Good morning! 

As I’m sure you know by now, in every newsletter we give you a list of any vessels that are anchored off the coast of the Westshore. In the last few weeks, reporter Sidney Coles looked at the effects those anchored vessels have on marine wildlife in the area. You can check out that story and more in today’s newsletter.

— Emma

NEWS

Langford launches a diversity campaign

The City of Langford has launched a campaign to celebrate diversity in the face of division. On Feb. 21, Langford made the announcement stating that its intent is to come together as a community and highlight Langford’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

With the help of local Indigenous artist Jeannie Chipps from Sc’ianew First Nation who consulted with the Victoria Pride Society, the campaign focuses on an updated visual identity of the I AM Langford campaign, initially launched as part of COVID-19 recovery.

“The City of Langford is proud to partner with local artist Jeannie Chipps and the Victoria Pride Society to celebrate Langford’s diversity,” said Mayor Scott Goodmanson. “The goal of the campaign is to create safe and inclusive spaces within the community and provide a visual tool to the business community to create a welcoming space for everyone.”

The new image features colours from the Progress Pride Flag and a turtle drawn with Chipps’ style of traditional Coast Salish art. By updating the symbol, the meaning builds upon supporting and bringing the local business community and residents together not just during COVID, but at all times. 

“There are countless stories in Coast Salish culture about the turtle carrying the world on its back; the continent of North America itself is even often called Turtle Island,” said Chipps. “This is where I drew a lot of my inspiration from when creating this design; safety, longevity, and stability are also important symbolic attributes that are related to the turtle, which I thought are essential when building and maintaining a community like Langford.”

The campaign’s release has come at a time when the community has faced some contention. In recent weeks, councillor Keith Yacucha faced harassment and Spencer Middle School’s rainbow crosswalk was vandalized. 

“I see it as an incredible honour to be able to fill my design with the Pride colours,” said Chipps. “Both the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and the Indigenous community have been through hard times and have proven to be resilient throughout whatever is placed in front of them, and I find so much joy because I am able to unite them within a symbol of love.” 

Decals of the new I AM Langford image will be distributed through the business licence system for new commercial businesses. The free decals are available at Langford City Hall for existing Langford businesses to pick up with a copy of their active business licence.

ENVIRONMENT

Impacts of underwater radiated noise may be underrated in the Juan de Fuca

We like to think that the ocean is a vast and silent world but over the past decades, human or anthropogenic underwater radiated noise (URN) generated by oil tankers, commercial shipping vessels, cruise ships and military exercises is on the rise. And now scientists are measuring its impacts on marine life. 

Sound travels four times faster in water than it does through air. A recent study charting global underwater shipping noise, looking at ever-increasing traffic, warns that global shipping noise source energy emissions will double in a period of 11.5 years. 

The Westshore newsletter often provides some information on the tankers and other ships that readers see anchored or moving slowly in the Strait of Juan De Fuca—off the coast of Colwood, Metchosin, Sooke and Port Renfrew. These vessels are commonly referred to as “convention vessels” and include tankers, container, bulk carrier, and general cargo ships. They look benign enough. But to Southern Resident Killer and migrating humpback whales and a host of other marine mammals that also inhabit the west shore of the Island, they represent an ongoing threat of contamination, ship strikes, and behaviour-modifying acoustic disturbance.

Underwater sound gives marine mammals and fish the information they need to survive but underwater noise can also interfere with the way they receive and share acoustic information around social interaction, foraging, and navigation. Researchers have found that noise produced by large commercial vessels like tankers is at levels and within frequencies that warrant concern among wildlife managers regarding the ability of endangered killer whales to maintain acoustic contact. 

Killer whales use echolocation to hunt and navigate. Whales and dolphins are also highly dependent on sound to communicate effectively and forage for food. Noise fog or “masking” from deep vessel propellers can scatter and interrupt the sounds they receive and emit, making doing these things difficult. And it’s not just larger mammals that suffer. Octopus and squid can suffer lethal hair-cell damage and fish and crab can experience noise stress that impacts feeding and reproductive behaviour.

Read the full story by Sidney Coles and learn what Westshore municipalities are doing to combat issues that can arise from these vessels.

Around the 'Shore

🥊 How boxing changed a Westshore abuse survivor's life: Boxer, single mom, and survivor of abuse from the Westshore, Rachael Spurling is finally watching her dreams come true after years of challenges and hard work. Spurling began boxing in 2017, helping her leave her abusive relationship and ultimately join Canada’s Ultimate Challenge as a contestant. Now, Spurling is taking her boxing to the next level with the Westshore Boxing Gym, taking on the amateur card for an upcoming pro boxing event; her next match will take place in Saanich on May 11. [Victoria Buzz] 

⚠️ Insurance worries for Greater Victoria homeowners: Many homeowners in Greater Victoria are beginning to worry about their insurance coverage as water levels and average temperatures rise amidst climate change-fuelled disasters. With recent disasters like last summer’s wildfires, earthquakes throughout the coast, and massive storm damage, residents are struggling to choose between the high-cost of coverage and damaged property. [Vancouver Island Free Daily] 

🏈 Westshore Rebels announce familiar local as new head coach: UBC and SFU alumni Mark Townsend managed the Mount Doug Rams football program for 19 seasons and most recently coached at a Hawaii high school. Townsend is replacing Dexter Janke, who led Westshore to a BCFC title and a close Canadian Bowl loss but was hired away by Toronto’s York University. [Westshore Rebels]

⚽️ Greater Victoria's soccer teams will face off this spring: Pacific FC and Highlanders FC were paired up by the draw for the first round of the multi-league Canadian Cup, beginning Apr. 23.

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Community Events

🌲 Sooke Garden Club: Learn about the importance of native plants this Feb. 28 at St. Rose of Lima Church. Hosted by the Sooke Garden Club from 7-8:35pm, Abbey Hyde from Stainflower Nursery will be giving a talk on native plants and their important role in the area. Attendees will also have a chance to purchase some of the plants discussed during the meeting after the event. 

💦 Everything Water presentation: Join the District of Metchosin this Feb. 28 and learn more about water resources in the area with an important presentation from guest speaker Gord Baird. Going from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Metchosin Council Chambers, learn about sustainability, managing water resources, and much more in this free event.

☀️ Jordan Solar and Energy Storage open house: Get to know more about the Jordan Solar & Energy Storage project this Feb. 29 with an in-person public open house. Going from 4-7pm at the Sooke Community Hall, learn more about the project and give input on any concerns, questions, or key points; the public comment period is open from Feb. 15 to March 18 at midnight.

What’s Offshore?

🚢 The Lavender is a bulk carrier built in 2010, sailing under the flag of Panama. It is coming from 🇨🇦 North Vancouver ➡ 🇨🇦 Roberts Bank and was scheduled to arrive Feb. 5, 2024.

⛴️ The Los Angeles is a bulk carrier built in 2012, sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. It is coming from 🇨🇳 Qingdao, China ➡ 🇨🇦 Victoria and was scheduled to arrive Feb. 14, 2024. 

🛳 The Velsheda is a bulk carrier built in 2012, sailing under the flag of Liberia. It is coming from 🇯🇵 Kobe, Japan ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive Feb. 24, 2024. 

Westshore Snaps

Niagara Falls, Goldstream Provincial Park. —Richard Steward, View Royal

That’s it!

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