May 26 - 900 little local libraries

Good morning !

Welcome to a new week! This past weekend featured nearly 100 ships, just off the coast, striving to reach the finish line—and a popular local project rapidly reaching a milestone of its own.

More on that below, plus a rundown of what to expect from your local municipality’s council.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 18 / 9

Tomorrow: ☀️ 20 / 11

Wednesday: ☀️ 24 / 12

NEWS

Region's 900th Little Free Library opens in Saanich

The number of little free libraries (LFLs) in Greater Victoria continues to grow, tripling since 2020 to reach the new milestone of 900.

The region has the highest documented density of the pocket-sized book depositories in Canada. Their offerings have expanded too, with plenty now stocking plants, seeds, toys, yarn, household items, board games, puzzles, art supplies, and more.

Saanich Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff feels that the “bonkers" growth of the local boxes stems from not only giving neighbourhoods books to read and some whimsy, but also a shared place. He compares the streetside stations to coral reefs, bringing the community together with somewhere that residents can bump into each other and connect.

Phelps Bondaroff leads the Pocket Places Project, a part of the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network which supports the libraries. He and Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock were on hand this past week for the unveiling of #900. It's a cabinet salvaged from the side of the road, now decorated with dragons and motorcycle flames.

The new “Books and Bikes” box is the creation of Alexis, a local motorcyclist and childcare worker who spent years stocking up other LFLs before making her own. She loves the “scavenger hunt” that the hundreds of LFLs around town have become.

“It is so fun to go around town either alone or with friends on a nice afternoon,” she said in a release, “visiting different areas of town to check out all the unique builds and hopefully find a book or two to take home and enjoy.”

Read Capital Daily’s previous story on LFLs here.

See the map of local LFLs here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Summer weather of 20+ most days this week—but still some stretches of cloud, wind, and rain.

Sunset time has now reached 9pm.

Federal throne speech by King Charles is tomorrow. [CP]

Military exercises on Bentinck Island, off Metchosin, this week (Mon.-Fri., 9am-4pm) and next.

WHAT’S OFFSHORE

Swiftsure race fills South Island coastline with sailboats

This past weekend you may have seen some some of the 98 vessels—from California, Seattle, Vancouver, and all over the Island—competing in the 80th annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race. Competition began at Ogden Point on Sat. at 9am and continued through to late Sun. for the longest race.

The Lightship Classic race (138 nautical miles) rounds a virtual mark at Swiftsure Bank, while the Cape Flattery Race (102 nautical miles) rounds at Neah Bay at the tip of Washington state, and the Juan de Fuca Race (79) rounds a mark at Clallam Bay west of Port Angeles.

You can see the race and vessel type (e.g. monohull, multi-hull) category winners on the Swiftsure Instagram, or watch the Sat. race on YouTube via CHEK.

Here is your regular What’s Offshore weekend roundup. Did you glimpse any of these ships over the weekend?

At Ogden Point (cruise ships sailing between Seattle and Alaska):

SAT: Norwegian Encore, built 2019, Bahamas flag 🇧🇸 ; Westerdam, built 2004, Netherlands flag 🇳🇱; Discovery Princess, built 2022, Bermuda flag 🇧🇲 

SUN: Quantum of the Seas, built 2014, Bahamas flag 🇧🇸 

MON: Carnival Spirit, built 2001, Bahamas flag 🇧🇸

Further out from harbour:

SAT: ONE Crane, a 2016-built container ship sailing to Vancouver from Tacoma under a Panama flag 🇵🇦; TSE Aphrodite, a 2009-built bulk carrier sailing to Vancouver from Yeosu, South Korea under a Liberia flag 🇱🇷.

SUN: Yang Ning Hu, a 2009-built oil tanker sailing to Vancouver from Long Beach, US under a China flag 🇨🇳. 

Esquimalt: Coastal Inspiration (BC Ferries) remains docked.

Off Colwood coast: Nothing over weekend.

NEWS

Municipal roundup: Today’s council meetings

Here’s what your local governments are discussing tonight:

Colwood will discuss provincial housing legislation / targets, several land use applications, and E-Comm 911 funding. [Agenda]

Esquimalt: Committee of the Whole on department reports and Council meeting on zoning, public hearing staff reports, and development variance. 

Oak Bay: Closed Council and regular Council on Tourism Committee appointments, Streets & Traffic Bylaw amendments, and Estevan sewer & bikeway plans. 

Metchosin: Finance Committee and Council meeting today on development permits, city department  reports, and the Metchosin Active Transportation Network Plan. [Agenda]

Sooke: Chief Administrative Officer report, a tax exemption policy revisions, the Sooke Emergency Management Plan 2025-2027, and E-Comm 911 dispatch funding. [Agenda]

Central Saanich: Council meeting on the Saanich Peninsula Outreach Team, Keating Business District expansion, and the speed reduction bylaw. [Agenda]

North Saanich: Council meeting on fireworks bylaw changes, loneliness survey results, E-Comm 911 dispatch funding, and the OCP review. [Agenda]

Sidney: Council meeting on multi-unit zoning, tree protection, E-Comm 911 dispatch funding, a staff report on US tariffs, Pride event planning, and then a closed meeting. [Agenda]

Westshore accessibility advisory committee (multiple municipalities) meets on Wed. [Agenda]

No council meetings this week: Victoria, Saanich, Langford, View Royal, Highlands.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

 🎥🐐 Filming with the goats: Beacon Hill Children's Farm is recording material for its 40th anniversary on Wednesday and invites you to participate. [Instagram]

📸 The beautiful Tofino shoreline by James MacDonald. [Instagram]

🤝 Now hiring: Dental hygienist at Oaklands Dental.

Become an Insider member to help support Capital Daily and get access to the full Sunday newsletter.

🗞️ In Other News

Parent groups rally today at Legislature, seeking more BC education funding
The Sooke PEAC president says that BC’s model isn’t accounting enough for expenses such as portables that fast-growing SD62 relies on. The ministry argues it is providing record-high education funding, but the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association president contends that that doesn’t mean much given inflation. [Times Colonist]

Local Ironman race’s swim portion cancelled over algae bloom
Race organizers said that last week’s measurements at Elk Lake and near Hamsterly Beach showed “algal bloom activity above the Health Canada threshold.” Running and biking went ahead yesterday. The CRD deployed a $750K oxygenation system in 2023 in an effort to tackle such blooms. It told CHEK that while lake oxygen and temperature have improved and phosphorous have declined, climate issues such as heat and drought have facilitated continued blooms. 

Use only white sugar for hummingbird feeders, Island experts warn 
MARS Wildlife Centre posted a photo of a doomed hummingbird whose tongue could no longer retract due to a fungal infection, calling it the result of people mixing honey, brown or raw sugar, or artificial sugar into a feeder.

Talks resuming this week in Canada Post labour dispute 
The Crown corporation is now reviewing responses from the union, whose members approved a strike but have thus far only implemented a ban on overtime. The union says that Canada Post rejected a two-week “truce” that would have given more time to review the latest offer. [CBC]

SPONSORED BY THE CANADIAN CLUB OF VICTORIA

The Canadian Club of Victoria presents: CEO Robert Lewis-Manning

A luncheon at Hotel Grand Pacific: June 2 - 11:45am-1:30pm

Robert Lewis-Manning, CEO of the Greater Harbour Authority, will introduce his not-for-profit organization that owns and operates high-profile properties around our harbour, including the Breakwater District at Ogden Point, Fisherman’s Wharf and the Inner Harbour Marina. The GVHA contributes more than $130,000,000 to the regional economy and is responsible for 800 direct and indirect jobs locally.

For details and to register, click here!

Non-members are welcome. Deadline to register is noon on May 30.

🗓️ Things to do

 🧠 Intergenerational Trauma and Resilience: A public talk by Dr. Fred Chou exploring the psychological research on intergenerational trauma and resilience in the Asian diaspora, with specific focus on his own research on this topic within the Chinese Canadian community. Royal Roads. Today. 11am. [Info]

🖊️ Vancouver Island Festival of the Word: Join local writers and readers for one day of groundbreaking workshops, author readings, and panel discussions. Support your local authors. Fernwood Neighbourhood House. June 7. 10am-4pm. [Info] 

🍰 Cake Decoration Workshop: Visit Flourish BeauTea in Langford for a fun and creative evening learning new techniques, meeting fellow cake enthusiasts, and unleashing your inner artist. Tonight. 6:15pm. [Info]

🎨 Paint the town: Help create a community art panel, a free origami terrarium workshop, and more. Wed. 10am. [Info]

🎤 Open Mic Night: Everyone is welcome for a fun night of music. Today. Moka House Cook St. 5pm. [Info]

🕵️ Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mysteryat Chemainus Theatre Festival. Until June 1. [Info / tickets]