Oct 8 - New sculpture for famous local wolf

Good morning !

One thing we’re thankful for, not just this weekend but every day, is that all of you take the time to read this newsletter.

Special thanks go out to those of you who are also Insider Members; your support helps us keep our work free for everyone.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 18 / 11

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 16 / 11

Day after: 🌧️ 14 / 11

7-day forecast

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

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

NEWS

New Oak Bay sculpture honours famous local sea wolf and late Songhees chief

A new sculpture will cement the legacy of the well-known lone sea wolf, Staqeya (Takaya / Stqéyə), that lived on Tl’ches (Chatham and Discovery Islands) for eight years. Staqeya swam over to James Bay in 2020 and so was relocated to western Vancouver Island—where it was shot and killed by hunters.

The statue was unveiled at Cattle Point on Thursday in a public ceremony. Carved from marble by Ken LaForme from a locally sourced glacier erratic boulder, its centre has a hole through which which viewers can see Tl’ches.

“Staqeya represents a great leader for the Nation, late Chief Robert Sam,” said Chief Ron Sam, son of Robert, in a statement. “Due to the arrival of the wolf to Tl’ches days after his passing [in 2012], as a community we felt as if this was our late Chief returning to watch over and protect us.”

He said the new art piece represents “the unwavering strength” of his late father, as well as the beloved wolf.

Staqeya is also the subject of a book and documentaries—find those videos at the end of today’s newsletter.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Road closures for Royal Victoria Marathon today downtown, in James Bay, and in Oak Bay. [Details]

Bear seen near Royal Roads on Friday.

Long weekend ferries: BC Ferries has added 70 sailings to this busy weekend, but advises to walk on, travel off-peak, and book ahead.

Wet week ahead, with rain expected every day beginning tomorrow.

NEWS

Whales are now singing in Island waters—and you may be able to hear them

Autumn is the season for whale songs as male humpbacks all over the Pacific—including Island waters—begin singing and spreading ever-evolving songs that are believed to be connected to breeding.

Now, a coalition of First Nations and whale conservation groups has set up a website to listen in on these songs and learn more about whale acoustics.

Data and marine sounds from 16 different hydrophones set up off southern and northern Vancouver Island and BC’s central and northern coast will build out a large acoustic library.

But just as we can hear whales, they can here us, and there are concerns that human noise is causing “blindness” for whales relying on sound to live.

More on that, and on how to hear the whales, in the full story.

NEWS

Late-season slump saddles Pacific FC with brutal uphill road to trophy

The local soccer club fell 0-3 in Calgary yesterday against the league’s top team, missing a final chance to climb back into 2nd place.

PFC was atop the league early this year, and continued to hold off the pack even after being surpassed by the now-dominant Cavalry. But a two-month swoon in which PFC won just 2 of the past 10 games has ultimately relegated the locals to 4th.

That’s an even tougher position than in past seasons, when 4th would mean an automatic semifinal berth. Under the new format, the 2nd seed can zip to the finals with one win—while the 4th (and 5th) teams must win three in a row to get there.

It’s a move designed to help the best regular-season team, giving Cavalry—already the strong favourite—a great chance to become the first team other than Pacific (2021) and Forge (2019, 2020, 2022) to win the Canadian Premier League.

Pacific FC will begin its tough road this Wednesday, at home in Langford.

SPONSORED BY UVIC CONTINUING STUDIES

Are soft skills on your resume?

It’s no surprise—soft skills will get your resume noticed in a sea of applicants. According to LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends study, nearly 90% of unsuccessful hires lack soft skills.

“Historically, soft skills including problem solving, critical thinking and time management have been undervalued in favour of hard skills,” says Dr. Jo-Anne Clarke, dean of Continuing Studies at the University of Victoria. “This view is changing quickly as employers look for people who will continue to learn, adapt and motivate those around them.”

Interested in developing your soft skills? Explore the Essential Soft Skills Training or the Business Communication program with Continuing Studies at UVic.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🍲 Where to get Pacific Northwest cuisine in Victoria. These local restaurants make the most of the region’s water and soil. [Tasting Victoria]

🍸 Explore and savour 50+ creative cocktails curated by an incredible exhibitor line-up at Art of the Cocktail. Hurry, last few tickets left!*

 🪲 Ready for their close-ups: Ground-level shots of Island beasties—bees, bats, frogs, spiders, moths, and more—in this series by photographer Pip Knott.

😊 Now hiring: Arborist at The Butchart Gardens.

*Sponsored Listing

🗞️ In Other News

Nanaimo man died on way to hospital on 39th wedding anniversary
Retired teacher Ken Gillies, 72, was celebrating with his wife on July 12 when he started to have chest pains. En route to hospital the couple tried but couldn’t reach 911 due to weak cellphone coverage. [CHEK]

Food rules may take North Park ice cream out of stores
The owner of Cold Comfort says an “archaic” law in the Milk Industry Act threatens her wholesaling to 20 stores in Greater Victoria. Small businesses that don’t want to get a dairy plant licence can just sell for immediate consumption, or source dairy from a licenced plant. But Cold Comfort is unwilling to deviate from its local and organic recipe. [Times Colonist]

Man charged with sexual assault at Saanich mall
The assault occurred, police said, when a stranger approached, talked to, and hugged a “female youth” who then reported him to mall security.

SPONSORED BY TALL TREE HEALTH

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🗓️ Things to do

Royal Victoria Marathon: Marathon, half marathon, and 8K in downtown Victoria. Sunday. 8K at 7:15am. Marathon & Half Marathon at 8am. Register here.

Puppet-making Workshop: Join Ann K. Chou for this accessible crafting workshop at Quadra Village Community Centre, starting at 3:30pm.

Brent Jarvis Trio: See the band take on the music of Bill Evans at Hermann’s. Show at 7pm.

👀 In Case You Missed It

Last warm weekend of 2023 appears to be unfolding, with highs up to 20 before a sharp drop this week. [Saturday newsletter]

Friday headlines: Victoria wants help with homelessness. New welcome pole at marina. COVID rising in BC. [Capital Daily]

Climate tax-credit cheques are on the way [Details].

Thrifty Foods issues recall on certain Sunrise turkeys, & offers refunds.

That’s it!

As promised above, these docs delve into the life of the late local legend.