Wed. May 31 - Saanich tightens the leash on dogs in the park

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

If you didn’t know: I have chihuahuas. I know they’re not the most sought after dog, likely because most people tend to get the feistier, barky chihuahua experience. That’s why in public I more-or-less keep them on a leash, and take them off in pretty private areas so I can train them.

Now, before you start drafting that reply down in the box below, give me a second. I know the dog leash debate is equally as ferocious as my chihuahuas (I did some reporting on it last year). So, the news you read in today’s newsletter may be music to your ears, or a punch to the gut.

Just don’t shoot the messenger.

NEWS

Dogs will soon need to be on-leash in Saanich parks, according to new plan

Saanich has entered the final phase of planning for its People, Pets and Parks Strategy, having released its drafted plan on Monday. The strategy seeks to address community concerns about parks, particularly surrounding pets.

Residents will be able to voice their feedback on the plan through an online feedback form until the June 11 deadline. The final strategy will be presented to council on June 26.

A significant recommendation in the plan will see updates to the Animal Bylaw, requiring all pets to be on-leash unless in a designated off-leash area—a shift from Saanich’s current laws that allow dogs off-leash in all parks unless otherwise specified.

This update aims to address the main challenge identified in the early stages of planning: dog behaviour and lack of training and control.

According to the draft, a “large number of community members” expressed concerns about negative experiences with off-leash dogs in Saanich, having their own dog either attacked or approached aggressively. Another concern was the effect of off-leash dogs on sensitive wildlife areas, with Saanich being home to 184 at-risk species and rare ecosystems.

Whether dogs should be off-leash has been an ongoing debate in Saanich, particularly at Cadboro Bay Beach.

Additional recommendations for the parks include increased waste management, increased park maintenance, especially for sports fields, and improved signage. Increased education and communication was also requested as many people do not know or understand the bylaws in these areas.

Updates to the parks—including fencing and signage for off-leash areas, more waste bins and hiring additional staff to maintain parks—will cost between $5.3 and $7.1M over the next five years.

Of the 57 parks identified to accommodate leash-optional areas, 12 have been chosen to permanently offer off-leash zones, including Brodick Park, Cuthbert Holmes Park, Emily Carr Park, and PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park).

By Robyn Bell

Capital Bulletin

🌤️ Today’s weather: Mainly sunny. Wind in the afternoon. High 18C / low 8C.

🛳️ Superyacht docked in Inner Harbour: The Anawa, owned by Brazilian billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, arrived in Victoria on Monday.

NEWS

South Vancouver Island is BC’s second-least affordable region for healthy food, BCCDC report finds

Many BC families and individuals cannot afford to eat a nutritious diet due to systemic inequalities, according to a Food Costing in BC 2022 report created by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) in collaboration with regional health authorities.

The average monthly cost in 2022 for a family of four in the Island Health region to eat healthily was $1,366. In the Southern Vancouver Island region it was $1,386, the second highest in BC after Northern Health’s Northwest region, which averaged $1,571.

“Access to affordable, culturally preferable, nutritious, and safe food is critical to the health and well being of British Columbians,” said Dr. Charmaine Enns, medical health officer for Island Health.

“Household food insecurity takes a major toll on people’s physical and mental health, social, and emotional wellbeing, and on our provincial healthcare system.”

The average monthly cost for a family of four in BC was $1,263. Nutritious diets are unaffordable to 15% of British Columbians.

“Food insecurity is a significant public health issue,” said Dr. Geoff McKee, medical director of Population and Public Health at BCCDC. “The price of food does not affect everyone equally and the root cause of household food insecurity are low incomes.”

The report indicates that policy action to increase incomes is necessary to combat food insecurity—but does not detail what policies will be implemented to do so. Food insecurity can lead to increased risks of chronic diseases including diabetes and heart disease, and food insecure adults cost the system up to 76% more than those who have access to healthy diets, according to the report.

Since summer, demand for food banks in Greater Victoria has grown more than 25%, and UVic’s student food bank has fallen into a steep deficit due to its demand.

Around Greater Victoria, volunteer organizations, such as Rainbow Kitchen in Esquimalt, continue to help individuals access food free-of-cost. But food banks say rising inflation and housing costs, in particular, are contributing to the lack of food security in the region.

By Sarah Madsen

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Capital Picks

🥎 Slo-pitch all-stars: Greater Victoria Mixed Slo-Pitch Association presents a double header at Royal Athletic featuring a meet-and-greet with the HarbourCats. Admission $10, or free with ‘Cats season tickets. [Tickets]

🎙️ Gordon Lightfoot tribute at Hermann's Upstairs: Enjoy the late Canadian singer’s music from a lineup of performers including Dylan Stone, Oliver Swain, and Lenny Lester, today 6pm. [Tickets]

📷 Elemental exhibition at Fortune Gallery: Ken G. Miner will exhibit his wet plate collodion photography, June 1-14. [Details]

🪪 Keep your licence. The experienced lawyers at Acumen Law Corporation will give you the strongest legal defence to keep you in the driver’s seat. Learn more at VancouverCriminalLaw.com.*

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NEWS

As Uber launch approaches, local drivers are given incentives

Uber will launch next week in Victoria, after a lengthy process to secure a licence to operate. The exact launch date is unclear, but will be announced early next week.

The company is incentivizing drivers to hit the road by offering a $1,000 bonus if they complete 20 trips within the first 14 days of launching in Victoria.

Uber will host driver outreach events June 2 and 5 at the Delta Marriott Ocean Pointe Hotel to assist local drivers in preparing for the launch. This will include getting the necessary documents ready to start driving with Uber.

On May 10, the ride-hailing company announced that it received approval for a licence transfer from the Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) after submitting an application last August.

75% of Capital Daily readers polled said they would “absolutely” use Uber when it’s here.

In Other News

🏒 Victoria to host Hockey Day in Canada
It will be announced Monday during the Stanley Cup final that the 14-hour broadcast of games including all seven Canadian NHL teams will be hosted at Ship Point at the Inner Harbour on Jan. 20, 2024. The event will also include concerts and kids’ games on synthetic ice. [Times Colonist]

🧀 Nanaimo teen wins the Gloucestershire Cheese Roll
Delaney Irving raced her way to cheese rolling victory Monday after an overnight decision to compete in the competition to chase a cheddar roll down Gloucester’s steep Cooper’s Hill. Irving ran so fast she was knocked unconscious in a tumble that was captured on video. [CHEK]

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In Case You Missed It

🚨 RCMP apologizes for “miscommunication” over Indigenous teen’s death: Carsyn Seaweed’s family had called for answers over her May 15 death after RCMP stated last week that no criminality was involved, despite Seaweed’s body being found under suspicious circumstances. [Capital Daily]

📼 Pic-a-Flic announces closure: Victorians share their memories of the beloved video store, which will close in September. [Capital Daily]

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