Oct 13 - The world's best wildlife photo

Good morning !

Thanks for all of your aurora photos, and keep them coming—we'll publish a few on Monday or Tuesday. Today, though, we focus on some other gorgeous Island photography: A fascinating wildlife snapshot that was just named the best in the world.

More on that, and on a local sports success and an election-campaign bomb threat, below.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 17 / 10 

Tomorrow: 🌧 14 / 10

Tuesday: ☁️ 15 / 11 

NEWS

Island image wins international Wildlife Photographer of the Year crown

The London-based Natural History Museum has chosen a shot by Nanaimo's Shane Gross, a professional marine conservation photographer, as 2024's top wildlife photo in the world. His “The swarm of life” won the 2024 Grand Title over 59,228 other entries from 117 countries.

Taken in Cedar Lake, near Campbell River, the underwater image captures the tiny daily migration of hundreds of western toad tadpoles as they swim up from the depths to feed in the shallows. The daily gauntlet of predators and challenges means that 99% of them won't survive the 4-12 weeks it takes to become toads. Cedar Lake’s tadpole journey was also featured on Our Planet II last summer.

To get the shot, Gross snorkelled in the lake for several hours, following lilypad trails made by beavers so that he wouldn't disturb silt and algae from the bottom that would obscure the shot. 

Contest jury chair Kathy Moran said the image captured light, energy, and the connection between the species and environment. She added that the contest has also tried to highlight “environments and species that are often overlooked yet provoke the same wonder and delight when shared as the more typically photographed wildlife and wild places.”

Gross also won an Underwater Photographer of the Year award

He won the Macro category last year for another underwater-life-cycle photo, this one taken off the coast of the Island. It depicts strange deep-water plainfin midshipman fish, whose males sing to females in hopes of bring rewarded with eggs to fertilize—if someone else doesn't get to them first. 

On display at RBCM in new year

The dozens of Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalists will appear at Victoria’s Royal BC Museum next spring, as they do every spring in between major exhibits. This 60th-anniversary edition will run Feb 14 - April 27.

See more of the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year images.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Advance voting available today, but not holiday Monday. Find your nearest location here.

Royal Victoria Marathon weekend road closures today.

Ferries: Expect high volumes on long-weekend sailings. Off-peak and walk-on travel advised. 

Rain expected for most of week, except today & Thursday.

Downtown bike valet open on long weekend: 10am-7pm today and 10am-5pm tomorrow.

NEWS

Westshore Rebels headed back to BCFC championship game after narrow playoff win

It was a clear blue afternoon yesterday in Langley, but the Westshore Rebels rained on the home team’s parade. The Rams (7-3) were well-positioned to win the BCFC semifinal game: they had home field, the better record, and wins over Westshore in both regular-season meetings—both of those in the last month, to boot.

The Rebels (5-5), meanwhile, were in rough position. The defending BCFC champs had gone undefeated last year and then started this season well but finished it by losing 4 consecutive games. In those games they mustered just 44 points combined after averaging nearly 43 per game earlier in the season. 

Rebel redemption with 25-21 win

Yesterday, though, Greater Victoria's BCFC team shed those struggles and gutted out a close victory. Rebels went up 14-0 but the home field Rams narrowed it to 17-14 by half. The Westshore then went scoreless in the 3rd quarter as the Rams rose to 21 points. 

Entering the final frame, the season hung in the balance. But the Rebels scored a crucial touchdown after forcing Langley into an interception with about 7 minutes left. They then kept the Rams out of the Rebel endzone until the closing minutes, then brought Langley down in its own endzone after a kick. That granted the Rebels an extra point and a 25-21 lead that kept them safe from a (3-point) field goal and forced Langley to play desperately—and unsuccessfully—for a touchdown.

The local team celebrated with a customary Gatorade dump as the sun set on the Langley day—and the Langley football season. 

Watch the full game below:

Rebels next play in the Cullen Cup

It will be at Kelowna's Apple Bowl stadium this coming Saturday. The undefeated Okanagan Sun advanced easily yesterday with a 50-19 beatdown of the #4 Huskers. They will be favoured to avenge last year's Cullen Cup loss to the Rebels and to advance again to the national cup, which they won in 2022.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🥡 5 spots to try at the Victoria Public Market. [Tasting Victoria]

📰 Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

🎭 Don’t miss Pacific Opera Victoria’s production of Mozart’s, La clemenza di Tito, at the Royal Theatre Oct 16-22. Tickets from $35 are on sale now.*

🤝 Now hiring: Enhanced Executive Support Analyst at ISM.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Campbell River NDP office evacuated after bomb threat
The party said a campaign manager received the threat while at the office on Friday, alerted police, and was advised to temporarily evacuate the building. Incumbent premier and party leader David Eby was campaigning on the Island at the time, but was not at that office. [CP]

Dog found alive, 13 days after fatal crash into lake
Campbell River seniors mourning their son Ian Breland, 52, have a part of him back—as his friend puts it—after dog Sadie was found by campers. She swam across the lake from the crash site with a broken leg, which was later amputated. Staff at Tsolum Veterinary Hospital refused to charge, and slept on the floor to watch over Sadie’s recovery. [Times Colonist]

North Cowichan will finally get its own mailing address in 2025
The municipality was incorporated 151 years ago, but city officials say Canada Post had long denied requests for a mail listing separate from Duncan—until now. [CHEK]

Walk to Cordova Bay Elementary getting too risky, some parents say 
Coming from one side involves a crosswalk-less road busy with cars, and the opposite side often involves a newly stop-sign-less stretch of Lochside. Raised nearby crosswalks are to get underway in 2025, and several Lochside improvements are being planned, but petitioners want an interim solution. The mayor says the removed stop signs could return. [Saanich News]

🗓️ Things to do

🐐 Beacon Hill Children’s Farm’s last day of the season is tomorrow. Entry by donation. Hours 10am-4pm. Goat stampedes at opening and closing time.

🎃 Pumpkin Festival in Langford: Pumpkins, gourds, arts and crafts, and a mini market with fresh produce. Lohbrunner farm, 10am-4pm and again next weekend. [Info]

👻 Halloween Stories & Scavenger Hunt: An interactive and family-friendly tale of past and present Halloween traditions. Merridale Cidery and Distillery. 12pm & 2pm. [Info]

🇨🇴 Colombian Rumba Thanksgiving & Halloween Party: A 19+ costume & dance party. 9pm today at the soon-to-depart VEC. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Knife-throwing local barber comes within a hair of a win at US competition. Plus: Local school enrolment growing. Busy long weekend with one ferry out of service. [Oct 12]

Friday news: Changing local ridings. Pharmacare, free contraception bill passes. Sooke Tesla investor says he lost $415M. [Oct. 11]

A bookstore wedding at Russell Books [Photos]

Great white shark washes up on BC beach [Photos]