Sept 16 - New plans to redo Inner Harbour's Ship Point

Good morning !

We have stories below on the successes of new restaurants and an old festival with a new format. But first: an Inner Harbour redevelopment plan that seemed dead in the water has now resurfaced.

— Cam

Today’s approx read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ☀️ 22/10

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 20/12

Monday: ⛅ 19/10

7-day forecast

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

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

NEWS

City launches new attempt at revamping Ship Point in Inner Harbour

The large open area in the heart of the Inner Harbour remains a “working harbour” (you can see floatplanes fly to and from its pier) and occasionally hosts local festivals such as SkaFest. But on most days, it lacks much public presence relative to its size.

Victoria is once again looking to change that by revamping Ship Point, which consists mostly of parking, to be more pedestrian-friendly.

The redevelopment plan emerged in 2017 (after the city got the land in a 2014 swap with the province) but was put aside in 2019 to make room for other priorities. Victoria council has now brought it back, and voted at this week’s committee of the whole to have city staff craft an updated version of the design.

The Ship Point Master Plan created by that process has five stages, outlining changes that would phase in a new stage area and pier, new waterfront landscaping, terraced seating, a pavilion, and different parking spots. During the phases, some elements such as seating would not be permanent and could be moved around for different events.

$66M now an outdated estimate

The cost was projected at almost $66M back in 2018, including $19M for the pavillion and $9M for a new pier.

Last week, staff recommended (starts page 520 in document) that the city re-examine the project’s cost, move forward on phases that incorporate work already needed by the deteriorating shoreline, and hold off (for now) on major undertakings such as the pavilion and stepped seating.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Next week’s weather: Sun and cloud expected most days, with highs at or near 20C but lows down into single digits.

Airport Authority board candidates sought. Deadline is tomorrow night. [Info]

NEWS

Rifflandia in Royal Athletic this weekend, as local festival wraps its second year back

The local music festival first launched in 2008, becoming a staple end-to-summer event for the city. But it was cancelled in 2019 due to financial issues faced by many BC festivals at the time—Squamish Music Festival ended in 2016, Pemberton Music Festival filed for bankruptcy in 2017, and Rock the Shores said goodbye in 2019.

But Rifflandia made a triumphant return last year, with big-name headliners Lorde, Charli XCX, and Cypress Hill drawing 15,000 people over the four-day show. That event hosted acts at both Royal Athletic as usual and at "Electric Avenue” in the north end of downtown, which featured more electronic acts.

This year split those two locations into two weekends with the latter, current half (“The Park”) featuring Diplo, Iggy Pop, Herbie Hancock, and others.

Last weekend’s Electric Avenue show, held at Matullia Holdings land next to Phillips Brewery, saw a record 8K people attend to see Run the Jewels, Chromeo, and Paris Hilton—the reality star and pop singer turned DJ who expressed her love for Victoria and was spotted sipping mojitos before her set at the Doubletree downtown.

Similarly high numbers are anticipated for The Park show.

NEWS

Two local spots named among Canada’s best new restaurants

The restaurants being recognized represent two sides of the local industry: one is a multi-million endeavour years in the making, while the other is a labour of love from a chef who has risen through the ranks of Victoria restaurants over the past decade.

Both focus on locally sourced ingredients, and both now have a chance to rank at the top of an annual list compiled for the past 20 years by undercover food critics sent out to new eateries across Canada.

More on the list, the local restaurants, and the food they make, at Tasting Victoria.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🦅 Bald eagles converge to fish for hake in Island waters as currents push the fish to the surface. [Liron Gertsman photo]

🍎 A longer, healthier life is possible. With a team of experts and 45+ evidence-based metrics, Tall Tree's longevity medicine program will add healthy years to your life.*

🍸 This weekend’s happy hour deals include margaritas and tacos at Earls and half-off beers at Swift. [Tasting Victoria]

🤝 Now hiring: Facilities & systems coordinator at theDock – Centre for Social Impact

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Look, up in the sky—it’s not a bird or plane, it’s…
No, those were not UFOs (or as the new NASA department now calls ‘em, UFPs "unidentified anomalous phenomena”) you saw in the sky last night and the night before. They’re likely just part of the Starlink internet system of thousands of newly launched satellites. [CHEK]

BC’s wildfire state of emergency officially ended Friday morning 
Bowinn Ma, the emergency management minister, said that doesn’t mean the smoky wildfire season is over.
The emergency was declared Aug. 8 and a record-amount of land has been scorched, aided by tinder-dry conditions.

Rocks thrown at cars in Qualicum Bay
RCMP report 5 incidents this month on a short stretch of Hwy 19, and one driver told CTV he was nearly killed.

SPONSORED BY DANCE VICTORIA

Early bird Nutcracker tickets; Ukrainian Shumka Dancers and Victoria Symphony

Capital Daily readers save up to 20% off regular priced adult tickets to Ukrainian Shumka Dancers’ Nutcracker. Promo code: Nut-Capital-Daily.

December 1-3, 2023. Tickets at Royal and McPherson Theatres or call the box office, 250-386-6121.

🗓️ Things to do

🏮 Autumn Lantern Festival: Celebrate the beginning of fall with an evening of light and community. Prizes for best-lit costumes, bikes, and home-made lanterns. Bike valet on-site, local food trucks ,and vendors. 5-8:30pm at Saanich’s Gordon Head rec centre & Lambrick Park

🎶 South Island Vinyl Show: Here’s a chance for vinyl heads to score some vinyl treasures at this massive sale of records, cassettes, CDs, and other music merch. Begins 10am at Mary Winspear.

🤘 3N1GMATIC Music Festival: This two-day metal and punk festival continues tonight at Phoenix Bar & Grill with 8 more bands. If you missed last night, you can snag Saturday tickets for half the price of the weekend pass.

📚 Munro’s 60th anniversary: Celebrate 60 years of the bookstore with live performances this afternoon. Begins 12pm.

🎭 Handel’s Apollo e Daphne: See the cantata performed at Christ Church Cathedral.

👟 Terry Fox Run is tomorrow, starting at Mile 0. 10am-12pm (9am registration).

🦖 Saturday at the museum: In today’s events RBCM hosts a dinosaur afternoon (T. rex puppets, anyone?) 1-4pm and a performance, history lesson, and dance lesson (1-2pm) by Jessica Yu about the Mid-Autumn Festival.

🇲🇽 Mexican Independence Fiesta: Celebrate Mexican culture with a lively night of music tonight at White Eagle Polish Hall. 8pm-1am.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: Saanich reins in leash-bylaw changes for now, man wanted by police in 3 local jurisdictions, drug poisoning alert, and more. [Capital Daily]

Foul play suspected in death on Pandora; the man died in hospital, police said, after a 3:45am 911 call on Thursday.

Sewage dumped on Hwy 14 in Sooke after an electrical fault at a lift station. [Black Press]

Thursday’s headlines: Sidney’s new logo, mortgage broker’s legal saga, more locals are doing less driving, and more. [Capital Daily]

Colwood museum building construction has begun; it will cost $270M and open in 2026.

That’s it!

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