March 26 - View Royal program an Island first

Good morning !

As we brace for more tariffs—expected the day after April Fools’ Day—I thought it was a good time to check in with you about what I strongly feel is our collective responsibility.
How is your Buy Canadian campaign going?
These times call for teamwork and Canadian resolve.
Here’s hoping you’re still eagerly snapping up homemade products as much as possible.
🍁 

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 16 / 8

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 12 / 8

Friday: 🌧️ 10 / 6

7-day forecast

NEWS

Island's first long-term addiction recovery centre for women opens in View Royal

A recovery centre for those with addictions and a history of instability, hardship, and sometimes crime has opened in View Royal.

The New Roads Therapeutic Recovery Community (NRTRC) is the Island’s first long-term substance-use recovery centre for women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people. 

It’s a 20-bed facility built in what used to be a youth detention centre and next to a men’s long-term program that’s been there since 2018.

Under the operation of Our Place Society, the recovery community features peer support for residents to help develop life skills, overcome addictions, and receive holistic care.

Like on the men’s side—the two are separate—participants can stay up to two years to learn how to integrate back into society.

Some may look to NRTRC manager Lee Sundquist as in-house inspiration.

Sundquist had her first drink at 12, and by 16 was on heroin.

What followed was a “lifetime of addiction, trauma, abuse, and involvement with the criminal justice system.” But then in 2013 she did “one of the hardest things I ever had to do”: leaving her daughter, grandchild, dogs, community, and the Island to get treatment.

Since then, she's turned her life around and worked her way up to running the type of program she once needed. But now, locals like her won't have to make the heartbreaking choice that she once did.

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Road paving: Eastbound lanes closed on Gorge—Rock Bay to Dunedin—today-Fri. 7am-7pm. [Details]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

New Bigg's orca calf is a descendant of the last orca captured in the Salish Sea

The newborn orca, T46B3A, was spotted swimming with a dozen of the transient, mammal-eating whales in the Juan de Fuca Strait. It was with its mother, T046B3 (also named Sedna, after the Inuit sea goddess) who is a direct descendant of the last orca to be captured and released in the Salish Sea. 

Sedna’s grandmother, T046 (or Wake), was one of six orcas captured and temporarily held by SeaWorld in Budd Inlet, Washington, in 1976, according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) in that US state. 

Ralph Munro—former Washington secretary of state, who passed away last week—witnessed the whales’ capture while sailing with friends. Appalled, he filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld, which led to the orcas’ release and an end to whale captures in US waters. 

PWWA estimates that without Munro’s intervention, at least 30 Bigg’s killer whales would never have been born. Munro’s death was announced on the same day as the first sighting of the newborn orca.

Hope for ‘Brave Little Hunter,’ the orphaned Bigg’s calf

The calf—also known as Kwiisahi?is—was orphaned when her mother was accidentally beached and drowned on a gravel bar in a North Island tidal lagoon last April. When the tide lowered, Brave Little Hunter was stuck alone in the lagoon, prompting complex rescue attempts from scientists and local Indigenous communities, and attracting global attention. The calf eventually was able to swim out on its own, with some coaxing from First Nations using sea lion meat.

Now two years old, there is a good chance the young whale will be spotted again in the coming weeks as the weather improves and more boats are on the water, one cetologist involved in her rescue told the Times Colonist.

Confirmed sightings have indicated she’s been able to hunt and feed herself, proving her independence. It was hoped the calf would reunite with her grandmother’s pod, but as time passes, that appears unlikely.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🦑 Squid eggs: Found on a Powell River beach and tossed back into the water to hopefully hatch. [Facebook photo]

🤝 Now hiring: Payroll and Accounting Officer at The Truffles Group.

💥 Island FANCON is Fri.-Sun. in Langford.

🪨🌈 Rock rainbow: Spring showers bring out the colours of beach rocks in Sooke. [Facebook photo]

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

🗞️ In Other News

Charleigh’s medication funded for another 3 months, mother says
The Westshore girl, 9, is the only child in BC diagnosed with the CLN2 form of Batten Disease, a rare affliction that affects less than two dozen Canadian children. Bi-weekly medication costs $1M per year, and Charleigh’s mother, Jori Fales, has been worried that her daughter’s provincial funding had run out. Yesterday, Fales got a call from the Ministry of Health that brought good news: Charleigh’s infusion coverage has been extended into the summer. [CHEK]

Bank robbery in Sidney: Scotiabank suspect gets away
Police said a man entered the bank on Beacon around 2pm on Mon. and gave a teller a note demanding money. The man, whose photo can be seen here, took off on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash and was last seen southbound toward Bevan. Police are seeking anyone with info or video/dash camera footage. [CTV]

Possible swarming, armed robbery reported on E&N trail
The robbery allegedly took place between Peatt and Veterans Memorial Parkway—just behind Darcy’s pub in Langford—at lunchtime last Wed. RCMP say three white males assaulted a trail walker and took his belongings, including a backpack. One of the suspects is alleged to have wielded a knife. Police seek info from bystanders. [RCMP]

Decriminalization, safer drug supply associated with more opioid hospitalizations: study
The study, published last week in JAMA Health Forum, is billed as the first population-level one on an association between overdoses and the decriminalization of drug possession, which BC introduced in 2023 before cutting it back last spring. Comparing BC stats to other provinces, primarily Manitoba and Sask., it determined that BC opioid hospitalizations were up 33% above expectation in association with safer supply beginning in 2020 and 58% after both supply and decriminalization. The study noted that other factors could also be in play, and did not find an increase in deaths. [Yahoo! / CP]

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🗓️ Things to do

📚 Spring Fling Book Fair: More than 40 independent Victoria writers will be selling their books. Browse and meet area authors. Free admission, door prize drawn every hour. Fernwood Community Centre. Sat. 10am-4pm. [Info]

❓ Trivia Night: Enjoy an evening that will test all the random knowledge your brain has been stockpiling: movies, music, sports, history, geography, and more. Spinnakers. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🎻 Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy: See the fiddle powerhouses in a lively evening of Celtic music and step dancing as they perform their Four on the Floor Tour. Royal Theatre. Tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]

🧶 Craft and Connect: Drop in to work on your own art project or try something new at Luther Court Society Main Lounge, every Thu. 3pm. [Info]​

🍫 How to Craft Chocolate Masterpieces: Join Julie’s Delights Chocolates for a fun night of learning all about chocolate. Enjoy some yummy samples, too. Westshore Town Centre. Tomorrow. 6pm. [Info]

🎹 Michael Kaeshammer: Experience the dynamic piano mastery of this musician/songwriter as he coaxes dazzling, kaleidoscopic sounds from his instrument. Mary Winspear Centre. Tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]​

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: Former masseur sentenced to 2 years for sexual assault; Ontario man nets $5.5K fine for overfishing oysters; Flag-flap apology. [Mar. 25]

Not Cool: Prospective Conservative candidate says she was usurped for appointed nominee Grant Cool. [CHEK] 

That’s a No from former premier Christy Clark, who won’t run in federal election. [CTV]

Driver hits 4 parked cars in Saanich shopping plaza; police want medical review. [Times Colonist]

Boil water advisory for Wilderness Mountain water service area in East Sooke. [CRD]

Early Victoria: See the Parliament Buildings being built in 1893. [Facebook photos]

Moon snail says hello: See the creatures living on a Lantzville beach. [Facebook photos]

That’s it!

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