Hello there!

The names on BC election ballots were finalized on Saturday, and today we have a list of the 9 local candidates that residents can choose as their representative. After that, we have a list of 8 options to help Westshore residents decide something just as important: Where to go for lunch or dinner.

— Cam

ELECTION

Election rosters finalized: Each Westshore riding has 3 candidates

Ballot options are now final in the trio of Westshore ridings, and unlike many jurisdictions there were no changes last week and are no candidates outside of the major parties. The entire region also only has 15 months of incumbent MLA experience (via byelection winner Ravi Parmar) due to the retirement of John Horgan, the split in the Langford – Juan de Fuca riding, and the recent decision by Mitzi Dean not to run again.

Here are the 9 candidates; we'll have more detail on each riding in upcoming newsletters.

Langford – Highlands

INCUMBENT: Ravi Parmar (NDP) is the current MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca and the youngest representative in the BC legislature. He is a former chair of the Sooke School Board and handily won the 2023 byelection for Horgan's old seat.

Mike Harris (Conservatives) is a journeyman carpenter and small business owner and has served as regional director with the Conservative Party of BC for two years. His surprise second-place finish last summer was a key early milestone in the party's rise.

Erin Cassels (Green Party) is a member of the Kebaowek Algonquin Nation and the general manager of the Huntingdon Hotel and Suites and was co-chair of the Hotel Association of Greater Victoria's Sustainability Committee and a director-at-large for the British Columbia Hotel Association

Esquimalt – Colwood (no incumbent)

Camille Currie (Green Party) is a small business owner and founder of BC Health Care Matters, advocating to address the family doctor crisis. She finished just a few points short of second place in the neighbouring Langford – Juan de Fuca byelection last summer.

Darlene Rotchford (NDP – incumbent party) is a councillor in Esquimalt and is a past president of the Victoria Labour Council. She has worked in the field of mental health and substance use for 17 years and ran in the 2022 municipal election on a platform of expanding local housing and healthcare.

John Wilson (Conservatives) is the president and CEO of The Wilson Group of companies, including the inter-city bus lines of Wilson Transportation, and past chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

Juan de Fuca — Malahat

Marina Sapozhnikov (Conservatives) has served as a family doctor in Cobble Hill and as a locum in remote and underserved communities in BC.

David Evans (Green Party) is a community advocate who last year sold the The Stick in the Mud Coffee House to turn it into a co-op.

Dana Lajeunesse (NDP – incumbent party) is a mechanical engineering technologist (and prior to that was in the forest industry) twice elected to Sooke council.

See details on how and when to vote here, and find locations here. 

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FOOD

8 Westshore restaurants to try this fall

Fall is officially here, and though we will miss the hot weather, there’s plenty to enjoy this season in the Westshore, including the food!  

Table Nineteen

An elegant Colwood restaurant with views of the Olympic View Golf Club and Tuesday specials perfect for date night. Casual plates, appetizers, a kids’ menu, and a big cocktail and wine selection.

Bilston Creek Farm

Not a restaurant, but hosts many events throughout the year and has bookable fire pits with s'mores or hot dogs to roast. Glenrosa Farm's fall pizza pop-ups at Bilston feature chef David Tozer making Napoletana-style pizza in a custom outdoor wood-fired oven.

Jones Bar-B-Que

The Cook Street favourite brought its Texas flavours to Langford in 2022. Brisket, pork poutine, tacos, pork ribs, sausage, and chicken, with sides like cornbread, slaw, tater tots, and fries and all-day brunch including waffles.

Sushi Langford

A wide range of fresh sushi rolls, specialty rolls, sashimi, and Japanese-inspired dishes. Open for lunch & dinner.

900 Degrees Wood-Fired Pizzeria

A contemporary pizzeria offering a variety of Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas, appetizers, and salads—plus patio seating. Traditional thin-crusts with white sauce, pesto, or red sauce. Gluten-free menu + dietary restrictions accommodated.

House of Boateng

Langford brunches that mix local PNW ingredients with West African, Caribbean and other international flavours with local ingredients. Unique dishes such as sweet yam bennies, fried plantains, and huevos rancheros. Vegan and gluten-free options.

Callisto

Located in the Westin Bear Mountain Resort & Spa, it serves Pacific Northwest fare and fine European cuisine alongside handcrafted cocktails in a modern luxury interior. Friday night flights, wine dinners, live music, and more.

Rhino Coffee Langford

Two welcoming Westshore locations with coffee that is freshly roasted and delivered regularly from Tofino, and all the food (such as maple bacon, apple fritter, and the famous “Bronut”).

For more details, photos, and links to the restaurants, read the full story at Tasting Victoria.

Around the 'Shore

🚨 Neighbours say crane dropping load killed worker—and that they flagged this risk: The worker in his 20s died last Weds. on Pinehurst Place (Bear Mountain). Tina Atwell says she and others were worried about the crane loads, but the site supervisor assured them they'd be safe. The site’s general contractor is Ironclad, which also had a worker die in Kelowna this summer. [CHEK]

🚰 Sooke water main break on Friday affected 13,000 locals. Residents in Sooke, East Sooke, parts of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, and T’Sou-ke First Nation were asked to reduce discretionary water use until the break was repaired later this past weekend. 

🏘 Couple can’t subdivide sewerless site for family, council says: A family that sought to split their lot to build a home for the grandparents was narrowly rejected in a 4-3 Langford vote. Councillors were sympathetic but ultimately not willing to break a 25-year city policy against subdivision of lots that rely on septic rather than sewer—especially with a new OCP coming soon. The family can still build a 969-square-foot carriage house, but not the 3,500-square-foot one they wanted. [Times Colonist]

👣 Sooke will build Little River Crossing foot-and-cycle trail: The new multi-use path over Demamiel Creek (Little River) will connect Sunriver Way by Poirier Elementary. This creates a 1.2km pedestrian route from Sooke’s town core to the Sunriver neighbourhood as an alternative to the 8km Hwy 14 drive. Last week, council authorized issuing a development permit. Site prep will begin in Jan. or Feb., with work wrapping in Oct. 2025. 

⚽️ Pacific FC clinging to final playoff slot—just one point ahead of Vancouver FC after Monday's 0-1 loss—with just 3 games left in regular season.

Community Events

🚴‍♂️🍽🎰 Tour de Rock dinner and casino night hosted by Lions Clubs in Sooke. Meet the Tour de Rock riders as they roll into Sooke at a catered dinner with casino games & prizes. Tomorrow 5:30pm. [Info]

⚽️ Pacific FC vs Cavalry FC in the second-last home game of the regular season. Oct. 5. Tickets.

🌏 Livable Futures free climate action workshops: Building a Higher-Quality Life for You and for Sooke. Saturday, 9am-1pm. [Info]

🚵‍♀️ Tour de Rock reaches Sooke / Westshore tomorrow: The cancer-fundraiser cycle trip wraps up this week.  

👩‍🌾 Sooke Country Market: 10am-2pm Saturdays in field above fire hall. 

🚴‍♂️ Fall GoByBike Week, celebrating 30 years of cycling. With various prizes available for logging rides.

What’s Offshore?

🚢 The Ocean Kitsilano is a Canadian Tug built in 2019 that is sailing from North Vancouver.

Westshore Snaps

Northern Saw-whet Owl at Pedder Bay (Rocky Point Bird Observatory migration monitoring station). — Photo by Jannaca Chick

“Cutest owls in the world! :)” – reader Gaylia Lassner, who submitted the photo.

That’s it!

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

And before you go, let us know: