May 21 - Island swimmer sets world record

Good morning !

In yesterday’s poll, nearly half of respondents (42%) said you closed out the long weekend doing something outdoors, while 30% were doing household tasks such as cleaning and gardening.

Someone else who “cleaned up” this weekend is Island swimmer Nicholas Bennett, who set multiple new sports records. More on that below.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 13 / 8

Tomorrow: 🌧 16 / 9

Thursday: 🌧 15 / 10 

 7-day forecast

NEWS

Island swimmer sets world record

Parksville's Nicholas Bennett swam a 2:05.97 time in the men’s SM14-classification 200m individual medley at Sunday’s Paralympic qualifiers in Toronto. Bennett, 20, won two world titles (including in that event) and a silver last year. He also just broke the national record in the 100m SB7 race. Bennett is coached by a fellow Islander: his sister Haley.

Local swimmer finally gets Olympic chance

Victoria’s Jeremy Bagshaw is also no stranger to medals. He’s won national medals and Pan-Am medals. But Olympic qualification has eluded him, at times by mere centiseconds. Now, though, at age 32, he qualified for Paris at the same qualifying event as Bennett. [Times Colonist]

Meanwhile, Cochrane enters hall of fame

This breakthrough came just days after Ryan Cochrane, a fellow Victoria swimmer, was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Now a local realtor after retiring post-Rio, he remains Canada's most decorated male swimmer.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Mostly rain in the forecast this week.

Victoria road closures and construction map.

Changes to air-quality reporting are intended to better reflect health risk of fire smoke. [CP]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

On Quadra Island, dozens of researchers race to tally thousands of plants and animals

This month, dozens of scientists and students descended upon Quadra Island to look for locals. No, not the sub-3,000 human population of the large Island near Campbell River. They’re trying to tally every other form of life in the area, as part of the Hakai Institute’s BioBlitz.

It’s an effort to catalogue and analyze as much of the region's species as possible within a set window. In this and past BioBlitzes they’ve recorded rare lichens, big red Humboldt squid further north than usual, and hundreds of seaweed species.

See some of the species, and hear more about what the project does, in the full story from Canada's National Observer and the Local Journalism Initiative.

NEWS

A year later, family of Carsyn Seaweed still seeks answers

The girl, 15, was found last year barely conscious, covered in branches, leaves, and a wooden pallet behind a Duncan motel. Carsyn, who has family in both ‘Na̱mǥis Nation and Cowichan Tribes, had been visiting from nearby Mill Bay for a soccer tournament with her mother. She died at the hospital soon after being found.

A year later, her family is still trying to find out to know what happened. RCMP say they continue investigating and testing material evidence. A Mother’s Day soccer tournament was held in her honour. [Chek]

The death last spring caused shock and grief, but the police response soon caused outrage after RCMP initially said there was “no criminality involved.” When locals rallied at the station in protest, Inspector Chris Bear apologized and called that framing a “miscommunication.” 

SPONSORED BY OXIO

First internet provider you’ll actually like

With a headline like that, they better be ready to back it up. That’s why oxio offers what Canadians have demanded for years. 

• Fixed prices - locked in as soon as you sign up

• Affordable plans for every budget

• No term contracts

Use code CAPITALDAILY for your first month free.

⭐️ Capital Picks

💃 The sights & sounds of the One World Multicultural Festival in Centennial yesterday, captured in 30+ posts by the Greater Victoria Festival Society. 

🌴 Sea palm seaweed: A distinctive form of kelp, seen here in Port Renfrew.

🤝 Now hiring: Certified dental assistant at Peninsula Dental.

🗞️ In Other News

Nanaimo complex adds ‘mini forest’
The collection of 1,100+ local plants was set up at the new Snuneymuxw transitional housing building. [Nanaimo News Now]

Sidney council update: 140-unit rental approved; scooters now allowed
Five storeys will rise on Beacon Ave. West, with 28 units rented at 20% below market for 20 years, the Town announced. Sidney's latest council update also confirmed that it has joined the provincial pilot project to allow electric kick scooters until 2028. 

BC real estate sector has $1.3B in unpaid taxes, CRA says
The 2015-to-2023 audits found nearly as much unpaid money in BC as in the much larger Ontario. In BC, too, nearly a billion was related to income. [Vancouver Sun]

🗓️ Things to do

 🎥 Evil Does Not Exist: The acclaimed Japanese film about the conflict over a “glamping” development in a forested area, plays today & tomorrow at Cinecenta. 

🪀 Ultimate Toy Fair: Spring Show coming up this weekend. [Info]

 🎨 Final week at the Gage Gallery for “A LITTLE LIGHT,” the new painting series by Stefan Lehmann. 

🎸 Band!Bands!Bands!: Dreamworld Panic, Suoscietal, Tyler James Johnson, and Transitional Alien will perform at Victoria Event Centre. Tuesday. Doors 7pm, show 7:30pm.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Craft ice cream to try in Greater Victoria. [Tasting Victoria]

Sunday news: Rents rose 5% in a year. Grey whales’ incredible migration through Island waters. New Juan de Fuca campsites. [May 19]

‘Look again!’: Nanoose Bay woman wins $500k, not $5. [BCLC]

Camas bloom in a Garry oak meadow in Uplands Park. [Photo]

Oilers defeat Canucks 3-2 in Game 7. [TSN]

These young ravens in Saanich have fledged. [Facebook photos]

Victoria Day Parade livestream: Watch CHEK’s video of the festivities that took over Douglas yesterday.

That’s it!

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to a fellow Victorian.

And before you go, let us know: