Hello, good morning, and farewell! This is the last introduction you'll get from me as your intrepid reporter. It's been an absolute slice keeping my finger on the pulse in this fast-growing, passionate region. But as I mentioned in Tuesday's newsletter, it's time for me to move on. I'll miss hearing from you—reader feedback has always been a highlight—so please stay in touch over on Twitter or online.
The Westshore is hiring for the next reporter, so reach out if you're interested or know someone who would be a good fit.
Bonne soirée!
Reporter The Westshore
URBAN FOREST
What does it take for a tree to survive in a city?
When the Sooke School District built the new Belmont Secondary School in Langford, it wanted to preserve a lot of the mature trees. It had been an elementary school with a sizable forest of stately Douglas fir trees and gnarly Arbutus trees. The new school would be significantly larger, but designers tried to retain as many of the old trees as they could.
Now, eight years after construction on the school finished, those trees are letting us know they might not survive the disturbance to their root zones.
When I look at an Arbutus, I notice the colour of its bark and its sculptural shape. Or consider a Douglas fir, I see its impressive height and strength.
But when arborist Dave Saunders regards a tree, he’s looking for signs of stress or disease. He pictures what’s happening to the roots underground, and where a branch might land if it falls.
I met Saunders after school one day to learn what signals these Belmont trees were sending. A half dozen grow on the thin slope between Glen Lake Road and the school’s side driveway that curves behind the trees on top of compressed earth.
Pointing to a Douglas fir trunk a couple of feet from the curb, Saunders tells me its roots are suffocating under the compressed soil below ground.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Droughts, atmospheric rivers, and growth are playing havoc on our bedrock aquifers
Even in a lush rainforest, water isn't a given. (📸 James MacDonald/Capital Daily)
Most people who live in the Westshore don’t have to think twice about drinking water and long, hot showers. They’re the majority who are conveniently connected to the Capital Regional District’s water supply, which comes from large reservoirs.
But there are several thousand people who use wells. Records show at least 2,400 wells in the Westshore, though there are many more that are unregistered.
Last year I wanted to find out what the unusual weather patterns were doing to those water sources. Turns out, bedrock aquifers like the two we have here, are highly reactive to weather. They fill up quickly when it rains, and drain relatively quickly in dry periods.
Around the 'Shore
🦀 Scia’new’s Ocean Resources centre a merger of traditional knowledge and western science: primarily a base for oil response planning, the centre is also becoming a hub for ocean research. [Goldstream Gazette]
📈 **Langford draft financial plan proposes a 12% tax hike:**with rising population comes rising demand for services and infrastructure. The draft financial plan calculates that Langford needs an additional $6.2 million this year. Some will come from reserve funds, but that’s a practice the city’s finance director says can’t be relied on every year. [Times Colonist]
🍨 Cherish at Central Park's chef-prepared homemade meals puts the cherry on retirement living! Contact Cherish to learn about the "Actually, I Can" program.*
🚴🏼 ♂️ Four local cyclists qualified to compete at nationals: The velodrome training track in Colwood has a record of developing top talent. Four U17 riders will compete in Quebec this weekend. [Goldstream Gazette]
🔍 The case the internet got wrong. Capital Daily embarked on a three-year investigation into the notorious unsolved murder of real estate agent Lindsay Buziak. Download and listen to the resulting podcast, Murder on the Island, that uncovers new details.
*Sponsored Listing
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TOGETHER WITH****MEGSON FITZPATRICK-ACERA
The Westshore’s full-service insurance brokerage
Megson FitzPatrick is an employee-owned, independent insurance brokerage. They’ve proudly called Vancouver Island home since 1968 and have locations in Victoria and Nanaimo and this summer they will be joining The Westshore in Royal Bay at the new development, The Commons.
In 2017 they partnered with Rogers Insurance out of Calgary to increase their capabilities. In late 2022 the group of companies merged with Burnaby-based CapriCMW to become Acera Insurance. As Acera Insurance, they remain local, independent, and employee-owned.
As a full-service brokerage, they do more than place insurance: They support their clients with risk management, identifying ongoing and emerging risks, minimizing, and in some cases eliminating these hazards. Their in-house claims team also supports clients throughout the claims process.
Community Events
🎹 This weekend:****Sooke Philharmonic performsworks by Rossini, Mozart, and Vaughan Williams, with a performance by soprano Nancy Washeim, a company favourite. April 1 in Metchosin and April 2 in Sooke.
🐰 **Easter egg hunt in Royal Bay:**Meadow Park will be full of treasures and activities for Easter fans. April 8, 11am.
🎻 Nordic Dreams classical concerts: the first in a series of three classical concerts at St. John’s the Baptist Church, presented by Arts and Culture Colwood. April 15, 2pm
🌻 Bloom art show: the annual spring art show features bursts of big, bold, floral artwork, hosted by the Coast Collective and Arts and Culture Colwood. April 22-23, 10am-4pm, Pendray House, 3221 Heatherbell Rd., Colwood
What’s Offshore?
No ships today!
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IN PARTNERSHIPWITH ERGONOMYX
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