Good morning! 

Last week, a giant tree was discovered on unceded Ditidaht territory in Caycuse Valley. Thankfully, it’s large enough to qualify for protection and can’t be cut down, but the trees around it can be logged. Find out why in today’s top story.

— Emma

NEWS

Discovery of another ancient giant tree on the Westshore

Last week, an American forest conservationist Josh Wright discovered a giant Western redcedar on Vancouver Island that has since been dubbed the “Knight Tree.” Wright lives on the Olympic Peninsula but grew up with the old growth on Southern Vancouver Island. He was involved with the Fairy Creek movement and told The Westshore, he “spent the past five or so years watching place after place, there, get destroyed by logging.”

The Knight tree stands on unceded Ditidaht territory in Caycuse Valley, part of the Fairy Creek watershed, an area known for its old growth and the logging protests that began in 2020 and continued for well over a year.

Vera Edgar-Cook, a Ditidaht elder told The Westshore, “I'm sad to see all the logging that's happening in our area. I get, I guess, a sense of devastation when I see it.”

The massive cedar measures 3.88 metres in diameter which is wider than the width of a shipping container but only just qualifies for protection under the Forest and Range Practices Act’s Special Tree Protection Regulation. According to the regulation’s schedule for protection of a Western redcedar growing in a coastal biogeoclimatic zone, the Knight is just 3 centimetres over regulation. As a protected tree, under the act, it “must not be cut, damaged, felled, topped or destroyed.”

While this is good news for the Knight tree, regulations protecting it don’t extend to its neighbours. Unfortunately, most of the trees that surround the massive cedar which is located on Tree Farm Licence #44, don’t meet the 3.85m diameter measure deemed sufficient for their protection and, widening the lens to the scale of the watershed, none of the old-growth in the valley is, in fact, legislated for protection.

Head to the Westshore to read the full story by Sidney Coles.

COMMUNITY

Local humanitarian group returns from Ukraine

After a long-awaited journey, the Langford humanitarian group that aimed to provide aid to Ukrainian citizens has finally returned from their journey. The trip, which was announced in September, was a much needed relief effort to help four small communities in updating equipment, facilities, and necessities. With a community-driven mission, former Langford fire chief and humanitarian activist Bob Beckett says that the experience was rewarding, but profoundly different from his previous visits. 

“We had so many worthwhile projects that we delivered, so the deliverables were amazing and I can't thank our donors enough—we celebrate those accomplishments,” says Beckett. “But the part that really resonated with me on this trip more so than the two other trips was the reality of the sacrifice.” 

Beckett and his team met with numerous residents and leaders, visiting five municipalities, two hospitals and a number of schools. Discussing the tragedies and hardships each community was facing, Beckett was able to put into perspective just how much Ukraine needs attention. 

“Some of these communities were small, some of them were more like Langford, but each of the communities had a wall of plaques and pictures of soldiers that had volunteered who won’t be returning,” says Beckett. “We went into this Regional Children's Hospital, which we went to in February and visited the neonatal care unit where there was a premature baby who fortunately survived and I'll never forget that—well we go back again, and the doctor was saying that one in three women are now having premature babies at their hospital all because of the stress associated with the war.” 

Each community was thankful for the donations and help provided, as equipment, medical supplies, and more were desperately needed for all of the citizens. Beckett says the team is looking to hold another mission in the spring and is looking forward to having four students from Ukraine come to the Island. 

“[Our community] really should take heart in the fact that they have made a huge difference whether it's the lab equipment, keeping the schools open, the donation of the diesel generators, those were all wonderful things that we truly should be celebrating,” says Beckett. “But moving forward, the message from our Ukrainian friends and hosts was please do not forget us.” 

Keeping the conversation going, Beckett hopes more Westshore residents join in and support the project, as well as just take the time and listen to the important message that Ukrainians have to share. 

“It really is about having that conversation; we have a global responsibility of helping others and finding peaceful solutions, and I think the four students coming over will have a very impactful story,” says Beckett. “One person can make a difference, each person [who has helped] has made a significant difference, even if it's a small difference.”

Around the 'Shore

💲 Colwood council frustrated by cost of CRD water project: Councillor Ian Ward is discussing the inconsistencies of an expensive project proposed by the Capital Region District, making wholesale water prices go from a $0.77 cost to $3.50 per cubic metre. The project would allow for $2 billion in infrastructure projects around Sooke Lake and the Regional Water Supply to increase water supply, something that would initially be funded by developers but would likely transition to a residential tax. Ward notes how the cost is out of proportion to the demand, which has gone down over the past 28 years. [Vancouver Island Free Daily] 

💉 Colwood walk-in set to reopen after nearly two years: After the walk-in clinic at the Colwood Medical Treatment Centre announced its closure in April of 2022, it has finally announced a soft-opening on Dec. 15 and a full-reopening in the spring. Open Monday to Friday for urgent care needs, the announcement came at an important time as Colwood is currently lacking in walk-in clinic facilities. [CHEK] 

🚔 Police look for Langford arson suspect: West Shore RCMP are asking the community to provide any information on a man suspected of setting fire to a porta-potty on Nov. 12. Causing significant damage to a construction site at Luxton Road, police believe this was an act of arson done by a man with light to medium coloured skin who was wearing dark clothing and a blue baseball cap. The suspect was last seen on camera around 12:45am, walking away from the construction site and down the Chidlow Connector.

Community Events

🎄 Breakfast with Santa: Join the Sooke Lions Club this Dec. 2 from 9-11am for a free pancake breakfast with Santa. Enjoy pancakes, sausages, fruit, whipped cream, and a variety of drinks at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #54 in this festive and fun breakfast event. 

❄️ Winter Market and Moss Cottage Christmas: Sooke’s special winter market is returning to Moss cottage this Dec. 2 from 11am-4pm for people to enjoy. Decorated in a 1902 style, take a tour, enjoy local Sooke goods, and chat with artisans from the community that you might recognize from the summer markets. 

🎶 Victoria Symphony giveaway: The Victoria Symphony is donating 10 concert tickets for their concert “We Need a little Christmas” featuring tenor Ken Lavigne for a special giveaway this holiday season. Hosted at the Dogwood Auditorium at Royal Roads University on Dec. 18, Arts and Culture Colwood is giving the tickets to Westshore residents nominated by community members. Open until Dec. 4, you can enter your nominee by messaging Arts and Culture Colwood through facebook.

What’s Offshore?

🚢 The Guo Yuan 88 is a bulk carrier built in 2020 and is sailing under the flag of China. It is sailing from Wakayama, Japan 🇯🇵 ➡ Vancouver 🇨🇦 and was scheduled to arrive Nov. 15.

Westshore Snaps

Ephemeral vista from the summit of Mount Finlayson, Jan. 26, 2022. —Ron Myers, Colwood

That’s it!

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