Sept 3 - Civil servants begin strike

Good morning !

BC’s civil service union has begun its strike. It’s a soft opening, but it could escalate and take a bit of time to play out.
Guess how many lightning strikes were registered across BC over the weekend.
We’ll tell you how many wildfires they sparked.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️27 / 16

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 22 / 15

Friday: 🌤️20 / 15

7-day forecast

NEWS

‘As long as it takes’: BC government workers begin strike action over pay gap

Armed with 92.7% membership support in a job-action mandate, members of BC’s public service hit the picket lines yesterday and vowed to remain on strike “as long as it takes” to try to leverage pay increases and a new collective agreement from the province.

A full-scale strike would affect health care, social services, liquor and cannabis distribution, prisons and courts, and government administration.

Union president Paul Finch said he wouldn’t “advertise what our strike strategy” is, but said you can bet that will change.

“That will escalate over the coming days or weeks,” he said.

Talks between the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU), representing 34K+ government workers, and the provincial government broke down in July over key issues, including wages, access to telework, and a modernized contract, according to a union release.

Negotiations began in January; collective agreement expired at end of March 

“You can call a government pro-labour [or] whatever you want—that doesn't change the facts that they haven't come to the table,” Finch said.

“They're not addressing the needs of working people in this province.”

When asked how long British Columbians can expect job action to run, Finch drew loud cheers with his response: “As long as it takes to get fair wages in the public service.”

A CHEK story said the two sides were fairly far apart. The BCGEU is proposing what amounts to an 8.25% wage increase over two years. The province is thinking 3.5% over two.
“There's a gap here,” he said. “Government needs to do better. They're out of touch, not just with our membership, but with the general public.

The BCGEU said to expect picket lines in the same locations today as they were yesterday: one in each Prince George and Surrey, and six here in Victoria, including in front of the Jack Davis Building, Yates Centre at 836 Yates, and the Royal BC Museum.

Read the full story here.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Intermittent closures on Fort, between Blanshard and Quadra, today and tomorrow. 7am-5pm. [City of Victoria]

Carey Road/Ravine Way transit improvement work continues: These routes remain on detours. Route 32 Cordova Bay/Royal Oak Exch; Route 70 Swartz Bay/Downtown; Route 71 Swartz Bay/Downtown. [Original release]

Correction: The weight room at the Commonwealth Pool reopened yesterday, but the pools remain closed for annual maintenance.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

10 wildfires are burning on the Island, all being held

Seven wildfires were discovered on the Island over the long weekend after more than 5K lightning strikes occurred across BC. Provincewide, 119 wildfires were sparked between Thursday and Monday, with 163 currently active.

The fires were discovered on Sunday and Monday on the Central Island, which has already been subjected to a challenging wildfire season. Four new fires were found near Campbell River, two near Nanaimo, and one near Jordan River.

The Island fires are suspected to have been caused by lightning—BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says approximately 75% of the weekend fires were caused by weather.

The fires were, thankfully, more manageable than the two notable blazes found last month—the Mount Underwood Fire and the Wesley Ridge Fire—which both led to evacuation orders for nearby communities. By Monday night, all Island fires were considered under control or being held.

Fire risks continue for some Island communities

Evacuation orders and alerts remain in place for the area surrounding the Mount Underwood Fire. The route from Port Alberni to Bamfield will remain closed for an indefinite period, according to the province, forcing travellers to take a bumpier detour via Youbou. 

New fires are likely to continue popping up, the BCWS said, as lightning is once again in the forecast for the Coastal Fire Centre (which includes the Island). The wildfire service said it’s “imperative” that residents stay up to date on their local wildfire situation as new fires are likely to appear.

“After a record-breaking 10-day heat wave with temperatures trending 5-6 degrees above seasonal norms, fuels are highly susceptible to ignition as conditions remain hot and dry,” BCWS said in a release.

SPONSORED BY THE CANADIAN CLUB OF VICTORIA

September Meeting will feature Dave Obee

The Canadian Club of Victoria's September Meeting will feature Dave Obee, Editor and Publisher of the Times Colonist: The State of Canadian News Media.

Thursday, Sept. 11th from 11:45am to 1:30pm at The Hotel Grand Pacific.

The deadline for registration is Monday, Sept. 8, at noon. Non-members are welcome.

Full details here.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🖍️ Free art class: Access self-paced arts and crafts classes with a GV Public Library card. [GVPL]

🏅 BC Summer Reading Club complete: The seven-week reading program is finished; kids who have participated can pick up their medals at any Greater Victoria Public Library branch. [GVPL]

🦎 Western red-backed salamanders seen near Royal Roads. [Facebook photos]
 

🗞️ In Other News

UVic to try AI writing tutor in select classes this fall
Three lower-level courses will trial a new tool from Studiosity, which touts an “ethical” AI program to give students feedback on their writing. Two second-year organizational behaviour classes will offer the apparatus, as well as a first-year course on university learning. Some professors and students have voiced their doubts about the benefits of using the technology in the classroom. [Times Colonist]

Driver flees police in Colwood: $1K in fines, car impounded 
Police say they responded to reports of an impaired driver Saturday night on Ocean Boulevard. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the black Mazda sped away and the person behind the wheel committed “several dangerous” infractions in the process, police said. Officers eventually located and arrested the driver, a 43-year-old man from Victoria. Violations included excessive speeding, crossing a solid double line, making an unsafe U-turn, and failing to stop for police. [RCMP]

Hullo Ferries workers vote 91% in favour of job action
More than 70 of 80 unionized workers voted to move themselves into a position to strike at the ferry service that shuttles passengers between Nanaimo and Vancouver. They’ve been without a contract for close to one year, and negotiations, which began in February, ran into a snag last week when the company rejected the union’s latest counter-proposal. A report late yesterday afternoon from Global News suggested the two sides had agreed to return to the bargaining table, that the company’s operations “will continue without disruption, and all sailings will be maintained as scheduled.” [BCFMWU]

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🗓️ Things to do

🎵 Inter-Tidal Relations Concert Series: Experience Indigenous and global cultures through music and storytelling curated by Indigenous femmes Nikky Ermineskin and Raven Natraoro. Ship Point. Today. 4-6pm. [Info]

🎧 Bad Rabbit Radio Live: Join the fun at Summer at Ship Point with food trucks, live music, games, and outdoor activities. Free and open to everyone. Ship Point. Today. 6-8pm. [Info]

🎻 Coco Love Alcorn & Friends: Four of Canada’s most exciting and original artists unite for a one-night-only collaboration celebrating voice, rhythm, and genre-defying musicality. Hermann’s. Today. 7-9pm. [Info]

🎶 Post-secondary Thursday Lunch Concert (Faculty): Kicking off the season, this special edition of our Thursday Lunch Concert series features performances by the talented faculty of the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Post-secondary Music Performance Diploma and Certificate programs. Victoria Conservatory of Music. Tomorrow. 12:30-1:30pm. [Info]

🎵 SoulFire: This 7-piece group came together with a common goal of pursuing a repertoire they find both challenging and inspiring. Expect a fusion of Latin, funk, reggae, and soulful grooves. Hermann’s. Fri. 7-9pm. [Info]

🌹Abkhazi Garden 25th Anniversary Open House: Learn about the legacy of Prince and Princess Abkhazi. There will be lawn games and a draw for an afternoon tea for two at the Teahouse. Enjoy a violin duo by Victoria Conservatory of Music musicians David Visentin and Elana Lin. Abkhazi Garden. Sun. 11am-5pm. [Info] 

🧵Victoria Quilters’ Guild: Annual Christmas Market. We support several organizations through the yearly donation of quilts. This event is our main funding source. Emmanuel Baptist Church. Nov. 7 & 8. [Info]

Correction: The Great Canadian Beer Festival has been paused this year. 

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: Province providing 640 more child-care spaces, including 76 in Victoria; Wildlife group says keep your distance from seals and their pups; Azuma Sushi closing. [Sept. 2]

Empress Hotel goes fur-free following Victoria campaign. [Capital Daily]

Reminder: Drive 30 km/h in school zones. [CHEK]

Record temperatures set in 16 BC communities on Labour Day. [CTV]

New fund honours 12-year-old Cowichan Valley boy killed in car collision. [Times Colonist] 

Partial closure of Elk Lake fishing dock tomorrow. [CRD]

That’s it!

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