Nov 18 - BC cabinet unveiled today

Good morning !

Today we return to the legislature just days after a sombre swearing-in following the death of the NDP's longest-serving premier John Horgan. Today we learn which Island MLAs will lead ministries.

That information will emerge later in the day, but we have a preview of the factors at play and several other stories including Langford's big decision on the Westhills Y and predictions of a major storm this week.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 8 / 3

Tomorrow: 🌧 8 / 6

Wednesday: 🌧 10 / 5

7-day forecast

NEWS

BC cabinet will be named today

Premier David Eby is expected to focus on “kitchen table” issues such as affordability and healthcare after a narrow election last month. Compared to two years ago, he will have fewer people to choose from and pressure and a reduced presence in the North and Interior—just 5 seats outside the Island and Metro Van—incentivizing the party to make sure those areas are represented. 

Canadian Press also reports that Eby will move away from his reliance on special advisors. Those advisors, including former Victoria mayor Lisa Helps, concentrated power, or at least governmental vision, in the premier's office (rather than individual ministries) more so than has typically been the case. 

Ministry mandates delayed until governing deal 

Insider Rob Shaw reports that ministers named today won't get the usual mandate letters from the premier, instead receiving “appointment letters” as placeholders until an increasingly likely agreement is worked out with the Greens.

Although the NDP has a 47 seat majority, the need to nominate a speaker would curtail that power in practice. Ex-BC-United MLAs have not accepted the high-paying but mostly non-partisan role, bringing the NDP back to Green negotiations. A power-sharing deal with the Greens, like the one in 2017, looked necessary when the NDP was projected for 46 seats. But after flipping a 47th in Surrey, an NDP-Green deal could end up less formal and less deferential to the Greens. 

On Island, first-time MLAs could become first-time ministers

In the South Island, the retirements of experienced ministers Rob Fleming and Murray Rankin leave openings in key ministries. Most Island NDP MLAs are newcomers, meaning that the Island will either lose some presence in ministerial positions or will have some first-time ministers. With the NDP losing seat count in 2024 vs. 2020, a larger percentage of its MLAs will need to lead ministries rather than take smaller roles such as parliamentary secretaries—though the government could also cut some smaller ministries. 

Several returning Island MLAs, such as Josie Osborne (energy), Grace Lore (children & family development), and Lana Popham (tourism & culture), seem likely to return to their previous minister roles—though with the most recent agriculture minister losing re-election, Popham could return to that file.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Rainy week, with wind Tuesday-Wednesday. (More on that below)

Emergency alert test across BC on Weds. at 1:55pm. [Info]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Should Langford buy the Y building? City seeks residents' input

Today marks the first of at least two council meetings at which the City of Langford seeks public input on whether to buy the Y. More specifically, it says it has received an offer to buy the Westhills Aquatic Centre in which the YM/YWCA is housed.

The city says that buying the building would require a 1.75% tax increase from 2025 to 2028, but would save millions on the current lease and a future lease. Langford is currently on the hook for many of the Y's costs even as a non-owner, due to the tripartite deal signed for the $30M facility between the city, Y, and developer Westhills in 2013.

City already spending on facility 

For instance, the city already expects to cover the estimated $14.8M in building lifecycle costs over the 17 years remaining on the deal. It would also be on the hook for the lease if the Y, which says it has lost $10M at the site over the past decade, defaults.

Last spring, Langford increased its annual subsidy to the Y after the organization said that it was losing too much money with diminished membership and Westhills requiring it to start paying partially deferred back-rent from the early pandemic period.

Downtown location also still awaits its fate

At that time, the overarching Y board had voted to terminate operations at Westhills if the city didn't increase support. There was still $8.4M left from selling the downtown site (which the Y now leases back). But the board was unwilling to spend any more of it on propping up the Westshore location, especially with no long-term downtown location yet invested in.

The downtown lease lasts until 2025, and there has been no update for a year about a future home for the Y.

Read more at The Westshore.

NEWS

Winds could hit 100km/h as “bomb cyclone” brushes Island

Tuesday evening through Wednesday could see intense storms that knock out power and ferry service, Weather Network meteorologists are warning. 

A weather system out in the Pacific is expected to undergo “bombogenesis”—meaning a rapid drop in pressure in the centre of a mid-latitude cyclone, leading to severe winds and rains. BC will avoid most of the storm but will be lashed by its edges, weather experts say.

That could lead to plenty of snow at high elevations and plenty of rain on the Island's west coast—up to 100mm, the Weather Network says, though Victoria is slated to get only 10mm. Waves could also be high, due to the winds coinciding with king tide. 

Several noteworthy storms this fall

A month ago, the atmospheric river on election weekend caused over $100M in insurance claims alone and killed two locals when the highway flooded near Port Renfrew. Then, earlier this month, tens of thousands of South Islanders were left without power due to storm weather.

Local photographers such as James MacDonald captured powerful waves at Ogden Point during that early-Nov. storm, spraying up onto Dallas Road and forming interesting shapes off the coast.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🌊 A huge skate (the animal, not the footwear) found washed up on a Tofino beach. [Facebook photo]

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🎉 Victoria’s festival project grant: Applications now open.

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🗞️ In Other News

Driver found guilty of driving at pro-Palestine protesters 
Christopher Sura Johnson was found guilty of dangerous driving and assault after swerving at a man in a high-vis vest near the legislature last Dec., in an incident caught on videos. The judge clarified that Johnson was not on trial for poor anger management, racism, or bullying, but found that some such actions spoke to his intent—for example, because he stereotyped the man he nearly hit as a soccer player who could dodge the car. [Times Colonist]

Victoria man who contracted Chikungunya glad to see vaccine finally available 
After getting the mosquito-borne condition in Mexico, his joints were in pain for months—and may still be feeling its effects. Canada is now the second country to approve a vaccine against it. [VicNews]

Industrial relations hearing on BC port dispute today 
Port operations resumed late last week after the federal government ordered the BC Maritime Employers’ Association to end its lockout of 700 foremen. [CBC] Those unionized workers had voted for limited job action, such as no overtime. Last week Capital Daily covered the causes, and effects, of the labour dispute.

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🗓️ Things to do

🎞️ Karuara, People of the River: Peruvian film with a UVic connection. [Tonight at Cinecenta]

🧵 4th Annual Diverse Threads Art Show & Sale: Unique handmade items from 6 fibre artists, a photographer, & a potter. ArtSea Gallery Tulista Park in Sidney. Nov 15-21, 10am-4pm daily.

🤶 Jann Arden Christmas: Alberta’s own Jann Arden puts her unique spin on the holiday classics. 7:30pm Tuesday at the Royal Theatre.

🧠 The Psychology of Serial Killers: A 90-minute masterclass with Dr. Rachel Toles, true crime’s preeminent psychologist, on what makes a serial killer and why they commit such horrific crimes. Tomorrow 7:30pm at Charlie White Theatre in Sidney.

👀 In Case You Missed It

How a river became a person in a groundbreaking environmental case, with a little help from UVic's Environmental Law Centre. [Capital Daily]

Sun. news: Stanley Cup coming to Vic. Bolen Books co-founder dies. Trial closes in case of alleged massage gropings. [Nov. 17]

Sat. news: City strives to keep concerts at Quadratic Sound. Local companies win Ecostar sustainability awards. [Nov. 16]

Make sure to check your smoke detectors this month, local fire crews remind public.

Massive mushroom found in Langford backyard. [Facebook photo]

November full moon rises over Weir’s Beach. [Instagram photo]

Hiker frees Roosevelt elk tangled in parachute and stuck to tree. [Ha-Shilth-Sa]

Argos win 111th Grey Cup, 41-24 over Winnipeg, with a cameo by Prince Harry.