Aug 2 - Strike up the band: Symphony Splash making a comeback

Good morning !

My first views of beautiful British Columbia came courtesy CBC over a black-and-white Viking (That was Eaton’s) TV. I was a kid and Nick Adonidas (Bruno Gerussi) was battling Relic (Robert Clothier) for logs in the ocean along the majestic West Coast.

The Beachcombers were my introduction to BC. So you can only imagine how giddy I am to hear Relic’s long-lost boat has been returned to Gibsons.

Fun fact: Relic’s character name was Stafford Phillips.

(I know. I don’t get out much.)

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 25 / 14 

Tomorrow: ☀️ 25 / 14

Sunday: ☀️ 26 / 14

7-day forecast

NEWS

Symphony Splash to return after six-year hiatus

It looks like the sound of cannon fire will blast and echo throughout the Inner Harbour next year when Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture punctuates the Victoria Symphony Splash, an event that regularly drew tens of thousands to the waterfront—until it was mothballed because of the pandemic. 

Vic’s city council voted yesterday to approve four applications through its new Major Community Initiatives and Events Grant program. Those included $250K to resuscitate the popular symphonic shindig, shelved after 2019 amid the global shutdown and replaced with a multi-location summer symphony series (which wraps up this weekend).

“Huge win for Victoria,” Coun. Matt Dell said of the decision to reprise the event—which he called “iconic”—that features the Victoria Symphony (VS) playing live on a barge in the middle of the harbour.

“We’ve been working hard with the Victoria Symphony staff to make this happen, so it’s wonderful to see it approved today,” Dell told Capital Daily. It was the VS that asked for the money to bring back the show, which pulled in 40K+ people and had early birds positioning their chairs hours beforehand.
“This is a great day for arts and culture, and downtown vibrancy, in Victoria,” said Dell.

According to the VS proposal to the city, the Splash will return “rebranded, expanded, and programmatically diverse and inclusive three-day event in the Inner Harbour over the BC Day long weekend.”

Er, programmatically is just a fancy word for digitally. 

The Splash return is contingent on organizers raising what they need to make it work before the city chips in. As Coun. Chris Coleman told the council: “Our money would be the last piece in.”

The Victoria Symphony wasn’t the only recipient of city dough. 

The Victoria Hockey Legacy Society—the group planning a parade next year to celebrate the centennial of the Victoria Cougars (now Detroit Red Wings) 1925 Stanley Cup victory—scored a $250K grant to host next year’s U-17 World Hockey Challenge, which will pit the best under-17 hockey players from Canada, the US, Finland, Sweden, and Czechia for nine days beginning Halloween 2025.

The Victoria Conservatory of Music got a $131K grant for a music plaza renewal project on Pandora, which would bring a different and more positive type of excitement to that part of Harris Green. 

And remember the Lights of Wonder that drew big crowds to Centennial Square all last December? Looks like they’ll be back after the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) secured $200K.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Air quality: Low risk today (3/10). Current smoke forecast.

Ongoing fire bans and restrictions. 

Temporary closures on Lochside Trail at Willow Bridge for maintenance. 

Sooke parks and trails remain closed as Old Man Lake Wildfire now classified as “being held.”

NEWS

Westshore RCMP ‘disappointed’ with distracted driver count

It appears for some, driving distracted is still off the hook.

We touched a little on this earlier this week—a Westshore safety blitz that turned into a ticket-palooza, as we called it. There appear to be more than a few drivers who are still OK being behind the wheel of an automobile while they text or yack on the phone. 

But you’d have to think at some point, just like using seatbelts, it’s going to become the norm to not use your phone while you're driving.

Or not. 

Maybe self-driving vehicles will make the matter moot.

But until that time, it’s going to remain foolish and illegal to look at your phone when you’re driving. 

Yet, the RCMP recently conducted a pretty big crackdown and still found plenty of takers for tickets to the police officers’ ball, handing out 30 violation tickets and 18 written warnings.

As the headline says, the police were disappointed at the response, especially considering drivers had ample warnings.

Our Sidney Coles did a deeper dive into this in our sister publication The Westshore.

Read that here.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🏅 Follow your 🍁 athletes at the Summer Olympics. [Paris 2024]

🍺 Canada’s oldest beer festival, the Great Canadian Beer Festival celebrates its 30th year on Sep. 6 and 7, at Topaz Park. Find out more!*

🧳 Travelling this BC Day long weekend? [Some tips]

🍻 Brewery & the Beast: Tickets are on sale for the food and drink festival at Starlight Stadium on Sep. 22.

🔥Water bombers loading up for Old Man Lake wildfire in Sooke. [BDG Westcoast Productions]

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Landmark agreement gives Cowichan Tribes jurisdiction over some family matters
Cowichan Tribes will begin to use their own laws and the BC court to resolve family welfare matters involving Cowichan children living on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, the BC government announced yesterday. It’s the first Indigenous government to gain such jurisdiction in BC. The goal is to address the disproportionate representation of Indigenous children living in government care. [BC gov’t]

Sidney house fire ruled suspicious, 1 arrested
Turns out that the fire on Lochside we told you about yesterday may have been deliberately set. That’s what Sidney/North Saanich RCMP believe. They’ve arrested one person but haven’t let loose with any other details. Lochside was closed near the roundabout at McTavish down to Amity as firefighters from three municipalities battled the blaze that broke out around 2pm.

Cougar attacks on livestock on the rise in Metchosin
There have been increases in the number of animal attacks both this year and last year, so the district is asking for the province’s help. In those two years, cougars have killed 61 sheep and 31 lambs. It’s bad news for farmers who live on tight margins. It’s also worrisome for parents because some of the attacks have taken place during the day when children are outside. [Victoria News]

Traffic waiting… ‘til the cows went home
A herd of 13 pregnant cows slowed down traffic on the Trans-Canada near Cobble Hill Tue. after taking off from a nearby dairy farm. The animals—likely scared by a bear, cougar, or elk—were rounded up and returned home that same evening. [CHEK]

SPONSORED BY DANCE VICTORIA

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🗓️ Things to do

🌱 Get free plants at Victoria’s Get Growing seedling distributions. James Bay's Irving Park. Tomorrow. 10am-noon. North Park's Franklin Green. Tomorrow. 1pm-3pm. [Info]

🎶 Pacific Opera Victoria: A Summer Festival of Music. For five days, Pacific Opera singers will be in parks and surprise public spaces with concerts and free Pop-Up Opera events. Through Aug. 5. Various venues. [Info]

🎵 Music in the Park. Head to Kelly Road in Colwood for a performance by The Men in Black. Herm Williams Park. Today. 5:30-7:30pm. [Info]

🎻 The Victoria Symphony presents the Pacific Baroque Orchestra’s production of the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610. Christ Church Cathedral. Today. 7:30pm. [Info]

🕺Brat Summer. MODO LIVE & Programme presents Charli XCX Dance Party. Brat Summer is here angels! Wicket Hall. Today. 10pm. [Info]

💃 Viva! Latin Fest. A Latin-American cultural event that features live music, dance, food, cultural activities, and more. Centennial Square. Tomorrow-Sun. [Info]

🎻 Raven Baroque: Victoria’s Baroque Music Group plays Bach, Corelli, Boccherini, Vivaldi, and more in this BC Day concert on the reservoir on Mt. Tolmie. Aug. 5. 1:30-3:30pm. [Info]

🎼 Open Air Festival: Victoria Symphony and Pacific Opera Victoria put on this summer festival of music at the Cameron Bandshell at Beacon Hill Park. Tomorrow. 3-6pm. [Info] 

🎶 Wonderment: Catch these performances in Victoria public parks and nighttime ticketed programming. Performers include Mixmaster Morris, Synkro, Softcoresoft, and more. Today through Mon. Various times and locations. [Info]

🍷 Cowichan Valley Wine Festival: Explore 12 wineries during this month-long festival. [Info]

🎧 Wonderment-at-Night: The festival’s opening night concert at Victoria Event Centre features electronic dance music from No Way Back, Hot Sleepers, and more. Tonight. 9pm-2am. [Info]

💃 Summer Dance with Groove Kitchen: Dance to funk, soul, and Latin tunes at Hermann’s Jazz Club. Today. Doors 5:30pm. Show 7pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: English footy team puts step in Spectrum’s dream of fields; Trucker protest on tap today; Councillors would have to wait for pay raise; and more. [Aug. 1]

Victoria’s Zwicker joins A-list TV crowd. [Capital Daily]

Alice Munro’s husband declined to address the court after his 2005 guilty plea. [CP / Toronto Star]

Bakers wanted! Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s 16th Annual Gingerbread Showcase. [Info]

97 new homes for Saanich seniors. [BC gov’t.]

That’s it!

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