Sat. July 8 - Hospital ER closed overnight all summer

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

It’s another packed weekend, with Pride, multiple festivals, and plenty of music and sports. Read about those in today’s Picks, but first we look at the latest on two stories that began two years ago.

— Cam

🌤️ Today's weather: Mainly sunny, wind in afternoon. High 23C/ low 12C.

🌫️ Air quality: Low risk today (2/10), light smoke expected.

NEWS

Saanich Peninsula Hospital will close ER overnight until September

The closures beginning today and ending Sept. 4 will shut the hospital from 10pm to 7am. Island Health announced them yesterday saying it “sincerely apologize[s]” for what it acknowledges is “not an ideal situation for the community.” It cited staffing limitations and wanting to prioritize the busy daytimes and early evenings.

Reduced overnight capacity began in May
Island Health announced in mid-May that staffing shortages would limit the SPH ER to “serious medical needs” from 11pm to 7am. Non-urgent patients waited longer or were “given the option” to go home and come back in the morning. Island Health now recommends people go to Royal Jubilee or Vic General.

Island Health said in May that 8.5 patients would typically visit during those overnight hours. This to-month closure comes two weeks after a sudden two-day full overnight closure two weeks ago.

Sudden closures began two years ago
The Saanich Peninsula ER’s struggles initially became public with an abrupt full overnight closure back in Aug. 2021. In the two years since then, Island ER closures have mainly happened in the North Island, but in recent months have returned south.

Capital Bulletin

🛩️ BC Aviation Museum gets CF-104 Starfighter: A Canadian Cold War fighter-bomber—Canada’s fastest and highest-flying aircraft ever deployed—will soon be on display.

🌲 Elk/Beaver lake delays continue for another week during trail upgrades.

NEWS

Family sues RCMP for shooting Jared Lowndes dead 2 years ago

The Wet'suwet'en man’s family filed the lawsuit on Friday, a day before today’s second anniversary of the shooting. Lowndes was shot and killed by Campbell River RCMP in outside a Tim Hortons on July 8, 2021 after police tracked him down for fleeing a traffic stop. He was shot after killing a police dog that had been deployed against him and his own dog.

In December, BC's Independent Investigations Office (IIO) found “reasonable grounds” for charges against three—currently unnamed—officers involved in his death.

While charges have not yet been laid against these officers, Lowndes’s mother and two daughters have filed a lawsuit against four RCMP officers (listed as John Does), as well as BC’s minister of public safety.

“Nothing will bring my son back, [and] my granddaughter will never have her dad at her graduation,” said mother Laura Holland, in a statement with Pivot Legal Society. “The reality that too many Indigenous people face is that our deaths are swept under the rug because we lack the resources to bring cases like this against police and government, who have access to seemingly-endless resources to fight our people.”

There has been no public response from RCMP.

No update on the potential charges has yet been given by the IIO, although the watchdog has recently cited trouble around dealing with the volume of investigations on its plate. BC has had a massive increase in police shootings and deaths in police custody, both long-term and in 2022 specifically.

NEWS

7 of our favourite dishes so far this summer

 Summer is officially well underway, so Tasting Victoria is rounding up some distinctive local dishes that have stood out.

From donuts and beer to tater tots and caviar, check out seven of our favourite dishes this summer so far.

Read the story over at Tasting Victoria.

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Capital Picks

🎉 Festival Mexicano: Today and tomorrow’s celebration of Mexican culture at the Inner Harbour will include live music and food. Begins 11am.

🍓 Saanich Strawberry Festival today at Beaver Lake Park with food vendors, face painting, and strawberry and ice cream sales. 11am- 3pm.

🎸 Soul Shakers at Butchart Gardens: The R&B dance band will perform today on the open-air stage. 7pm.

⚾ Join the fun tomorrow at Royal Athletic Park for a thrilling Charity Slo-Pitch Game! Support your First Responders and Sports Hall of Famers. Get your tickets now!*

🎻 Classical concert at St John the Baptist Heritage Church: Violinist Philip Manning and cellist Hannah Craig perform together today. 2-3:30pm.

🏳️‍🌈 Pride In The Word: Canada’s largest Pride literary event features readings from 2SLGBTQ+ writers from across BC. Lecture Theatre at Victoria Conference Centre, 7:30- 10pm.

🌼 Flower Show Plant Sale & Fancy Tea: The Victoria Lily Society will host a lily and plant sale, silent auction, and judged exhibits today at Lambrick Park Church Hall. 10am- 4pm. [Details]

🎺 Music at RBCM: Students from Coleigo Militarizado Nuevo Mexico will perform today to celebrate Mexican artistic expression. 1:30- 2:30pm.

🥞 Served Up! A Drag Lunch Experience: Enjoy lunch while watching drag performances hosted by Leo Moon at Moon Under Water, 11:30am-2:30pm. [Details]

🚲 Pride Ride: Decorate your bike and ride along to disco music today. Starts from Central Park, 11am.

🌹 Blossom Your Pride: Make a Pride-themed bouquet and enjoy some delicious treats today at Yates Street Community Garden, 10am-12:30pm.

🎧 Tilt! at Phillips Backyard: The weekend-long festival continues today with performances by DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak), Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and Fleece. Today’s opener is Nicky MacKenzie, who Capital Daily profiled last winter.

⚽ League-best Pacific FC vs. Calgary’s Cavalry FC at Starlight Stadium. 6pm today. [Details]

🤝 Now hiring: Associate Dentist at Oaklands Dental.

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In Other News

🏃‍♀️ Running 10 marathons in 10 days—again—to fundraise for local hospitals
Yana Hempler first ran 10 in 10 in 2020 to help the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, then swung for 30 in 30 in 2021. But this year’s charity laps of Lochside and the Galloping Goose have taken on new personal significance after she had to cancel last year’s run when severe illness forced her to rely on the very hospitals she’s supporting. [CHEK]

🐖 Popular 18-year-old pig may be put down over recurring complaints
The owners of the elderly pig—a beloved attraction by the Lochside trail—were warned on Wednesday by an SPCA officer that they had five days to bring the pig to a vet or have her euthanized. The owners say the pig has a chronic skin condition that makes her look sickly but is in otherwise healthy. They fear that continued public complaints will lead to unaffordable vet bills. [Times Colonist]

🔥 More Victoria fires, and concerns about up-Island fires
An industrial fire hit Rock Bay on Friday, but fire crews said an Ellice Recycling staffer’s quick thinking to call in an excavator to clear debris helped suppress the fire. Also on Friday, a work truck caught on fire in Cobble Hill. No cause is yet confirmed for either fire.

The recent Sayward wildfire may have been set deliberately, RCMP said this week. Meanwhile an arson charge was laid in Tuesday’s small fires on the Nanaimo Parkway.

🤝 Now Hiring

Thinking of making your next career move? Let us help!

• Digital Marketing Specialist at Westin Bear Mountain Resort & Spa

• Cooks at The Butchart Gardens

• Player Success Representative at Kano

• Comfort Advisor (Outside Sales) at Sasquatch Heat Pumps

• Investment Administrator at Meritage Financial

• Tax Coordinator at Together Against Poverty Society

Looking for more openings? See 50+ jobs open now on YYJobs.

Hiring? Post your job to have it featured here, and fill your opening fast!

In Case You Missed It

🚔 RCMP revives search for Melissa McDevitt: Sooke RCMP confirmed their renewed search following the discovery of new GPS data.

📰 Friday headlines: One man confirmed dead after yacht sinks, five suspicious fires at Saanich elementary school, Esquimalt’s first female firefighter, and more. [July 7]

🎮 Victoria gaming doesn’t play around: Growing numbers of game creators have led to advancements in the city’s video game industry. [Victoria Tech Journal]

⚖️ Don’t let a driving prohibition ruin your life. The lawyers at Acumen Law Corporation have successfully defended thousands of DUI/IRP cases. Learn more.*

🗞️ Thursday headlines: Victoria Pride events this weekend, Victoria’s most dangerous intersections, boater seen harassing orcas, and more. [July 6]

🍦 Ice cream shops to visit: During this week’s hot weather, enjoy a cool refreshing treat from these these six ice cream spots.

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