Good morning {{First name}}!

If you’re planning to take the ferry over to Vancouver this week, you may want to double-check BC Ferries’ temporary schedule, as sailings have been reduced. You can find all the details in our first story today.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 7 minutes

Today: ⛅ 12 / 4

Tomorrow: 🌦 9 / 3

Day after: ☀ 9 / 6

7-day forecast

Those who travelled between Victoria and Vancouver over the weekend were met with long waits and crowded vessels after two separate mechanical problems plagued BC Ferries’ schedule.

On Friday, mechanical issues on the 8am sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay led to a domino effect of delays for the rest of the day. The morning sailing left the Vancouver port more than an hour late after the aging Queen of New Westminster vessel suffered a gearbox issue. The following sailings were delayed by 30 to 45 minutes.

On Sunday, mechanical problems struck again—this time on the Spirit of Vancouver Island, which was pulled from service due to issues with the ship’s starboard generator. Six sailings on the popular route were cancelled, leading to busier-than-usual trips.

Yesterday, the ferry company announced it will be operating on a revised Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay schedule this week until March 30. 

There will be no 8am, 12pm, or 4pm sailings departing from Swartz Bay and no 10am, 2pm, or 6pm sailings departing from Tsawwassen. Other sailings will operate as usual. 

The company says it will be contacting customers booked on the cancelled sailings—they may be moved to a different time slot or offered a refund.

BC Ferries says customers can also explore alternate services via Tsawwassen to Nanaimo’s Duke Point or Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) to Departure Bay (Nanaimo).

The company says it’s currently investigating the Spirit of Vancouver Island’s generator problem and will provide updates in the coming days.

Banfield Park temporary trail closure starts today. [Details]

Galloping Goose to temporarily close between Island Hwy and Watkiss Way starting April 6. [CRD]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life.

As the West Island kicked off its annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival this month, the price of regular gas went up to $197.9 per litre at Tofino and Ucluelet pumps, as images of oil tankers ablaze in the Persian Gulf circulated in international news.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supply, is in paralysis due to an ongoing war between the US and Israel and Iran, now entering its fourth week.

“The reduction in global supply causes prices to go up,” said Kathryn Harrison, a political science professor at UBC, specializing in environmental and climate change policy.

Harrison said the conflict in the Middle East highlights an underlying need to shift away from fossil fuels.

“Until we do, the world is just going to keep warming and that is going to be a source of a lot of pain and a lot of instability, in terms of unpredictable weather, wildfires, flooding, but also geopolitical instability,” said Harrison.

But she acknowledged that the upfront costs of purchasing a new electric vehicle or heat pump is a challenge for many Canadian households.

“Someone still has to be able to pay for it in the first place. I think it’s encouraging that the federal government has reinstated incentives for the purchase of EV this year,” she said.

Tofino Chamber of Commerce executive director Graydon Clerk recalled the last time the price of fuel spiked to this degree was when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“Tofino is a resilient community and we always make it work,” he said. “We were able to push through and not raise costs. It’s nothing new from their perspective.”

“It’s definitely a risk being a fossil fuel economy,” Clerk continued. “Tofino has made a lot of positive initiatives in the past few years, so when you do get here, you don’t actually need to drive, or you can drive electric.”

In Victoria, gas prices crossed the $2-per-litre mark last week and led BC Transit to raise concerns that its budget, recently approved by the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, was likely to be thrown off by the jump in pump prices.

Read the full story here.

🎡 Interested in volunteering or running an event at Luxton Fairgrounds? Sign up here for more info.

🐦 Great blue herons and kingfishers enjoy a sunny day in the Somass Estuary. [Facebook photos]

*Sponsored Listing

Victoria teachers say budget cuts sacrifice student supports
Greater Victoria’s teachers union (GVTA) says SD61’s plans to offset its $1.9M budget shortfall will negatively affect essential student services, including middle school music programs. SD61 is looking to cut 20% of the $1.2M these programs received this year ($250K), with plans to reduce high school career centre hours by two-thirds, cut back hours for student psychologists and speech pathologists, and slash support for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing. The union argues that cuts should be made to higher-level administration instead. A special budget meeting has been scheduled for March 30, where the public is invited to provide feedback. [Victoria News]

Victoria-based UK midwife's work permit denied over English test issues 
Despite being a native English speaker, Canadian immigration officials insisted Heather Gilchrist take a language test while filing her residency paperwork last summer. However, her application didn’t allow her to upload her completed test. Now she may be facing deportation, despite having launched a successful Victoria practice in September. Gilchrist says her experience in the field should be taken into consideration—while living in Scotland, she trained more midwives than there are registered in BC. Gilchrist’s immigration issues come on the heels of the province’s mass campaign to recruit out-of-country health-care workers. [City News]

Sooke man pleads guilty to fatally shooting friend
Adam John Steenbergen pleaded guilty this week to manslaughter in the death of his friend Michael Leier three years ago. The two wanted to “test out” a bulletproof vest, leading Steenbergen to fatally shoot Leier. Initially, Steenbergen elected to go to trial, but this week agreed with the presiding judge who called the incident an “unfortunate decision” that led to his friend’s death. Steenbergen also pleaded guilty to two firearms charges. A sentencing date has not been set. [Times Colonist]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Capital Region.

🎪 Europa Super Circus: Enjoy an evening of whimsical delights under the big top at the Saanich Fairgrounds, today through Sunday. [Info]

🎺 UJAM Club Night: Latin Night: Musicians are invited to perform a Latin number backed by the UJAM house band at Hermann's tomorrow. 7-9:30pm. [Info]

✍️ Clifton Joseph Dubzz: Poet-at-Large: One of the founders of Canada's dub poetry movement will bring his outspoken and insightful work to The Coda stage tomorrow 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

🇮🇳🇮🇪 Delhi 2 Dublin: The Vancouver fusion band will celebrate 20 years of their signature "Subcontinental Pop" at Mary Winspear Centre tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]

🦇 Mr. Crowley's Ozzy Experience: North America's premier Ozzy Osbourne tribute, will bring Black Sabbath and Ozzy classics to life at McPherson Playhouse. Thu. 7:30pm. [Info]

👠 War on the Catwalk: Hosted by Alyssa Edwards, this drag extravaganza will feature live performances by RuPaul's Drag Race US stars, including Jewels Sparkles, Bosco, and Daya Betty at the Royal Theatre. Thu. 8pm. [Info]

Sunday’s headlines: Hermann’s Jazz Club announces closure; Weekly roundup; Sidney holding open houses for new town hall design. [March 22]

Man rescued after jumping off Johnson Street Bridge while fleeing from police. [Times Colonist]

2 Air Canada pilots killed in LaGuardia Airport crash. [CBC]

Disney’s NEWSIES coming to Victoria. [McPherson in April]

The slowest chase: A cockle tries to outrun a pair of moonsnails in Island waters. [Facebook video]

Island musicians set to perform at the free FIFA Fan Festival in Vancouver. [CHEK]

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to a fellow Victorian.

And before you go, let us know: