Good morning! I know there's no shortage of amazing restaurants on the Westshore, and I want to know your go-tos for impressing out-of-town guests! My neffies are visiting later this month, and I want to take them everywhere deeelicious. Hit me up with your favourites!
Reporter The Westshore
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ENVIRONMENT
EAO recommends against Bamberton Quarry environmental review, but final decision is up to the minister
A view of the Bamberton quarry looking south towards Central Saanich and Highlands. (Google Earth)
A relatively small quarry and fill site in Bamberton has gotten a lot of attention this winter after a local environmental group asked for a full environmental assessment on the mine’s expansion application.
While the Environmental Assessment Office agreed to consider whether the project should have an assessment, it ultimately recommended against one in its preliminary report shared in January. The final decision is now on Environment Minister George Hayman’s desk.
The Bamberton Quarry’s expansion plan is below the established threshold that would automatically trigger an environmental assessment, but Saanich Inlet Protection Society says the permits are all being looked at in silos, so that the overall cumulative impact hasn't been considered.
CHILDCARE
New daycare opens in View Royal, a slice of the promised 395 spots
(📸 Province of British Columbia / Flickr)
Greater Victoria’s first Black-led daycare opened Sunday in View Royal.
Victory Hill Daycare has space for 24 kids, and is the first of seven daycare centres to open as promised by the province last spring.
The daycare is affiliated with the Nigerian Christian church that meets in the same building, and both are led by pastor Iheoma Farinu. It describes itself as “proudly upholding Christian values.” Farinu told Capital Daily that the daycare is non-exclusive and will accept kids from every background.
When announcing the spaces, the Ministry of Education and Child Care identified certain priority populations that it wanted to make sure got childcare access, including low-income families, recent immigrants, young parents, and Black and other families of colour. It also prioritized spaces already serving a function in the community.
Read more about the state of Victoria’s childcare here.
Around the 'Shore
🪧 **Backlash against new Thetis Lake sign means a new parks signage plan:**Other regional signs will go forward as planned by the Capital Regional District, but parks signage will be dealt with later. The wooden Thetis Lake Park sign was carved by a Metchosin man, Peter Martineau, decades ago. "It's something our family really cherished and it's been amazing to see how the community also cherishes it," Martineau's daughter, Chandra Crowe, told Capital Daily in January. The public erupted into displeasure when CRD released a rendering of its planned replacement. [Vic News]
🍁 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.*
💵 **Sooke developer offering $1 million for a bridge in exchange for support to leave the ALR:**Mayor Maja Tait said more questions need to be answered before council can make a decision, but the developer wasn’t at the last meeting to answer those questions. [Sooke News]
🦷 Oaklands Dental is hiring for an Experienced Dental Receptionist. Learn more and apply today at YYJobs.ca!
🚧 Permanent repair work on Malahat pass one-quarter finished: The 2021 heavy rainstorm and subsequent landslides caused significant damage to the Trans-Canada Highway where it peaks at the Malahat Pass. Huge sections of the highway were washed out, causing traffic delays and supply chain interruptions that rippled across the Island. [CTV]
☀️ Eliza at Royal Bay. The oceanside life you imagined is possible. 2-bedroom condos from $579,900. Walk to all you need for daily life. Register today!*
*Sponsored Listing
SPONSORED POST. CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE WESTSHORE.
TOGETHER WITH REIMAGINE WORK
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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.
🧤 **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.”
🏃🏻 ♀️ The Westcoast Sooke River 10K race follows Sooke River Road up to the Potholes and back. Feb. 26: run/walk starts at 10:30am; regular race starts at 11am. No race day registrations.
🏒 Victoria Grizzlies play the Surrey Eagles at the Q Centre. The Grizzlies have clinched a spot in the playoffs, but the Eagles are four spots ahead in the standings. Puck drops Feb. 25 at 7pm.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State. (📸 Zoë Ducklow)
⛴ #1 The Pan Hope is a bulk carrier built in 2011 and is sailing under the flag of Panama. It is sailing from 🇨🇦 Port Edward (between Prince Rupert and Kitimat) ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver, BC and was scheduled to arrive yesterday.
🚢 #2 The HL Vision is a bulk carrier built in 2011 and is sailing under the flag of South Korea. It is sailing from 🇰🇷 Gwangyang, Korea ➡ 🇨🇦 North Vancouver, BC and was scheduled to arrive Feb. 10.
🛳 #3 The Mariloula is a bulk carrier built in 2008 and is sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands. It is sailing from 🇨🇳 Qingdao, China ➡ 🇨🇦 Victoria, BC and was scheduled to arrive on Feb. 11.
SPONSORED POST. CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE WESTSHORE.
TOGETHER WITH EMOTIONALLY ALIGNED COUNSELLING & COACHING
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Westshore Snaps
[Editor's note: I've been saving this photo from December's snowfall, since there wasn't space to use it before the snow melted. Lucky for me that we got some flurries yesterday, so I can share this photo!]
"The oldest pub in BC woke up to 25cm of snow on Tuesday Dec. 20." —Richard Steward, View Royal
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.