Good morning!

Can you believe it's almost August? If you haven't had a chance to take part in your favourite summer activities, now is the time. I love hitting up a good patio, and our friends at Tasting Victoria put together a massive list of all the best ones in greater Victoria this summer, including some Westshore favourites. More on that below.

Last week we shared a photo from a local that we mistakenly said was a monarch. But lots of you spotted the error and emailed in to tell us that it was in fact a swallowtail. Thanks for keeping us on our toes!

— Emma

FOOD

The ultimate patio guide to Victoria and the South Island

Are you craving a delicious meal to sink your teeth into on a hot summer day? Look no further, because Tasting Victoria just released a list of all the best patios in Greater Victoria. Here are just a few of the Westshore spots that made the list.

Darcy’s Pub Westshore (Langford)

Darcy’s Pub is a Westshore staple. Head down to the patio to grab a cold drink and classic pub favourites such as wings, burgers, and chicken and waffles. Darcy’s Pub Westshore has an awesome daily happy hour from 3 to 6pm, with draft sleeves, house highballs, and 6oz glasses of house wine, all for $4.50 per drink.

Dogs? Yes. Minors? No.
Must-try cocktail and menu item: Darcy’s Lemonade and some wings.

Six Mile Pub + Eatery (View Royal / Colwood)

Established in 1855, Six Mile Pub + Eatery is the oldest pub in BC. With its rich history and amazing food, the Six Mile Pub is a longtime favourite in the View Royal/Colwood area. Visit Six Mile Pub’s spacious and beautiful vine-covered patio and enjoy locally sourced food and an extensive beer list. Located near Thetis Lake Regional Park, the Six Mile Pub is a great spot to visit after a day of swimming or hiking.

Dogs? No. Minors? Yes, but only in the family-friendly section.
Must-try cocktail and menu item: Cabin Fever cocktail and shepherd’s pie.

328 Taphouse + Grill (Colwood)

After a day at the Esquimalt Lagoon, stop by to enjoy 40 taps of craft beer, cider, specialty wood-fired pizzas, fresh seafood, tasty sandwiches, burgers, and more at 328 Taphouse + Grill in Colwood. 328 Taphouse emphasizes supporting local by featuring local craft brewers from South Vancouver Island and the Pacific Northwest. With a daily happy hour menu and family-friendly atmosphere, 328 Taphouse is the perfect patio to grab a bite with your bubbles.

Must-try cocktail and menu item: Local craft beer and wood-fired pizza.

To read about the three other Westshore spots that made the list, check out the full guide.

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COMMUNITY

Local duo teams up for overdose awareness

Last year, Ben Goerner and Melissa Cunningham took a brave step forward to share their stories about overdose and addiction. After Cunningham lost her 20-year-old son to drug suicide, she had a hard time sharing her experiencing with others. Within the years of trauma, her second son who lives in Victoria also became addicted to drugs. While she still has a relationship with him, there is not much Cunningham can do to help. For 28 years, Cunningham has been living with the stigma.

“I believe there's a myth still existing that drug addiction and alcohol addiction crime only happen to families who have that same lifestyle, and that is absolutely not true,” says Cunningham, who now volunteers and works for a number of groups—like Moms Stop the Harm—supporting addiction and overdose recovery.

Kelowna-local Goerner, a retired clinical counsellor who moved to Sooke, had been working with the family of a young man named Tyler who was addicted to drugs; on Jan. 6, 2016, Tyler died of drug poisoning. Afterwards, Goerner lost 50 patients between 2016 and 2019 before he retired because of the trauma and grief.

“I ended up losing 50 clients in my last five years of work, which was ridiculous because before that I had lost maybe two or three in 20 years, so it was very clear that the poisoning of the supply was creating a huge pandemic-type disaster within the community of people who use drugs,” says Goerner.

Wanting to end the stigma, the pair came together to host an overdose awareness event to support anyone needing it. The event coincides with International Overdose Awareness Day, which is Aug. 31, and with the ongoing poisoned drug crisis in the community, it is an important day to support. August kicks off International Overdose Month, and the Purple Ribbon Campaign, and is a good time for people to educate themselves on awareness. Cunningham and Goerner’s event will be hosted at the town centre on Aug. 31 for its second straight year.

Read more about the event at the Westshore.

Around the 'Shore

🤿 New floating dock in Langford: Local families can look forward to plenty of splashing at Lake Langford’s new floating dock. With construction closing Ed Nixon trail since December, the community is excited for the renewed and reopened area. [Vancouver Island Free Daily]

🏟️ Djenairo Daniels from Pacific FC hospitalized after game against Forge FC: After a 2-0 loss on Friday, Pacific FC striker Djenairo was hospitalized after an in-game head collision, but was in stable condition after the game. Pacific FC’s next home game is coming up Aug. 13 as they take on Atlético Ottawa.

🍁 As your Member of Parliament, Alistair MacGregor can assist you with federal agencies, and help explain how he’s bringing Langford and Westshore voices to Ottawa.*

💲 View Royal's Grand & Fir condo pre-sale announced: Capital Region’s newest pre-sale offer has just been released, with the condominium’s 2.5% initial down payment, and a final 2.5% top-up 12 months after. View Royal locals can expect to see occupancy open in late 2025 to early 2026. [Citified]

☀ Megson FitzPatrick-Acera Insurance is now in The Westshore, providing one-stop insurance services for Personal, Business, Motorcycle, Auto and Life & Health insurance!*

*Sponsored Listing

Community Events

🎨 Sooke Fine Arts Show: Celebrating its 37th season, the Sooke Fine Arts show is running from July 29 to Aug. 7 at the SEAPARC Leisure Complex. Enjoy beautiful, local artwork starting at 10am daily, and make sure to check out the special events offered each day.

🖼️ Urban Arts Tour: On July 29 from 10am to 4pm, pick up a map and walk around the town of Esquimalt for the 2023 Urban Arts Tour. Throughout your journey, you’ll see local artists’ work displayed throughout the area; the tour is free for anyone to check out, so make sure to bring friends and family along.

🍪 Hann Made Markets: The mother-daughter run Hann Made Market is hosted at the Langford Station, and is a great way to shop from a number of local vendors. With an upcoming market on July 30, and a number of dates throughout the summer, the markets are open from 11am to 4pm for anyone to check out.

What’s Offshore?

🚢 The Villars is a bulk carrier built in 2011 and is sailing under the flag of Panama. It is sailing to ➡ Roberts Bank 🇨🇦 and was scheduled to arrive July 4.

⛴ The Ever Smart is a container ship built in 2006 and is sailing under the flag of the United Kingdom. It is sailing from Tacoma, United States 🇺🇸 ➡ Vancouver 🇨🇦 and was scheduled to arrive July 22.

Westshore Snaps

Pink flowers in the sun. —June Thorndale, Colwood

That’s it!

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

And before you go, let us know: