For those who want to stay right up to date with what’s happening in the City on COVID-19, please join me daily on the City of Victoria’s Facebook page at 2:30pm. And please share this link and information with your friends and neighbours. We’re getting lots of emails with lots of questions and we’ll do our best to answer them and keep you and the media up to date with these live daily updates. I’ll also post the videos here from now on. This video is my address from Wednesday. We’ll be back Thursday at 2:30pm.
With music venues closed and public events postponed due to COVID-19, musicians around the world are finding creative ways to perform and share access to live music. The City of Victoria’s Artist in Residence, Kathryn Calder, is no exception.
Kathryn will live stream a concert from her home in Victoria Friday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tune in to Kathryn’s YouTube channel to watch live. The 30-minute solo set will include a selection of Kathryn’s own songs, as well as a couple of her favourites written by others.
Kathryn Calder was selected as the City’s Artist in Residence in 2019. For the past 15 years, Kathryn has been recording and touring as a vocalist and keyboardist with indie rock group The New Pornographers. She has also released three solo records, five albums with Immaculate Machine, and one album with her latest project, Frontperson.
So as you’re practicing social distancing or isolation, take the opportunity to tune into what is sure to be some great music. Thank you, Kathryn, for doing this!
News from the provincial government
Today, the provincial government announced a three-month credit on BC Hydro bills for individual customers, and a three month payment holiday for businesses. Premier Horgan asks that only people who need to apply for this do so.
News from the community
Today I want to tell you about a new initiative called supportlocalyyj launched this week by Think Local First. It’s a way you can support your favourite local businesses by buying gift cards. As we know, so many local businesses are shut because of emergency provincial health orders.
Any local independent business can join the supportlocalyyj initiative, no cost no membership required. And what’s so great about this is that supportlocalyyj takes on the admin and payment for the businesses. Any gift card value is 100% transferred to the business.
Vancity along with Think Local First is administrating and developed the platform including covering all payment processing costs. Shopify donated the webhosting and page. Each week the cash generated by gift card sales is sent right to the local business.
Please share this with businesses who might want to register. And here’s yet another way for those with the means to support our favourite businesses through this hard time while benefiting ourselves from credit at our favourite stores!
An update has come in from the Boxes of Hope program that is supporting local restaurants and feeding those in need at the same time. I’d like to give a shout out to Aryze, who donated 1000 meals and challenged others in their industry to do the same on Twitter – GMC Projects and Kang and Gill Construction are joining them in donating. Thanks to all, and keep it up!
What Eveliina shared with us on the Facebook live feed
Yesterday Eveliina wrote in about something she’s doing to spread joy in her neighbourhood. She says:
“I live along Fort St and have been periodically starting up my bubble machine during the day, as well as for the 7pm salute, to bring joy to neighbours and those who may be out walking. When the wind is with me they drift right down the street and out of view!”
Thanks Eveliina, that’s such a fun way to create joy with neighbours.