Good morning! 

The Sooke Fire has grown substantially since its start, now sitting at around 230 hectares. With emergency crews continuing to fight the blaze, it may be weeks until the fire is fully suppressed. Read on for the updates, and more, in today’s edition of the newsletter.

— Emma

ENVIRONMENT

Emergency crews continue to battle Sooke fire that may burn for weeks

The Old Man Lake / Sooke Potholes wildfire reached 230 hectares on Sat. afternoon, up from 188 the day prior and quadrupling in size since Weds. morning. BC Wildfire updates show the blaze was still 230 hectares as of 12pm on July 29.

The district has established an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) online information portal to combine the resources about the ongoing fire. The portal provides a visual mapping aid to inform the community about the wildfire’s location in relation to municipal boundaries. Residents will also notice that the EOC portal integrates the District of Sooke’s EOC Information Feed, which updates daily with important information on relevant local news. 

The fire has grown, but not a threat to homes

While the blaze has grown eastward, it is moving away from the direction of many Sooke-area homes. Despite this, some locals near the fire told CHEK that they are preparing evacuation bags and protections for their property. One ranch owner said that horses are doing poorly in the smoke.

Fire not affecting watershed, Sooke says

On July 27, the District sent out an update that said that local water quality is not being compromised. It also thanked local donors but said that it now has enough and asked that no more food or other supplies be donated for volunteers. 

Blaze could last for days—or weeks

Coastal Fire Centre information officer Kimberly Kelly told the Times Colonist that although the fire is not getting any closer to Sooke itself, it may not be suppressed for weeks yet. She also said that smokejumpers were deployed out of planes to fight the fire in the hard-to-reach terrain on its east flank.

What is a smokejumper?

These “para-attack" crews jump from planes into fires below, parachuting down along with their supplies, to target terrain too difficult to easily drive or hike to. Once landed, they fight the fire with water, tree-felling, and other techniques.

BC is now the only province with a full smokejumping program, and its workload doubled last year during the record fires, per a recent feature story from CP that looked at this dangerous job and the people who do it.

Rain & cooler weather may help

The area has already experienced some precipitation and cooler temperatures, which is forecasted to go on until later today; emergency crews hope that the wet weather helps in containing the fire.  

Fire ban still in effect 

With the ongoing fires, emergency crews want to remind people of the ongoing fire bans throughout the province. On July 26, a group of people were caught on camera ​​at Saxe Point having a fire on the beach near the brush; this image was captured just one day after a larger beach fire along Dallas Road caught onto bushes on the slope.

SPONSORED BY PHILOSOPHY MD

A summer complexion offer you won't want to miss

The season for skin has arrived. This summer’s complexion lineup is designed to deliver the coveted summer glow in the exact amount of time we’re willing to invest indoors. Consider any of these complexion services for maintenance this summer, and receive a beach tote, deluxe travel size Daily Power Defense, and 3 skin brightening sheet masks ($140 value) all by ZO® Skin Health.

The Philosophy Signature Facial ~ $275 (includes neck): Revered and truly bespoke, completely personalized to you.

The Laser Facial ~ $250 (add neck for just $50): Laser Genesis is sought after for cellular renewal and overall rejuvenation, whereby your skin incites collagen and your complexion evens.

Microneedling ~ $350 (add neck for just $50): Stimulate collagen and textural renewal. Pore size reduces, fine lines fade, and the complexion softens. Purchase a single or a series of 3 this summer, and receive our exclusive summer gift with purchase.

Click here to learn more and book now!

TRANSPORTATION

View Royal councillors vote to reduce road speed and save lives

On July 9, View Royal Town Council discussed whether to lower speed limits to 30 km/h on some local roads, aiming to enhance safety and reduce traffic fatalities. This decision aligns with recent moves by other municipalities in the Capital Regional District (CRD). Victoria and Saanich have already adopted the 30 km/h limit for their streets, following Langford’s selective approach since 2010.

The reduction comes as part of View Royal's 2023 Active Transportation Network Plan and Speed Limit Reduction Strategy. Council members, including Coun. Don Brown, debated the merits of a uniform 30 km/h limit versus a mix of 30 km/h and 40 km/h, similar to Langford's more ad hoc application strategy.

International data supports slower speeds as effective in saving lives. The World Health Organization advocates for 30 km/h limits in areas without separated cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Studies show a 30 km/h limit significantly improves pedestrian survival rates in collisions compared to 50 km/h.

In 2023, BC saw 331 traffic fatalities, a 10% increase from the previous year. With pedestrian deaths on the rise, View Royal’s speed limit reduction aims to address these concerning trends and improve overall road safety in the Westshore community.

Head to the Westshore to read more about View Royal’s speed reduction.

Around the 'Shore

🚔 Police arrest prohibited driver: West Shore RCMP arrested a 47-year-old male driver on July 25 after officers were called to a single vehicle crash involving a motorcycle on Millstream Road and Hoylake Avenue in Langford. Police discovered that the suspect was prohibited from driving and that the motorcycle had been uninsured since October 2023. The driver was arrested for prohibited driving and failure to provide a breath sample, received charges under the Motor Vehicle Act for no insurance, and was released on an Undertaking. 

⚠️ Person injured after fall at Goldstream Park: A person was taken to hospital after falling at Niagara Falls in Goldstream Provincial Park on July 27. RCMP and paramedics were already on scene when Langford Fire and Rescue arrived for a call of a water rescue. Langford Fire and Rescue said they were not sure how far the person fell, but that they received a head wound during the incident. [Times Colonist] 

🥇 Island athletes take on the Olympics: The 2024 Paris Olympics kicked off this weekend, and communities around the Island are keeping their eyes out for some local athletes competing in the games. A number of athletes come from Victoria, including rugby star Caroline Crossley; both the national men's and women's Rugby Sevens and 15s programs are based in Langford. [Capital Daily] 

Community Events

🏡 Neighbourhood nights: Head to the Royal Bay Meadow Park tonight for a fun-filled evening as part of the Westshore Parks & Recreation neighbourhood nights. Taking place every Tuesday from 6 to 8pm until August 27, residents are invited to bring a blanket and picnic dinner while enjoying activities and meeting fellow community members. 

⚽️ Pacific FC game: Cheer on Pacific FC in their match against York United FC this Aug. 2. Starting at 7pm at Starlight Stadium, Pacific FC will be playing into October, so there are plenty of chances to watch a game if you can’t make this one. 

🎉 Soberfest: Check out the 2024 edition of Soberfest this Aug. 3, an alcohol, marijuana and drug-free festival dedicated to celebrating recovery. Going from 12 to 7pm at Starlight Stadium, this is an event that not only celebrates recovery, but endorses it; Soberfest will also be raising funds to help send individuals to treatment throughout the festival, so make sure to secure your tickets online. 

What’s Offshore?

No ships today!

Westshore Snaps

Orange sun. —Niece Gary, View Royal

That’s it!

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

And before you go, let us know: