May 10 - Victoria Bird Week begins

Good morning !

Victoria Bird Week kicks off today with two events marking World Migratory Bird Day at Beacon Hill Park and Swan Lake Nature Reserve. Educational events and nature walks will continue throughout the week. It’s all free too, if you’re looking for an excuse to get outside.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅️ 14 / 8

Tomorrow: ⛅ 13 / 8

Day after: ⛅️ 14 / 9

NEWS

'Birding capital of Canada': Victoria Bird Week begins

The week-long celebration, highlighting all things ornithological, kicks off today with events for World Migratory Bird Day (WMB Day). The global theme for this year’s WMB Day is “Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities.” 

With three migratory bird sanctuaries—including the oldest sanctuary in the Canadian Pacific, Victoria Harbour—Victoria is a prime location to explore how wildlife can thrive in an urban setting. 

Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO), a local organization that monitors the CRD’s bird population, will host a week’s worth of events. Today’s festivities at Beacon Hill Park will feature educational info, colouring activities, and the first-ever “Scream Like a Gull" contest, with participants encouraged to dress as their favourite birds. 

As part of today’s celebration, RPBO will proclaim Greater Victoria the “birding capital of Canada,” with more than 400 bird species living in and passing through the area. Victoria is home to many passionate birders—each year the city tops the list of most species counted in North America during the annual Christmas Bird Count in December, with many local volunteer bird enthusiasts taking part.

Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary also will host an educational bird walk today at the park’s nature house.

Throughout Victoria Bird Week, RPBO will offer guided bird walks, a bird trivia night, and a special birding tour with Eagle Wing Tours. To keep the week accessible to all bird lovers, all of the activities will be free, RPBO said.

See the full calendar of events here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Tartan Parade today, ahead of next weekend’s Highland Games. [10:30am-12pm]

Buccaneer Days Parade also today: From Dominion to Admirals in Esquimalt. [10am-12pm]

Sun & cloud with mild temperatures this weekend.

NEWS

Cannabis clerk motion goes up in smoke as city staff too busy to look into it

Councillors Jeremy Caradonna and Matt Dell wanted city staff to look into how many clerks cannabis shops really need on duty. But their attempt to start a discussion was thwarted by the city’s own personnel challenges: staffers have too much on their plates.

“It would have been three months of work,” Caradonna said. “It takes a lot of time to review bylaws.”

Caradonna said the councillors understand that city staff is pulled in many directions, and right now a lot of work is going into updating Victoria’s official community plan (OCP).

Any changes to a bylaw, per the community charter, require extensive consultations with unions and other stakeholders, he said.

“In short, this was a more complex issue than meets the eye, so council let it go.”

Current cannabis bylaws were put in place in 2016, which was before the federal government legalized consumption of the plant. For that reason, Caradonna said some of the bylaws are outdated—including, possibly, the need to have two clerks on duty for safety purposes.

“We have seen several small-scale shops close across the region.”

Caradonna said cannabis stores “haven’t really been sites of criminality, but the argument is having two staff on site creates a sense of safety.” He said organized labour that represents some cannabis retailers have voiced concerns about worker safety. 

The retail cannabis industry has long been concerned that it faces “too many rules and regulations from the province and from local governments,” Caradonna said. 

He said the council had considered reviewing some of those regulations but he and Dell “discovered that staff did not have capacity to take on a bylaw review at this time.”

“It’s a rough one,” he said. “Because we’re trying to balance the needs of workers and the realities of small business.”

NEWS

Mother's Day brunches happening in Victoria

Tomorrow is a day to celebrate the mother-figures in your life—and what better way to say “I love you” than with a brunch feast?

Some enjoy the breakfast-in-bed option, but if you’re looking to skip the cooking, Victoria’s legendary brunch scene will be serving up Mother’s Day specials throughout the day.

Check out the restaurants offering delicious Mother’s Day deals here.

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Explore Shawnigan Retreats and plan your getaway today. Learn more about Shawnigan Retreats.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🌱 5 plant sales are happening today in Gordon Head, Colwood, Sooke, Ross Bay in Fairfield, & at the Compost Education Centre in North Park. [Capital Daily]

📸 Downtown in the 19th century: See Douglas and Johnson in 1870. [Facebook photo]

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🗞️ In Other News

Montessori school goes on lockdown for what turns out to be a cardboard box
The Selkirk Montessori School on Jutland was put on “hold and secure” around 4pm on Thu. when a suspicious package was found on a bench outside the nearby Glo restaurant. Exterior doors were locked and any children still on-site were kept inside. The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team and a canine unit were brought in. It was later determined that the package was “non-threatening.” [Times Colonist]

Canadians expected to steer clear of Seattle for Jays series
Usually when Canada’s only MLB team stops in Seattle, there’s a sea of red and white in the ballpark with the crowd often more than half Canadians. But Washington state Lt.-Gov. Denny Heck said out-of-town reservations have been cut in half as a result of the political climate. A dollar trading at 72 cents US, the Trump tariffs, and the president’s annexation threats are seen as reasons Canadians are staying home this weekend. [CTV]

Saanich seeks approval to borrow $150M to redevelop operations centre
Saanich council voted 8-1 to move forward with an alternative approval process. If 10% of eligible electors (8,735 residents) send in opposing votes, then the loan bylaw can't go ahead and a (more expensive) referendum could be sought. The operations centre project has been deemed a priority of the district, with both current buildings considered past their lifespan. [Times Colonist]

SPONSORED BY GLENLYON NORFOLK SCHOOL

World-class opportunities

Discover the transformative education offered by Glenlyon Norfolk School through its renowned International Baccalaureate programs and dynamic co-curricular offerings. Whether a child is passionate about academics, athletics or the arts, GNS staff provide the resources and support required to nurture each student's unique potential. Schedule a tour to learn more.

🗓️ Things to do

💝 Mother's Day options for today & tomorrow. [Capital Daily]

⚽ York United FC at Pacific FC today at 5pm. [Starlight Stadium]

🎈 Quadra Village Day: The street fest will have carnival games, face painting, plant potting, and more on King, between Quadra and Dowler, today. 10am-2pm. [Info]

🏴‍☠️ Esquimalt Buccaneer Days: A community festival with a parade, marketplace, and various family-friendly activities. Today and tomorrow. [Info]​

🎨 Spring Art Show & Sale: Browse and buy original works from local artists at this community art show, held in the annex at Cordova Bay Elementary today. 10am-3pm. [Info]

🤣 Julie Kim: One of Canada’s fastest-rising comedians brings her sharp, hilarious stand-up show Doing Too Much Comedy to Capital Ballroom tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🥕 Goldstream Farmers Market: The outdoor market has reopened for the season, with local produce, crafts, and baked goods at Veterans Memorial Park, today. 10am-2pm. [Info]

🏃 Sarah Beckett Memorial Run: A fundraising walk/run honouring the legacy of Sarah Beckett—a West Shore RCMP officer killed in the line of duty in 2016—beginning at Starlight Stadium tomorrow. 10am. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: Odeon on Yates up for sale; Oak Bay neighbours worry about trees; Colwood boom continues with new retail project. [May 9] 

Postponed: Decision over possible misconduct in 2019 police projectile shooting. [Times Colonist]

Hullo ferry (Vancouver Island Ferry Co.) looking for new CEO. [CHEK] 

Rigoletta’s Opera 101: Pacific Opera Victoria. [Today]

Gorgeous turquoise waters in East Sooke Regional Park. [Doug Clement Photography]