May 24 - Council wants more parking near downtown

Good morning !

No person is an island. But a person can own one 10 minutes from here for a mere $7 million. And that’s with a mansion with amazing views of Mount Baker and the Olympic Mountains. Check out pictures of this beauty way below. It’s the final news item.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

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Sunday: 🌧️ 13 / 10

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NEWS

Vic city council wants more parking—outside the downtown core

City council has told staff to do something many of us have tried to do, although sometimes in vain—find parking. Council yesterday directed city staff to examine parking options outside the downtown core, including the idea of putting up a parkade to set up a park-and-ride.

“There are no concrete plans for a location at this time,” Coun. Matt Dell told Capital Daily on Wed. “My personal vision is somewhere south of Bay Street, but north of the Chinatown area. But it all depends on land availability, finances, and other variables.”

If you ever doubted where single-occupancy vehicles fit in the city’s Official Community Plan (OCP), simply turn to page 65 which shows an inverted triangle with pedestrians at the top and people driving alone in cars at the bottom. The council has been consistent on this. It’s all about lowering our greenhouse gas emissions.

But the council also knows it’s about business and downtown businesses have been feeling the pinch of our post-pandemic world. Downtown isn’t as busy as it used to be with people working from home, so the council is looking at ideas to entice people back. 

Read Mark Brennae’s full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

2 Missing people in Nanaimo. [Duggan O’Hara] [Alysha-Nicole Dickenson]

Beacon Ave. West roundabout construction in Sidney now complete.

Road closure: Charters from Golledge to Throup will be closed for infrastructure upgrades from Mon. until Oct.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Christmas Hill in Saanich becomes a world Key Biodiversity Area

You may have missed it but International Biodiversity Day was on Wed. Not a biggie for most of us, but for the folks at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, it sure was.

It was announced two days ago that Christmas Hill is joining the Trial Islands Ecological Reserve as a designated Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). A KBA is an area that supports rare and endangered species, ecosystems, and key natural processes. The Trial Islands Ecological Reserve, off Oak Bay’s shores, was Canada’s first designated key biodiversity area.

Christmas Hill is a significant example of an endangered Garry oak ecosystem because it has naturally occurring Garry oaks—the only native oak tree in Western Canada.

The reserve contains more than 250 plant species and abundant wildlife. It has historical significance to the Indigenous communities in the region who have utilized these resources for sustenance and in ceremonies for millennia.
Owned mostly by the District of Saanich, the sanctuary attracts 70K visitors annually.

Read the full story by Sidney Coles.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🎨 New mural downtown: Kwakwa̲ka̲’wakw and Nuu-Chah-Nulth artist Alex Taylor-McCallum painted it for people fighting addictions, in collaboration with Cool Aid Society. Find it at 749 Pandora.

⚾ HarbourCats season tickets pickup mixer. [May 28]

🤝 Now hiring: Operations Manager at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Society.

🗞️ In Other News

Hackers leak London Drugs data 
London Drugs confirmed to CHEK that files from its corporate HQ have been leaked online. This after the pharmacy refused to pay a $25M ransom. The initial cyberattack by LockBit earlier this month led London Drugs to close all Western Canada stores for nearly a week. The company says only employee data was compromised, with customers unaffected. [CHEK]

Cyberattack targets First Nations Health Authority
The provincial First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) identified unauthorized access to its corporate network on May 13. It said some employee and personal information was impacted, though no impact on its clinical information systems had been found. FNHA says the incident isn’t related to other recent cyber attacks.

Esquimalt public safety building construction set to begin
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place Wed. for the new building on Park Pl. that will house Esquimalt Fire Rescue, Emergency Operations Centre, and CRD offices. There have been many changes since it was first approved. Construction for the $42M project begins on Mon. and is expected to be complete by fall 2026. 

Sidney Island cull costs rise deerly, to $12M 
An access-to-information request that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation shared Wed. found that the federal government had allocated $12 million to eradicate invasive European fallow deer from the island. The budget—previously reported to be $5.9M—includes hiring US and New Zealand sharpshooters. [CTV]

🗓️ Things to do

🎤 Nicole Ross’s free recital: Frauenliebe. Nicole will explore a program that combines Schumann’s iconic Frauen-Liebe und Leben cycle and Sappho: Tell Everyone by Danika Lorèn.  Baumann Centre. May 30. Noon. [Info]

💃 Prom: Live music, art & drag. An evening of live and interactive entertainment to support our local artists in Victoria, and to raise funds to help feed the people of Gaza. 108 Niagara. Tomorrow. 6:30-11pm. [Info]

🚨🎤 Greater Victoria Police Chorus. 40th-anniversary spring concert. This special concert promises an afternoon of familiar and delightful songs with the GVPC and featured guest soloist Stephanie Greaves. North Douglas Church. Tomorrow. 2-4pm. [Info]

🧵 CREAM Craft Crawl. Feel like learning something new and creating something for yourself?  Wander over to the Paul Phillips Hall (red brick building across from the Fernwood Square and CREAM Bazaar) to learn all kinds of crafts. Sun. Pre-register for times. [Info]

🍨 Spring Fair FUNraiser. Silent auction, BBQ, bake sale, treat walk, various outdoor games, uniform sale, food, and drinks, and face painting. Christ Church Cathedral School Playground. Tomorrow. 11am-2pm. [Info]

😂 Drew Lynch: The American comedian will bring his Short King tour to McPherson Playhouse. Today. 8pm. [Info]

🎸 Strange Advance: The Juno-nominated synth-pop band will perform. Even World’s Away, We Run. Mary Winspear Centre. Today. 7pm. [Info]

🎶 Earth Freaks: The four-piece band will be joined by Standard Issue Pleasure Model and Juniper Smile. Victoria Event Centre. Today. Doors 8pm. Show 8:30pm. [Info]

🎤 Music in the Park: The Soul Shakers will perform at Colwood City Hall. Greek on the Street will also be serving up food. Today. 5:30-7:30pm. [Info]

🎹 Aquarela Do Brasil: Pianist Pablo Cardenas will be joined by Sara Marreiros and Anne Schaefer for a night of Brazilian music. Hermann’s Jazz Club. Today. Doors 5:30pm. Show 7pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: Bear spray and tire iron used in Nanaimo parking dispute; UVic student overdose death to be investigated; Fire at Esquimalt bakery; And more. [May 23] 

Victoria councillors want Westshore’s help with unhoused and opioid issues, including by decentralizing supports. [Capital Daily]

Victoria Pride schedule released, with events on June 13 and the first week of July.

Habitat Victoria HarbourCats ambassadors wanted. [Volunteer]

More parade photos, via the Festival Society and the always great Colin Smith. [Instagram]

Nearby private island sells for $7M. [CHEK]

That’s it!

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