Welcome to Cowichan This Week, your cheatsheet to what’s up in the Cowichan region. Sign up to get this information in your inbox every Thursday.

It’s been hard to feel much this week besides sadness and anger. Protests engulf many cities in the United States, Canada and around the world in response to anti-Black racism and police violence. Too many horrible incidents of racism and violence are in the news this week, including close to home. As a white person, I’m sitting with the discomfort of not knowing the right thing to do or say, and also knowing that it’s wrong to do nothing and say nothing. 

I’m doing my best to listen and learn. It’s not enough but I hope it’s a start. Here are some resources I’ve found helpful.

• Here’s a list of mostly Canadian books on racism, anti-Blackness and anti-racism.
• This list of mostly American books is helpfully divided by category. (Check out the Amazon bestsellers list, while you’re at it.)
• Jared Qwustenuxun Williams’s newsletter from earlier this week and his recent Facebook posts.

Announcements

• Water quality issues in Shawnigan Lake are related to a non-toxic algal bloom and should resolve in a week or two, according to the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
• The Cowichan Aquatic Centre will remain closed for renovations until perhaps late summer, according to the Municipality of North Cowichan.
• The CVRD has updated its landslide hazard map for Youbou. 
• Island Health’s overdose advisory for Vancouver Island remains in effect. 
• Local governments plan to gradually reopen park amenities, including playgrounds and washrooms. North Cowichan plans to have park ambassadors at popular locations to help members of the public use parks safely.
• The CVRD and North Cowichan will not staff lifeguards at Arbutus Park in Youbou and Fuller Lake Park in Chemainus this summer — and the Crofton Outdoor Pool will remain closed — due to the challenges of implementing COVID-19 safety protocols.
• The BC Ferries Connector Bus has suspended service through June 25.
• BC Ferries resumed service between Departure Bay (Nanaimo) and Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) this week.

News of the week

• Ladysmith principal Dionte Jelks is grieving his brother and cousin, both shot dead during recent protests in Chicago, the Times Colonist reports. 
• The local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association is taking steps to address issues surfaced in a recent external investigation, The Discourse Cowichan reports. 
• Teachers are working hard to meet the challenges of providing in-class and online learning at the same time, The Discourse Cowichan reports.
• The Town of Lake Cowichan will allow river access to tubers this summer, The Discourse Cowichan reports. 
• Members of the local Sikh community came together to prepare and donate 800 meals to frontline workers, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. 
• Crofton birthday parades will continue and trucks will limit honking to mitigate noise concerns, the Chemainus Valley Courier reports.

Community events

• Thursday, June 4: 🚗 A&W Ladysmith is hosting a rod run to show off classic cars and raise money for Food Banks Canada.
• Saturday, June 6: 🎶 Mitch and the Barroness return to the Duncan Showroom stage. The show will be live-streamed to YouTube.
• Tuesday, June 9: ☕ The partners of #CowichanStrong invite you to a virtual coffee chat about supports for retailers adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Every day: 🛍️ The brand new Chemainus Public Market is now open, seven days a week, with additional vendors at an outdoor market on Wednesdays.

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

Photo of the week

A big thank you 🙏 to Patti Hamaluk for sharing this beautiful Cowichan Bay sunset with us.

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

In your words

In response to reporter David Minkow’s interview with Cowichan Valley Teachers’ Union president Erica Roberts, Ann Andersen writes: 

“The general media focus has mostly been on students and their parents. Thank you for sharing the teachers’ perspective on this. And thank you, teachers, for the wonderful work you’re doing under unprecedented challenging circumstances. Stay safe.”

Thanks so much for that feedback, Ann! We hope you stay safe, too. [end]