Good morning {{First name}}!

Is it just me, or do you feel scams are everywhere these days?
The City of Victoria just issued a warning about a text scam in which the target purportedly owes money for parking tickets. (The city won’t text you for this.)

It’s the final weekend of March and the first of the baseball season, the 50th for Canada’s team. I’m stoked.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: 🌤️ 11 / 5

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 9 / 5

Sunday: 🌦️ 9 / 4

7-day forecast

Just like the punkish singer blaring through his earbuds, Kevin Nunn wants “more, more, more.” The dedicated fundraiser will spend the next 24 hours riding ‘round and ‘round UVic’s Ring Road, raising money for families dealing with cancer. 

“I just believe that a child should be a child and shouldn't have to go for all this chemotherapy and radiation,” he says.

After a couple of decades in the British army, Nunn moved to the Island to be with the woman he loves. One day, after cancer had done its ugly thing to his dad back in the UK, Nunn said to himself, “I'm going to get involved,” he tells Capital Daily.

His civilian work with Saanich Police introduced him to another love: riding for charity.

In 2010, his police coworkers told him about the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock. He dyed his hair Billy Idol blonde and, with a Rebel Yell, he was off to the races. 

He got the peroxide out again a year later to run 60 km from Duncan to Victoria. And then there was the time he pulled a car around Ring Road for 12 rotations.

It’s back to Ring Road for the 63-year-old, circling it pretty much non-stop—except for bathroom breaks and the odd quick stop to inhale an energy bar—from noon today to noon tomorrow. 

Nunn’s got a tent set up by the student union building, where you can throw a couple of bucks into the donation box or tap a barcode to donate. 

You can also take a few laps with him as he rides for the Island Kids Cancer Association.
The modest frontline charity helps the families of cancer-stricken children on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Nunn’s not sure how much money he’ll secure for families today. Whatever it is will be in addition to the $100K he’s personally helped to raise over the last 16 years.

He’s at UVic to promote June’s End2End cycling relay, where he and eight mates will take turns pedalling from Victoria to Port Hardy and back—non-stop. That’s more than 1,000 kilometres in less than 48 hours.

Last year’s inaugural relay raised $113K.

Thetis Lake Main Beach washroom will be closed from Monday through April 3. [CRD]

Blanshard southbound lanes from Caledonia to Bay will be closed today and tomorrow for paving.

Vista Heights from Rise to Cook is closed until April 3
Lane closures at Cook and Kings, until April 3

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.

Built in 1964, Sidney’s town hall has seen better days. The town says its municipal building is “deteriorating and has become increasingly costly to maintain.”

Last year, Sidney explored options to extend the building’s life a few decades, but an assessment found it no longer met accessibility and space needs, and would require “extensive renovations.”

“Given the scale of work required, the [independent consultant] concluded that the cost of renovating [the] town hall could be comparable to building new, without the benefits of a modern layout or better use of the site,” Sidney officials said in a release. 

Now, as it sets its sights on a brand new building, the town looks to its residents to help develop a municipal hall that the entire town can be proud of.

“This important, long-term project will include many opportunities for public input, and we want to start the conversation early so initial concepts reflect community values and priorities,” said Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith. 

“Keeping costs and tax impacts as low as possible will involve a thoughtful approach, and ongoing community input can help guide decisions related to location, design, financing, and potential community uses.”

The town is hosting two open houses at Mary Winspear Centre to gather input:

Community members are also invited to fill out an online survey at Sidney.ca by April 30.

This story ran for our Insiders on March 22. Consider becoming an Insider today and be the first to receive stories every Sunday.

Princess Grace Award winner Omar Román de Jesús brings his boundary-pushing vision to Canada for the first time as Dance Victoria presents the Canadian premiere of Boca Tuya on April 10 + 11 at the Royal Theatre. This unforgettable, surreal program pulses with a Puerto Rican heartbeat. Tickets from $34.

🐰🥚 Easter Egg Hunt at Royal Bay. Today, 11am-12pm. 

🏒 Victoria Grizzlies vs. Cowichan Valley Caps. [Tonight at the Q]

🎶 Pacific Opera Victoria presents Orpheus & Eurydice at the Royal Theatre, April 22-28, a powerful opera exploring love, loss, and devotion through a timeless myth.*

🎻 Alan Doyle with The East Pointers tonight and tomorrow. [Royal Theatre]

🚣 45th Paddle for the Kids for Easter Seals Summer Camp. [Donate here]

🏙️ Condo-level finishes, pet-friendly amenities, EV-ready parking, and a landmark clubhouse: Arden redefines what rental living can feel like.*

🎭 Casting for Murder at Langham Court Theatre. [Through Sunday]

🤼 Wrestling: Saturday Night Special. [Tomorrow, First Met Hall]

🎵 Help save Hermann’s here. The jazz club’s goal of $450K has been surpassed; the fundraiser is open for another month.

*Sponsored Listing

Uptown-Douglas retrofit plan would add residential towers, a new look, and a new park
The towers—possibly up to 24 storeys, which is six storeys over the current limit—would be built on Douglas and on Blanshard, and Oak would be closed between Shamrock and Valley to put in a new park. The goal is to push the redevelopment of properties into mixed-use projects and turn an industrial area into a vibrant community, complete with bikelanes and a promenade. Saanich residents and businesses are expected to get a chance to weigh in on the plan in May or June. [Times Colonist]

UBC researchers are not over the moon about a SpaceX proposal to launch a million satellites 
Elon Musk’s company wants to increase its number of satellites 100-fold, placing a massive network of space-based AI data centres into low Earth orbit. UBC researchers fear that this would significantly brighten the night sky, which could disrupt ecosystems and how animals and plants rely on natural darkness for migration, feeding, and reproduction, as well as human biological cycles. Victoria’s Chris Gainor, the former president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, wonders whether we really need to send up so many orbiters. [CHEK]

BC Conservative MLA charged with assault, choking, and uttering threats
Hon Chan, MLA for Richmond Centre, was removed from the Conservative caucus after charges were laid on Wednesday. The alleged offences occurred in January 2024—10 months before he was elected—and an RCMP investigation was launched last summer. The allegations have not been proven in court. BC Conservative leader Trevor Halford says the party did not know about the accusations before this week. Grace Lore, NDP MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill, is calling for Chan’s resignation and wants him banned from running for office in the future. [CBC]

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.

⚓ Community Day: Seas the Break!: Three days of drop-in spring break fun at the Maritime Museum, including crafts, games, linocut stamps, and beaded fish activities. Maritime Museum of BC. Today and tomorrow. 1-4pm. [Info]

🎼Spring Break Camp Showcase: The Sea Star Productions spring break campers, aged 8-18, perform numbers from Newsies, Wicked, Finding Nemo, and more. Mary Winspear Centre. Today. Doors 5:30pm, show 6pm. [Info]

🎶 Zuva & Izzy, Million Dollar Cowboy, Luna Land: Three Victoria acts share the stage: indie folk duo Zuva & Izzy, modern country five-piece Million Dollar Cowboy, and queer-led retro-punk band Luna Land. The Coda. Today. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

🤣 Bruce McCulloch: The Dark Purple Slice Tour: Kids in the Hall's Bruce McCulloch brings his one-man show to Victoria—a moving and hilarious journey through life's absurdities told with stories and songs. McPherson Playhouse. Today. 8pm. [Info]

🪈 UVic Wind Symphony: A Sky So Boundless: The UVic Wind Symphony closes its season with a dynamic program featuring Holst's First Suite in E-flat, a marimba concerto, and works by Giroux and Copley. The Farquhar at UVic. Today. 8pm. [Info]

🌱 Time on the Land & Creating Together: A Pearson College student showcase and fundraiser, sharing reflections, artistic pursuits, and personal stories developed during an experiential learning week on lək̓ʷəŋən Territory. Open Space Arts Society. Today. 7-9pm. [Info] 

🏫 Confident Parenting: A Waldorf Workshop Series: The four bodily senses and your family culture temperaments. Your child’s soul needs. How to tell—more than read—stories. How to mean what you say. The Dock. Tomorrow. 10am-11:30am. By donation. [Info]

🎼Of Weather Movements by Paul Walde with a live string quartet. Part of Walde's Weather Conditions exhibition at Legacy Art Gallery. Tomorrow. 1pm. Arrive before 12:45pm. Free. [Info]

🚴 Great Ride of Return: Fundraiser for the Gaza Sunbirds, the para-cyclists delivering aid against all odds to displaced Gazans. Meet at Broadview United Church. No sign-up. Sunday. 1:15pm. [Info]

Thursday’s headlines: VicPD to end patrols at pro-Palestine protests; Hermann’s Jazz Club fundraiser hits 90% of goal in 24 hours; Ian Stewart rink to remain open another year. [March 26]

Victoria man evicted over $75 in missed rent-increase payments. [Times Colonist]

UFC president offers to pay for a 12-year-old Tumbler Ridge victim’s treatment in the US. Maya Gebala may soon leave the ICU after more than a month. [CP / Vancouver Sun]

Saanich Zero Waste Strategy survey. [Until April 7]

Headlight glare too much? Take the Transport Canada survey here.

“Blue alien pancakes”: Vellela vellalas, AKA by-the-wind sailors, are popping up on BC’s coastal beaches. [Facebook photos]

E&N Trail delays: Potential delays between Hereward and Devonshire. 9am-3pm. [CRD]

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

And before you go, let us know: