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(Premier John Horgan, Minister Adrian Dix, Dr. Bonnie Henry/BC Gov Flickr)
The province has detailed how the BC Vaccine card will work when it is implemented on Monday, September 13th.
Starting September 13th, you will need to be vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination; by October 24th, you will need to be fully-vaccinated in order to attend businesses or events requiring proof of vaccination.
The registration system asks for a resident’s personal health number, date of birth and date of COVID-19 vaccine. Those who already use the BC Services Card app can alternately log in that way.
Once registered, the user can access a downloadable QR code that serves as proof they’ve been vaccinated.
Alternatively, people without access to a computer and printer can get their card by calling 1-833-838-2323 at the Get Vaccinated call centre and get their printed copy mailed to them.
Businesses that will require proof of vaccination include restaurants and bars, indoor events, theatres, and sporting events.
Food courts, grab-go, drive thru, cafeterias at universities, will not require proof of vaccinations The vaccine card will not be required for youth aged 19 and under playing sports. Until September 27th, you may use your physical copy of your BC vaccination record. After then, you will need to use the online BC Vaccine card.
BC Vaccine Card
The BC Vaccine Card is a scannable QR code which demonstrates whether you’re either fully, partially, or have no record of your vaccination.
Your record will show up something like this:
The province said they are working with the federal government to assure that the QR code is one that can be used to travel internationally, once proof of vaccination is required for that.
If you get caught without your vaccination card you can be issued violations of up to $575 for individuals or $2300 for owners/operators.
Travelling to BC
If you are travelling into BC, you will also be asked to show your proof of vaccination. BC will accept officially recognized vaccine records from your province.
International visitors will also need to show proof of vaccination.
It’s unclear what that means for countries or provinces that have not developed a proof of vaccination card or system.
Businesses
For businesses that might be a bit worried about how to proceed, the province is providing online support systems here.
Businesses will soon have an app that can scan to verify these QR codes. They can also visually verify, like with ID’s.
Businesses will be required to validate name and vaccination records with a government issued ID.
Paper vaccination records will only be accepted until September 27th.
From then on, the virtual BC Vaccine Card will be the only accepted form of proof.
Before you begin your Fall household to-do list, break out the ingredients for baked goods and decorate your home for the season, be sure to take a look at what you are using in your home if you have pets around.
Many everyday seasonal items, as well as popular Fall decorations, scents and tastes can pose potential dangers to your pets.
Thankfully, the BC SPCA has released a list of Fall items that you may be using around your home that we should be aware of.
When it comes to your pet’s health and safety, here are 5 Fall items to be on the lookout for:
Antifreeze
Did you know coming into contact or ingesting just one tablespoon of antifreeze can be lethal for your pet?
If you are using this substance to help prepare your car or boats for the winter conditions, be sure to keep your pets far away from it as well as any surfaces it may have come into contact with.
Candles
When Fall hits, stores overflow with their autumn candles and everyone moves inside to get cozy.
However, if you are not using candles that are made from soy, coconut or a vegetable-based wax with unbleached 100% cotton wicks, you may potentially be releasing toxins into your home.
Most candles are made from paraffin wax, use lead wicks and release synthetic oil and fragrances. These can trigger respiratory illnesses in your pets.
Lit candles and the resulting hot wax are also a potential danger to pets as they can easily be knocked over.
Chocolate and candy
For humans, Fall brings Halloween and Thanksgiving, two holidays that mean a lot of chocolate and other sweets. However, your pets cannot enjoy these the same way we can.
Chocolate is toxic to cats and dogs, as they cannot metabolize caffeine or a chemical called theobromine like we do. When consumed, other artificial sweeteners in candy are also linked to hypoglycemia and liver damage in dogs.
Compost and mulch piles
The decaying organic matter or molding food products in compost and mulch piles can cause serious harm to pets if ingested.
If ingested, animals can be poisoned, causing tremors or seizures.
Creating piles of leaves and gathering compost are routine Fall chores, so be careful to keep your pets away from these piles and manage these piles and their discarding properly.
Pumpkin Spice
Pumpkin pie spice is made of a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Although small amounts of these spices in most baked goods will not usually cause harm to pets, other pumpkin spice products such as essential oils or large amounts of the spices directly can cause harm to your pet.
Comox Valley RCMP are looking to identify an alleged suspect involved in an assault at a park in Courtenay last week.
According to the victim, the assault occurred just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31st at Pinewood Park.
It is alleged the unknown suspect pushed the victim to the ground and kicked him. No other details regarding the incident were released.
Police said the alleged suspect in known to fly a drone at the park.
The victim of the assault reported to police that he was at Pinewood Park in Courtenay at approximately 1:50 p.m. when an unknown male pushed him to the ground and kicked him.
The suspect, in the attached photograph, is known to frequent Pinewood Park and fly a drone in the area.
Anyone with information on the assault or if you can identity the individual, call the Comox Valley RCMP at (250) 338-1321 and refer to file number 2021-14770.
If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Have you ever dreamed of working in one of the fastest-growing industries in Victoria?
If you’re looking to kick off your career in the booming hospitality industry, Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort is the place to be; with a fun, vibrant working environment along with best in class wages, they offer it all.
Delta Victoria is on the hunt for people who contribute to their culture every day – by taking care of each other just as well as they take care of their guests.
Every employee is in charge of making their hotel a great place to work and stay, with a focus on guest experience in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Delta Victoria’s team wears jeans with a smart casual look, and along with their upstanding wages, they offer incredible benefits including medical, dental and pension.
They also offer up the gym and pool to associates for free, along with free parking. Worldwide travel benefits for their associates and their friends and family are just a few of the other perks you’ll receive working for them!
Here are the positions Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort is currently hiring for:
Sous Chef – Salaried position
Chef de Partie – $24.88/hour
Second Cooks – $22.50/hour
Banquet Captain – $20.00/hour
Banquet Server – $16.84/hour
Room Attendant – $22.27/hour
House Attendant – $22.27/hour
In Room Dining Server – $16.77/hour
Guest Service Agents – $22.56/hour
LURE Server $15.75/hour
LURE Host – $16.77/hour
The above positions are available now, and interested applicants can apply online here.
According to reports, the fire began from a large homeless encampment on Dallas Road and was made worse by exploding propane bottles.
The Victoria Fire Department arrived quickly to the scene where three fire trucks were required to put out the blaze.
The quick action of the firefighters saved two nearby homeless encampments as well as the Dallas Road waterfront from going up in the blaze.
Thankfully, recent rain assisted in the dry foliage conditions in Beacon Hill Park.
Photos of the fire can be found below:
(photo by Matthew E McCormick/@matthewemccormick)(photo by Matthew E McCormick/@matthewemccormick)(photo by Matthew E McCormick/@matthewemccormick)(photo by Matthew E McCormick/@matthewemccormick)(photo by Matthew E McCormick/@matthewemccormick)(photo by Matthew E McCormick/@matthewemccormick)
Victoria Buzz has reached out to the Victoria Fire Department for more information.
If you’re a musician, venue owner, or music lover, the City of Victoria is looking for your input!
For their next Music Strategy draft, the City of Victoria is seeking community feedback to guide the City’s annual $1.7 million investment into arts, culture and events.
Community members are invited to an open house and information session on Saturday, September 11th at the Neighbourhood Hub (709 & 711 Douglas St.) from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The open house is intended to create a dialogue between community members and the City to get a clearer vision of what Victoria’s music scene should look like.
Those who cannot attend the open house are still encouraged to participate.
The community is invited to share feedback on the Music Strategy’s recommendations through an online survey by Friday, September 17th here.
The survey prioritizes five main areas:
Removing regulatory barriers and creating music friendly policies.
Preserving existing spaces and encouraging the development of new spaces.
Building local capacity for artists to develop their music careers.
Growing audiences and expanding access to music in all its forms.
Seeking partnerships and collaborations to explore new innovative music platforms and experiences.
“These final engagement steps for our new Music Strategy will help build the city’s musical roadmap and allow the public to understand what the key priorities are,” said Kathryn Calder, Chair of the Victoria Music Advisory Committee.
The strategy and accompanying reports will go before Council in the fall for final adoption and implementation.
School has barely begun at UVic and already challenges are afoot related to COVID-19 protocols.
This past weekend, a party on UVic campus of over several hundred students took place.
UVic released a statement on Monday condemning the party.
We appreciate those students who are acting responsibly and ask those involved in the incident last night to stop behaving in a manner that puts our fall return to campus at risk,” said Jim Dunsdon, associate vice-president of Student Affairs.
“By holding or attending large, unstructured parties, students increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Their behaviour is unacceptable and puts at risk students, our employees, our instructors and our local community.”
Saanich Police were on scene with Campus Security where they conducted 50 pour-outs of liquor and ticketed two people for underage drinking.
Huge party on campus. CSec and Saanich Police are on scene but weren't shutting it down, as of 11:15. No masks, clearly no distancing.
Videos from the party show young people climbing structures of UVic, but there were no reports of property damage.
Witnesses reported that Saanich Police were on scene for a couple of hours, where officers guarded an entrance to a residence building at UVic.
“The majority of the people there were respectful, but as usual, there were some that were not,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades with Saanich PD.
While there are no restrictions on outdoor gatherings in public places, UVic has expressed their concern over COVID-19.
“It is the responsibility of every UVic student to take public health measures and related campus rules seriously and challenge their peers to do the same,” UVic said in a statement on Monday morning.
“Efforts by our entire UVic community to provide an in-person experience that everyone seeks is placed in jeopardy when behaviours such as this impact what we are trying to achieve.”
This week, UVic will require its students, staff and faculty attending on-campus activities to either self-declare their vaccination status or participate in a COVID-19 rapid test.
To participate in on-campus, in-person activities students, faculty, and staff must choose either option.
Students will also be required to wear masks in all indoor public spaces in light of the province-wide mask mandate.
Beginning September 13th, vaccine cards will be required in recreational spaces in BC for both British Columbians and visitors to the province.
With schools back in session in BC tomorrow, it may be helpful to review laws concerning passing school buses.
Many motorists are unaware of the penalties for passing a stopped school bus, despite the efforts to raise awareness, some drivers still fail to stop — in both directions.
Before stopping a school bus for picking up or letting off children, a bus driver is required to activate amber flashing signal lamps.
Once the bus comes to a complete stop, the bus driver is required to extend the stop arm and activate the red flashing signal lights prior to opening the door of the bus.
If a school bus is stopped to pick up or let out passengers with the stop arm and signal lights activated, drivers must stop whether the bus is oncoming or you are behind the bus.
Vehicles shall not proceed until the bus has completely let out or picked up all passengers and started moving.
The hazards of ignoring these laws were made shockingly clear in the following footage:
Penalties
In BC, the first offence penalty for illegally passing school buses is $368, and it increases dramatically after that.
For drivers who receive a second ticket, it will be $668, and a third offence will run a motorist over $1,000 for that third offence alone.
Drivers will continue to receive three penalty points on top of the increased fine.
A suspect remains at large after he attempted to ram three people with his vehicle on Dallas Road early Sunday morning.
According to VicPD, a woman and her two friends were walking along Dallas Road near Linden Avenue at around 4 a.m. when a man attempted to hit them with his vehicle.
The man then exited his vehicle and attempted to assault one of the individuals with a weapon, narrowly missing the person.
However, despite the large police presence, which included the Integrated Police Dog Service, the suspect managed to evade capture and remains at large.
The suspect is known to police and investigators believe this to be an isolated incident, as the suspect and one of the victims were known to each other.
Anyone with information is asked to call VicPD at (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
A large search took place in the Colwood area this morning following a incident on Dallas Road early Sunday morning.
In a media release today, West Shore RCMP confirmed they they were searching for a suspect in an on-going VicPD investigation.
The search began just after 5 a.m. this morning, Sunday, September 5th after a West Shore RCMP officer located a suspect’s vehicle near the Royal Roads University.
RCMP along with the officers from the Integrated Police Dog Service flooded a Colwood neighbourhood to search for a suspect who had fled the scene before their arrival.
The suspect remains at large.
“We understand the concern of seeing so many police officers in a quiet community on a Sunday morning,” said S/Sgt. Janelle Shoihet of the BC RCMP.
“We want to reassure the public that we believe the suspect is no longer in the area but are continuing efforts to locate him through investigative means,in partnership with VicPD.”
In an effort to make getting a COVID-19 vaccine easy and convenient, Island Health will be introducing a second Vax Van to bring vaccinations to island residents.
The van will first visit Uptown Centre on Saturday before moving to Mayfair Shopping Centre on Sunday and Nanaimo’s Woodgrove Centre on the holiday Monday.
Anyone aged 12+ can visit the Vax Van to receive their first or second dose of their COVID-19 vaccine.
Just make sure to bring your COVID-19 Immunization Record Card (for second doses) and your Personal Health Number card.
Starting next week, temporary vaccine clinics will be set up at post-secondary campuses across Vancouver Island. Students, staff, and members of the public are all welcome to attend these clinics to receive their first or second dose.
You can find the Vax Van’s long weekend schedule below:
On September 1st, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the suspect used a hammer to smash two ATMs before departing. It’s unclear what caused the man to act erratic.
Police said the suspect appears to be connected to similar incidents at other Greater Victoria banks.
If you have any information or can identify the suspect, please call Oak Bay Police at 250-592-2424 and cite files 21-2744 and 21-2745.
The BC Ministry of Health reported 671 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, September 3rd.
There have been 168,325 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
New cases were reported in these health regions:
Vancouver Coastal Health: 78
Fraser Health: 230
Island Health: 44
Interior Health: 230
Northern Health: 89
Resident outside Canada: 0
There are currently 5,872 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
160,268 people who tested positive have recovered.
There are now a total of 215 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 118 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
3 new people have died from COVID-related causes, making the provincial death toll at 1,827.
Outbreaks
There has been one new health-care facility outbreak at Menno Home (Fraser Health).
There are a total of 21 active outbreaks:
Long-term Care: Heritage Village, Northcrest Care Centre, Menno Home (Fraser Health), Arbutus Care Centre, Brock Fahrni (Vancouver Coastal Health), Village at Mill Creek – second floor, Cottonwoods Care Centre, Brookhaven Care Centre, Spring Valley Care Centre, Kamloops Seniors Village, Hillside Village (Interior Health) and Sunset Lodge (Island Health)
Acute Care: Peace Arch Hospital, Chilliwack General Hospital (Fraser Health) and Fort St. John Hospital (Northern Health)
Assisted or Independent living: Nicola Meadows, Hawthorn Park, David Lloyd Jones, Sun Pointe Village, Hardy View Lodge and Rose Woods Village (Interior Health)
Island Health:
Island Health reported 44 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region and 455 active cases.
Breakdown of cases on Vancouver Island:
South Vancouver Island Active cases: 219│Total Cases: 2681
Central Vancouver Island Active cases: 168│ Total Cases: 3039
North Vancouver Island Active cases: 68│Total Cases: 903
14 people remain in hospital with 12 in ICU.
There have been no new deaths in the Island Health region today, and a total of 48 deaths on Vancouver Island.
Vaccinations
As of today, 84.8% of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 77.1% received their second dose.
In addition, 85.4% of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 78.1% have received their second dose.
To date, 7,509,127 (+14,560) doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in BC; 3,572,841 (+7,693) of which are second doses.
Saanich Police are looking for more information into an incident which saw the Trans-Canada highway closed to northbound traffic on Friday morning.
Around 3 a.m. on Friday, September 3rd, officers attended to a man who was in need of immediate medical attention.
Officers found a weapon at the scene and injuries to the man are considered serious.
The victim is currently in hospital receiving medical care.
Saanich Police’s Major Crime Unit, Forensics Investigations Section and the Patrol Division continue to investigate the incident.
“If you were in the area of the Trans-Canada Highway (between Uptown and Tillicum Road) between the hours of 0200 and 0400, we want to connect with you,” stated Sergeant Damian Kowalewich.
“Any dashcam footage could be helpful. If anyone has information on this incident, please call us.”
Traffic was snarled Friday morning as traffic was backed up to the intersection of Douglas Street and Saanich Road while Saanich Police investigated the scene.
The southbound lanes of Highway 1 were closed briefly after the incident occurred just before 3 a.m.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Saanich Police at are asking anyone with information to come forward and call (250) 475-4321.
(Banfield Park/Photo by @steph_athletic_therapy - Instagram)
VicPD are seeking more information into a violent attack at a park in Vic West on one of their officers last night.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 2nd, a VicPD officer in Banfield Park was violently attacked by an unknown man.
Following the attack, the officer managed to broadcast for assistance over the radio.
In response, multiple officers and other emergency officials were deployed to the area, but the suspect managed to evade capture.
Police believe the officer was speaking with a woman in the park prior to the attack.
VicPD are seeking the witness, who is described as a 50-year-old Caucasian woman with grey hair who, according to VicPD, appeared “distraught” at the time of incident.
Detectives continue to gather information regarding a suspect, and Victoria’s police chief is expected to address the assault on Friday afternoon.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call VicPD at (250) 995-7654.
With home prices skyrocketing in Victoria and across the rest of Vancouver Island, you may find yourself not even wanting to look at what’s out there in terms of real estate.
London Drugs has announced, as of November 1st, all employees will have to be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment.
“We understand this is a significant step in our precautionary approach to COVID-19,” said Clint Mahlman, president and CEO of London Drugs.
“The overall protection of the health and safety of our employees and their families remains our utmost priority and given the risk factors, we need to take steps to further mitigate at this time.”
In order to be eligible to work at London Drugs, all employees must be fully vaccinated with a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine, following public health’s recommendation for dosing intervals.
This policy may also extend to future booster requirements as recommended by public health.
Employees will be required to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status, booster vaccination status and show proof of approved government documentation to their manager.
Vaccination documentation will not be retained by London Drugs, however the employee’s date of vaccination and proof of authenticity of the vaccination status will be recorded.
Employees who cannot be vaccinated for medical approved reasons or for other protected legal grounds will be accommodated and required to be tested for COVID-19 based on their hours of work.
Employees who choose to not be vaccinated, provide proof of vaccination or maintain boosters for non-medical or legal reasons will be required to submit to ongoing COVID-19 testing in order to continue employment.
London Drugs will not be requiring proof of vaccination from their customers at this time.
This weekend, Victoria Buzz will be holding a Buzz on Location at Upgrade Labs in Victoria. Stop by in person or attend virtually to experience Upgrade Labs and enter to win some prizes!
Visiting Sooke Country Market is a perfect Saturday morning activity. Browse through the vendors selling everything from fresh produce, jewelry, gardening supplies and more.
2021 marks Moss Street Market’s 30th season in operation. If you prefer contactless pick up, you can visit the online Moss Street Market to pick up your order.
This weekend, attend an outdoor concert at the Cameron Bandshell in Beacon Hill Park.
The outdoor performance venue, also known as The Stage in the Park is located in the middle of Beacon Hill Park, off Arbutus Bridge way and has recently reopened for summer concerts.
The Bandshell includes 12 benches providing seating for over 500 spectators, as well as picnic tables and space for attendees to bring lawn chairs or a picnic blanket.
See below for this weekend’s lineup:
TD Jazzfest presents ‘Summer Sessions of Jazz and Blues’
Featuring: Jaya Bremer Quartet, David Vest, The Kelby MacNayr, Swing Rhythm Kings, and Bill Johnson
Genre: Jazz & Blues
When: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday September 4th
TD Jazzfest presents ‘Summer Sessions of Jazz and Blues’
Featuring: Tyler Lieb Quartet, David Gogo, Shanna Dance Quartet, and The Wild Roots
It’s September, which means the end of the summer. The sunflower festival will be wrapping up soon so if you haven’t visited yet, be sure to grab your ticket online and take some photos amongst the flowers before it’s too late!
The Saanich Fair has returned for a scaled-back version of their traditional fair, following provincial health guidelines. However, attendees will still be able to enjoy rides, food and entertainment!
The Out There Art Festival brings together locals to host art installations and pop-up performances on balconies, in windows and on lawns across Quadra Village.
This year, the 5 day event will feature pop-up performances from groups like Theatre SKAM, Roller Skate Victoria, the Victoria Academy of Ballet, The Frolickers, local DJs, and Victoria’s Youth Poet Laureate James Summer.
The Festival will have 100 temporary and existing art installations on display, which attendees can find via an interactive map. The festival will also offer a guided audio discovery tour and the opportunity to watch artists paint five new murals live.
Where: All across Quadra Village
When: August 28th to September 6th
Price: Prices and admission varies. You can get your festival pass online here.
Mayfair Shopping Centre, along with Fresh Air Cinema and FortisBC are bringing you a weekend of drive-in movie events.
Admission is by donation, with all proceeds going to the Victoria Hospital Foundation. Tickets must be pre-purchased.
The event will also feature a concession with Kernels Popcorn and Sweet Factory treats available for purchase! Concession will be cash only and proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria.
Saturday’s showing will be In the Heights (2021). Gates open at 8 p.m. and the film starts at 9:30 p.m.
On Sunday, UP (2009) will be featured. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the movie starts at 8 p.m.
Where: 3147 Douglas Street, Mayfair Shopping Centre
When: Saturday, September 4th and Sunday, September 5th
Admission: Suggested donation of $20/vehicle. All proceeds will benefit the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.
Tickets: In the Heights tickets can be purchased here. Up tickets can be purchased here.
The 2021 event has already begun, starting celebrations from August 27th to 29th. However, it’s not too late to enjoy some delicious Greek cuisine, as the event will continue this weekend!
This year, you can order your favourite Greek dishes to dine at the event or take to go. Online ordering for take-out orders will open two days before the event, with a priority pickup line.
Tours of Craigdarroch are back! Tours are available Friday, Saturday and Sunday with tickets purchased in advance. Proceeds from tickets fund the ongoing castle restoration projects.
For more information on tickets, prices and to book your tour, visit the Craigdarroch Castle website here.
No, you haven’t been transported back in time, this is real! Legacy Drive-In has announced showtimes for their outdoor theatre at Westshore Motorsports Park.
This weekend, see Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mission: Impossible and Downsizing from the comfort of your car as you enjoy food by Westshore Burger Co.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and it is recommended patrons arrive 30 minutes before showtime to ensure they get the best spot.
Where: Westshore Motorsports Park (formerly Western Speedway) 2207 Millstream Road
When: Days of Thunder: 9 p.m.., Friday September 3rd
The Sidney Street Market is back! After a prolonged COVID-19 absence, the market has returned to a new location at the Mary Winspear Centre. While you’re there, be sure to check out Glory Bakehouse for some delicious brownies.
Where: Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Avenue, Sidney
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., every Sunday through October 10th
As restrictions ease, workout classes are finally re-opening and going back to regular capacity.
If you are interested in trying something new but want to try out some different workouts before committing to a lot of money we have a list of 15 new-member deals at local fitness studios!
BC was recently named Canada’s #1 staycation destination! Which means we are envied by the rest of Canada for our beautiful views, nature and relaxing environment.
Plan a staycation on our very own island with this list of 10 unique Airbnb getaways right here at home!
From the creators of the ‘Islands Passport’ comes a brand new addition, the ‘Distillery Passport’. The passport includes a complimentary flight and deals at 37 distilleries across British Columbia, with 14 of them located on Vancouver Island alone!
The Distillery Passport is $47.99 and can be purchasedonline.
Where: Vendors across Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and throughout BC!
When: Available July 21st at 9 a.m., and can be used until June 2022.
On a local subreddit, r/VictoriaBC, user fyrite asked the public to share their favourite local dishes, the go-tos, the ones people can’t live without.
Victoria delivered, and over 300 recommendations were posted to the thread.
Fyrite took the recommendations and created a mass spreadsheet and map to allow the suggestions to be easily accessible and enjoyed by everyone!
Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just starting out, location has a huge impact on the quality of your running experience. Pick a cool August morning or break out the running shoes later in the day when everything cools down. If you’re not sure where to go for your run, we have created a list of 10 scenic routes just waiting for you to explore!
Netflix is currently holding their biggest casting call ever, allowing the public to apply to be a part of some of their most popular reality TV series.
To apply, all you have to do is record and submit a one minute video of yourself.
If you’re ready for your big break, visit the Netflix Reality website to apply!
At a press conference on Monday, Dr. Bonnie Henry said the burgeoning COVID-19 cases that have prompted a fourth wave have mostly become a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
For one father, that statement is especially poignant as his son battles heart failure at the Royal Jubilee Hospital, and waits for a bed to open up in the ICU.
Victoria Buzz spoke to Kirk Roberts whose 38-year-old son, Joel, suffered a sudden heart failure which has left him in a coma since Saturday night.
Joel, a mine-worker in the Yukon as well as a part-time housekeeper at the Campbell River hospital, was working at the hospital when he suffered his episode.
On Sunday, he was flown to Royal Jubilee hospital from Campbell River where he was admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and is on standby for admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Unfortunately, beds in the ICU are fully occupied, which Kirk Roberts suspects is due to COVID-19 patients, specifically the unvaccinated.
“He [Joel] is in a coma, and they’ve tried bringing him out. He’s still in CCU, and he’s on a ventilator. He’s just waiting for a bed in the ICU,” Roberts said.
“Before he had his episode, I felt that yes, people need to get vaccinated. But this has made that sentiment stronger. Stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about everyone else.”
While not everyone in an ICU bed is due to COVID-19, currently there are 12 people in ICU due to COVID-19 and 15 people remain in hospital.
The Royal Jubilee Hospital has been one of two hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in the Island Health region.
Victoria Buzz reached out to The Royal Jubilee Hospital to determine how many beds were taken by COVID-19 patients, but did not receive an answer in time for publication.
While there are some breakthrough cases of COVID-19 in fully-vaccinated individuals—most of which are aged 80 and over—almost 70 per cent of cases are among the unvaccinated.
(BCCDC)
For Roberts, despite the urge for people to get vaccinated, he mostly wants his son to get better, and he’s playing a waiting game on whether his son can get the intensive care he needs.
“The CCU is by no means an ill-equipped environment for him to be. I don’t know what they can do for him in the ICU specifically, but the doctors and nurses tell me they’d like to move him there since it better suits his needs,” Roberts said.
But with ICU beds full at the Royal Jubilee Hospital this is one of many stories that have underscored the COVID-19 pandemic it began last March.
With Canada entering its fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with cases trending upward since the end of July, it’s unclear what more can be done to change the minds of the unvaccinated other than through public perception.
Today, Island Health reported an additional case of COVID-19 related to the outbreak was detected at Sunset Lodge.
A staff member of the long-term care center tested positive, bringing the outbreak totals to 15 staff members and 20 residents.
To date, more than 200 individuals of the center have had negative COVID-19 test results. 78 residents and 123 staff members have been tested.
Island Health reported that a majority of the residents continue to experience mild or no symptoms.
The health authority will have additional presence at the location to take any further actions required during the outbreak.
Social visits are restricted unless essential. Enhanced cleaning and infection control measures continue and there is twice a day screening and expanded COVID-19 testing.
According to a release from the executive director on August 27th, 100 per cent of residents and 96 per cent of staff members have been fully vaccinated.
While rare, breakthrough cases in fully-vaccinated individuals are still occurring, especially among those aged 80 and up who first received their first COVID-19 vaccinations in January.
The northbound lanes of the Trans Canada Highway (HWY 1) have opened up again from Carey Road to Tillicum Road following an incident in the area early this morning.
Traffic was snarled in the morning, backing traffic up to the intersection of Douglas Street and Saanich Road.
The section of the Galloping Goose Trail in that area was also closed.
The southbound lanes of the highway were closed briefly after the incident occurred just before 3 a.m. but was reopen while Saanich Police continued their investigation around the area and northbound traffic was redirected.
Saanich Police told Victoria Buzz they are investigating a crime scene but did not release any more information on the incident.
The BC Ministry of Health reported 801 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, September 2nd.
There have been 167,654 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
New cases were reported in these health regions:
Vancouver Coastal Health: 128
Fraser Health: 267
Island Health: 66
Interior Health: 237
Northern Health: 103
Resident outside Canada: 0
There are currently 5,931 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
159,560 people who tested positive have recovered.
There are now a total of 199 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 116 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
6 new people have died from COVID-related causes, making the provincial death toll 1,824.
Data by Vaccination Status:
From August 25th to 31st, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 79.0% of cases and from Aug 18-31, they accounted for 84.0% of hospitalizations.
Past week cases (August 25th to 31st):
Total: 4,861
Not vaccinated: 3,345 (68.8%)
Partially vaccinated: 496 (10.2%)
Fully vaccinated: 1,020 (21.0%)
Past two weeks cases hospitalized (August 18th to 31st):
Total: 268
Not vaccinated: 203 (75.7%)
Partially vaccinated: 22 (8.2%)
Fully vaccinated: 43 (16.0%)
Outbreaks
There have been two new health-care facility outbreaks at Northcrest Care Centre (Fraser Health) and Hillside Village (Interior Health).
The outbreak at Nelson Jubilee Manor (Interior Health) has been declared over.
There are a total of 20 active outbreaks, including:
Long-Term Care: Heritage Village, Northcrest Care Centre (Fraser Health), Arbutus Care Centre, Brock Fahrni (Vancouver Coastal Health), Village at Mill Creek – second floor, Cottonwoods Care Centre, Brookhaven Care Centre, Spring Valley Care Centre, Kamloops Seniors Village, Hillside Village (Interior Health) and Sunset Lodge (Island Health)
Acute Care: Peace Arch Hospital, Chilliwack General Hospital (Fraser Health) and Fort St. John Hospital (Northern Health)
Assisted or Independent Living: Nicola Meadows, Hawthorn Park, David Lloyd Jones, Sun Pointe Village, Hardy View Lodge and Rose Woods Village (Interior Health)
Island Health:
Island Health reported 66 new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region and 461 active cases.
Breakdown of cases on Vancouver Island:
South Vancouver Island Active cases: 224 │Total Cases: 2657
Central Vancouver Island Active cases: 171 │ Total Cases: 3020
North Vancouver Island Active cases: 66 │Total Cases: 893
15 people remain in hospital with 12 in ICU.
There have been no new deaths in the Island Health region today, and a total of 48 deaths on Vancouver Island.
Vaccinations
As of today, 84.6% of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 76.9% received their second dose.
In addition, 85.3% of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 77.9% have received their second dose.
To date, 7,494,567 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in BC; 3,565,148 of which are second doses.
Royal Roads University, in partnership with Island Health, will be offering three on-campus clinics this September, to help those who still need their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The RRU vaccination clinics are open to anyone aged 12 and over needing to be vaccinated. This includes students, staff, faculty and the general public.
Appointments are not required. In order to receive a dose, you are required to bring your personal health number (PHN). If you do not have a PHN, you can call Immunizations BC at 1-833-838-2323 and one will be created for you.
If you are unable to receive this number prior to visiting for your vaccination an Island Health staff member at the clinic will be happy to assist you.
The clinics will be held in the university’s Dogwood Auditorium.
Wild Cafe & Bistro, located at 632 Yates Street, has closed indefinitely.
A notice of repossession was posted to the former business’ front door on August 25th, and according to the post, the building owners have changed the locks and no one is allowed on the premises without their permission.
According to the employees, of which there were four, they were not being paid on time, the equipment at the cafe was broken or faulty, there was insufficient coverage and not enough workers, and the owner was negligible in her duties.
Industrial Workers of the World were contacted by the employees for options on what they were entitled to.
Victoria Buzz contacted the owner of Wild Cafe, Marla Donaldson in July.
Donaldson said she had been in Mexico since winter and because of border closures had not been able to return.
Donaldson maintained that she paid her employees and denies any claims otherwise.
Donaldson refuted claims that the machines were broken, other than the dishwasher, and she said she remained open to communication about employee’s needs.
But this isn’t an isolated incident for Donaldson.
After publishing the first article, Victoria Buzz also received a call from an artist who had hung her art in Wild Cafe & Bistro who also claimed Donaldson had failed to pay her.
In 2015, a former employee with Wild Cafe won a claim after the employee was not compensated financially.
Victoria Buzz has reached out to the property manager for more information on the closure.
If you experienced some disruptions to your cell service today, you aren’t alone.
Multiple Telus and Bell customers across British Columbia and Alberta reported outages throughout the morning today, with the most amount of reports coming in around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Mobility customers in Western Canada may be experiencing issues with their wireless services. Our teams are investigating the situation with our partners and working to ensure service is restored as soon as possible. We thank you for your patience.
According to some Telus and Bell customers, both texting and calling was affected by the network issue, with some customers even receiving messages that read their service has been “temporarily turned off by our data provider.”
As of 1 p.m., both Bell and Telus Support tweeted that the network error had been resolved and service had been restored in British Columbia and Alberta.
[Update] Service has been restored for our BC and AB mobility customers. We'll continue to monitor to ensure network stability, and we appreciate your patience!
Service has been restored for customers in Western Canada. In exceptional circumstances, some customers may have to reboot their phone or toggle it to airplane mode and back to restore full functionality. Thank you for your patience.
Back in April, Rogers experienced a similar outage that lasted most of the day. When the network did eventually reconnect, the company announced it would be offering its customers credit for the lengthy outage.
Victoria’s parliament buildings will light up pink Thursday night following yesterday’s protests against the newly announced vaccine passports that broke out in cities across BC.
The crowds targeted government buildings and hospitals, blocking traffic and impeding emergency vehicle access.
In Nanaimo, Island Health health care workers were verbally assaulted by protesters on their way to and from work. One worker was even physically assaulted.
In response to the targeting of health care workers in the province and across Canada, the BC Legislature will light up in pink tonight.
Tonight, the #BCLeg will be lit in pink to show some 💗 to BC's healthcare workers — a gesture of gratitude for all that they have done and continue to do during the #COVID19 pandemic, in the face of many challenges.
The BC Legislature aims to show BC Health Care workers the province’s appreciation for the hard work they have done during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their dedication to the public’s health.
“A gesture of gratitude for all that they have done and continue to do during the #COVID19 pandemic, in the face of many challenges,” the BC Legislature wrote in a tweet.
A 43-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a woman in the small Vancouver Island community of Bowser on Tuesday.
The victim has been identified as Caroline Bernard. Luciano Emilio Mariani, her former partner, is facing one count of second-degree murder, according to BC RCMP.
On Tuesday, August 31st, emergency services were alerted to reports of an injured woman in the 5000 block of Thompson Clark Drive West in Bowser.
Oceanside RCMP were then contacted shortly after 4 a.m. to assist paramedics and firefighters already on scene.
“Upon arrival, members located a person suffering from serious injuries already being treated by both BC Ambulance and the Fire Department,” said Sergeant Chris Manseau, division media relations officer for the BC RCMP.
Bernard later succumbed to her injuries.
RCMP would not elaborate on the relationship between the two but confirmed the two knew each other and there is no ongoing risk to the public.
“The investigation still remains active, as VIIMCU remains on scene determining what exactly occurred and led to this event.”
Yesterday, thousands of unmasked demonstrators gathered in cities across British Columbia and other parts of the country to protest mandatory vaccination policies in the province.
Demonstrators in Vancouver, Kelowna, Kamloops, Victoria, Prince George and Nanaimo took to the streets to voice their objection to the province’s vaccine passport set to come into effect on September 13th.
Although the federal government has not made vaccines mandatory for the general public, some provinces, including BC, are introducing their own temporary measures to limit who can participate in certain activities and visit specific businesses.
As of September 13th, the province will require proof of vaccination for certain non-essential activities.
The vaccine passport will require people to have at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine by the outlined September date, and to be fully vaccinated in October.
Many employers are also choosing to require their employees be vaccinated as a condition of employment.
The protesters took to the streets, focusing specifically on targeting government buildings and hospitals.
In Victoria, the front lawn of the BC legislature saw large crowds with anti-government, anti-vaccine and anti-vaccine passport signage.
Island Health workers in Nanaimo were verbally abused as they came and left work during the protests and one health-care member was physically assaulted.
I am a nurse at #NRGH. I was verbally assaulted by these #antivax#antimaskers trying to leave work this afternoon. Because I’m a health care provider. Somehow I am infringing on their #Freedom?
In a written statement issued yesterday, Island Health’s President and CEO Kathy MacNeil condemned the protesters’ actions against Island Health workers.
“What happened to our health-care teams today is not acceptable to me nor to the people and communities they serve,” said MacNeil.
“Our health-care teams deserve respect and support, no matter what personal beliefs we hold.”
In Vancouver, protestors took to the Vancouver City Hall and the Vancouver General Hospital, blocking essential access to medical services.
Large protests also took place in front of Kelowna General Hospital and the Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan.
Similar protests broke out in Toronto after the announcement of the province’s vaccine passport.
BC Premier John Horgan also weighed in on the day’s events and showed his support of health care workers in a series of tweets:
Health-care workers have been true heroes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, working long hours in difficult conditions to care for us, our loved ones & to keep our communities safe.
While everyone has the right to peaceful protest, the targeting and harassment of health-care workers at health-care facilities today is completely unacceptable. We stand by our health-care workers and support them fully.
That remains our number-one priority and we will take the steps we need to, to save lives and keep people safe – as the vast majority of British Columbians expect.
Tonight, the BC Legislature will be lit up in pink in appreciation for the province’s healthcare workers to show gratitude for their dedication and hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tonight, the #BCLeg will be lit in pink to show some 💗 to BC's healthcare workers — a gesture of gratitude for all that they have done and continue to do during the #COVID19 pandemic, in the face of many challenges.
A makeshift community has formed at Esquimalt Lagoon due to challenges finding housing in the Greater Victoria area.
Samantha, who prefers her last name to remain anonymous, told Victoria Buzz that she began living in a rooftop tent over her Jeep after her landlord evicted her and her partner three months ago.
“We were renting a basement suite, and our landlord was going to rent it out to his brother who has health problems. He gave us two months, so we started looking for places,” Samantha said.
“We couldn’t find anything though. We spent every waking moment looking for something. We’ve used all the avenues. We have jobs.”
Samantha and her partner, Jai, have now been living near Esquimalt Lagoon for a month.
Among them are van-lifers—those who choose to live in a van.
But while there are people choosing to live there, there are those who feel like they have no choice but to live in a van.
“Every landlord says ‘your application is among at least a hundred other applicants,’” Samantha said.
“It’s hard enough to get someone to call you back; it’s even harder to actually get a place.”
Renters are falling through the cracks, and the 30-car community, Sam said, is brimming with full-time workers looking for full-time housing.
“Every night there’s around 30 cars staying here. It’s a little community. There’s even a BC government employee that lives out of his car,” said Samantha.
While the problem of finding a home is still present for Samantha and Jai, they also have to worry about fines.
Though, Colwood bylaw officers have been surprisingly sympathetic.
“One day I went to do laundry and there was a sticker with a warning notice about my car being parked overnight,” Samantha said.
“We often move our car so that doesn’t happen. Luckily I talked to bylaw, or the City of Colwood, and they said they likely wouldn’t tow us, they just wanted to receive a call from us so we could explain what was going on.”
“My boyfriend works full time and I am also self employed,” the post said.
“We have money, just nowhere to rent. The government needs to put a cap on the rent prices or something because this is becoming a rapidly increasing problem that people need to be made aware of.”
Since posting on Facebook, Sam said she has received numerous offers for housing, but despite this short-term fix, the housing crisis still remains, and for those who don’t post to Facebook, the problem still persists.
Victoria Buzz met with Peter, whose name has been changed for anonymity.
Peter is a recently divorced father who has been living out of his Kia Sorento for the past month while he looks for a rental. He wears a sports jacket, has a well-groomed beard, and even owns a boat in West Bay Marina. For all intents and purposes, Peter looks presentable.
But finding a rental that suits his needs has been a painstaking process since according to the National Occupancy Standard (NOS), single parents need to have a separate bedroom for their child.
This is a challenge to Peter who cannot afford a two-bedroom home and does not qualify for government support and subsidies due to his salary which is close to $60,000 a year.
Without government or family support, Peter has found himself part of this community of people who are working full time and living out of their cars.
“I don’t consider what I do camping,” he said.
“I’m just temporarily living out of my car. I have a job and I want to rent, I just can’t find anything and I don’t qualify for any support.”
Now, Peter is looking to move, even as far as Ottawa, but risks losing his career and moving away from his daughter.
While the provincial government has recognized BC’s housing crisis by finding homes for people who have been unhoused, creating supportive housing, helping with rental assistance in the private market and fostering home ownership, there are still cases where people are falling through the cracks.
Meanwhile, tenancy advocacy group, Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS) disagrees with Landlord BC on whether the issue comes down to vacancy control—which would reduce the ability of landlords to raise rent after a tenant moves out—or diversifying the housing supply and holding city councilors responsible.
For now, Peter isn’t sure what options there are for him, and with University going back to in-person and even students struggling to find places to rent, the Victoria housing crisis goes on with no end in sight.
An area of downtown Victoria was closed early this morning following a stabbing that left one person with serious injuries.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning in the area of Quadra Street and Pandora Avenue.
Arriving VicPD officers located a man suffering from potentially life-threatening injuries and immediately rendered first aid on the victim until paramedics arrived.
The man was transported to hospital where he remains and his injuries are now considered non-life-threatening.
VicPD’s Major Crime Unit took over the investigation and are now seeking witnesses and information.
The intersection of Quadra Street and Pandora Avenue was closed until approximately 6 a.m. this morning.
Anyone with information is asked to call VicPD Report at (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
As real estate prices continue to rise, buying a home in Victoria continues to seem like an impossible dream for many. Inflated house prices, along with the rental crisis currently happening in the city, can make finding a place to live in Victoria seem like an impossible task.
According to current MLS statistics, the trend in Victoria real estate continues to be low inventory and high prices when it comes to purchasing a home.
The report shows property sales are down 15.1% in August 2021 compared to the same time period last year.
Sales of single family homes are down 29.9% and condo sales are up 31.% compared to August 2020.
At the end of August 2021, there were 56.7% fewer properties on the market compared to August 2020.
The benchmark price for a single family home in August 2020 was $889,800. Today, the price for the same home has increased by 22.4% to $1,089,400.
We continue to find ourselves in a sellers market, because with these prices, who can buy!?
For those who are curious, here are the 5 most expensive homes currently for sale in the Victoria area:
This food truck, located in Cook Street Village, has a different take on the classic food truck: it serves brunch.
To the savoury breakfast sandwiches or smashed or loaded hash to the sweet acai smoothie bowls, this food truck provides exactly what its namesake suggests—food for the morning people.
With a great location, you can grab a nice breakfast sandwich and walk it off on Dallas Road.
Scour the Greater Victoria area for this mobile burger joint!
From a house made quinoa patty to a bourbon bacon jam topped beef patty, Deadbeetz Burgers offers a vast array of burgers topped with in-house made ingredients.
A business in Esquimalt has decidedly walked out and closed their business today in protest over the BC Vaccine Card that is expected to launch September 13th.
The owners of the cafe have also joined the protest currently taking place on the lawns of the BC legislature over the vaccine mandate.
Sunnyside Cafe, a breakfast and lunch restaurant, took to their Instagram to announce the walkout.
In the post, Sunnyside Cafe cites the provincial vaccine passport mandate and the freedom of choice as their reasons they are closing their business today.
The walk-out is over the proof of vaccination requirement for people attending certain recreational settings, like going to restaurants, that will begin September 13th in BC.
In an Instagram post from two days ago, Sunnyside Cafe made clear their position that they are not “anti-vax” but rather “pro-choice” and expressed that they have received plenty of support from both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
“Our industry is being forced to enforce this mandate in order for people to gain access to our services,” Sunnyside cafe wrote on their Instagram.
“We find this very disheartening that we must enforce this and potentially block access to people who do not wish or cannot for any reason provide proof of a vaxx.”
The Freedom to Work rally is scheduled to go until 2 p.m. today. Photos from the protest show over a hundred people attending.
Sunnyside Cafe will open tomorrow for regular service.
After operating a drive-thru only event last year due to COVID-19, the highly-anticipated event is happy to announce the return of in-person dining and entertainment.
The 2021 event has already begun, starting celebrations from August 27th to 29th. However, it’s not too late to enjoy some delicious Greek cuisine, as the event will continue this weekend!
This year, you can order your favourite Greek dishes to dine at the event or take to go. Online ordering for take-out orders will open two days before the event, with a priority pickup line.
The Greek Heritage Project Museum, which explores the history of the Greek people on Vancouver Island, will be open for visitors from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Greek Orthdox Church will also be offering tours from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the weekend.
The event has put together a comprehensive health and safety plan to keep guests safe. Precautions include monitoring event capacity, practicing social distancing measures and installing sanitization stations.
Masks are encouraged but not mandatory.
Over the years, Greek Fest has contributed to more than a dozen organizations and charities that serve children, families and communities across Vancouver Island.
This year, Greek Fest 2021 is supporting the Tilicum School Hot Lunch Program in partnership with Saanich Firefighters.
The Victoria Clipper service is returning, but hang tight; you won’t be able to visit Seattle right away.
On September 17th, the Clipper will resume service for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started back in March 2020. That is over 17 months of suspended international service.
“We are ecstatic to set sail for Victoria once again,” Scott Meis, Vice President of Marketing for Clipper Vacations USA, Inc. told Victoria Buzz.
“It has been a roller coaster of a year once again, but to have a set date and defined framework for safe travel is the exact starting point we needed to ramp up our international operations.”
Although Canada has been welcoming American visitors through the border since early August, non-essential travel by Canadians into the states remains restricted. This is due to the current border closure, which has been extended until at least September 21st.
This means, at this time, only Americans will be able to take advantage of the newly resumed Clipper service.
The Victoria Clipper plans to operate a four-day schedule over weekends and also add extra sailing around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.
“Unfortunately during this time, we had to say good-bye to quite a few of our veteran reservations agents and onboard crew, many of whom had built their entire career around Clipper but due to personal circumstances needed to find new careers,” said Meis.
“Nevertheless, we feel highly fortunate and grateful that we are still able to rehire a large portion of restart staff who were with us prior to the pandemic.”
In order to travel to Victoria, US visitors will be required to provide proof of full vaccination, a negative PCR COVID-19 test as well as a quarantine plan.
Proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test result must be submitted through the ArriveCan web portal or app within 72 hours of their planned arrival.
Travellers will also be required to submit a second COVID-19 test upon entering Canada.
Masks will still be required onboard the vessels, as per the state’s newly reinstated indoor mask mandate.
Along with the extra costs of these COVID-19 tests, there may be other reasons deterring Americans from visiting Victoria.
Recently, the US State Department urged Americans to “reconsider travel” to Canada due to what the Centers for Disease Control calls “high” levels of COVID-19 infection.
“It’s of course something we are keeping a very close eye on each day,” said Meis, , when asked how this announcement may affect travel on the Clipper.
“Our confidence with those who do choose to travel is the steps and requirements each traveler will need to go through before they step foot on Victoria Clipper V.”
“We are working very closely with both Canadian and U.S. Customs to ensure all compliance and requirements for entry are met.”
Only about 61 per cent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated, compared with nearly 75 per cent of Canadians over the age of 12.
BC Ferries has announced they will test late-night sailings for both commercial goods and a limited number of recreational customers.
The pilot project will run for a month starting September 7th and finishing on October 7th.
The late-night sailings, provided by the Queen of New Westminster, will depart from Tsawwassen at 9:15 p.m. and depart from Duke Point at 12:15 a.m. between Monday and Thursday.
A limited number of passengers travelling in underheight vehicles will be accommodated on these sailings’ main car decks.
The additional sailings are expected to address the increased demand for commercial goods brought on by e-commerce, groceries, and general freight, BC Ferries said in their press release.
BC Ferries said these sailings will provide “valuable feedback” from customer reactions to the sailings.
BC Ferries recommends booking in advance and catering services will not be provided during these sailings.
Hands up if you’re ready to experience live music again!
Luckily for all of us, it’s back in abundance this weekend at Langford’s All Ways Home music festival – a two-day lineup of some of Canada’s best artists.
Happening September 4th and September 5th at Starlight Stadium, the first (and last) big music fest of 2021 will also offer food and beverage vendors, wheelchair accessibility, VIP easy access for bicycle patrons (including a free and secure bike lockup) and more.
All Ways Home will feature some of Victoria’s best bands, such as Current Swell, Jesse Roper, and Jon & Roy, between Saturday and Sunday.
Among the headliners will also be First Nations hip-hop duo, Snotty Nose Rez Kids.
Tickets for the much-anticipated event are available online now, but we’re also giving away a pair of general admission tickets to one lucky winner – you’ll find contest details below!
You’ll find the full festival lineup and daily schedules here.
There will be a shuttle bus running from Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre to ensure a safe ride to and from the festival, with return tickets available for purchase – and also free parking at the venue itself.
All COVID-19 protocols will be in place throughout the event – which has gotten the green light by Island Health – and although Starlight Stadium is an outdoor 9000 capacity stadium, the event has limited access to only 4500, to ensure plenty of room for distancing within the field and stands.
While not required, the festival encourages and welcomes concert-goers to wear a mask while attending, and free masks will be available for all attendees.
There will also be sanitation stations throughout, and real washrooms with flush toilets and sinks.
The venue, Starlight Stadium, regularly houses the Pacific FC and offers covered seating for festival patrons who wish to sit, and a comfortable artificial turf and several shade tents to stay comfy.
CONTEST
To win a pair of two-day General Admission passes to the All Ways Home Music Festival, do one or more of the following:
SHARE this article on Facebook/Instagram and leave a comment below once you have (1 entry)
COMMENT below who you’d take with you to the music festival! (1 entry)
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until Friday, September 3rd at 10 a.m. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter. Make sure to register when commenting below.
When: September 4th and September 5th, 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. both days
Tickets: General admission tickets are $125 for adults, $95 for children 12 and under, and free for children under 5. Available for purchase online now!
Victoria couple Donald and Janice MacDonald are $1 Million richer after winning a Lotto 6/49 draw.
The ticket, which was purchased at the Royal Oak Country Grocery in Victoria, won the July 28th 2021 $1 Million Guaranteed Prize Draw.
Upon scanning the ticket, the couple was stunned to learn they had won.
“I was in the Shoppers [Drug Mart] in Royal Oak,” said Donald.
“I thought I had won $1,000 and then I put my glasses on and realized there were a lot more zeros!”
Instead of just telling their friends they had won, the pair came up with a fun and creative way to share the exciting news.
“We took two couples out for dinner,” said Janice.
“During dessert, I said ‘let’s play a game of telephone.’”
“That’s the one where you whisper something in their ear and then they whisper it in the next person’s ear. We told them they couldn’t react to what they heard. It was so fun watching them hear it and try not to react!”
When asked how they plan to spend their winnings, the pair said there was no rush.
“We will probably do a little bit of celebrating. We are going to take it slow and think about the best way to spend the money,” said Donald.
In 2021, BC lottery players have already redeemed more than $60 million in winnings from Lotto 6/49.
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at a Victoria long-term care home has claimed one resident’s life.
The outbreak at the Salvation Army-run Sunset Lodge has quickly infected 13 staff and 13 residents since August 27th.
Island Health confirmed the one death on Tuesday.
According to the health authority, Sunset Lodge is taking precautions to limit social visits and resident staff movement and they are continuing to use PPE including masks and eye protection.
Island Health will have additional presence at the site to take any further actions required during the outbreak.
Social visits are restricted unless essential. Enhanced cleaning and infection control measures continue and there is twice a day screening and expanded COVID-19 testing.
According to a release from the executive director on August 27th, 100 per cent of residents and 96 per cent of staff members have been fully vaccinated.
While rare, breakthrough cases in fully-vaccinated individuals are still occurring, especially among those aged 80 and up who first received their first COVID-19 vaccinations in January.
However COVID-19 cases are mostly affecting unvaccinated individuals.
From August 16th to 29th, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 80.2% of cases and 88.7% of hospitalizations.
As of this publication, 85.0% of all eligible adults in BC have received their first dose and 77.6% received their second dose.
For the first time since 2012, Canada has claimed gold in the women’s hockey world championship.
The victory came after Marie-Philip Poulin scored the winner in overtime, making it a 3-2 win over the United States.
Poulin is now the only woman to have scored three gold-medal-winning goals in her career, two being Olympic-gold.
This gold medal win comes nearly a decade after their last time at the podium, and after last year’s women’s championship in Nova Scotia was cancelled due to COVID-19.
The captain’s winning goal did not come easily in Tuesday’s game as it was initially waived off by an on-ice official, but the Canadian team did not hesitate to begin their celebrations despite the call.
“I kind of knew that it was in, but when we heard that buzzer it was a great feeling,” said Poulin.
“To do it at home, in Calgary, was very exciting.”
Blayre Turnbull, Canada’s assistant captain, actually suffered a leg injury during the celebration, and was carried off the ice before returning to celebrate – from a stretcher!
Goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens made 23 saves in the victory, while USA’s Nicole Hensley stopped 29 shots in the bout.
It’s no wonder why Canada and the US needed the extra time to settle the score, as their rivalry is considered one of the greatest in modern-day sports.
Tuesday’s game was the fifth time in their last seven clashes for the gold medal win.
A summer camp in Crofton has closed for the remainder of the season following a COVID-19 outbreak occurred at their facility.
On August 15th, 250 children arrived at Camp Qwanoes to begin their summer camp, which was set to run until August 20th.
The children, who were all within the eight to eleven age group, arrived from all over British Columbia.
On August 19th, three days after this group of children arrived to camp, one child felt unwell and went home.
The child was not showing classic COVID-19 symptoms and did not receive a rapid test at camp.
Two days later, on August 21st, the camp received news the child had tested positive for COVID-19.
Up until this point, Camp Qwanoes had successfully run seven weeks of summer camps during the 2021 season without incident. This included more than 2,200 kids attending the camp.
“In the days that followed we learned that some more campers from other cabins that week also tested positive,” Scott Bayley, Camp Qwanoes Executive Director told Victoria Buzz.
“We immediately contacted the families of each camper in the affected cabins. We isolated the staff who had contact with them that week.”
The process to assess the camp’s staff included administering many Point of Care Rapid Tests. As a result, at least 20 children and 13 out of 174 staff members and leadership program students also tested positive that week.
Although being double vaccinated was not a requirement of being employed by Camp Qwanoes, staff were strongly recommended to do so.
The staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 were not double-vaccinated two weeks prior to the outbreak. All double vaccinated staff tested negative for COVID-19.
Due to this outbreak, both day and overnight camps planned for this week, as well as an overnight camp, were cancelled.
“The health and safety of all our campers and staff is always of the highest priority,” said Bayley.
“Throughout the pandemic we have always sought to meet or exceed the public health guidelines.”
Although Island Health did not recommend the week-long closure, the camp is taking precautionary measures.
“Cancelling camp was an agonizing decision,” Bayley continued, as cancellation of the last camps of summer affects about 500 eager campers set to attend Camp Qwanoes.
Camp Qwanoes is currently finishing the summer with one four day camp for a reduced number of local children. This camp is set to end this Thursday, September 2nd.
When asked why they decided to move forward with one last camp this summer, Bayley responded, “Our Medical Health Office told us it was safe, we love kids, and our staff could not imagine ending the summer without one final week with campers!”
Camp Qwanoes wanted to give overnight campers who just had their camp cancelled a chance to come before summer ended.
The camp was closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a large waitlist to attend camp festivities in 2021.
This last camp of the summer gives those who had been on the wait list the opportunity to attend camp before the season is over.
According to the camp’s executive director, the facility does have registered nurses and first-aid attendants on hand, and rapid COVID-19 tests are also available for anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) is currently investigating a homicide in Bowser.
On August 31st, emergency services were alerted to reports of an injured person in the 5000 block of Thompson Clark Drive West in Bowser.
Just after 4 a.m., Oceanside RCMP were contacted to assist BC Ambulance, who had arrived on the scene.
“Upon arrival, members located a person suffering from serious injuries already being treated by both BC Ambulance and the Fire Department,” said Sergeant Chris Manseau, division media relations officer for the BC RCMP.
The individual later succumbed to their injuries.
“VIIMCU has been notified and is now investigating. While we are still in the preliminary stages of the investigation.”
The BC Coroners Service is also conducting an investigation, and the name of the deceased was not released.
One person was taken into custody and police believe this was an isolated incident.
”There is no on-going risk to the general public,” said Manseau.
Anyone with information is asked to call the VIIMCU information line at 250-380-6211.
UPDATE: West Shore RCMP have confirmed that Stefanie and baby Knightly have been located.
— original:
West Shore and the Ministry of Children and Family Development are seeking the public’s help in locating a missing high risk 28-year-old mother and her newborn son.
According to RCMP, Stefanie Mansell left Victoria General Hospital with her 3-week-old son Knightly around 1:30 p.m. Monday, August 30th prior to discharge.
She is considered a high risk person and police are concerned for the woman and the her child’s well-being.
RCMP believe Stefanie is in the Victoria area and has no fixed address.
Stefanie is described as:
Caucasian
28 years old
Brown or dyed hair
Blue eyes
Stands 5’2″ tall
Weighs about 110 lbs
Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Stefanie Mansell or baby Knightly Mansell should call 911 and report to police immediately.
Central Saanich police are seeking witnesses following an incident where the driver of a large truck drove over the hood of a police cruiser Tuesday afternoon.
The incident occurred around 3:50 p.m. today when a Central Saanich police officer was attempting to stop a green 4×4 Dodge pick-up at the Co-op gas station on West Saanich Road for a traffic violation.
The driver of the truck drove the vehicle onto the hood of the police cruiser then pushed it aside before fleeing the scene.
Police described the suspect as Caucasian and approximately 25 to 30 years old. He was wearing a mask and long sleeve sweater. The truck did not have a front license plate.
The officer was not injured during the incident.
Police are asking people to not approach the driver if seen and to call 911 immediately.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Central Saanich Police at 250-652-4441. Or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Traffic has been interrupted in downtown Victoria at the Johnson Street bridge due to an ongoing protest.
Crowds have blocked traffic going either way in protest of police violence at old-growth logging protests in Fairy Creek near Port Renfrew.
According to VicPD, at approximately 3:30 p.m. this afternoon protestors occupied the Johnson Street Bridge and impeded traffic in both directions.
According to the Fairy Creek Instagram page, the protest initially started at Centennial Square at 3 p.m. but quickly moved down Johnson Street.
Organizers said the goal of the protest is to stand with BIPOC kin against RCMP violence and colonial extraction of the land.
Between 50 to 100 protestors have now taken to the Johnson Street Bridge from Centennial Square with an ‘Abolish the Police’ protest sign hung across the bridge.
An Instagram post is calling more protestors to block the downtown Victoria bridge.
Protesters have been seen painting red hands on the bridge to signify the over 800 arrests at Fairy Creek.
There’s no word on when traffic will reopen. VicPD said they are currently on scene to ensure safety. In a second update, VicPD said protestors have advised officers that police, fire and transit vehicles will be blocked from crossing the Johnson Street bridge which could cause potential delays for these services.
Due to a protest on the Johnson Street Bridge, we have closed the bridge to #yyjtraffic. Please use an alternate route. #yyj
RCMP have been previously criticized for their use of excessive force in Fairy Creek, as well as been taken to court for establishing illegal exclusion zones for media.
Dr. Bonnie Henry presented the latest epidemiological modelling for COVID-19 in a press conference on Tuesday.
The modelling comes amidst a fourth wave that Dr. Bonnie Henry said it is fueled by the unvaccinated.
Worse is that it is harming fully-vaccinated elderly and vulnerable populations.
According to data, breakthrough cases are among those aged 80 and up; meanwhile, hospitalizations and cases are climbing, affecting the age groups between 40-59 and 60-79, and mostly among the unvaccinated.
Transmission is mostly occurring among those aged 18 to 29 years old, as well as case counts, which Dr. Henry says is in part due to being the last to have vaccines available to them, as well as lifestyle.
COVID-19 cases amongst children between one and eight are also increasing slightly, which Dr. Bonnie Henry says is due to unvaccinated parents.
From August 16th to 29th, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 80.2% of cases and 88.7% of hospitalizations.
In the media briefing Dr. Bonnie Henry mentioned how a total of 14 cases admitted to hospital have been those under the age 19; three of those cases have gone to the ICU, but all of them have recovered.
Hardest hit by COVID-19 right now is the Interior Health Region where 50 per cent of total COVID-19 cases are originating, affecting 15 per cent of the population.
This is in part due, Henry said, because residents are struggling to access COVID-19 resources due to wildfires.
However, Dr. Bonnie Henry said that the most recent mask mandate is working.
And with more people getting vaccines since the institution of the BC Vaccine card on September 13th, there’s reason to be hopeful.
As of this publication, 85.0% of all eligible adults in BC have received their first dose and 77.6% received their second dose.
A 25-year old Qualicum Beach man who threatened someone with a firearm and bear-sprayed another victim has been charged by Oceanside RCMP.
On Tuesday, August 24th,at approximately 5:00 PM, Oceanside RCMP received two separate reports involving the same vehicle.
The first incident reported involved the suspect pointing a firearm from his black Honda Civic while stopped at an intersection in Parksville.
Later that night, the same suspect sprayed a man on the orange bridge with bear spray.
Oceanside RCMP and BC Highway Patrol investigated the area for the vehicle and its occupant and around 7:20 p.m., an officer conducting speed enforcement on Highway 19 near the Nanoose Bay rest stop spotted a small black car traveling south at well over the posted speed limit.
The car’s speed was confirmed at 128 km/h in a 90 km/hr zone using a laser speed measuring device. The car made no attempt to slow down as it went past the officer, who then jumped on his motorcycle and went after the vehicle that had disappeared from view.
The officer found the black Honda Civic was involved in a major collision near Capilano Road.
Fire Rescue and BC Ambulance services were called in due to the extensive damage to the vehicle. Police said the airbags had been deployed and the extent of injuries to the lone driver was unknown.
The driver was taken to hospital where it was determined his injuries were minor in nature.
Upon investigation, police found evidence of the two prior weapons offences and a partially consumed bottle of liquor.
The driver provided a mandatory breath sample which resulted in a Fail reading.
The suspect has been identified as 25-year old Clayton Solberg from Qualicum Beach.
He was charged with two counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. In addition, he received a 90-day driving prohibition due to failing the roadside breath test and issued a violation ticket for speeding.
Solberg appeared before a judge and has since been released on bail with a number of conditions pending further court appearances.
