Fri. June 2 - Two local mayors face off for charity

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

We’ve got a little update on the Murdock vs. Murdoch mayors’ battle in today’s newsletter. The winning mayor will be announced on Sunday ahead of the floating teacup race.

NEWS

Oak Bay and Saanich mayors face off to raise funds for prosthetic charity

Six weeks ago Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch and Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock announced they were competing to raise funds for the Victoria Hand Project, and the culmination of that competition will be this weekend at the Oak Bay Tea Party.

The mayors are fundraising for a project called Hands for Ukraine and the mayor who raises the least funds in the Murdoch vs. Murdock competition will wear a prosthetic arm during the Oak Bay Tea Party’s Mayor's Floating Teacup Race this Sunday at Willows Beach. Racers will row in large fibreglass teacups, propelling themselves with mismatched oars.

The mayors’ competition has raised over $21K so far for the fundraising campaign, but we have yet to find out which mayor is in the lead in fundraising efforts.

The Victoria Hand Project is a UVic charity and non-profit that creates 3D printed prosthetics. The campaign seeks to raise $200K to support prosthetic clinics in Ukraine by providing training and 3D printing equipment to cover prosthetic care for 100 amputees. So far, it has raised more than $160K.

The Victoria Hand Project conducted initial training in Lviv and Vinnytsia earlier this year, providing five Ukrainian amputees with new prosthetic hands. The funds raised by this campaign will allow the charity to return to Ukraine and continue this work.

The Oak Bay Tea Party, June 2-4, is a community event and fundraiser that will also include activities such as a parade, a carnival, and live music. Amusement park rides will be operating Friday, 4-10pm. Food tents will offer up delicious snacks like corn on the cob, barbecued roast beef, and a pancake breakfast.

By Sarah Madsen

Capital Bulletin

🌤️ Today’s weather: Mainly sunny. High 21C / low 9C.

🧾 BC’s Budget 2024: Submit recommendations for the upcoming budget before June 16.

🔥 Sayward wildfire update: The fire continues to spread as wildfire crews take efforts to suppress it.

🌊 Inner Harbour’s floating sauna opens: The HAVN barge was approved this January and could be part of a broader reimagining of Ship Point.

NEWS

Royal Roads is revitalizing its gardens

Long known for its beautiful gardens and historical architecture, Royal Roads University has made a commitment to refresh and renew its facilities—a reality that is now possible with the campaign, A Vision in Bloom.

On May 30, the university held an event and announced a $196,000 donation to the campaign from TD bank, something the university’s president Philip Steenkamp says is a gracious and exciting opportunity.

“The fundraising campaign was an initiative created to support all the work we are doing in the gardens, which was the focus of the announcement,” says Steenkamp. “Whether the support comes in the form of money, whether it's [people visiting], it's all equally valued.”

The gardens are an opportunity for both learning and research space, allowing students, faculty, and local members to become more educated in agriculture, history, and community.

The goals of the campaign are to:

• Further tackle food insecurity and biodiversity through the kitchen and farm garden

• Restore and share cultural heritage through the Japanese tea gardens

• Act on reconciliation through the preservation and acknowledgement of Indigenous history

Read the full story on The Westshore.

SPONSORED BY DANCE VICTORIA

Dance Victoria 23/24 Season subscriptions now on sale

Bold. Breathtaking. Boundless.

Save up to $146 off regular prices with a Dance at the Royal Series subscription to The World’s Best Dance featuring Gibney Company (New York, US), Compagnie Hervé KOUBI (France/Algiers), Nrityagram Dance Ensemble (India) in collaboration with Chritrasena Dance Company (Sri Lanka), and Ballets Jazz Montréal (Canada).

Subscribers save on additional special presentations: Ukrainian Shumka Dancers in Nutcracker (Edmonton/Ukraine); Circa (Australia); and contemporary Indigenous Māori troupe, Ōkāreka Dance Company (New Zealand). Subscribers also receive additional benefits.

Visit DanceVictoria.com or call the Royal Box Office at 250-386-6121.

Capital Picks

🏀 Rim-to-Rim: Watch Canada vs. Japan play at Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena. [Tickets]

⚾ HarbourCats home opener: Watch our home team take on the Kamloops NorthPaws in their home opener for the season. Tickets start at $16 and the event kicks off at 6:35pm. [Tickets]

🏡 Open Houses: Casually browse for your next home. View all the open houses scheduled for this weekend.*

📱 Discover Tectoria: Learn about the burgeoning ocean economy with Victoria Tech Journal from 10:15 to 11am. [Details]

🚲 Lunchtime Celebration Station: As part of Go By Bike Week, enjoy smoothies, games, and prizes at Blanshard and Courtney today, 11:30am-1:30pm. [Details]

🤝 Now hiring: Content Designer at Affirm.

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In Other News

🏥 BC announces improved mental health and anti-racism supports for nurses
The Ministry of Health has given Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC) a one time grant of $500K to improve virtual mental-health services and a $275K grant to improve culturally safe care and formalize Indigenous nursing leadership. Mental health supports will include a 24/7 crisis-support hotline and self-guided support options. NNPBC will work with Indigenous nursing leaders to ensure that anti-racism work is led by Indigenous nurses. Capital Daily reported last month on the ongoing daily challenges that nurses face in an overwhelmed health-care system.

🏢 Victoria mortgage broker’s licence suspended, multiple lawsuits launched by investors
The BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) says that Gregory Martel can no longer practice as a mortgage broker, after it determined that Martel’s business was “prejudicial to public interest.” Capital Daily reported last month that Martel’s company My Mortgage Auction Corp. was placed under receivership and that Martel had denied claims that his business operated as a Ponzi scheme.

In Case You Missed It

📰 Thursday’s newsletter: VisionZero grants aim to create safer roads and crosswalks, new community safety plan proposed, woman arrested for Sooke fires, and more. [June 1]

💻 Tired of sneaky internet providers with confusing contracts and surprise price hikes? oxio's got your back with transparent pricing, no contracts, and a free month using code CAPITALDAILY.*

🌿 Cascadia Seaweed receives $1.5M: The funding will support the development of climate-focused farming solutions and restoration of marine ecosystems. [Victoria Tech Journal]

*Sponsored Listing

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