Sept 10 - Preventing youth suicides on the Island

Good morning !

Today marks World Suicide Prevention Day—a subject that can be hard for many to talk about or even think about. But communication surrounding the subject is key to preventing these deaths—one of the leading causes of death by injury for youth in BC.

Island Health is funding the expansion of a program that works with Greater Victoria schools to encourage communication and education around the topics of suicide and mental health issues. Read more on that story below.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

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NEWS

Youth suicide prevention program to be expanded beyond Victoria on the Island

A local youth suicide prevention program for schools will be expanded throughout the Island with support from an Island Health grant. 

NEED2 has been around for two decades, offering in-person workshops, assistance, and Youthspace.ca, an online crisis chat service.

The program provided workshops to 3,600 Greater Victoria students last year and with the expansion, program operators expect to increase that number to 5K. 

The announcement coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, which is today. Sabrina Studney, executive director of NEED2 said the day’s new theme—"Changing the Narrative on Suicide”—aligns with the program’s mission.

“This is exactly what the youth suicide prevention program and NEED2 as a whole have been doing for years,” she said in a release. “We try to bring to light the importance of communication regarding suicidal ideations, to decrease the silence and stigma regarding suicide, and provide space for those experiencing suicidal ideations to feel safe and seek support—rather than suffering in isolation.”

In a 2019 provincial review panel report, the Island was found to be in the top three health authorities when it comes to youth suicides. The report notes that those living in rural areas in these health authorities faced an increased risk of dying by suicide due to lack of access to mental-health resources.

The 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey report found 18% of youth surveyed in the South Island had “seriously considered suicide in the past year,” and 19% reported missing out on “needed mental-health services.”

Dr. Murray Fyfe, an Island Health medical health officer and a contributor to the province’s review panel, said in a release that offering young people more branches of communication and education can provide a safe space “to reach out, talk, and share their feelings, rather than having to struggle in silence.” 

The 2023 health survey report found an increase in suicidal ideations among children in grades 7-9. Gender differences were also highlighted in the report—students who “seriously considered suicide in the last year” made up 11% of males, 22% of females, and 47% of non-binary students in grades 7-12.

To tackle the rise in suicidal thoughts among younger students, NEED2 is hoping to roll out a mindfulness workshop program this year for elementary schools. Studney describes it as “more age-appropriate for elementary-age students.”

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Odour advisory: Expected excavation at Hartland Landfill today could cause a stink.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Union Bay shipbreaking operation warned after more effluent discharged into Baynes Sound

The company operating a controversial shipbreaking site in Union Bay received another warning letter from the province after an inspection found its operations to be discharging copper effluent at more than 100 times the province’s allowable limit and 13 times more than what is allowed for zinc effluent.

Deep Water Recovery (DWR) received the letter, citing BC Water Quality Guideline levels, on Aug. 23. It warned that if the company fails to stop discharging acute and chronic levels of effluent into Baynes Sound, it could be subject to an offence of up to $300K under the Environmental Management Act, or an administrative penalty of up to $40K under the Administrative Penalties Regulation. 

If fined, this would be the company’s second administrative penalty. Last Oct., the company was ordered to pay $500 for failing to meet provincially set deadlines for its monthly monitoring reports, which share data on the company’s effluent discharge and its potential impact on the surrounding environment. 

Community members in Union Bay and Parksville have been calling on the federal and provincial governments to end DWR’s ship dismantling operations since 2021. DWR says the effluent isn’t harmful, given the history of industrialization in the area. Environmentalists aren’t so sure.

Read the full story here.

NEWS

Downtown bakery Tombo closes 7 months after opening

The all-day bakery and cafe only started up in Feb., with the motto “Delicious & unpretentious food made with local ingredients,” but yesterday owner Tom Moore announced on social media the Yates restaurant is shuttering. 

While it wasn’t around long, the cafe was known for its unique treats, such as its croissant cubes and tasty pizzas. Moore was one of the co-founders of Crust Bakery, which continues to be a popular destination on Fort.

Moore said operating a small business downtown “has proven to be incredibly difficult, for so many reasons,” Moore told Capital Daily, that those reasons include a higher minimum wage and increasing costs of food. 

“But I think it’s important to add, the burden of interest rates increasing, the lack of office workers downtown after COVID still, people not eating out as much as they used to, parking costs being raised downtown.”

Moore also acknowledged “the ripple effect of unhoused people downtown, causing people to avoid the area.”

Moore said Tombo was broken into four times since opening. 

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🌅 Morning sun + smoky skies this weekend create eerie red clouds in Colwood. [Facebook photo]

🐦 🌇 Pink skies as birds fly on the West Coast Trail. [Facebook photos]

❓ AMA with Jeremy Caradonna: The Victoria councillor will take part in an “Ask Me Anything” hosted by Vibrant Victoria this Friday.

🗞️ In Other News

Conflict over potential housing in Oak Bay Park
Options proposed for Carnarvon Park include an indoor pickleball court beside the fields. The mayor says if a new building is built, it could make sense to have some housing in it. Some residents argue, though, fear the precedent of putting housing anywhere on public parkland. [Times Colonist]

Raffi puts his Salt Spring Island home up for sale 
But it won’t go for a song. The children’s entertainer is asking $1,995,000 for the four-bedroom house that sits on three hectares of land, half of it pristine woodland. Raffi Cavoukian was born in Cairo, moved to Toronto, and for the last 16 years has lived in the Salt Spring home. The property offers panoramic views of Ganges Harbour, Active Pass, the North Shore Mountains, and Mount Baker. [Vancouver Sun]

Victoria’s Jordie Benn retires from professional hockey
After 17 years of professional hockey—including more than a decade in the NHL—Benn has retired. Known for beginning his NHL career playing alongside his brother Jamie with the Dallas Stars, Jordie went on to play for the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs.  In 607 NHL games, he scored 26 goals and added 111 assists. He joined his first professional team in 2008, playing for the Victoria Salmon Kings. [CHEK]

🗓️ Things to do

🎶 Maverick, Moody Goods, Mean Bikini: The From Far and Wide Tour is coming to Paul Phillips Hall tonight. 7-11pm. [Info] 

🖼️ Yates Street Mural Celebration: Check out the new artwork at the community garden on Yates at this free celebration tonight. 6-7pm [Info]

🎸 Rifflandia: Victoria’s biggest music festival is back in its new location at Matullia Lands in Rock Bay, featuring headliners REZZ, TLC, and Feist. Fri.-Sun. [Info]

🎭 Field Research: Two one-act plays by Nicholas Guerreiro, Annie Konstantinov, and Ryan Kniel. Intrepid Theatre Company Society. Fri. 7pm; Sat. 2pm. & 7pm. [Info]

🏠 Guided tours of the Ross Bay Villa Historic House and Garden: Learn about the Roscoe family, their myriad connections in Victoria and England. Sat. 2pm. [Video] [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Monday’s headlines: Island paralympians earn half of Canada’s gold medals; last Friday was hot hot hot, Navy training happening until Friday. [Sept. 9]

Top summer dishes in Victoria. [Tasting Vic]

Hwy 4 delays to/from Tofino for road repairs with 24/7 single-lane alternating until Oct. 18.

A northern pygmy owl on a branch and on the wing, near Nanaimo. [Facebook photos]

6 tasting menus to try in Victoria. [Tasting Victoria]

“Painted with gold”: A jumping spider on a Japanese Maple leaf in Comox Valley. [Photos]

That’s it!

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