Sept 19 - Amalgamation talks set to begin

Good morning !

I wasn’t able to see Tuesday night’s supermoon lunar eclipse due to the cloudy weather, but last night’s moon looked pretty glorious despite not being 100% full.

I’m wondering if any Capital Daily readers were able to see the full moon or the eclipse the other night. Feel free to share photos and we might run them in tomorrow’s newsletter.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 16 / 10

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 16 / 10

Saturday: 🌤️ 17 / 11

7-day forecast

NEWS

UVic study shows benefit of integrating police with mental health teams 

Tuesday, VicPD Chief Manak and representatives from UVic and Island Health addressed findings from their 2024 Integrating Municipal Police Officers onto Assertive Community Treatment (IMPACT) teams report at VicPD headquarters on Caledonia Avenue.

Out of the gate, Manak made clear the interface between police and mental health calls will alway exist. 

“We know that where there is violence, threats of violence, weapons that are present or criminality or some immediate threat to life...does require a police response,” he said.

That link between them is clear from the way interactions (occurrences) between ACT officers, patrol officers and clients are coded and documented using VicPD’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) system. The most common type of occurrence reported is social disorder followed by mental health. 

VicPD has had integrated officers on ACT teams since 2007. The teams, which now include five teams with up to three officers, are typically made up of mental health professionals including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, community outreach workers, and peer support workers. The stated aim of the program is to create individualized treatment plans to help people live more independently and to reduce their exposure to hospitalization, incarceration and homelessness.

A VicPD statement issued about the findings said “This report challenges the notion that police should not play a role in supporting these individuals and underscores the importance of collaboration between police officers and health professionals.” 

Read the full story by Sidney Coles here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

All Island open-fire bans to be lifted at noon today. [Coastal Fire]

Possible Hepatitis A exposure for diners at Dairy Queen in Courtenay between Sept. 10-14.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Citizens’ assembly on Victoria-Saanich amalgamation to begin talks on Saturday

The first of eight meetings of the Victoria–Saanich Citizens Assembly (VSCA)—a group of 48 people selected randomly from the general population to discuss the benefits, disbenefits, and costs of amalgamating the CRD’s two most populous municipalities—will take place on Sat.

This past April, 10K randomly selected households in Victoria and Saanich received a letter inviting them to join the assembly. Some 300+ agreed and in June, 48 were selected—27 from Saanich, 21 from Victoria—reflecting the age, gender and demographic makeup of the communities. 

“One of the things that has been frustrating is, after we waited 14 years for this thing to start, the timetable for implementation is almost 12 calendar months for it to happen,” laments James Anderson, chair of Amalgamation Yes, a group pushing for a union of the two governments.

“We think that 13 [municipalities] is too many,” Anderson says.

Public votes in 2014 and 2018 showed voters had significant interest in change, but most politicians ignored it, leaving two mayors (Victoria’s Lisa Helps and Saanich’s Richard Atwell) agreeing to move forward. The pandemic pushed the timetable back but the work is about to begin, even though it’s only two of 13 districts taking part.

“At this point, we're saying you got to start somewhere, so let's start with the two biggest ones that have the most in common, side by side,” Anderson says. 

The assembly’s role isn’t to decide whether the two boroughs should join, but rather to make a consensus recommendation to both councils whether or under what conditions they should amalgamate. A green light would empower the municipalities to work with the province to set up a public referendum. If residents of both communities vote to team up, the decision would need the province’s approval. 

Victoria, Saanich, and the BC government are each paying $250K to fund the assembly, whose members are not paid.

The first of eight meetings will be facilitated by MASS LBP, which has overseen 50+ citizen assemblies in Canada, including three in BC. MASS principal Peter MacLeod, who chaired the 2018 Duncan-North Cowichan citizens’ assembly, will be the independent chair.

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Tickets are all-inclusive, giving you the chance to explore the world of wine in one unforgettable weekend. Get your tickets here!

⭐️ Capital Picks

🥖 Master quick breads, from mixing methods to sweet and savory options! September 26, 6:30-8:30pm at Patio Gardens. Sign up for the Quick Bread workshop here.*

🚗 Vision Zero safety grants open for applications.

📈 Have you ever considered investing for impact? Impact investing generates positive, measurable social and environmental benefits alongside a financial return. Read more in Pulse 2024 magazine!*

🧓 National Seniors Day is Oct. 1. [Info]

❓ Thoughts on Victoria-Saanich amalgamation? Share them with the Victoria-Saanich Citizens Assembly through its new submissions process.

⚜️ The Belfry premieres the English-language version of From Alaska tonight (to October 13). The theatre offers pay-what-you-want tickets to all performances.*

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

New Colwood council-run clinic will provide doctors for 10K residents
The clinic is slated to open next year and would eventually have eight doctors on staff. Plans for the new clinic will be discussed at next Monday’s council meeting. The clinic would be run by the city in partnership with Aroga Lifestyle Medicine and Pure Pharmacy. Doctors will be recruited from across Canada to ensure local doctors aren’t leaving their clinic. [Goldstream Gazette]

Two escape after plane crashes and burns at Qualicum Airport
The passengers were the only occupants in the plane and were uninjured after the Monday afternoon crash. The crash was caused when landing gear collapsed onto the plane, which was a privately registered Globe Aircraft Corp. GC-1B. The crash landing was relatively soft, but fuel was ignited after the plane scraped along the ground. [Times Colonist]

Charity Soap for Hope makes clean landing at new location
Last month, we told you the non-profit needed new digs—real quick. Shoutout to real estate firm NAI Commerical Inc., which has secured a warehouse not too far from the charity’s VicWest home base. That effectively saves the 10K or so plastic bottles collected for the Soap for Hope (SFH) ‘It’s a Concrete Idea’ project, which transforms the bottles into filaments to reinforce concrete instead of being tossed into the landfill. When not helping the environment, SFH collects and delivers hygiene products and more to those in need. [Victoria News]

102-year-old Cowichan Valley trestle to be torn down, replaced
The Holt-Creek Trestle, near Duncan is a huge draw and many have been surprised to hear the wooden footbridge is earmarked for demolition. But the province’s transportation ministry conducted a structural review seven years ago and found the trestle was near the end of its safe lifespan. Rather than a continuous round of repairs, the province plans to replace it. [CHEK]

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In-person, over the phone, or virtual appointments that are easy to book and never rushed. Extras like developmental milestone checks and an annual Dexa body composition scan. It’s wonderful care for families.

The Sprout team will see you now. 

🗓️ Things to do

🎭 Cat Kid Comic Show: The Musical: Enjoy this hilarious musical adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man spin-off series at the McPherson Playhouse tomorrow. 6pm. [Info]

🎵 The Blues Collective ft. Deb Rhymer and Auntie Kate: Listen to the group of Victoria musicians and well-known Blues singers at Hermann’s tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🎸 The Cult: See the iconic British rock band at the Royal Theatre tomorrow. 8pm. [Info]

🖌️ Art Battle at the Victoria Event Centre: Watch as talented artists battle in three rounds of 20-minute masterpieces at the Victoria Event Centre tomorrow. 6pm. [Info]

🍺 Smalltoberfest: Join the third annual Oktoberfest weekend with delicious German-inspired treats, and an incredible beer list. Tomorrow-Sun. [Info]

🎶 International Day of Peace at Abkhazi Garden: See multiple choirs perform in the gardens on Sat. 11am-5pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Saanich increasing tree canopy cover; Jay Leno’s car being fixed in Vic; Could be a busy flu season; And more. [Sept. 18]

Rustad’s words fail asylum seekers. [Capital Daily] 

More cougars displaced in urban sprawl. [The Westshore]

City coffee mug contest. [City of Victoria]

Otter cam: Check in on Tofino, the orphaned otter pup rescued near the West Island, as he adjusts swimmingly to living at the Vancouver Aquarium. [Live video feed]

Meet an owl on a nocturnal monitoring visit. [Rocky Point Bird Observatory]

That’s it!

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