Nov 11 - A living wage in Victoria is now $25/hour

Good morning !

Today is Remembrance Day, and for anyone planning to attend an in-person ceremony we made a list of the main local commemorative events today.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛈️ 11 / 7

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 11 / 6

Day after: ⛅ 10 / 2

7-day forecast

NEWS

Local living wage passes $25/hour

The calculation of how much it costs to live a fairly typical life here has risen by more than a dollar in the latest count. The “living wage” works out what hourly rate would provide enough for two working parents to raise two young children.

It’s now estimated at $25.40, having risen about $5 in just a couple of years.

On Wednesday, representatives from the not-for-profit, private, and public sectors got together for a symposium at Victoria’s City Hall. There, they put their heads together on the various issues that are imposing this high cost of living—and the measures that could be taken to change things.

Capital Daily covered those discussions, and the new numbers on local cost of living, in this weekend’s latest story .

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Free fares for veterans on ferries & buses today.

BC Ferries cancellations: 6 Victoria-Vancouver sailings were cut Friday evening, as well as 4 Nanaimo-Vancouvers.

Upcoming closure at Crystal Pool: The fitness centre will close for repairs Nov. 20 until Jan. 1.

Overnight wind warning has ended, though there may still be some wind for us today.

NEWS

Islanders’ stories of war

With nearly 80 years now having passed since the end of World War II, fewer and fewer Islanders have memories of life during that war—whether on its front lines or here at home. For a previous Remembrance Day, Capital Daily collected Islanders’ letters, diaries, and other accounts of the time. 

These stories describe desperate escapes from falling aircraft, the queasy reality of the trenches, and life in prisoner of war camps (including diagrams of one of the war’s most famous escape plans).

They also capture locals’ nostalgia and longing to return here, to “dear old Victoria,” or to one soldier’s idea of Heaven: an armchair beside the Cowichan river. 

Read those stories here.

NEWS

Locals land on list of Canada’s top young entrepreneurs

Two Victorians were just recognized by the first annual Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, put on by the League of Innovators charity. 

Justin Tse is the founder and CEO of Feature Media, a digital advertising agency. Started 13 years ago as a YouTube channel that Tse hoped to win an iPod with, it’s grown into promotion, production, and even real estate and hospitality. Clients include Apple and Mercedes Benz.

Maxwell Nicholson is co-founder and CEO of Blossom Social, an online social platform for learning, teaching, and talking about investing. While at UVic, Nicholson was elected as a director for the student society and helped create an economics textbook.  

More on this, and other local tech stories this week, at Victoria Tech Journal.

SPONSORED BY RYSE

The Next Smart Home Staple

Where were you when Amazon acquired Ring for $1B? Or when Google bought Nest for a cool $3.2B?

Hopefully, you were invested in those promising startups. But for those that missed out, the next groundbreaking Smart Home innovation has arrived 一 RYSE.

Their automated window shade tech is now launching in Best Buy stores, and is poised to dominate the fast-growing Smart Shades market. They’ve also just launched a new investment round and their share price has already grown 25% from their last round!

The Smart Shades race is on, and RYSE is in pole position due to their:

Unmatched Features: RYSE has the only retrofit design to motorize existing window shades, and can be seamlessly controlled by voice, smartphone, or schedule.

Smart Price: Priced at $169 vs. competitors’ pricing of up to $1,000 per window, RYSE is uniquely positioned to bring luxury window shades to every home and business.

The exclusive public offering closes this month - learn more here.

⭐️ Capital Picks

 🍁 Fall nature photos: Check out these shots from around the Island.

⚖️ Keep your license. The experienced lawyers at Acumen Law Corporation will give you the strongest legal defense to keep you in the driver’s seat.*

🍌 Slug enjoys a snack in this up-close video from a trail in Saanich. [Facebook]

🎨 artsREACH has introduced creative workshops on painting, dance, theatre, clay sculpting, and more to over 30,000 children in Victoria. Learn more about the in-school and after-school classes the organization offers.*

🤝 Now hiring: Tenant Legal Advocate (Nanaimo) at Together Against Poverty Society

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Woman’s fatal fall at Oswego Hotel being investigated
VicPD had been at the scene last Friday morning in James Bay. BC’s police watchdog, the IIO, will automatically investigate what happened and what role, if any, police action or inaction played. [IIO statement]

Tuberculosis case confirmed at UVic
A member of campus has been diagnosed with active TB, a bacteria that can affect the lungs. While possibility of transmission is low, people who may have been exposed have been contacted and Island Health is working with the school to screen and treat them.

Open Space Artist-Run Centre closed for 6 months for renos
The 51-year-old not-for-profit’s second-floor gallery at 510 Fort is getting seismic upgrading, an elevator, new stairwell, and washrooms. Koto Restaurant on the main floor will remain open during the renovations.

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🗓️ Things to do

Westshore Rebels play for Canadian Cup today vs. Saskatoon. Doors 2pm, game 3pm. Tickets.

Skii Tour at Capital Ballroom: Dance along to feel-good house music from the Whistler-based DJ duo tonight. Doors 9pm, show 10pm.

Indie Sleaze Night at Hermann's Upstairs: Reminisce the music of the early 2010s tonight with songs from Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Justice, and more. 9pm-2am.

Jack Taylor Memorial Chess Tournament: Test your chess skills today and tomorrow at Mary Winspear Centre. 10am-8pm.

Handmade Village Winter Craft Market: Shop artisanal and craft goods from 50 local vendors at North Douglas Church,.10am-4pm.

44th annual Holiday Market at Pearkes Rec has gourmet goods like fudge, distilled spirits, mushrooms, artisanal pastas, and more. Hot food from Greek on the Street. 10am-5pm today / 10am-4pm Sun.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: Hospitals re-open ORs, double rainbow, Remembrance events, Greens demote deputy: [Newsletter]

Craft markets: See where to go this month.

Thursday’s headlines: Island athletes win silver at Pan Am Games, Little Jumbo fined for serving minor, spike in avian flu, local lottery winner. [Nov 9]

Remembrance Day: See where to go and when today. 

COVID outbreak in one unit at Saanich Peninsula Hospital.

That’s it!

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