Aug 12 - The final flight of a BC icon

Good morning !

A weekend packed with local events concluded with one that took place across the sky: The final flight of a Martin Mars, accompanied by Snowbirds. More on that historic send-off below.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 20 / 14

Tomorrow: 🌧 20 / 13

Day after: ⛅ 21 / 12

7-day forecast

NEWS

Final flight of Mars bomber had locals looking up

The Hawaii Martin Mars waterbomber completed its 80-year career yesterday. As thousands of locals looked on, one of just two remaining Martin JRM-3s landed in Patricia Bay. After taking off from Port Alberni's Sproat Lake, it reached its new home in North Saanich after 6pm Sunday, accompanied by a Snowbirds aerial show.

The Hawaii Mars started out in WWII flying cargo between its namesake and other Pacific islands, then carried medical supplies and cargo between Hawaii and California. But in BC it is known for its life after 1958, when its fleet was converted into the iconic red firefighting planes able to drop 25,000+ litres of water.

This plane last fought fires nearly a decade ago

This bomber was retired in 2015 after being bought by Alberni-based Coulson Aviation in 2007.

Its final flight comes after the province put $250K toward making it the centrepiece of a new wildfire aviation exhibit at the peninsula’s BC Aviation Museum. This year Coulson also donated its sibling, the Philippine Mars, to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ.

After putting on one final show—albeit without the classic water-drop—yesterday, the plane is now in the multi-day process of being transported the final stretch from Brentwood Bay to the museum.

See James MacDonald’s incredible shots of the flyover here.

Watch the bomber’s arrival on video below:

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Air quality: Low risk (2) but some smoke over South Island expected.

High UV index (6) today.

HarbourCats play decisive Game 3 at 6:30pm tonight in Wenatchee, after the Applesox won in a 9-1 blowout last night to force a tiebreaker. 

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Local company launches new coastal weather forecast tool

Yesterday we covered a local company using digital tools to better map shipwrecks at the bottom of local waters. Today we look at another local company that is similarly using new technology to map sea conditions on the surface—info that ports and various marine industries rely on to operate safely and efficiently.

MarineLabs says that its new AI-assisted addition to its forecast program had 50% fewer errors than publicly available forecasts. It argues that while most predictions rely on info from coarse grids on a global scale, its tools pull from very site-specific data taken from its local sensors.

It then integrates those with others’ forecast models to produce results that it says were, in testing last winter on the East Coast, 23% more accurate about waves exceeding the safe height threshold.

Read more at Victoria Tech Journal.

NEWS

Langford Gateway Developments facing multi-million dollar legal battle

Cynterra CEO Bob Fraser, whose company is in charge of the Langford Gateway project, is facing a legal battle with contractors Lanyard Investment Inc. after the group filed foreclosure proceedings in BC Supreme Court for failure to pay funds on a development.

Lanyard Investment Inc. filed foreclosure proceedings in BC Supreme Court, alleging Fraser and Langford Gateway Developments had defaulted on their mortgage, and must pay back about $8.2M, along with daily interest of about $3,000 starting on July 25.

Read more on the future of the 18- and 22-storey local towers, and the dozen-plus lawsuits the builder has faced, at The Westshore.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🥕 Before summer ends, take a trip to one of these local summer markets. [Tasting Victoria]

🌍 Victoria Grandmothers for Africa are currently doing their cycle challenge and continue fundraising to support grandmothers raising grandchildren in families affected by HIV/AIDS. 

🦉 A Parksville owl stares right at us after being discovered. [Facebook photo]

🏞 Beautiful beaches & strange rock spires of San Josef Bay in the North Island. [Doug Clement Photography]

🗞️ In Other News

Potential “historical military explosive device” in Sidney was a fake
RCMP said Sunday that the thrift store donation that prompted an evacuation the prior afternoon was cleared by CFB Esquimalt experts. [CTV]

Nanaimo hammer thrower carries flag for Canada
Ethan Katzberg, the Islander who won gold last weekend in dominant fashion, was called back to Paris for the closing ceremony. He shared flagbearing duties with Summer McIntosh, the triple-gold-winning swimmer from Toronto. [CP24]

Hours-long ship alarm kept locals awake
The airhorn was triggered in the Vic West shipyard on Fri.-Sat. overnight and was heard as far as Swan Lake and Fairfield. The breakers to stop it were difficult to locate quickly, the shipyard's general manager said. [Times Colonist]

Victoria Mavericks win BC baseball title for first time in 13 years
The local amateur players didn't have time to savour their win in Kamloops a week ago—they had to get back here and go to work. The players are also trying to fundraise to travel to the national championship tourney next year in Regina; this BC win earned them a spot. [VicNews]

🗓️ Things to do

☄ Perseids expected to be visible in mid-Island regions tonight.

🖼️ Cindy Revell at The Avenue Gallery: The artist and illustrator will exhibit her collection of oil paintings. Until next Mon. [Info]

🎥 The Monk and the Gun at Cinecenta: The Oscar-shortlisted political satire set in rural Bhutan airs today at 5pm and 7:10pm. [Info]

📆 Final week to see Reflections, a series of seascapes by Judy McLaren, at Fortune Gallery. [Details]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Senior soccer stars: Locals will head to Wales for the 70+ World Cup. [Aug. 11]

Sunday news: New vegan fast food joint opens. Alleged illegal fishing and gambling. Festival roundup. [Aug. 10]

Nanaimo-area fire now considered under control.

Death cap mushroom warning in Comox; they look like this.

A “full parking lot" of Hornby boats. [James MacDonald]

That’s it!

Did you see the aurora last night? Reader Leah Potter sent us this shot her daughter took at Lampson Park.