2019 was certainly an eventful year here in Victoria, which kicked off with record-breaking snowstorms and ended with fire and brimstone at a Christmas parade in Courtenay.
Through it all, Victoria Buzz was there, reporting on stories that mattered to all Vancouver Island residents.
From ice cream to snowstorms to Satan, here are the top 12 Victoria Buzz stories of 2019 a.k.a. the most-read story each month of the year!
January:
Dashcam captures reckless driver going at an insane speed on the Malahat (VIDEO)
2019 featured all sorts of articles about the Malahat, from crashes that closed the road to potential detours that the government declined to pursue.
Our first big story of the year featured a dashcam video of an incredibly reckless driver on the highway going at a ridiculous speed around a corner.
In heart-stopping fashion, the car almost crashing into the median, before peeling away and speeding off.
February:
Hundreds stranded at BC Ferries as Pat Bay Highway closed due to heavy snowfall
Most people have at least one horror story about the Blizzard of ‘96 , and a few more people have their own stories about the snowfall of February ‘19.
In a week that saw more snow in Victoria than anywhere else in Canada, hundreds of people were stranded at the BC Ferries terminal due to a snowy and low-visibility Pat Bay Highway.
Hopefully 2020 doesn’t get remembered in the same way!
March:
Dairy Queen is selling Blizzards for $0.99 starting next week
From one blizzard to another, Victoria Buzz’s biggest story of the year was entirely unexpected.
Our article about 99 cent Blizzards was read over two million times, for months after it was first published.
Not only was it our most read article in March, when it was published, but it was also the most read article in May, September, and October — despite the fact that the offer ended on March 17th!
We have no answers for why this story went viral, but thanks for reading!
April:
This hilarious new meme account pokes fun at tourists in Victoria
This was certainly our favourite new Instagram account of 2019, and it seems as though it was yours as well.
BC Tourist Memes popped up on our feeds in April 2019, and with jokes about cruise ships, debit machines, and, of course, tourists, we feel forever blessed and grateful.
May:
Canadians under 25 can get unlimited train travel across the country this summer
May’s article saw a lot of young Victorians excited about travelling the country. We reported on Viarail’s $600 unlimited train travel offer, allowing Canadians to travel from coast to coast to coast and visit dozens of major cities along the way.
We hope you enjoyed your trips!
June:
BC Coroners Service reveals Ben Kilmer died by suicide
Local news was dominated in 2018 by the sad story of Ben Kilmer, who was reported as missing for several months before a hiker found his body a few kilometres away from where his deserted van had been found.
In June 2019, Victoria Buzz reported that the BC Coroners Service had completed their investigation and found that the 41-year-old had died by suicide.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the B.C. Crisis Centre Distress Line at 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-784-2433.
July:
Victoria’s kinkiest ice cream store has officially opened its doors
With record-breaking heat in 2019, it’s no surprise that one of our most popular stories was about ice cream.
Perverted Ice Cream debuted in Victoria in July 2019, after starting as a chain in Vancouver. And with flavours like “Beg for S’more” and “Brand Spanking,” it’s not hard to see why Victorians were so excited.
August:
Two missing Saanich Peninsula residents found dead from apparent motor vehicle crash
Another unfortunate story dominated the headlines in August, as Victoria Buzz reported on the tragic deaths of Easha Rayel and James Evans.
Missing since August 9th, Sidney / North Saanich RCMP reported that the pair were found deceased in a crashed motor vehicle. The crash was believed to have happened just off the Pat Bay Highway.
September:
Police attend North Saanich school after reports of parent dressed up as “Friday the 13th” character
Well, somebody got a bit too excited about Friday the 13th in September.
A local father posted a photo of himself on Facebook dressed as ‘Jason’ from famous horror movie ‘Friday the 13th,’ along with the caption, “Will be scarring my children for life today.. Friday the 13th school pick up is going to be great…”
Unfortunately, his make-up was a bit too realistic, and a scared resident called 911 upon observing a man with a machete hanging around North Saanich Middle School.
The incident was resolved peacefully, although according to a later Facebook post from the father, police sent 10 cars to apprehend “Jason.” Maybe a career in make-up is in the works?
October:
These two Vancouver Island resorts are the best in all of Canada (SURVEY)
October had people dreaming of the summer months, clearly, with a big article about Vancouver Island claiming the number 1 and 2 spots on a “Best Resorts in Canada” list.
According to Condé Nast Traveler, Canada’s most relaxing resorts were Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa (#2) and the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino (#1).
We hope you all get to spend some time there in 2020!
November:
Don Cherry returns with his own show after being fired from Sportsnet
A Canadian icon losing out on a prestigious national position … no, Andrew Scheer, not you.
Don Cherry’s firing made waves across the nation, and our story about Cherry returning with a podcast after losing his Hockey Night in Canada Spot resonated with many of our readers.
Named “The Grapevine,” the same name as Cherry’s old TV show, the podcast is now available on all platforms.
December:
Satan shows up to Courtenay Christmas parade after newspaper typo announces his arrival
Like many people, Tim Skippy Miller saw the typo in the Comox Valley Record promoting “Pictures with Satan” at the local Courtenay parade.
Unlike anybody else, Miller actually dressed up as Satan, so as to not disappoint anybody hoping for photos with Lucifer. As it turned out, a lot of people were hoping for exactly that, and Miller was in high demand all afternoon!
Whether you read these particular stories or not, we’d like to say thanks for all your support throughout 2019.
Here’s to a new decade of Victoria Buzz stories!
