Cats with short hair, long hair and one with a spiky-haired, “werewolf” look will be up for judging and general admiration Saturday in Sidney.
The Garden City Cat Club presents the Mad Catter’s Tea Party with anywhere from 80 to 100, and maybe more cats, and kittens up for viewing and judging.
Gillian Huber, cat club member and registration clerk for the show, said visitors will see at least two new breeds: the short-haired Australian Mist and the unusual Lykoi, whose spiky, grey fur and bald patch around the mouth give it a wolf look.
“I’m not especially enamoured of them but they are different,” said Huber.
Also at the show will be established breeders of cats who are always open to a discussion with people interested in the possible future purchase of a kitten.
And lovers of the ordinary but beloved moggie, with no special variety attached to their backgrounds, can also enjoy cats registered in the household-pet and kitten classes.
Huber said the show is ultimately a chance for the cat club to promote responsible pet ownership.
Cats should be kept indoors to be safe and no bother to neighbours, according to Huber. They should be spayed or neutered around eight months and visit a veterinarian regularly.
“People used to have outdoor cats, barn cats, they were just sort of there,” said Huber. “But there is a greater awareness now [of humane pet ownership].”
The Garden City Cat Club’s Mad Catter Tea Party is on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Mary Winspear Centre on Beacon Avenue in Sidney.
Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for kids six to 12 and free for kids five and under. Families of two adults and two kids over five are $12.
Meanwhile, at the Hartland landfill …
What a dump! But in a good way.
The Hartland Avenue landfill isn’t just the big garbage dump it has so often been called.
There’s much more to this much-needed regional disposal facility than meets the eye and you can get a behind-the-scenes look on Sunday from 10:30 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
Hartland Happening will provide an idea of how the landfill works and raise awareness of its waste-management solutions, says operations manager Chris Robins.
“We’re very proud of our efforts to divert waste and extend the life of the landfill and how we manage the environmental risks of operating a landfill,” said Robins, whose facility processes more than 500 tonnes each day of garbage it receives from across the region.
Open house activities will include guided tours, a giant sandbox with mini-machines, opportunities to get onboard dump trucks, tractors and bulldozers, and a barbecue.
Booths will dispense information on waste reduction, composting and water conservation, and cash donations will be accepted for local charities.
A free shuttle bus will leave Camosun College Interurban Campus, 4461 Interurban Rd., every half-hour from 10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. to take visitors to the site at 1 Hartland Ave.
Registration is required to reserve a seat on the shuttle, which includes a guided tour of the landfill. Shuttles will return passengers to Camosun who register by today’s deadline.
To register, go to crd.bc.ca/hartlandhappening. Free parking will also be available at Camosun College for those taking the tour.
Fun and food in Fernwood square
The area surrounding Fernwood Square will be alive with art, food, and music through the weekend, as two popular annual events are set to populate the junction of Gladstone Avenue and Fernwood Road.
Neighbourhood block party FernFest, now in its 19th year, is a free event that gets underway at 5 p.m. on Friday and continues until 10 p.m. on Saturday. Fernwood Bites — a food/drink tasting event and fundraiser benefitting several of Fernwood’s sustainable food initiatives — is on tap for Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
Both events are incredibly popular. FernFest drew thousands during last year’s two-day run, while advance tickets to Fernwood Bites have already sold out.
“We’re expecting 2,000 people over the Friday and Saturday at FernFest,” said event organizer Mila Czemerys. “The point is to come hang out and have a great time. FernFest is place where you can come and be yourself.”
A lineup of 15 bands will take the FernFest stage during the two days, capped by sets from headliners including the New Groovement, Bucan Bucan, Kikeyambay and High Society.
All-ages, family-friendly fare is everywhere during the weekend, from a Saturday morning pancake breakfast provided by the chefs at the Fernwood Inn to a kids-only “Field of Dreams” setup on the neighbouring Vic High soccer field.
The weekend of events and activities is produced by Fernwood NRG, a neighbourhood resource group that offers programs and services to the Fernwood area.
For information visit fernwoodnrg.ca.
Cordova Bay Day has something fun for everyone
The Cordova Bay Day celebration on Saturday will feature everything from golf contests to bouncy castles for children.
The free event, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes festivities throughout the Cordova Bay business district.
The Saanich fire and police departments will also have displays. And there will be a DJ and a raffle.
Festivities include:
• St. David by the Sea Anglican Church: clown, bouncy castle, food vendors, free popcorn and coffee.
• Mattick’s Farm: sidewalk sale and events for kids.
• Ridge Golf Course: 18-hole putting green and contests.
• Tru Valu at the Plaza: bouncy castle, food and surprises.
Support good cause with a civic-themed car accessory
If you’ve considered buying licence-plate holders that show your civic pride and support a good cause, now’s the time to do it.
Sidney councillor Kenny Podmore and volunteer firefighters will be fitting licence-plate holders branded for each of the Saanich Peninsula’s communities on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Sidney Fire Hall, 9837 Third St. It continues a tradition Podmore initiated with the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation 10 years ago to raise funds — $7,000 so far — for hospital projects.
Proceeds will benefit SPHF and the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
Firefighters will also host a barbecue fundraiser for the centennial celebration of the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department on Aug. 2.
The licence-plate holders are $10 a pair at the foundation and chamber offices, the tourist info centre on Beacon Avenue, at the Sidney Saturday Market and Thursday night indoor market at 9785 Fifth St.
A race is afoot at E-Town base
The streets of Esquimalt will be flooded with foot traffic Sunday when 600 runners race for the Navy Run finish line.
Runners in both the 5K and 10K races begin at 8:30 a.m. on Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt’s Naden property at the intersection of Woodway Road and Admirals Road. They will take different routes through the Township of Esquimalt and back in the eighth annual race.
The Navy Run is a family-oriented event. Children can also participate in the Kids’ Fun Run, which begins at 10 a.m.
An awards ceremony will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m.
Online registration has closed but runners can still register in person at the Naden Athletics Centre on the base by 7:30 a.m. on race day.
Entry fees are $50 for the public, $30 for military personnel, $40 for Department of National Defence civilians and dependents, and $20 for kids running in the Fun Run.
For information and to register, go online at navyrunesquimalt.com.
Library celebrates refugees
People who arrive in Canada as refugees are not just starting new lives for themselves. They bring experiences and knowledge to enrich their new communities.
On Saturday, Victoria community groups are staging World Refugee Day at the downtown branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library.
It will feature family fun such as live music, food, entertainment and readings by authors including Hugh Johnston, who wrote Voyage of the Komagata Maru, and Michelle Mulder, who wrote After Peaches.
Sharmarke Mohamed, a refugee from Somalia, has been living in Victoria for two years. He misses his family but has a job as a youth worker.
“I am very privileged in terms of being able to add to the community,” said Mohamed, a spokesman for World Refugee Day.
“We want to show how refugees come here and want to contribute,” he said.
The United Nations first established World Refugee Day as June 20 in 2001. It marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of the convention relating to the status of refugees.
World Refugee Day will be marked this year in Victoria on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
at the Greater Victoria Public Library, Central Branch, 735 Broughton St.