Sept 22 - BC election kicks off

Good morning !

This morning was the fall equinox: the point at which day and night are roughly equal lengths in most parts of the world. It’s a clear mark that we’ve left summer behind—although the weather this week will try to give us a parting taste, with a few highs around 20C for what will likely be the last time this year.

In many years, one clear sign of fall is the onset of election season. This year is one of those years, with the BC election officially kicking off yesterday. More on that below. 

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ⛅ 17 / 11 

Tomorrow: ⛅ 19 / 10

Tuesday: ☀️ 21 / 14

NEWS

BC election period officially begins

The writs dropped yesterday, with BC Lt. Gov. Janet Austin signing documents for an election in four weeks on Oct. 19. 

You can vote by mail as long as the ballot is received (not just sent) by 8pm Oct. 19. Advance voting will be Oct. 10-16 with a break for Thanksgiving (Oct. 14), and voting at electoral offices is already open. More voting info here; find locations here.

Not all candidates have been finalized, however. Sept. 28 at 1pm is the deadline to lock in candidate nominations. The surrender of BC United, which had a number of registered candidates, further complicates the ballot picture. Those candidates now lose that party affiliation on the ballot but are still present unless they withdraw. 

Leaders officially kicked off campaigns on this weekend

NDP premier David Eby, in Lower Mainland rallies on Friday and Saturday, argued that Conservative leader John Rustad would cut back healthcare funding and housing measures. Rustad and Furstenau both spoke at the Union of BC Municipalities last week. Rustad pitched more infrastructure funding and housing autonomy for municipalities, then launched officially on Saturday with a former tent city site as a prop representing “manage[d] decline.” Furstenau criticized both other leaders as opportunistic and irresponsible on climate policy, and promised a more collaborative and evidence-based government.

NEWS

Victoria bus colours will change to light-green

Beginning this fall, BC Transit will begin kitting its vehicles out in a lighter shade of green and a new design. The colour will apply to the incoming fleet of electric buses, which is set to start arriving in 2025 despite some setbacks, and is intended to represent this shift to ‘greener’ transit.

The design will also only have a single block of colour, with the back of the bus plain white, which BC Transit says will make maintenance faster. This new “livery” is the first major design change to BC buses since 2007, although the interiors and logos aren’t changing.

You’ll start seeing it on the 84 light-duty buses (i.e. the shorter ones for community routes) and 8 heavy-duty (ie full-length) buses that are arriving in the coming months. The current buses won't change their design, so there will be a mix of colours and looks for some time, until all the older vehicles cycle out.

See more of the designs here.

NEWS

Last week on the Westshore: Daycare spaces, a mistrial, and a new orca

48 new fully-funded Indigenous daycare spaces 

The province announced Tuesday that the new spots are coming to Colwood’s Hulitan Early Years Centre. The centre is supported through Aboriginal Head Start (AHS), an early-learning and child care program for Indigenous children up to age six and their families.

Mistrial in Sooke shooting case

The Crown will have to wait until Nov. to get another chance to prove that Paul Treager shot his Otter Point neighbour Tony Nelson in the stomach one morning in May 2022. The Crown claims that the men had an ongoing fued.

L Pod visits Sooke waters—but doesn’t bring new calf

The endangered Southern Residents welcomed a 74th member this month. Baby L128 remained with its mother L90 in the Haro Strait recently when the pod's century-old matriarch, likely the oldest orca in the world, led the pod to the Westshore.

You can read these full stories, and others, in last Thursday’s Westshore.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🐝 A bee up close in these macro lens photos by Work the Angle.

🌇 New album from Sunset Rundown: The latest music from Islander Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, who Capital Daily interviewed in 2022. Listen below:

🍷 Explore the world of wine at the Victoria International Wine Festival this October 4 and 5. All-inclusive tickets, 380 wines, and 113 wineries. Get tickets here.*

🐻🐻🐻 Bear cub triplets in a tree with mum. [CHEK video]

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🗞️ In Other News

Corroded cable prompts geophysics survey in the Gorge this week
An oil-filled 1980 cable that helps carry some of the region’s electricity has “widespread” corrosion, BC Hydro says. To help plan the oil-free replacement cable, boats and crews are surveying the Gorge west of the Selkirk Trestle. They ask swimmers and boaters to avoid the area (though the Banfield dock is still fair game). [Full details & maps at BC Hydro]

Nearly 20 months later, Port Hardy & Cormorant Island ERs still closed overnight
Island Health says that it only has 19 of the 30 nurses it would need to keep open all 3 of North Island centres full-time (currently only Port McNeil is 24/7), but should get to 25 in the new year. Local officials say the lack of housing in their communities has made it harder to recruit health workers. [CBC] 

Top seed out of reach as Westshore Rebels drop another game
Last year Greater Victoria’s junior football team went undefeated until the national cup. But this season it has now dipped to 5-3, with yesterday’s 10-24 result the second loss to top rival the Okanagan Sun.

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🗓️ Things to do

 🤖 Ultimate Hobby & Toy Fair: Collectibles, cosplay, & charity fundraising. The annual show put on by Cherry Bomb Toys (which also runs the National Toy Museum) is at Pearkes Rec today, 9am-3pm. [Info]

🎼 The Shanna Dance Quartet performs Ella Fitzgerald to open the 2^nd season of Jazz Evensong at St. Mary's Oak Bay today at 4pm. By donation ($20 suggested)

🍻 Smalltoberfest: Join the third annual Small Gods Brewing Oktoberfest weekend featuring delicious German-inspired treats, and an incredible beer list. Sun 11am-8pm. [Info]

🍏 Community Apple Days: Harvest games & Sunday Sessions live music at Junction Orchard & Cidery. [Info]

📚 Victoria Anarchist Book Fair: Radical reads at the 19th year of this fair. Fernwood Community Centre. 11am-5pm. [Info]

🍁 Fall Fairfield: Music, arts, crafts, and food festival. Make harvest hats & bracelets, taste pie recipes, snuggle rescued animals, & vote for the biggest vegetables. 12-4pm today at Robert J. Porter Park & Fairfield Community Place.

🏞 Today is Family Watershed Day in the Comox Valley; read all about the event in The Discourse. 

👀 In Case You Missed It

Province presses Victoria school board on safety plan and police presence. [Capital Daily]

Noise cameras recommended to combat loud cars. Also in Sat. newsletter: Nuu-chah-nulth declare state of emergency. [Sept. 21]

Sunday downtown rally for Gaza expected at 2pm. Traffic disruptions and CCTV 2-4pm.

Friday news: Canadian doctors apologize; 111-year-old charity dog on display; Fake guns; Free transit. [Sept. 20]

Getting air: 2 dolphins “fly” in this shot from Port McNeil.

Performers wanted for Lights of Wonder: [DVBA]

Do you remember?