Nov 12 - MLAs sworn in today after election results finalized

Good morning !

In what has become a familiar set of weekend updates in these past few weeks, we have the latest on the BC election and a UVic sports team coming home with a national medal.

We also have news of a new ramen restaurant, an avalanche survivor's recovery, and more.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 4 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧 10 / 9

Tomorrow: 🌧 12 / 8

Thursday: ⛅ 11 / 6

7-day forecast

NEWS

MLAs being sworn in today, after court recount confirmed election results

Following automatic recounts overseen by a BC Supreme Court Judge, the BC NDP win in Surrey–Guildford (now by 22 votes) and the BC Conservative win in Kelowna Centre (now by 40 votes) have been confirmed. These outcomes maintain the NDP's projected seat count of 47, a narrow majority that allows the incumbent party to avoid relying on an agreement with the Greens.

Election process will likely be officially reviewed

This election was the first to use new processes including full electronic tabulation and out-of-riding printouts. These changes made it easier to vote, easier to check votes, and faster to report results. But in what ended up being a very close election, several errors that would normally be small in the grand scheme of things became highly scrutinized. 

Those include a handful of out-of-district votes that were counted but not properly reported until later—including 28 in crucial Surrey-Guildford—and an uncounted ballot box in Prince George-Mackenzie (a landslide Conservative win). 

Premier David Eby is now seeking an all-committee review of the election process; John Rustad wants an external review.  

MLAs become official starting today

Today MLAs from the Greens and Conservatives will be sworn in, followed by NDP MLAs tomorrow. Eby plans to announce and swear in his cabinet next Monday. He is also planning to call a sitting before year's end and is still seeking an MLA from one of the other parties to be Speaker, so as to not diminish the NDP's 47-seat majority. 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

High winds expected tonight.

Rainstorm projected to hit South Coast today through to tomorrow.

Swartz Bay: Noisy overnight work starting today. [6pm-2am]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

UVic rowers 3-peat as national champions

The women's rowing team won at least a silver in all 6 events, and won gold in a down-to-the-wire Lightweight 4+ final race. One of the women in that boat, Sai Sai Flaubert, also won a solo gold in the Lightweight 1x. She was named the sport's Female Athlete of the Year after the regatta.

Jane Gumley gets 4th straight Coach of the Year award

Gumley, a former Team Canada rower, has made the local program consistently Canada’s best ever since taking over in difficult circumstances. She was named the interim, and later permanent, head coach after Olympic medalist Barney Williams resigned after two investigations into multiple rowers’ allegations that his training methods were abusive and reckless.

Fall finale follows summer of success

Gumley and 4 of her Vikes went to the FISU World Rowing Championships this summer, bringing home a pair of medals. 

The biggest rowing splash made by local women this summer, though, was of course the South-Island-trained women’s 8 team winning silver at the Olympics. That includes Vic rowing alum Avalon Wasteneys (Campbell River), Caileigh Filmer (Brentwood Bay), and Sydney Payne (went to Brentwood College in Mill Bay). 

Men’s team misses medal, finishing 4th

Despite being just short of the final podium as a whole, the men did medal in 5 events. Giancarlo DiPompeo led with a sole silver in Lightweight 1x and joined with Louis Ferraro for bronzes in Lightweight 2x and Lightweight 4+. 

SPONSORED BY BUTCHART GARDENS

Magic of Christmas at The Butchart Gardens

Stroll through the Twelve Days of Christmas displays as the Magic of Christmas returns to The Butchart Gardens. Celebrate the season with thousands of twinkling lights, festive greenery, and beautiful displays. With traditional carollers and a festive brass band, there is no shortage of seasonal sounds and holiday cheer!

The Gardens will be open 3:00pm - 9:00pm, with viewing until 10:00pm. Reserve your date and time here.

The Dining Room Restaurant will be open for Holiday High Tea from 2:45pm until 3:30pm and then for dinner from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Reservations are highly recommended. The Blue Poppy Restaurant will be open from 4:00pm – 8:00pm for the Christmas season.

⭐️ Capital Picks

⚓ Tattoos from a sailor: This winter Chinatown's Ophidia Tattoo will add hand-poke specialist Scrimshaw Tattoos, who sails around the coast with a fluffy black-and-white dog in a 1956 wooden sailboat. [Video]

🧛‍♂️ Bram Stoker's birthday was last Friday. Browse the GVPL's vampire book collection here.

🎖 Watch yesterday's Remembrance Day ceremony: 1 hour video via CHEK YouTube.

👩‍⚖️ Get back on the road. The experienced lawyers at Acumen Law Corporation will give you the best legal support for your driving prohibition case.*

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

New ramen restaurant-in-a-restaurant becomes permanent
Raku Ramen has been doing pop-ups in Fudo Japanese Restaurant at Broadmead mall all fall. It's now staying, thanks to diner feedback. The chefs there are serving traditional Japanese hand-crafted ramen with broths simmered 8 hours. [Tasting Victoria]

Avalanche survivor walking & working again, 8 months after being buried alive 
Nanaimo snowmobiler Dave Loiselle, 33, suffered broken bones, a punctured lung, and nerve damage in a March avalanche at Mount Adrian. Now recovered, he wants other backcountry enthusiasts to learn how an avalanche pack and training saved him. [CHEK]

US will expand Surrey-Blaine border crossing by fall 2026 
At the busy Pacific Highway crossing—which Islanders often take if they route via the mainland rather than Coho or Clipper—upgrades will cost $46M CAD and will add 4 passenger lanes. [Vancouver Sun]

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🗓️ Things to do

📑 Bruno Feldeisen Bake Off Challenge: Join The Great Canadian Baking Show judge to celebrate the launch of his new book The Bacon, Butter, Bourbon, and Chocolate Cookbook. Bolen Books. Today. 7-8:30pm. [Info]

🖼 Art Gallery Members’ Appreciation Sale begins Wednesday at AGGV and lasts two weeks. [Info]

🎄 Festival of Trees at the Bay Centre: Coming back this year in support of BC Children’s Hospital and showcasing beautifully decorated trees for all to enjoy over the holidays. Bay Centre. Nov. 15-Jan. 5. [Info]

🔬 UVic’s annual Biomedical Engineering & Health Tech Showcase brings together researchers, students, industry, and government agencies to talk about what’s new and exciting in biomedical engineering and healthtech. Nov. 15. 9:30am-4pm. [Info]

🏰 Curiosities of Craigdarroch - The After Hours Tour, covering the darker side of the 19th century, finishes its run this weekend (Fri-Sat., 4-5:30 pm).

👀 In Case You Missed It

Stories of Victoria in wartime: Local letters from the front lines. Gas masks & air raid sirens at home. How a failed local realtor shaped WWI. How a small dog raised spirits—and $300k. [Mon. newsletter]

Sunday news: Victoria’s bill for CFL game. BC's first human H5 bird flu case. New local breakfast restaurant. [Sun. newsletter]

Victoria wants other munis to step up on shelter spaces & Tiny Town. [Sat. newsletter]

Watch for deer at this time of year: Why these early-Nov. days bring risk on the roads. [The Conversation]

 A happy kingfisher perched on a chain. [Photo]

Indigenous Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday. [Short video]

Cowichan-area man found dead after being reported missing Oct. 29, RCMP say. 

Taylor Swift private box tix auction for Victoria Hospitals. [Minimum bid $60K]