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We’re sharing some sad news today about Lillian Szpak, a longtime Langford councillor and pillar of her community who passed away suddenly over the weekend. Read our first story to learn more about Szpak’s legacy.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: ☀️ 25 / 11

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 20 / 10

Day after: 🌤️ 15 / 11

7-day forecast

Lillian Szpak, who served as a councillor for 24 years, is being remembered as a champion for residents and a passionate leader and mentor who helped shape Langford through decades of civic contribution.

Szpak, who was 73, died suddenly on Saturday, the City of Langford announced on Monday. No cause of death has been formally announced by the family.

“Lillian loved her family and her community deeply," her family said in a shared statement. 

“She lived every day to the fullest, and we will miss her forever. She burned bright till the very end. We love you, Lillian.”

Flags across Langford, at CRD headquarters, and at Victoria City Hall were lowered to half-mast in honour of Szpak, who Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson said “gave so much of herself” to the people she served. 

“She understood that public service is both a privilege and a responsibility,” said Goodmanson.

In its release, the City of Langford echoed those sentiments.

As did the CRD in its release. 

Read on to see how Szpak’s community remembers her.

Missing person: Cody Fieldhouse, 29, last seen April 10. [RCMP]

Provincewide emergency alert test on phones, radio, TV tomorrow at 1:55pm.

Witty’s Lagoon new Beach Trail now open, some minor work to continues. [CRD]

Cook construction: 

Saanich road closure: Knight between Oak Crest and Wordsworth, today, 8:30am to 4pm.

Water-main flushing on Salt Spring began yesterday, will run through May 13. [CRD]

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Don’t cross FernFest off your summer calendar just yet. This Thursday, the Victoria City Council will discuss a potential avenue for saving the popular early-summer community festival.

In March, Fernwood Neighbourhood House (FNH) announced it had made the “difficult decision” to cancel this year’s festival, which has brought together local musicians and vendors for a free community gathering every summer for nearly 30 years. The group said it had multiple competing priorities and had decided to focus on smaller-scale gatherings for 2026.

According to FNH, the outcry over this decision has been strong. In an April letter to the city, the group said community members were looking to take over festival operations, and it urged the city to support them.

“People care deeply about this gathering and are stepping forward to continue it in ways that feel meaningful to them,” FNH wrote.

“We see this as an important evolution. FernFest has always been shaped by the relationships and creativity within the neighbourhood.”

The timing of the cancellation meant the new organizers missed the deadline to apply for grants from the city. But Victoria councillors Matt Dell and Jeremy Caradonna say they plan to bring a motion to this week’s council meeting to find space in the city’s budget to save the festival. 

Caradonna shared in a social media post that he and Dell “have identified a different funding stream that would allow the event to proceed” without affecting the city’s budget or taxes.

”In a moment in which arts and culture are struggling, it’s important to find ways to support the continuity of beloved, free-to-the-public community arts events while operating within our limited municipal budget,” Caradonna wrote.

In their motion, the councillors say FernFest is the “largest and most well-attended of the neighbourhood-level community festivals in the city.”

In its 2026 budget, the council allocated $200K to the My Great Neighbourhood (MGN) grant, and Caradonna and Dell are proposing that $20K of this goes to funding FernFest. 

“In previous years, the City has not spent more than $140K on MGN grants, and it is unlikely that staff would be able to allocate all $200K in the next eight months,” the motion reads.

“This would be a one-time allocation, and any operators of FernFest would need to apply to the Festival Investment Grant, or other regular arts grants, in the future.”

Join us at our Canadian Club of Victoria Luncheon Meeting on Monday, May 11th from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm at the Hotel Grand Pacific where Bruce will address key issues impacting residents of Victoria.

Deadline to register is Friday, May 8th - noon. Non-members are welcome to attend. Details here.

🪅 Cinco de Mayo is today.

🌱 May plant sales: Victoria Compost Education Centre and the Ross Bay Villa Society are each hosting sales this Saturday. 10am-2pm.

🐦‍⬛ RPBO’s Victoria Bird Week, May 10–17, 2026, follows World Migratory Bird Day celebrations, inviting all ages to explore migration, research, education, and local community connections.*

🐍 Two-foot slither: See a large melanistic garter snake found on Salt Spring. [Facebook photo]

🚨 Emergency Preparedness Week: Subscribe to Vic-Alert. 

*Sponsored Listing

Daytime temperature at Victoria Harbour breaks 128-year-old record
That goes back to 1898 when the mercury hit 25 C. On Sunday, the temperature in the harbour spiked at 26.9 C. Records in this area have been kept since 1874. It was also hot at YYJ, where it got as warm as 25.1 C, which supplanted the record-setting 25 C set in 1944. Environment Canada said records were set all over the Island. [Black Press]

Two weekend wildfires on Island now considered ‘under control’
Two springtime wildfires were sparked on the Island this weekend, one near Coombs and the other west of Ladysmith, near Tyee Creek. Both remained small before crews got them under control: the Coombs fire reached 0.3 ha, and the Tyee Creek blaze peaked at 0.2 ha. Both are suspected to have been human-caused. The wildfires are two of 31 that began this weekend in BC as temperatures soared—10 started within 24 hours on Sunday. On Saturday, a small ground fire was discovered in Port Alberni, and by Sunday, was considered “being held.” [CHEK]

Campfire ban likely on the way this week for the Island 
The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has told CTV to expect fire bans of some sort to come into effect on Thursday. No details were made available, but the prohibitions were “very likely” to include all three fire categories: backyard burning, industrial burning, and campfires. As noted above in Coombs and Ladysmith, it has already been an active wildfire season, which is not unprecedented, the service said. Most of the wildfires in BC so far have been caused by humans, the BCWS said. [CTV]

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🏆 Star Wars Revenge of the Fifth Trivia Night: Get your team together for three rounds of trivia on mostly the original trilogy at The Mint tonight. 6pm. [Info]

🎬 Vancouver Film School Info Session: Find out how their one-year production model can make you industry-ready at Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort tonight. 6-7pm. [Info] 

🧑‍🩰 A Taste of Ireland: Former world Irish dance champions and alumni of Lord of the Dance and Riverdance will bring this Celtic music and dance production to the Royal Theatre tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎺 Cinco de Mayo w/ Miguelito Valdés & Band: Celebrate Mexico’s victory in the 1862 Battle of Puebla with a trumpet maestro and some chilled cervezas at Irish Times tonight. 8:30pm. [Info]

📱Unlock Victoria: Join the two-week step challenge designed to get you moving and supporting local businesses in Downtown Victoria. Through May 18. [Info] 

⛺ MEC Gear Swap: Outdoor enthusiasts can buy, sell, or swap gently used gear. Table rental proceeds support the local Alpine Club of Canada section at MEC Victoria. Saturday & Sunday. 9am–1pm. [Info]

Sunday’s headlines: Morning march for the military: Battle of the Atlantic Parade; Weekly roundup; Victoria is a top place for Gen Z to move. [May 3]

Second Sooke school board trustee resigns. [Times Colonist]

Regional lawn water restrictions have begun. [CRD] 

‘Philanthropy 101’: Oak Bay High students direct a SOLID donation. [CHEK]

Downtown 1976: See the old Eaton Centre and some snazzy vintage cars. [Facebook photo]

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