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  • Oct 24 – Local dinosaur stolen—and recovered

Oct 24 – Local dinosaur stolen—and recovered

First Nation seeks infrastructure help. Hwy 14 reopens.

Hello there!

We're still awaiting full results from the local riding locked in BC's tightest election race, so today we catch up with a lost-and-found story from earlier in October that got lost in all the election fervour. But first, our latest breakdown of local infrastructure decisions.

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NEWS

Esquimalt First Nation seeks help handling wastewater

The Esquimalt First Nation, located near View Royal and across from Colwood, is currently facing significant challenges around wastewater management. Its request to boost its capacity, which would allow for more development in the community, was highlighted in recent board discussions about the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) updated wastewater management plan.

With its wastewater capacity having reached 86% in 2023, Esquimalt FN has petitioned to increase its allocation from 70,000 to 140,000 litres per day at the McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. For comparison, Langford uses 14 million litres per day and Colwood uses 4.7 million.

Despite representing only 0.06% of the total treatment capacity at McLoughlin, the community's capacity challenge reflects an infrastructure gap that the First Nations Financial Management board has said is a common experience of Indigenous communities. The board says government policies often fail to address the evolving infrastructure requirements of Indigenous communities. This ends up limiting economic development and housing opportunities on reserve land.

The requested capacity increase wouldn't come cheap for the Nation; the boost could cost it as much as $210,000. The CRD has encouraged other local municipalities to voluntarily reallocate some of their wastewater capacity to support Esquimalt FN, saving it some of that cost. The deadline for municipalities to respond is set for tomorrow (Oct. 25).

NEWS

Liquor Planet dinosaur stolen & painted “like the Joker” before being recovered

Image: West Shore RCMP

The Langford business recently got back one of its mascots, after not even realizing it had been stolen. West Shore RCMP said the dino statue was reported stolen on Oct. 2 but was actually taken weeks earlier. 

Manager Wyatt Oickle told Black Press that staff hadn't noticed the absence—the company has 50+ different dino items—until an anonymous caller said they knew where it was. After following up, the store reported it to police around the start of Oct. and got back the $1,000 statue. Changes such as red eyes and claws had made it look “a little bit like the Joker,” Oickle said. 

West Shore RCMP told CHEK that one officer remembered having seen the statue, and that they retrieved it from a person who got it second-hand and that they don't know who originally stole it. RCMP announced two weeks ago that the “T-Rex” was recovered via a “Dino-mite investigation and some helpful tips.”

Hopefully the RCMP can recognize suspects better than they can recognize dinosaurs: based on the shapes of the feet and head, the statue is clearly meant to evoke a raptor rather than a T-Rex. 

To be even more pedantic: They also call it “jurassic art,” but tyrannosaurids lived in the late Cretaceous and dromaeosaurs (i.e. raptors) are also typically found in the Cretaceous (although new analysis of fossil teeth suggests an earlier proliferation). 

Around the 'Shore

🗳 Election recount will happen this weekend, with local riding JDF-Malahat possibly determining the natute of the BC election outcome. Dana Lajeunesse of the NDP finished the initial vote count just 23 votes ahead of Marina Sapozhnikov of the Conservatives. Neither party accepted requests made this week by The Westshore to speak to the candidates.

🛣 Hwy 14 reopens after weekend flooding & landslides: Traffic in both directions resumed late yesterday afternoon between Jordan River and Port Renfrew. Emcon road services said yesterday morning that it is putting in culverts.

🚨 2 dead after weekend storms wash out Bamfield Road: Damage was even more severe further up the coast, with the Sarita River overflowing the main Bamfield access road despite its recent safety improvements. Two drivers were reported missing, and later confirmed dead. One person was driving from Victoria and the other was Bamfield resident Ken Duncan, who worked for the Huu-ay-aht businesses and whose small dog was found alive and rescued by fellow travellers.

⚽️ Pacific FC knocked out of playoffs by York FC: The Langford soccer club rallied to finish an up-and-down regular season strong, and last weekend it beat out two other teams to seize the CanPL's last playoff spot. But unlike last year, there will be no Cinderella run: PFC was shut out, 2-0, in last night's match in north Toronto. Watch the highlights of the locals' final game of 2024 below:

🚒 How Otter Point fire dept. became crucial to Island firefighting: The OPFD barely gets 200 calls a year, but its Sooke-area training centre is the Island's only certified one and hosts 25 dept.s annually. One of many 20-year goals OPFD has now checked off, the centre saves its peers an expensive trip to Maple Ridge. [Sooke News Mirror]

🏡 Bella Park is the Westshore's most popular seaside community – 1 to 3 bedroom condos starting from the low $400s. Book a tour today.*

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Community Events

🚗 Trunk or Treat: Free family-friendly event with decorated trunks, candy, crafts, and hot dogs. Sat. 3:30-5:30pm at Colwood Pentecostal Church. [Info]

🏒 Get your rent/mortgage paid at the hockey game: One person who registers online and goes to this Saturday's Grizzlies game at the Q Centre can win the contest to have their housing paid for next month. An adult ticket buyer can also bring up to two kids for free.

🎃 Treat Street at Langford Station: Enjoy free treats, hot dogs, hot chocolate, and more at this safe and fun evening. Oct. 31. 

Langford OCP public engagement, with activities, crafts, and trick-or-treat stations for kids. Nov 2 at Ruth King Elementary. [Info]

🖼 Last few days to see the Federation of Canadian Artists exhibition at Arts & Culture Colwood. [Info]

What’s Offshore?

Image: UVic

🛳 The RV John Strickland was out in the waters off of Metchosin yesterday. The Marine Research Vessel, named after a prominent researcher of BC waters, is used to support UVic Science research and teaching but can be booked by other groups.

Westshore Snaps

Red-winged blackbird. Reader and photographer Gary Woodburn says there are a "number of these beautiful singing birds down at the lagoon by the bridge.”

Camping at Cox Bay near Tofino – Brigg Low, Sooke

📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.

That’s it!

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