July 7 - Victoria pursuing rental e-bikes

Good morning !

We hope you had a good weekend!

For at least a few of you, there's been plenty of weekend lately. In our poll a week ago, more than a fifth of respondents said they took the Monday off to create a four-day weekend. Just over a third of you had to work, and about 45% had the day off anyway (often because they were retired). 

Today, we open the week with another update on the local resurgence of bikeshare programs.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ☀️ 24 / 14

Tomorrow: ☀️ 25 / 14

Wednesday: 🌧️ 20 / 13

7-day forecast

NEWS

Victoria planning to add e-bikes (but not e-scooters) next year

Council voted last week to seek proposals from companies to run an e-bike rental program in the city by next spring. The decision comes just after Langford launched a rentable fleet of 75 e-bikes and 75 e-scooters operated by BCAA's Evo/Evolve.

The return will be nearly a decade after Victoria and Oak Bay rolled out the green U-bike program beginning in 2017. City staff reviewed that program and its flaws as part of the prep for this one.

City staff concluded that “as with most early versions of dockless bike share, the pilot was implemented rapidly without an accompanying regulatory framework,” and that this “lack of regulations and requirements combined with unsophisticated technology led to a high degree of theft and vandalism.”

The staff report recommended how to set up the new program, picking a direction on three key factors:

• Publicly administered but privately owned and operated. This framework gives the city regulation and oversight while minimizing the public investment—though it means the city won't have control over price, or whether the program is deemed profitable enough to keep running.

• Designated parking zones for people to leave the bikes in, rather than (more expensive) docks or a dockless system of simply leaving the bikes parked and immobilized. The latter model was what the U-bike program used.

• E-bikes, but not regular bikes or e-scooters. Staff reasoned that although e-bikes need charging and are more expensive than standard bicycles, they are also more accessible to a wider range of people. For scooters, the lack of permanent BC legislation on them was the main deterrent. Electric kick scooters are legal in most CRD municipalities, but that is through a pilot program that runs until 2028.

Staff estimate the city would have to put $100K to $200K into setting up the parking zones, each of which would be about the same size as a single car stall. But, staff say, this can be drawn from the normal transportation budget.

Victoria recently launched a fleet of rentable golf carts downtown.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Elk/Beaver Lake Park: Tree debris removal. [Today to Fri.]

Girl missing near Hillside has been found, police say. 

Sunny this week, except rain Tue. night to Wed. morning.

Witnesses to Jan. 5 arrest in Courtenay sought by IIO; arrestee was injured and hospitalized. 

Cowichan-area wildfire under control at 5.8ha. A new Alberni-area fire sprung up yesterday but was held at 0.2ha.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

23 years since Lisa Marie Young disappeared from Nanaimo

A week ago, as many Islanders celebrated a long weekend, hundreds gathered and marched once again in Nanaimo to mark a tragic anniversary. On June 30, 2002, Lisa Marie Young, aged 21 and on the brink of moving into a new home and new job, disappeared in Nanaimo after leaving a house party to get food.

The young Tla-o-qui-aht woman's disappearance and presumed death have been kept in the public eye by these annual events, led by friends and family, marking her disappearance and her birthday. Her case also gained new attention several years ago through “Where is Lisa?,” an Island Crime podcast by Laura Palmer. In an update this spring, Palmer spoke with the main RCMP investigators about recent work on the case—though they would not confirm many details about the ongoing investigation.

Young had gone out to celebrate a friend's birthday, first at a club and then at two house parties, before being driven to get food by a new acquaintance. That man, who was recently found to be living in Turkey, has in the past been a person of interest for the investigation but was never designated a suspect. Neither he nor anybody else has ever been charged in relation to the disappearance, which RCMP eventually came to consider a homicide. 

WHAT'S OFFSHORE

Local waters quieter last week as visiting US & Mexico vessels conclude training

You may have seen military vessels near Esquimalt or South of Victoria over the past few weeks. There was much more such traffic than usual in South Island waters as US and Mexico vessels visited for the “TRIDENT FURY” training exercise with local Coast Guard and Navy vessels. The task force exercises also included Cyclone helicopters from the peninsula and uncrewed aircraft (i.e drones).

Yesterday off Victoria coast:

• Methoni, a container ship built in 2003, sailing Prince Rupert to Vancouver under a Liberia flag 🇱🇷.

• Seaspan Lions, a bunkering tanker built in 2024, sailing from Long Beach under a Panama flag 🇵🇦.

• Figaro, a vehicle carrier built in 2011, and sailing from Long Beach under a Sweden flag 🇸🇪.

At Ogden Point: Quantum of the Seas, Ruby Princess, Norwegian Joy

SPONSORED BY THE BUTCHART GARDENS

Summer Spectacular at The Butchart Gardens

Summer comes to life at The Butchart Gardens. The 55-acre floral paradise offers an array of engaging summer events, fun for the entire family.

During the day, the gardens are the star of the show, lush with countless summer blooms and full of colour. During the evenings from Wednesday to Sunday, take in the glow of Night Illuminations while enjoying live concerts from the open-air stage. On Saturday nights, the skies come alive with a fireworks display choreographed to music and sure to impress.

Indulge in the timeless tradition of Afternoon Tea or savour award-winning fine dining in The Dining Room Restaurant, stop into the Blue Poppy Restaurant for a more casual meal, or grab a cold treat from the Gelateria in the Italian Garden.

⭐️ Capital Picks

 A biiiiiiig stretch by a young barn owl. [VanIsleWildlife video]

Watch yesterday’s Pride parade via CHEK’s livestream:

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

🗞️ In Other News

Teen dies after Comox Lake cliff jump
RCMP say the boy, 17, leapt from the popular “Devil's Ladder” cliff on Sat. evening and did not surface. Paddleboarders and fire crews attempted to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead in hospital. [CHEK] Three years ago, a young man was badly injured and airlifted to hospital after jumping from the Ladder.

Small peninsula fire sparked by using propane torch to kill weeds
Sidney's fire chief said flames spread to a cedar hedge, but crews quickly suppressed it. Fire risk is high in much of the South Island after low rainfall last month aside from a June 22 storm that likely did little to reduce long-term dryness. [Times Colonist]

North Saanich alpaca killed by cougar
A couple reported seeing the “huge cat” leaving the Nitinat Road area last Thu. after attacking Dua. They’re now mourning a “gentle soul” who “brought calm and joy to everyone who met her.” They have moved their other two alpacas to another farm that has more safety in numbers. [Peninsula News Review]

🗓️ Things to do

 🐳 Summer entertainment in Beacon Hill: Islanders Hot Club play today, 1:30-3:30pm. Peter Puffin's Whale Tales tomorrow, 11am-noon. [CityVibe]

💃 Summer fun at Ship Point: Food trucks, live music, games, and more. Latin Dance - Merengue lesson & dance today, 5:30-7:30pm. Performance from r.mason tomorrow, 5-6:30pm. [CityVibe]

🥕 Oak Bay Night Market returns July 9 with fresh and local produce, food, and artisanal goods. The market runs once a month throughout the summer. Oak Bay Ave. from Municipal Hall to Monterey is closed to traffic from 3 to 9pm each market day.

Don’t miss Royal Bay’s 10-Year Celebration July 12 at Quarry Park! Family fun, music, local market, prizes, and a first look at the new bike track.*

_{*Sponsored Listing}

👀 In Case You Missed It

Sunday news: 31st anniversary Pride parade. Week's top stories. Summer water safety. 6 cideries to check out. [July 6]

Multiple ferry sailings left late yesterday after a mechanical issue at Tsawwassen.

BC’s Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform. Written submissions accepted until July 25.

HarbourCats win weekend series 2-1 over Ridgefield Raptors, including a 20-5 blowout on July 4.

“Albino Canada goose" in Fulford Harbour appears to just be a regular goose. [Facebook]

See the alpacas get sheared at Beacon Hill Children's Farm. [Video]