Jan 1 - Happy New Year!

Good morning !

Happy New Year!

You won’t catch me anywhere other than a warm bed this morning, but hundreds (maybe thousands) of other locals will be doing the exact opposite by leaping into winter ocean waters.

The polar plunges have been growing locally, both as a new-year tradition (especially following the return of massive group swims after a pandemic hiatus) and as a months-long hobby.

More on that below.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 8 / 5

Tuesday: 🌧️ 9 / 7

Wednesday: ☁️ 9 / 5

7-day forecast

NEWS

Locals begin year with increasingly popular cold ocean plunges

It’s Jan. 1, which means crowds of brave locals will be plunging into winter ocean water to jolt themselves into the new year. This winter may be as warm as predicted so far, with Victoria’s December temperatures not dipping below freezing, but the water in January is still plenty cold.

For some, these plunges are a once-annual ritual, but for others they are a way of life.

Several South Island swimming groups go out every week, and in some cases every day, throughout the chillier seasons. One of the most popular such groups is the 1,700-strong Cold Water Addicts. Its members say the plunge is always intimidating, but the refreshing feeling is always worth it. Swimmer Charmaine Shipley likened it trying to work out.

“You never really want to go and work out,” she told Capital Daily in 2022, “but once you start, it’s great.”

Many members say the dips have benefitted their cognitive and physical health, and some preliminary studies suggest the cold shock can help slow neurodegenerative diseases.

Read our original story here on these cold-water swims, their possible benefits, and the community around them.

A few of today’s plunges:

Polar Bear Swim at Whiffen Spit Park. Registration 11:30am. Put on annually by the Otter Point Firefighters Association.

Polar Bear Swim: Take a cold dip to start off the new year at Glass Beach in Sidney. Today. 11:30am-12:30pm. 

How about some heat with that cold? Cold plunges with saunas on hand. 10am to 4pm on Dallas between Boyd and San Jose. 

Also on Dallas Road, there is a small group swim planned for noon, while the Mile 0 Minnows go out every day at 9am at, well, Mile 0.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Sunday bus service on local routes today.

If you’d normally have blue bin collection today, it will instead be this Sat.

Victoria city hall closed, along with bike valet and maintenance yard.

NEWS

Victorians have highest credit card debt in Canada, report says

Locals also have the second-highest consumer debt overall, according to the new report by financial-advice website Savvy New Canadians. It calculates that, due in part to high housing prices, Vancouver and Greater Victoria are well ahead of the 18 other highest Canadian metro areas when it comes to consumer debt (primarily made up of mortgage debt). 

The report, which relies in part on CMHC and StatsCan data, estimates $12,874 in credit card debt per capita in Victoria, with Vancouver close behind but all other cities much lower. It puts Victorians’ overall debt at $305,365, second to Vancouver but again well clear of the pack.

Canadian mortgage debt, the report says, has risen by nearly a quarter over the past 5 years. Vancouver and Victoria, though, due to already having high burdens, rank low in the report’s list of sharpest 5-year increases. 

In November, Victoria’s living wage (how much someone needs to make to afford a typical family life) passed $25 per hour—leaping by $5 in just a few years.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🌊 You can watch the local winter waves, if braving them yourself is too intimidating, in this relaxing shoreline video.

🩰 Dance Victoria is pleased to present the astonishing Compagnie Hervé KOUBI on February 2 and 3 at the Royal Theatre. Learn more on the website.*

🤝 Now hiring: Spa Attendant (Willow Stream Spa) at Fairmont Empress.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Island Health launches $340K recruitment campaign 
The campaign, rolled out nationwide and seen in Alberta and Ontario airports, aims to sell intrigued healthcare workers on the beauty and lifestyle of the Island. It specifically emphasizes areas up-Island, including Port Alberni, where staffing challenges continue. [Nanaimo News Now]

View Royal approves 238-unit redevelopment on Island Highway
The low buildings of the old Cambridge Motel, currently used as rentals, will be replaced by two six-storeys (originally four buildings were pitched, then three, then these two). [Citified]

Only Cowichan Valley movie theatre closes, citing 300% rent hike
The theatre failed to secure a lease extension and was given notice last month to leave its home of 10 years, its owner told CHEK.
It wasn’t the only theatre closing curtains last week: Victoria’s Blue Bridge live theatre company just sold off years of items from the Roxy Theatre, and is still seeking a new home.

🤝 Now Hiring

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

• Corporate Controller - Hospitality at Westin Bear Mountain Resort & Spa.

• Store Manager at Foot Locker

• Senior Communications Advisor at BC Ferries

• Member Advice Specialist (Colwood Branch) at Coast Capital Savings

• Insurance Advisor Life, Health & Wealth at RBC

• Brand Marketing Officer at Invest in Canada

Looking for more openings? See 40+ jobs open now on YYJobs.

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

🗓️ Things to do

 🎻 New Year's Day Celebration: Giuseppe Pietraroia and the Victoria Symphony will put on a concert at Royal Theatre. Today. 2:30pm.

🎵 Old Music for the New Year: Hear Baroque-era music while kicking off the new year. Today. 2:30pm. 

🧒 Kids Take Over Day at today’s Victoria Royals hockey game. Young fans have their turn to coach, announce, sing the anthem, and more. 3pm. [Tickets]

🏡 New Year’s Day Levee at Government House. Vice-regal offices across Canada open to the public for this event every Jan. 1. 10:30am-12:30pm.

👣 Walk with mayor and council to welcome the new year in Oak Bay (12:30pm to 2:30pm) or Esquimalt (1-2pm or 2-3pm / register for either slot using the link)

👀 In Case You Missed It

Our biggest investigative & feature stories from 2023: Looks into the mental health system, restaurant industry, policing, local cold cases, and more. Plus: Prince Harry headlines most-borrowed library books of 2023. [Sunday]

Correction: The local author whose book was among the GVPL’s most-borrowed of 2023 is named Susan Juby.

Beacon Books will close in one month, the secondhand bookstore announced, after 28 years in Sidney. 

This year’s best moon photos in local skies, by photographer Doug Clement.

Octopus wrestling: 2 rivals, and 16 arms, grapple in the waters near Nanoose Bay. [Video clip]

How readers rang in the new year

Per yesterday’s poll results, about two thirds of you just had a quiet night at home.

Many readers told us about the evenings they were having with family, friends, partners, and pets. Some respondents went out to events such as Pender’s Lantern Festival, while others indulged with treats such as “steak that is the price of gold.”.

Some of you weren’t celebrating much mainly just because you were working either last night itself or this morning. Good luck to the one person who was driving a taxi on New Year’s.

A few of you also celebrated midnight early, with plans including a retirement-home party that wrapped at 10pm and various phone/video visits with friends or family on Eastern Time.