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One of 2022's biggest issues in Langford—an urban tree protection bylaw—finally played out as 2024 drew to a close. The city recently passed a new set of rules around what locals can and can't do with trees.

More on that below, plus a rundown of some of the stories that readers like you have been most interested in over the past year.

— Cam

NEWS

After two years in development, tree protection bylaw passes in Langford

Trees in cities don't just stand there looking nice. These urban trees work hard for people and the environment. One mature tree produces enough oxygen for up to four people to breathe every day.

They reduce traffic noise, and create shade that protects us from harmful ultra violet rays. They’re home to local birds and other animals. Researchers have even shown that kids who have a view of trees from their classrooms do better at school, and that green spaces that include trees make us all feel better.

In the face of more extreme weather and seasons, urban forest management is becoming increasingly important—particularly in rapidly growing areas like the Westshore.

Langford has lost a quarter of its tree canopy coverage over the past two decades, and 81% of Langford’s city centre is lacking canopy cover. The city has been challenged to find ways to balance development with the protection of its urban trees.

Tree protection bylaws are one of the legislative paths that municipalities have for this protection; they regulate the cutting, removal, or damage to all trees and they set requirements for types of trees designated as “protected.”

Langford has been an outlier in not having such a bylaw, and it has been an up-and-down path to creating one over the past nearly three years.

Current councillor Lillian Szpak clashed with the previous council in 2022 when she originally pushed for a tree protection bylaw. After that council was ousted in the fall, some developers rushed to cut trees before protections were increased by the new council. An Interim Tree Protection Bylaw (ITPB) was passed in late 2022 as a stop-gap measure until the city’s Urban Forestry Plan could be completed.

After two years in development, Langford council voted unanimously at its Dec. 2 council meeting last month to finally adopt a permanent Tree Protection Bylaw (TPB), which builds upon that forest plan. The most significant difference between the interim and the new TPB is that property owners must now apply for a permit before removing any trees.

Read the full story at The Westshore to learn what the bylaw's new rules are about local trees.

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YEAR IN REVIEW

Your most-read stories of 2024

Last week we ran a recap of the biggest news stories of each month in the past year on the Westshore. Today we have a quick rundown of which of our stories, specifically, were the most widely read by all of you.

1. Seasonal festivities begin kicking off in the Westshore 

   At the start of the winter we ran a list of local events throughout December; many of you kept coming back to it in the month to see what was going on and when.

2. Centre Mountain development displaying the growing pains of multi-jurisdictional projects

   A year ago we ran the first of several updates on Centre Mountain, a development project involving land swaps and agreements between the City of Langford, Metchosin, and Sc’ianew Nation. The January article broke down a convoluted situation involving industrial, stormwater, and residential projects and the rules around the order in which they had to be completed. There were updates on Centre Mountain in April and Aug.

3. Safer, slower streets coming to Langford

   It was also about a year ago that we covered one of the several moves last year by Greater Victoria municipalities to try to reduce traffic deaths and injuries. Langford approved its new traffic calming policy.

4. Sooke Harbour House reopens after four years 

   After months of renovation, the 1920s-built Sooke Harbour House started welcoming guests as of August. Since 2020 the hotel had had its doors closed, facing issues with ownership and a slew of legal matters which Tori Marlan from Capital Daily covered in the award-winning investigative piece “The Man Who Stole A Hotel.”

5. Colwood adds Pendray House to a list of heritage gems 

   In Nov. we covered the 1920s home receiving heritage designation as development grows around it, as well as some of the history of the region and details of how heritage status works.

6. Honourable mention: Burst of seismic activity is the focus of joint expedition

   We often note which vessels are passing through Westshore waters, but last summer we did a full article on one such sea journey: that of the E/V Nautilus, which was on a research journey out to study underwater areas off the Island. Ocean Exploration Trust and UVic-based Ocean Networks Canada teamed up for their eighth trip out to deep sea observatories.

Around the 'Shore

🚒 View Royal house fire being investigated as arson: The single-family home on Damon near Six Mile was badly damaged around Monday midnight. View Royal firefighters cleared the house safely and put out the blaze but police are now investigating whether it was set on purpose; they seek dashcam video. [RCMP]

🚸 SD62 school registration opens next week: Applications for kindergarten spots open up Jan. 13, with lotteries then applying to French Immersion and Nature K—as well as regular K if a class has more registrations than available seats. Westshore schools are the fastest-growing in BC this current school year, and the district is pushing to get schools built and expanded to catch up.

🏒 Grizzlies player discharged after injury on ice: Forward Alex Hebblethwaite is out of Nanaimo hospital after being checked into the boards by an Alberni player on Sat. and stretchered out of the game. [CHEK]

📲 iPhone ‘buyer’ steals 1 device and tries for another—and fails, but assaults seller, RCMP say. West Shore RCMP think it was the same perpetrator in both Sunday Langford incidents. They advise anyone selling or buying online to be cautious by meeting with people during the day and taking someone along. [RCMP]

📰 Tuesday highlights: 7 top-voted Westshore restaurants. What Trudeau departure could mean for the region. Otter on a surfboard. [Newsletter]

Community Events

🏒 Victoria Grizzlies host Powell River on Sat. at the Q Centre. [Tickets]

📅 This week's events at Langford Legion include a meat draw on Sat. [Schedule / info]

🥫Monday Trivia Nights at Sawmill Taphouse. [Info]

🗣 Group singing workshops in View Royal begin Friday. [Info]

🍴Community dinner hosted by Gordon United Church on Monday at 5pm.

What’s Offshore?

🚢 Near Colwood shore: UTE (container ship, built 2007, Liberia flag, heading from Prince Rupert to Vancouver)

🚢 Moving on: GSL Effie (container ship, built 2003, Liberia flag, heading from Prince Rupert to Vancouver).

🚢🚢 Further out: Cosco Boston (container ship, built 2007, Panama flag, headed Seattle to Van) & Eagle Brisbane (crude oil tanker, built 2018, Singapore flag, headed Port Angeles to Van)

Westshore Snaps

Beautiful arbutus: “I took my 6-year-old lab for a walk on the lagoon trail at Witty’s and loved all the beautiful Arbutus trees along the way.” – Bernadine Longland

🦅 Birds of a feather: See the fascinating wildlife of Sooke. [Facebook photos]

That’s it!

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