Hello there!

I hope your spirits haven't been too dampened by the early nightfall that has begun this week—and if they have, maybe getting out to some of the parks we mentioned on Tuesday will help.

Today's main stories both have a sombre tone: Remembrance Day ceremonies, and the untimely death of a young local.

— Cam

NEWS

Remembrance Day events around the Westshore

Royal Roads

Monday 10:40am: Honour veterans at this ceremony on the Castle Terrace Lawn outside Hatley Castle, hosted by the Vancouver Island Ex-Cadet Club and CFB Esquimalt. Dr. Geoffrey Bird, RRU professor and lead of the War Heritage Research Initiative, will present two of his documentary films: Trees of Remembrance: Shelbourne Memorial Avenue and War Memorials and Their Makers: Messengers of Meaning. 

Langford

Monday: Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion Prince Edward Branch #91, at 10:30am. Two-minute moment of silence at 11am.

Sooke

Sunday 6pm: Royal Canadian Legion Branch #54 will host the first of its Remembrance Day events on Sunday, with a solemn candlelit service followed by light refreshments in the upstairs lounge.

Monday: Sooke’s Remembrance Day will begin with a march, starting at the Evergreen Plaza at 10:30am, finishing at the cenotaph at 10:50am. A moment of silence will be observed at 11am. Refreshments will be offered afterward at Legion #54.

Colwood

Monday: Join the 7th Juan de Fuca Scouts at the Colwood Cenotaph in the Garry Oak grove outside the Juan de Fuca arena for a moment of silence. The scouts will march from John Stubbs School to the Cenotaph for a ceremony at approx. 10:45am, with a moment of silence at 11am.

Metchosin

This annual morning march typically begins behind the fire hall around 10:30am Nov. 11 and goes to St. Mary’s Cenotaph. Event information hasn't yet been released for this year as of Thurs. morning, so before attending please check online to confirm if and how the event is happening this year.

Monday will also have a parade over in Esquimalt starting at the Tudor House (Admirals and Esquimalt roads) at 10am & ending at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park by noon. View Royal officials have participated in this nearby ceremony in the past.

NEWS

Hwy 18 crash kills Metchosin teen—a lacrosse player and the former mayor's grandson

Daniel Ranns died after his small westbound pickup was struck by an eastbound one-tonne truck on Hwy 18 on Sunday afternoon. Ranns, 18, the grandson of former longtime Metchosin mayor John Ranns, recently graduated from Royal Bay Secondary in Colwood. 

Ranns, an eight-term mayor, said that the family is devastated and the the teen was on a trip to look into buying a trailer that he could live in on the family farm. He told the Times Colonist that the 6’5” Daniel was often carrying younger family members on his shoulders, and that the family appreciates the love and support coming in but asks for privacy.

The young lacrosse player, whose parents both coach lacrosse, was remembered by his Westshore Bears coach as a hard worker with a “heart of gold.” JDF Lacrosse remembered him as a player and assistant coach who had a “warm heart and unwavering kindness" that touched everyone around him.

Family friends began a fundraiser, which has nearly reached its $45k goal.

Per police, who did not name Daniel Ranns in their release, a witnesses indicated his vehicle may have drifted into the other lane. Crews tried to free the teen from the wreckage, but he was later pronounced dead. The roadway was shut for some time and the driver of the other truck was hospitalized with what RCMP say appeared to be minor injuries.

Around the 'Shore

🥇 Village Food Markets wins national award from Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG): The 35-year-old Sooke business took a BC/Yukon regional award and a national gold (in the medium-surface size division), and was inducted into the CFIG hall of fame. [Sooke News Mirror]

🌊 Malnourished, injured sea lion freed from “severe,” “distressing” entanglement: Rescuers with the Vancouver Aquarium say that the California sea lion was found near Race Rocks on Oct. 20 with a gillnet wrapped around its muzzle, neck, and mouth that prevented it from eating for what could have been weeks or months. They darted and sedated it, tracked it by drone, went to it by boat, and cut the net off with surgical scissors for about 75 minutes.

🎊 40 years at Westshore Town Centre for trio of original tenants Romeo's (serving pizza with a secret sauce recipe), Orange Julius (this location is especially known for its hot dogs, not just smoothies), and Quality Cobbler (whose old-school shoe repairs have included 60cm clown shoes and strip-club heels). [Black Press]

🌳 US election result could affect Westshore / BC forest industries: Tariffs under Trump on softwood lumber could be even higher than the duty hike recently imposed by Biden. More on the effects the US result could have on BC industries at Capital Daily.

🚗 Shop local this holiday season! Enjoy free parking at downtown parkades on November 16 and 23 courtesy of the Downtown Victoria Business Association.*

*Sponsored Listing

Community Events

🌲 Yuletide Market Series at Bilston Creek Farm on Metchosin Road. Friday-Sunday craft & gift fair, with candles, chocolate, ceramics, macrame, and more. Sizzling Tandoor’s food truck on site, while Hustle & Dough will be making pizzas on the weekend. [Info]

🧤 Green Team in Latoria Park: Fight invasive Himalayan blackberry & make new friends. Sat. 9:45am-1pm.

🌿 Branch drop-off at Colwood public works yard. 8:30am-4:30pm on Sat. 

🍲 House of Boateng is now doing dinner service again, Weds. to Sat. 5-9pm.

What’s Offshore?

🚢🚢🚢 Off the coast of Colwood, Marcos V (built 2005, sailing under Panama flag) has now joined fellow container ships SM Qingdao (2010, Korea) and Ever Steady (2006, Singapore).

Westshore Snaps

The Lost Airmen memorial in North Saanich, from reader Richard Steward.

See photos of Metchosin’s annual Halloween bonfire in this post. 

That’s it!

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