Student artist wins holiday card contest
Grade 2 student Weston Taiji has won Saanich’s holiday-card contest, which means his drawing will be part of media posts made during the holidays by the district and he’ll have a chance to be Mayor for the Morning.
He’ll also get a tour of the police and fire stations, and passes to Saanich recreation centres.
The annual contest was open to Saanich students from kindergarten to Grade 5.
Mayor Dean Murdock chose Weston as the winner “after careful evaluation and deliberation,” the District of Saanich said.
“Weston’s snowy outdoor scene is the perfect image for our holiday card,” Murdock said. “Winter is a magical time for all of us — whether you like to play outside in the snow, or cozy up inside and watch it fall — and Weston really captured that in his entry.”
Murdock thanked all of the kids in Saanich who “shared their creative designs with us, and the parents and caregivers who helped them submit their work. I hope everyone enjoys a happy holiday season and I look forward to your entries next year.”
Festive event supports Abkhazi Garden
The Abkhazi Garden Festive Market continues next weekend at the garden at 1964 Fairfield Rd., with all proceeds going to maintain the site and preserve the legacy of its creators — Peggy and Nicolas Abkhazi, who began creating the garden on their one-acre property in 1946.
The garden area includes Garry oaks, Japanese maples and decades-old rhododendrons.
Artist Duncan Kemp will be selling hand-carved wooden bowls at the market event, while others have made festive swags, decorative table centres, wreaths, children’s bird-seed kits and much more.
The market will run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. next Saturday and Sunday.
Food drive back for 25th year in Esquimalt
The 25th annual Christmas food drive by the Township of Esquimalt and its CUPE employees will continue through Friday.
The food drive, which collects more than 900 kilograms of food each year, supports Esquimalt Neighbourhood House in providing food for families and individuals in need.
Esquimalt Neighbourhood House also offers programs for everyone from children to seniors, mental-health counselling and pre- and post-natal services.
Donations can be brought to the Esquimalt public-works yard, the Archie Browning Sports Centre, the Esquimalt Recreation Centre and municipal hall.
A list of possible food items to donate, including suggestions for the holidays, can be .
Spark Funds aim to spark projects
The Victoria Foundation has given out Spark Funds grants for a second year to groups tackling community issues ranging from affordable housing to youth employment and food security.
A total of $80,000 went to six groups, with the grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
Coast Capital provided $20,000 for the grants and the rest came from the foundation.
Foundation chief executive Sandra Richardson said many community members continue to face barriers to meeting their basic needs as the cost of living rises.
“But many members also have the motivation and the will to put their heads together to meet these challenges. We’re thankful for all those who applied to the Spark Funds for support in achieving their innovative solutions.”
Many of the grants went to projects focused on people in their 20s and 30s, as a result of a Victoria Foundation event in June, in partnership with Coast Capital, to discuss funding priorities. The event brought together more than 80 community leaders at the University of Victoria.
Among the grant recipients is Beacon Community Services, which will use the funds to conduct an inter-generational housing study at its 13 residential properties that’s focused on identifying housing solutions for younger residents, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, “while examining the barriers, funding models, density requirements and best practices needed for implementation in Victoria,” said Beacon Community Services chief executive Tricia Gueulette.
Grants also went to the Inter-Cultural Association to look at immigrants’ affordability concerns, and the Community Social Planning Council to examine gaps in support for those in their 20s and 30s entering or re-entering the job market.
In addition, the Big Wheel Community Foundation (created by Big Wheel Burger) has a grant to make a documentary about housing challenges for people in their 20s and 30s, the Victoria Community Food Hub was given a grant to help programs and businesses adapt to the needs of the 20s and 30s demographic for things like employment and training, and the Mayne Island Food Bank received funds to establish a home-share program for young adults and to host workshops that explore their employment needs.
Saanich officers win awards for stopping impaired drivers
Six Saanich police officers have received an Alexa’s Team Award for processing at least 24 impaired-driving cases last year.
Alexa’s Team is a province-wide initiative created in 2010 in memory of four-year-old Alexa Middelaer, who was killed by a drunk driver in Delta in 2008.
Legislation allowing immediate roadside prohibitions followed, providing a valuable tool for police officers to take impaired drivers off the road, the Saanich Police Department said in a statement.
The Saanich award winners include constables Jennifer Allen, Alex Beastall, Adam Defrane, Aaron Grewal, Nick Marmaras and Martin Roznowski.
Defrane, Grewal and Marmaras also earned “all-star” status for removing at least 50 impaired drivers from the road.
“While the nature of these numbers is disappointing, I’m extremely proud of the hard work our officers have shown by taking so many impaired drivers off Saanich’s streets,” said Saanich Police Chief Dean Duthie. “With so many ride options available, there is no excuse to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while impaired.”
The awards were announced as the department revealed it has dealt with a record number of impaired drivers so far this year, before holiday-season roadblocks even begin.
By early September, the department had dealt with 468 impaired drivers, more than for all of 2023. That number had jumped to 580 as of Nov. 30.
