Sept 14 - Sidney's pier gets some love

Good morning !

Today we’ve got Sidney’s newly approved logo featuring the Bevan Pier, as well as updates to the pier’s structure. Maybe next time you’re in the mood for a big bike ride—which, according to the CRD, many Victorians are—you can check out Sidney’s beloved ocean fixture.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 4.5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 22 / 11

Tomorrow: ☀️ 23 / 10

Day after: ☀️ 23 / 11

7-day weather forecast

🌫️ Air quality: Low risk today (2/10). Current smoke forecast.

🚘️ Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Sidney’s logo and pier get a refresh

Sidney is betting on one of its most iconic structures, the Bevan Fishing Pier, making it central to its new logo and approving restoration work costing $550K.

Sidney announced it would revamp its logo earlier this year, citing the lack of accessibility of the hard-to-read turquoise text. The new design was approved on Monday and features a cartoon design of the Bevan Pier in the water, with mountains in the background. Though the mayor and two other councillors opposed the design, saying it was overly complex, public feedback showed the logo options with the pier were most popular, according to a staff report.

The new logo will soon appear on email signatures, advertisements, social media posts, news releases, and other official town documents, transitioning from the Sidney by the Sea logo that was initially created by a town staff member for unofficial promotional purposes eight years ago.

A report from town staff pointed to the connection Sidney residents have to the ocean, with the pier seen as a central structure to bring people closer to the water—roughly 150m out to be exact—leading to the decision to focus on it in the logo.

The importance of the pier has also pushed council to up the budget for its upcoming restoration, involving protective wrapping for the metal structures to reduce water corrosion.

Council agreed to increase funding by over $200K to complete the project this year, reducing the cost of splitting the project over multiple years. With this approach, the pier will not need updates for another 5-10 years.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Water main repairs on McTavish Road are complete: Sidney, North Saanich, W̱SIḴEM (Tseycum First Nation), and BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin First Nation) can return to normal water use.

NEWS

More locals taking foot, bus, and bike trips, per new CRD stats

The recent funding for active transportation in Greater Victoria was not in vain—according to a newly released survey from the CRD, walking and cycling are “gaining traction” as key forms of travel in the region. According to the 2022 data, 29% of trips are made by walking, cycling, and transit use, up from 26.6% in 2017, with the CRD hoping to hit 45% by 2038.

“There's a significant reduction in driving in the densely populated core,” said Colin Plant, CRD board chair, in a statement explaining that the data will be used to connect with other governments to aid in future urban planning.

E-bikes have seen a boost in use, making up 30% of all bike trips despite only accounting for 11% of bikes.

There has also been a dip in the amount of personal trips taken, with a 10% decrease since 2017. This is likely attributable to new behaviours developed during the pandemic, echoing the results of last year’s census data.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

📝 Send your suggestions for community projects to the City of Victoria by Sept. 30 to be considered for My Great Neighbourhood Grant funding in 2023.

👬 Your LGBTQ REALTOR® - Dustin Miller has been a trusted agent in Greater Victoria for 10 years. Find your dream home with a pro who supports the LGBTQ+ community.*

🏠 CKT is looking for short-term host homes to host 15-year-old Japanese students from Dec. 1 to 5 (four nights, two students per family). For more info contact Yuri ASAP. Hosts will be compensated $450. Convenient pick up/drop off locations at Westshore or Vic/Saanich.*

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🗞️ In Other News

Man wanted in three Greater Victoria jurisdictions: Sheldon Gulbrandsen, 40, is wanted for assault by Victoria police, assault and theft by West Shore RCMP, and breach of probation by Saanich police after failing to show up for court for each case.

SD62 looking for part-time bus drivers: Sooke has 41 school bus drivers covering 41 routes to get 4.2K students to and from school daily. If a driver gets sick, their route is often cancelled. Backup needed. The district says it will train Class-2 drivers, who still would need to take their final ICBC test. [CTV]

Premier shares social media response for Swifties: Speaking on Instagram Stories on Tuesday, David Eby responded to a question about inviting pop star Taylor Swift to BC by saying “Ms. Swift. It’s David Eby, premier of British Columbia. I’m not accustomed to begging, but for my own constituency of my loving and beautiful wife and my son, Ezra, please come to Vancouver, British Columbia.” [CHEK]

SPONSORED BY IDS VANCOUVER 2023

Tickets are on sale NOW for the design event of the year!

The Interior Design Show presented by Miele opens its doors on Sept 21 with a stellar lineup of designers and design experiences waiting for you. Use code IDSVAN2023 for a 10% discount. See design icons such as Lynda Reeves on the Caesarstone stage. Shop the show at the District where you can buy directly from the makers. Join the IDS Party, with exciting installations and great music!

🗓️ Things to do

🎶 Victoria Folk at the Mint: R. Mason will take the stage at the Mint for Folk Night.

📸 Learn nature photography from the professionals. Join Prince of Whales for a special one-day nature photography workshop on Sept. 24. Discover the art of capturing Humpback and Orca Whales through the lens, guided by our knowledgeable crew. Book your spot today.*

🎸 Chilliwack: The ’70s rockers will perform at the Charlie White Theatre.

🎭 Pacific Opera Victoria's season of full-flavoured opera is on sale now! 3-opera subscriptions starting at $75, single tickets starting at $30.*

*Sponsored Listing

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday headlines: Victoria’s Martel in contempt, Two Crows gets piece of Victoria Pie Co., Brentwood Bay hockey player signs with NYC, and more. [Capital Daily]

BC rent increase capped at 3.5%: Currently, it's 2% but landlords were hoping it would be 5.6%, using inflation as a variable, as was the case until 2018, when landlords could hike the price by the rate of inflation, plus 2%. [CTV]

That’s it!

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