Good morning!

The Thetis Lake fire, which was put out late Monday, highlights the importance of fire safety and precaution, especially with the drought and wildfire danger levels being so high. With this continuous dry spell, ensure you’re conserving water and staying safe during a hot August.

— Emma

NEWS

Thetis Lake fire highlights safety precautions

Residents across the Westshore are on alert, as fire crews fought a bush fire at Thetis Lake on Monday evening. View Royal fire crews were first at the scene, joined by the Colwood and Langford fire departments and the BC Wildfire Service. About one acre of forest area burned, but the crews were able to get the blaze area under control by around 12:30am.

View Royal Capt. Troy Mollin said that when his team showed up, it looked like a wall of flames from the road. While the cause of the fire hasn’t been found, human causation is the highest possibility due to a lack of storms and lightning in the forecast.

“We're in an extremely dry spell at the moment and it is pretty early, but our main concern in Langford is cigarette butts,” Simon Chadwick, acting assistant chief of prevention at Langford Fire Rescue, told the Westshore in June when discussing fire safety. Approximately 40% of wildfires are caused by humans.

“It’s important to make sure cigarettes are extinguished in a metal container full of sand or in water,” said Chadwick. “And just taking precautions when you're out on the trail, taking precautions when you're doing things like cutting grass or using chainsaws because they can spark and cause wildfires.”

With the growing McDougall Creek fire in Kelowna, locals need to stay alert and educated; the entire Island is currently at a Level 5 drought, and the Greater Victoria area is still in High to Extreme wildfire danger.

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NEWS

Confusing communication continues over Belmont Market parking

Tenants woke up to new parking enforcement at Belmont Market from Indigo at the beginning of August, and adjustments were set to be made to the strict three-hour parking rules. Now, more local residents are coming forward to push Crombie REIT, the company responsible for the commercial parking lot, as the new parking rules continue to leave residents confused.

When Devin Dignam heard about the three-hour parking rule, he sent his complaints to Crombie—and despite numerous emails exchanged, Dignam says the communication still remains unclear.

“Even before the so-called time limit of three hours has been reached, I've been given a $65 ticket for parking for two hours,” says Dignam. “I do not like being a doormat, and so I was pretty strong in some of my statements.”

With numerous temporary suggestions from tenants like Dignam and Mary Howley, who also sent a series of complaints, residents are baffled that Crombie hasn’t provided any comfort or suggestions.

“​​Apparently what has happened is various businesses would contact Indigo and say, ‘What are we supposed to do about this?’” says Dignam, who was curious what employees do when working shifts over three hours. “Indigo said, ‘Give us your licence plate and then we'll make sure we're not ticketing those cars’, which shows that there's an obvious temporary solution here.”

Implications of increased charging on private property

Dignam says this whole ordeal highlights the continuous increases to cost of living;—for students, immigrants, seniors, and many more people living in the building who already pay a large portion in rent and underground parking, $65 tickets are a deterrent to tenants and residents.

“It's no surprise, and it's typical,” says Dignam. “REIT is an acronym that stands for Real Estate Investment Trusts, so what they are is corporate landlords—they don't care about residents or even probably their tenants very much.”

Crombie informed Dignam that the parking rules were enforced due to increased use of the parking spots and the inability to access parking, something that Dignam emphasizes is not true.

“Despite what Crombie says about the increasing number of commercial tenants, it's bullshit,” says Dignam. “The units are still vacant, there was a 24/7 gym that used to be in the area and it's not there anymore; they've actually reduced the space being used by commercial tenants in the area.”

The recent enforcement of paid parking at Colwood Corners and fees to use Bear Mountain have many locals looking to Westshore municipalities to ensure private property owners at least consult residents with decisions, and with the addition of Belmont, the pressure is stronger. Colwood Corners, Bear Mountain, and Belmont Market are all privately owned properties over which the city has no jurisdiction.

Around the 'Shore

🚨 Danbrook Park residents concerned about open drug use: Many Langford locals have complained of feeling unsafe near Danbrook Park due to the amount of crime and open drug use. Located in downtown, the park includes many shelter encampments. [Times Colonist]

☀ Megson FitzPatrick-Acera Insurance is now in The Westshore, providing one-stop insurance services for personal, business, motorcycle, auto and life & health insurance!*

🌲 East Sooke Regional Park gains 10 hectares: The Capital Regional District (CRD) just gained an additional 10-hectare patch beside East Sooke Road, next to the East Sooke Volunteer Fire Department. Acquiring this land allows the CRD to help promote biodiversity and promote safety and environmental protection. [Victoria Buzz]

🦝 Juvenile raccoon tips for Greater Victoria: With fall around the corner, raccoons will begin seeking food and shelter. The BC SPCA is offering tips such as securing trash and removing attractants to ensure raccoons don’t make your home theirs. [Vancouver Island Free Daily]

🧼 Coastal Shores Window Cleaning has you covered! From pressure washing, moss removal, gutter cleaning, to window cleaning, Victoria’s best exterior cleaning company is the “clear” choice!*

🚏 BC Transit puts Greater Victoria back on route for fall: Starting Sept. 5, BC Transit buses will be extending hours and routes for the upcoming school season. Going into the busier months, BC Transit makes changes to its routes based on demand.

*Sponsored Listing

Community Events

👕 Kids School Clothes Swap Fundraiser: Join the Sooke Region Communities Health Network for its Aug. 26 clothes swap. From 10am to 4pm at the Sooke Community Hall, volunteers will take donations of children's clothes, shoes, and coats.

⚓️ Anchors Away: On Aug. 27, head to the Starlight Stadium from noon to 9pm for a fun-filled arts and music festival. With a lineup of live musicians and a variety of performers, tickets are available for purchase online.

🎭 PoSH Improv: For their final summer performance, the Players of Sooke Harbour will perform at the Sooke Legion on Aug. 29 at 7pm. PoSH Improv will continue shows and workshops in the fall, but make sure to catch the summer series before it ends.

What’s Offshore?

No ships today!

Westshore Snaps

Kelp dragonfly at French Beach. —Lorraine Mainwaring, Esquimalt

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