Artists from the Garth Homer Society and the broader Victoria community have created a remarkable collaborative mosaic artwork called "Garden City Arts," which is currently on display at the Royal BC Museum's main hall on the first floor through October 31st. The piece, composed of 68 separate canvases, was created during May's Paint the Town event in Market Square and focuses on Red Shirt Day, a national movement supporting Canadians living with disabilities.

When assembled, Garden City Arts symbolizes a collective effort toward building a more accessible and inclusive society, according to the museum. The artwork includes an audio guide featuring descriptions of the piece and personal testimonials, enhancing accessibility for visually impaired visitors. Ashley Fraser, a participant in the society's Artworks program, expressed her enthusiasm about the project: "Garden City Arts makes me feel positive. Being part of creating it made me feel kind of like we were all part of a big family."

The Garth Homer Society, founded in 1997, provides services and opportunities that enable adults with diverse abilities to make a life, a home, and a place in the world. The museum has collaborated with the society for several years, with many Garth Homer clients serving as dedicated museum volunteers. Holli Hodgson, the museum's volunteer services manager, praised their contributions: "They are dedicated and provide consistent and exceptional service in all their volunteer positions." She highlighted their remote work on projects, including assembling bar-coded bookmarks for over 100,000 pieces of reading material in the BC Archives.

Meanwhile, Victoria Grandmothers for Africa continues their regional 2025 VG4A Cycle Tour, which began on August 10th and runs through the following Sunday. Women aged 55 and over are participating by cycling on roads and trails around Victoria, South Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands with a goal of raising $200,000. The tour launched at Clover Point with over 30 team members and will conclude at Mile Zero.

The cycling event supports the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, active in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The campaign raises funds for grandmothers in Africa, many of whom are raising their grandchildren because parents have died from AIDS. According to the campaign website, supporters are raising funds to support life-enhancing programs run by grandmothers in Africa and the community-led organizations that support them.

A major highlight is the annual Campbell River to Victoria Ride, a challenging three-day, 275-kilometer journey taking place from Friday through the following Sunday for approximately 30 experienced women cyclists. Participants must maintain an average speed of 17 to 19 kilometers per hour and have been training since April, gradually increasing their riding distance to up to 90 kilometers on successive days. Other grandmother groups provide meals, refreshments, and encouragement along the route.

Among the regional participants is Kay Mulholland, who noted this is her first year not participating in the Campbell River ride in eight years due to a serious accident. "I had a hell of a wipe out," she explained. "I went to the hospital where they patched me up, and I felt I don't need that stress. I'm 81 years old." Veteran long-distance rider Christine Scott offers key advice for newcomers: "Be sure to get a rear-view mirror, you'll never look back." Team captain Wanda Bentkowski expressed excitement about participating for the fifth time, saying she's "constantly amazed by the fitness level of cyclists in their late 70s and 80s who pedal a regular bike!"

In other community news, planning is underway for a large-scale mural at 50 Burnside Road West on the exterior of Garcha Bros. Meat Shop – Poultry, located just one block from the Sunflower Girl mural painted by Paul Archer in 2021. The new 65-foot by 25-foot mural, expected to be completed by September 30th, will be created by artist Collin Elder.

Elder, who began painting while pursuing a career in ecological restoration along with his biology degree, focuses his work on how people relate to landscape and wilderness. "I hope my murals can highlight missing ecological factors and provide islands of cultural and ecological memory in the urban landscape," he explained. The upcoming mural will feature Arbutus menziesii, which Elder describes as "a uniquely local native tree that has been highly regarded and sustained for millennia by the WSÁNEĆ First Nations. I hope this piece offers a vision of nature towering once again over the landscape where it once thrived."

The Gorge Tillicum Community Association is overseeing the mural project, with president Vera Wynn-Williams emphasizing the importance of public art: "Murals have a unique ability to bring vibrancy to public spaces, and we're thrilled that the District of Saanich recognizes this through their new Community Canvas Grant Program. We're honored that our project has received the program's first-ever grant." The community showed strong support for Elder's design when it was unveiled on Canada Day.

Funding for the mural comes from a $10,000 grant from Saanich and a $2,200 contribution from Garcha Bros., covering a significant portion of the costs. The association has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise the remaining $7,700 needed for completion.

Additionally, United Way BC is expanding support for back-to-school needs through its Schools Out program in two small Vancouver Island communities – Bamfield and Kyuquot – as well as Nanaimo. The program targets areas with high child poverty rates, reaching 25% in Bamfield and 20% in Kyuquot. Trisha Dulku, strategic initiatives manager for United Way BC, explained the program's importance: "The Schools Out program offers kids a safe space, caring adults and opportunities to grow. For many, it also means a healthy meal they might not otherwise get. With rising costs and limited resources, more children are hungry. This program ensures they leave nourished, supported and ready to thrive."

The services focus on six- to twelve-year-olds, providing mental and physical wellness opportunities, academic support, and access to nutritious after-school snacks. The program is being facilitated by the Bamfield Community School Society and the Ka:yu:kth/Che:ktles7eth First Nations. In Nanaimo, Schools Out is expanding to four sites in September through partnerships with Vancouver Island University, the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District, and Nanaimo's Parks, Recreation and Culture Department, ensuring that rural and remote Island children receive the same support as their urban peers to build confidence and social skills.