Good morning!

This weekend marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and the Westshore has plenty of events and resources to check out. As an important part of remembering to educate ourselves on our history and how it has affected Indigenous peoples, locals are encouraged to join in and learn more.

— Emma

COMMUNITY

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in the Westshore

Every Sept. 30, Candians gather to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day that reminds people to better educate themselves and understand the atrocities created and perpetuated towards Indigenous peoples and communities that have been historically and presently affected by Canadian society.

To commemorate and honour all Indigenous peoples presently and those who have passed, the Westshore has a series of events and resources to shed light on the history and importance of the date.

For all those in the community, whether they are able to attend an event or just click a few links and read more about the history, Truth and Reconciliation is just the first step to a long road of healing.

Events:

Orange Shirt Day: Hosted on the same day as Truth and Reconciliation, orange shirts are worn to commemorate and honour the survivors of Indian Residential Schools across Canada. As a tradition since 2013, locals are encouraged to don an orange shirt in support of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad whose brand-new orange shirt, a gift from her grandmother, was taken from her by school administrators on her first day at a residential school in 1973.

Royal Athletic Park: Communities are invited to attend the South Island Powwow, “Where tradition and culture come alive”. Through song and dance, the event will celebrate traditional Indigenous cultures and resiliency from 10am, with Grand Entries at 12 and 6pm—the celebration will end at midnight.

Sooke Library: At 11am, local Truth 4 Reconciliation members will host an event where non-Indigenous people will recount what they have learned from listening to the stories of survivors. Being asked a series of questions, this is meant to reflect on what communities have taken away from previous lessons, and how they are trying to make change.

Resources:

CRD: The Capital Regional District recognizes the importance of Truth and Reconciliation, and has provided a list of resources, events, and other sites for viewers to check out at all times. With an emphasis on continuous education, it is important to learn and stay up to date on the effects of residential schools and mistreatment.

Government: Both the Canadian and BC Governments have provided a look into what National Truth and Reconciliation is, why it is recognized, and how to support it.

National Committee of Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR): With online daily “lunch sessions” and an established list of resources and supporters, the NCTR is one of the best direct sources to learn more about the history of Truth and Reconciliation. The NCTR holds a large database, and is a strong root for communities to learn from.

Correction: The Westshore had an incorrect Royal Beach event linked. We apologize for the error.

NEWS

Langford city council announces its first draft strategic plan

After months of collaborative hard work, the Langford city council recently announced the publication of a first draft strategic plan. The plan was designed to address the complex issues facing municipalities across the province and prioritizes issues such as rapid regional population growth, the need for expanded public health and education services, affordable housing, social inequities, and climate change.

In response to these challenges, it centres around six pillars; sustainable development, climate change and environmental stewardship, economic development, transportation, good governance, and quality of life.

Last year, Capital Daily reported that Langford had experienced a 31% growth over six years, making it the fastest growing municipality on Vancouver Island. More people brings more demands on public services and infrastructure and the strategic plan recognizes an urgent need to respond to these rapid changes while carefully considering the environmental, fiscal and social impacts of the response itself.

Read the full story to learn the highlights of the plan and what’s next.

Around the 'Shore

🚢 BC removes hundreds of derelict ships: With a majority of Canada’s abandoned, wrecked, or dangerous ships residing in BC waters, the Coast Guard has been working to manage the amount of vessels left without warning. An extensive and continuously updated list of these derelict ships helps the Coast Guard stay aware; until 2019, it wasn’t considered illegal to leave ships in this state. [CHEK]

🚨 Police locate missing man: After James Smart was reported missing on Sept. 25, Westshore RCMP say they have located the 18-year-old man who was last seen on Sept. 20.

🔥 Coastal Fire Centre lifts open fire prohibitions on Sept. 27: As of Wednesday at 12pm, Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 open fire prohibitions have been lifted. The Government of BC is reminding locals to stay alert of the prohibitions and warnings in their areas.

🩰 Early bird special for The Westshore readers. Save 20% off adult tickets for Ukrainian Shumka Dancers’ Nutcracker. Limited time only. Promo code: Nut-Westshore at Royal and McPherson Theatres or 250-386-6121.*

*Sponsored Listing

Community Events

🥕 Sooke Country Market: This Sept. 30, the Sooke Country Market will be in full effect at John Phillips Memorial Park from 10am to 2pm. This is the second last country market for the year, so make sure to check out the incredible local offerings this Saturday and at the last market on Oct. 7.

⚽️ Pacific FC Game: For their final regular-season game, Pacific FC is facing off against long-time rivals Vancouver FC at Starlight Stadium this Sept. 30. Watch the match starting at 3pm, and be sure to keep up to date with the team as they head into playoffs on Oct. 7 against Cavalry FC.

📚 Bliss Book Club Meetup: Head to Serious Coffee Millstream Village Sept. 30 for Bliss Book Club’s first meetup. RSVP online and enjoy a tasty drink and treat for free while mingling in this book-lovers meetup from 7-9pm.

What’s Offshore?

🚢 The Diane Oldendorff is a bulk carrier built in 2020 and is sailing under the flag of Liberia. It is sailing from Fangcheng, China 🇨🇳 ➡ Vancouver 🇨🇦 and was scheduled to arrive Sept. 24.

⛴ The Great Qin is a bulk carrier built in 2010 and is sailing under the flag of Hong Kong. It is sailing from Pohang, Korea 🇰🇷 ➡ Roberts Bank 🇨🇦 and was scheduled to arrive Sept. 24.

Westshore Snaps

The Last Feeding. —Nancy Oberholtzer, Esquimalt

That’s it!

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

And before you go, let us know: