Oct 10 - Underwater robot making maiden voyage near Island

Good morning !

This morning we tell you about a cool new piece of equipment that is helping to maintain a network of undersea cables that could save your life.

Exactly two-thirds of respondents to yesterday’s poll—66.6%—said they watched at least some of Tues. night’s televised leaders debate. Our second story is about a strange development from that debate.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 15 / 8 

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 15 / 9

Saturday: ☀️16 / 10

7-day forecast

NEWS

Canada’s new deep-sea droid makes a cable check on our coast

There’s a series of underwater cables along our coastline—hundreds of kilometres of subsea fibre-optic cables providing power and internet connectivity to thousands of sensors that continuously send data on everything from the ocean’s temperatures, salinity, and nutrient composition to the presence of teeny zooplankton and very big whales.

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is based at and owned by UVic and its raison d'etre is to provide ocean intelligence to scientists, government, and various geological and environmental organizations.

Live data from its seafloor sensor network—located near the seismically active Cascadia Subduction Zone—could give us a 58-second warning before an earthquake rocks our world. That minute, minus two seconds, could be the difference between life and death for tens of thousands of British Columbians.

So, you bet those cables and sensors have to be checked for maintenance.

That’s where Jenny comes in.

Jenny is an $8M remotely operated vehicle (ROV), one of only two in existence that can work six kilometres under the surface of the sea.

Jenny’s on her first mission.  

Read more about Jenny here.

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NEWS

Conservatives’ John Rustad adjusts story about seeing overdose death

The BC Coroners Service says it has no record of a drug overdose death in downtown Vancouver where the Tory party leader said he saw a man die.

"I was on my way over here, and on the corner of Robson and Hornby, there was an individual who died, and there was emergency people rushing [around],” Rustad told his opponents and viewers of Tues. night’s provincial party leaders’ TV debate.

“This person died from an overdose. This is the British Columbia that David Eby has created."

If someone died of an overdose on the corner of Robson and Hornby late Tues. afternoon, the people who would know about it don’t know about it.

“The BC Coroners Service is not investigating a death at this location that occurred yesterday afternoon or evening,” a BC Coroners Service spokesperson tells Capital Daily.

The service also told CBC if first responders were at the scene of a person’s death "a coroner would be called,” and if first responders managed to resuscitate someone only to have that person die in hospital, again the coroner’s service would be notified.

CBC also reports BC’s EHS has “no records of any patient events” Tues. at that intersection "or on the blocks immediately adjacent to that intersection."

Rustad changed his story yesterday, saying he saw an overdose but it was at a different location, and the person did not die.

"From a distance, I saw someone who was unresponsive being resuscitated by medical professionals on my way to the debate," said Rustad, as quoted by CBC.

"I am overjoyed to have been told that the individual, who I had been told had overdosed, survived thanks to the heroic efforts of our first responders."

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🏒 🍺 Phillips Brewing to open new craft beer bar at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

🚢 Final week of From Alaska at the Belfry Theatre. The show closes on Sunday. Pay-what-you-want tickets are available for all performances.*

🍫🪙🧑‍🎤 Golden ticket: Oh Sugar is releasing limited edition ‘Swiftie Bars’ for a chance at VIP tix to see Taylor Swift in Van.

🎉 Early Bird tickets to IGNITE! A Dance Victoria Launch Party, are on sale until Oct 15. Support local arts on Nov 2 at Luxe Home Interiors.*

🤝 Now hiring: Enhanced Executive Support Analyst (Full time, Victoria) at ISM.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Oak Bay Lodge 2.0? NDP promises new seniors care facility
And it would be right where the old Oak Bay Lodge once stood on Cadboro Bay. It had 235 rooms and served seniors for 50 years, but was determined to be past its useful life and was levelled in 2022. If re-elected, the NDP said it would work with Island Health to determine services, “starting with primary care, and will then work with the health authority and community to explore long-term care and assisted living options." [Oak Bay News] 

Ways to vote ahead of the provincial election date
Oct.19 is next Sat., and that’s when the voting places are usually bustling, which often leads to an outdoor wait. To avoid the ballot box waiting blues, voters can get a leg up to register who they want in the leg. by voting at any of the eight district electoral offices in the CRD. Alternatively, advance polls open today and except Oct. 14 for Thanksgiving, remain open until Oct.16. 

Saanich: residents to pay more for garbage pickup
More recycling, less trash on the curb. That’s the idea, and on Mon., Saanich’s council agreed to freeze the cost of picking up organics and at the same time, raise the rate residents pay to have their garbage picked up over the next decade. No word on how much it’ll go up but the goal is to have organics cost half what it costs to pick up the trash. [CHEK]

🗓️ Things to do

🕯️ Candlelight Halloween: Best Horror Movie Soundtracks. A multi-sensory musical experience. St. Ann's Academy. Tomorrow. 9pm. [Info]

🕺Menopause the Musical: A musical parody set to classic tunes from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. McPherson Playhouse. Tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info].

🍂 Harvest Party at Blue Grouse Winery: Celebrate the season with an autumnal evening filled with food, wine pairings, and lively folk music. Today. 5:30pm. [Info]

🎺 Island Ska Thanksgiving Special: Join the Victoria Ska and Reggae Society for a night of music at Lucky Bar. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🧟 Welcome to the Creepshow: A Halloween Burlesque & Drag Spectacle: Step right up to a spine-tingling spectacle. Victoria Event Centre. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

😱 CarnEVIL 2024 at Galey Farms: A PG-13 haunted house experience, featuring 6K+ square feet of terrifying thrills. Tonight. 7-9:30pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Clear sailing for BC Transit commuters straight to Campbell River; Goldfish removal going on there, too; Dump truck collision causes TCH traffic snarls; And more. [Oct. 9]  

Provincial party leaders square off in lone televised election debate. [Capital Daily]

Something’s missing here: Sidney’s Mermaid Creek Salt Marsh. [Capital Daily]

CHEK anchor wins Taylor Swift golden ticket live on-air. [CHEK]

50/50 Raffle: Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island. [Info]

Caterpillar in a plaid suit. [Facebook photos]

That’s it!

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