Good morning {{First name}}!

May is coming in heavy with some serious summer-like weather.
The first weekend of the new month brings two days forecast to hit 26 C in the provincial capital.
Bring. It. On.

We’ll try to bring on more astronomy.
Our poll question yesterday asked how you feel about cosmic matters like comets and meteors.
A decisive 63% said you are fascinated by astronomy, while 22% said you were mildly interested.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: 🌤️ 21 / 10

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 26 / 12

Day after: 🌤️ 26 / 13

7-day forecast

The provincial Crown corporation says May is one of the most dangerous months for highway crashes as wild animals become highly active, foraging in ditches and on the move for food. It’s also baby season, which means more inexperienced deer and other animals will be crossing roadways and causing collisions, which ICBC says are becoming more common.

Since 2020, the number of collisions has increased year over year, reaching a high of 12,519 crashes in 2024.
ICBC says 9,400 of those were deer strikes, accounting for 75% of all wildlife crashes in the province. 

“As spring and summer travel picks up, drivers should expect the unexpected,” says Kathleen Nadalin, an ICBC road safety manager.
Managing your speed and scanning the highway roadside for animals are good ways to avert a collision, she says.

Other tips include simple vehicle maintenance—keeping windshield wipers, headlights, signal lights, and taillights in working condition, checking tires for pressure and wear, and respecting road signs indicating animal crossings.

ICBC recommends being particularly mindful when driving at dusk and dawn, when it’s a bit more difficult to see.

In addition to wildlife concerns, police are focusing on the return of motorcycle season. Provincewide, they’ve rolled out their high-risk driving and motorcycle awareness campaign. Over the next month, expect to see extra enforcement for high-risk behaviour, including:

Motorcyclists who’d like to brush up on or test their skills can do so at the Capital Regional District Motorcycle Skills event tomorrow (9am to 3pm) at West Shore Town Centre in Langford.

Cook paving prep: delays today, between Hillside and Bay.
That stretch is to be closed to southbound traffic next Monday-Friday.

Saanich Road closure: 600 block of Canterbury, near Jolly, until June 30, 8am to 4:30pm.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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The Alix Goolden Performance Hall is one of many venues in Victoria that will see some love as the spring entertainment season gets underway.

May in Victoria is a month that rewards showing up. From farmers' markets and garden tours to packed theatre stages and late-night dance floors, the city offers something for nearly every taste and temperament this month—and plenty of reasons to get out and be part of it.

Our Emily Edwards put together a list of things to do this month.

Use this as an entertainment guideline for May.

🧿 Esquimalt Craft Socials at Serious Coffee Esquimalt. 1–3:30pm tomorrow. 

📚 TC Book Sale tomorrow and Sunday at Victoria Curling Club.

🌻 James Bay Market opens tomorrow at Menzies and Superior, 9am–3pm. Shop local produce, crafts, and spirits; enjoy live music, food carts, and parking.*

👑 “This is the best show I’ve ever seen here!”, Casey and Diana continues to May 17. Pay-what-you-want tickets are available for all performances.*

⚓ Getting Tiddley: Navy Uniforms from Cap to Boot exhibit opens today at the Maritime Museum of BC. 

🐶😸 Victoria Pet Expo: tomorrow and Sunday at Pearkes Rec Centre. *Sponsored Listing

Victoria Curling Club reaches fundraising goal thanks to major donation
The curling club appears on target to buy and install a new ice-making system at its Quadra facility after a $75K matching donation from Jason and Jeanne Gordon pushed its fundraising over the top. The club had raised $600K toward the $850K estimated machinery cost, and the city pledged a $175K grant provided the club secured matching funds, which it did just ahead of yesterday’s deadline. [Times Colonist]

BC is banning the breeding, transport, and future ownership of exotic cats
Effective today, ocelots, servals, and other non-domestic and non-native cats are considered alien species under new provincial regulations and cannot be taken in as pets. Until today, only lions, jaguars, tigers, leopards, and cheetahs have been prohibited. Owners of the newly added cats have until one year from today to apply for a free permit to legally keep their pets for the remainder of the animals’ lives. The move is intended to protect the public and the animals, which can suffer when not allowed to express their natural behaviour. [CBC]

A cat that went missing from Duncan is found 4 months later in Saanich
Wheeler the cat was last seen two weeks before Christmas. Four months and 60 km later, its pet parent got a great gift when the CRD animal shelter posted on social media that it had a “gorgeous kitty” with a tattoo that was difficult to read. The pet parent saw the post and recognized their old friend. Animal control officer Brendan Dyck stayed late at work to reunite the pet family. [CHEK]

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👗 BC Small Biz Pop-Up: A weekend marketplace of local artisans, makers, and small businesses showcasing handmade goods, jewelry, art, clothing, home décor, and more, with two more days to follow. Centennial Square. Today. 8am–6pm. [Info] 

🧵 Design Victoria: A four-day festival to promote the city’s creative sector, celebrating ideas and products that come from our area. Final Day. Various locations and times. [Info]

💃 I Am Canadian: Karen Clark Dance Studios presents a high-energy showcase featuring dancers of all ages across tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, and acrobatics, with a second day on Saturday. Karen Clark Dance Studios. Today. 6:30pm. [Info]

🎶 Sina Bathaie—White Lotus World Tour: Producer and multi-instrumentalist Sina Bathaie blends Eastern and electronic sounds using the oud, ukulele, and live production as part of his globe-spanning 2026 world tour. The Coda. Tonight. 9:30–11:30pm. [Info]

🎵 The Peninsula Singers: Passport to Broadway: The Peninsula Singers take audiences on a musical world tour, from Les Misérables and Wicked to a hometown celebration featuring Anne of Green Gables. Through Sunday. 7pm & 2pm. Mary Winspear Centre. [Info]

👑🎶 Victoria Symphony: Queens of Soul: The Victoria Symphony joins powerhouse vocalists Kelly Levesque, Tamika Lawrence, and Shayna Steele for a celebration of the iconic women of soul and R&B, from Aretha Franklin to Amy Winehouse, with a second performance on Sunday. Royal Theatre. Tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎸 Martin Harley: Cardiff-born roots and blues guitarist Martin Harley brings his soulful slide guitar and three decades of road stories to Victoria, fresh off a European tour supporting Bonnie Raitt. Christian Science Church. Tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎵 Victoria Baroque: Sinfonia: This season's finale explores musical harmony through works by Haydn and Mozart, with pictures and demos by local instrument builders illustrating the craft behind the sounds. St. John the Divine Church. Tomorrow. 8pm. [Info]

🎭 Emily Carnage: Directed by Dan Bakkedahl of Veep and The Daily Show, this long-form improv troupe brings fast, fearless, and gloriously surreal comedy to the stage. Theatre SKAM. Tomorrow. 8:30–9:40pm. [Info]

Thursday’s headlines: Meteor passes overhead; Esteemed Victoria choir sings for the birds; A benchmark petition gets top seating in Colwood. [April 30] 

Boil water advisory for East Sooke.

Missing man: Clement, 41, was last seen on Sunday on Gorge East. 

Saanich approves revised long-term development plan for Shelbourne Valley. [Times Colonist]

Period poverty targeted in United Way’s May campaign. [CHEK]

Saanich Police unveil a new online incident reporting system. 

The Guess Who is coming to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Aug. 25, with Chilliwack. 

Indie-pop maestro Patrick Watson performs tonight at the Royal Theatre.

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