March 15 - Council lays out homeless plan

Good morning !

Today is March 15, and if you recall from your Shakespeare, it’s the Ides of March.
Betrayal cuts deep.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛈ 8 / 4 

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 8 / 4

Monday: 🌦️ 8 / 4

7-day forecast

NEWS

City eyes bylaw amendments as strategy to combat homelessness crisis

Victoria’s city council has taken legal steps to tackle the growing homelessness crisis, particularly in public parks. 

During a Committee of the Whole meeting on Thursday, high-ranking city staffers suggested several amendments to the Parks Regulation Bylaw as part of the “Sheltering in Parks and the Parks Regulation Bylaw” report. 

The report responds to a previous council request to evaluate the city's experience with homelessness and offer recommendations.

The overarching message was that homelessness is a complex issue, influenced by factors such as mental health, addiction, and economic inequality: issues that municipalities like Victoria cannot—and shouldn’t have to—address alone. 

The report emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach that includes provincial and federal involvement on issues related to homelessness that don’t fall under the jurisdiction of municipalities to begin with.

One of the eye-poppers from the report is the allegation that other municipalities are sending their unhoused residents here. 

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Risk of thunderstorm this afternoon and next, and winds up to 70km/h this morning / 50km/h tonight.

CRD seeks volunteers for the Point in Time survey on March 25 and 26.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Literary addition: City names poet laureate & youth poet laureate

Kyeren Regehr and Shauntelle Dick-Charleson are the city’s 'literary ambassadors' for the next two years, and their task is to promote literature, poetry, and language arts in and around Victoria while also creating new work of their own.

Regehr has been named the city’s poet laureate, while Dick-Charleson is the new junior.

“I’m honoured to serve as Victoria’s seventh poet laureate on lək̓ʷəŋən homelands and look forward to deepening our connection to poetry and one another,” said Regehr. 

The “people’s poet” is a position the city created in 2006 to celebrate the life of the city through poetry. They serve as literary ambassadors, sparking creativity and meaningful conversation across the city. 

The poet laureate receives an honorarium of $5,500 per year, while the youth poet laureate receives an honorarium of $2,500. Each is allocated up to $2,000 to cover programming costs for their annual projects or events, the city said. 

The announcement ends the reign of spoken-word poet Marie Metaphor Specht as poet laureate and Eva Haas as the city’s youth poet laureate, who received the titles in 2023.

Kyeren Regehr

Regehr is known for collecting literary accolades for her written work—she won the Raven Chapbooks contest for Disassembling A Dancer and was shortlisted for the ReLit Awards and the Butler Book Prize for her 2020 book Cult Life. Her poems have won more than two dozen literary contests. 

Shauntelle Dick-Charleson

A member of the Hesquiaht and Songhees First Nations, Dick-Charleson’s work focuses on “Indigenous resilience, intergenerational trauma, and the experiences of Indigenous women.” She competed with the Vic Slam Team at the 2019 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, placing 8th. As a burgeoning writer, she hopes to publish her book one day. 

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🗑️ Downtown Cleanup this morning: Come together to keep Victoria’s streets clean. [Info]

🍟 Red Fish Blue Fish has reopened for the season.

🌈 Time is running out! The Pot of Gold 50/50 raffle closes on March 17. Get your tickets now for a chance to win big and help Island kids.*

📷 This is an adorable video. [CHEK] 

♀️ Last day to bid in Women in Need's online silent auction.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

IIO recommends charges after Central Saanich police officer hits cyclist with car
The case was initially ruled out for not meeting the requirements of “serious harm” in the Police Act. But the director of Police Services ordered an investigation given the circumstances. The IIO has found the officer “may have committed an offence” under the Motor Vehicle Act. The BC Prosecution Service will decide whether charges will be laid, with IIO saying there’s enough evidence for a “substantial likelihood of conviction.” [Independent Investigations Office]

UVic in national university basketball final
The Vikes men upset #1-ranked Ottawa 89-75 in the national tourney in Vancouver yesterday. The Gee-Gees scored first, but then UVic put up 19 of the next 20 points to take a comfortable early lead that it held onto despite Ottawa making multiple runs. It's been 20 seasons since the team was last in a Canadian championship game. The final is at 1pm tomorrow at UBC / on CBC.

Ideas Fair today in Langford covers parks, transportation, and more
At the Langford Legion on Station today (11am to 2pm) city residents can hear, and ask, about the in-the-works master plans for transportation, active transportation, and parks and trails. The plans are intended to help Langford manage change as its population rises toward 100K over the next 25 years. The West Shore Parks & Rec Society is also there for input on its Facilities Master Plan. [The Westshore]  

🗓️ Things to do

🍀 St. Paddy’s Day weekend: Check out our full list of events happening this weekend, including today. [Capital Daily]

🏒 Century Celebration: A free family festival commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Victoria Cougars winning the Stanley Cup. Special appearance by hockey's greatest trophy and the chance to meet NHL alumni. Oak Bay Rec. Centre. March 29 & 30. [Info]  

🎞️ Bribe, Inc.: See the documentary about a whistleblower and journalist's takedown of a corrupt oil company at the Vic Theatre. A Q&A with the filmmakers will follow the screening. March 30. [Info]

🎻 Kluxen: Haydn's The Creation: Experience Haydn's oratorio The Creation, conducted by Christian Kluxen. Royal Theatre. Tomorrow. 2:30pm. [Info]

🎷 Ryan Oliver Quintet Plays Miles Davis: Juno-nominated saxophonist Ryan Oliver leads his quintet in a tribute to the legendary Miles Davis. Hermann’s. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]  

🧚 Kids' Gnome + Fairy Terrarium Workshop: Visit VI Plant Shop with your children and create your own mini terrariums with gnome and fairy decorations. VI Plant Shop. Today. 9am. [Info]​

🎺 Five Alarm Funk Concert: The high-energy funk band performs with the hilarity, precision, and execution that have propelled these manic Funk Bots who have eight studio albums and two JUNO nominations. Capital Ballroom. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🪄 Banachek’s Mind Games: Experience an evening of magic and mystery with Las Vegas mentalist Banachek. McPherson Playhouse. Tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: Council certifies Crystal Pool referendum; 44 billion blossoms reached in Flower Count; 4 injured in major crash on the TCH. [Mar. 14]

Trump tariffs: BC government seeks more authority, for up to 2 years, to mount response. 

BC amber alert cancelled; child found safe. [VanPD]

Beacon Hill Children's Farm has reopened for the season. [Info]

Synchronized seal swimming: See the seals exhibit a unique behaviour. [Facebook video]