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- April 1 - New funding for local transport & childcare
April 1 - New funding for local transport & childcare
Push to finish sidewalk project before school opens. Arts centre may move. Ex-Grizzly gets to NHL.
Cam Welch
April 01, 2025
Hello there!
Welcome to April. No jokes, no pranks, just straight news about some of the latest funded projects in our region, announced late last week.
— Cam
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NEWS
Westshore gets $2M for active transport projects
Photo: James MacDonald / Capital Daily
BC will spend $24M to fund 50 projects—each project receiving $500K or $50K for planning—that encourage walking, biking, and other non-vehicle transportation. One of them will be a project including a new sidewalk along a notorious stretch of road where one of the Westshore's upcoming elementary schools will be located.
Langford will get $1M for improvements to the west and east portions of Latoria—considered two projects—to add protected bike lanes near the city’s upcoming elementary school, SCIANEW STELITKEL Elementary. It's slated to open in the fall and the city is attempting to fast-track the completion of the sidewalk part of the project.
Phase One will cost $6M+, of which the city is funding the majority—one of the drivers of this year's budget increase. The city initially delayed the funding decision last fall, but ultimately incorporated it into this spring's 2025 budget.
Rendering of the elementary school on Latoria. Image: Thinkspace architects
Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth says the funding's goal is to reduce reliance on cars and promote healthy activities. The funding is part of the province’s commitment to CleanBC, with plans to lower emissions by 40% and increase active transportation by 30% by 2030.
Capital Region municipalities will receive $5M, with $1M each going to Langford, Victoria, and Saanich. In the Westshore, the non-Langford funding is:
View Royal, $500K: New sidewalk connecting Atkins to Galloping Goose.
Sooke, $500K: New sidewalks, multi-use paths, and crosswalks through the Throup Road Corridor.
NEWS
73 new childcare spaces announced for Langford
Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, with Langford-Highlands MLA Ravi Parmar and Langford Council
The BC government announced $15M to create 200+ new child-care spaces, including $7.1M for 73 spaces in Langford at a site on Carlow. The city told The Westshore it expects construction to begin early next year.
Centennial Centre photos (above & below) via Westshore Parks & Rec
The space is currently the Centennial Centre for Arts, Culture, and Community; the city says it will either try to include the centre in the new facility or find a new home for it.
The Oak Room within the arts centre
The city also got a $6.2M grant from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund last summer for 49 new childcare spaces. An Indigenous Housing Fund project had already been funded, which has 40 housing units and a 73-unit childcare centre at the Carlow Road site.
Around the 'Shore
🏒 Former Grizzly signs NHL entry contract with Nashville Predators. Matthew Wood won the top scorer and top rookie BCHL awards when playing for the Victoria Grizzlies in 2021-22. [Announcement]
👩🎤 Highlights below of Island FanCon, the pop culture convention in Langford last weekend.
🧹 Brush removal on E&N between Goldstream Ave. & Jacklin all month & into May. [CRD]
♻️ ‘What goes where?’ recycling guide featured on new CRD website.
🚧 Beachlands Boulevard remains closed through tomorrow. [Colwood]
📰 Last Thursday: New orca in Juan de Fuca. Bridge being built along Galloping Goose. Rainbow skies. [Newsletter]
📰 Last Tuesday: Election called, but not all Westshore candidates are set yet. New Island-first recovery centre opens. [Tuesday newsletter]
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Community Events
🌱 Container Gardening – Compost Education Centre Workshop at Royal Bay school. 6:30-8:30pm Thursday.
🧵 Sew Magic 2025 Quilt Show in Juan de Fuca Rec. April 3-5. [Info]
🐰 April Easter Egg Hunt & Family Photos begin today & run for several weeks at Westshore Town Centre. Pet photos April 5-6. [Info]
👨🚒🏒 Firefighters’ charity hockey games: Langford & View Royal / Colwood fire departments will compete in the Ken Gill & Forrest Owens Memorial Hockey Game on April 4-5 at Archie Browning Arena and Wurtele Arena in Esquimalt.
🥼 Future Innovators: Empowering Women in STEM at Royal Bay next Monday.
🎤 TEDxRRU tickets are now available; event is on May 2 (1-6:30pm).
Council Meetings
Highlands: Regular council meeting next Monday. [Calendar]
Sooke: Land use committee meets today. [Calendar]
Langford: Meeting next Monday.
What’s Offshore?
The ONE Magdalena, photographed by Gary Woodburn in Feb., shares its distinctive pink hull colouring with two ships visible off the coast this morning.
🚢 Off Colwood coast: ONE Majesty, a container ship built in 2010, sailing from Tacoma to Vancouver under a Marshall Islands flag. ONE Cosmos, a container ship built in 2008, sailing from Tacoma to Vancouver under a Hong Kong flag
🚢 Further out: Ever Loading, a container ship built in 2014, sailing from Tacoma to Vancouver under a UK flag.
Westshore Snaps
A deer and a Brewer's blackbird stare right at us. Both photos: Gary Woodburn
Weir Beach at sunset [Doug Clement]
Tree planting at Royal Roads. [RRU Instagram]
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.
That’s it!
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