Feb 12 - Innovations from local women

Good morning !

We've just come to the end of a few winter festivals, intended in part to help make Victoria more lively in months that locals often seem to hibernate during.

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 8 / 1

Tuesday: 🌦️ 8 / 2

Wednesday: ☀️ 7 / 3

7-day forecast

NEWS

CRD’s big borrowing process succeeds—but Nanaimo’s is in trouble

The Capital Regional District is now allowed to borrow up to $85M for its housing projects. The CRD had sought to get public approval of a big change, but not to spend time and money on a full referendum. That’s where an Alternative Approval Process comes in: a framework in which fans of a particular change need not say anything, but opponents must get 10% of the population to write in. 

In Greater Victoria’s case, that threshold was more than 30,000 people. The actual number of objections submitted was below 2,000, the Times Colonist writes, meaning that the AAP succeeded easily. 

This change means that the CRD can borrow up to $85M—not that it has. Borrowing for any project would still be done through the usual budget process, and any debt would be repaid within 30 years, the CRD says.  

Nanaimo apparently mishandles approval process re-do, after mishandling original approval process

A little up the Malahat, another AAP is going less smoothly. Nanaimo’s plan to consult the public on borrowing $48.5M for a new city-works facility was already forced to restart due to a timing error. 

Now the issue is that the right forms for ballots were evidently not made available promptly enough. Council will meet today to assess the situation. [Nanaimo News Now] 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Weather this week: Sun and rain, then sun, then back to rain.

Partial road closures until Friday at Sinclair (Finnerty to Cadboro Bay). 8:30am-4pm. [Saanich]

New “super-sized” Capital Iron will open soon, in spring 2024 rather than fall 2023 as initially planned. [VicNews]

Protest expected today (1pm) at BC Investment Management Corp.’s office on Pandora, calling for more sustainable Island forestry.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

The innovations of Victoria’s women in STEM:
Clean air, solar energy, pediatrics, & more

Yesterday was the 9th annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and to celebrate it Victoria Tech Journal profiled a few of the most impactful local women in STEM (​​science, tech, engineering, and math). 

Sahar Sam, Solaires Entreprises co-founder and CSO
Emerging Leader of the Year at the 2023 VIATEC Community Awards.
A UVic grad and former sessional instructor, she’s focused on developing next-gen solar cells. Sam holds three patents and has developed a novel technology in the nanofabrication process and assembly. 

Georgia Powell, NURA Medical co-founder and CEO
The North Saanich-raised UVic grad was motivated by her time as a pediatric emergency medicine team member at Montreal Children’s Hospital. Powell and her team developed the NurEx system, which facilitates medication preparation to make sure kids get the correct dosage every time.

Susan Rae Blanchet, Origen Air founder and CEO
Business Thought Leader of the Year at the Stevie Awards.
Blanchet’s air purification systems—which combine filtration, sensors, and bioengineered plants—were inspired partly by the health challenges of her father, whose work as a civil engineer may have exposed him to toxins. 

Read more at Vic Tech Journal.

NEWS

Convoluted road still ahead for Centre Mountain development

What former mayor John Ranns called “probably the most important development in the history of Metchosin” received an update late last month. It's having some growing pains.

The property was initially part of a 2017 land-swap agreement between Langford, Metchosin, and Sc’ianew Nation—though there have since been further decisions, including one debate that got the police called on Ranns by the councillor who later succeeded him as mayor.  

Currently the residential construction is held up because that agreement won't allow residential building until the developer builds stormwater management in the buffer lands beside the industrial part. 

That affects more than this development—it will ultimately impact water in Bilston Creek and out to Witty’s Lagoon.

Read the full story in The Westshore for a breakdown of those water issues and others that the major Westshore project is dealing with.

SPONSORED BY DANCE VICTORIA

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Chitrasena Dance Company

Dance Victoria presents: Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company on March 8 and 9 at the Royal Theatre. Join us to celebrate centuries of Indian and Sri Lankan cultures with two world-renowned companies who will showcase traditional Odissi and Kandyan dances within contemporary contexts.

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble has the unprecedented distinction of making the New York Times' "Best Dance of the Year" list two years in a row. A sensual and lyrical evening of vibrant movement, storytelling, and live music. Learn more on the Dance Victoria website.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🐲 3 new lions just joined the Lunar New Year dance crew: Watch them dance. 

🦚 3 peacocks all lined up in a row in Beacon Hill. [Slide 2]

📽 The visionary film 'UnCharitable' is changing the way people think about how non-profits everywhere can thrive. Sign up for a special screening on March 7!*

🎶 New album from Victoria singer-songwriter Sofia Miller: Prologue.

🤝 Now hiring: Early Childhood Educator at the Fernwood NRG

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Senior women increasingly among downtown unhoused
Service providers on Pandora also say more seniors are clinging to housing, and coming in for meals because they have no income left over. [CHEK]
In Oct., Capital Daily wrote about city council’s plea for provincial and federal help for the 1,600+ locals grappling with homelessness.

UVic basketball wraps regular season; men #2 in Canada
The teams each swept hapless Grant MacEwan on the weekend, rising to 15-3 (men) and 8-10 (women). Diego Mafia of Oak Bay continues to be Canada's top scorer with 27.8 per game. 

Marches, speeches, & songs for missing & murdered
The 14th annual Stolen Sisters memorial was held to honour Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQ+ people who have been lost. [Photos]

Courtenay actor stars in Super Bowl ad
The cost and prominence of TV commercials during the big game make it advertising's, well, Super Bowl. One Island actor filmed just his second ad, 20 years after the first—then learned his role as an ice-skater's grandpa would air for 100+ million people. Ad below; his interview with CHEK here. 

SPONSORED BY THE CANADIAN CLUB OF VICTORIA

Chinatown Museum tour and luncheon

On February 20, The Canadian Club of Victoria will be joining in celebrating the Chinese New Year by touring the Chinatown Museum in Fan Tan Alley with former Victoria city councillor, Charlayne Thornton-Joe as the guide.

There will be two tour opportunities, before lunch at 11am or after lunch at 1:30pm. Lunch will be 10 different items served family-style, held at the Fountain Restaurant. Members of the CCV and non-members are urged to sign up before February 15 and choose which tour they wish to take. Space is limited! Go to the CCV website to learn more about the event and book your ticket. 

Come out to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with the Canadian Club of Victoria and get ready to lunch and learn!

🗓️ Things to do

🖥 The future of quantum computing: Tomorrow UVic's Cafe Scientifique looks at how computers have changed—and where they're going next. 7pm Tues. at Hermann’s.

🖌 Art Battle this weekend as the live artwork head-to-head matches resume. Victoria Event Centre. Starts 6pm Feb. 17.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Island named BC's most resilient region; new plans for burned-down hotel site; and more. Sunday newsletter. 

Island research into assisted death continues as Canada holds off on controversial expansion. [Capital Daily]

“Blonde” raccoon photographed on the Island.

A giant underwater worm near Nanaimo. [Video]

Super Bowl LVIII highlights and results. [Video]

That’s it!

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