Nov 20 - Storm highlights the need for more shelters

Good morning !

You can likely hear it whipping around out there as you read this. A cold-season coastal storm—or bomb cyclone—some 500 kilometres west of the Island is undergoing bombogenesis: the pressure within the storm is falling rapidly and the storm itself is strengthening.

Or you could say it’s windy.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 10 / 7

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 9 / 7

Friday: 🌧️ 10 / 8

7-day forecast

NEWS

Unhoused people most vulnerable to impacts of this bomb cyclone, windy weather

This bomb cyclone—or rapidly intensifying storm—has brought severe winds and rainfall, elements that trigger municipal emergency response protocols to provide safety in the form of shelter for those outside.

Hopefully, that happened last night and will happen again today. Nobody needs to be outdoors when it’s unsafe. But we know there’s a good chance that not everyone in need will find shelter. High demand and low supply will do that.

The Salvation Army is contracted to coordinate these storm-response efforts for the City of Victoria. And it hasn’t been easy finding a spot for everybody. With just a few dozen emergency mats available in the CRD, some individuals were left on waiting lists.

The situation highlights a concern many Victoria city councillors will be talking about this week—Victoria being the so-called “first responder” to so many of the CRD’s challenges.

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

BC Ferries may cancel more sailings. [Check here]

Snow on the Island: North of Campbell River

Gorge East—Balfour to Jutland—down to one lane for construction.

BC emergency alert test today at 1:55pm. [Tested twice annually]

Crystal Pool remains closed except for non-aquatic activities. [Updates here]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

These women will help determine a charity’s future tonight

Tonight, about 60-80 women will have a cocktail at the Uplands Golf Course, draw the names of three local charities from a jar, and within an hour, decide which one of the non-profits will be the recipient of a minimum $20K donation—and with fluctuating and generous membership, it’s pretty much always a lot more.

100+ Women Who Care is a philanthropic organization that for the last decade has generously—and efficiently—given away thousands of dollars to organizations who’ve needed it. It’s an international force with chapters all over the world.

Here in Victoria, 100+ Women Who Care has given to 41 charities—including Dying with Dignity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Victoria chapter of the ALS Society—sending big cheques, usually for at least $25K and often for more than $30K. 

Valerie Foster, the group’s newly installed organizing chair, says members pick out charities to support, with the names of those charities placed into a jar. Three names are randomly drawn and the three people who nominated the charities each speak for five minutes, imploring their contemporaries to choose their selected cause.

“Everything from food to health, to education,” Foster says of the vast array of eligible charities, as long as they’re local and in need. “Whatever our members are most passionate about.” 

Everyone then votes and those secret ballots are tabulated, isolating the winner.
And you just know it’s gotta feel good, picking up the phone and saying, ‘Hey, you guys are getting some bigtime money,’ right?

“It's the best,” Foster tells Capital Daily. “It's the best because since they are all local organizations, they're overwhelmed because, you know, $20K makes a huge difference to a small organization,” she says. “It can mean the difference between getting to continue for another year or not in your endeavours,” Foster says. 

Since its 2014 inception, the Victoria chapter of 100+ Women Who Care has grown to 240+, and while not all can attend each meeting, members ensure their cheques or e-payments make it to the lump sum that goes to the winning charity.

The group does this four times a year, including tonight, each donating $400 in total and are provided tax receipts.

You can donate also.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

💎 Victoria Gem Show: [Fri.-Sun. Pearkes Rec. Centre]

🌊 Enjoy the flexibility to earn overnight rental income when you’re away. Explore SookePoint, a world-class destination resort with new units now available for pre-purchase.*

🦅 🦅 Battle of the birds: A golfer in Oak Bay stumbled across two eagles in a grisly fight. [Facebook video]

🛍 Shop local this holiday season! Enjoy free parking at downtown parkades this Saturday, courtesy of the Downtown Victoria Business Association. Find out more.*

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🗞️ In Other News

Windy: BC Ferries cancels sailings, likely more today, too
Saying it “anticipated adverse weather conditions,” early yesterday, BC Ferries cancelled last night’s 7pm and 9pm sailings to and from Vancouver, a pair of sailings between Vic and Nanaimo, and several others on other routes. With the storm expected to stick around for much of today, more travel could be affected. Check here to see whether your sailing was scrubbed. [CHEK]

Man found dead in Oak Bay waters over the weekend
People on a civilian vessel retrieved the unresponsive man from the water near Willows Beach on Sat. afternoon and brought him to Oak Bay Marina where paramedics took over but were unable to revive him. No other information has been made available. [Oak Bay News]

Mental-health assessment ordered for accused in Saanich murder
Scott Matheson is on trial for second-degree murder for attacking Robert Dobronay, his friend’s neighbour, in 2021 because he believed Dobronay was poisoning him with fumes through their shared wall. Matheson allegedly had made troubling comments about demons and God the night before the attack and had consumed crystal meth with his friend. Days later, his sister claims he told her he had possibly beaten a man to death. Matheson has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer has submitted a request for a mental-health assessment. [Saanich News] 

Bears leave Sooke tree, conservation officers worried about them in storm
Their mother killed by a car, three recently orphaned black bear cubs took cover in a tree on Mon., but yesterday, they climbed down and haven’t been seen. With winds as high as 100 km/hr expected, the BC Conservation Office wants to move the bears—thought to be six to eight months old—into a rehab centre in Errington, just past Nanaimo. It’s asking only for real-time sightings to be reported to the RAPP line (1-877-952-7277) or for those who spot the animals to contact Wild Wise on Facebook. [Times Colonist]

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🗓️ Things to do

🫚🍞 16th Annual Gingerbread Showcase: 20K+ attend Habitat Victoria’s premier fundraising event and vote for their faves. Hotel Grand Pacific. Fri.—Jan. 5. [Info]

🎭 A Spoon Full of Sugar: Performance by Holly Timpener. Using performance to explore their identity and societal connections, they address themes of gender, intimacy, trauma, and the body, emphasizing trust, power, control, and resistance. Spencer Mansion, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Sat. 10am-5pm. [Info]

🎄NOL: Night of Lights at Hillside Shopping Centre. When you purchase a $5 ticket you’ll experience an evening of shopping, entertainment, appetizers, and the chance to win fabulous door prizes including a $1K shopping spree. Hillside. Sun. 6-9:30 pm. [Info]

🎉 Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce: Marketplace Mixer. As you explore booths, you’ll have the opportunity to connect, learn, and even take some goodies home with you. Songhees Wellness Centre. Tomorrow. 4-7pm. [Info]

🥃 Whisky Showcase: Discover brand-new whiskies and the occasional old favourite with a room filled with friendly faces. Maple Room. Strathcona Hotel. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

💰 100+ Women Who Care: Pitches about three charities will be heard, and the women—each donating $100—will decide which to support. Uplands Golf Club. Tonight. 6-8pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: UVic digitizes its transgender archives; Overdose prevention site pops up at the Jube; CRD seeks new destinations for biosolids; And more. [Nov. 19]

They swear: BC’s new cabinet ministers take oaths. [Capital Daily]

How to be Swift about concert ticket scams. [Vancouver Sun]

Get rid of mini-bottles, cleanup group Surfrider says. [CHEK]

Missing Westshore teen located. [RCMP]

Hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, hands, off her: Octopuses duke it out for mate’s attention. [Facebook video]

Free appy with your ramen until Nov. 30 at the newly opened Raku Ramen at Broadmead. [Tasting Victoria]

That’s it!

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