Sept 10 - Sidney turns down shelter idea

Good morning !

It’s not often you’ll hear councillors from another municipality weigh in on what goes on in a neighbouring council’s chambers, but when it happens, it’s usually about a trigger issue.
Emergency warming shelters fit that bill, considering how Victoria seems to have to do a lot of the CRD’s heavy lifting.
Our first story touches on a decision in Sidney which falls in that category.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 24 / 13

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 23 / 13

Friday: 🌤️ 20 / 14

7-day forecast

NEWS

Town of Sidney turns down proposal for emergency shelter

By a vote of 4-3, the town’s council rejected a motion to change a zoning bylaw that would have allowed the operators of a seniors’ independent living facility to house an emergency warming shelter. 

“I had literally dozens of people express their opposition to the EWS in Wakefield, and there was a petition of close to 400 people who also opposed it,” Coun. Richard Novek told Capital Daily. 

Coun. Chad Rintoul, who also voted against the motion, said the council wasn’t closing the door on a shelter in Sidney; rather, this idea is just not a good fit.

“We would be asking residents of Wakefield Manor to host an emergency warming shelter in the foyer of their home,” he said 

“I don’t know that that’s a fair request to those residents.”

Rintoul and his fellow councillors fully supported an amendment to the town’s official community plan to “consider allowing emergency shelters through amendments to the zoning bylaw,” which enables the council to consider other possible locations in the community for a temporary emergency weather shelter.

Tricia Earl, CEO of Beacon Community Services—which also operates the Out of the Rain shelter on Elford near Pandora—presented to the council its plan to turn a ground-floor area of its seniors' independent living facility into a sleep shelter during times of inclement weather. There would be mats on the floor, and dinner and breakfast would be provided to the dozen or so people the non-profit would expect to use it.

The space—which has its own private entrance and has been used for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings—would have full supervision, the company said.

“We’ve done this for a long time; we’re very good at it, and we haven’t had—I can’t think of any complaints since I’ve come on board in the last four years,” Earl told the council.

Victoria Coun. Matt Dell called the decision “absolutely shameful” and said it would only put more pressure on Victoria to provide shelter for more people who don’t live there. 

“This means that in the next snowstorm, unhoused people will need to find transportation all the way into Victoria,” he said on his social media page

“I've seen some outrageous anti-housing votes from other councils, but this one takes the cake.”

Only three municipalities other than Victoria—Saanich, Sooke, and Salt Spring Island—have basic shelter beds, and Victoria has been pressing other districts to step up. 

“We were greatly disappointed we weren’t successful on this initiative, Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith said in an email to Capital Daily. 

“Homeless persons are human beings who need our support.”

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Road closure on Dallas, between St. Charles and Memorial, through Friday for paving. [City of Victoria]

Reynolds at Lasalle: single-lane, alternating traffic for drain upgrades until Oct. 10. [7am-3:30pm]

Road closure: Donald between Burnside West and Maddock West. [8:30am to 3:30pm today]

Health tips to start the school year. [Island Health]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

NEWS

6 cideries near Victoria to check out

September is a special month, capturing the magic of both the summer and fall seasons. Warm days, cooler nights, and leaves just starting to change colour.

If there’s one drink that can perfectly encapsulate this transitional period, it’s cider—and Greater Victoria has many spots serving up fresh, homegrown pints.

Take advantage of the still-warm weather and enjoy stunning outdoor patios surrounded by orchards and ocean views. Sample different flavours with a flight or sip on a pint of your choice of brewed-apple goodness.

We’ve rounded up six cideries—from the Peninsula to the Cowichan Valley—that make and serve locally grown craft drinks, offering the perfect atmosphere for a September day out with friends.

See our full list here.

This story ran for our Insiders on July 6. Consider becoming an Insider today and be the first to receive stories every Sunday.

SPONSORED BY DANCE VICTORIA

IGNITE! A Dance Victoria Launch Party

Kick off Dance Victoria's 2025/26 Season with IGNITE!

This 4th annual fundraising event features a live duet by Ballet Edmonton, DJ tunes, mouth-watering bites, libations from local suppliers, a silent auction, and the fabulous company of fellow arts lovers. All proceeds support Dance Victoria’s artist programs and community engagement activities. Saturday, Oct. 25 @ KWENCH.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🐟 Salmon on their final journey: See the mesmerizing video filmed in Campbell River. [Facebook video]

📚 Summer Reading Club participants can share their feedback on the program until Sunday. [Survey]

📖 Little Free Library No. 1,000 celebration. [Sept. 20] 

🗞️ In Other News

Residents sue City of Victoria over Roundhouse project
Two residents (representing all Victoria residents) filed a lawsuit claiming the VicWest development will cause the loss of the site’s community heritage value. The suit argues that the city acted unlawfully by failing to follow its official community plan and thereby contributed to a public nuisance. The two are seeking damages for alleged loss of property value. The suit is currently a civil action, but the residents intend to certify it as a class-action suit. None of the allegations has been proven in court. [Times Colonist] 

Delays on the Saanich operations centre project could cost $400K a month
Saanich staff are reevaluating the rollout of a new operations centre after a failed alternative approval process (AAP)—which determined whether the city should borrow $150M for the project—was shot down by residents. Those who voted against it said they would prefer a referendum vote over an AAP. The district says the referendum would take too long to organize, and staff have been asked to report back this fall with a revised plan. The district says the cost of the project grows the longer it’s delayed. [CHEK]

North Saanich falls significantly short of housing targets
The district has only achieved 20% of the housing goal set by the province. It was supposed to build 60 net new units by the end of July, but achieved only 12. The district says it’s made a big step toward progress by adopting its new official community plan (OCP) in July. With the new OCP in place, the council can change bylaws to speed up building while maintaining the district’s rural charm. However, the district’s future housing estimates still fall short of BC’s targets: the province wants 128 units by next July; NS says it can achieve 40 by that time. [Peninsula News Review]

Enjoying our newsletter? Help us make it even better!

Become an Insider member and help keep local journalism and storytelling alive in the Capital Region. 

🗓️ Things to do

🚣 Seniors 55+ Learn to Row: Get out on the water and build a solid foundation with this full-body workout with Gorge Rowing today. 9-11am. [Info]

♻️ Eco-Stitch Society: Join a supportive community of makers passionate about upcycling and sustainable sewing practices at the Green Thimble today. 6-8pm. [Info]

🧠 ThinkTank Trivia: Test your knowledge at the city's premier pub trivia at Herald Street Brew Works tonight. 7-9pm. [Info]

🎶 Rifflandia: Vancouver Island's largest outdoor festival returns tomorrow with a mix of big names and local acts, tasty food and drinks, and a kids' play area at Matullia Lands at Rock Bay. Thu.-Sun. [Info]

🎵 Walter Trout: The blues star will bring his guitar and singing skills to Wicket Hall. Fri. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎸 Bryan Adams: The Canadian rock icon will be at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, with opener The Sheepdogs. Sat. & Sun. 7:30pm. [Info]

🥁 Warren Wolf: The jazz performer—trained in multiple forms of percussion—will take the stage with the Sullivan Fortner Trio at McPherson Playhouse. Sat. 1:30pm. [Info]

🎻 Beethoven Violin Concerto: The Victoria Symphony, led by Christian Kluxen, will perform works by Beethoven and Brahms at the Royal Theatre. Sun. 2:30pm. [Info]

🚀 Health in Space Exhibit: Explore the health challenges astronauts face through authentic artifacts and interactive activities at the Sidney Museum. Daily through Nov 30. 10am-4pm. [Info]

 🎭 Pacific Opera Victoria Presents: See Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野, with pianist David Eliakis, perform the one-person show, The Queen in Me at McPherson Playhouse. Sept. 24. 7:30pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: The Empress applies to open a rooftop patio; Boater busted after police find $7K in stolen fishing equipment; Victoria to take down 133 trees. [Sept. 9]

BC intervenes in Cowichan bus strike. [LJI /Capital Daily]

41% approval rating: latest poll results suggest Premier David Eby has fallen to his lowest level of support. [CHEK]

Victoria punk band Dayglo Abortions released from Ohio jail with new fans: the police officers who arrested them. [Georgia Straight]

Prime Minister Mark Carney is noncommittal about Canada meeting 2030 climate goals. [CBC] 

Changing residences: Scientists launched a new study last week to understand why Southern Resident killer whales are spending less time in the Salish Sea. [NOAA] 

Abs of seal: A harbour seal was seen using its powerful stomach muscles to grab a salmon fillet on land in Cowichan Bay. [Video]

Downtown Derby: Pacific FC hosts Vancouver FC at Royal Athletic Park. [Saturday at 4pm]

That’s it!

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

And before you go, let us know: