Happy Diwali, Westshore! Sizzling Tandoor hosted a Diwali drag show last Saturday night, and I cannot recommend it enough. The queens brought so much energy and it was a very fun way to celebrate the Hindu new year. If you celebrate, I'd love to hear your favourite traditions.
Also, welcome to all of our new readers! I'm excited to have you join the club, and would love to hear what you think of The Westshore newsletter and website—write to me any time at zoe@thewestshore.ca.
Reporter, The Westshore
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Kobayashi’s to-do list starts with revoking pay increase for council
(📸 Zoë Ducklow)
Mayor-elect Doug Kobayashi has a to-do list ready for Colwood council. Elected over incumbent Mayor Rob Martin with 68% of the vote, Kobayashi spent the first few days feeling surprised and a little overwhelmed, but has now rolled up his sleeves.
His first task is to revoke the remuneration increase for council, which was set to take effect in January. Kobayashi argued and voted against the increase in September, saying now is not the time for increases but rather for fiscal responsibility. Expect to see that item on the Nov. 7 council agenda. Re-elected Coun. Cynthia Day was also opposed to the increase, while Dean Jantzen voted in favour. Each of the new councillors-elect—Kim Jordison, Ian Ward, Misty Olsen, and David Grove—said while an increase may be warranted, the increase the current council agreed to was too much too fast, and each said they would support a new review.
The core of Kobayashi’s campaign was to improve consultation at City Hall, and he has several ideas to address public engagement. First is restarting citizen advisory committees that would be similar to what Langford and Saanich have. Instead of council and staff making up each of the committees, Kobayashi wants Colwood residents with subject matter expertise to join the advisory committees to guide things like parks and recreation, planning and development, and arts and culture. He’ll release the full list of committees next week.
With those new committees, he plans to scrap the committee of the whole—meetings that were “just silliness,” he believes. “Here we were as councillors, sitting around the table, speaking to no one, and then we're making recommendations to ourselves in council.”
He also plans to host town halls, at minimum twice a year, and restart coffee chats with council where the public can come and talk with any council member in person, rather than writing emails or speaking at public hearings.
The million-dollar question in any municipality is: how can council meaningfully engage with residents? Residents often aren’t aware of a decision that affects them until well after the plans are in progress. Kobayashi and his new council are already looking for answers to that question.
“Everything's up for grabs right now. There's no sacred cows here,” he said, meaning, every idea is on the table—ideas like moving the public hearings for rezoning applications earlier in the process so people don’t feel like it’s too late to make changes by the time they have a chance to be heard.
This focus on improving public engagement might cause a delay in development in Colwood, Kobayashi admitted. But with rising interest rates, development might slow down regardless, he said.
As for the Westshore, he and the other mayors-elect, all new, are planning to meet before they take their seats and have committed to working collaboratively. Kobayashi sees potential for integrating services with other municipalities, like they did with firefighting mutual aid agreements between 2017 and 2018.
ENVIRONMENT
Inquiry into the Zim Kingston response shows Canada’s not well-prepared for cargo spills
The south coast of the Island drew international attention throughout October 2021 as the container ship the Zim Kingston lost more than 100 containers overboard and then caught fire on the Juan de Fuca Strait. Here, Maersk ocean tugs fight the fire in high winds off the shores of Victoria. (📸 James MacDonald/Capital Daily)
Last Friday marked one year since the Zim Kingston lost more than 100 containers into the Juan de Fuca Strait, including some with hazardous materials, and later sustained an on-board fire.
A parliamentary committee investigated the incident, and released a report earlier this month with recommendations to improve Canada’s response to marine cargo spills. It concluded that Canada was not prepared, and that its reaction was poor, with slow communication to coastal communities and a lack of firefighting and spill response.
It took five hours for the Coast Guard to arrive once the fire started, while the container ship was moored off the coast of Victoria, and 18 hours for an emergency towing vessel with firefighting capability to arrive.
Finding the lost containers is nearly impossible, with no tracking devices and no local salvage operations. Fridges and shoes washed up on Vancouver Island shores, and many containers will have sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
Improved tracking, spill response, and long term studies into the impact certain plastics have on the ocean were all recommended. Read more on Capital Daily.
Around the ’Shore
🔥 East Sooke home gutted by “ball of fire;” residents and pets safe. East Sooke Firefighters and neighbouring departments contained the Oct. 20 blaze, and put out spot fires started by embers that threatened nearby houses and the dry forest. An investigation into the cause is ongoing. A community fundraiser started for the family surpassed the $5,000 goal within days. [CTV]
🎄 Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet in****Nutcracker, Dec. 2-4, 2022, Royal Theatre. Kids’ prices available! Tickets at 250-386-6121 or DanceVictoria.com.*
**😈 Sooke pharmacist has a Rx for scary monsters.**An image of a spray bottle with a green liquid has gained attention online because of the curious prescription label: Monster Spray. The instructions say to, “spray around bedroom at night before bedtime, and repeat if needed.” Apparently Sooke pharmacists can do much more than just compounding.
💻 Victoria Tech Journal is your resource for chronicling and connecting Greater Victoria’s fast-growing tech ecosystem. Subscribe to the twice-weekly newsletter today to keep up.
🚜 Malahat Nation plans to expand its Bamberton rock quarry on the Saanich Inlet. Comments from the public can be submitted to the Ministry of Energy and Mines until Nov. 14. Malahat is also applying to renew the lease for another 30 years. [Times Colonist]
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TOGETHER WITH UVIC
UVic to host U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship
The University of Victoria welcomes the nation’s best women’s rugby teams this fall as hosts of the 2022 U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championship from Nov. 2 – 6.
UVic boasts one of the top programs in Canada, taking fourth place at last year’s championships. The Vikes look to improve on their 2021 finish and will have the opportunity to do so on home soil.
Get your tickets online at GoVikesGo.com/RugbyChamp.
Halloween Events
🕺🏻 Little Monsters Ball—a disco party for the whole family at the Juan de Fuca Seniors Centre. This disco has soft play areas for the non-walkers, carefully chosen music levels, glow sticks, and a family friendly environment. Oct. 29, 1:30-4:30pm.
**🍭 Trunk or Treat at Colwood Church.**Annual Halloween bash in the parking lot, with candy, crafts, and pumpkin carving. Oct. 29, 4-6:30pm, 2250 Sooke Rd.
🎃 A decidedly un-preschoolerly party to raise funds for the Metchosin co-op preschool will have live music, dancing, costume prizes, a DJ, and a cash bar. Money is going towards essential building repairs. Oct. 29, 7:30pm, Metchosin Community Hall.
👻Ghostbusters: A Halloween drive-in movie fundraiser. The Sooke Harmony Project’s drum line and strings ensemble are hosting a ghostactular drive-in fundraiser. Oct. 30, 6:30pm, SEAPARC parking lot. $25 suggested donation per vehicle—tickets must be purchased in advance.
⛸**Halloween skate at SEAPARC in Sooke:**Grab your Halloween costumes and skates and treat yourself to some spooky skating during the Everyone Welcome Skate. Spooktacular prizes for best costume. Skate Rentals available at the skate shop. Admission is a $2 minimum or a non-perishable food donation for the Sooke Food Bank. Reserve in advance online or in person if space permits.
🧑🏼 🚒 Metchosin’s firefighters have a spookyHalloween Lane for trick or treaters to drive through on Halloween night, from 6-8pm.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Oct. 24, 2022 (📸 Tom Gierasimczuk)
🚢****The Quetzal Arrowis a General Cargo Ship built in 1992 and is sailing under the flag of Bahamas. It is sailing from 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA ➡ 🇨🇦 Crofton, on Vancouver Island, and was scheduled to arrive yesterday.
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TODAY’S PARTNER: BEACON WELLNESS
Find a beacon for life’s journey
Take the first step. See if Beacon Wellness fits your needs and book your free consultation now with one of their trauma-informed counsellors. Change is possible!
Westshore Snap
Your friendly neighbourhood skeleton, hanging out at InkFX on the corner of Goldstream and Peatt in Langford. (📸 Zoë Ducklow)
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