Good morning, Westshore! I trust you enjoyed the short-lived snow this week. Most adults I know complain about it, but I'm still more like my six-year-old nephew who burst into tears the moment the fat, white flakes turned to rain. I didn't cry, but I might have wanted to. Stay warm out there. ❄️
Reporter, The Westshore
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Westshore transition housing for women and children fleeing violence
Construction crews broke ground on a non-descript building in Langford this week, and hopefully you'll never notice it. It's a second-stage housing facility for people who have escaped violent relationships, and instead of having just 30 days to reset, they can stay for up to two years.
Transition shelters are short-term emergency stays—there are two in Victoria, but none in the Westshore—that help people escape immediate crises. But with affordable housing so hard to find, many end up returning to abusive relationships.
Victoria Women's Transition House Society, which will operate this new Westshore facility, witnesses how hard it is to leave an abusive relationship with every client. Executive director Makenna Reilly said it takes the average person 6.3 attempts at leaving an abusive relationship before they stay away.
LOCAL COUNCIL
View Royal council overwhelmed by proposed committee work
View Royal's new council deliberates committee assignments. (📸 Michael John Lo)
Mayor Sid Tobias was elected on a promise of increasing citizen engagement in View Royal. But his proposal to do that by establishing new advisory committees is proving complicated.
The Westshore previously reported on this being Tobias' top priority. But at his first committee of the whole meeting—which was unusually well-attended—councillors discussed the possibility of amalgamating committees and restructuring how those citizen engagement opportunities would look, partly due to potential costs.
A report from town staff said the new proposed committees would require an extra 275 staff hours, some of which would have to be paid at time-and-a-half.
“It’s not known where the staff time would come from, and there is no current capacity to take on additional required hours,” said View Royal CAO Kim Anema.
Four View Royal residents in council chambers spoke on the topic, with three in favour of establishing more committees and one hoping to improve on the current structure before making bigger changes.
Tobias had suggested establishing seven new committees, but at the meeting he said he’s flexible about the exact number. “It’s getting it right and being able to adjust it as we go,” he said.
— Michael John Lo
HOUSING
Renters are under-represented in council chambers
Greater Victoria had a higher percentage of landlords reporting rental income in 2020 than Toronto, according to data from Statistics Canada.
With one in 10 residents reporting receiving income from at least one rental property, Greater Victoria had the second-highest proportion of landlords in the country, second to Vancouver at 11.2%.
The numbers are not exactly surprising given the high proportion of renters living in the region—38% of Greater Victoria residents rent, according to data from the 2021 Census. That percentage is nearly identical to Vancouver and higher than the 33.2% of BC residents who rent.
Yet, of all 69 mayors and councillors sitting at the table, only two are renters—and neither are in Westshore municipalities.
Read the full story at Capital Daily.
Around the Shore
🌧 Rainy week puts Malahat repairs to the test, and they pass. Extreme rains last year at this time washed out one section. Traffic was stalled completely for a few hours, and then slow as molasses for a week afterwards when the highway was down to a single alternating lane. Repairs will cost $24 million. [Times Colonist]
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TOGETHER WITH CENTENNIAL COURT
Live in style at Centennial Court
In the heart of Langford, Centennial Court by Ironclad Developments offers studio, one-, and two-bedroom condos with elevated amenities that will enhance your lifestyle. Move-in ready this spring, enjoy one free year of strata payments, early bird pricing, or a rent-to-own program.
Enjoy your new home with access to a fully equipped gym, sauna, steam room, yoga studio, pet wash, games room, and Starbucks kiosk.
Sales start soon—don’t miss out on your new home—register today at CentennialCourt.ca.
Community Events
Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the last day of the First World War in 1918. The day is about more than that war, though. It’s a day to acknowledge and honour the sacrifices veterans made on behalf of Canada. There are four events throughout the Westshore where the public is invited to participate.
🇨🇦 Langford: Remembrance Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park. Everyone is welcome to observe the ceremony honouring veterans. The event begins at 10:30am, with a moment of silence at 11am.
🎖 Colwood: Remembrance Day at the Colwood cenotaph. Join the 7th Juan de Fuca Scouts and Girl Guides at the cenotaph outside the Juan de Fuca Arena. The Scout and Girl Guide groups will march from John Stubbs School to the cenotaph for a small ceremony around 10:45am with a moment of silence at 11am.
🪖 Colwood: Remembrance Day at Royal Roads University. Join Royal Roads and the Vancouver Island Ex-Cadet Club for a Remembrance Day ceremony at 10:40am on the Castle Terrace Lawn outside Hatley Castle.
🌹 Sooke: Remembrance Day Service at the Sooke Legion. The Remembrance Day service will begin with a parade from the Evergreen Mall arriving at Sooke’s cenotaph, where the service will take place. Afterwards, adults are invited into the Legion for refreshments including chilli, chowder, sandwiches, and cake. Youth are invited to the Lions Club upstairs for hot dogs, hot chocolate, and cake. Sooke Legion, 10:35am.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Nov. 9, 2022 (📸 Tom Gierasimczuk)
🚢 The SM Tiger is a Bulk Carrier built in 2015 and is sailing under the flag of Panama. It is sailing from 🇰🇷 Gwangyang, South Korea ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and is currently at anchor awaiting its berth.
⛴ The Star Hidra is a General Cargo Ship built in 1994 and is sailing under the flag of Norway. It is sailing from 🇺🇸 San Diego ➡ 🇨🇦 Crofton on Vancouver Island and was scheduled to arrive yesterday but seem to be delayed.
🛳 The SM Busan is a Container Ship built in 2007 and is sailing under the flag of South Korea. It is sailing from 🇨🇦 Vancouver ➡ 🇺🇸 Seattle and is scheduled to arrive today.
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAPITAL DAILY & UNITED WAY SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
Help us help Victoria kids reach their full potential
For the third year in a row, Capital Daily and United Way Southern Vancouver Island are raising funds for vital Greater Victoria community programs. This year, your donations will support early childhood education, giving our local children the building blocks to succeed.
Join us for a free virtual event on Nov. 17, 6-7pm, to learn more about the importance of early childhood development from:
Westshore Snaps
Diedre Moran crocheted these brilliant poppies to honour veterans. She made them last year, and was happy to set them up again on a tree in a park this year inviting passersby to take a moment and reflect. — Diedre Moran, Colwood.
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.