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— Emcon Services Inc., South Island Division (@EmconSouthVI) March 5, 2021
The Malahat was closed earlier today for about 20 minutes as a pre-planned closure to safely accommodate rock scaling crews’ access to a cliff adjacent to the highway.
It’s unclear if this slide is related to the work being conducted earlier in the day.
An estimated time of reopening has not been provided yet.
Health Canada announced on Friday that they have approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine marks the fourth vaccine Health Canada has approved and is also the first single-dose vaccine approved in the country.
Compared to the other vaccines, the Johnson & Johnson has a lower efficacy but can be stored at refrigerated temperatures of 2 and 8 degrees celsius for 3 months.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines store at -70 and -20 degrees, and have an efficacy of 95 per cent and 94.1 per cent, respectively.
The approval of the Johnson & Johnson comes a week after the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Like AstraZeneca, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a vector-based vaccine.
Vector technology has been used by scientists since 1970 and is used with gene therapy and cancer.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has only been approved for adults 18 and older, as of now.
A clinical trial of for the ages between 12 and 17 has been authorized by Health Canada.
Side effects can include pain and tenderness near the injection site, headache, muscle pain, and a mild fever and chills – all which resolve in a few days.
“The benefits outweigh the potential risks,” Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada’s chief medical adviser,
She also reiterated that regardless of efficacy, all of the vaccines are good in fighting against areas that matter most – preventing serious illness, reducing hospitalizations, and curbing the number of deaths.
Canada has ordered 10 million doses from Johnson & Johnson, with options for up to 28 million more.
Canada is expected to see the first doses near the beginning of April.
What is a viral vector based vaccine?
All of the vaccines aim to produce immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus by stimulating an immune response to an antigen 3 – a foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.
Typical vaccines introduce a modified or weakened version of the virus/antigen, so that your antibodies can build an immune response and stave off the virus.
Whereas, the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) and the viral-vector vaccines (AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson) work by using the cells in a patient’s body to produce the antigens themselves.
These vaccines create antigens which trigger an immune response, and viral vector vaccines insert their genetic into a harmless virus (adenovirus) without causing disease into the subject.
This triggers a strong immune response without the need for an adjuvant – a booster.
This is why the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered in one dose.
In theory, one type of vector can be used to deliver code for a range of different antigens, which can speed up vaccine development.
Several UVic students are self-isolating after being exposed to COVID-19 last weekend.
In a statement released Thursday, the University of Victoria confirmed several students were exposed to the virus while off-campus on February 27th and 28th, and voluntarily decided to self-isolate.
There are reports those students attended an off-campus house party.
“We want to assure students, faculty, staff, parents and guardians that the university is working closely with Island Health to respond to this situation and support the university community,” said UVic in the release.
The students who were exposed are all enrolled in online classes and will remain in self-isolation under the direction of Island Health.
“We understand that this news may cause concern and anxiety, not only to those directly involved, but to the broader community,” said the university in a statement Wednesday.
“Please be assured, UVic is working closely with and following the guidance of Island Health to respond to the situation and ensure all steps are being taken to protect the health and safety of students, faculty and staff.”
The university says that all close contacts of the students have been contacted by Island Health and have been reassured by health authorities that there is no evidence of on-campus transmission at this time.
As of this publication, there are 272 active COVID-19 cases in the Island Health region.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting seven strong, influential women that not only head their businesses, they do so locally – right in our very own Westshore Town Centre.
On March 8th, the world collectively comes together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women – the day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific – it’s everywhere.
We’re also doing a special giveaway from each of the seven businesses we highlight this week – read below to find out what you can win!
Today, we meet Davianna of Bali Kiss, pictured above with her daughters Taylor and Madison, and chat with her about what it means to be a woman in business in the Westshore:
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised here in the Western Communities. When I was young I spent a lot of time traveling and met my (ex)husband overseas. When we decided to have kids I knew this community was exactly where I wanted to raise them. I have three amazing children; two daughters and a middle son and I’m about to be a first-time grandma.
Tell us a little about your store/business: Bali Kiss is a small family-run fair trade store that carries wood carvings, handicrafts, jewelry, clothing and so much more from Thailand and Bali. We source all of our products directly from the families and I focus on finding and carrying products made by women and supporting independent small women-owned businesses. Many of the families I buy from I have known for 25+years and it has been so wonderful to introduce my family to their growing families.
How long have you owned your business? The company was started 32 years and I took over sole ownership in 2006 when my husband and I separated. It has been amazing to have this company grow and change with my family – we started as a little kiosk in the mall that would only be set up during Christmas and Summers selling hand-made jewelry to currently having 3 store locations selling clothing, jewelry and so much more. Knowing that my daughters are interested in continuing the family business, seeing what new ideas they bring to the company, and watching them grow into also being their own strong independent business owners has been so rewarding.
What do you love about being a woman in business? I love my independence and I love the people and connections I have been able to form. I love the families I have been able to support overseas. I most of all enjoy being able to strive to be a strong female role model for my children and those around me.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to women thinking about starting their own business? Planning is essential. You can do it. Form a plan. Start small. Set manageable goals. If you are passionate about what you are wanting to center your business around and you have a plan, you can do it.
(Bali Kiss / Westshore Town Centre)
You can find Davianna in Westshore Town Centre at #166-2945 Jacklin Road.
CONTEST
To enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card to Bali Kiss, please complete one or more of the following:
COMMENT below with your favourite woman in business! (1 entry)
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m on Sunday, March 14th. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter. Make sure to register when commenting below.
Nanaimo RCMP are asking the public for help to identify the driver of a vehicle involved in a hit and run that took place in February.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, February 3rd, in the parking lot of the 7-11 located at the corner of Fifth Street and Bruce Avenue.
According to witnesses, the suspect driver was seen backing out of a parking stall on the west side of the 7-11.
The vehicle then accelerated forward approximately 30 feet and struck a 37-year-old male victim.
He was flipped onto the hood of the vehicle by the impact and fell to the ground. The driver did not stop and continued out of the parking lot.
The vehicle was seen driving through a stop sign at Fifth Street and Bruce Avenue without stopping and continued southbound on Bruce Avenue.
The victim suffered lacerations to his head and was transported to the Nanaimo hospital for treatment.
Nanaimo RCMP have distributed a photo showing the vehicle speeding away from the scene, as well as photos of two people who may have witnessed the collision.
(Nanaimo RCMP)
Police are confident neither person was involved in the incident, but they were seen speaking with the suspect driver prior to the collision and could have information about the investigation.
Anyone who has information on this incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345, and quote file # 2021-4180.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has added two new Victoria flights to their list of COVID-19 public exposure sites.
The first flight departed from Kelowna on February 22nd bound for Victoria.
The second flight departed from Victoria on February 24th to Kelowna.
Both were Pacific Coastal Airlines flights.
It’s unclear whether both flights were taken by the same individual.
Affected travellers are asked to monitor their symptoms for 14 days and call 8-1-1 to get tested if they do develop symptoms of the virus.
Symptoms to watch for include headaches, muscle aches and fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and loss of appetite, fever or chills, shortness of breath, sore throat and cough or worsening chronic cough.
As of this publication, there are 272 active COVID-19 cases in the Island Health region.
RCMP are investigating an overnight break-and-enter that occurred at a North Saanich school early Wednesday morning.
The incident took place at approximately 4:15 a.m. on the morning of March 3rd at Parkland Secondary School on McDonald Park Road.
Police said the suspects entered the school from the roof, triggering a response from both security and police.
A ladder used by the suspects to access the interior of the building from a skylight was found inside the school.
Sidney/North Saanich RCMP discovered the suspects had torched an ATM machine located inside the school but were unsuccessful, however, the machine was extensively damaged.
A police dog was brought in and completed a thorough search of the area around the school, as well as the interior, but no suspects were located.
According to a letter sent to parents, the school did open in time for the arrival of students, but a section of the school was closed off while the damaged area was cleaned up.
Anyone with information can call Sidney/North Saanich RCMP at 250-656-3931 or to Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 564 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Thursday March 4th, for a total of 82,473 cases since the pandemic began.
New cases were reported in these health regions:
Vancouver Coastal Health: 168
Fraser Health: 279
Island Health: 35
Interior Health: 36
Northern Health: 46
The number of active cases in B.C. increased from 4,654 to 4,743.
There are now a total of 248 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 63 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
Four new people have died from COVID-related causes, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,376.
8,659 people are under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.
A total of 76,289 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.
Outbreaks
There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks.
There are seven active outbreaks in long-term facilities, three in independent living centres, and eight in acute-care facilities.
Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
— Emergency Info BC (@EmergencyInfoBC) March 4, 2021
— original:
A potential tsunami risk for BC is being assessed after an 8.1 magnitude earthquake (upgraded from 8.0M) occurred in the Kermadec Islands region, north of New Zealand today.
The quake struck roughly 600 miles northeast of New Zealand on Thursday afternoon. It’s the third major earthquake in less than eight hours on the Kermadec Fault, which passes east of New Zealand.
A magnitude 7.3 hit near New Zealand early on Thursday, followed by a 7.4 about 560 miles to the north a few hours later.
Canada Day on the Coast. Photo via Instagram @mattyrobphotography
A recently released report ranked Canada as one of the most free countries in the world.
Freedom House, a non-profit organization, conducts its annual global report based on political rights and civil liberties.
Canada accumulated a score of 98 on a scale of 100 with 100 being the best.
Among Canada, some of the most free countries were Sweden (96), Finland (100), Uruguay (98) and Norway (100).
The US (82) and China (9) had notably lower scores.
Last year, Canada was ranked 99 out of 100.
Freedom House reports that Canada has concerns about fair elections, transparency with governments, treatment of prisoners, privacy, and religious and journalistic freedom. There are also concerns over discrimination against Indigenous peoples and vulnerable populations.
Canada’s higher score was maintained based on how the federal government has acknowledged and attempted to address these issues.
Points were awarded and judged by electoral process, political pluralism and participation, functioning of government, associational and organizational rights, personal autonomy and individual rights.
Canada was docked points within the freedom of expression and rule of law categories.
This was due to the approval of a provincial law in Quebec that prohibits civil servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols in the workplace.
Further affecting Canada’s score was Conservative senators blocking a bill mandating a UN national action plan for Indigenous peoples in 2018.
Freedom House also measured Freedom on the Net, which Canada garnered an 87/100.
While internet access is not prohibitively expensive or beyond reach for most Canadians, the digital divide of geography and affordability is still taken into consideration among Canadians in a lower class.
The federal government named universal access as the first of ten draft principles for a digitally connected Canada in its October 2019 Digital Charter, which may affect our Freedom of Net score in the future.
Westshore RCMP are investigating a collision involving a vehicle and pedestrian at a busy Langford intersection Wednesday evening.
The incident occurred around 5:20 p.m., March 3rd, when a female pedestrian was struck by a vehicle as she was crossing eastbound on Veterans Memorial Parkway at Goldstream Avenue.
Police say the vehicle – a gold, four-door sedan – was turning left from Goldstream Avenue heading southbound when the collision happened.
The vehicle briefly stopped then promptly left the scene.
Police are asking for the suspect to come forward.
West Shore RCMP seeking witnesses and dash cam video for pedestrian injured in hit and run at crosswalk VMP/ Goldstream on Mar 3rd at 5:20pm. Suspect is older male driving 4 door gold coloured sedan. Police asking him to come forward.
According to police, there were many vehicles around that intersection at the time and investigators are also looking to speak with any witnesses that could provide crucial information in this case.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
With mass vaccinations about to begin next week, Island Health has released a list of locations where residents can get their first COVID-19 vaccine.
On Monday, March 1st, the BC government declared that Phase 2 for vaccine rollout is in effect.
Phase 2 expands the populations of people who can receive a COVID-19 vaccine to protect the most vulnerable, protect the health care system, and control outbreaks; it was meant to roll out in February but was delayed due to a supply shortage.
Priority will be given to those who haven’t been vaccinated from Phase 1 yet.
Beginning on March 8th, seniors over the age of 90 and indigenous people that are 65 and over who receive home support services or live in an independent living or a seniors’ supportive housing facility, will be able to call Island Health to book their vaccination appointment in their community. Immunization appointments will begin on March 15th.
March’s immunization plan breaks down like this:
Year of birth in or before 1931 (90+ seniors) / Year of birth in or before 1956 for Indigenous people
Registration will open on March 8th
Immunizations begin on March 15th
Year of birth in or before 1936 (85+ seniors)
Registration will open on March 15th
Immunizations begin on March 22nd
Year of birth in or before 1941 (80+ seniors)
Registration will open on March 22nd
Immunizations begin on March 29th
Here is the latest list of vaccination centres across Vancouver Island:
The list of locations was made available for a short amount of time on Wednesday but have since been removed while Island Health updates the list. Island Health told Victoria Buzz the official list will be made available in the coming dates.
Victoria – University of Victoria – McKinnon Building (11 Gabriola Road)
Duncan – Cowichan Community Centre (2687 James Street)
Nanaimo – Beban Park (2300 Bowen Road)
Nanaimo – Cedar Community Hall (2388 Cedar Road)
Port Alberni – Alberni Athletic Hall (3727 Roger Street)
Port Hardy – Port Hardy Health Unit (7070 Market Street)
Port McNeill – Port McNeill Health Unit (1775 Grenville Place)
Salt Spring Island – Salt Spring Island Health Unit (160 Fulford-Ganges Road)
Tofino – Tofino Public Health Unit (265 First Street)
Booking an appointment for a vaccine
Island Health is asking people to only call in when they’re eligible. If you miss your initial age-based dates, you can call anytime after you become eligible.
The call centre will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The number to call is 1-833-348-4787.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting seven strong, influential women that not only head their businesses, they do so locally – right in our very own Westshore Town Centre.
On March 8th, the world collectively comes together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women – the day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific – it’s everywhere.
We’re also doing a special giveaway from each of the seven businesses we highlight this week – read below to find out what you can win!
Today, we meet Tanya of Shears Hair Design and chat with her about what it means to be a woman in business in the Westshore:
Tell us a little about your store / business: Shears has been in the heart of Westshore since 1984. We are family owned and operated, and my parents, Carol and Gary Talbot, both grew up in the Westshore and still live locally here today. We have 6 amazing stylists here at Shears they are all very lovely people, and we carry Milkshake, loma Organic, AG and Joico products to name a few. We do hairstyles for everyone!
What (or who) inspired you to open your store? I’ve worked at Shears for the previous two owners. I believe 17 years now I’ve been a stylist here. The last owner gave me the opportunity to buy the salon from her, so I went into business with my parents. It’s always felt like home for me here at Shears, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to see what we could do with the challenge of a owning business. It was a great family learning experience.
What do you love the most about having a business in the Westshore? I love the fact I grew up here, it’s home. I get to run into people that either I grew up with or my parents did, I like the small home town feel, where everyone knew everyone.. it’s fun when you get to hear about back in the day!
What do you love about being a woman in business? I love being from a country where we have the same opportunities of a man. There is nothing holding us women back from owning business and making our dreams come true. We are very blessed to live where we do.
What are some challenges about being a woman in business? I’d say I can be a little softer hearted with staff; I find men have a easier time putting their foot down. But really, there are challenges for every business and every business owner. Especially with COVID it has made being a small business owner very hard on all of us. Small business being affected doesn’t just affect the business owner, it affects the employees and their families as well people who have lost their jobs. The fact that women own over 50% of businesses in Canada shows how far we truly have come in not taking a back seat because of gender. Women are being just as involved in creating jobs for people in our communities.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to women thinking about starting their own business? Go for it! If your really want it you will make it happen, it’s a great feeling seeing a healthy work environment that you created. I’m actually in my beginning stages of building my second business in the clothing industry! I just want to see what I can do in this life and nothing is stopping me but me, so I’m going for it I want to see how big I can take this.
(Shears Hair Design / Westshore Town Centre)
You can find Tanya at Shears Hair Design in Westshore Town Centre at #138-2945 Jacklin Road.
CONTEST
To enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card to Shears Hair Design, please complete one or more of the following:
COMMENT below with your favourite woman in business! (1 entry)
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m on Sunday, March 14th. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter. Make sure to register when commenting below.
Two Vancouver Island markets were among the winners at the eighth annual BC Farmers’ Market Awards earlier this week.
The awards celebrate the best of B.C.’s market sector and are administrated by the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM).
This year’s ceremony was performed virtually for the first time ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the winners were two markets from Vancouver Island: Esquimalt Farmers Market, which took home the award for Farmers’ Market of the Year (Large, 61+ vendors), and the LUSH Valley Food Action Society (part of Comox Valley Farmers’ Market), which was recognized as Partner of the Year.
“To highlight one market, or even one person, in this particular year was a daunting task for the judges,” said awards judge, Jon Bell.
“From hand sanitizers and masks to crowd control and traffic flow, it was a season to remember. Congratulations to all of our market members, managers, vendors and volunteers for rising to the challenge.”
The award panel included Bell, who is a farmer and Sechelt and former BCAFM president; Wylie Bystedt, former BCAFM president and president of McLeese Lake Farmers’ Market; and Georgia Stanley, former BCAFM membership coordinator.
Victoria Police are investigating the second death in as many days at Beacon Hill Park.
Detectives with VicPD’s Major Crime Unit (MCU) are currently attending a fatal vehicle fire that occurred in the park this morning.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 4th, VicPD was called to Beacon Hill Park where the Victoria Fire Department was already on scene extinguishing a fire in a camper van.
Police confirmed that one person has died in the blaze, which occurred near the Children’s Petting Zoo.
Family and friends have identified the victim of the fire as 60-year-old Michael Lockhart.
MCU detectives and officers with VicPD’s Forensic Identification Services are currently still on the scene of the fire and are continuing the investigation.
The fire comes just one day after a woman was found dead near the park, and police are still looking to speak with anyone who was in the area of Dallas Road between Cook and Douglas streets, where the body was found.
This incident, along with yesterday’s body discovered on Dallas Road, are still under investigation, and VicPD reiterates that they will provide further updates as soon as they become available.
Vic Fire Dept responding to a camper van fire a few minutes ago in Beacon Hill Park. Let's pray no one was injured. pic.twitter.com/Xv5aWSsNSA
UPDATE March 9th: The man who was the subject of a missing person search by VicPD has been located safely.
— original:
VicPD are asking the public for help to locate a high-risk missing man who was last seen in Victoria Monday.
55-year-old Daniel Fortin was last seen on the afternoon of March 1st, 2021.
He is described as a white man with short grey hair, brown eyes and a mustache. Fortin is 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighs approximately 165 pounds, with a slim build.
He was last seen wearing a blue sweater, blue jeans, running shoes, and a blue and grey baseball hat.
Anyone who sees Daniel Fortin is asked to call 911, and people with information on his whereabouts can call (250) 995-7654, extension 1.
Those who wish to report information anonymously can call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
VicPD are asking for information regarding a mischief spree that took place on Cook Street on Tuesday. The mischief spree involved two separate incidents that saw two damaged vehicles, along with a multi-unit residential building, both which happened in the 100-block of lower Cook Street.
The first incident happened on the morning of Tuesday, March 2nd, when an officer received two reports of damaged vehicles parked on Cook Street. One vehicle was parked in a driveway and was damaged by a brick, while the other was parked on the street and damaged by a large rock. No property was stolen from either of the vehicles.
The second incident involved the flood of a multi-unit residential building, where someone deliberately placed a running outdoor hose in a staircase leading to the basement, and clogged the outer drains of the building with paper.
According to police, there is no reason to believe these incidents are connected. Investigators are asking those who experienced similar incidents in the area of the 100-block of Cook Street to report them to VicPD.
Officers are seeking witnesses and surveillance video as they investigate.
Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to call VicPD at (250) 995-7654.
VicPD are looking to speak with anyone who was on a section of Dallas Road Wednesday morning as they continue to investigate the sudden death of a woman in Beacon Hill Park.
Just after 6 a.m. this morning, March 3rd, police were called to the south side of Beacon Hill Park after a woman was found unresponsive.
VicPD officers along with paramedics performed CPR on the woman, but she was confirmed deceased at the scene.
Investigators are interested in speaking with any pedestrians, cyclists, or drivers who were on Dallas Road, between Cook and Douglas streets, in the hours between midnight and 6 a.m. today.
They are particularly interested in dashcam footage from anyone driving in that area.
Victoria Police have confirmed that this incident remains under investigation, and will release more details when they become available.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call VicPD at (250) 995-7654.
To report anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 542 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Wednesday March 3rd, for a total of 81,909 cases since the pandemic began.
New cases were reported in these health regions:
Vancouver Coastal Health: 131
Fraser Health: 292
Island Health: 31
Interior Health: 43
Northern Health: 44
The number of active cases in B.C. decreased from 4,679 to 4,654
There are now a total of 246 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 64 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
Two new people have died from COVID-related causes, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,372.
8,617 people are under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.
A total of 75,819 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.
Outbreaks
There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks.
As of yesterday, there are eight active outbreaks in long-term facilities and eight in acute-care facilities.
Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
One man has been arrested after an employee at a downtown pizza place was attacked Tuesday night after asking two men arguing to leave the area.
In a media release, VicPD said they were called to the Pizza Hut located at 911 Yates Street just after 10 p.m. for a report of a man violently attacking a woman.
Police located the woman lying on the sidewalk suffering from non-life-threatening injuries sustained from the assault.
The woman, an employee of Pizza Hut, had asked two men who were arguing outside the front doors of the restaurant to leave the area.
One of the men then attacked the victim, reportedly punching her several times. The suspect then threw the victim to the ground before fleeing the scene.
The following morning, around 8 a.m., VicPD officers located and arrested the suspect in the 1000-block of View Street.
The woman was transported to hospital by BC Emergency Health Services paramedics. The severity of her injuries is unknown.
VicPD are asking anyone with surveillance footage in the area of the assault, or information about the incident to contact them.
The suspect remains in police custody.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact VicPD at (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
(Jason Aldean at Sunfest Country Music Festival 2019/Photo by RMS Media)
The federal government announced further details on Tuesday on the implementation of $181.5 million in funding for the live arts and music sectors in 2021-2022.
The funding will stimulate employment in the arts and culture sector, support ongoing operations during the pandemic, and prepare for the sustainable recovery of the sector.
“It is during these challenging times that artists and cultural workers—whose outputs and creations so uplift and inspire all Canadians —need our government’s support the most,” said Simon Brault, Director and CEO for the Canada Council for the Arts.
Canadian Heritage will be distributing $65 million, which includes $40 million for COVID-safe events funds, which aims to stimulate short-term contracting of arts and cultural workers.
The Canada Council for the Arts will invest the remaining $116.5 million with the bulk going to new initiatives like Digital Now and the Explore and Create Program.
Culture and recreation industries have seen the largest job loss after the accommodation and food industries since March of last year.
Independent contractors, like actors, dancers, directors, choreographers and other artists have had to rely on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or its successor programs to stay afloat.
The Canadian Survey on Business Conditions revealed that the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry was one of the three most severely impacted industries on all survey indicators.
Compared to other countries, Canada appears to be further behind on their support for the arts and live entertainment sector.
In December, the US government announced the Save Our Stages act that allocated $15 billion of funding for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions.
The U.K. government approved £1.57 billion ($ 2.77 billion) for the arts sector, giving grants of up to £80,000 to at-risk venues in Britain.
Canada’s funding seeks to stabilize the arts and music sectors, while investing in research and technology in these same sectors.
The new digital innovation initiative, Digital Now, will receive $50.5 million to enable arts groups, collectives, and organizations to target virtual audiences with the help of IT support and technicians.
An additional $66 million in funding will go to the Canada Council’s Explore and Create program to enable artists to research, create, and produce new works that aren’t necessarily for immediate performance.
“If people can’t perform right now, maybe we can fund them so that they can do research, [to] create things that we will see a year from now,” Guilbeault said.
The terms and conditions of the funding agreements will explicitly state that 50 per cent of the project budget must be committed to the fees of artists, arts workers, and support staff.
“We are honoured to receive $116.5 million to support the recovery and sustainability of the arts sector, by making it possible for eligible recipients to financially bridge this prolonged period of pandemic restrictions, “ said Simon Brault
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP received several reports of an assault with a weapon.
When officers arrived, they located two men outside of a residence. One of the men immediately surrendered to officers, while the 17-year-old boy was found suffering from life-threatening injuries.
The injured teen was taken to Cowichan District Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The victim was a resident of North Cowichan and investigators believe this was an isolated incident between the two individuals who were known to each other.
“For many in the community the thought of a 17-year-old being stabbed to death is incomprehensible,” says North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment’s commander Inspector Chris Bear.
“Investigators, victims service workers and grief counselors have been contacted and are working with those most affected by this tragic incident,” added Bear.
According to a media release from RCMP, the suspect who was not identified has since been released from custody without conditions.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Detachment at 250-748-5522.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting seven strong, influential women that not only head their businesses, they do so locally – right in our very own Westshore Town Centre.
On March 8th, the world collectively comes together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women – the day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific – it’s everywhere.
We’re also doing a special giveaway from each of the seven businesses we highlight this week – read below to find out what you can win!
Today, we meet Vanessa of #1 Tailor 2 Fit and chat with her on what it means to be a woman in business in the Westshore:
Tell us a little about your store: I have been a seamstress over 38 years, self-employed within the same field for 35 years. My son Sheldon is currently managing the shop, and has been with the tailor shops over 10 years. He is very polite and patient with customers, and he’s looking forward to continuing this path. Our tailor shop focuses on altering all kind of clothing to fit each individual body shape and bring the out the best in them.
What (or who) inspired you to open your store? I discovered my talents in grade 10, in high school HomeEc. After that, I dropped out and became a seamstress.
What do you love the most about having a business in the Westshore? WestshoreTown Centre is a great place to start a business, it’s in a convenient location with lots of free parking and consumer traffic.
What do you love about being a woman in business? I’m proud of being a woman in business, I’m independent and enjoy my rewards from the challenges of hard work and long hours.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to women thinking about starting their own business? Success definitely involves time, effort, ambitions and no pain no gain for sure.
(#1 Taylor 2 Fit / Westshore Town Centre)
You can find Vanessa at #1 Tailor 2 Fit in Westshore Town Centre at #106-2945 Jacklin Road.
CONTEST
To enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card from #1 Tailor 2 Fit, please complete one or more of the following:
COMMENT below with your favourite woman in business!
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 14th. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter. Make sure to register when commenting below.
Victoria Police are investigating white supremacist graffiti left at an Esquimalt ballpark on Sunday.
The graffiti was discovered shortly after 2 p.m. at Lions Park located in the 800-block of Lampson Street.
The graffiti included white supremacist content.
The hate graffiti comes just days after an overnight vandalism spree saw private and public property tagged with graffiti echoing statements regarding Beacon Hill Park and Bylaw.
Later that same day, a headless Queen Elizabeth II statue was discovered in Beacon Hill Park which has still not been recovered.
There’s no evidence that these events are linked but it continues a trend of graffiti and tagging around Victoria these past two weeks.
The white supremacist graffiti content has since been covered by paint.
Patrol officers are seeking witnesses and information on any of the events.
Anyone with information on this incident or the graffiti spree last week, VicPD are asking you to call their non-emergency at 250-995-7654.
Victoria’s latest and greatest burger joint Betty Burger launched in November out of a secret ‘ghost kitchen’, meaning they don’t actually have a store front, and offered home delivery only.
But now that the secret’s out, so to speak, they’re offering an in-person dining experience for a very limited time – and it’s right out of the popular downtown eatery Nautical Nellies.
From March 1st to March 17th, you can enjoy the magic of Betty Burger at the Nautical Nellies location from noon to 4:30 p.m. each day – lunch only!
Betty’s wide array of comfort foods are created to the highest of standards, created and prepared by the chefs at Nautical Nellies Steak & Seafood House from their virtual kitchen.
Aside from Betty’s famous burgers made with 3 cuts of Angus prime beef, they also serve up hand-dipped shakes (salted caramel is our favourite!), delectable sides (mac and cheese poutine, anyone?) and even stuffed cookies for dessert.
And the expansive burger line-up is beyond words, which spotlights features such as ‘Hangover Be Gone’ – a 1/3 pound patty with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, a sunny side up egg plus avocado and smoked bacon – you can check out the full menu here.
Don’t miss your chance to enjoy one of the best burgers in the city with a side of ocean view and great cocktail in hand while you have the chance!
Betty Burger also offers deliverythrough the Tutti app as well as Door Dash and SkipTheDishes, so you can devour these homestyle delicacies from the comfort of your own home, delivered directly to your door!
BC Ferries has launched new discount fare options on advance bookings for three major routes from Metro Vancouver to Vancouver Island.
Two new pricing options will be available: the Saver fare and Prepaid fare. BC Ferries says the Saver fare will be the transportation service’s most affordable fare and will be available on less busy sailings.
“Our routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island account for about 60 per cent of overall ferry traffic, so we are introducing our new fare choices on these routes first,” said Mark Collins, BC Ferries’ President & CEO.
“When the Province lifts essential travel orders, these fare options will provide our customers more value, flexibility and certainty. They will also help spread traffic across the day, reducing sailing waits at popular times.”
The two additional fare options, which join the two existing “At Terminal” and “Reservation Only” fares, will be available for advanced purchase on the Vancouver (Tsawwassen) — Victoria (Swartz Bay), Vancouver (Tsawwassen) — Nanaimo (Duke Point) and Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) — Nanaimo (Departure Bay) routes.
BC Ferries says the new Saver fare will be the most affordable choice, with prices ranging from as low as $49 this spring up to $73.70.
These discounted prices will vary at different times but will be available on select sailings year-round, and also come free of a reservation fee.
The new Prepaid fare requires that customers pay their reservation and travel in full at time of booking. Reservation fees will be waived if booked more than seven days in advance. BC Ferries says the Prepaid fare offers the greatest flexibility for changes to a booking.
This differs from the existing Reservation Only fare, which allows customers to only pay their reservation fee at the time of booking.
The new fare choices are being implemented immediately as BC Ferries prepares for increased demand following an expected lifting of essential travel orders.
Victoria Police are currently investigating what they are describing as a ‘sudden death’ that occurred in Beacon Hill Park this morning.
Shortly after 6 a.m. on Wednesday, VicPD were called to the park for reports of an unresponsive person.
Upon arrival, Victoria Police along with paramedics confirmed the person was deceased.
According to VicPD, traffic on Dallas Road between Cook and Douglas streets is temporarily closed while they continue to investigate, and the coroner is currently on scene.
The investigation is still in the early stages, and VicPD says they will provide further updates as soon as they are available.
The provincial government announced on Tuesday that it has formally extended BC’s state of emergency.
It will continue through the end of the day on March 16th.
A provincial declaration of a state of emergency allows the province to implement provincial emergency measures and access assets that may be necessary to prevent, respond to or alleviate the effects of an emergency.
This week, the province announced it was commencing Phase 2 of its vaccination rollout, which expands the demographic of people who can receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
“Vaccines have already saved the lives of some of our most vulnerable, and yesterday we announced the next phase,” said Premier John Horgan.
With AstraZeneca’s approval last Friday and the window between second doses widening, Dr. Henry expressed her optimism that by mid-July, anyone who wants to get immunized, may do so.
There is hope that with more vulnerable populations immunized and the protection a single-dose provides, that the state of emergency will be lifted sooner.
The original declaration of BC’s state of emergency was made on March 18, 2020.
The Province, together with law enforcement, continues to enforce measures under the Emergency Program Act (EPA) to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“We need to keep following public health orders so we can all get through this next period safely until more vaccines are ready,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
“In the meantime, orders will continue to be enforced for those who refuse to do their part and risk undoing the progress we’ve made so far.”
According to the province, 1,058 violation tickets for contraventions of provincial guidelines were issued from August 21st, 2020 to February 12th, 2021.
Police have issued 94 violation tickets, totalling $102,695, to individuals who were in violation of the Federal Quarantine Act.
Further extensions of the provincial state of emergency can be made for periods of up to 14 days at a time.
After awaiting Provincial Health Orders, the WHL has received the green light to play this season.
The BC division teams will open their season on Friday, March 26th and games will be played in one of two hub cities in Kamloops and Kelowna.
The Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, Prince George Cougars, Vancouver Giants, and Victoria Royals will form the BC division.
The BC division will be the last of four divisions in the WHL to begin playing.
The WHL Central Division opened on February 26th, while the East Division Hub Center in Regina starts on March 12th and the U.S. Division begins playing on March 19th.
The Kamloops Blazers, Prince George Cougars, and Vancouver Giants will be based out of the Hub Centre in Kamloops; whereas, the Kelowna Rockets and Victoria Royals will be based out of the Hub Center in Kelowna.
The WHL’s B.C. Division will play a 24-game regular season, kicking off on Friday, March 26th with a full schedule to be announced at a later date.
WHL players and staff will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival followed by an additional quarantine period and a second COVID-19 test before being permitted to engage in any team activity.
If a WHL Club has one or more players or staff test positive for COVID-19 at any point in the season, they will be required to suspend activities for a minimum of 14 days.
No spectators will be permitted to enter and watch the WHL games.
The WHL cancelled last year’s season due to COVID-19 on March 18th. The Victoria Royals had only four games left in their regular season play and had secured a spot in the 2020 WHL Playoffs, which were also cancelled.
The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 438 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Tuesday March 2nd, for a total of 81,367 cases since the pandemic began.
An additional 254 cases were reported in the past seven days due to a data system overflow.
New cases were reported in these health regions:
Vancouver Coastal Health: 137
Fraser Health: 249
Island Health: 19
Interior Health: 16
Northern Health: 17
The number of active cases in B.C. increased from 4,665 to 4,679.
There are now a total of 243 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 63 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
Two new people have died from COVID-related causes, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,365.
8,445 people are under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.
A total of 75,255 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.
Outbreaks
There have been two new health care facility outbreaks.
The outbreak at Eden Gardens is now over.
There are eight active outbreaks in long-term facilities and eight in acute-care facilities.
Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
The body of a 60-year-old woman has been recovered after a fatal boat fire in Ladysmith last weekend.
On February 27th, at 5:19 a.m., Ladysmith RCMP received a report of a boat fire at the Ladysmith Marina, where two people were living aboard.
When emergency crews arrived, a 50-foot vessel was fully engulfed in flames. One man was rescued by the operator of a small skiff, while a 60-year-old woman was unable to escape.
“Tragically, the second occupant of the boat, a woman in her 60s, was unable to escape the blaze,” says RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.
The man sustained what police described as non-life-threatening injuries.
According to RCMP, the vessel had gone adrift in the harbour and was towed to a nearby beach at Slag Point where the Ladysmith Fire Department put out the fire.
In a media release today, investigators from the Ladysmith RCMP said they have determined there were no signs of criminality.
“The investigators have determined that this was a tragic incident, and there is no indication of any criminality,” said Corporal Chris Manseau, spokesperson for the Vancouver Island RCMP.
The remains of the woman have since been recovered from the boat.
“The Ladysmith RCMP want to thank the quick actions of those nearby witnesses who rescued the man from the boat as it was engulfed in flames,” said Staff Sergeant Steve Perret, acting detachment commander of the Ladysmith RCMP
“Their quick actions likely saved this person’s life.”
During a routine traffic violation last Saturday, February 27th, Oak Bay Police observed what appeared to be a police badge hanging from the rearview mirror of a suspect’s Ford Mustang.
The 25-year-old Victoria man was pulled over when he failed to stop at a stop sign on King George Terrace and Beach Drive.
The badge was seized and found to have an inscription saying, “Special Police” with a Greater Victoria Area police agency referred to on the back.
The imitation badge was presented in a manner that would have caused a person to believe it was legitimate, and that the driver could have been a police officer, according to Deputy Chief Mark Fisher.
The suspect modified the badge by adding a VicPD bike reflector on the back of the badge, according to Oak Bay Police.
(Oak Bay Police)
“At this point in time, we do not have any information to indicate that he was using it for any nefarious purpose,” Deputy Chief Mark Fisher told Victora Buzz in an email statement.
“He says that he bought the badge as part of a Halloween costume. That does not explain why he chose to keep it hanging in his car window 4 months after Halloween had passed.”
Charges are not being considered at this time, contrary to Section 130 (1) (b) of the Criminal Code of Canada offence for falsely representing a public officer.
While air travel has slowed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it hasn’t slowed down Victoria International Airport from winning two major awards from the Airport Council International.
The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards survey their customers throughout the year and 108 awards have been won by 89 individual airports around the world.
Victoria International Airport joins Toronto Pearson International Airport as the two Canadian airports in a group of six North American airports that received the award for Best in Hygiene by region.
YYJ also snagged themselves the title of Best Airport by Size and Region (which is under 2 million passengers per year in North America).
This is the third time YYJ has received recognition by the ACI, as they also received accolades for airport service back in 2012 and 2014.
“This year more than any other, the awards recognize those airports that have listened to their customers and adapted the services and experiences they offer to meet changing needs and expectations under very trying circumstances,” said ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira.
The ASQ Departures program measures passengers’ satisfaction across 34 key performance indicators. More than half of the world’s travellers pass through an ASQ airport.
Based on the new hygiene-related questions added to the survey questionnaire, ACI introduced the Best Hygiene Measures by Region this year in accordance with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we hit the one-year mark since Canada declared a public health emergency, it’s hard to imagine anything affecting the world as much as COVID-19.
But today, the illicit drug overdose report released by the BC Coroners Service demonstrates the severity of the worsening opioid crisis coming into 2021.
BC experienced the highest number of drug overdose deaths ever recorded in January.
Due to the toxicity of the drug supply, an average of 5.3 lives were lost each day.
“We lost 165 more family members, friends, co-workers and teammates in January as a result of the toxic illicit drug supply in B.C. This staggering number follows the deadliest year our province has ever experienced when it comes to the overdose crisis,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
To compare, this is a 104 per cent increase over the number of deaths in January last year.
One in five of the deaths noted extreme levels of fentanyl.
Toxicology results report a greater number of cases with extreme fentanyl concentrations in April 2020 and January 2021 compared to previous months.
Alongside fentanyl, the Coroner’s report noted additional drugs relating to overdose deaths.
The January report recorded fourteen deaths due to carfentanil, which is a more lethal variable of fentanyl, and noted an increase in etizolam – an unlicensed benzodiazepine.
The detection rate of benzodiazepines has rapidly increased from 15 per cent in July 2020 to 49 per cent in January 2021.
Etizolam is particularly dangerous because it increases the likelihood of an overdose due to its respiratory effects.
“The findings suggest that the already unstable drug supply in B.C. is becoming even deadlier, underscoring the urgent need for supervised consumption options, prescribing for safe supply, and accessible treatment and recovery services,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner, BC Coroners Service.
No deaths have been reported at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites.
“Addressing mental health and addictions is a priority of the B.C. government, and we are resolved to continue our work to add more treatment and recovery options, more services and supports for communities throughout B.C., and to work with the federal government to move forward on decriminalization,” said the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic still persists around the world, in BC, it is both paralleled and underscored by the ongoing and deadly opioid epidemic.
An additional 336 new childcare spaces will be coming to Vancouver Island with the majority of those being located in Greater Victoria.
The new spaces were announced on Tuesday and are part of an ongoing project that is being funded by the provincial Ministry of Children and Family Development.
The new licensed child care spaces will be located in Greater Victoria, Sooke, North Saanich, and Tahsis.
The Greater Victoria area will see 210 new spaces added, 62 will be in Sooke, 56 spaces will open in North Saanich and 8 spaces will be added in Tahsis.
Since July 2018, more than 20,000 new licensed child care spaces have been funded in British Columbia, including 1,630 spaces in Greater Victoria, 84 spaces in Sooke, and 213 spaces in North Saanich and the surrounding areas.
More than 36,000 children have received child care for $10/day or less since the beginning of the Childcare BC plan.
Here’s a breakdown of where the new spaces will be located:
Crosstown Daycare Program (Victoria)
Run by the Beacon Community Association, the Crosstown Daycare Program will offer a total of 36 new licensed child care spaces – 12 infant and toddler spaces and 24 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten. Opening in January 2023, Crosstown will offer a variety of programs to support the well-being of families, including health and counselling, family development, housing and homelessness prevention, along with employment and volunteer opportunities.
Sundance Elementary Childcare (Victoria)
Greater Victoria School District 61 is partnering with Oaklands Community Association to create 44 new spaces at Sundance Elementary – 16 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten, 16 preschool spaces and 20 school-age spaces. The new centre is expected to open in January 2022.
Kids Klub Centre Lake Hill Site (Victoria)
Greater Victoria School District 61 is continuing its partnership with the Vancouver Island Kids Klub Centre Society to create 40 new child care spaces at Lake Hill Elementary – 16 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten and 24 school-age spaces. Working closely with the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children, the new spaces will be fully accessible. The Kids Klub Brown Bag program will provide free daily lunches to support vulnerable children in the Victoria, Saanich and Sooke School Districts. The spaces are expected to open in July 2022.
Kids Klub Centre McKenzie School (Victoria)
In partnership with the Vancouver Island Kids Klub Centre Society, Greater Victoria School District 61 is creating 40 new spaces at McKenzie Elementary – 16 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten and 24 school-age spaces. Working closely with the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children, the new spaces will be fully accessible. The spaces are expected to open in July 2022.
Hillcrest Elementary Out of School Care and Ready Set Grow (Victoria)
Greater Victoria School District 61 is working with the Hillcrest Elementary Out of School Care Society to create 50 new child care spaces at the school – 16 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten, 10 preschool spaces and 24 school-age spaces. Working closely with the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children, the new spaces will be fully accessible. Staff will also integrate the seven teachings policy through stories, arts and crafts, and play. The spaces are expected to open in January 2022.
Homey Land Daycare (Sooke)
Opening in May 2021, the Homey Land Daycare will provide a total of 25 new licensed child care spaces – eight infant/toddler spaces and 17 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten. The centre will provide a rich environment for children to grow, socialize and play. Homey Land Daycare will support families that are new to Canada by providing services in multiple languages, including Arabic, Russian and French.
Choo Choo, Let’s Go! Childcare Centre/Centre de Garde Inc. (Sooke)
The Choo Choo, Let’s Go! Childcare Centre is expanding to create two additional classrooms in May 2022. This expansion will add a total of 37 new child care spaces – 12 infant/toddler spaces and 25 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten. Choo Choo, Let’s Go! is an inclusive, multi-language child care centre, which incorporates activities such as yoga, music, and mini zumba into the curriculum. Operators will offer free professional development workshops for their staff and participate in local community projects.
Tseycum Childcare Centre (North Saanich)
The Tseycum Childcare Centre will address the critical need for childcare in the community by adding a total of 56 new licensed spaces – eight infant/toddler spaces, 12 spaces for children aged three years to kindergarten and 36 school-age spaces. Expected to open in December 2021, the centre will implement the Tseycum Wellness Plan and follow the BC First Nations and Aboriginal Maternal, Child and Family Strategic Approach.
Tahsis Child Care Centre (Tahsis)
The Tahsis Child Care Centre moved from an old community centre to a classroom within Captain Meares Elementary Secondary school and offers a total of eight licensed child care spaces. The Tahsis Child Care Centre, which opened its doors to families in December 2020, provides nutritious meals for children at no extra cost to parents.
The man has been identified as Julian Jones, a 28-year-old member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.
His death led to swift calls on Monday from Indigenous groups and First Nations for better oversight and justice reforms, as well as the appointment of an Indigenous person in the investigation.
“We call for an Indigenous person to be appointed to the IIO process, and we firmly demand that supports be in place for the family as they go through this heartbreak,” the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Pacheedaht First Nation and the First Nations Leadership Council said in a joint statement.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIOBC) said they are consulting with First Nations leadership to identify a candidate for the position of a civilian monitor.
Section 38.08 of the Police Act permits the appointment of a person who is not a current or former member of any police force in B.C. or the RCMP to review a specific investigation.
IIOBC said in a statement Monday afternoon that the Indigenous monitor will have access to all documentation and evidence in the investigation.
They will be able to submit interim reports to the investigative team and must also submit a final report to the Chief Civilian Director of IIOBC at the conclusion of the investigation.
The oversight body also committed to making that final report available to the public.
According to the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, the Hawiih (hereditary chiefs) and elected Council of Tla-o-qui-aht sent a list of demands, including calls for mandatory body cameras and better training and recruitment processes, that they say were never responded to.
“The use of deadly force by Canadian police forces against Indigenous peoples is an epidemic in this country,” the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council stated.
“There have been numerous inquiries, studies, reports, and a First Nations Justice Strategy in BC created to address the need for justice reform. Despite this, our citizens continue to die as a result of police shootings.”
A full report on the investigation into the death of Chantel Moore has not been made public.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting seven strong, influential women that not only head their businesses, they do so locally – right in our very own Westshore Town Centre.
On March 8th, the world collectively comes together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women – the day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific – it’s everywhere.
We’re also doing a special giveaway from each of the seven businesses we highlight this week – read below to find out what you can win!
Today, we meet Wendy Ouelett of Local Reflections and chat with her on what it means to be a woman in business in the Westshore:
Tell us a little about your store: My store has been evolving quite a lot over the last two years, selling unique gifts and clothing, but I do try to keep it to about 70% local, most of the artist have become friends, they support me and I support them. I love that handshake. I am always looking for more locally created art, always.
How long have you owned your business? I started with a booth in the summer months at the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, that was back in 2009. I started at Westshore during the Christmas holiday seasons about 7 years ago, and I finally opened my semi-permanent store 2.5 years ago.
What inspired you to open your store? It all started with me wanting to sell my stained art glass pieces. From there it grew, I started carrying other local art glass pieces and then brought in other product like pottery, jewellery, clothing. If the product I buy is not local then I try to make sure it is ethically sourced.
What do you love the most about having a business in the Westshore? The community is growing, but it still has that small town feel, I love the regular customers who come in and we chat away like were long time friends. I have lots of friends and family in the area too, they support me and pass on my name. And of course I only live 8 minutes away and not having to commute is a nice bonus. I find that the other Westshore tenants and employees are always friendly waving and saying hello.
Who are your role models / who inspires you? All The artists that support me, to name a few Mark and Jane with Cornucopia Glass, Joann with JoJo Emporium she is a hard working women in business that inspires me everyday, Liz, Rene, Kim, Vanessa, Krista and so many others. I would not be here if is wasn’t for the local artists. And of course my husband who is so supportive and such a hard worker, he helps me with so many things, I drive him crazy sometimes with all my special requests.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to women thinking about starting their own business?
If you have an idea or a dream, work at it, even if it is just small scale to start, every effort you make will eventually turn into something better. I still have so many things I want to do and to grow and everyday it takes effort, but it will eventually pay off. Make sure to ask or seek out other women entrepreneurs, just even to reflect on everyday trivial things. Those talks really help. If you have questions seek me out, I am always up for a good chat and to help.
(Local Reflections / Westshore Town Centre)
You can find Wendy at Local Reflections located in Westshore Town Centre at #123-2945 Jacklin Road.
CONTEST
To enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card to Local Reflections, please complete one or more of the following:
COMMENT below with your favourite woman in business!
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 pm (end date). One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter. Make sure to register when commenting below.
Victoria Police arrested one man this morning after he allegedly poured gasoline on an occupied tent, threatening to set it on fire.
VicPD were called to Cecelia Ravine Park at around 8:30 a.m. on March 1st for reports that a man was pouring gasoline on a tent, armed with a blow torch and threatening a woman and her dog inside.
After they arrived on scene, officers were able to arrest the man without incident for assault with a weapon, uttering threats and mischief.
No injuries were reported, according to VicPD.
Earlier that morning, at approximately 6:30 a.m. officers were called to the same area of the park for a report that a man was struck by a bat with spikes on it.
The suspect was arrested for assault with a weapon and was transported to cells and released with a court date and conditions.
The two incidents are linked, according to VicPD, since it is believed the victim of the second incident is believed to have become the suspect in the later assault.
The man hit by the bat was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, cleared medically, and then returned to the park to commit the blow torch assault.
Both incidents are currently under investigation.
If you have any information to report call (250) 995-7654, extension 1 or anonymously to Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Chuck’s Burger Bar announced on Monday that they are closing for good following multiple sexual assault allegations against a former employee.
The infamous restaurant located at 538 Yates Street has been the subject of much controversy since alleged incidents came to light.
Chuck’s Burger Bar’s storefront sign was taken down two weeks ago, and plastic coverings were seen on the restaurant’s tables and chairs.
Questions arose about the future of the downtown eatery when job openings were posted online looking for restaurant managers, servers, and cooks.
The job postings remain online, but according to the Chuck’s Burger Bar Instagram post, new owners have taken over the space.
The post also said Chuck’s Burger Bar was making a donation to the Pacific Centre Family Services Association, an organization helping those affected by sexual assault.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CL47vLJDgzp/
In their initial statement posted to social media regarding the allegations, which has since been removed, Chuck’s Burger Bar said they had been informed of the allegations and suspended the staff member in question.
After facing major backlash, the employee in question was later fired.
Hundreds of commenters slammed the restaurant’s statement in replies on the post, with many saying dozens of victims came forward and directly communicated with restaurant staff about the issue.
VicPD confirmed they are investigating the allegations and have confirmed that they have received several reports of sexual assaults.
“Many people have come forward with information requiring significant resources to properly respond. These investigations take time. Again, we thank those who have come forward to date and appreciate your patience,” VicPD said in a statement.
Victoria Buzz reached out to Chuck’s Burger Bar, but they were unavailable for any further comment.
One man remains in custody after police were called to an early morning assault near Duncan that left another man dead.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP say the incident occurred early Monday morning in the area of Lake Cowichan Road.
Just after 1 a.m. on March 1st, officers received several reports of an assault with a weapon.
When officers arrived, they located two men outside of a residence. One of the men immediately surrendered to officers, while the other was suffering from life-threatening injuries.
The injured man was taken to Cowichan District Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The other man was taken into police custody without incident. As of Monday afternoon, he remained in custody.
RCMP say an investigation into the assault is still in its preliminary stages, but they believe it was an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The BC Coroners Service has also been notified and is investigating to determine the deceased man’s cause and circumstances of death.
For the sake of privacy, neither the RCMP nor Coroners Service are releasing the identity of the victim at this time.
Anyone who may have been a witness is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Detachment at 250-748-5522.
The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 1,478 new cases of COVID-19 across the province over three day period on Monday March 1st, for a total of 80,672 cases since the pandemic began.
New cases were reported in these health regions:
Vancouver Coastal Health: 327
Fraser Health: 857
Island Health: 88
Interior Health: 92
Northern Health: 114
The number of active cases in B.C. decreased from 4,665 to 4,464.
There are now a total of 236 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 65 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
Eight new people have died from COVID-related causes, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,363.
8,210 people are under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.
A total of 74,776 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.
Outbreaks
There have been four new health-care facility outbreaks at Glacier View Lodge (Island Health), Chilliwack General Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital and Surrey Memorial Hospital.
The outbreaks at St. Paul’s Hospital, CareLife Fleetwood, George Derby Centre, Eden Gardens, Wexford Creek and Noric House are now over.
Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
VicPD officers arrested a man this past Sunday morning after he confronted an off-duty officer with a metal pipe.
At approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday, February 28th, near the Victoria Police Department headquarters at 850 Caledonia Avenue, an off-duty police officer was approached by an unknown man with a metal pipe.
Before the incident escalated any further, the officer safely secured himself inside his vehicle before additional officers arrested the suspect.
No one was injured in the incident.
The suspect, a Newfoundland man, was transported to cells at VicPD and later released with a court date and conditions.
The suspect will face recommended charges of assault with a weapon.
If anyone has any information about this incident please report it to (250) 995-7654.
The BC government will introduce legislation that, if passed, will extend the rent freeze to December 31st, 2021.
With the province having already introduced and extended a rent freeze during COVID-19, the new legislative changes to freeze rents until the end of the year will mean all renters who have received notice of a rent increase that would have taken effect after March 30th, 2020, and before January 1st, 2022, can disregard those notices.
In addition, landlords will not be able to end tenancies for renovations that are not substantial or do not require the rental unit to be vacant.
These changes, if passed, will come into effect on July 1st and are in addition to earlier protections introduced in 2018.
“We’re protecting renters and supporting rental housing providers who do proactive maintenance of their rental homes,” said Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA for Vancouver West-End, on behalf of David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing.
Also, the legislation will require landlords to apply for the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) before they can terminate a tenancy agreement in order to renovate.
“We are pleased that landlords will now have to go through an application process before issuing such notices in the first place. If implemented properly, this change should improve security of tenure and reduce unlawful tenant displacement across B.C,” said David Hutniak, chief executive officer of LandlordBC.
If passed by the legislature, these changes will support the previous action on behalf of renters including closing fixed-term lease loopholes, eliminating geographic rent hikes, and introducing steps to strengthen protections for renters facing “renovictions.”
That’s an increase of 13 points from a similar poll in February 2020, and a 12 year record high according to past data.
Conversely, only 24 per cent of Canadians would rather see the monarchy retained, while 19 per cent do not care either way and 13 per cent are undecided.
“In four previous national surveys conducted from 2009 to 2020 using this same question, support for an elected head of state had never surpassed the 40% mark across Canada,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co.
He added that support for an elected head of state is highest among men (51 per cent), those aged 35 to 54 (46 per cent), Quebecers (57 per cent) and Liberal Party voters (50 per cent).
Support for abolition also shifts depending on the line of succession.
Prince Charles, first in line to the throne, remains very unpopular among Canadians, with fewer than half (41 per cent) expressing a positive view of the Prince of Wales.
His successor, Prince William, is viewed much more favourably, with 67 per cent of respondents expressing positive feelings towards him.
In a more direct comparison, 35 per cent of Canadians would prefer Prince William as Queen Elizabeth II’s successor, compared to just 22 per cent for Prince Charles.
Despite the rumblings of change, however, many Canadians think the country will remain a constitutional monarchy for the long term.
Just under half (49 per cent) believe we will still be governed by a king or queen two decades from now, while 31 per cent believe the country will have an elected head of state by 2041.
Results are based on an online study conducted from February 21 to February 23, 2021, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
The BC government announced on Monday that they will be increasing the time intervals between the first dose and second dose of COVID-19 vaccines.
In the press conference today, Provincial Health Officials Dr. Penny Ballem, executive lead of the B.C. immunization rollout team, and Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the beginning of the Phase 2 plan for vaccine rollouts.
Provincial Health Officials said that by March 400,000 people will be immunized and asserted that the vaccine, even after one dose, provides “dramatic protection, even just after 21 days,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry.#yyj#victoriabuzz@victoriabuzzes
Phase 2 will include a slower vaccine rollout of second doses due to the positive impact a first-dose COVID-19 vaccine has had.
The data collected below shows the impact of just one shot of the vaccine in long term care homes:
And health care workers:
The data infers that, after one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the efficacy of the vaccine works within 20-25 days.
Over the weekend, the provincial government approved a four-month window between doses one and two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines because the first dose has been higher than 90 per cent effective after three weeks, with protection lasting four months.
With Phase 2 beginning this month, the new vaccine from AstraZeneca, and the FDA-approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine being reviewed by Health Canada, Dr. Bonnie Henry was optimistic at today’s press conference.
“Everyone moves up in line,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said. “We need to hold on a little longer. We are weeks & months away […] we are so close.”
The BC government stated that they intend to have more than 400,000 people in British Columbia immunized from March to early April, which will be regarded as the largest immunization rollout in B.C.’s history.
Saanich Police are crediting a witness for helping them nab a suspect in the act of breaking into several cars in the early hours of Thursday morning.
On February 25th, shortly after midnight, a witness called police informing them of a suspicious person trying door handles of vehicles parked in the 3200-block of Glasgow Avenue.
Police attended the areas and confirmed that several vehicles had been entered and rummaged through.
The witness was able to provide a very detailed description of the suspect which helped officers locate the suspect nearby. Once arrested, officers found stolen items from one of the vehicles in the suspect’s possession.
“Thefts from vehicles continue to be an almost daily occurrence in Saanich with most of them occurring overnight,” Saanich Police said in a media release.
“The vehicles targeted are usually those that are unlocked but there have been some cases where thieves have broken windows to steal items that were in plain sight,” the release continued.
Police are crediting the witness as doing an “outstanding job in providing key descriptors of the suspect that helped officers quickly make an arrest.”
People are reminded to lock their vehicle doors and keep all items out of sight.
Since January 1st, 2021, Saanich Police have received 71 reports of thefts from vehicles in the municipality.
Robert Schram, known to many locals as Mr. Beads, has sadly passed away at the age of 58.
One of downtown Sidney’s most familiar faces has sadly passed away.
Residents and visitors alike walking along Fourth Street and Beacon Avenue in Sidney are sure to have noticed a man sitting outside, making various bead designs.
Robert Schram, known to many locals as Mr. Beads, has sadly passed away at the age of 58.
Schram first began his business of bead making in 2011 after moving to Sidney from a recovery house in Vancouver.
Schram had recently been living out of a tent in Iroquois Park, and on Friday was riding a bike past the Victoria Buzz team shouting in happiness that he’d found a place to live. He had also recently shared that he was a candidate for new hearing aids that he was looking forward to.
Schram would set up along Fourth Street and Beacon Avenue and always greeted residents and visitors as they walked past while working on his art.
In an interview with People of Victoria 7 years ago, Schram said his artwork would take about three months to complete, depending on the project. He had been beading for over 40 years and said his favourite piece to do is images of killer whales.
The cause of his death is unknown.
"People refer to me as the Bead Man. When I start a new canvas it takes me about 3 months to complete. Sometimes I can…
BC Housing has signed a new lease with GSL Group to re-activate the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria for reuse as a temporary shelter.
The shelter will re-open today, Monday March 1st, and will house 45 people experiencing homelessness.
The Western Hockey League’s (WHL) B.C. Division was waiting for confirmation to return-to-play in the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, but the season’s start will continue to be delayed.
Despite many other provinces being given the green light to reinstate WHL hockey, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has not given the go-ahead for BC as of yet, as a result of current COVID-19 public health orders in place until further notice.
“Today’s announcement is an important step that brings us a step closer to our goal that people experiencing homelessness in Victoria’s encampments will be offered safe, dignified and comfortable emergency accommodation by the end of March,” said David Eby, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing in January.
PHS Community Services Society will operate the temporary shelter and services will include access to meals, washroom facilities, wraparound supports such as health-care services, addictions treatment, and harm reduction..
Those who are experiencing homelessness throughout Victoria and particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 will be prioritized for access to the temporary shelter, including people over the age of 55 and those who have pre-existing health conditions.
The new lease will run until May 30th, 2021, with an option to extend pending discussions with GSL group.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting seven strong, influential women that not only head their businesses, they do so locally – right in our very own Westshore Town Centre.
On March 8th, the world collectively comes together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women – the day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific – it’s everywhere.
We’re also doing a special giveaway from each of the seven businesses we highlight this week – read below to find out what you can win!
Today, we meet Karen Ricketts of Island Sub and chat with her about what it means to be a woman in business in the Westshore:
Tell us a little about yourself: I am 62 years old, and before I got into my business I really had no confidence. My business has made me strong, confident, and most of all HAPPY. I love what I do!
Tell us a little about your store / business: Island Sub was started August 2019 – I was a franchise but went independent. Now, everyone is truly supporting local in my store when they come in. I’ve been a woman in business for 21 years!
What do you love about being a woman in business? The look on some peoples’ faces when they ask to speak with owner, and I say “Here I am.” But seriously, I am proud of what my journey has been thus far. It’s not been a cake walk, but still love what I do.
What are some challenges about being a woman in business? Sometimes being underestimated or compared to others. Everyone is their own person / identity, but sometimes the old ways of women being judged in the business world creeps in. Not everyone is accepting.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to women thinking about starting their own business? GO FOR IT!! If you are passionate about your business, have NO FEAR, jump those hurdles, push judgments aside. Look to believers for support when you need it, and most of all, BELIEVE in YOU.
You can find Karen at Island Sub in Westshore Town Centre at #610-2945 Jacklin Road, next the Signature BC Liquor store.
(Island Sub / Westshore Town Centre)
CONTEST
To enter for your chance to win a $50 gift card from Island Sub, please complete one or more of the following:
COMMENT below with your favourite woman in business! (1 entry)
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 14th. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter. Make sure to register when commenting below.
