Good morning!

The Westshore has lots to offer sports fans this summer, from the recent Rugby Sevens tournament to the Canadian Lawn Bowling Championships that just wrapped up in Colwood on Saturday. More on that in our first story today.

— Emma

NEWS

Colwood held the Canadian Lawn Bowling Championships for the third time

From Aug. 18 to 26, Colwood hosted the 2023 Canadian Lawn Bowling Championships, with 168 participants from nine provinces joining the tournament. Held at the Juan de Fuca Lawn Bowling Club, the tournament included categories for both men’s and women’s singles, pairs, and fours.

This was an exciting opportunity for sport lovers and Colwood locals, as lawn bowling is recognized at the international level in the Commonwealth Games, where Canada has won 10 silver medals and three bronze over the years.

This marked the third time the Lawn Bowling Championships have come to the area. The Westshore has been a hot spot for sports recently with Langford hosting the Rugby Sevens Olympic qualifiers, the Langford Lightning taking gold in the Canadian women’s U19 Fast Pitch Championship, and Pacific FC currently in second in the Canadian Premier League soccer standings.

BC fights hard, with some local competitors

BC had a strong effort in the tournament, with a number of teams pushing for results. British Columbia A had a large accomplishment in women’s pairs, as Josephine Lee from New Westminster and Sarina Mak from Richmond brought home bronze with 21 points.

British Columbia A in men’s fours ended in fourth place, with valiant efforts from Cary Manns, Heng Lee, and Clement Law with New Westminster LBC, along with Dave Baldwin from White Rock LBC.

The Juan de Fuca club had a few members competing, with Davie Mathie and Brent Jansen in the men’s fours for British Columbia B—the men fought hard, but did not make it to the gold medal match. Lynda Robbins competed in women’s singles, but did not make it to the playoffs.

NEWS

Raccoon captured after causing mayhem in Westshore home

Last Tuesday, two calls went out to police from the same stretch of Leckfield Avenue in Langford: one about an attack on a dog, and one about screaming. The attacker was a wily raccoon, and the screamers were the dog’s owners. RCMP said neighbours had heard their cries after the raccoon fought the dog, chased it inside, followed it, and then fought the humans.

Video [above] shows police, after animal control ended up being unavailable, apprehending the raccoon from the bathroom using a dog pole and lacrosse stick. The raccoon can be seen trying to climb up the wall, with two audible crashes—almost sounding like cartoon sound effects—when it is thwarted and falls.

The raccoon was released from custody outside, and the family and dog had minor injuries.

More local animal stories at The Westshore.

Around the 'Shore

📹 Woman retells scary cougar encounter in Langford: Last Thursday, Harmonie Spalding and her friend were returning home to Bear Mountain when they crossed paths with a cougar on the road. The pair filmed the encounter from the safety of their car after having parked to enjoy the scenery and views. [CTV]

🚙 Driver swerving in Metchosin traffic stopped by RCMP: Drivers reported a Black 2012 Mazda for erratic driving on Aug. 24 just after 5pm. The vehicle was pulled over after multiple near-collisions on Sooke Road near Kangaroo Road in Metchosin. The vehicle was towed and the driver, a 40-year-old woman who police said was experiencing a mental health crisis, was taken to hospital to receive care. [Victoria Buzz]

📖 Colwood local writes about his addiction to help others: Joey Ter-Mitchell recounts his story of rehabilitation in his book, The Wealthy Loser, a story of reconnection and learning how to work through impossible tasks. The Colwood author’s story explains his life and the struggles that he overcame, as he hopes to reach out to audiences and support them. [Vancouver Island Free Daily]

Community Events

🌳 Neighbourhood Nights: Join Colwood this Aug. 29 from 6 to 8pm at Royal Bay Meadow Park for the final Neighbourhood Night of the summer. With games, activities, and crafts, you can bring a picnic dinner and connect with other families in the community.

🎶 Sooke Music and Art Festival: The 2023 Sooke Music and Art Festival is right around the corner. An opening party will kick off the Sept. 1 event at the Sooke Community Hall from 9pm to 1am for $10, with the festival being held at John Phillips Memorial Park from noon to 10pm on Sept. 2 and 3.

📚 Langford’s August Book Club: The Gloss book club will be discussing ​​A Marvellous Light by Freya Narske in the Aug. 29 meeting at Centennial Park at 6pm. Didn’t get the chance to join this month's read? There are opportunities to create a club or join the Langford chapter. Check out upcoming events here.

What’s Offshore?

No ships today!

Westshore Snaps

An owl seen on the walking trail near Belmont Market in Langford. —Rich Mennie, View Royal

That’s it!

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