Fri. June 16 - Victoria beer wins

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

We have a couple of headlines on BC Ferries today, taking a look at the operations at Swartz Bay Terminal and the reopened Land’s End Cafe. One of the most hotly debated BC Ferries topics right now is the fate of the space where the Pacific Buffet once operated. The buffet shut down during the pandemic and will unfortunately not return. As a fan of the buffet—shoutout to the incredible dessert cart—I was hoping it would make a triumphant return, but instead, BC Ferries wants customer feedback on what to do with the space.

I’d love to know what Capital Daily readers hope to see in place of the buffet—and please, feel free to get creative with your answers!

NEWS

A look behind the scenes at Swartz Bay Terminal

As islanders, we've all been there. Sitting in line waiting patiently for the BC ferry to begin loading. Or, as we’re now into the summer rush, white knuckling the steering wheel, hoping, praying, and counting the cars in front that there is space on the next boat. And seemingly from out of nowhere, a voice rings out… “The white car in lane 10, you are in the wrong lane. Move back to your lane.”

Now rather than that voice being an all-powerful, all-seeing entity, it is instead an all-seeing BC Ferries employee, with an eagle eye, a bank of TV monitors, a radio, and a well-practised and refined system that keeps the Swartz Bay end of the busiest route in the BC ferry system running as smoothly as possible.

Get an inside look at the operations at Swartz Bay terminal by James MacDonald

Capital Bulletin

☁️ Today's weather: Mainly cloudy. Light wind in the afternoon. High 20C / low 12C.

🌫️ Air quality: Low risk today (3/10), and no smoke expected this weekend.

🗳️ Advanced voting for Langford-Juan de Fuca byelection: Select voting locations are open for advanced polls that begin today and go until June 21.

☕ Renovated Swartz Bay cafe reopens: The ferry terminal’s Land’s End Cafe will feature upgraded food and drink options following a three month long renovation.

📈 Canada to hit 40 million today: Watch the population tracker here.

NEWS

Greater Victoria breweries bring home 7 more Canadian Brewing Awards

There’s nothing quite like grabbing a pint at a seaside patio—a true match made in heaven when it comes to tasting experiences. In Victoria, we’re lucky that island living and high-end craft beers go hand-in-hand in our food scene.

While Victorians know that we have some of the best craft beers out there, and tourists flock to the area to try legendary brews, this status was once again confirmed when breweries across the South Island came out victorious at this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards. Awards went to some of the best local pilsners, session ales, and German styles, along with beers made in tribute to James Joyce and the Juan de Fuca Strait.

If you’re looking for the top places to crack a cold one or for Island-based brands to snag at the liquor store, then check out Tasting Victoria’s list of this year’s winners.

SPONSORED BY BLUE BRIDGE THEATRE

Blue Bridge Theatre presents The Guardsman by Ferenc Molnar (adapted by Bonnie Monte)

A classic farce about the perils, and joys, of infidelity!

July 4–16 2023 | The Roxy Theatre | 250-382-3370

Capital Picks

🎨 UVic student art exhibition: Nothing To See Hear features art from nine undergraduate students exploring the theme of nothingness at UVic’s Visual Arts Building. Today, 3:30-5pm.

📈 Stay ahead of the curve for shifting markets and economic trends in Greater Victoria with this weekly newsletter from our region's mandated economic development agency.*

🦖 SUE: The T. rex Experience: The Royal BC Museum’s exhibit of the most well preserved and complete Tyrannosaurus rex opens today.

🎉 FernFest: This community celebration in Fernwood Square will include live music, food, an artisan market, and kid’s activities, Friday and Saturday.

🖼️ The Figurative at Fortune Gallery: This exhibition on painting and photography that explores human form features work from Stefanie Denz, Robert Moss, and Jen Holmes, June 16-30.

🎧 The Dirty Nil & Daniel Romano's Outfit at Capital Ballroom: The hard rock and punk trio The Dirty Nil will perform alongside singer/songwriter Daniel Romano today at Capital Ballroom, 8pm.

🤝 Now hiring: Player Success Representative at Kano.

*Sponsored Listing

In Other News

🔍 Victoria and Saanich police staff accessed personal info in unauthorized searches
Esquimalt man Stephen Harrison was searched by a VicPD officer in 2017, and Saanich police staffers twice in 2019, after he filed freedom of information (FOIA) requests, which he does regularly. BC’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, with whom Harrison filed a complaint, said the searches were unsubstantiated and recommended that both PDs do privacy training. VicPD said that the search was against protocol and that it is speaking with the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner. [Victoria News]

🛟 Lifeguard shortage limits swimming programs at Island rec centres
The end of Red Cross swimming programs and COVID have contributed to a decrease of eligible trainers and instructors. The shortage means that there are not enough instructors to meet demands for swim lessons. Proposed recruitment incentives, which are already being offered in Nanaimo, could possibly mitigate the staffing shortage. [CTV]

⚡ Victoria company’s portable clean energy gets $750K from BC
Retired electric vehicle batteries are used by Rainhouse Manufacturing Canada to store energy from clean sources that remote communities can then use rather than diesel and other fuel. [Victoria Tech Journal]
Currently, UVic is working on multiple projects that aim to get remote island communities onto sustainable energy.

In Case You Missed It

📰 CTV Vancouver Island among Bell cuts: The Island outlet’s team was cut in half after Bell terminated 1,300 jobs across Canada.

📰 Thursday’s newsletter: Landlords in Saanich will have to compensate tenants for “renovictions,” BC to offer universal coverage for opioid agonist treatment, bryozoans threaten the Island’s kelp, and more. [June 15]

🏒 Victorian will coach in NHL: Spencer Carberry, once a player with the Cowichan Valley Capitals, is now head coach of the Washington Capitals. He also played for the Peninsula Panthers, and his father used to coach the UVic golf team (whose current roster just won national gold and silver). [CHEK]