Hi there,

Well, that earthquake yesterday sure was something! I know they are a relatively normal part of life on the West Coast, but I don't think I'll ever get used to them. Even though being woken up by my entire apartment building shaking was a little terrifying, it was a great reminder that I need to stop procrastinating and put together an emergency preparedness kit.

Aside from the food, water and first aid supplies, what else do you keep in your emergency kit?

Also, we have an exciting event coming up this weekend in Duncan!

The Discourse has teamed up with Cowichan International Women’s Day to host IWD 2025: Building a Circle of Care for Vancouver Island in honour of International Women's Day. The event takes place on Saturday, March 8 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Craig Street Brew Pub in the upstairs area.

We've brought together a stellar panel of experts to answer the question, "What supports are required to help women make empowered and informed decisions, whatever those decisions are?" If you’d like to join us, please pre-register on Eventbrite as space is limited. Tickets are pay what you can afford, $20 to $30, and proceeds from the event will go towards the House of Honorable Mothers and The Discourse’s independent journalism. I hope to see you there!

Local news and updates.

• Some First Nations along the E&N rail corridor are not interested in seeing the land used for rail travel and want their lands returned, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. A recent report by Stantec to the CVRD highlighted challenges and costs of restoring rail service along the corridor. 

• Talks between the union that represents Cowichan Valley transit workers and their employer, Transdev, have broken down again as the transit strike approaches its first month mark. Unifor requested the B.C. Labour Relations Board appoint a mediator to restart stalled negotiations. Workers have been on strike since Feb. 8 demanding improved working conditions, better pay and pensions. Read The Discourse’s reporting on why transit workers are on strike.

• Cowichan Valley LifeLabs workers recently took to the picket lines at the Beverly Street LifeLabs location. The rotating strike began on Feb. 16 as workers demanded the company raise wages to match the cost of living and address poor working conditions. LifeLabs is owned by Quest Diagnostics, a billion dollar American healthcare company. The Cowichan Valley Citizen has the story.

• The Town of Ladysmith has joined many governments, organizations and companies in dropping Elon Musk's social media site, X (formerly Twitter). The town announced it will discontinue its X account effective immediately due “to evolving social media trends and shifting public preferences.” Residents can still find new content posted by the town on Facebook, Instagram, the town’s website and Let’s Talk Ladysmith.

• Results are in for the 2025 Ladysmith mayoral by-election. Deena Beeston was declared the winner, securing 854 out of 1,740 ballots cast. Joe Friesenhan came in second with 504 votes and Russ Barling placed third with 279 votes. Beeston says she will be a voice for the community to find solutions to the challenges Ladysmith residents are facing.

• A by-election in North Cowichan to fill the vacant seat left by former councillor (and now MLA) Debra Toporowski has its first candidates. Joanna Lord, David Bellis and Becky Hogg have put their names forward for the April 12 by-election. Advanced voting takes place at North Cowichan Municipal Hall on April 2 and 8 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., while general voting takes place on April 12 at multiple locations. For more information on where and how to vote, visit North Cowichan’s website.

Find The Discourse on Bluesky!

🦋 The Discourse has joined the conversation on Bluesky. Keep an eye out for more posts about our reporters' extraordinary work at @thediscourse.ca. You can also follow our journalists and sister publications in the Discourse Community Publishing network by clicking “follow all” in our starter pack.

Photo of the week.

Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial Day was this weekend and Cowichan SAR made the trip down to Victoria for the annual wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of 17 volunteers who died in the line of duty. Photo Courtesy of Cowichan Search and Rescue.

Community events.

• Friday March 7: 🎤 Join the Cowichan South Arts Guild for their first spotlight series in 2025 featuring Cowichan Valley songwriter Stephanie Cutler and musician Tai Williams. Hear from these rising singer-songwriters at the Shawnigan Lake Community Centre Round Room. Reserve your tickets by emailing hello@cowichanartsguild.com for $18, or pay $20 at the door. 

• Saturday, March 8: 💜 To celebrate International Women's Day, The Discourse and Cowichan IWD are teaming up to bring local speakers and advocates together to discuss how to support women with the right to choose and make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing. Tickets for Building a Circle of Care for Vancouver Island start at $20 and a portion of the proceeds will be contributed to the House of Honourable Mothers.

• Saturday, Mar. 8: 🌱 Starting a garden this spring? Get all the supplies you'll need to get growing at Saltair Seedy Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Saltair Community Centre Hall. You’ll find plants, seeds, seedling starters and other garden related items for sale from local vendors. 

• Saturday, March 8: 🪈 The Cowichan Consort Orchestra and Choir hosts its spring concert, Featuring Our Youth!, at the Christian Reformed Church in Duncan. The night features music from distinguished youth performers Simi Luttrell on piano and Daniel Sanabria on flute performing music composed by French and American women from the 19th and 20th centuries.

• Sunday, March 9: 🎹 Chemainus Classical Concerts presents A Sunday of Sonatas<> featuring Kevin Ayesh on piano performing sonatas by Robert Starer, Beethoven and Chopin. Doors open at 2 p.m. at St. Michael’s Church in Chemainus with tickets starting at $30 for adults and $10 for anyone under 18.

• Sunday, March 9: 🎞️ Immerse yourself in a story of dance and summer love at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre as it hosts the film Sweet Summer Pow Wow. Directed by Darrel Dennis, the film follows a young Indigenous couple who find an escape from their troubled lives on the Powwow circuit. Purchase tickets online at the CPAC website for $16.

• Wednesday, March 12: 🚜 Come down to the Cowichan Branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library for a special free performance of She Won’t Come in From the Fields, a one woman show tackling the topics of regenerative food growing and climate solutions, written by Dale Colleen Hamilton. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Friday, March 14th: 🎺 Fans of big band music look no further! Ladysmith Musical Arts presents the Arrowsmith Big Band performing a night of music by Greg Bush at the Ladysmith Little Theatre. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased online at the Ladysmith Musical Arts website.

• Saturday, March 15: 🖼️ If you have some new or gently used building materials, appliances and home décor why not donate them to a good cause? Habitat for Humanity and the CVRD will host a pop-up donation event at Bings Creek Recycling Centre from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For a full list of accepted items visit Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island.