Five weekend picks, lanterns and live portraits, plus fresh trail and council updates.
Hello, Westshore.
October's first weekend has a little of everything: witches on the water, soup for a good cause and lanterns after dark.
Start with five ideas for Saturday and a map for your evening lantern walk. Then catch up on Langford's safety spending, two reopened trail connections near Sooke, and the dates to keep handy for next week.
The Westshore team
Here's what we got for you today
Five weekend picks, plus two events on the board
What Langford's safety money will pay for
Two trail connections reopen near Sooke
This weekend
Watch witches take to the water
Sooke's Witches on Water fundraiser runs Saturday, October 3, 10am to 2pm, at Quimper Park by Whiffin Spit. Costumed paddlers are welcome in paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and other non-motorized craft; shoreline spectators are welcome too. Bring non-perishable donations for the Sooke Food Bank. Paddlers should register with the organizer and wear a properly fitted life jacket.
Try Island beer above the trees
SkyWalk Brewfest runs Saturday, October 3, 11am to 4pm, at Malahat SkyWalk, with ten Island producers. A $20 tasting wristband includes four tokens; regular SkyWalk admission is also required. Ages 19 and up. Bring government-issued photo ID.
Take a look at Sooke's quilts
The Sooke Quilt Show runs Saturday, October 3, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, October 4, 10am to 4pm, at Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd. Admission is $4. Expect demonstrations, a cafe, and quilted items, fabrics and patterns to browse.
Try soups from local chefs
Soup's On runs Saturday, October 3, 11am to 3pm, at Royal Bay Secondary School, 3500 Ryder Hesjedal Way, Colwood. Browse the artisan market while supporting Soroptimist programs for women and girls. Tickets include pay-what-you-can options and are available online or at the door.
Get your garden ready for winter
The free Putting Your Garden to Bed workshop runs Saturday, October 3, 10am to noon, at Gordon United Church, 935 Goldstream Ave, Langford. Kayla Siefried of the Compost Education Centre will cover soil care, mulching, overwintering vegetables and cold-weather composting. Space is limited; pre-registration is required.
SATURDAY AFTER DARK
Your lantern walk, mapped out
Official route map: West Shore Arts Council.
Light Up the Hills runs Saturday, October 3, 7 to 9:30pm. Start at Belmont Secondary, 3041 Langford Lake Rd. The festival is free; lantern decorating is $5.
Tap the map for the route and full event details.
Sources · West Shore Arts Council
COMMUNITY SAFETY
What Langford's safety spending will pay for
Langford's endorsed commitments. Staffing figures are annual costs. Source: City of Langford, September 29.
Langford council's September 21 safety package includes $345,000 a year in staffing: $225,000 for an additional RCMP officer and $120,000 for a full-time bike patrol officer.
It also includes $50,000 for business-security grants through the WestShore Chamber and up to $50,000 for Salvation Army space connecting people with social services. The package draws on $450,000 already budgeted for community safety.
Hiring and grant application dates have not been announced. A broader Community Safety Plan is due before council by year-end.
Sources · City of Langford News
TRAILS AND FIRE SAFETY
Two Sooke trail connections reopen; campfires return too
Galloping Goose Trail near Sooke, June 2008 (file photo, not the specific reopened stretch). Larry / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The northbound Galloping Goose from kilometre 52 at Spring Salmon Place Campground and access to Kapoor Regional Park reopened Tuesday. Check CRD alerts before heading to another affected route.
Sooke lifted its campfire ban at noon Tuesday. Small recreational fires are allowed; backyard and yard-debris burning remains prohibited until November 1, subject to ventilation and other requirements.
For campfires in Sooke, stay six metres from property lines and buildings. Use clean, dry wood, keep water or tools nearby, avoid windy conditions and leave the ashes completely cold. Check local restrictions if you're heading elsewhere.
Sources · Capital Regional District · District of Sooke
In brief
Sooke presses the province on roads, 911 costs and housing protections
Sooke's September 28 report covers six ministerial meetings at UBCM. The district wants a renewed Highway 14 agreement and predictable 911 dispatch funding, and asked about youth road testing locally. Delegates also backed its call for stronger protections for manufactured-home residents displaced by redevelopment. Those requests await provincial follow-through. The UBCM endorsement itself does not change provincial law.
The Chamber's downtown move is expected today
The WestShore Chamber's new office will be at unit 125, 877 Goldstream Ave, in the City Hall building. The city says services under its new agreement will reach local businesses beyond Chamber members. Its former building will be removed to make room for parking for the expanded Veterans Memorial Park.
Put your question to Colwood's election candidates
The Church of the Advent hosts a non-partisan town hall Tuesday, October 6, 7 to 9pm, in its parish hall at 510 Mount View Ave. Submit questions through the form on the church's event page by 11:55pm Sunday, October 4. The venue is fully accessible.
Sooke's free yard-waste drop-off returns Saturday
Bring it to the Parks Yard, 2070 Kaltasin Rd, between 11am and 3pm on October 3, 17, 24 or 31. There is no drop-off on Thanksgiving weekend, October 10. Check the district's notice for accepted materials before loading the car.
Community Bulletin Board
What's pinned on the board
Two weekend events, checked against the organizers' listings. Tap a poster for details.
Hope you find a little time to get out this weekend. If you spot a neighbourhood story we should know about, hit reply. Thanks for reading, Westshore. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.
The Westshore team
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