Sept 23 - 35 Victorians get medals

Good morning !

As we enter fall, fire season is thankfully coming to an end and the Island emerged fairly unscathed this year. However BC still had its fourth-worst fire season on record this year. Today we take a look at why wildfires were down this year, and where in the province the problem mainly is.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 19 / 11

Tuesday: ☀️ 23 / 13

Wednesday: 🌧 16 / 8

NEWS

Philanthropists, presidents, & founders among 35 Victoria residents receiving King Charles III medals

This round of recipients was nominated by BC MPs and MLAs for King Charles III medals—created at last year’s coronation—for their outstanding contribution to their communities.

Leaders of Victoria institutions received recognition: Ace Mann, president of the Victoria Pride Society was nominated by MLA Grace Lore for their work to increase accessibility, inclusivity, and diversity for the Pride festival and beyond, and Jamie Cassels, former president of UVic from 2013-2020, was nominated by MLA Murray Rankin.

Charity and non-profit founders were also recognized. Lore nominated Harjas Singh Popli for his work as director of Fateh Care, a mobile food delivery service for vulnerable Island residents [profiled in 2021 by Capital Daily], and Kim Dixon for her work at James Bay New Horizons, which delivers programs for seniors to support community, health, and wellness.

Rankin posthumously nominated famed Victoria senior and Second World War veteran John Hillman, who in 2020 began walking laps around his retirement home each year, raising $170K for Save the Children before his death at 105 earlier this year.

Read the recent list of medal winners here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Weather: See the 7-day forecast.

Match highlights: Pacific FC 1, Atlético Ottawa 1 in Sunday soccer match.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

As fire season winds down, Island has emerged fairly unscathed

If you felt like fire and smoke wasn’t as bad as expected this summer, you were right—at least for the Island. The most significant South Island blaze was the Sooke-area Old Man Lake fire, which is still burning (albeit under control) but is now the only one still active on the Island.

Island wildfires down compared to last decade

On average the Island will have 75 wildfires in a season, but this summer only saw 47. Some favourably cool weather kept fire risks low and most fires were caught quickly, experts told CTV, thanks to increased awareness about fire safety in Coastal Fire Centre communities. [CTV]

BC still had its 4th-worst fire season on record

How does this square with an unremarkable Island fire season? The reality is, as BC Wildfire Service’s Neil McLoughlin explained at BC’s fire-update news conference last week, the bulk of BC has not had massive outlier fire seasons recently. Instead, the problem is mainly that the northeast has dealt with incredibly extreme fire seasons. In the area serviced by the Prince George Fire Centre, more land burned in 2023 and 2024 than in the previous 60 years combined.

Overall season not as bad as was feared

Forests minister Bruce Ralston said BC took the lessons of 2023’s record fire season and was well-prepared in 2024. He cited year-round fire workers, more helicopters and other equipment procured, and night-vision that allowed water tankers to operate overnight. McLoughlin also noted that BC luckily had fewer lightning strikes (about 200k) than usual—although lightning caused a larger share of total fires than the typical 60%, with 73% vs. 25% human-caused.

Fall forecast: still warm and dry

The Island drought conditions are less dire than a year ago, but the Island is no longer among the few parts of Canada avoiding above-seasonal heat. There are still 3-6 weeks in which serious fires could spark up. The province projects that the fall will mostly just have small and quickly defeated fires. But the bulk that do happen will be human caused—and therefore more likely to be near communities.

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The Belfry Theatre premieres From Alaska

When a retired librarian is held hostage by a tough-talking teenager, they gradually discover that what they have both lost is the one thing they have in common.

Gliding effortlessly between street-smart humour and lyrical elegance, Harrisson explores love in all its pain, confusion, and unexpected joy.

This award-winning francophone play casts us into the world of magic realism. In Quebecois playwright Sébastien Harrisson’s unique world, time dances with the fast-forwards of grief, the slowness of healing, and the unpredictable rhythms of shared wisdom.

This production is the English-language premiere of the play.

The Belfry offers pay-what-you-want tickets to all performances.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🍵 The Victoria Tea Festival Revival: Tastings, a tea symposium, live music, food, ceramics gallery, documentary screenings, and the World Tea Championship. It all goes down at Nootka Court on Oct. 5. Get tickets.

🎒 What to do in an outdoor emergency, according to Alberni Valley Rescue.

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🗞️ In Other News

Victoria woman wins $1M Lotto Max
Norma Flach says she had to keep reassuring her husband “It’s good news!” when she sat him down to deliver the big news: She had just won a million bucks at Tillicum mall. How does the retiree plan to spend it? “Plants and plane tickets.” [BCLC]

Businesses frustrated as sidewalk barriers remain on Broad after 2 years
Barriers were put up after the purple glass prism sections of  the sidewalk were condemned. Street-level tenants of the Yarrow building say they’ve lost traffic, and some have left. The city says this is a long process involving design, planning and a review of the building and its structural supports. [Times Colonist]

Island munis get $9M for clean energy infrastructure
Some $89M in pre-election funding announcements by the feds and province will bring an active transportation path to Powell River; solar and HVAC to the Kwakiutl community building; HVAC to Nanaimo's Aquatic Centre; and heat recovery to Oceanside Place. [Vic Tech Journal]

Royals split season-opening overtime games 
The Victoria hockey club began the season at home this weekend, beating the Tri-City Americans 5-4 on Friday but being on the receiving end on Sat. with a 4-5 OT loss. The team begins 24-25 with a lot of new players and a new goal horn: the familiar BC Ferries blast. Watch the win highlights here:

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🗓️ Things to do

🎨 Art show’s final week: Pushing at the Edge abstract painting show wraps Sept. 29 at Gage Gallery. 

🎭 Canadian College of Performing Arts: 24/25 season includes Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. But first, Ten Lost Years, depicting working-class Canadians during the Great Depression. Through Oct. 20. [Info] 

✍️ UVIC Writing Dept. Faculty Reading Night: Hear talented poets, fiction writers, journalists, CNF writers, playwrights, and screenwriters. David Turpin A102. Friday. 7pm. [Info]

📆 Want more events? Subscribe to This Week In Vic and get our weekly events newsletter every Tuesday.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Correction: Yesterday we forgot the second ‘l’ on Port McNeill.

BC election kicks off. Plus more Sunday news: New bus colours. Mistrial in Sooke shooting. Corroded electric cable in Gorge.

Saturday news: BC orders new safety plan for Victoria schools. Fast cars may get fines from noise cameras. Bear Mountain in receivership.

Harbour Air straps on wheels for new Vic-Van flights: [YYJ to YVR]

See a bee up close in these macro lens photos.