May 20 - Lions return to town

Good morning !

We hope you enjoyed the long weekend, whether you stayed in town or went on a trip. There were plenty of visitors to the South Island this May Long, including two CFL teams and multiple marching bands. More on those below.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 14 / 8

Tomorrow: ⛅ 17 / 7

Day after: ☀️ 17 / 10

NEWS

Lions return to Greater Victoria for preseason kickoff

Yesterday neither the 26-16 loss nor the light rain at some points dampened excitement for the BC Lions’ second visit to the region in under a year. 

The team kicked off the entire CFL preseason on Monday in Langford, drawing appearances from the league's new commissioner and Victoria-born star quarterback Nathan Rourke. Rourke played just a few downs before ceding the field to his backups. Most of the team's main players did not play; most of Monday's players were trying to either make the team or earn a larger role.

The game's initial ticket run sold out in 12 minutes—last year, tickets went in an hour for the regular-season game in the larger Royal Athletic. Destination Greater Victoria estimated the economic spinoff to the region from that Labour Day game at $16M, but the City of Victoria spent a reported $141K more than it had budgeted.

Langford gets its game after initial loss to Vic

Langford had expressed shock in late 2023 when Victoria was granted the 2024 Touchdown Pacific game. The city said on Facebook that it had been in discussions with the CFL and Lions since 2022 about hosting the game.

Lions owner Amar Doman grew up in Victoria / Oak Bay, and told the Times Colonist last year that bringing his team to his home city was “a dream come true.”

Another factor in Victoria over Langford was seating capacity. Starlight Stadium has lower capacity than Royal Athletic, but Langford had paid $4M+ to remove a pole that was blocking the expansion of seating. Pacific FC's original agreement with the city came with the expectation that an upgrade to 10K seats capacity would come eventually. Royal Athletic got to 14K seats, but that required paying to add temporary capacity.

Stadium expansion up for referendum

When Pacific FC declined to exercise its 5-year contract renewal option, the seating issue again came up. Due to the high cost of expanding ($10-15M, based on proposals in 2022), council chose to approve $50K for design work but to ultimately take the decision to a future referendum.

Lions, or World Cup team, could visit next year

The stadium has hosted a number of international soccer and rugby games, ranging from Team Canada exhibitions and Olympic qualifiers to CONCACAF tourney games. Langford is now applying to be a World Cup teams home base when the event comes to multiple North American cities next year.

The Cup also means the Lions must relocate some Vancouver games. The team's president told CHEK that the Lions are eyeing the Interior, but are not ruling out Greater Victoria for those—or for another preseason game.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Property tax notices have now been sent out by most local municipalities. 

Mainland weather alert: Snow on highway in parts of BC. 

Canada Post strike to begin again on Friday. [CBC]

Pacific FC 0, Cavalry FC 4 in Sat. soccer game in Calgary. 

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Langford will launch e-bike and e-scooter program in June

In about a month, Langford will have 75 electric bikes and 75 electric scooters available to rent and ride. Evolve / Evo, operated by BCAA, won its bid to run a “micromobility” program for the city. 

The bikes and scooters can be chosen from 30 locations around the city with a smartphone. After the unlock fee, rides cost either 35c per minute, $13 per hour, or 10c per minute if you also pay a $10 monthly fee. The city says it will create “slow zones and no-ride areas to support responsible [use].”

Evo will also expand its carshare program, currently in the City of Victoria, to Langford.

Local scooter pilot began a year ago

Under a BC pilot program that runs until 2028, electric kick scooters became legal in April 2014 in most local municipalities (Victoria, Saanich, Langford, Esquimalt, View Royal, Colwood, Oak Bay, Central Saanich, Sidney). The rider must be aged 16+, wear a helmet, and stay in a bike lane when on roads with speed limits above 50.

Nanaimo began the pilot earlier, and will soon add the BCAA scooters after the e-bikes last year.

E-bikes return after a bumpy ride last time

Victoria and Oak Bay tried the green U-bike program from 2017 to 2020. The unlockable rentable bikes could originally be left wherever your route finished—as long as it was within the cachement. Later they were incentivized toward designated drop-off areas following issues with clutter, damage, and theft. U-bike also briefly expanded to Langford, Esquimalt, and Saanich. 

Victoria Coun. Matt Dell has advocated for several years for another run at bikesharing, arguing that these programs have evolved significantly 

Golf cart rentals begin downtown 

Bike sharing hasn't yet returned, but this week a fleet of 15 blue Hey Yankees Rentals golf carts launched in Victoria. Riders need to be aged 21+, have a valid driver's licence, and drive on roads (not bike lanes) with limits of 50km/h or below.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🌊 The waves, sun, & rocks of Botanical Beach on Pacheedaht territory. [Colin Smith Takes Pics]

📚 At Glenlyon Norfolk School, a world-class education is closer than you think. Schedule a tour to explore their campuses and learn about financial support opportunities.*

🦆 Ducklings & their reflections in Island waters. [VanIsleWildlife]

🤝 Now hiring: Dental Hygienist (RDH) at Oaklands Dental.

 Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

573 US doctors interested in working in BC, province says 
Monday was Family Doctor Day, and the province marked it with a release emphasizing healthcare recruitment efforts. Those include a streamlined process for US nurses that has seen 177 candidates apply and 113 registered, the health ministry said last week.

Parade's visiting bands play up Canadian connection
Only 5 high school marching bands made the trip over the border this year (down from double-digits in most years) due partly to border concerns. Those that did said they received a warm reception, and made various crowd-pleasing pro-Canada gestures such as waving the flag and playing the Hockey Night theme. [Times Colonist]

New grocery store coming to Westshore Town Centre
Almost a year after longtime tenant Fairway closed, the mall says that it will soon name a replacement supermarket as well as two new food tenants.

🗓️ Things to do

🎼 Jessica McMann Performance: A captivating evening of flute and vocals with dancer and composer Jessica McMann. Mary Winspear Centre. Tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]

🧸 Ultimate Toy Fair: A two-day event featuring a wide array of toys, collectibles, and games at Pearkes Arena. Sat & Sun. [Info]​

⁉️ Trivia at The Outpost Cafe: Weekly trivia night at Langford’s board game café—test your knowledge and enjoy great snacks. Today. 6:30pm. [Info]

🧠 Tuesday Night Trivia Sooke’s Legion: Classic trivia with teams, prizes, and good vibes. Today. 7pm. [Info]

📖 Double Book Launch: Bill Gaston & Clea Young: Celebrate two acclaimed BC authors as they launch Tunnel Island and Welcome to the Neighbourhood with readings, Q&A, and signings. Munro’s Books. Wed. 7pm. [Info]

📚 Annual book sale by CFUW Saanich Peninsula supports local students. Friday. [Info]

🍬 Sweet Street Festival coming to Langford Town Centre a month from tomorrow.

🗓 Langford Council meeting today, including first reading of OCP. [Agenda]

🗓 Oak Bay Committee of the Whole meeting. [Agenda]

🗓 Sooke Committee of the Whole & closed Special Council Meeting today. [Agendas]

🗓 Highlands council meeting today, and a public hearing on a new designation allowing “assembly-type uses including retreat facility and associated overnight accommodation in buildings, camping spaces, and recreational vehicles” on-site. [Agendas]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Indecent act reported on Galloping Goose bear Langford; West Shore RCMP doing bike patrols. [Info]

A moment between two nudibranchs. [Owl & Bear Studio photo]

Canadian clinics using local startup's self-assessment platform for mental health care. [Vic Tech Journal]

World's largest Nanaimo bar created by VIU students. [NanaimoNewsNow]

Woodpecker parents feeding their kids in Nanaimo. [Video]

Spring garden scenes and petal close-ups. [Work The Angle photos]