Tues. July 4 - New clues about woman's disappearance

Good morning !

We’re coming out of the long weekend, and straight into some hot summer weather. That isn’t necessarily a good thing, with the Island now reaching serious drought and fire risk levels, and more fires cropping up over the weekend. More on that below.

— Cam

🌤️ Today’s weather: Sunny. Becoming a mix of sun & cloud late in afternoon / clearing at night. Hazy. High 28C (24 near water) / low 12. Humidex 30

🌫️ Air quality: Low risk (3/10). Smoke expected today.

NEWS

7 months after Melissa McDevitt’s disappearance, new clues have emerged

Last week a teen girl went missing in Golden Ears Provincial Park. After more than two days alone in the wilderness, she emerged, unharmed, and is back with her family.

The parents of Melissa McDevitt, another hiker lost in the woods, have had no such happy reunion. Six months after their daughter disappeared in Sooke, they still don’t know what happened to her. Neither Melissa nor a single item belonging to her has been found.

Tom and Maggie McDevitt spoke with Capital Daily about the search to find Melissa, the strangers who have banded together to help, and the new clue that could break open the case.

Keep reading.

Capital Bulletin

 🧾 Most property taxes due today, July 4. Municipalities such as Victoria and Saanich impose a non-payment penalty tomorrow and another one at the start of Sept.

⚾ HarbourCats begin second half of season today in Walla Walla. Read our photo story from behind the scenes of their home opener.

🚏 New bus schedule in effect as summer service begins.

💸 Federal grocery rebates start going out tomorrow.

NEWS

New fires in the city and the forests as hot, dry days bring haze

Multiple urban fires and wildfires sprang up over the long weekend, and smoke that crept in on Monday will continue today, per Environment Canada’s local forecast. Projections from FireSmoke.ca, a smoke-movement tracker and forecaster, have increasingly heavy smoke covering Southern BC including the South Island over the next several days. Meanwhile, heat will rise toward 30C.

Conditions on the entire Island have reached the second-highest drought level, and about half the Island is now under the highest fire risk level.

Here are some of the fires that began.

Heritage building burns—a few blocks south of alleged Ricky’s Grill arson

Victoria firefighters announced Monday that they had been battling the blaze late on Sunday night, tackling it from easy access points on Douglas and Government. The building at 2531 Government houses an accounting business on the first floor.

Two suspicious fires at Frank Hobbs Elementary

Crews told CHEK that the Monday fires (in a trash can and under a portable’s steps) followed a Sunday fire on a Gyro Park swing.

New Island wildfires

Fires began on Sunday near Bamfield (Klanawa River, 12ha, out of control) and Muir Creek (Tugwell Main, 0.5ha, under control), and on Monday near Sayward (Hkusam Mtn, 1ha, out of control).

Capital Picks

 🖼️ Drop-in tour of While Black: Join AGGV’s curator Kemi Craig for a tour of the new exhibition. 11am.

🎭 The Guardsman at Roxy Theatre: Ferenc Molnar’s play about infidelity opens tonight. 8pm.

🏡 Professional Listing Agent: Providing home owners property marketing, offer negotiation, and sales experience. Learn more about selling your home for top dollar.*

🎥 Subtraction at The Vic Theatre: As a part of Victoria Film Festival, this Iranian drama/thriller will be shown today, 5pm.

🖼️ Expressions at Fortune Gallery: The gallery is hosting this year’s Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) Summer Exhibition from July 4 to 8. [Details]

🥳 Pacific Rim Summer Festival: The three-week event featuring concerts, workshops, and more has been running for two decades.

🤝 Now hiring: Community Engagement Manager at Dance Victoria.

*Sponsored Listing

In Other News

 ⛴️ Maintenance delay caused weekend ferry cancellations
BC Ferries says that the Coastal Celebration was not in service for the long weekend because no contractor could be found to do its scheduled mid-May maintenance in Victoria. It was instead worked on in mid-June in Vancouver, and as it returned to action more maintenance issues were discovered. [CBC]

🏀 UVic champ Greg Wiltjer named to Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame
The 6’11” Islander won UVic a title in 1984—the same year he helped Canada to 4th at the Olympics and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (in the first, the Bulls took Michael Jordan). He went on to win European and Greek Cups. [CanBBall] His daughter Jordan Adams was in the WNBA and on Team Canada, while son Kyle starred at Gonzaga and was with the Raptors for a 2017 training camp at UVic.

🤝 Now Hiring

Thinking of making your next career move? Let us help!

• Payroll Clerk at The Butchart Gardens

• Account Coordinator at Capital Daily

• Office admin, receiving, shipping at Anchor Marine Electric

• Area Fleet Manager at GFL Environmental Inc.

Looking for more openings? See 50+ jobs open now on YYJobs.

Hiring? Post your job to have it featured here, and fill your opening fast!

In Case You Missed It

🏞️ No environmental assessment for quarry expansion by Saanich Inlet, as province rejects calls from local groups and politicians. [Capital Daily]

🛬 New lower-cost airline comes to YYJ as Swoop departs. [Monday newsletter]

🦅🐦‍⬛ Island blackbird rides eagle in Nanaimo. Victoria expert Ann Nightingale says smaller birds often do this to harass predators away. [CHEK]

🍹 Victoria’s best patios as voted on by readers. [Tasting Victoria]

🛟 Boaters rescued: The US Coast Guard pulled a trio from a dinghy 3km south of Victoria after their 12m boat sunk [Correction: Monday’s newsletter conflated the dinghy and original boat].

💗 Hearts of Freedom exhibit, from the Museum of Migration, wraps up today at the downtown library.

🌬️ Free AC units for at-risk people, via BC Hydro. Most 2021 heat dome victims didn’t have fans or AC. Distributing AC in advance to people most in need was recommended by a disability issues consultant who was left off of BC’s report on heatwave deaths last year.

🥡 Victoria’s cheap eats: A few of the downtown spots at which you can get good food at great prices. [Tasting Victoria]