Sept 17 - Rabbits in Saanich's crosshairs

Good morning !

We sure scored a gorgeous September afternoon yesterday. The average high this time of the year is 19ish, but the temp rose to 26 C at YYJ.
I was nowhere near the airport and everywhere by the ocean, taking advantage of the weather by taking a dip.
Here’s hoping you also were able to enjoy the weather in some way.

Hey, did you hear the premier has a professional comedian on retainer? He’s got BC comic Charlie Demers writing jokes for him.
Seriously.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ☀️ 22 / 11

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 23 / 12

Friday: ☀️ 24 / 14

7-day forecast

NEWS

Victoria’s emerging circus community is taking the art form to new heights

Running away with the circus has become a lot easier—especially when you don’t actually have to run too far, or even leave home. 

In Victoria, circus arts, which include acrobatics, contortionism, juggling, and clowning, have become a trending hobby for people looking to challenge themselves.

Island Circus Space (ICS), which offers classes and a place for kids and adults to train, has seen an uptick in members at its Hillside studio over the years. 

Josh Nobleman, co-founder of ICS, says one reason for this is local fitness culture—it’s not a far leap to go from yoga to handstands—but also, a sense of community that circus performing can offer people.

“After COVID, I think people were ready to start building a community again, and to do so with one that's diverse, queer-friendly—friendly to different body types, especially—you know, letting people move their bodies without fear of comparison,” Nobleman told Capital Daily. 

“In circus, there's so many different disciplines and so many tasks within those disciplines; it's more about those ways of expressing yourself, and that's not really a competition.”

Not your mother’s big-top circus

Circuses have evolved over the last few centuries—rising, falling, and rising again in popularity—and have moved into an era that focuses on the unreal capabilities of the human body.

But it’s not all Cirque du Soleil, says Nobleman.

“There's another facet, which is you can just have fun and find ways of expressing yourself that you didn't know you could do.”

This approach to circus arts has been growing in popularity for years now—and lately, it’s become a favourite form of expression for many people in Victoria.

Read on to find out how circus arts have created a sense of community for many—and check out our photos from last weekend’s ICS performance. 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Traffic disruption on Johnson, between Vancouver and Cook, today through Friday. 9am-3pm. [Info]

Delays on Lochside Trail, between Darwin and Saanich, tomorrow. 8:30am-3pm. [CRD]

Saanich road closure: Telegraph Bay between Queenswood and Arbutus until Sept, 23.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Saanich will have feral rabbits in its sights when UBCM hits town

Saanich will ask the BC government to create a provincewide strategy to address the spread of the cute but destructive animals when the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention is held in Victoria Sept. 22-26.

“Feral rabbits are becoming an increasing challenge for many communities,” said Saanich Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, who initiated the resolution at the Saanich council.

“These feral animals can have a significant and negative impact on ecosystems, native wildlife, urban infrastructure and green spaces, and public health and safety,” Saanich said in its notice of motion backgrounder.

Resolution NR 77 states, “leadership from the province is essential to addressing the root causes and preventing further damage to ecosystems and infrastructure.”

According to the motion bacgrounder, European rabbits are one of five species of rabbits and hares found in BC. They are the same species as domestic pet rabbits and are considered feral and invasive. Many of these hares are pets abandoned by their owners, Phelps Bondaroff said. 

These rabbits breed… like rabbits, and their populations can quickly expand, as we’ve seen over the years at UVic. 

In 2011, the university dealt with a rabbit overpopulation—which chewed and dug through the campus—by euthanizing some and catching and relocating hundreds to sanctuaries in Coombs and Texas.

Saanich said municipalities often lack the resources and expertise to effectively and humanely deal with the rabbit population. 

“As a result, much of the work falls to small, poorly funded, not-for-profit organizations, who engage in advocacy and education, as well as rescues, when resources allow.”

Phelps Bondaroff said he has heard from residents with rabbit issues in Royal Oak and near Elk and Beaver lakes.

In 2022, the province changed its Wildlife Act to prohibit the release into the wild of some of these feral rabbits. It also loosened regulations to make it easier to send them to a sanctuary.

Abandoning pet rabbits to the wilderness is still a crime under cruelty to animals legislation. 

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🥇 Still world champion: Nanaimo’s Ethan Katzberg retains his hammer throw title in Tokyo. [CP / CTV]

💱 BC Gov’t grants: multiculturalism and anti-racism. [Application]

🚂 E&N Rail in its heyday: See a train cross the trestle near Shawnigan Lake in 1904. [Facebook photo]

🎟️ Get your tickets fast for the Sept. 27 Health + Homecoming Gala at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Enjoy Great food, live music, and more.*

🐙 Lion’s mane jellyfish look mesmerizing underwater. Remember, never touch this type of jellyfish alive or dead—its venomous tentacles can hurt people and animals. [Video]
*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Victoria city council to weigh in on proposed OCP tomorrow
The council is listening to the public’s thoughts on the official community plan (OCP), which will shape how the city grows over the next several decades. Some James Bay residents made the case that when it comes to densification, their neighbourhood of 12K has done the city’s heavy lifting. They said the city shouldn’t single it out as a priority growth area when other areas may be better suited to take on more building. The goal of the OCP is to speed up the pace of housing development. The public hearing resumes tomorrow evening at City Hall. [Times Colonist]

6-home development in Uplands faces council roadblocks
The application for housing on the two lots was sent back to staff for reworking. While the proposal aligns with zoning bylaws in the area, councillors raised concerns about the loss of trees and the design of the homes, saying it wouldn’t match the neighbourhood. The applicant voiced their frustration to Black Press, saying they followed all guidelines and worked with district staff to create the proposal properly. [Oak Bay News]

BC finance minister defends provincial government’s budget numbers
Brenda Bailey says her government is not trying to make a record deficit look smaller than it actually is. The province is due a court settlement of $3.6M from the tobacco industry that’s slated to be paid out over 18 years. The NDP government has slotted a huge chunk of it—$2.7B—to come in this year. The move effectively reduces the deficit to $11.6B from almost $14B. Alberta is in line for a $3.1B Big Tobacco settlement and is only recording $713M received for this tax year. [CHEK]

🗓️ Things to do

🐙 Under the Sea: An Immersive Art Experience: Dive into an enchanting underwater world of life-sized sculptures crafted from driftwood at Cedar Hill Main Gallery. Today through Oct. 5. [Info]

🏳️‍🌈 Queer Open Stage: Showcase your talent in a safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ performers featuring music, drag, poetry, dance, comedy, or magic at theDock Centre for Social Impact today. 6:45pm. [Info]

📺 The Summer I Turned Pretty Watch Party: Watch the series finale on a massive screen, with complimentary charcuterie, themed drinks, and a trivia contest at Encore on Broad tonight. Doors 7pm, show 7:45pm. [Info]

🎤 Phillips Comedy Night at the Mint: Enjoy hilarious comedians at this popular weekly comedy show at The Mint tonight. 8-9:30pm. [Info]

🧘 Outdoor Hatha Flow Yoga: Connect with nature while strengthening your body and mind in the Gardens at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific tomorrow. 10-11:15am. [Info]

🐦 Watercolour Painting with Richard Wong: Learn to paint the house finch in vibrant watercolour at the Gardens at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific tomorrow. 1-4pm. [Info]

🎵 Sing Together: Connect with others and create joy through song at McMinn Park tomorrow. 6:30pm. [Info]

🧶 Rug Event in Sidney: Shop a large selection of hand-knotted tribal, Bokhara, and Persian rugs at Sidney Pier Hotel. Tomorrow through Sept. 28. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: UVic keeping tabs on recreation in Coast Mountains; J-Pod orca seen pushing her dead calf; Saanich council looking to reduce expected 8.74% tax hike. [Sept. 16]

BC Supreme Court approves an anti-blocking injunction, but protesters remain at Walbran Valley. [Capital Daily]

Soup Kitchen on View, the city’s oldest, is seeking volunteers and donations. [CHEK]

Mixed-gender bathrooms at area schools draw mixed reviews. [Times Colonist]

Help VicPD’s fraud investigation into counterfeit Ribfest tokens.

South Island Powwow. [Sept. 30]

Artist callout: Victoria at Dusk is looking for creators to design art installations. Applications open until Sept. 30. [Details]

Celebrate 1K Little Free Libraries on Sept. 20. [Call for stories]

That’s it!

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