 16 were built—representing a completion rate of 29%. Under the province’s directive, the district must build 665 new homes by 2028.

In a Jan. 15 letter, Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch told then Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon that the municipality can only approve housing, not build it. He says there is zoning in Oak Bay for 15K additional units, but not enough developers are looking to build, which he says is a factor in not meeting targets.

Murdoch told the Times Colonist this week that many of the province’s recommendations were already underway, including passing off duties to staff. He said the province was allocating resources to “duplicate” the work staff were already doing.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Courtenay company’s cheese recalled: Natural Pastures Mount Becher cheese has been pulled from shelves for possible Listeria contamination. [Gov’t of Canada]

Traffic signal down at Gorge and Jutland today and tomorrow for BC Hydro work. Flaggers will be on-site to direct traffic. 6-11pm. [City of Victoria]

Galloping Goose detour: Spraying for invasive plants began this week at Aylward and Sooke River Road. Expect some closures and re-routes until Aug. 8. [CRD]

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

Refuse fire sends smoke over the city

You may have smelled or seen the smoke and licks of fire shooting up Mon. night over Rock Bay as a garbage heap went up in flames.

The fire at GFL Environmental Services sent smoke billowing in and around the downtown and Burnside areas and into Vic West.

It was first called in at 10:01pm as a structure fire, so 18 firefighters and five trucks were dispatched, city spokesperson Colleen Mycroft said.

However, once the crew arrived at the waste facility at Bay near Bridge, it became clear that the origin of the fire was a garbage and recycling pile.

“And just the nature of that type of fire, it requires heavy-duty equipment… to pull apart the piles, to get to all the hot spots,” Mycroft said. 

That made for a long night for firefighters, who contained the blaze fairly quickly and remained on-site until 2am yesterday.

“Crews took a methodical approach to dismantling the fire,” Mycroft said.

There was no structural loss, nobody was hurt, and the cause is not yet known, she said.

The blaze brings to mind Rock Bay fires last summer at Cascades Recovery+ recycling centre and the year before at Ellice Recycling. 

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⭐️ Capital Picks

💼 Victoria Business Hub has a new address, now located in City Hall. [City of Victoria]

🎨 Monster Bookmark Workshop: Kids aged 8-12 can join illustrator Meneka Repka at the Juan de Fuca branch to learn about book illustrating, create their own bookmarks, and hear a reading of The Mango Monster. Fri. 11am-12pm. [GVPL]

🆕 New from Mateína: A zero sugar, organic yerba mate that delivers clean, balanced energy—no crash, no weird ingredients. Just plant-powered fuel that works.*

🦇 Bat catches dinner: See a bat swoop in to eat a spider hanging from a security camera. [Facebook video] 

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🗞️ In Other News

Saanich’s revised Quadra-McKenzie plan takes steps forward
The development design for the next two decades has been updated with height and density limits. Some of the 23K homes Saanich has been mandated to build will be built near the main Quadra strip and could rise to 24 storeys—up from a limit of 18—at the Quadra-McKenzie intersection, and must face those streets. Talk of dedicated bus lanes along McKenzie has been deferred. Expect pop-up events and open houses starting next month. [Times Colonist]

Public-sector BCGEU to hold strike vote as talks stall  
Some 34K workers—many here in Victoria—who belong to the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) have been without a contract since March. Negotiations have been going on since January, but the union says the two sides have “reached an impasse” over key issues, including wages, remote work, and a modernized contract. The union says its membership is comparatively underpaid, and the public service is top-heavy with managers. [BCGEU]

Westshore man arrested after police seize drugs, replica AR-15 rifle
Police conducted searches of two residences, one in Colwood and the other in Langford, and said they came up with a replica AR-15-style rifle, 3.4 kg of dried cannabis, 198 grams of cannabis concentrates, 38 grams of suspected powdered cocaine, 90 pills and six grams of powder suspected to be fentanyl, and $2K in cash. The man was arrested and remained in custody. [RCMP]

Oak Bay refrigerator prank not cool, say police
The fridge had all kinds of graffiti referencing a “countdown” on it when police found it blocking the front door of a home on Christie Way near Cadboro Bay Road on July 14, a Monday. Police think the stunt may be linked to a group of teens who are believed to have been involved in a series of practical jokes recently in Oak Bay. [CHEK]

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From barn to bistro: one farmer’s mission

Russell Reitsema isn’t just milking cows—he’s reshaping how we think about food. A third-generation dairyman with a sharp mind and an open heart, Reitsema runs Westview Dairy in Abbotsford, where the days start early, the work is steady, and the mission runs deep. He’s teamed up with chefs like Ned Bell to connect what happens on the farm with what lands on your plate. “We grow it, they plate it,” he says. “Together, we make it matter.” Whether he’s feeding calves or hosting The Modern Rustic podcast, Reitsema is driven by one thing: real connection—from the soil to the table.

Read his story here.

🗓️ Things to do

 ⛪ Island Awaken: A united collective of ministries & churches with a shared mission: to preach Christianity across Vancouver Island. Centennial Square. Aug. 29-31. [Info]

🏴‍☠️ Madam B Pirate Party: Bring the whole family to see the bilingual children’s performer at Cameron Bandshell today. 11am. [Info]

🧘 Inner Harbour Yoga: Join this free yoga class for all levels at Ship Point today. 12pm. [Info]

🎶 Celtic Folk Music Concert: Inn Echo, 2025 Juno and Canadian Folk Music Award nominees at Cameron Bandshell today. 5-6:15pm. [Info] 

🎵 Swinging in the Shell: Learn how to sing and dance with a 30-minute lesson, followed by a dance party at Cameron Bandshell tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

😂 Roast Battle Victoria: See comedians go head-to-head with funny jabs and insult comedy at Phoenix Bar & Grill tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🎻 Victoria Symphony: See and hear the talented musicians at Christ Church Cathedral. Fri. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎭 The Book of Mormon: The travelling Broadway hit will kick off its run at the Royal Theatre. July 28. [Info]

🎶 Sooke Music & Arts Festival: Econoline Crush and SirReal headline the 10th edition of this family-friendly festival. Free opening party Aug. 2 at the Legion. Fred Milne Park. Aug. 2, 8 & 9. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: Broken AC won’t stop BC Transit buses; Faster MRI machines arrive at 2 Vic hospitals; Court-ordered sale of Bear Mountain begins. [July 22]

Brainless: Woman sues Island Health and BC Coroners for releasing father’s body without brain. [CHEK] 

Bunch of bike thefts over 2 days in Oak Bay. [Times Colonist]

Blue-green algae blooms in Thetis Lake detected at the main beach. Advisories for the park’s Prior Lake remain in place as well. [CRD]

Closures on Mt. Work trails continue after cougar sightings shut down the trails on July 18. [CRD]

Salal berry season: The native edible berry is popping up throughout the Island. [Jared Qwustenuxun Williams / Facebook]

Baby octopus climbs out of a moonsnail shell near Campbell River. [Facebook photo]

That’s it!

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