Good morning {{First name}}!

Sad news for those who attend Tam Kung Temple. Canada’s oldest Chinese temple will remain closed indefinitely after Monday’s fire, which caused damage to all three floors of its building.

The Yen Wo Society, the temple’s caretakers, has put years of hard work and heart into restoring and maintaining this piece of Victoria’s history—I hope worshippers can return soon to this special place.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: ☀ 26 / 12

Tomorrow: ⛅ 25 / 14

Day after: ☀️ 26 / 14

7-day forecast

A major pipe leak at the former YMCA-YWCA building has thrown some cold water on the city’s plans to use the building as a replacement while a new Crystal Pool is built.

On Monday afternoon, city staff found a leak in a third-floor utility closet after a water line had broken.

“A significant amount of water had been cascading down the stairwells, through the walls, and through the ceilings,” said Derrick Newman, the city’s parks and recreation director, who added the water likely was flowing for two to four hours.

He said the extent of the damage was still unknown, but that the first, second, and third floors all sustained water damage.

“Staff observed approximately two to three inches of water that was flowing on each floor,” Newman said.

Yesterday, the city crews worked to remediate the damage. Air dryers could be seen sitting inside the building on a soaked ground floor. Newman said the call had already gone out to the insurance company. 

The city had just begun to renovate the building—which has been empty since March when the YMCA-YWCA relocated to the Bay Centre—for Crystal Pool patrons to use starting this fall, when the facility farther up Quadra is closed for demolition.

A new $209.2M pool and recreation centre is to be built in Crystal Pool’s place, a project that is expected to take at least five years.

Newman said Crystal Pool receives between 800 and 1,500 visits per day.

He said it was too early to tell whether the city will need to come up with another plan to accommodate those visitors. 

“Our immediate focus is really just on assessing the damage and understanding the extent of the damage,” Newman said.

Temporary washroom closure at Elk/Beaver Lake. [CRD]

Saanich road closure: at 1558 Oak Crest, today 7:30am-3pm.

Saanich single-lane alternating:

• Richmond between Kings and Newton, 9am-3:30pm

• Admirals between Murray and Westing, today, 9am-3pm

• Tyndall between Hillcrest and El Sereno, through tomorrow, 8:30am-3:30pm

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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An adviser appointed by the province to help North Saanich reach its housing targets has recommended systemic changes to the municipality’s housing rules.

Earlier this year, North Saanich became the third municipality in BC—after Oak Bay and West Vancouver—to have a special adviser appointed by the Ministry of Housing after it failed to meet its first year target under the Housing Supply Act. The peninsula town built only 12 of its required 60 net new homes in 2025—just 20% of its goal.

On Tuesday, the ministry shared the report from CBRE Development Strategy and Consulting Group—the special adviser—with the municipality, outlining 19 recommendations for improving the town’s progress. 

According to CBRE, the district “faces a genuinely complex set of overlapping challenges” in achieving its housing goals, but the targets set by the province are achievable. 

“It is important to acknowledge that the district operates in a context of significant organizational transition, constrained staff capacity, and a community with important values around rural character preservation,” the report reads.

CBRE says policy constraints, senior staff turnover, and governance issues have all contributed to the slow progress. 

Changes will need to be made to the North Saanich’s Official Community Plan (OCP)—something that may be easier said than done, given it took five years for the town to adopt its most recent OCP, which was approved last year. 

CBRE outlined 19 recommendations, including changing parking requirements, delegating development variance approvals to staff, and changes to building requirements in its official community plan. 

Of the 19 recommendations, BC Housing Minister Chirstine Boyle plans to issue four directives to North Saanich, along with new requirements for reporting its progress. The town has 30 days as of Tuesday to respond to the recommendations before the directives are ordered.

The four directives include:

Shawnigan Retreats offers the perfect cozy retreat for family gatherings or romantic getaways. Nestled by the serene Shawnigan Lake, these luxurious accommodations feature a sauna, hot tub, games room with ping pong, cards, and board games, and even a private pickleball court. Enjoy nearby hikes through breathtaking nature and unwind in comfort. With space for up to 18 guests, Shawnigan Retreats promises an unforgettable experience.

Explore Shawnigan Retreats and plan your getaway today. Learn more about Shawnigan Retreats.

📺 The Price is Right Live coming to Victoria and Duncan. [Sept. 30-Oct. 1]

🐳 No fishing—unless you’re a whale: Humpbacks seen taking advantage of protected waters in Knight Inlet. [Facebook photos]

⚽ Canada vs. Qatar—Live Viewing: See the World Cup match on the big screen at Market Square today. 3-4:30pm. [Info]

Treat the dad in your life to a Father’s Day BBQ with help from The Root Cellar!

Choose from a delicious selection of Canadian-raised meats, including house-made burgers, artisan sausages, steaks, kabobs and more.

And the perfect partner to every BBQ? The Root Cellar’s legendary Green Sauce, of course!

New Southern Resident calf born to L-Pod
L130 was spotted with the Southern Resident killer whale pod on June 14, according to the Center for Whale Research. Researchers are still trying to determine the sex and mother of the calf, which was born with a unique pattern on its white eye patch. It’s the second calf born to L-Pod this year—L129 was born in February. The most recent population update was released last July, finding there were 33 L-Pod members; if all are still alive, the two calves born this year bring that number to 35. 

Quadra McKenzie plan gets the go-ahead from Saanich council
It took more than three years and 1,700 pieces of feedback to develop the plan to guide what the Quadra and McKenzie corridors will look like over the next 10-15 years. The plan was revised several times. It no longer calls for vehicle lane reductions for bikes and buses, and it limits building heights to 18 storeys instead of 24. Mayor Dean Murdock said the plan points out areas suitable for potential rezoning and does not change land use. [Times Colonist]

Victoria firefighters’ union upset over proposed parkade garden after losing its parking
The union said Victoria city council approved the parkade garden proposal—which would place a community garden atop the Johnson Street Parkade, replacing 16 under-utilized parking spots—shortly after it eliminated “employer-provided parking for firefighters reporting to their downtown Headquarters.” The city responded yesterday, saying no city staffers get free parking downtown. The union says designated parking for firefighters is an operational requirement, not a job perk. [CHEK] 

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🧘 All Levels Flow Yoga: Bring your mat and drop in for a free outdoor flow yoga class at Ship Point today. 12-12:45pm. [Info]

⛵ Afternoon Tea for SV Dorothy: Join this fundraising afternoon tea to celebrate SV Dorothy, Canada’s oldest sailboat still on the water, at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club today 3-5pm. [Info]

🎶 Featured Busker: Late Kate performs as part of the city's busker series at Ship Point today. 4-5pm. [Info]

🎸 CALICO: As part of the city's evening concert series, the indie roots rock act will perform at Ship Point today. 5:30-7pm. [Info]

🎵 Moodswing in the Park: Friends of Music Society hosts a free outdoor concert in the park today. 6:10-9pm. [Info]

🍺 Brew School: The Hoptometrist: Join this educational tasting, exploring how brewers use hops to create a dynamic spectrum of aroma and flavour, at Vessel Liquor tonight. 7-8:30pm. [Info]

😂 Rainbow Kitchen Fundraiser with Dan Duvall: This comedy night will raise funds for The Rainbow Kitchen, with standup from Dan Duvall, at Hecklers Bar & Grill tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🎤 John Butler Band: Australian roots rock legend John Butler brings his ferocious new band to the McPherson Playhouse tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🛶 Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival: Iconic dragon boat races, live music and cultural shows, marketplace vendors, and Chinatown booths will fill the Inner Harbour for a three-day festival, starting tomorrow. [Info]

🎷 TD Victoria International JazzFest: Victoria's longest-running professional music festival returns for its 42nd year with 10 days of jazz and associated genres at various venues across the city. Tomorrow through June 28. [Info]

Wednesday’s headlines: Victoria Chamber of Commerce blames province for city’s shrinking festival scene; Indigenous Peoples Day events in Greater Victoria; Different visions for Oak Bay Marina’s future. [June 17]

FIFA tourism boom not seen on the Island: Victoria hotel bookings for June are down 5%. [Times Colonist]

Colwood reaches a deal with unionized workers. [CHEK]

Taco Justice reopens with new owners months after November closure. [Taco Justice] 

Lighthouse Community Choir: Shed a Little Light concert and BBQ is this Saturday at 3:30pm at Saint Paul’s United Church. 

Island Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) open for entries. 

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