Oct 7 - 4 locals get Order of Canada

Good morning !

Over the weekend I had a chance to check out what is always one of my favourite local events: An open house at the arts building on Blanshard. Getting to meet dozens of local visual artists and see so many examples of their work, new and old, is truly a treat.

Our first story opens today with two Victorians being recognized for their own national-level contributions to the arts, and two more being recognized for their roles at UVic.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 18 / 11

Tuesday: 🌧️ 15 / 9

Today: 🌦️ 14 / 9

7-day forecast

NEWS

4 Victorians receive Order of Canada 

Four locals were among the 54 investitures into the Order of Canada last Thursday in Ottawa.

Janis Dunning and Jacques Lemay co-founded the Canadian College of Performing Arts. Dunning began as a celebrated ballet dancer, went on to create and star in children's TV shows, and established numerous other TV programs. Lemay is a UVic theatre professor and has directed the Olympic and Victoria Commonwealth Games opening ceremonies. The duo, who created the Spirit of the Nation TV segment, were recognized by the Order at the start of 2022.

Budd Hall is a major influence on Canadian universities’ moves toward creating closer ties with their local communities. This professor emeritus established UVic's first-in-Canada Office of Community-Based Research. He has also worked with UNESCO among a global network of researchers pursuing change. 

Jamie Cassels was also honoured for work at UVic. The local university's former president (2013-2020) was praised by the Governor General for the institution's growth and its unique initiatives toward reconciliation. Cassels also recently received a King Charles III medal.

Other Canadians invested as Companions, Officers, or Members of the Order last week included:

• Actor Sandra Oh

• Olympic sprinter Donovan Bailey

• Stem cell researchers Adam & Connie (posthumous) Eaves

• Marine virology pioneer Curtis Suttle

• Family nursing innovator Lorraine Wright

• Chief Wilton Littlechild, a politician, star athlete, lawyer, and Truth & Reconciliation Commissioner  

See the full roster here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Last advance voter registration day in BC; those not registered by midnight can still vote, but will need to do the registration process at the voting station. [Register online]

Heavy rain warning for West Island; some localized flooding possible in low areas. 

New Salt Spring emergency dept. opens Oct. 9 at Lady Minto hospital. 

NEWS

5 spots to try at Victoria Public Market

Recent years have brought change to the indoor market in the historic Hudson building at the northern edge of downtown. Many of the vendors it had before the pandemic have since closed, including the long-running local cafe Shatterbox.

But a new roster has emerged in their place, with salads, meats, pasta, sushi, Indian food, and more.

One restaurant, Cafe Malabar, was just named one of Canada's 32 best new restaurants and has a chance to make the Top 10 on Air Canada's annual list. It's the only local spot to secure the honour this year, taking over from Marilena (the upscale seafood restaurant a couple of blocks south) last year.

Read more about this and other public market spots at Tasting Victoria.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🤿 A fascinating creature: Local snorkeller spots a diamondback tritonia “so vibrant white it was basically glow-in-the-dark” near East Sooke Park. [Facebook photos]

🧯Fire Prevention Week begins today. [City of Victoria]

🤝 Now hiring: Digital Innovation Manager at Dogwood.

🗞️ In Other News

Old Town auto shop replacement rolls forward
Victoria council unanimously advanced the proposal to build a 79-rental low-parking 6-storey on upper Government while preserving the neighbouring 1908-built Sam Kee Laundry building with heritage status. [Times Colonist]

Bluebird taxis will make changes after man in wheelchair left without ride
Jo Lind said she ordered an accessible van to go from the hospital—where her husband is recovering from a leg injury—to go out to eat. But the couple waited 90 minutes for the return trip, and were then told it was cancelled. The company cites driver availability issues. [VicNews]

Royal Victoria Yacht Club sailor joins Team Canada
Maura Dewey heads to Barcelona for the first designated women's race of the 173-year-old America's Cup, becoming the first Islander since the 1980s to compete in the “Super Bowl of sailing”. The UVic grad is also doing a meteorology PhD in Sweden. [Times Colonist]

Which ridings will swing BC election? Hard to tell, say experts 
Redistricted boundaries and the wholesale replacement of one of the two main parties of the past 30+ years have made it tricky to rely on past election results. But observers say that, at least, a key variable will be how many of the ridings the BC NDP newly picked up in 2020 (such as in the Fraser Valley) will swing back. [CP / Yahoo]

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SPONSORED BY TELUS

Powered by TELUS: Victoria mobile clinics deliver care and compassion

With the help of TELUS, the Victoria Cool Aid Society expanded their mobile outreach, providing critical primary care to those who cannot easily access traditional medical care. Since 2021, our partnership has supported over 25,000 visits. Learn more here.

🗓️ Things to do

🐐 Beacon Hill Children's Farm is in its final week before its fall closure after Thanksgiving.

💼 Int’l Conference on Community Safety and Well-being: Vic Mayor Marianne Alto hosts scholars, government leaders, and experts from across the continent to discuss community safety and well-being. Victoria Conference Centre. Oct. 27-30. [Registration]

👴 The Great Escaper at Cinecenta stars Michael Cain as a WWII vet, aged 89, who sneaks out of his care home to get over to France. [5pm & 7pm today]

📽 This week at the Vic theatre: The Outrun, with a likely Oscar-nominee performance from Saoirse Ronan, plus documentaries about iconic costume designer Patricia Field and about women who have fled Afghanistan. [Schedule]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Sunday news: Local health tech company sees positive results with cancer-fighting rabbit antibodies. 2 major Westshore developments put into receivership. [Oct. 6 newsletter]

10 local Thanksgiving dinners, both dine-in and take-out, that you can order. [Tasting Victoria]

Victoria climate action survey is open until Oct. 11.

Earth’s new “mini moon” is about the size of a house and will be around for 2 months. [CBS]

Stylised sunrise in red and blue. [Photos]