Good morning {{First name}}!

Have you decided who you’re going to vote for?
Tomorrow is the municipal vote—and don’t forget the question on Victoria-Saanich amalgamation—to be followed next Saturday by the provincial vote.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: 🌦️ 19 / 9

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 17 / 8

Sunday: 🌤️ 14 / 8

7-day forecast

Finding a place to rent that allows pets is challenging in Greater Victoria and throughout the province—and a week ahead of the provincial election, the BC SPCA is encouraging voters to speak up for pet-friendly housing.

“Pets are family, and it’s time BC’s housing legislation recognized it,” the nonprofit says on its website.

The BC SPCA says pet restrictions in rentals and strata make systemic housing barriers even more challenging. 

“They force people to make the heartbreaking choice between a member of their family and a roof over their head.”

The BC SPCA has launched a campaign to help British Columbians urge their candidates to commit to increasing access to pet-friendly housing ahead of the Oct. 24 vote.   

“Pets reduce loneliness and help people make important social connections,” Sarah Herring, the BC SPCA’s senior officer for government relations, said in a release. 

No one should have to give up their pets to find a place to live or face an unsafe situation to keep their family together, the group says.

No doubt some of the 100 or so animals—including cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds—in BC SPCA care awaiting adoption were surrendered because their humans couldn’t find a pet-friendly place to rent. Many have been in BC SPCA care for more than 100 days. The organization said there is a higher number of animals in need than last year during the same period, particularly for kittens and puppies.

• Interested in adopting? View available animals at adopt.spca.bc.ca 

Boil Water Advisory for the Wilderness Mountain Water System in East Sooke. 

Saanich road closures:
• Judah at Carey, 24 hours, through Oct. 30
• Wascana between Burnside West and Maddock West, 8am-3pm, through Oct. 23
• Piedmont between Del Monte and Santa Clara, 8am-4pm, through Nov. 30

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.
On the water today? Check the tide times for Victoria.

We’ll see higher-than-normal sea levels along parts of BC’s coast later this month when a behemoth underwater wave arrives.

It’s not a tsunami, and we’re not suggesting you make a beeline to higher ground at PKOLS—but there could be flooding along some coastlines. 

“While significant impacts aren't currently expected, elevated sea levels can increase the effects of high tides, storm surges, and coastal flooding,” PreparedBC, the province’s emergency preparedness program, said in a social media post.

It’s called a Kelvin wave—a large movement of warm water that can temporarily raise sea levels by as much as a foot. These bulges of water can span hundreds of kilometres. They raise sea temperatures and push down colder water, which impacts marine wildlife. As a PBS report points out, they also erode beaches, sweeping sand and sediment out to sea. It’s happening in real time along the California coastline. 

This year’s El Niño conditions are creating a series of these waves that will pass through this month and into early next year.

“The normal trade winds that blow around Indonesia east to west are temporarily interrupted, perhaps by a cyclone or some other phenomenon, and that launches one of these Kelvin waves,” Bill Merryfield, a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told CHEK News. 

“When this pulse of elevated sea level gets to South America, it doesn’t have anywhere east to go, so it starts spreading up and down the coast of the Americas,” Merryfield said.

The coastally trapped wave is headed toward the BC coastline, covering roughly 250 km a day. It will take a few weeks to arrive. 

The waves are stealthy—one inconspicuously passed through in June—and pose a threat when combined with stormy weather. The wave boosts high tides, allowing them to slam farther inland and cause erosion and potential flooding.

PreparedBC said if you live, work, or spend time near the coast, “now is a good time to review your emergency plan, prepare a grab-and-go bag, and familiarize yourself with local evacuation routes and nearby high-ground areas.”

This story ran for our Insiders on Oct. 11. Consider becoming an Insider today and be the first to receive stories every Sunday.

Thanks to the incredible efforts of the PHS Run Team and their generous supporters, they raised more than $34,000 through the Under Armour Eastside 10K in support of PHS's Vancouver Food Program Expansion Project. 

Today, PHS produces more than 3,900 nutritious meals every day from their Vancouver kitchen originally designed for just 200 meals daily.

To meet the demand, they're working to relocate to a dedicated commercial production facility and raise more than $2.1 million needed for seismic, building, and operational upgrades. 

This facility will increase meal production and help ensure reliable access to ready-made meals for thousands of people experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and complex health challenges, many of whom lack access to kitchens or adequate food storage.

Help PHS reach their goal.

☑ Saanich Mayoral Debate on CFAX.

☑ Victoria Mayoral Debate on CFAX.

☑ Langford Mayoral Debate on CFAX.

☑ Colwood Mayoral Debate on CFAX.

☑ Oak Bay Mayoral Debate on CFAX.

☑ View Royal Mayoral Debate on CFAX

📋 Seniors and their families are using this readiness organizer to help keep daily life going when someone needs to step in at short notice.*

🏠 Victoria Fall Home Show starts today and runs through Sunday at Pearkes Rec Centre Fieldhouse.

🧑‍🎓 Camosun College Open House tomorrow, 11am-3pm. [Interurban Campus]

*Sponsored Listing

Dance Victoria presents Out Innerspace’s acclaimed Rhino. Featuring the company’s signature blend of theatricality, humour, and innovative production design, Rhino follows an unlikely constellation of characters questioning whether their best days are behind them. Experience surreal, dreamlike cinematic dance for one night only on Oct. 24 at the McPherson Playhouse!

‘All hands on deck’ for city staffers trying to satisfy worried voters
Some staff are being parachuted in to help respond to hundreds of residents worried about their ability to vote in Saturday’s municipal election because delivery of their mail-in ballots has been delayed. Some workers are hand-delivering ballots to voters and taking the sealed packages back to Victoria City Hall. Staff have emailed 2,100 residents and telephoned another 50. It’s too late to return mail-in ballots through the mail; instead, they should be taken to the drop box at the Pandora entrance to City Hall. [CTV]

Metchosin mammal rescue: constricting band removed from sea lion’s neck
A year after first being spotted just offshore in Metchosin with a thick industrial band embedded in its neck, a California sea lion has had the debris cut away at Race Rocks Ecological Preserve. When the sea lion reappeared in the area in September, members of the Pearson College eco-guardian program monitored it until members of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society—with the help of vessels and drones from Fisheries and Oceans—used a dart gun to sedate the animal and free its neck of the constricting band. [Times Colonist]

Did you drop, cover, and hold on yesterday morning?
An estimated 114,352 across the Island and the Sunshine Coast dropped under a desk or chair, covered their heads, and held onto something solid during the Great BC ShakeOut earthquake drill. Some 836,000 people across the province joined an estimated 71 million people around the world who participated in affiliated ShakeOut drills, which take place every third Thursday in October at 10:15am. [CHEK]

🥌 Grand Slam of Curling CO-OP Invitational: Some of the world's best curlers, including Olympic medallists, compete at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Through Sunday. [Info]

🌱 Native Plant Workshop: Find out how to identify native plants. Learn their cultural history and ecological benefit—and hear tips on how to incorporate them into your garden. Swan Lake Nature House. Today. 12pm-3pm. [Info]

🎞️ One Take Super 8—CineVic. Watch the world premiere of new short movies created on celluloid Super 8 film by local motion picture enthusiasts. Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Greenhouse. Today & tomorrow. 7pm. [Info] 

👐 Spirit of Jazz and Soul: VTC fall/winter concert series. Experience an all-star cast of some of the West Coast’s finest musicians in jazz, world, and soul. Victoria Truth Centre. Tonight. 7-8:30pm. [Info] 

😂 Maria Bamford: The comedic legend brings her unique standup to the McPherson Playhouse. Tonight. 7pm & 9:30pm. [Info] 

🏄🎵 Let's Go Surfin': The Remarkable Beach Boys Tribute: BACKBEAT's acclaimed tribute brings mind-blowing harmonies to the Mary Winspear Centre. Today. 7:30pm. [Info]

🪈 UVic Wind Symphony: Natural Forces. The opening concert of the 2026/27 season showcases the natural sound force of the wind symphony. Farquhar Auditorium. Today. 8pm. [Info]

🦄 The Unicorn’s Birthday: Victoria Symphony presents musical penguins, monkeys, ducks, and other whimsical creatures in this interactive concert for young families. Farquhar Auditorium. Tomorrow. 3pm. [Info]

Thursday’s headlines: Another tough month of toxic drug deaths in Greater Victoria; Victoria ballet teacher found guilty of having sex with teenage student; Curious James Bay incident leaves unoccupied car in ocean. [Oct. 15]

Island View Beach area closure: Geotechnical work will take place near the campsite through the end of the month. [CRD] 

BC leaders square off in lone televised election debate. [Castanet/CP]

North Saanich: District’s planning manager—who is running for mayor—gets fired. [CHEK] 

Car rolls down 6-metre cliff in Langford. [Black Press]

The Antimatter 2026: The media art festival runs through Oct. 25 online and at Deluge Contemporary Art.  

Patience pays: An Island black bear skillfully catches a salmon swimming upstream. [Facebook video] 

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