Aug 14 - More drama at North Saanich Council

Good morning !

We’ve got the latest in that wacky, seemingly unending pickleball dispute in North Saanich that has players calling the council at fault.

More sports: a Victorian who took the Canadian Football League by storm is back with the BC Lions, and BC United (the former Liberal party, in a rebrand fail) says vote for us and you won’t have to pay provincial income tax on the first $50K you make.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌨️ 20 / 12

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 21 / 13

Friday: 🌤️ 19 / 13

7-day forecast

NEWS

North Saanich council a ‘train wreck’ says peeved pickleball community

“It’s shocking and disappointing,” Brad Watson, president of the Saanich Peninsula Pickleball Association (SPPA), tells Capital Daily after North Saanich council voted to not look at a sound study conducted in May detailing how sound mitigation, well, mitigates sound on a pickleball court.

“It's a train wreck,” Watson says. “There's anger and frustration, as you heard from the gallery.”

Shouts of “Shame, shame” could be heard Mon. night when the council voted 4-2 (Councillors Jack McClintock and Celia Stock voted in favour) against arming itself with more information to deal with the public fallout for closing the Wain Park pickleball courts on May 7 because of noise complaints.

A week later, on May 15, outfitted with sound measuring equipment and a sound guy, players measured sound levels at Oak Bay’s Carnarvon Park pickleball facility, which has mitigation panels.

The SPPA presented its findings to the council (turns out, that mitigation does reduce sound—who knew?) in July, but the council on Mon. refused to officially acknowledge those findings.

“They're so inexperienced and so dysfunctional,” Watson said. “That's what's upsetting a lot of the North Saanich residents—outside of Coun. McClintock and Coun. Stock, who are incumbents.”

Moments earlier, also in a 4-2 vote, the council agreed to examine the idea of moving the courts—at an estimated cost of $500K, or roughly 10 times the cost of installing sound barriers at Wain Park—to the northwest quadrant of Blue Heron Park as presented in a feasibility review received by the council last December.

The problem with that, according to Watson, is North Saanich doesn’t own that land, nor does it have permission to build on it.

“This is all of the misinformation and the dysfunction that this North Saanich council is operating with—the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing,” said Watson.

An email Capital Daily received from the Mayor Peter Jones’ office stated Jones would not comment on the situation because, “This matter is subject to active litigation, which restricts what the district can say.”

Last month, a group of residents and pickleball players filed for a judicial review to ask a judge to revisit the decision for serious errors or unfairness. The district has 21 days—until Aug. 26—to respond. “We have not heard back yet,” said spokesman Brian Harrigan.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Greater Victoria Housing Society (GVHS) buys 68 affordable housing units at 430 Michigan and 1500 Chambers. [BC gov’t]

Ongoing construction work in the City of Victoria.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Citizen scientists worried about the birds and the bees, and the trees

If you’ve felt you’ve seen more butterflies, bees—even certain birds—in the past than you have this summer, or maybe noticed some plants or trees have bloomed seemingly out of sync, you’re certainly not alone.

Something appears to be going on. At least that’s what a group of citizen scientists has been out to prove for the last eight years.

Led by Heather Klassen at the BC Ministry of Forests and Jessica Pyett of VIU’s Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute (MABRRI), the group is documenting what it says are the effects of climate change hitting Vancouver Island.

“[We] always hear anecdotal remarks from people saying ‘Oh, my berries haven’t come out this year,’ or, ‘the birds are later to come,’” said Pyett, who wants to back up those observations with hard data and after Year 10, pass along that information to government agencies.

Read the full story here.

NEWS

Victoria QB Rourke back with the BC Lions after NFL dalliance

A little more than a day after his release from the Atlanta Falcons, Nathan Rourke has signed a three-year deal with the Leos which makes him the CFL’s highest-paid pivot. 

According to 3DownNation, Rourke will get $250K for the rest of the CFL season, just shy of $750K next season, and $809K in 2026. That’s big money for the CFL, and to preserve salary cap space, $200K in the latter two years will be paid from the Lions’ marketing pocket, 3DownNation said.

The 26-year-old was born in Victoria and grew up outside Toronto. In 2022, he won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian award as a Lion, completing 78.7% of his passes, throwing for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games.

He then left for the greener, southern pastures of the NFL where he had short stints with three other NFL teams: the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New England Patriots. 

Rourke dressed for three games with both the Jags and Pats last season, earning $520K USD.

The Lions are in Victoria Aug. 31 for a game against the Ottawa Redblacks at sold-out Royal Athletic Park.

SPONSORED BY DANCE VICTORIA

Early bird 'Nutcracker' tickets on sale

Early bird tickets to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Nutcracker go on sale tomorrow, Aug. 15*!
Featuring a hockey game, Mounties, polar bears, reindeer, and a battle on Parliament Hill, RWB brings us the wintertime classic we all love—with a Canadian twist. RWB’s Nutcracker continues to be Dance Victoria’s biggest production of all time with close to 100 dancers, including 70+ local youth. The lavish costumes, elaborate sets, and playful storyline will bring magic and cheer to audience members of all ages. Join Dance Victoria at the Royal Theatre for a performance that will delight the whole family!

November 29, 30 + December 1 • 7:00 pm

November 30 + December 1 • 1:00 pm

Visit the Dance Victoria website.

*Early Bird sale ends Sept. 16.

⭐️ Capital Picks

ℹ️ Tracking traffic improvements or other City of Victoria info?  [victoria.ca/signup]

🍎 Do you want to live longer and healthier? Tall Tree’s longevity program helps you fight disease before it starts when it’s easier to prevent.*

💆‍♀️ Don’t miss the wellness event of the season. Beam Beauty’s IV Therapy Night! Aug. 15 6-8pm, #217 – 3561 Blanshard. RSVP to [email protected]*

🤝 Now hiring: LPN/RN wellness coordinator at Amica on the Gorge.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

BC United says it will cut income tax for the first $50K of income
Leader Kevin Falcon made the announcement yesterday, one that could affect three in five BC residents, should his party win the Oct. 19 election. Falcon said it would cost $5.4 billion and insists “services do not have to be cut,” to do it. He said the money would come from current government waste and inefficiencies. Premier David Eby, the NDP leader, said BC United—formerly the Liberals—would sell off public assets and increase user fees to finance the proposed tax cut.

Rescuers free tangled humpback whales off BC coast
Two whales were caught on the same fishing line off the Discovery Islands near Campbell River. A DFO representative said the likelihood of two whales getting tangled on the same line is “extremely rare.” The rescue attempt took five hours, with both whales seen swimming toward Johnstone Strait afterward. DFO says it’s received roughly two calls a week about entangled humpbacks near BC since July. [Times Colonist]

4 young people with replica gun arrested in Saanich
Calls came into police about a group of youths with a firearm in the McKenzie and Borden area late Mon. afternoon. Police tracked the minors down at the corner of Quadra and McKenzie and say when they searched them, they found a replica firearm and a switchblade knife. All four were booked and released with conditions, police said. [Saanich Police]

Island Paralympians en route to Paris for next Games
A week after Canada’s Olympians secured a national record 27 medals at the Summer Games, it’s Canada’s Paralympians’ turn to shine. We’re sending 126 athletes, including 21 from BC—seven from the Island and one Gulf Islander. See who we’re sending here. [CHEK]

🗓️ Things to do

🎸 Sons of the East: See the Australian indie trio at Capital Ballroom. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🎭 An Adaption of Robin Hood: Passion and Performance will put a modern Victoria twist on the classic tale at the Victoria Event Centre. Tonight. 6pm. [Info]

🌜 Oak Bay Village Night Market: The monthly market will take over Oak Bay Avenue, with local vendors selling fresh produce, artisan crafts, and art. Tonight. 4-8pm. [Info]

🎙️ Lauren Bush Quintet: Catch the Canadian-born, UK-based singer perform contemporary jazz at Hermann’s. Tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🎶 The Soul Shakers: See the local act at Willows Park in Oak Bay. Tomorrow. 6pm. [Info]

🖼️ Cindy Revell at The Avenue Gallery: The artist and illustrator will exhibit her collection of oil paintings. Until next Mon. [Info] 

Want more events? Subscribe to This Week In Vic and get our weekly events newsletter every Tue.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club to challenge $3.2M fine; Two South Islanders win lottery; Season over for HarbourCats; And more. [Aug. 13]

Victoria Brain Injury Society’s hands are filled with opioid and housing crises. [Capital Daily]

Mounties used spies to keep tabs on protestors at Fairy Creek. [National Observer]

13th Tour de Victoria spins this Sat. [CHEK]

Hiking cougar: Two hikers were forced to take an alternative route on Mt. Becher after running into a (modelesque) cougar on the trail. [Photo]

Dive in: A gull takes a plunge to catch its next meal in Esquimalt. [Photo]

That’s it!

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to a fellow Victorian.

And before you go, let us know: