Hello there!

Happy holidays from us at The Westshore. We hope you and yours are able to enjoy some fun and peaceful time together. Today we look at how the visitors we see out in the harbour every week spend this time of year—away from family, but not alone.

We're taking a holiday ourselves, and the newsletter will be back next week.

— Cam

NEWS 

What it's like to spend Christmas on the ships we see off the shore

Every week, we bring you updates on which vessels are parked off the coast of the Westshore and Victoria. These updates tell you about the ships, but not the crew within them. 

But two years ago, Capital Daily talked on Christmas Eve to a locally anchored ship about how they spend their holiday at sea. 

Numerous commercial ships spend Christmas in Island waters, whether in Victoria or up around the east side of the Island.

All of them are crewed by people from around the world who are away from home over the holidays. 

For the Maersk Trader, being anchored at Ogden Point meant that they could get out into Victoria to gather the ingredients for a multi-national feast with fish, rice pudding, mincemeat pies, and more. 

“If I have to be away at Christmas, this is the way I’d like to have it,” said Captain Trygvi Dalgaard, a Faroe Islander with three kids at home. “Normally when we have Christmas we’re out to sea.”

At those times, second mate Billy Snook told Capital Daily that “work goes on and you don’t even really realize it’s Christmas.” But here he was able to take crewmates to hockey games in the city, and in that 2022 December even caught some snow—which he rarely gets at home in Durham, UK. Nevertheless, “I’d rather be home with my wife and kids—but it’s part of the job,” he said.

Check out the full story at Capital Daily for more about sea life with the crew of the Maersk Trader.

NEWS

Deadline passes with no zoning reform in Sooke

After a motion failed in a tie vote late last month, council did not take another vote prior to the Dec. 16 end of the mini-extension it got from the province (the original deadline was June 30). Sooke had sought a multi-year delay to the BC-wide Bill 44 requirement to pre-zone for “missing middle” density, with two units allowed on all single-family lots and 3-4 allowed on urban single-family lots. 

But Sooke's application was rejected in the summer. The mayor and several councillors insist that after years of growth, Sooke lacks the infrastructure to absorb more (although denying the zoning changes doesn't prevent more growth via sprawl). An interim housing needs report this fall estimated that Sooke will need 4,700+ units built over the next 20 years; the district is required to adjust its zoning and OCP to this projection within the next year.

New MLA says he'll step in to mediate

Now the man who could have tipped the vote if he hadn't resigned earlier that month will step in to try to help. Former Sooke councillor and now Juan de Fuca – Malahat MLA Dana Lajeunesse told the Sooke News Mirror that he will facilitate discussions between the district and the housing ministry, in search of “a path forward that respects provincial mandates while also recognizing the real challenges Sooke is facing.”

Frustrated with traffic jams in the summer, Sooke wants more provincial support on roads. The province argues it has funded road upgrades on Otter Point and Church, and will help extend Throup—though how generously, and when, remains at issue between the two governments.

Around the 'Shore

🅿️ Westhills Y purchase will include 186-spot parking lot: Council voted unanimously on Monday to spend up to $35M buying the facility. Its full update notes that the lot and spaces for the daycare, library, and music conservatory are included. Langford also says that the $35.15M assessment and $44M insured value—not counting the lot value—suggest that the price paid was reasonable. [City of Langford]

⚖ Spirit Bay owes $13M to 90 creditors, receiver says: The development, which built just 50 of a planned 500+ homes, was put into receivership this fall by the BC Supreme Court over its debts. It owes $8.6M to the Beecher Bay (Sc’ianew) First Nation, and $2.4M to Scala Development Consultants Ltd. The nation is a limited partner in Spirit Bay, which sits on its land. [Times Colonist]

🍕 Langford Boston Pizza evacuated on Sunday over apparent electrical fire and remains closed until at least Thurs. [CHEK]

🌬 Heavy wind this week, along with heavy rain tomorrow. [Forecast]

🌲 240 million trees planted this year, says local minister. A release from Langford MLA Ravi Parmar, the new Forests Minister, said that BC reforestation efforts focused on fire-damaged areas.

📜 Your holiday wishes for local councils included pothole-paving requests; arts event ideas; more (or less) housing; bike lanes; light rail; and an Ikea. [The Westshore]

COMMUNITY

The best local light-ups

Extravagant and wacky house decoration has become an increasingly common hobby for both Halloween and Christmas. For most locals they're a fun sight on the long dark winter nights, but for some they're the bane of the lane. Last year one of the Westshore's most over-the-top public light displays was lit into by an over-the-top public display of a different kind.

A Sooke home complete with reindeer and a big red bow received a nasty letter in the mail. The anonymous mailer derided the setup as “the joke of the neighbourhood,” “Santa’s whorehouse,” and other rude descriptions. 

It turns out the occupant Cheryl Dinse had a very good reason behind the display: her son had died, she told CTV, and the weeks-long project was a way to bring some light and joy to this difficult time. When her story was publicized, people from all over the world flooded her mailbox with much more positive letters, and local photographers stopped by to capture and celebrate the display. 

Meanwhile, more than 100 inflatables near Colwood Corners also caught the public’s eye last year. The menagerie has come to take up an increasing share of Tasha Knight’s lawn and of her family’s life, and now fills a whole sea can storage unit in the off-season. 

If you're in View Royal, you can even win prizes for your light show—the municipality is running a contest until Jan. 3 to recognize the best local display. You can discover where to find some of the nominees at the bottom of the contest page.

You can find photos of past displays in photographer Colin Smith's holiday lights album, and maps of current local light-ups at the Times Colonist.

Community Events

🍽 Home alone Christmas dinner for adults without family to spend the 25th with one another. Church of the Advent in Colwood. [Info]

⛸ Skate times at City Centre Park on Dec. 24, Dec. 26, and Jan. 1-2. [Info]

🍷 Christmas Eve Dinner or Christmas Day Brunch at Callisto: [Reserve]

🌟 Esquimalt Rec Holiday Wonderland (also at Archie Browning Sports Centre) will be full of lights and decorations at the ninth annual Christmas Tree Village. Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024 to Jan. 3, 2025 from 12:30-10pm. Plus a Free Christmas Sing-Along on Dec. 23 at Esquimalt Rec. 6-8pm.

⛸ Teen winter ice skating on Dec 28. Free with SD62 ID. 8-9:30pm. 

✂️ Sooke Library: Mostly closed Dec. 25 to Jan. 1, with reduced hours Dec. 30-31. Crafts for Kids is back on Dec. 28.

🥂 Dance into the New Year with Rocksteady in the Westshore Ballroom at Four Points by Sheraton. [6:30pm on Dec. 31]

🍾 New Year's Eve Dance at Langford Legion. Music by Kooler and Court Land. 8pm-1am. [Event]

🎳 NYE at Langford Lanes: Bowling lanes open until 1am. [Info]

🎆 Midnight at Darcy's NYE bash with $15 general entry. Begins 8pm. [Tickets]

What’s Offshore?

🚢 The Trader, now called the Skandi Trader, was in Victoria again a month ago and crossed the Panama Canal last weekend. It is now headed across the Atlantic toward Spain.

So which ships are here for Christmas Eve this time?

🚢 At Ogden Point: The Cable Innovator (cable-laying vessel, built 1995, UK flag, headed to Port Angeles)

🚢🚢🚢🚢 Near Colwood shore: UTE (container ship, built 2007, Liberia flag, headed Prince Rupert to Vancouver), the coast guard’s Atlantic Eagle (offshore tug / supply vessel, built 1999, coming from Prince Rupert), Mol Celebration (container ship, built 2008, Bahamas flag, heading to Korea from Vancouver), GSL Effie (container ship, built 2003, Liberia flag, heading from Prince Rupert to Vancouver)

Westshore Snaps

“My favourite winter picture!” — Eryn Brett

Sitting Lady Falls in Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. – Alan Beairsto, Colwood

That’s it!

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another Westshore local.

And before you go, let us know: