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Westshore Women in Business: Meet Karen of Island Sub (CONTEST)

By
Branded Content
-
(Island Sub / Westshore Town Centre)

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:

  1. LIKE Westshore Town Centre on Facebook, and leave a comment below once you have (1 entry)
  2. LIKE Island Sub on Facebook, and leave a comment below once you have (1 entry)
  3. 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.

Contest Rules

 

 

Here’s what BC’s second phase of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts will look like

By
Ryan Hook
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Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health (Colin Smith Takes Pics)

The BC government declared on Monday morning 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 rollout in February but was delayed due to a supply shortage.

Immunizations will prioritize those who have yet to be vaccinated from Phase 1.

Those who qualify for immunization in Phase 2 include seniors 80 and over, Indigenous Elders 65 and over, and isolated indigenous communities not vaccinated.

Last week, BC administered its highest number of vaccine doses to date.

58,000 people received a dose, either the first or second, and the highest day of doses in one day last week was 15,000 doses.

Through March, BC will see 415,000 doses shipped next week, mostly Pfizer (+255,000) and Moderna (+150,000, shipped in two in mid to late March) .

AstraZeneca shipments are pending. Johnson & Johnson has been approved from the FDA, but is pending approval from Health Canada.

March’s immunization plan breaks down like this:

  • 415,000 doses in March
  • Priority from Phase 1 = 190,000
  • Remote Indigenous populations = 9000
  • People born before 1941 = 175000
  • Indigenous born before 1956 (56+) = 35,000
  • Vaccinations reserved for outbreaks = 6,000

Who qualifies for Phase 2?

Below is a graph with details regarding who qualifies for a vaccination:

 

Booking an appointment for a vaccine

The BC government will set up a call-in system that is set to launch on March 8th.

If you qualify, you can start booking your appointments for March 15th, when immunizations will begin for Phase 2 eligible recipients.

The BC government has suggested to not overwhelm the system on March 8th.

“The first few days may be brutal, we’ve seen the gaps in technology when setting these systems up, like in Alberta,” said Dr. Penny Ballem, executive lead of the B.C. immunization rollout team.

Appointments can be made at any available clinics.

March 13th immunizations will be based on cohorts segmented by age, starting with people in their 90’s through to their 80’s and so on.

Vulnerable areas and populations will be targeted for mass immunization too.

“Fraser Health will be able to book online, because Fraser Health has a lot of vulnerable populations in the Phase 2 category,” said Dr. Ballem.

As of February 28th, 275,681 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 82,810 second doses have been administered in BC.

“We’ve tracked each dose and what group they [the recipient] were in. This has allowed us to understand the effectiveness of the vaccines in our communities. This is a new day for our vaccination program in our ability to do this,” said Dr. Ballem. 

“A single dose provides lots of protection, which is why we have extended the intervals in which you can receive a second dose.”

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.

“We are extending our interval between second doses between 4 months and 16 weeks. Extending the second dose provides high-end protection for more people.”

Phase 3 will see people ages of 79 to 60 vaccinated from April to June and Phase 4 will see the BC population aged 59 to 18 vaccinated from July to September.

Victoria Police search for missing woman last seen January 1st (UPDATED)

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-

UPDATE: VicPD has confirmed Charlene Woods has been located and is safe.

— original:

Victoria Police are asking for the public’s help as they work to locate a high-risk missing woman.

Charlene Woods, 45, was last seen in Victoria on January 1st. VicPD are working to locate her to ensure that she is safe.

Woods is described as an Indigenous woman with long brown hair. She stands about 5’3″ tall with a medium build.

Police are asking anyone who sees her to call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information on where she may be is asked to call (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

SD62 warns of possible COVID-19 exposure at West Shore school

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-

The Sooke School District (SD62) has issued a possible COVID-19 warning at an elementary school in the West Shore.

According to SD62, there was a possible exposure of COVID-19 on multiple days at David Cameron Elementary in Colwood.

The potential exposure dates are Monday February 22nd, Tuesday February 23rd and Wednesday February 24th.

The elementary school is the latest of many to have experienced a possible exposure since the New Year. Currently, Island Health is showing at least 17 schools on the island with recent exposures. David Cameron has not been added to the list yet.

Contact tracing has been completed and the Sooke School District has confirmed a deep cleaning of David Cameron Elementary School has been completed and ready to go for Monday classes.

If a person may have been exposed, Island Health will contact them directly.

As of this publication, there are 260 active cases remaining in the region, according to Island Health.

By Health Service Delivery Area, they are:

* South Island: 35 (-7) | Total cases: 605 (-)
* Central Island: 161 (+5) | Total cases: 1,327 (+21)
* North Island: 64 (+5) | Total cases: 371 (+12)

Fire crews battle house fire in Sidney Sunday afternoon

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-

Sidney Fire, along with North and Central Saanich Fire, are currently on scene of a house fire in Sidney.

The fire is believed to have started just after 2:30 p.m on Sunday, on the deck of a home on Siddall Road.

Witnesses reported hearing several propane tanks explode before the fire made its way inside of the home, then spread to the attic.

A large area of the neighbourhood was blocked off due to concerns of the fire at the home.

The occupants of the home were not injured but the family cat was found deceased.

BC Hydro were on scene and cut power to the home as crews continued to remain on scene.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

More to come.

Malahat reopens after rockslide closes highway in both directions

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
Photo by Chris Foxall / Facebook

A rock slide that shut down the Malahat for a short time has created traffic chaos this afternoon in the West Shore are

The rockslide occurred between Finlayson Arm and West Shore Parkway.

The slide has been assessed and engineers have given the green light to reopen the highway as of 3:20 p.m. Sunday.

Despite the reopening, major delays are still expected in both directions.

 

 

Police watchdog called in after man shot and killed by Tofino RCMP

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
IIO
(IIO BC)

BC’s police watchdog is investigating after a man was shot and killed by RCMP in Tofino Saturday night.

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on February 27th, two Tofino RCMP officers responded to a report of a woman being held against her will at a residence on Meares Island.

Not many details were released, but according to RCMP, an interaction took place when officers arrived at a residence on the Opitsaht First Nation.

The incident resulted in one man being shot and killed by officers. The woman was located and taken to hospital for medical assessment, and another man was taken into custody.

There were no other injuries during the incident.

The Vancouver Island General Investigative Section (GIS) is investigating the initial call including the allegations that the woman was being held against her will.

The IIO BC are on scene today investigating the fatal police involved shooting.

No other details were released.

The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in British Columbia. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.

Someone in Victoria won $1 million on Friday’s Lotto Max

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
(CNW Group/OLG Winners)

Check your tickets, Victoria!

According to BCLC, someone in Victoria is one million dollars richer today after matching numbers on Lotto Max’s MAXMILLIONS draw Friday night.

The winning Victoria numbers are: 7 11 13 19 21 38 42.

There were 9 additional MAXMILLION winners across the country. One person in Ontario won the grand prize of $70 million.

The winning numbers for the grand prize was: 11 17 19 22 27 31 40 Bonus Number: 30.

The extra numbers were: 6 60 64 75

For a complete breakdown of all the prizes, visit the BCLC website.

BC will complete $16B Site C dam project by 2025

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
Former premier John Horgan (Colin Smith Takes Pics)

The largest project in BC history will continue.

After years of review, Premier John Horgan announced on Friday the construction of the Site C dam will go ahead as planned despite the bloated cost overruns.

The Site C Dam is an under-construction run-of-the-river hydroelectric dam on the Peace River near Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia.

Construction of the damn began in 2015 under the Liberal government and is halfway completed, and would cost the province $10 billion to cancel the project.

During Friday’s press conference, Horgan said the previous $10-billion budget has been increased to $16 billion, and the project will be finished a year later than expected and will be completed in 2025.

The budget has more than double what it was initially estimated to cost.

The COVID-19 pandemic and “unforeseeable geotechnical challenges” are being cited as the reason for the spike in cost.

The premier said more than 4,000 people are currently employed because of Site C construction, and was not willing to have them lose their work.

When completed in 2025, the Site C Dam will become the 4th largest producer of hydroelectricity in British Columbia with an installed capacity of 900 MW and an expected annual output of 5,100 GWh of electricity.

CRD acquires 145 acres of watershed land near Sooke Lake Reservoir

By
Ryan Hook
-
(Sooke Lake Reservoir / CRD)

The Capital Regional District has acquired 58.7 hectares (145 acres) of land, including a parcel of the Greater Victoria water supply area catchment land near Grant Lake.

The land is a parcel of the Greater Victoria water supply area catchment land that’s also within the Cowichan Valley Regional District.

The CRD described the purchase as a high priority acquisition since the land for Sooke Lake Reservoir is the primary drinking water source for Greater Victoria.

The land was purchased for $652,729 ($4,500/per acre) from Margaret Forestry Ltd.

“The CRD recognizes our responsibility to plan and prepare for future water supply needs and for the continued stewardship of the Greater Victoria Water Supply Area,” said Lillian Szpak, Chair of the Regional Water Supply Commission.

The CRD supplies drinking water for more than 380,000 people, supporting residential, commercial, institutional, light industrial, agricultural and public safety uses across the Greater Victoria area.

There are 20,500 hectares of protected water supply area including 11 dams and 6 reservoirs.

The Greater Victoria water supply area is located northwest of the City of Victoria and comprises 20,550 hectares of forested land in the Sooke, Goldstream, and Leech watersheds.

These lands are owned by the CRD and managed by Integrated Water Services (IWS) Department.

In 2007 and 2010 the CRD purchased lands in the Leech River watershed.

CRD votes against adding parking fees at 9 regional parks on Vancouver Island

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
Thetis Lake (Photo by Ryan Holder/Instagram)

The Capital Regional District (CRD) parks committee has rejected the proposal of adding paid parking at several regional parks around Vancouver Island.

The CRD was considering paid parking at nine regional parks in order to raise funds to help offset the increasing cost of park maintenance.

On Wednesday, the parks committee voted against increasing fees at currently paid lots, as well, they voted against adding paid parking at these nine locations:

  • Devonian
  • East Sooke
  • Elk/Beaver Lake
  • Francis/King
  • Horth Hill
  • Matheson Lake
  • Mill Hill
  • Mount Work
  • Witty’s Lagoon

“We saw the fee schedule and we proactively decided we are not interested in charging our residents for using their park,” said Central Saanich District Councillor Niall Paltiel.

Island View Beach Regional Park, which was included in the proposal – sits in Central Saanich District’s jurisdiction.

“The board received the recommendation and denied increases and additions,” added Niall Paltiel.

The CRD will now look at other ways to procure funding for parks and trails infrastructure, improvements, and maintenance.

Thetis Lake and Sooke Potholes are currently the only regional parks on southern Vancouver Island with paid parking.

The next meeting will take place on March 24th.

Ford on Fridays: the benefits of living in a pandemic

By
Tim Ford
-
Mask Thumbs Up
(photo via unsplash)

I’ve been trying to practice a sort of zen level of thinking lately.

I feel like it’s worth a shot; astrology, tarot, practical voodoo and fury-based yoga have failed to quiet my mental state during the pandemic.

So instead, I feel like it’s worth giving a crack to come up with some of the positive things in life. You know, really lay out the situation in a thoughtful, listicle kind of way.

Because surely, despite this unquestionably being one of the worst periods in modern memory, there’s some good coming out of it all right?

Here’s what I’ve come up with.

 

1. Everybody has gotten really good at measuring 6 feet

That’s gotta come in handy at some point, you know? If you happen to be exactly that height, you’re always going to know which carnival rides you can go on without any guidance. AND. We’ve all got a better appreciation on a literal level for the TV show Six Feet Under.

 

2. Nobody knows when I’m sneering at them

Or sticking my tongue out, or quietly mouthing the lyrics to “baby got back.” Masks are a terrific social equalizer for people who have absolutely no poker face. I feel like relationships everywhere are being saved. Your partner asks you if they look good in their new uggs. Your eyes say yes, your mouth forms into an eldritch scream of silent horror, choking out the word “sure” like a strangled raven. Everyone’s happy. OR ARE THEY?

 

3. I have a sudden, deep appreciation for the physical touch of strangers

There was a time when I would cringe at a handshake. Especially when you get one of those limp-wristers, like you’re reaching out to greet a dead cod, and then you flap it around as if you’re desperately trying to resuscitate it. But no more! Now I treat every bump, every nudge, every slight moment of contact with another piece of human flesh as a religious experience. One day we will have the Church of the Holy Fist Bump, and every service will begin with the traditional back-slap, and conclude with the priest running down the aisles high-fiving everyone like a hype man at a BC Lions game.

 

4. I’ve memorized the number of panels in my hardwood floor

You never know, it could come up!

 

5. Doctors are the new celebrities

They deserve their turn, don’t they? I feel like we went through a phase where it was actors, singers, etc. and before that it was like…court gossip, kings and queens, everybody wants to know who Marie Antoinette’s dating now, yadda yadda. And before THAT it was like…prophets and stuff? Like Moses was going around signing stone tablets for everyone, and Buddha was touring Asia and just stealing hearts. So why not give doctors a turn as celebrities?

 

6. That’s about it.

Seriously, this time sucks. But we’re gonna get through it, folks.

 

Welcome to Ford on Fridays: a weekly column where Victoria Buzz staff writer Tim Ford offers his thoughts on life, love, and the pursuit of the perfect joke.

This column is for comedic purposes only. Please feel free to send feedback, thoughts, and [constructive] criticisms to tim@victoriabuzz.com.

Three Vancouver Island schools added to COVID-19 exposure list

By
Ryan Hook
-

Three more schools have been added to Island Health’s COVID-19 exposure list.

Uplands Park Elementary, Dover Bay Secondary, and McGirr Elementary, all in Nanaimo, each experienced an exposure on February 22nd.

Exposures have so far only affected one individual at each school.

Island Health updates their infection list after schools have had the opportunity to notify their school community.

If a person has not been contacted by Public Health, then they can continue to attend school as normal.

There are currently 14 schools on the Island Health’s list of possible exposures, and each school remains on the list until 14 days after the most recent exposure.

Island Health conducts contact tracing and identifies if the case was a student or staff member, as well as whether or not they were infectious at the time.

Public Health Nurses and Medical Health Officers will determine who is a close contact and notify them accordingly.

BC Ferries cancels remaining Friday sailings due to adverse weather

By
Ryan Hook
-
Queen of Oak Bay bc ferry
(Image from West Coast Ferries Forum / http://ferriesbc.proboards.com/

BC Ferries have announced additional cancellations of sailings today due to adverse weather conditions.

Strong northwest winds between 70 and 90 km/h are expected to continue into early Friday evening.

The gusts are expected to gradually ease by early Saturday morning, February 27th.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us. We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on us to get to their destinations, ” BC Ferries said in their advisory.

“We will resume service as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Here’s a list of sailings cancelled for tonight:

Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Victoria (Swartz Bay)

5:00 pm departing both directions – cancelled
7:00 pm departing both directions – cancelled
9:00 pm departing both directions – cancelled

Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) – Nanaimo (Departure Bay)

5:30 pm departing Horseshoe Bay – cancelled
6:40 pm departing Langdale – cancelled
7:50 pm departing Horseshoe Bay – cancelled
8:55 pm departing Langdale – cancelled
10:10 pm departing Horseshoe Bay – cancelled

Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Nanaimo (Duke Point)

5:45 pm departing Tsawwassen – cancelled
8:15 pm departing Duke Point – cancelled
10:45 pm departing Tsawwassen – cancelled

 

BC reports 589 new COVID-19 cases and seven new deaths on February 26th

By
Ryan Hook
-
(Dr. Bonnie Henry/Photo by Colin Smith Takes Pics)

The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 589 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Friday February 26th, for a total of 79,262 cases since the pandemic began.

New cases were reported in these health regions:

Vancouver Coastal Health: 157
Fraser Health: 317
Island Health: 31
Interior Health: 39
Northern Health: 45

The number of active cases in B.C. increased from 4,489 to 4,665.

There are now a total of 232 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 63 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.

Seven new people have died from COVID-related causes, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,355.

8,040 people are under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.

A total of 73,188 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.

Outbreaks

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks.

There are 13 active outbreaks in long-term facilities and five in acute-care facilities.

Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.

More COVID-19 coverage from Victoria Buzz, including local exposures and outbreaks.

Island Health

Island Health is reporting 32 new COVID-19 cases today.

There are 260 (+3) active cases remaining in the region, according to Island Health. By Health Service Delivery Area, they are:

  • South Island: 35 (-7) | Total cases: 605 (-)
  • Central Island: 161 (+5) | Total cases: 1,327 (+21)
  • North Island: 64 (+5) | Total cases: 371 (+12)

One new death was reported in the Island Health region. There are a total of 25 deaths to date.

14 people are currently hospitalized in the Island Health region, including six people in intensive care units.

Vaccinations and Variants

To date, 252,373  (+12,540) people in B.C. have received a COVID-19 vaccine. 73,808 (+5,651) of those people have received their second dose.

There are no new confirmed cases of variants today.

There are a total of 116 cases and two cases of variants that are under investigation.

Of the total number of cases, nine are active and the remaining 107 have now recovered.

97 cases of the UK variant, 21 cases of the South Africa variant, and two cases of a Nigerian variant recorded in BC.

Some links include:

At the time of this publication, 113,949,302 cases of COVID-19 had been recorded worldwide. 2,527,725 have died, and 89,510,696 have recovered.

Driver turns herself in to Nanaimo RCMP after hitting pedestrian and fleeing

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
RCMP Cruiser Generic
(File photo)

A driver turned herself into the Nanaimo RCMP after hitting a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk and fleeing the scene.

Police say the incident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. Friday morning, at the intersection of Terminal Avenue and Commercial Street.

Witnesses told officers on the scene that a 60-year-old woman was proceeding legally through a marked crosswalk when she was struck by an older model blue pickup travelling northbound on Terminal Avenue.

The pickup truck then fled the scene.

Shortly afterward, a 32-year-old woman turned herself into the Nanaimo RCMP and identified herself as the driver in the incident.

She was arrested for charges of dangerous driving and failing to remain at the scene of an accident, and has been held in cells.

The victim was transported to the Nanaimo hospital and treated for relatively minor injuries. Police say she is expected to make a full recovery.

Anyone with dash cam or cell phone video of the incident or footage of the suspect vehicle’s pre-collision driving is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP Municipal Traffic Unit at 250-754-2345 and quote file # 2021-7073.

Police are still investigating.

Here’s what the new Saanich fire station near Elk Lake could look like (RENDERINGS)

By
Tim Ford
-
Fire Station Saanich 2
(concept art by HMCA Architecture and Design)

Plans have been submitted to the planning department of the District of Saanich for the redevelopment of Fire Station 2.

Site, landscape, and elevation plans by HMCA Architecture and Design, a firm with offices in Vancouver and Victoria, were received by the department on Tuesday.

The redevelopment application calls for a rezoning that will change a single-family dwelling zone and a utility zone into a larger utility zone to accommodate the new Fire Station.

Saanich Council approved the budget for the redevelopment in 2019 after the project was first approved in April 2018.

The total cost of the project is budgeted for $26.6 million. The District says the new station will offer better service delivery as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

“The population in Saanich has increased by thirty-six per cent since the original fire station on Elk Lake Drive was built in 1978,” said Mayor Fred Haynes in May, 2019.

The Elk Lake Drive fire station (or fire station #2) was identified as a priority due to these increased service needs particularly considering the adjacency to rural areas, the impact of the Pat Bay Highway which is a site of numerous accidents, a densifying urban neighbourhood, and the requirement to appropriately house fire apparatus.

“Redeveloping this facility reflects the ongoing commitment of Council and the Saanich Fire Department to providing high-quality service and ensuring public safety, both now and in the future,” he adds.

HMCA Architecture and Design has worked on several projects around Victoria, including Oak Bay High School, Camosun College and the Cedar Hill Arts Centre.

Construction is expected to start later this year and be completed by 2023.

Three grown men busted tagging public property in Nanaimo

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-

Three men in their 30s have some growing up to do after they were busted by Nanaimo RCMP tagging public property.

On Monday, February 15th at around 9 p.m., Nanaimo RCMP officers caught a break when they were tipped off the adult taggers were tagging public property in Maffeo Sutton Park.

When the officers arrived, the suspects attempted to leave the park, however, other arriving officers located them and arrested them for mischief.

Police returned to the park and found several fresh tags done in green paint which matched the green paint on the hands and clothing of all three suspects.

Several utility boxes and garbage cans were found to have been tagged with the same coloured paint.

“Items seized from the suspects included nine spray cans, numerous black markers and dozens of spray nozzles of various size,” said Cst. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.

The three suspects, ranging in age from 32 to 36, were later released unconditionally from police custody while the investigation continued.

“Officers are consulting with city officials before laying charges to determine the actual cost to remove the paint and restore the property to its original state,” added O’Brien.

“Every year graffiti tags on public and private property cost thousands of dollars and many hours to remove. Some items are permanently defaced and need to be replaced.”

Health Canada approves AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

By
Ryan Hook
-
(BC Government / Province)

After months of review, Health Canada has approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The newly approved vaccine has a efficacy rate of 62 per cent and Canada has secured 22 million doses of the vaccine with some arriving as early as next week.

The remainder is slated to arrive in the second and third quarters of this year.

“Canada will get to more than 6.5 million doses by the end of March,” Prime Minister Trudeau said in a press conference Friday morning.

“It’s good news we have access to several vaccines. Having a vaccine certified by Health Canada is certainly better than not getting vaccinated. We will be getting vaccines to as many Canadians as possible as quickly as possible.”

The AstraZeneca vaccine is a viral-vector-based vaccine, meaning the “vector” is not the virus that causes COVID-19 but is rather a vector virus that produces a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that fights against the virus.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has only been approved for adults 18 and older, as of now.

Its safety and effectiveness in people younger than 18 years of age have not yet been established.

The two-shot vaccine from AstraZeneca vaccine has a lower efficacy rate at 62 per cent than the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, but offers operational benefits like low-temperature storage.

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.

Supriya Sharma, Chief Medical Adviser to the Deputy Minister also reiterated that that all of the vaccines are good in fighting against areas that matter most – preventing serious illness, reducing hospitalizations, and curbing the number of deaths.

She cautioned Canadians against comparing efficacy rates of the various vaccine products

The U.K. and the European Union have already started rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccines and the World Health Organization also gave the shot its approval this month, allowing vaccinations to begin in developing countries.

Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose shot also appears less effective than the mRNA vaccines, at about 66 per cent, but experts say it offers strong protection against the virus and its spread.

Anita Anand, the Minister of Public services and Procurement, said by the third quarter, either July or September, Canada will receive 107.9 million vaccine doses in total.

The iconic Mr. Potato Head is going gender neutral

By
Ryan Hook
-

How often do you pick up a potato and assume its gender? Yam I right?

Boy? Girl?

“It’s a potato,” said Ali Mierzejewski, editor-in-chief at toy review site The Toy Insider about the popular Hasbro toy, Mr. Potato Head.

For Hasbro’s hottest potato toy that’s not necessarily the case.

Now, Hasbro said it will release a new Potato Head playset in the fall that won’t subscribe to any prefix.

The new playset transforms the 70-year old Mr. Potato Head into an all-inclusive potato – released of its binary gender roles.

The change comes amid criticism over the lack of inclusivity against the toy industry and other mainstream products.

This past month, Quaker Oats released a new name and logo for its “Aunt Jemima” products, retiring the racist stereotype that defined the brand for years.

Mattel, the company who introduced the world to Barbie, was criticized for its unrealistic beauty standards and a lack of diversity for years.

Last year, Barbie unveiled a launch of diverse dolls some of which had vitiligo and prosthetics.

The company promoted the line in a tweet saying, “More skin tones, More body types, More unique looks!”

Hasbro appears to be going in a more inclusive direction for kids.

But for those fans of the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head brand, Hasbro said it will continue to make the popular toys as well.

Fan Tan Alley ice cream shop leaving popular downtown location

By
Tim Ford
-
(Kid Sister Ice Cream/Photo by VicFoodGuys)

A popular ice cream shop in Victoria’s downtown will need a new home after their landlord chose not to renew their lease.

Kid Sister Ice Cream said in an Instagram post that they will be vacating their location at Fan Tan Alley by the end of February.

The business has operated in Victoria for 10 years and is co-owned by Brett Black and Colleen Rode.

Rode said in the Instagram post that she and Black intended to hand the business off, and their landlord would not agree to renew with a new owner.

“Brett and I have enjoyed the 10 years we have spent creating wonderful ice cream for the people in our community and around the world,” she stated. “We are now getting ready to put our energies to new projects.”

The shop has been closed since September 27th, 2020, as part of a regular seasonal closure and was supposed to reopen in March.

Rode says that they are hoping to reopen in a new location and are planning to keep their customers informed of their whereabouts through social media.

“Thank you for all of your support and enthusiasm,” she stated. “We feel honoured to have shared so many fun and delicious memories with you all.”

Six BC residents in their 30s died from COVID-19 since pandemic began

By
Ryan Hook
-

In today’s COVID-19 press conference, BC’s top doctor announced three additional people in their 30’s have died due to COVID-19 over the past few weeks.

This marks six deaths from people in their 30’s since the pandemic began. Two of those deaths were residents living on Vancouver Island in the Cowichan Tribe.

Below is a breakdown from British Columbia’s Centre for Disease Control’s situation report for Week 6:

The median age for cases of COVID-19 is 37-years-old and the median age for deaths due to COVID-19 is 85-years-old.

Dr. Henry insisted today that COVID-19’s severity can also affect young people.

While deaths between the ages of 20-29 remain at zero, those in that age range make up for most COVID-19 cases.

These numbers suggest that those in the 20-49 age range garner the highest cases of COVID-19.

Risk of transmission has always been an issue with COVID-19, but with increasing numbers of variants there is especially cause for concern.

With spring break on the horizon for students come March, Dr. Henry’s advice to young people was, “Think local.”

To date, 1,348 people in BC have lost their lives to COVID-19.

5 houses in Greater Victoria with harrowing histories

By
Ryan Hook
-

This story contains graphic details that may not be suitable for everyone.

Victoria is home to many things; beautiful coastlines, iconic buildings and a handful of local tourist delights.

Unfortunately, this also includes a harrowing series of brutal crimes within the confines of many well-known houses across the city.

Statistics Canada reports that Victoria has one of the lowest rates of homicide in a major city per capita, but the brutality of the homicides that have happened in the city should not be understated.

We always hear about what exactly takes place inside of the homes, but this still begs the question: what happens to the houses afterward?

In real estate, these homes are called stigmatized homes – properties that buyers or tenants may shun for reasons unrelated to the physical features, including the death of an occupant, murder, suicide, or the belief the property is haunted.

Sellers are not required to disclose the history behind these homes; rather, it is the buyer’s responsibility to ask.

Whoever represents the home determines how the property is handled.

Below, we look into the history of 5 stigmatized houses that have a harrowing history of crime and murder.

830 Queens Avenue

Daniel Blake Penney, 54, tracked his wife down at her residence on Queen’s Ave, beat and killed his wife, Mary Caitlin Walton, 46, on March 13th, 2015.

Penney was under court-ordered conditions to not see or have contact with Walton due to a domestic dispute a month earlier.

At 1 p.m. that day, Penney tried to commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

The couple’s daughter, 19, informed a tenant at his Colwood residence who called West Shore RCMP.

Officers saved him but suffered fume inhalation in the process.

Hours later, at 5 p.m., officers responded to the murder of Walton whom Penney had beat to death in their home before his attempted suicide.

Penney was sentenced on June 15, 2017, for manslaughter.

He was meant to serve a sentence of 12 years, seven months, and 13 days before he committed suicide in an Abbotsford prison on October 29, 2017.

1400 Beach Drive

Andrew Berry, 43, was convicted of murdering his two daughters, Aubrey, 4, and Chloe, 6, at his ground floor apartment on 1400 Beach Drive on Christmas Day, 2017.

Police officers found the two girls dead on their beds in their father’s Oak Bay apartment, after Berry failed to drop them off at their mother’s home as set out in their custody agreement. Berry, naked and injured, was found in a bathtub filled with water, in an apparent suicide attempt.

The Crown convicted him of murder in 2019 with the corroboration of evidence.

Berry owed over $25,000 to a loan shark. In the cross-examination, the examiner said that the pressure from the loan and the custody battle lead him to the murder.

Berry pleaded not guilty and has expressed a different story, claiming he was ambushed from behind while he was in his bedroom, stabbed in the throat, and knocked out at the foot of the bed.

No evidence corroborated his story.

751 Cameo Street

Joseph Melvin DesRoches, 73, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Rosa Maria DesRoches, 77, on March 18, 2014.

The murder was uncharacteristic of DesRoches, who was a veteran of the Canadian Forces in Europe where he met his wife in Spain.

On that morning of the murder, DesRoches called 911 and told the police dispatcher he had shot his wife and his son’s dog.

He said he thought he was insane.

DesRoches pleaded guilty.

1702 De Sousa Place

Lindsay Buziak was a 24-year-old realtor murdered in Saanich at 1702 De Sousa Place on February 2, 2008.

Buziak was showing a $1 million home on De Souza Place to an unknown couple. She was found in an upstairs bedroom. She had been stabbed multiple times.

The murderers have never been caught.

In 2017, a chilling comment surfaced regarding Buziak’s murder which brought the case to light again.

Written by a user with the online name “Ross Addic”, the comment states “I killed Lindsay”, names several other people who were “involved”, and then claims the Saanich Police “dropped” the investigation.

Police are still looking for any tips or information on the case.

In late January this year, Saanich Police announced the FBI joined the investigation.

1840 Newton Street

A Saanich man, Neil Harvey, 59, killed his wife, Anne Harvey, 61, and then killed himself at the pink bungalow at 1840 Newton Street the couple lived in for 23 years in 2014.
Investigators did not release information regarding Anne’s death, but said Neil drowned himself in the murder-suicide.

The couple had no history of domestic abuse, had no children, and the circumstances to which police were tipped off was suspicious.

The adult daughter of a neighbour received a phone call from Neil Harvey who sounded distraught, asking her to go to the house to check on his cat. Neil asked her to call the police.

Police approached cautiously, with guns drawn, and discovered the deceased couple and a note from Neil Harvey on the kitchen table.

The subject of the note was never released.

Saanich residents rescue duck with plastic lid stuck around beak (VIDEO)

By
Ryan Hook
-

Bowker Creek residents banded together last weekend, to save a duck who had its mouth caught in a plastic coffee lid.

Mack Kurtz was walking his dog on Saturday when he noticed a female duck with clear plastic around her head.

To try and help, Kurtz chased the duck around the creek.

That didn’t work, so he contacted his friend Karen Hough who put a call for help out on her Facebook.

The response garnered about a dozen Bowker Creek residents who each came down to help rescue the duck, one of which was Deanne Sharp, a woman who happens to raise backyard ducks.

At that point, Kurtz tired the duck out so Sharp could rescue her.

Sharp carried the duck out of the creek when Kurtz cut the plastic lid off – the duck swam to a male duck down the creek waiting.

Kurtz says the incident points to a bigger littering problem in the area.

“There’s garbage everywhere. After we helped the duck, a few guys went into the creek and pulled out bags and bags of garbage.”

Kurtz has since contacted the region of Saanich and the CRD to implement plans of action for the area.

Watch the rescue unfold:

 

Positive COVID-19 case confirmed at Gorge Fairway Market

By
Ryan Hook
-

Victoria Buzz has obtained a letter sent out by Island Health warning of a possible COVID-19 exposure at the Fairway Market on 272 Gorge Road last week.

The letter appears to address an individual directly and informs them they were at medium risk of exposure. The letter indicated the person did not need to isolate, however, were asked to monitor for symptoms.

The potential exposure dates at the grocery store occured between 10:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on February 17th and 18th.

A medium risk means you were not in close proximity to an infectious person for an extended period of time but still need to monitor for symptoms for up to 14 days.

Contact tracing has been completed and people identified as coming into close contact with the individual who tested positive for COVID-19 have been instructed to self-isolate.

Those who have not been contacted by public health officials should rest assured that they are not at a high risk of exposure.

More information on public exposures is available online through Island Health’s website.

Anyone who is interested in booking a COVID-19 test can phone the call centre at 1-844-901-8442, 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily.

City of Victoria approves partial closure of paved loop at Clover Point Park

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
Image: Groovy Clover Point sunset (jkreyphoto/Instamram )

An interim decision has been made for Clover Point.

At today’s committee of the whole meeting, the City of Victoria council approved to pursue Option B for Clover Point: a partial closure of the loop.

Option B which will see 2,400 square metres of additional waterfront space for pedestrians, provide 25 parking stalls, and provide direct vehicular access to the shoreline.

One side of the loop proposes to include areas for food trucks and vendors, benches, picnic tables, and even a public art/play feature.

While the other side, the proposal sees a boathouse, as well as washrooms and a multi-use path.

After receiving a mix of reactions from their first proposal, the City of Victoria went back to the drawing board and deliberated and presented three new design options for Clover Point.

The initial plan would have seen the area closed to all vehicle traffic and will include more seating areas, picnic tables, bike racks, a food truck area, upgrade lighting, and Indigenous art installations.

Eight regular stalls and six accessible spaces would be at the water’s edge with a split-rail fence separating the parking area from the new pedestrian-only zone.

Several tweaks were made to the plan which will see the elimination of the orca art and no graphics.

The upgrades will cost roughly $275,000.

The partial closure is an interim measure and that the public will have a chance to influence the park’s permanent design during a future planning process.

BC reports 395 new COVID-19 cases and ten new deaths on February 25th

By
Ryan Hook
-
(Dr. Bonnie Henry/Photo by Colin Smith Takes Pics)

The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 395 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Thursday, February 25th, for a total of 78,673 cases since the pandemic began.

New cases were reported in these health regions:

Vancouver Coastal Health: 86
Fraser Health: 207
Island Health: 37
Interior Health: 24
Northern Health: 41

The number of active cases in B.C. decreased from 4,668 to 4,489.

There are now a total of 228 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 62 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.

Ten new people have died from COVID-related causes, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,348.

7,931 people are under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.

A total of 79,031 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.

Outbreaks

There has been one new health-care facility outbreak.

There are 13 active outbreaks in long-term facilities and five in acute-care facilities.

The outbreak at Burnaby Hospital is now over.

Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.

More COVID-19 coverage from Victoria Buzz, including local exposures and outbreaks.

Island Health

Island Health is reporting 41 new COVID-19 cases today.

There are 257 (+12) active cases remaining in the region, according to Island Health. By Health Service Delivery Area, they are:

  • South Island: 42 (+3) | Total cases: 606 (+8)
  • Central Island: 156 (+6) | Total cases: 1,306 (+24)
  • North Island: 59 (+3) | Total cases: 359 (+9)

No new deaths were reported in the Island Health region. There is a total of 24 deaths to date.

16 people are currently hospitalized in the Island Health region, including five people in intensive care units.

Vaccinations and Variants

To date, 239,833 (+8,958) people in B.C. have received a COVID-19 vaccine. 68,157 (+5,549) of those people have received their second dose.

There are 16 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants in our province.

There are a total of 116 cases and two cases of variants that are under investigation.

Of the total number of cases, nine are active and the remaining 107 have now recovered.

97 cases of the UK variant, 21 cases of the South Africa variant, and two cases of a Nigerian variant recorded in BC.

Some links include:

At the time of this publication, 113,401,865 cases of COVID-19 had been recorded worldwide. 2,514,929 have died, and 89,013,915 have recovered.

Life is just better with this Victoria-based ice cream

By
Branded Content
-
(Betterwith Ice Cream)

We’ve all been there – you’re cruising the grocery aisles in search of the perfect pint, eyes peeled for whatever might tickle your fancy that evening while you binge-watch Grey’s Anatomy for a third time.

Eyes on the prize, you settle on your fav flavour, only to see the word’s ‘frozen dessert’ scrawled across the bottom of the tub.

Wait, what? I thought we were looking for ice cream.

Enter Betterwith – real ice cream with only a handful of ingredients, and none of the bad-for-you extras.

With an emphasis on full-fat cream, no gums, no preservatives, and no fillers, you’re only getting the good stuff – and even better? Betterwith makes their ice cream with the lowest possible sugar compared to other ice cream brands.

What’s NOT inside Betterwith Ice Cream:

  • Canola Oil
  • Soy Oils
  • Potassium Sorbate
  • Sodium Citrate
  • Propylene Glycol Monostearate
  • Erythritol
  • Glycerin
  • Artificial Flavours
  • Artificial Colours
  • Carrageenan
  • Modified Corn Starch
  • Carob Bean Gum
  • Locust Bean Gum
  • Sodium Benzoate
  • Cellulose Gum
  • Modified Milk Ingredients
  • Mono and Diglycerides
  • Modified Palm Oil

How Betterwith was born:

Before ice cream, Lori Joyce’s entrepreneurial journey was all about a different dessert.

In 2002, the Betterwith CEO opened Cupcakes, the first ever cupcakes-only bakery, which she co-founded.

In less than 10 years, they franchised Cupcakes across Canada and even co-starred in their very own hit reality TV Show called ‘The Cupcake Girls’.

After 3 full seasons, 45 episodes, and a Gemini-Award for ‘Best New Reality Show’, Lori needed a break..

Until one day, Lori questioned while grocery shopping, “What is frozen dessert, and more importantly why is it not ice cream?”

That day in the freezer aisle, she saw an opportunity to make a better ice cream. An ice cream without tons of sugar, or any gums or preservatives. The rest is history.

Let’s talk about flavour, baby

Betterwith’s full delicious lineup includes Cream, Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee and Caramel.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLK-_XbBwpS/

Betterwith Ice Cream

Where to buy: Check out the full list of where you can buy Betterwith here

50-year-old man stabbed after COVID-19 related altercation at Nanaimo mall

By
Ryan Hook
-
RCMP Cruiser Generic
(File photo)

A 50-year-old man received minor non-life threatening injuries after an altercation in the Port Place Mall parking lot in Nanaimo.

The incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24th outside the Dollarama located at 111-648 Terminal Avenue.

The victim’s wife said she was standing outside her car with her family when the suspect walked by too close to abide by COVID-19 protocols.

Their 25-year-old daughter told the suspect he was too close and should maintain the recommended 6-foot separation.

The suspect proceeded to yell obscenities at her, and then the victim moved toward the suspect and was promptly struck by a metal coffee cup.

A fight broke between the two until the victim was stabbed moments later – 9-1-1 was called and the knife was recovered at the scene by attending police.

Approximately one hour later, information was received that the suspect was on Gabriola Island.

Gabriola Island RCMP officers attended the suspect’s residence and arrested him without incident.

The suspect has been transported to Nanaimo and turned over to RCMP officers.

The suspect was served with an Undertaking for Assault with a Weapon and released from custody.

His first court appearance is set for May 25th.

Local man challenges Victoria to ‘The Great Scavenger Hunt’ with Facebook group

By
Tim Ford
-
Zoltan Szoges Scavenger Hunt
(Zoltan Szoges)

Zoltan Szoges is challenging the people of Victoria to get to know their city in a fun and unique way: through scavenger hunts.

The local man has created a Facebook group framed around hiding unique items — mainly gift cards — in the area and challenging people to find them.

He says the idea originated out of a social media post when he built a “monolith” out of snow during the Island’s recent chilly weather.

“I thought I’d post this funny little hunt, whoever finds this gets a free coffee from the place across the street,” said Szoges in an interview with Victoria Buzz. “I had a great response from that.”

The online reaction spurred him to build a Facebook group called “The Great Scavenger Hunt – Victoria, BC Canada” that lets users hide gift cards or other items around town while having other people search for them.

Szoges, originally from Toronto, says he often finds it difficult to connect with people in the Victoria region. He believes his scavenger hunts are a way to help build a sense of community.

“I find that you have to be really intentional if you want to connect with people and make community,” he said.

“I think sometimes people get caught up in their daily lives just trying to survive in this very expensive region.”

Typically, the way a scavenger hunt works on the page is that someone — mostly Szoges to begin with — posts a photo clue alongside a post containing a “passcode” that the hunter must give to a local business in order to claim a prize.

Once a prize is claimed, the post is updated and the location is revealed. The winner is encouraged to post a personal message as well.

Szoges posted his first scavenger hunt on Saturday, and the response has been huge, with over 1,200 people signed up for the Facebook group already and plenty of attention in other groups like Oak Bay Local.

“A 12-year-old saw one post and got up Saturday morning at 7 a.m., before her parents got up, and started biking around town to find these cards,” said Szoges.

“She arrived at two cafes before they opened and waited for staff. The girl’s mother said it really put a spring in her step.”

The girl is now organizing a kid-friendly version of the hunt this weekend. Some businesses have also offered complimentary gift cards to take part in the fun.

For Szoges, it’s a strong indicator of the desire for community, especially during a difficult time like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At the end of the day, people like kindness, people like giving, and people like connecting with their communities,” he said.

“I think you can utilize online platforms like a gift card scavenger hunt as a way to spur offline connections. I think that that is always my goal, how to use the online to support real-life connections and real-life support.”

UPDATE: the scavenger hunt below was solved on February 25, 2021. Thank you for reading!

Szoges is offering our readers the first chance at a new hunt starting today.

The passcode is: Take Me To Your Leader.

And the clue is: “Young or old, you’re bound to enjoy this shop. It’s the bomb!”

Need another clue? Take a closer look at the photo on this article! Remember: you just have to visit the business during their opening hours and be the first to deliver the passcode to claim the prize.

Happy hunting!

For more scavenger hunts, visit The Great Scavenger Hunt Facebook group.

 

East Saanich Road exit off Pat Bay Highway will be closed after overpass built

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
(Province of BC)

One question lingered for many Saanich Peninsula residents after the province announced the possible construction of a “flyover” overpass at Pat Bay Highway and Keating Cross Road.

Will the East Saanich Road exit off the Pat Bay Highway be closed? According to design sketches recently released on the province’s website, the answer is yes.

Several other roads in the area that allow traffic to enter or exit Pat Bay Highway will also be closed off in the area, including Danica Place and Gliddon Road.

The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure first announced funding for a new overpass from Pat Bay Highway (Highway 17) northbound to Keating Cross Road westbound back in August 2019.

This flyover would eliminate the need for drivers to cross the busy highway when turning onto Keating Cross Road. The East Saanich Road exit is just several meters north of the Keating exit which also requires motorists to cross over into oncoming traffic.

Province seeks feedback

The provincial government is now looking for feedback about the proposed improvements to the Patricia Bay Highway northbound at Keating Cross Road.

Every hour, hundreds of drivers turn left across heavy traffic on Highway 17 to get onto Keating Cross Road, causing safety issues and traffic bottlenecks.

As well, with projected population growth and planned industrial and commercial development in the area, traffic congestion is expected to increase.

The proposed flyover overpass would eliminate the left turn across highway traffic.

The project will also create a realigned southbound on-ramp to the Pat Bay Highway southbound and bus-on-shoulder facilities to support future plans for bus rapid transit on the highway.

In addition, Keating Cross Road will be widened, including the sidewalks, to improve traffic conditions for people using the overpass.

The federal government has contributed over $16.7 million to this project, while the District of Central Saanich is providing $2.5 million.

Preliminary engineering work on the overpass flyover project at Pat Bay Highway and Keating Cross Road began in June 2020.

Construction is expected to start sometime later this year.

Feedback is being accepted until March 24th. To leave feedback and for more information on the project, click here.

Environment Canada issues wind warning for Greater Victoria Thursday afternoon

By
Seanna Wainman
-
Stormy day at Ogden Point (Robby Benn / @bcrobby on Instagram)

Environment Canada has issued a wind warning for Greater Victoria Thursday afternoon in the wake of an intense weather system.

Westerly winds 70 km/h and gusting up to 90 km/h will develop near Juan de Fuca Strait late this afternoon and persist through Friday morning.

The blustery conditions will continue into Friday during the day, but winds are expected to remain below warning criteria.

Strong winds can be dangerous and may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break, often leading to power outages.

Updates and alerts are issued by Environment Canada. People on the ground who witness severe weather can email BCstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using the hashtag #BCStorm.

Two impaired women fined and arrested for refusing to wear masks aboard BC Ferries

By
Ryan Hook
-
Ferry
The Queen of Oak Bay departs the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. Arnold C (User:Buchanan-Hermit)

Two passengers aboard a BC Ferries vessel on Monday were arrested and fined after refusing to follow COVID-19 protocols and for their abusive behavior towards staff.

RCMP were called to the Departure Bay in Nanaimo to meet the ferry arriving from Horseshoe Bay after BC ferries staff informed them that two women, ages 19 and 43, were ignoring recommendations to wear masks.

The pair were heard yelling, screaming, and being generally abusive to the crew throughout the journey.

Officers noted that when they approached the women after the boat docked, the pair were confrontational with police and showed signs of impairment.

Officers promptly arrested them for mischief and causing disturbance.

Several hours later and when sober, the women were both served with $230 tickets for not wearing face coverings and $230 violation tickets for abusive or belligerent behaviour.

“It should be noted that the two had reusable non-medical masks in their possession at all times but simply chose not to wear them,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.

The arresting officers elected not to pursue criminal charges.

Queen Elizabeth II statue beheaded in Victoria’s Beacon Hill Park

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-

Victoria police are investigating after the Queen Elizabeth II statue in Beacon Hill Park was found beheaded.

Officers were called to an area of the park near the petting zoo just after noon Wednesday after it was discovered one of the statues of the Queen had been vandalized.

There they discovered that the statue’s head had been removed which has yet to be found.

This incident comes after a rash of overnight vandalism incidents involving graffiti that mentions Beacon Hill Park.

It’s unclear if the two incidents are related.

Overnight vandalism spree

In addition to the statue being destroyed, business owners and municipal workers awoke to find their property vandalized on Wednesday morning.

VicPD are investigating a graffiti spree that saw a number of messages sprawled across the city, including the statue of Queen Elizabeth II being beheaded in Beacon Hill Park.

The graffiti, seen on numerous buildings, including businesses, public facilities, and City of Victoria properties makes reference to Beacon Hill Park, bylaw, and human rights.

(Ryan Burghardt)

Anyone with information on either incident can contact VicPD at 250-995-7654, or report anonymously to Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

10 clips of Tuesday’s crazy flash hail storm in and around Victoria (VIDEOS)

By
Ryan Hook
-

There’s getting caught in the rain…and then there’s getting caught in the hail…

Yesterday, February 23rd, at or around 4:30 p.m., a flash hail storm overtook the skies of the Greater Victoria area.

Like a flash mob, the flash hail storm overtook the streets, confused the people, and forced everyone inside.

But as quickly as people sheltered themselves, their dogs, and their eyes from the little balls of ice, the hailstorm cleared, the people rejoiced, and the groundhogs got their sunscreen ready.

 

@victoriabcbuzz

When the sun decides to take a break mid-day 🤔 #saanich #victoriabc #yyj #victoriabuzz #hail

♬ Myself – Bazzi

BC reports 456 new COVID-19 cases and two new deaths on February 24th

By
Ryan Hook
-
(Dr. Bonnie Henry/Photo by Colin Smith Takes Pics)

The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 456 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Wednesday, February 24th, for a total of 78,278 cases since the pandemic began.

New cases were reported in these health regions:

Vancouver Coastal Health: 108
Fraser Health: 259
Island Health: 35
Interior Health: 30
Northern Health: 20

The number of active cases in B.C. decreased from 4,677 to 4,668.

There are now a total of 237 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 1,338.

Over 7,881 people are in isolation, under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.

A total of 71,753 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.

Outbreaks

There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks.

There are 12 active outbreaks in long-term facilities and five in acute-care facilities.

The outbreak at Creekside Landing (Interior Health) is now over.

Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.

More COVID-19 coverage from Victoria Buzz, including local exposures and outbreaks.

Island Health

Island Health is reporting 36 new COVID-19 cases today.

There are 245 active cases remaining in the region, according to Island Health. By Health Service Delivery Area, they are:

  • South Island: 39 (-1) | Total cases: 598 (+4)
  • Central Island: 150 (+10) | Total cases: 1,282 (+25)
  • North Island: 56 (+4) | Total cases: 350 (+7)

No new deaths were reported in the Island Health region. There is a total of 24 deaths to date.

16 people are currently hospitalized in the Island Health region, including five people in intensive care units.

 

Vaccinations and Variants

To date, 230,875 (+6,521) people in B.C. have received a COVID-19 vaccine. 62,608 (+3,712) of those people have received their second dose.

There are 28 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants in our province.

There are a total of 101 cases and two cases of variants that are under investigation.

Of the total number of cases, four are active and the remaining 97 have now recovered.

81 cases of the UK variant, 20 cases of the South Africa variant, and two cases of a Nigerian variant recorded in BC.

No update on numbers was given on variants from the Province today.

Some links include:

At the time of this publication, 113,051,293 cases of COVID-19 had been recorded worldwide. 2,505,969 have died, and 88,649,189 have recovered.

Summer camping reservations set to open for BC residents next month

By
Ryan Hook
-
(Photo by Justin Kopp)

While the official 2021 camping season is still a few months away, people living in BC will soon be able to reserve campsites in provincial parks two months in advance of their arrival date.

The Discover Camping reservation service opens March 8th.

“We are all looking forward to another summer of camping and outdoor recreation in B.C., and while public health concerns and advice remain, we are asking people to pick a campground as close to home as possible to avoid long road trips and non-essential travel,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

While COVID-19 still affects the province, and travel is limited, this year’s camping season is expected to be busy, according to the BC government.

Therefore, reservations can be made no further than two months out from the arrival.
So, if you are looking to make a reservation for August, you will have to book it in May.

On July 8th, people living in other provinces can reserve campsites for the remainder of the season.

Reservations can be made online at discovercamping.ca.

Of the 10,700 campsites BC Parks manages, approximately 55% are reservable and 45% remain available on a first come, first served basis.

BC Ferries employee working at Swartz Bay terminal tests positive for COVID-19

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
BC Ferries
Image: BC Ferries vessel docking at the Swartz Bay terminal. (nickaroundtheworld/ Instagram)

BC Ferries has confirmed an employee working at the Swartz Bay terminal has tested positive for COVID-19.

Island Health has completed contact tracing and it has been determined that there were no contacts involving risk or re-transmission to the public.

According to BC Ferries, a number of employees who had direct contact with the staff member are currently in self-isolation.

“They have been asked to get tested, however, none are showing any symptoms currently,” Deborah Marshall, BC Ferries spokesperson, said in an email statement to Victoria Buzz.

“We take this seriously and are committed to a safe and healthy workplace and will continue to work closely with Public Health on this situation. We wish our fellow employee a speedy recovery, and request privacy and respect for this person at this time,” the statement continued.

Other employees have been instructed to monitor themselves for symptoms.

As of this publication, there are 232 active cases in the Island Health region.

4 spots you can watch the HMCS Calgary’s sail past this Friday

By
Ryan Hook
-
(MARPAC/Facebook)

Family, friends, and onlookers, will have the chance this Friday, February 26th to wave goodbye to a Royal Canadian Navy frigate as it deploys to Asia and the Middle East.

HMCS Calgary are conducting a sail past along the Victoria shoreline before their six-month deployment on Friday.

The public should remember to observe COVID-19 social distancing efforts during the event.

The event will also be live streamed to their Facebook page at 4:30 p.m. where crew members will have the opportunity to give personal shout-outs to loved ones.

Those interested in seeing the departure can visit one of the following observation points as the ships travel West, starting from the Trial Islands around 4:30:

  • Clover Point at 4:43 p.m.
  • Ogden Point at 4:53 p.m.
  • Saxe Point at 4:57 p.m.
  • Esquimalt Lagoon at 5:00 p.m.

Family and Friends of HMCS Calgary! On February 26, as we take off for our six-month deployment to Asia and the Middle…

Posted by HMCS Calgary / NCSM Calgary on Tuesday, February 23, 2021

 

HMCS Calgary’s Sail Past

  • When: Friday, February 26th, starting at 4:30 p.m.

 

Laketown Ranch announces summer camping for its 2021 season

By
Ryan Hook
-

Laketown Ranch has announced summer camping for its 2021 season.

The usual spot for popular music festivals such as Laketown Shakedown and Sunfest Country Music Festival will be open for camping reservations next month.

While no official announcement has been made, summer music festivals are expected to be postponed for another year in light of the ongoing pandemic.

The property is surrounded by forest and pastures and offers a variety of activities including hikes and biking trails, as well as a ten minute walk to Lake Cowichan.

On selected nights, you’ll be able to enjoy live music and food in the newly constructed camp village.

The site caters to RV’s, tent campers, and group camping.

There will not be RV hooks or sani dumps but there are showers and amenities available on site.

Boat storage is available as well.

Reservations will open in March for the inaugural season from May 21st to September 30th.

Laketown Ranch

  • Where: 8811 Youbou Rd #648, Lake Cowichan, BC
  • When: May 21st to September 30th – reservations open in March

Two teenage suspects arrested in View Royal arson

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
Westshore RCMP cruiser
(File photo)

Police have arrested a pair of teenage suspects in connection with an arson in View Royal that took place over the weekend.

West Shore RCMP say they were called to the scene of a residential fire on February 20th at approximately 5:20 a.m.

Crews from the View Royal Fire Department were already on scene when police arrived, and had put out the fire.

The blaze caused significant damage to the front porch of a house on Newstead Crescent.

An initial investigation determined that the fire was deliberately set. Police were able to identify and subsequently arrested two suspects.

19-year-old Zachariah Nickel has been charged with uttering threats and arson while 18-year-old Jaden Peirce has been charged with arson.

Both suspects were held by police and later released on an order to appear in court in March.

Police say the incident was targeted and there is no wider risk to the public.

This all-new immersive experience transports you across the world without ever leaving Victoria

By
Branded Content
-
(Myriad Experience)

With the ongoing pandemic top of mind for many, the reality is, most getaways seem like a far-off dream.

But what if we were to tell you you could escape to many sought-after destinations, without leaving the comfort of your own city (or your bubble)?

Thanks to the all-new fully immersive Myriad Experience, you can.

The Myriad Experience is a 360-degree adventure designed to stimulate all of your senses; bringing you to new places, allowing you to participate in new experiences, and showing you the wonders of the world and beyond all from to comfort and safety of your own city.

Imagine you (and your loved ones) travelling through bustling downtown England, touring the canals of Italy or even adventuring through the hills of Vietnam; the sights and sounds of each unique destination delighting your senses.

The experience is being designed as a completely COVID-safe activity, with no shared equipment for the immersion, and scheduling of the immersion will only include private showings for the foreseeable future.

The full VIP Experience is $50 per person, and also includes special gifts and benefits offered throughout a walkthrough of the Myriad and Gallery Experience.

You can also get the Myriad Experience for $40 per person, which just includes the walkthrough and gallery, and simply just the gallery experience for $25 per person.

The exact location of the Myriad Experience is yet to be determined, but will be announced shortly! Until then, we will keep dreaming of the far away places we can soon visit from our very own Victoria…

The Myriad Experience

  • When: Opening in March – stay tuned!
  • Where: Location coming soon – keep your eyes peeled
  • To book: Book your spot online

Facebook | Instagram

The Myriad Experience is patent pending.

Woman groped by stranger in Nanaimo mall parking lot

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
(Image / Woodgrove Centre)

Nanaimo RMCP are searching for a suspect who allegedly groped a woman in a Nanaimo parking lot on Saturday.

The incident occurred at around 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 20th, in the west parking lot of Woodgrove Centre, near the bus loops.

The woman told police she walked out of the mall to her vehicle that was parked about ten stalls from the door she exited.

As she was standing next to her vehicle, a man, unknown to the woman, came up from behind her and groped her from behind.

“In a state of disbelief and shock, she yelled several obscenities at the man and watched as he walked off in the direction of the bus loop,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.

The suspect is described as:

  •  Dark skin, possibly Indigenous or Hispanic
  •  25 years old, 5 ft. 7 to 5 ft. 8
  •  Dark spikey gelled hair
  •  Black hoodie, black COVID mask

Investigators are reviewing video surveillance and are planning to release a composite sketch of the suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP.

Man damages City of Victoria Parks vehicle with sledgehammer in Beacon Hill Park

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
(Photo by Myles Sauer/Victoria Buzz)

One man has been arrested after a City of Victoria Parks vehicle was damaged with a sledgehammer in Beacon Hill Park on Tuesday.

In a media release, VicPD said they were called to Beacon Hill Park on February 23rd after bylaw officers reported that a man had smashed their truck window with a sledgehammer.

Following the incident, the suspect then fled into the park on a bicycle. Police were able to locate and arrest the man without incident.

Police say the man was later released with a court date.

There were no injuries reported in the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact VicPD at (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.  

 

The sights and sounds of Mars: new Perseverance rover footage released (VIDEO)

By
Tim Ford
-
(photo via @NASAPersevere)

The world is getting a new look at one of its neighbours in the solar system as NASA releases new footage from its Perseverance rover.

It has been just over a week since Perseverance touched down successfully on the surface of Mars, and already the rover has sent back high-resolution images, video and now audio.

On Monday, the Twitter account for the rover, @NASAPersevere, posted an audio clip from the fourth planet from the sun, along with a link to a gallery with more recordings.

The U.S. space agency also shared footage of the landing craft’s descent, providing a stunning view of Mars’ surface and offering viewers a front-row seat to the experience.

“This video of Perseverance’s descent is the closest you can get to landing on Mars without putting on a pressure suit,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science.

“It should become mandatory viewing for young women and men who not only want to explore other worlds and build the spacecraft that will take them there, but also want to be part of the diverse teams achieving all the audacious goals in our future.”

NASA is hoping that Perseverance will be operating for one Mars year — roughly two Earth years.

However, past experience has shown incredible longevity for the American agency’s Martian craft, with the rovers Opportunity and Curiosity far exceeding their expected lifespans.

Opportunity was expected to operate for three months but ended up lasting over 14 years, while Curiosity outlived its two-year mission and will mark nine years in operation in August.

Uber Eats is finally available on the Saanich Peninsula

By
Seanna Wainman
-
Uber Eats

Great news for hungry residents on the Saanich Peninsula – you can now have your favourite restaurant eats, and have them delivered, too.

Popular food delivery service Uber Eats announced on Tuesday that they have expanded ther reach just north of Sidney stretching into Saanich, excluding an area west of John Dean Provincial Park.

(Uber Eats Canada)

The expansion comes after the service initially launched in Victoria in August of 2018, though residents outside of the main delivery areas have been impatiently waiting since then to enjoy food delivery, pick-up, and online ordering from the popular app.

Uber Eats connects with local restaurants to offer food delivery and pick-up so that people can get take-out from their favourite eateries.

On the Saanich Peninsula, some restaurants offering the service are Dickens Public House, the Surly Mermaid, and Woodshed Pizza, and the ever-popular Fish on 5th – home of the famed Disneyland Dole Whip.

(Screengrab / Victoria Buzz)

To use the service, you can download the Uber Eats app, input your delivery address and browse restaurants within your area. Users can also track orders from pick up to delivery.

While Uber Eats is working on expanding its reach across the province, competitor SkipTheDishes has implemented a $1 temporary “B.C. Fee” for all users.

 

19-year-old man arrested after violent robbery in Comox

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
(File photo)

A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a violent robbery in Comox last week.

The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. on Friday, February 19th at a business in the 700-block of Anderton Road in Comox.

Comox Valley RCMP issued a media release the same day of the robbery looking for potential witnesses and any camera footage that may have captured the suspect.

Police announced they had arrested a suspect Tuesday afternoon.

The victim told police that she had just locked up the store and was putting items into her trunk when a man approached her, displayed what appeared to be a handgun, and demanded her valuables.

Comox Valley RCMP said the suspect stole the woman’s purse and car keys. The woman sustained a laceration to her neck during the altercation.

“Investigators from the Comox Valley Major Crime Unit have been working diligently since the robbery occurred to gather any available evidence in an effort to solve this crime,” said S/Sgt. Glen Breckon, Major Crime Unit, Comox Valley RCMP.

“This morning the Comox Valley Major Crime Unit made an arrest and want to assure the public they are confident they have the person responsible for this violent robbery in custody,” said Breckon.

The suspect will remain in custody pending a court appearance.

BC reports 559 new COVID-19 cases and one new death on February 23rd

By
Ryan Hook
-
(Dr. Bonnie Henry/Photo by Colin Smith Takes Pics)

The B.C. Ministry of Health reported 559 new cases of COVID-19 across the province on Tuesday, February 23rd, for a total of 77,822 cases since the pandemic began.

New cases were reported in these health regions:

Vancouver Coastal Health: 132
Fraser Health: 278
Island Health: 39
Interior Health: 43
Northern Health: 66

The number of active cases in B.C. increased from 4,486 to 4,677.

There are now a total of 238 people in hospital due to COVID-19, 69 of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.

One more person has died from COVID-related causes, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,336.

Over 7,881 people are in isolation, under active public health monitoring after exposure to COVID-19.

A total of 71,753 people have recovered from novel coronavirus.

Outbreaks

No new health facility outbreak reported.

There are 12 active outbreaks in long-term facilities and five in acute-care facilities.

The outbreak in Abbotsford Regional Hospital is now over.

Outbreaks and other exposure events can be linked to from the BC Centre for Disease Control website.

More COVID-19 coverage from Victoria Buzz, including local exposures and outbreaks.

Island Health

There are 37 new cases on the Island as of Tuesday.

There are 232 active cases remaining in the region, according to Island Health. By Health Service Delivery Area, they are:

  • South Island: 40 | Total cases: 594
  • Central Island: 140 | Total cases: 1,257
  • North Island: 52 | Total cases: 343

No new deaths were reported in the Island Health region. There is a total of 24 deaths to date.

16 people are currently hospitalized in the Island Health region, including six people in intensive care units.

Vaccinations and Variants

To date, 224,354 (+5,630) people in B.C. have received a COVID-19 vaccine. 58,896 (+3,839) of those people have received their second dose.

There are 28 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants in our province.

There are a total of 101 cases and two cases of variants that are under investigation.

Of the total number of cases, four are active and the remaining 97 have now recovered.

81 cases of the UK variant, 20 cases of the South Africa variant, and two cases of a Nigerian variant recorded in BC.

No update on numbers was given on variants from the Province.

Some links include:

At the time of this publication, 112,604,381 cases of COVID-19 had been recorded worldwide. 2,494,143 have died, and 88,095,357 have recovered.

Two suspects sought after attempted robbery at gunpoint in Langford

By
Victoria Buzz Staff
-
Man shot dead in Beiseker
(West Shore RCMP)

West Shore RCMP are investigating an attempted robbery that occurred in Langford early Sunday.

The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 21st.

In a media release, police said a man was approached by two suspects while walking along the east side of Veterans Memorial Parkway between Percy Place and Larkhall Road.

The victim told police one of the suspects brandished a handgun and demanded cash. The individual didn’t have money on him so the suspect left on foot and was seen heading towards the Chevron Gas Station.

The victim was uninjured in the incident.

Suspect one is described as:

  • Caucasian male;
  • early 20’s;
  • approximately 5’8 to 5’10 tall;
  • blue eyes;
  • wearing a face mask
  • had a tattoo under the right eye that appeared to continue from below the eye and onto the neck.
  • The tattoo was described as having sharp edges and lines, possibly a tribal-style tattoo.

The second suspect is described as:

  • Caucasian male;
  • early 20’s;
  • approx. 5’8″ to 5’10” tall;
  • wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, a black medical mask, and black sneakers.

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying these suspects.

Police are asking residents living in the area with home surveillance or anyone who may have been driving by that has dash camera footage to check it between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Feb 21st.

“We have had no similar reports of this nature. This incident was not immediately reported to police and we would like to remind the public to report criminal and suspicious activity right away,” said Cst. Nancy Saggar, West Shore RCMP Media Relations Officer.

If you think you captured the suspects on your surveillance or know who they could be, contact the West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264. Or you can report anonymously through Crime Stoppers online or by calling 1-800-222-8477.

Human remains found near construction site in Saanich deemed ancestral

By
Ryan Hook
-
(Google Maps)

Saanich Police were called to a construction site on Monday after human remains were found underneath the boulevard, next to the roadway, across the street from a large condo development in the 5100 block of Cordova Bay Road.

With the assistance of the University of Victoria and representatives of a contracted archaeological company, Saanich police confirmed the remains were not of recent origin and did not die of natural causes.

The remains were confirmed as ancestral remains this morning, February 23rd.

The area is known to be active with First Nations remains and the area across the street has been subject to a large development project where a Provincial Heritage Excavation permit exists.

Representatives of the Tsawout and Songhees Nations have been present on site of the construction process.

Saanich Police have left the scene and the excavation will continue as conducted by the First Nations representative on site.

Construction for the mixed commercial and residential unit has been happening since 2019.

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