Sun. April 16 - Vic High track dispute heads to court

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

This weekend we have a new twist on the History Mystery challenge: We’re looking for the most faithful update of this photo, including the people part. So, if you can, get us a group photo with the building rather than just a shot of the building. But before we get to re-creations of old-school looks, we take a look at the dispute over recreation at an old school.

NEWS

Court petition aims to undo Vic High land swap

A new petition is headed to the BC Supreme Court to try to overturn the arrangement between SD61, the Capital Region Housing Corporation (CRHC), and BC Housing that is now building an affordable and below-market housing project with 158 units in Fernwood. The petition seeks to quash the statutory right-of-way (i.e. the granted rights to use land in a certain way) on the downtown-side edge of the Vic High grounds. The school district swapped that portion to the city so that land could consolidated for the CRHC project.

The petition comes from Brit Forsyth, a Vic High parent, but receives its funding and legal representation from the advocacy group Friends of Vic High. That group argues that the land swap killed long-standing plans to upgrade the school’s stadium and expand its track to eight lanes, a project that would have required space now taken by the housing redevelopment. Those plans began in 2007 and had received financial contributions from the city, a decade ago, and members of the public.

SD61 has contended that stadium plans were scaled down independently based on the high cost and lack of public enthusiasm in consultations. Friends of Vic High argue that the school has long received second-rate treatment, citing the “resources invested in Oak Bay, including in its university-like athletic facilities.”

The 109-year-old Victoria High building is currently undergoing $80M in seismic upgrades and renovations, slated to finish Jan. 2024.

By Cam Welch

Capital Bulletin

🌧️ Showers today. High 10C / low 4C. Night cloudy with 40% chance of showers.

🎨 Art gallery seeks volunteers to help with its 34th annual TD Art Gallery Paint-In on July 15. [More info]

🌬️ West Island weather warning: Yesterday Environment Canada warned of up to 120mm of rainfall between Sat. and Sun., and winds gusting up to 70km/h.

FEATURE

History Mystery answer #9 and clue for #10

This appears to have been one of our trickiest History Mysteries. We received a few submissions sharing lovely memories… of buildings that ultimately were not this one, despite those stories being wonderful to read. A handful of you did get the correct answer—the IDA building at 101 Burnside. But Doug Irving’s path to reaching the answer showed a level of sleuthing that earned him our first back-to-back victory in Mystery history.

He tracked down Blake’s Confectionery from the sign, and found that it was on Cadboro Bay Road in the early 1950s, with a “Brodies Bakery” (not quite Eddie’s) right next door. But, he says, he realized that a car in the photo being a 1957 Pontiac meant that it couldn’t be Cadboro—Blake’s left that spot in 1955. Irving eventually traced Eddie’s Bakery and Snack Bar to 101 Burnside in the late 1950s, when the photo was taken.

History Mystery #10

This next one’s location may not be as tricky as usual, but our extra challenge to you is to get a few people together and try to replicate the human part of this photo as well as getting the correct building and closest angle. Send your present-day photos of the below location to [email protected] by Friday at noon with your name, History Mystery #10 as the subject, the photo address or location, and any other details you want to share!

NEWS

Victoria’s best sushi restaurants, as chosen by readers

With Victoria being one of the closest North American cities across the North Pacific Ocean, Japanese cuisine thrives here. With restauranteurs’ access to fresh fish and local farms, Victoria is full of expertly-crafted sushi restaurants bringing as close to an authentic Japanese experience as one can get in BC.

We asked the readers of Capital Daily and Tasting Victoria to pick their favourites, and here are the sushi restaurants they chose.

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Capital Picks

🗿 Sculpture Splash: The Esquimalt event returns with nearly 100 sculptures in Gorge Park Pavilion. 11am-6pm today.

🪕 Heidi Muller and Bob Webb at Norway House: The Victoria Folk Music Society’s weekly gathering will feature singer-songwriter Heidi Muller and multi-instrumentalist Bob Webb. [9pm start]

💃 Dance Victoria presents Malpaso Dance Company from Cuba. Apr. 28-29 | 7:30pm | Royal Theatre. Tickets at 250-386-6121 or DanceVictoria.com.*

🤖 Victoria's Ultimate Hobby & Toy Fair: Cosplay, buying-and-selling, charity fundraising, food trucks, and more and the twice-annual event run by Cherry Bomb Toys. 9am-3pm today. Tickets at door (cash).

🏓 World Table Tennis Day: Local players host free family-friendly tournaments, demonstrations, and even ping-pong-playing robots today. 2:30-5:30pm at the Silver Threads Centre.

⚓ Esquimalt ceremony for WWII warship: HMCS Esquimalt was the last Canadian warship taken down in WWII, with just 27 of its 71 crew members surviving its torpedoing. Event 1:45-2:30pm at Memorial Park.

🏡 Condo for sale: Luxury 2-bedroom + den condo at Dockside Green, featuring two separate outdoor patios with harbour view. View photos.*

🤝 Now hiring: Crew Member at Vessel Liquor.

*Sponsored Listing

In Other News

🚓 Victoria man charged with late-2022 splash attacks

The suspect faces 10 counts of sexual assault with a weapon for incidents late last year in which women were splashed, while walking or sitting downtown, with what is believed to be a corrosive substance. Police originally arrested a suspect on Dec. 30. In this past Friday’s announcement they did not provide further information on the case, such as why the suspect was being charged with sexual assault specifically.

 🔌 Sooke mobile home park has been without power for a week

Tenants fear not only the problems of currently having no hot water and failing refrigeration, but also what could happen to those of them who are pregnant, on dialysis, or have other health concerns if this power problem lasts much longer. Park management told CHEK it is waiting on a specialty part.

🏥 New investigation into anti-Indigenous racism in hospitals

The multi-province analysis by Canada’s National Observer reveals a pattern of harm and no tracking mechanism. BC’s official investigation into hospital racism began following allegations at Island hospitals, and Capital Daily has covered recent allegations of racism at Royal Jubilee.

In Case You Missed It

🎣 Fisherman’s Wharf dining guide: What to eat at the iconic local attraction. [Capital Daily / Tasting Victoria]

⚖️ Life in prison for murder of Island teen: Defence and Crown agreed to 20 years without parole for the man who killed a Nanaimo girl in 2017, and the sentencing revealed the troubling details of the deaths and the situation leading up to it. [Saturday newsletter]

📩 Go beyond the headlines for an in-depth understanding of the stories that affect the Westshore, from View Royal to Sooke. Subscribe for free to The Westshore for the latest news and stories, in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday.

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