Good morning {{First name}}!

Looks like the rough weather has passed for us here on the southern part of the Island. Expect cloudy skies, little or no rain, and fairly light winds for the next couple of days.

We escaped what our friends up-Island didn’t: heavy rain and rising floodwaters. Our pals at CHEK News paint a picture of sandbags and stress for people near Port Alberni.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

Today: 🌥️ 13 / 11

Tomorrow: ☁️ 15 / 10

Saturday: 🌦️ 12 / 10

7-day forecast

The carved log sign that greets hikers and outdoor enthusiasts at Thetis Lake Regional Park is back, restored, and freshly painted—preserving a four-decade legacy. 

The late master carver Peter Martineau created the sign more than 40 years ago, and on Tuesday, his family attended an unveiling ceremony celebrating its restoration.

“We would like to express our deep gratitude to the CRD for their huge efforts to restore this local landmark that was hand-carved on site in the 1980s by our late father,” the family said in a statement. 

The sign was first installed in 1984, when the City of Victoria owned the park. Decades of sun, rain, and wind took their toll, and the log had extensive rot and insect damage.

The CRD—which acquired the park in 1993—said it considered replacing the sign but decided to preserve it after seeing “strong community support for retaining the original carving.”

Over the last several weeks, CRD Regional Parks staff removed major surface rot and sandblasted the log. They inserted borate rods to help slow future decay and added several coats of paint.

The upper portion of the sign, which was added later, was recreated and installed.

“We were touched by the outpouring of community sentiment and support to keep the Thetis Lake sign, and we’re so happy this iconic piece will live on,” the family added.

Road closure: Richmond at Fort will be closed until next Tuesday. [7am-5pm]

Saanich single-lane alternating traffic on Hartland at Tod Creek until Nov. 16, 7am-4pm.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

On the water today? Check the tide times for Victoria.

In the first nine months of the year, 232 Islanders have died from suspected illicit drug poisoning, according to preliminary data from the BC Coroners Service (BCCS).

Eighty-eight of those deaths occurred on the South Island, 115 on the Central Island, and 29 on the North Island.

In September, 27 people on the Island lost their lives to toxic drugs, including nine in Greater Victoria. Island Health continued to have the second-highest rate of such deaths in the province, at 33.7 per 100K people. Northern Health had the highest at 43.4 per 100K. 

Across BC, 133 people died from toxic drugs in September, bringing the total number of toxic drug deaths this year to 1,143.

So far this year, 78% of unregulated drug-toxicity deaths occurred indoors, including in private residences, social and supportive housing, single-room occupancies, and shelters, while 20% occurred outside.

The majority of deaths (70%) were among people aged 30 to 59, and 76% were male.

This year, fluorofentanyl—a synthetic opioid analogue that can be more than twice as potent as fentanyl—has become the leading substance linked to unregulated drug deaths in BC.

This is the first year since 2015 that fentanyl wasn't among the top three most deadly street drugs.

Leading substances detected in 2026 BC unregulated drug deaths that have undergone expedited toxicology testing

On the Island, detections of fentanyl and its analogues in September were down 16% from August, according to expedited toxicology tests, the BCCS said.

A Victoria dentist with a passion for Christmas markets may just put a smile on your face if you’re trying to navigate the season's myriad yuletide options. 

Every year around this time, Jessica Metcalfe would manually add all the Christmas markets—and this region has many—to her calendar and decide which ones to visit as the dates approached.
For Metcalfe, that wasn’t nearly as much fun as pulling teeth.

“I thought there had to be an easier way,” she says.

So Metcalfe created a web-based app that consolidates Christmas markets and holiday events across Victoria and Vancouver Island.

What started as a personal project quickly became something she shared with friends.

“It was then that I realized this could be a helpful resource for the wider community,” she says.

The Victoria Christmas Market Web-App is now live, and Metcalfe said it already had 710 visits between last Wednesday and yesterday afternoon.

Metcalfe considers it a passion project alongside her busy dental practice.

“So, please continue to check the organizers’ events, but I'll do my best to keep it updated, and if there are any to add, please let me know.”

You can send those updates to: [email protected]

Harold Pinter's Betrayal—widely regarded as one of his best—unfolds in reverse, coolly dissecting a seven-year extramarital affair. 

It opens after the affair has ended, then proceeds to track it from the final breakup to the first kiss. Encountering the aftermath before the initial spark, the audience becomes acutely aware of the fallout from every decision.  

🧵 Atomic Christmas Vintage Fair & Makers Market is tomorrow and Saturday at the Da Vinci Centre.

🧶 Victoria Fall Art, Craft Fair & Festival 2026 is all weekend at RAP.  

😀🥞 Constructing Kindness pancake breakfast and BBQ fundraiser for Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank is Saturday, 9am-1pm at Central Saanich Fire Hall.

🎓 Rhonda N. McEwen sworn in as UVic’s 9th president and vice-chancellor. [UVic]

🎵☀️ Sunfest lineup announced for July 29-Aug.1.

Services held in Greater Victoria and across BC as Canada remembers
Thousands gathered at the legislature on Wednesday—joined by crowds at services in the Westshore and across the CRD and Canada—to mark Remembrance Day and to honour past and current military members. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson was among those who attended the BC legislature ceremony, where Royal Canadian Legion Padre Rev. Andrew Gates delivered a benediction at the Cenotaph as a 21-gun salute echoed in and around the Inner Harbour. [CBC]

Esquimalt first: Canadian navy ship relocates from Atlantic to Pacific
HMCS Robert Hampton Gray on Friday completed the “significant journey,” relocating from the Atlantic Fleet at CFB Halifax to the Pacific’s CFB Esquimalt. The ship is the sixth and final Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel to be built. The icebreaker protects Canadian sovereignty in Arctic waters. Its name honours Navy Lt. Robert Hampton Gray, who died in action just hours before the US dropped a second nuclear bomb on Japan, making him the last Canadian service member to die in the Second World War. [Times Colonist]

4th time a charm for Vikes women's rugby team, Canadian champions 
The UVic women’s rugby team won its first national championship, beating defending champs UBC 17-0 in the U Sports final in Guelph, Ont. After three straight runner-up finishes, the Vikes won thanks to tries from Emily Findlay, Piper Walsh, and Larah Wright. Findlay was named Vikes player of the game and was one of four UVic players selected to the tournament’s all-star team. [CHEK]

🤖 AI in Action: A Discussion Table for Women Leaders & Service Providers. One afternoon to find out where AI fits in your own work. KPMG on View. Today. 1-4:30pm. [Info]

🎶 The Alienation Tour: CHILIØ and Guests: CHILIØ makes its first-ever Victoria stop for a loud, sweaty night of noise with special guests. The Coda. Tonight. 6:30pm. [Info]

🎵 Canadian Beauty: Ragged Glory Neil Young Tribute: Victoria’s Canadian Beauty brings back their annual Neil Young tribute. The Coda. Tomorrow. 6:30pm. [Info] 

🎤 SonReal Live: The Canadian rapper brings his Here Goes Nothing Tour into Victoria’s Capital Ballroom. Tomorrow. 9pm. [Info]

🎸 Supernatural: The Best of Santana: This six-piece band of incredible performers will deliver Santana's hits at The Coda tomorrow. 9pm. [Info]

🧱 Festive Bricks of Giving: Helping to raise funds to feed local students across the CRD. Parkside Hotel. Through Jan. 3. [Info]

🎶 Cecilia: Accordionist Timi Turmel, pianist Erin Leahy, and fiddler Louis Schryer blend Celtic and Québécois tunes with jazz and swing touches. Christian Science Church. Saturday. 7:30pm. [Info]

🏄 Let's Go Surfing: This tribute to The Beach Boys will showcase the band's biggest hits at McPherson Playhouse. Saturday. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎁 Christmas Craft Fair 2026: More than 40 tables of crafters. Emmanuel Baptist Church. Saturday. 9:30am-2pm. [Info]

🧑‍🎄 Snack & Shop: Gigi’s 3rd annual festive event to get you into the spirit with live music, canapés, mulled wine, and 10% off your shopping. 105-5118 Cordova Bay. Nov. 26. 5:30-8pm. [Info]

Tuesday’s headlines: Global warming reaches 1.5C threshold, says UVic study; Postal workers union warns against use of community boxes; Driver fined and banned from roads for 2 years for cyclist's death in 2025 on Quadra. [Nov. 10]

Robbery suspect crosses Gorge on a paddleboard to try to elude Saanich Police. [Times Colonist]

What about BC? Victoria MP Will Greaves calls BC Ferries’ federal funding ‘frustrating.’ [CTV]

$30K in jewelry recovered: was stashed in a bag in the bushes. [CHEK]

Ukrainian memorial for Jesse Adams: The Victoria animal rescuer was honoured in Kharkiv, Ukraine, after he was killed on the front lines. 

Tegan and Sara give Victoria bookstores a shoutout. [Facebook] 

The Harmony Project Sooke online auction is open until tomorrow.

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