Good morning {{First name}}!

As we knock on August’s door, we begin the busiest weekend of the year for ferry travel.
BC Ferries says all major routes between the Island and the Lower Mainland are expected to be at or near capacity.
It’s going to be so busy that BC Ferries is concerned there may be limited or no space available for drive-up vehicles. “If your plans are flexible, consider taking transit and travel as a foot passenger,” the carrier advises.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: ☀️ 23 / 15

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 20 / 11

Sunday: 🌤️ 19 / 13

7-day forecast

The CRD is getting a $7M federal grant to make the McLoughlin Point sewage-treatment plant a little greener. Technology new to Canada will turn residual solids into biochar, a charcoal-like substance that traps carbon, improves soil and is used in agriculture, forestry, and construction.

“The CRD has been pursuing sustainable and cost-effective opportunities for maximizing the value of the biosolids that we produce through the wastewater treatment process,” CRD Chair Cliff McNeil-Smith said.

The project, which could be up and running by 2030, will require a new facility to be built at the Hartland Landfill that will leave a relatively small footprint, McNeil-Smith said.

“The biochar project will position the CRD as a national leader in biosolids management, carbon reduction and resource recovery,” the Sidney mayor added.

The grants are part of a $152M investment in 54 infrastructure projects across the province—including a new fire hall in the Westshore.

“I can do backflips—honestly—right now, because we are so excited,” said an enthused Marie-Térèse Little, Metchosin’s mayor, about her district’s $7M grant.

“In Metchosin, we have a fire hall that was built in the 1950s, renovated in the 1960s, condemned in the 1980s, added onto in the 1990s—and is rather decrepit.”

Little said Metchosin would be moving forward “as quickly as possible” on the new fire hall, which she expected to cost in the $17M range.

To pay for it, she said her district would apply reserve funds and “may have to take out a loan for three to four million, which is huge for Metchosin because we have no debt.”

Lane closures for construction today:
Cook and Finlayson
Cook and Hillside to Summit
Quadra and Hillside
Quadra and Kings 

Add Langford Lake to list of beaches under advisory with poor water quality results, joining Ross Bay, Cadboro Gyro Park and Gonzalez Bay beaches. Beaches at Beaver, Thetis, and Prior lakes are under blue-green algae advisories. [Island Health]

District of Sooke 2027 budget survey open until Aug. 31.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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

The first distressed whale was spotted northwest of Nanaimo this past Monday, dragging fishing gear in Georgia Strait waters between French Creek and Lasqueti Island.

Rough seas meant rescuers couldn’t get to it until Tuesday, and when they did, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) workers and members of the BC Marine Mammal Response Network toiled for hours alongside the Kwiakah First Nation to free the whale of rope wrapped around its fluke and peduncle.

Just as the rescue celebration began, DFO got a call about another entangled whale, this one in Port Alberni Inlet. 

“We had the team, we had the boat, and the trek across to Port Alberni from French Creek is kind of straight across the other side of Vancouver Island,” said Paul Cottrell, DFO’s marine mammal coordinator.

The team hit the highway, drove over and cut the fishing gear ensnaring the second whale’s tail and fluke.

“The animal was a bit lethargic, so we're hoping that we've at least given the animal a chance to hopefully recover and get out and forage and make a go of it,” Cottrell said.

Turns out the first whale was Wiggins, a 4-year-old that had been entangled and rescued last September. DFO was still working to ID the second.

“It was amazing having two entangled animals on the same day and getting the gear off the same day,” Cottrell said. “So, it was the best day ever for us, and the whales, I'm sure, were very relieved as well.”

Cottrell said we’re hearing about more entanglements recently because there are more humpbacks in BC waters. Also, he said, the Marine Mammal Incident Hotline (1-800-465-4336) is becoming more well-known.

“We're getting a lot more calls when people see tangled whales. So that's a good thing—it gets us out there quicker.”

If you’re aiming for 10,000 steps a day, here’s a meaningful way to use them.

A 10K equals approximately 13,514 steps, and on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, those steps can help support food security in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

PHS Community Services Society's (PHS) Vancouver Food Program delivers 3,900+ meals every day, including 2,000 hot meals, to extremely vulnerable people experiencing food insecurity.

PHS is raising $30,000 to expand this essential program, and they need your help.

Take 10,000+ steps for a good cause—Join Team PHS in the Under Armour Eastside 10K or donate to Team PHS.

Code 26PHS = 10% off registration (not donated to PHS)

🎻 Bagatelle: Free live French-Canadian fiddle tunes today (1:30-3:30pm) at Beacon Hill Park’s Cameron Bandshell. 

🎼 Symphony in the Summer Festival continues tonight with Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 1 & Dvořák’s Czech Suite at Christ Church Cathedral.

⚽ Pacific FC hosts Supra du Quebec tonight at Starlight Stadium. 

🤣 Dan Bakkedahl (Life in Pieces and Veep) and Kevin Matviw (The Second City) perform at TheatreSKAM tomorrow.

☀️🤠 Sunfest edition No. 9 continues in Lake Cowichan.

Gordon Head Rec Centre pool area reopens after 2 staffers sent to hospital
The pool, sauna and hot tub area were closed late Wednesday morning after a brief power outage, when workers said they smelled a strange odour. The pool deck was cleared and then closed, and the staff members were treated by paramedics and taken to the hospital. The nature of their injuries or impairment was not disclosed, but the workers are said to be “doing well." WorkSafeBC was called, and Saanich Fire was on scene. The pool—except the steam room, which has been closed for repairs—reopened around 5:30pm on Wednesday. [CHEK]

Langford condo examines dog DNA to determine doggie doo-doo doer
City Gate, a new condo development located near Costco, requires all dogs living in the complex to have their mouths swabbed for a DNA sample as part of a poop prevention plan. The DNA info is kept by a company in Tennessee called PooPrints. If the property manager finds some dog’s business on the property, they can send a sample down south and, within two weeks, find out which dog did it. PooPrints operates in 10K+ apartments and condos in Canada and the US. The program costs roughly $75 per pet owner. Fines tend to run between $250 and $600. [Times Colonist] 

Island artist says using horse manure ‘seemed appropriate’ for her portrait of Donald Trump
Wendy Chartrand says she was just expressing her feelings. She admits she sometimes had to wear a mask to paint what she dubbed “The Don of Dung” because the watered-down, mashed-up road apples she strained into a makeshift watercolour got a little smelly. She applied a lacquer to neutralize the odour and prevent smudging. The result was a hit, selling on the first day of the Sooke Fine Arts Show for $1,800. [CTV]

🥒 Farmers Markets: Plenty of farmers markets to choose from tomorrow and a couple more on Sunday. Various locations and times. [Info]

💬 Let's Talk Live: A welcoming drop-in gathering for meaningful conversation and community connection over a good cup of tea or coffee. Caffe Fantastico on Quadra. Today. 4-6pm. Also Tomorrow. Murchie's Fine Tea and Coffee. 10am-12pm. [Info]

🍕🍺 Fridays at the Station: Enjoy live music from Black Angus, yummy food truck options, and shopping at the local businesses and art studios. The Langford Station. Today. 5-8pm. [Info]

🎵 Kris Lawrence with special guest Lil Eddie: See the Filipino-American R&B and pop singer and performer known for his smooth vocals and emotional delivery. Victoria Conference Centre Tonight. 6:30pm. [Info]

🛼 Roller Skating at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre: Dress up in your best 1980s outfit for a music video being shot. Due to insurance, there are no skate rentals for children under five. SoFMC. Tonight. 7-9pm. [Info]

🖼️ Feel Free–Free Gallery Day. Enjoy vibrant art by artists local to the Victoria and Vancouver Island area. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Tomorrow. 10am. [Info] 

🧑‍🍳 Thirsty Chef 2026: The Drake Eatery is taking over Market Square for an unforgettable afternoon of incredible food, craft beer, and local talent, in support of the Victoria Cool Aid Society. Market Square. Tomorrow. 12-4pm. [Info]

🎹 Piano Summer Intensive: Student Recital: Intermediate and advanced piano students from the Victoria Conservatory of Music let their fingers do the talking. Alix Goolden Performance Hall. Tomorrow. 1-3pm. [Info]

🎶 Morien Jones: The Victoria-raised, award-winning singer-songwriter reminds some of John Mayer and Jack Johnson. Cameron Bandshell at Beacon Hill Park. Tomorrow. 1:30-3:30pm. [Info] 

Thursday’s headlines: Watchdog says Saanich cop breached privacy by sharing case ‘drama’; Benjo’s Tacos relocating to permanent spot in Esquimalt; 2 more Victoria beaches fall under bacterial-level advisories. [July 30]

Life on Pandora: kind, cruel, caring and ruthless, sometimes all at the same time. [Times Colonist]

Victoria man turns a little free library into a big Queen Mary replica in honour of his passed wife. [CTV] 

The Songhees Walkway named by Maclean’s magazine as one of Canada’s ‘coolest’ neighbourhoods. [CHEK]

Oak Bay Firefighters Charitable Foundation 50/50 draw to rebuild Firefighters Park. 

Traffic disruptions at Burnside and Washington, now through Aug. 7. [CRD] 

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

And before you go, let us know: