Good morning, Westshore! How glad are we that the days are getting longer? I was startled and delighted to notice colour still lingering in the sky by 6pm yesterday. Even more than flowers, I think that's what tells me spring is coming. What is it for you? 🌼
Reporter The Westshore
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FAIRY CREEK
One acquittal could affect dozens more accused at Fairy Creek
Ryan Henderson, second from left, was arrested on Oct. 20, 2021 at Fairy Creek after being extracted from the tripod hard block shown behind. (📸 Contributed)
Ryan Henderson wasn't the first person to be arrested, nor where they the first to be acquitted. But their acquittal may have set precedence that applies to most of the remaining 190 contempt cases stemming from a 2021 Fairy Creek protest.
Though Henderson admitted to being in a hard block obstructing access to a logging area, the judge concluded he could not find Henderson guilty because the RCMP failed to adequately inform Henderson of the terms of the injunction they were charged with violating.
RCMP had been using a script that they read out to hundreds of protesters before arresting them. Last week Justice Douglas Thompson, who is overseeing most of the Fairy Creek contempt cases, agreed with defence lawyers that the script was not sufficient.
The result could mean acquittals for a vast majority of remaining defendants who were read the same script.
TRANSPORTATION
RapidBus service to replace the busy 50 Langford/Downtown route on April 10
BC Transit says the route will be 15-20 minutes faster than the current service when all the tactics are active. The RapidBus service utilizes things like HOV and bus lanes, and priority turning privileges that BC Transit has been installing along major corridors in Greater Victoria. They help buses bypass regular vehicle traffic and speed up the route.
Langford’s rapid service will replace the current 50 Langford/Downtown bus. The route will stay roughly the same, though some stops will be cut.
BC Transit has promised a bus will arrive a minimum of every 15 minutes from 7am to 10pm (8am to 10pm on Sundays), and additional buses will be added during peak hours.
Route 50’s regular schedule already runs at a similar interval, averaging a bus leaving every 13 minutes between 7am and 10pm. Some intervals are as low as nine minutes, and in the late evening buses run every 30 minutes.
Around the 'Shore
🐑 Plummeting wool prices means sheep fleece is being burned instead of spun into yarn. Sheep farmers say the price they get for raw fleece isn’t worth the work it takes to clean and transport it, so they’re burning and composting the fibre instead. [Times Colonist]
🍁 As your Member of Parliament, Alistair MacGregor can assist you with federal agencies, and help explain how he’s bringing Langford and Westshore voices to Ottawa.*
📡 Proposed communications tower in East Sooke has neighbours worried. The Capital Regional District is asking for more information from the proponent. [Sooke News]
⚡️ Do you work in government and tech? Sign up for Button Inc.’s free twice-monthly digital services newsletter and up your digital communications, user experience, and customer relationships!*
🍴 Your digital pocket guide to the city’s must-try spots: From the best new restaurant to the best hidden gem, download your guide to the winners of this year’s Tasting Victoria Best Restaurant Awards, presented by Gordon Food Service.
🇺🇦 Westshore volunteer group returns from Ukraine with reports of an overwhelmed hospital system. [CTV]
*Sponsored Listing
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TOGETHER WITH****ELIZA AT ROYAL BAY
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The people have spoken, and Eliza is a success. Book your appointment today to learn more!
Community Events
🌲 **Rally for old growth forests:**Elders for Ancient Forests, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and the Wilderness Committee are hosting a rally for old growth forests at the provincial legislature buildings on Feb. 25. They’ve created a declaration which to date has been signed by more than 160 organizations.
**☕️ Council and Coffee:**Join Sooke’s elected leaders for coffee and tell them what you really think!****“Council meetings are quite structured, so we hope this will be a refreshing opportunity for residents to connect with their elected officials in a more casual setting,” said Mayor Maja Tait. The next monthly coffee chats will be Feb. 27, 10-11:30am at the Sooke Municipal Hall, 2205 Otter Point Rd.
🧤 **The coldest night of the year fundraising walk:******Join walkers in Langford or Sooke on Feb. 25. The Langford walk will jointly benefit Our Place’s New Roads recovery home in View Royal and Pacific Centre Family Services Association. The evening walk starts at the Eagle Ridge Community Centre. In Sooke, donations go to the Sooke Shelter Society. Meet at the Evergreen Centre Mall’s gazebo at 4pm. There is a 2.5km and 5km route at both locations. “Team up, fundraise, walk, and gather for good... because it's cold out there.”
🧵 A story of romance, ethics, and the fight for a 7.5¢ raise:The Pajama Game musical is being performed by the Black Wing Theatre Company at Royal Bay Secondary. The story follows Babe, a strong and determined woman who works at a pajama factory. As she leads the fight for a raise, she falls in love with her superintendent. Will she choose love or loyalty? First performed in 1954, The Pajama Game won a Tony for Best Musical and later became a hit film starring Doris Day. March 8-11 at the Teechamitsa Theatre at Royal Bay Secondary.
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERTIDAL COUNSELLING & WELLNESS
Why are more people seeking psychotherapy?
With mental health and help-seeking stigmas dissolving, and effective treatments on the rise, there has never been a better time to explore this kind of support. You don’t have to do it alone.
Try a consultation with a supportive counsellor at Intertidal Counselling & Wellness.
Westshore Snaps
A chilly, windy day in East Sooke. — Sarah Mitchell, Sooke
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