Hello there!

Recovery is still ongoing in some areas after high winds lashed the region as part of a “bomb cyclone" weather system. Today we look at some of the broader issues for a region that keeps feeling these storm effects, and the latest on a trio of orphaned bear cubs that haven't been seen since Tuesday's storm.

— Cam

NEWS

Major power outages & roadway reductions due to latest storm 

The aftermath of Tuesday night’s bomb cyclone—a fast-moving storm with winds clocked at 90km/h—delivered downed hydro lines and lane reductions on Highway 14. These have, once again this year, spotlighted the fast-growing region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and other emergencies.

Tuesday saw outages for some 55,000 locals in the Westshore, including the entirety of the T'Sou-ke First Nation. Apart from the outages, Wednesday was also a single-lane traffic day for Sooke commuters. According to the Sooke Traffic Conditions Facebook page, it took as long as two hours to get to Victoria after the bomb cyclone hit the region. A tree on the road that took down power lines also took Hwy. 14 down to alternating traffic for 10km between Charters and Kangaroo roads. Delays continued until well into the afternoon.

Road delays inevitably translate to delays in everyday life and local institutions. SD62 announced that Hans Helgesen, John Muir, and Saseenos schools would start late yesterday, with some students from the latter two able to go to Sooke Elementary for childcare. Multiple school bus routes were also cancelled.

This week's effects were felt most significantly in Sooke and the communities further west. Sooke especially is becoming one of the South Island areas most affected by storms due to being further out into the Westshore's rural end but also growing rapidly just as more urban areas such as Langford and Colwood are.

The District of Sooke is home to roughly 14K people. That is expected to grow by 7K residents by 2036. A growing frequency of extreme weather events related to climate change and increasing density mean these problems aren’t going away.

Read more about the problem Sooke is facing, and what it’s doing to address it, in the full story at The Westshore.

NEWS

Mother bear killed in collision near Sooke; cubs now at large and at risk

The bear was hit by a vehicle on Thursday night near West Coast Road, leaving a trio of cubs orphaned. Sooke wildlife organization Wild Wise said this week that the cubs were sheltering high up in a tree beside the water, in a hard-to-access area on private property, making their attempts to retrieve them unsuccessful. 

The group later updated that the cubs had climbed down and that the tree had been in a steep area of the Sooke Basin. Initially the location was not revealed, to avoid anybody going there to try to see the bears. Wild Wise says it was a place their mother had often brought the cubs—a safe place for bears to stay, but not a safe place for bears to be tranquilizer-darted and fall.

The BC Conservation Service was concerned about the cubs in Tuesday's windstorm, and is looking for the public's help in finding them again. Wild Wise is asking only for real-time sightings to be reported to the RAPP line (1-877-952-7277), or to be contacted directly on Facebook. 

If the cubs can be captured, conservation officers would take them to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre.

Wild Wise has also blamed the mother bear's death partly on locals not securing garbage and other attractants, saying that those bring bears closer to areas full of people—and cars.

Not the same bear family seen in Colwood 

A bear quartet had been the talk of Colwood for much of the month, appearing around Triangle Mountain, Royal Bay, and Esquimalt Lagoon. One local’s security camera even caught the family in their yard [video].

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy told Black Press that it had relocated the bears from busy Glen Lake out into the wilderness in September, but said they returned three weeks later.

However, the BC Conservation Service told CHEK that there is a bear family in Colwood that is different from the one whose matriarch was killed last week. In many cases it's unclear which family members the public would have been seeing. 

Around the 'Shore

🔎 Teen found after being reported missing near Galloping Goose. 

🚧 Beachlands Boulevard reopens to vehicle traffic this weekend after being closed this week. Pedestrian access was also restricted on Tuesday due to the storm. 

💯 100 Women Who Care Westshore is seeking charities that the group will fundraiser for next month. Deadline for nominations is tomorrow. [Info]

🃏 Did you lose a binder full of sports cards? Several were found in Centennial Park on Tuesday, and West Shore RCMP are holding them.

🐶 Need a gift idea for the holiday season? Contact Shelly Welch Photography for a gift certificate for the dog parent on your list.*

*Sponsored Listing

Community Events

🎁 Upcycled craft market & silent auction at Journey Middle in Sooke. Today 11:30am-5:30pm. [Info]

🌲 Holiday Open House & workshops at Garden Works Colwood on Thursday; Family Festive Fun Day on Sat.

🧶 Tiny sweater party: Knit mini-sweaters for the holidays at Sooke Yarn & Fibre. Sunday 3-5pm. Yarn & Fibre also hosts a screening of The Holiday on Sat. at the Vic Theatre, at which you can knit while you watch.

💎 Victoria Gem & Mineral Show this weekend at Pearkes Rec, just east of View Royal.

🥘 Metchosin Community Lunch at noon on Sat.

🖼 Gifts & Wishes Holiday Showcase. Wed.-Sat. See and shop original work from local artists and artisans at the Arts & Culture Colwood Society near Esquimalt Lagoon.

🐟 The Challenging Life Journey of Salmon: All-ages guided river walk on Sat. at Sooke Potholes. You can pre-register to get a shuttle ride to this CRD event.

🎄 Yuletide Market at Bilston Creek Farm on Fri. / Sat. / Sun. 90+ local businesses showcasing their products, food vendors, live music, and more.

🎶 Cool Nights, Warm Hearts: Choral Evolution concerts in early Dec. in Sooke & Colwood.

💜 Community harm reduction event: Changing the Narrative will feature experts to engage with, info about local resources, and naloxone training. Next Weds. evening at Edward Milne school. [Info]

🎅 Sooke Santa Parade on Dec. 8 will have a new route.

What’s Offshore?

🚢🚢 Still anchored just off the coast of Colwood: GSL Tripoli, (2009, sailing under flag of Liberia, departed from Busan) & HL Leader (built 2016, Marshall Islands, departed from Korea) 

🛳 Moving on: Conti Contessa (2006, Malta, arrived in Vancouver)

🚢🚢🚢 Anchored further out: Argent Daisy (petro tanker, 2009, Singapore flag), San Diego Bridge (container ship, 2010, Panama), & Tonga Chief (bulk carrier, 2013, Singapore).

Westshore Snaps

A “beaver" full supermoon rises over the Coastal Renaissance, which is in local waters for fall repairs. Photo: Gary Woodburn

That’s it!

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