Cowichan This Week – Headed to the polls

Welcome to Cowichan This Week, your source for the latest local news and events. Sign up to get this in your inbox every Thursday.

It’s official: B.C is headed to the polls on Oct. 24. Whether you’re excited, annoyed or indifferent, The Discourse wants to help put you in the driver’s seat of the election conversation. What issues should candidates be talking about? What questions would you ask them? Fill out our very short survey to let us know.

Advance polls will be open Thursday, Oct. 15 through Wednesday, Oct. 21. If you would like to vote by mail, you need to request a voting package online or by phone at 1-800-661-8683. You can register to vote by calling 1-800-661-8683, or online, through Saturday, Sept. 26. You can also register to vote at the polls, but registering ahead of time will save you a step when voting in person.

News and announcements

• Last Saturday, about 300 people marched in protest of the location of a proposed wellness centre in North Cowichan. Read The Discourse’s coverage of the issue and the questions we’ve heard from you that we will seek to answer in our ongoing reporting.

• Cowichan Valley MLA Sonia Furstenau will run for reelection with the B.C. Greens. Tanya Kaul is the B.C. Liberals’ pick for the Cowichan Valley riding. Rob Douglas, currently a North Cowichan councillor, is seeking the nomination for the B.C. NDP. 

• In the Nanaimo-North Cowichan riding, which begins just to the north of Duncan, Duck Paterson with the B.C. Liberals will take on incumbent Doug Routley with the B.C. NDP. The Greens have not yet announced a candidate.

• Starfish Cowichan Valley is looking for volunteers to help with packing and distributing food to local schools. 

• Results from a Cowichan Lake weir design survey show strong support for recreational opportunities and trail network connections to be included in plans for a new weir.

• The Town of Ladysmith has begun installation on new outdoor seating downtown, according to a Facebook post by Mayor Aaron Stone. 

• The Municipality of North Cowichan wants your feedback on… err… how it collects your feedback. The community engagement survey can be completed online through Oct. 15. 

• BC Transit wants your input on a possible bus route from the Cowichan Valley to Nanaimo. The survey is available online.

• Construction of a new Clement Centre building is underway in Cobble Hill, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. 

• The well water near the recent Schnitzer Steel fire is safe to drink, according to an Island Health letter and Cowichan Valley Regional District news release. 

• Water levels are low on the Koksilah River again this year, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. 

• The B.C. government has committed $6.5 million annually to build a network of primary medical care providers, including family doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers and pharmacists in the Cowichan region.

Community events

• Thursday, Sept. 24: 🔬 Join Reconciling Ways of Knowing for Braiding Ways of Knowing, an online forum on braiding together Indigenous and scientific knowledge, featuring UVic ethnobotanist Nancy Turner, David Suzuki and others. 

• Saturday, Sept. 26: 🛋️ Duncan United Church is holding a parking lot furniture sale. Hopefully the rain clears!

• Saturday, Sept. 26: 🍖 The Royal Canadian Legion in Shawnigan Lake is having a meat draw and 50/50 prize. The kitchen will be open, and backyard seating is available.

• Sunday, Sept. 27: 👨‍🍳 Local Cowichan chef Jared Qwustenuxun Williams and K’omox First Nation Elder Barb Whyte will lead Sxwesum: A Traditional Foods Story, an online gathering about the soapberry.

• Monday, Sept. 28: 🛣️ Join storytellers Rachel Dunstan Muller, John Hadfield, and Laurie Giffin for The High Road to Misadventure, an evening at the Duncan Showroom. The event will be streamed live to YouTube.

• Wednesday, Sept. 30: 🎓 Vancouver Island University will hold its 2020 graduation celebrations online via Facebook Live. 

• October: 🌱 The Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society and partners Cowichan Tribes and the Cowichan Valley Naturalists present the 11th annual WildWings Festival. Due to the pandemic, this year’s festival is limited to three outdoor events, one small workshop and two art shows. Registration is required for some of the events.

What did I miss? Let me know what events are coming up near you by sending me an email. 

Photo of the week

Sandra Doore shared this amazing sunset view over Honeymoon Bay. A perfect hello to fall!

Do you have a photo that showcases life in Cowichan? Send me an email, I’d love to see what this place looks like through your lens. 

In your words

I love exploring little bits of local history through your curiosity. This week, intern Rashika Srivastava answered a reader’s question about the Round Building in Duncan. 

On Facebook, Scott Lang commented, “I was in the crowd that day when that picture of the queen was taken. I was just a few feet away from the queen. Thanks for the memory.”

I’m so happy we could help take you back!

Thanks for reading,

Jacqueline [end]