The Independent Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC is investigating after a man died in Victoria Police custody.

In a statement released Monday, the police watchdog outlined an incident on November 20 in which Victoria Police officers attended reports of a man allegedly causing a disturbance in the 600 block of Douglas Street at around 1:45 a.m.

When police arrived, they arrested the man after he was medically cleared by Emergency Health Services. The man was transported to cells to be held in custody.

A short while later, at 4:15 a.m., the man appeared the be in medical distress while in cells.

Paramedics were called and they transported him to a local hospital.

On November 22, police were told that the man had died in hospital. That is when IIO, the civilian oversight agency was notified of the incident.

The IIO will investigate to determine what role, if any, police actions or inaction played in the death.

Six-term MLA and former cabinet minister Shirley Bond has been elected interim leader of the official opposition by the BC Liberal Caucus.

The Monday morning vote by the Liberals’ 28-member caucus comes on the heels of an abrupt resignation from outgoing leader Andrew Wilkinson on Saturday.

Wilkinson, who announced on Facebook that he would step down immediately as leader, had previously said he intended to stay in his role until a formal leadership race was held to replace him.

He has faced a storm of criticism from within his party’s ranks, including a rebuke from BC Liberal Membership Chair Nicole Paul, who wrote on Twitter that the Liberals “have a problem in the leadership of the party and their lack of willingness to stand up for diversity, inclusion and the values of BC Liberal members.”

During the election, Wilkinson was also criticized for his handling of a controversy that emerged out of a digital roast involving Liberal candidate Jane Thornthwaite making sexist remarks towards the NDP’s Bowinn Ma.

Wilkinson’s immediate remarks following the incident centered on Thornthwaite and appeared to distance himself from the issue.

After the election, Thornthwaite denounced Wilkinson for “throwing her under the bus” in a blistering op-ed in the Vancouver Sun.

“I hope that whoever steps up to lead our B.C. Liberal Party recognizes the critical importance of instilling the right culture to ensure renewal and rebuilding,” Thornthwaite wrote.

Bond is a veteran of the BC Liberal party, and held positions in cabinet under Premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark.

The MLA for Prince George-Valemount also recently served as finance critic under Wilkinson during John Horgan’s first term.

“I appreciate the confidence and trust my colleagues have placed in me as we work together to hold John Horgan and the NDP government to account in the coming months,” said Bond in a statement. 

“I want to thank Andrew Wilkinson for his service as leader over the past several years and I look forward to continuing to work with him and our entire team of new and returning MLAs to present a positive vision for this province.”

Bond added that she would be appointing a leadership team and assigning MLA critic portfolios in the coming days. The BC Liberal Caucus also appointed Stephanie Cadieux as their new Caucus Chair.

BC Liberal party MLAs will officially be sworn in on November 27, 2020. The BC Legislature is scheduled to be back in session on December 7, 2020.

A sunken car was discovered in the Saanich Inlet after an estimated five days underwater, according to Central Saanich Police.

Officials were notified about the submerged vehicle on November 20 at about 4:20 p.m. by a passerby who happened to glimpse it through the crystal-clear water.

Police say it entered the Inlet at Henderson Point, near the end of Senanus Drive, which merges from Mount Newton Cross Road. The area is currently being redeveloped with new pathway features.

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue – Station 31 Brentwood Bay (RCMSAR 31) assisted Central Saanich Police in locating and marking the vehicle. Divers confirmed that no one was inside.

“The owner of the car has been located and is well and likely drove it into the water,” said Sgt. Paul Brailey, Central Saanich Police, in an interview with Victoria Buzz.

“Based on our investigation it was probably put there on the 15th, and it was discovered on the 20th.”

Brailey says the vehicle, a Chevy Blazer, is still currently underwater as crews work to retrieve it.

He added that due to the difficult location, which is not easily accessed by road vehicles, a barge may be needed to help with the recovery.

“It’s a rarely used area, it’s quite isolated,” said Brailey.

“It’s still under construction. Obviously, for the future, there will be barriers erected to prevent this from happening again.”

The vehicle will be returned to the owner once it is recovered.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the Vancouver Island Crisis Line at 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-784-2433. You can also visit them online.

A Victoria woman is celebrating an early Christmas after she took home $100,000 on a Season’s Greetings Scratch & Win ticket.

Brenda Schroeder purchased her winning ticket, and a few others, from the Tillicum Centre Lottery Ticket Centre. She decided to scratch them while she was waiting for her scooter to charge.

“I had started to scratch my ticket and noticed that I could be a winner, but I decided to scratch the other three first before I went to check them,” said Schroeder.

“When I checked the ticket on the self checker, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing…so many zeros on the screen. I just couldn’t believe it, I was completely shocked.”

The Victoria local says she shared the news with a friend, who thought she was joking at first.

“She was shocked as well, and it was the background noise of all the excitement that made her come to the realization that I was not joking and this was real,” Schroeder explained.

She plans to put her win towards a new home for her and her grandson, and to share the remainder with her family.

*Note: Victoria Buzz is not affiliated with BC Lottery Corporation and does not advocate gambling or taking part in lotteries. If you choose to participate, remember to play responsibly.

Note: This article has been updated to include statements from the City of Victoria.

City of Victoria bylaw and Victoria Police officers attended the site of a community care tent and showers donated by supporters at Beacon Hill Park to dismantle those structures Friday morning.

“They were taking apart the community care tent and putting it all in a dumpster bin… There were tons and tons of donations from the community… they took all that out and threw it away,” said supporter and Victoria resident Gina Mowatt, in an interview with Victoria Buzz.

“The showers we built and an 800 gallon cistern full of clean drinking water, [they] poured that all out too. They took apart the showers and put them in a bin.”

Videos and photos uploaded on social media Friday morning confirm accounts of bylaw officers tearing down the community care tent and showers while Victoria Police stood by.

“City of Victoria Bylaw was conducting bylaw enforcement in Beacon Hill Park this morning. We were there to keep the peace while bylaw conducted enforcement,” said VicPD spokesperson Cst. Cam MacIntyre in an emailed statement to Victoria Buzz.

The community care tent at Beacon Hill Park offers a collection of donated items — like food, medical supplies, sleeping bags, and heaters — much needed by unsheltered people, particularly during a pandemic.

While Mowatt says the donations in the community tent were thrown away, City of Victoria representative Bill Eisenhauer says everything was boxed up and is being stored, ready to be returned to the group.

“Perhaps the bin that was used to transport all left an impression it was trash bin, but it was simply a bin for transport all together safely and in an organized fashion,” Eisenhauer added in an email to Victoria Buzz.

However Mowatt and other community members have little trust that the items will be returned to the unhoused population.

“Just from experiences of mass dispossession when homeless encampments are moved, like the one at Pandora (Ave), they confiscated everyone’s things, and people never got them back. Legal observers have documented instances when bylaw took people’s things and never gave them back,” said Mowatt.

“So it’s one thing for the city to say ‘yes we’re impounding it and you’ll get them back’, but it’s another story when the day comes of whether the items will be destroyed or not.”

The tent and showers have been a point of contention for the City of Victoria and, according to Mayor Lisa Helps, their placement violates the conditions of the Beacon Hill Trust, which governs what activities can and cannot take place in the park.

“If the Community Care Tent is not removed, the City could be found to be in violation of the Trust,” reads her blog post.

“Being found in violation of the Trust is serious and could put the park at risk and some important uses that are valued by the community may not be able to continue. The showers installed in the park fall into the same category.”

However community members and volunteers who have donated items to the tent and built the showers say the sudden raid by bylaw and police was unexpected, given that the group was in talks with the city to move the structures.

“The city was in negotiation with the [people who set up the] community care tent,” said Mowatt.

“They had sent us an email expressing an opportunity to move the community care tent and showers to another location. A lot of the folks that were involved with that were confused about why bylaw officers dismantled the structures.”

Witnesses say one person was also injured during an arrest by Victoria Police at the site.

“A woman assaulted a police officer while we were in Beacon Hill Park,” said Cst. MacIntyre. “She was arrested for assaulting a police officer and transported to cells, where she was then released, with the investigation ongoing.”

However witnesses on the ground have a different account of what happened.

“They were standing and the cops were trying to get by them. The cops were pushing them and so they put their arm out to protect themselves,” said Mowatt.

“When they put their arm out, the cops grabbed them and put them on the ground and arrested them for assaulting a police officer—which they didn’t do.”

The individual is currently in hospital, being treated for a broken elbow. The injury was present before the arrest, but witnesses say the arrest made it worse.

The events of the day have eroded the group’s trust in the City of Victoria, according to Mowatt.

“The community care tent wasn’t just about people giving out food, it was about the larger community in Victoria showing the people who are unhoused that we care about them,” she said.

“If there’s anything we learnt from this, it’s that any conversations we’re having with the city is a waste of time. So we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing.”

City of Victoria spokesperson Bill Eisenhauer says bylaw and staff have been trying to find a solution by moving the structures but no agreement was reached.

“City Bylaw officers and other staff have had many discussions over the past few weeks with the individuals operating these unauthorized structures to offer to assist with possible solutions, including exploring alternative locations outside the park to establish these services,” said Bill Eisenhauer.

“They have simply declined to work with us to find an alternative solution, leaving us no choice but to remove the structures today.”

However Victoria city councillor Sarah Potts took to Instagram on Friday to denounce the dismantling of the facilities, adding that she had been in active talks with the community to find a solution.

Eisenhauer also added that Beacon Hill Park residents and community members can apply for a $100,000 grant program established by the city to provide mobile hygiene and other social services to people sheltering outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Updated statistics from Elections BC show that the 2020 Provincial Election saw the lowest voter turnout in B.C. on record.

On Friday, Elections BC released updated statistics that say 54.5 per cent of registered voters showed up to vote in this fall’s snap election.

That’s the lowest turnout on record since 1928, breaking a previous record low of 55.14 per cent in 2009. 61.4 per cent of voters turned out for the election in 2017.

The highest turnout on record since 1928 was in 1983, when 77.66 per cent of registered voters showed up to the polls and Social Credit premier Bill Bennett was re-elected for his third and final term.

Voter estimates for the 2020 election are based on the number of registered voters at the close of general registration on September 26, and the number of valid votes and rejected ballots, cast either in person or by mail.

1,900,353 voters cast a ballot in the provincial election, the second-highest total in B.C. electoral history.

Record numbers of voters used vote-by-mail packages in 2020, with 724,279 packages requested, compared to only 6,517 voters who voted by mail in 2017.

596,287 people returned their packages by the close of voting this fall, representing a return rate of 82.3 per cent.

Elections BC says the return rate does not account for voters who decided to vote in person after requesting a vote-by-mail package.

They say they will be reporting this statistic in the Chief Electoral Officer’s report, which will be published in 2021.

2020’s provincial election was also notable in that it was the first election where more voters cast their ballot in advance than on Election Day.

28.8 per cent of those who voted did so on Election Day, compared to 35.4 per cent who voted in advance and 31.4 per cent who voted by mail.

Mail-in ballots flipped a handful of ridings after general voting day counting had concluded, including West Vancouver-Sea to Sky and Chilliwack-Kent.

Green candidate Jeremy Valeriote lost to incumbent Liberal Jordan Sturdy in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky by a margin of only 60 votes after a mandatory recount.

At a press appearance this week, Premier John Horgan said he will swear his cabinet in on Nov. 26, and his government will deliver a throne speech on Dec. 7.

BC Ferries reported an $81.7 million drop in revenue for their second quarter, ending September 30, compared to the same time period in 2019.

The loss is the latest indicator of a serious impact on the transport provider stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Net losses for BC Ferries’ year-to-date since April 1, 2020 were $24.2 million, compared to net earnings of $107.2 million for the same time period in 2019. This represents a decline in revenues of $131.4 million.

“COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on the ferry system as we navigate
through what is now the new normal with our employees, our customers and all British
Columbians,” said Mark Collins, BC Ferries’ President and CEO.

Passenger traffic has declined significantly as travel has been routinely discouraged by governments at every level, and even from tourism groups on the Island.

During their second quarter, BC Ferries saw a drop of 29 per cent in passenger traffic and 14 per cent in vehicle traffic, compared to 2019.

Expenses have also fallen as the transport operator has cut labour costs, fuel consumption, contracted services, and maintenance.

However, with an operational cost decrease of only 11.5 per cent for the second quarter compared to 2019, BC Ferries says these cuts will not be enough to offset their revenue losses.

They say that a significant portion of their costs are fixed and they are reassessing long-term capital plans to procure new vessels and to upgrade and modify existing vessels.

“Given the impact of the pandemic to our operations and financial position, we are reviewing all  capital plans to identify opportunities to defer any expenditures that are not regulatory, security or safety related or operationally necessary,” said Collins.

On September 18, 2020, the Federal and Provincial Governments announced that
BC Ferries will receive $308 million under the Safe Restart Funding Program.

RCMP are investigating a rash of thefts involving batteries that were stolen from traffic control devices around Duncan and Shawnigan Lake.

Officers with the North Cowichan/Duncan detachment say four incidents were reported from July 2020 to October 2020, at locations including intersections of the Trans Canada Highway.

The batteries affected traffic lights and electronic constructions signs, which the RCMP are crucial to keeping roadways safe.

They say that anyone can report an inoperable traffic control device in the North Cowichan/Duncan region by calling their non-emergency line at 250-748-5522.

“If you approach an uncontrolled intersection, or a flashing red traffic control light, this should be treated like a four-way intersection and everyone must come to a complete stop, said  Sgt. Trevor Busch.

“If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the one on the right goes first when it’s safe to do so.”

Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact their local police or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

The BC Legislature website was taken offline temporarily due to suspicious activity that was later confirmed to be the work of hackers.

In a statement, the BC Legislature says they became aware of suspicious activity on the Legislative Assembly’s network and took it offline on November 10 out of an abundance of caution while they investigated.

Staff said that the temporary downtime likely caused emails to users with @leg.bc.ca accounts to bounce back as undeliverable and caused other minor disruptions in service.

On Thursday morning, the BC Legislature announced they had concluded an initial investigation and confirmed that there was an unauthorized breach of their servers.

However, the quick decision by IT staff to shut down the network meant they were able to contain the situation and they have found no evidence that personal or legislature data was accessed or lost.

The Legislature says they will be gradually bringing network services back online as quickly as possible while maintaining network security.

An in-depth investigation is still ongoing.

VicPD are asking witnesses and people with dashcam footage to come forward in a collision that claimed the life of a young cyclist.

The incident occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 6th, at the intersection of Gorge Road and Harriet Street.

A young woman who had been cycling was hit by a vehicle and died on the scene from her injuries.

Investigators are asking anyone who was in the vicinity of the intersection between 5:15 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. to contact them.

In particular, police say they are looking for a cyclist who was travelling westbound on Gorge Road towards Harriet Street at the time of the incident, and any other pedestrians or drivers travelling westbound at that time on November 6th.

Anyone with information or with dashcam footage of the incident is asked to call the VicPD  non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654, extension 1.

Canada’s first Indigenous-led Coast Guard Auxiliary commenced operations this fall, in the territorial waters of Ahousaht and Heiltsuk First Nations.

The Coastal Nations Coast Guard Auxiliary (CN-CGA) was incorporated in 2018 between five member Nations —  Ahousaht, Heiltsuk, Nisga’a, Gitxaala, and Kitasoo — with federal government sponsorship.

“We are excited to welcome all five nations to the CN-CGA team,” said Alex Dick, Chair of CN-CGA.

“I foremost recognize the critical role of First Nation communities as members of the Auxiliary in protecting mariners and coastal communities. They are simply the most experienced stewards of the marine environment and are unquestionably vital to Canada’s marine safety system today.”

Over 50 volunteer members with CN-CGA will be on-call from five rescue stations to respond to marine emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in remote coastal areas in B.C.

The Canadian Coast Guard will continue to support CN-CGA with ongoing training in search and rescue, advanced first aid, swift water rescue and safe towing techniques.

A Victoria-based company is changing the way people look at home food waste, and one annual publication says they’re garnering international attention.

TIME Magazine has included Anvy Technologies’ Sepura, the world’s first sustainable food disposal system, in their list of top 100 inventions.

“It’s really great just to get recognized in that group,” said Anvy Technologies CEO Victor Nicolov in an interview with Victoria Buzz.

“We’ve had validation with people placing pre-orders, but it means a lot that people are recognizing this as a product that’s needed.”

Nicolov and his team first started working on Sepura just over two years ago, to create a perfect balance between three existing food waste methods: garburators, green bins, and tossing food in the trash.

“Those were the solutions that we were stuck with,” said Nicolov.

“Sepura was a way to tie all those together. I wanted to bring that to people at home, but still wanted to keep the benefits.”

Anvy Technologies’ patented design connects to an ordinary household kitchen sink, and separates solid food waste from liquids. Solids are redirected to an odorless, sealed bin.

LED indicators inform the user when the bin is full, and at that point the bin can be slid out and placed outside for curbside pickup or otherwise dumped out as compostable waste.

Sepura even has sensors to detect when a tool or utensil is mistakenly dropped down the drain, and is self-cleaning.

Nicolov says it’s a massive improvement on garburators, not only because of the utensil safety feature but because of the problems garburators cause for maintenance.

“We’ve talked to many municipalities before,” he said.

“We know that garburators are a big problem for them. It costs a lot to filter food waste out of the drain.”

Anvy Technologies is trying to break people away from the garburator market, and has set a similar product price for Sepura, at $580 USD, to compete.

Currently, they are offering pre-order discounts of $380 USD until units begin to ship in early 2021. Anvy is hoping that in the future Sepura will come pre-installed on new housing builds, much like dishwashers or refrigerators.

Nicolov, a Victoria local who has lived on the Island since he was seven, says B.C. is uniquely positioned to talk about green issues like food waste with an eye to the future.

“On the west coast here this subject comes up a lot more,” he said.

“BC’s definitely getting ahead, making solutions. It’s a common topic and it came up often in our schools.”

With Sepura’s inclusion on TIME Magazine’s top 100 list, Anvy Technologies is looking ahead to other green tech solutions that don’t break the bank.

Nicolov believes people think that eco-friendly lifestyles and products are at odds with the economy and with personal finances. With Sepura, he’s hoping to show that that isn’t the case.

“It definitely won’t stop with Sepura,” he said.

“What we really want to create are a whole line of products. You know how being healthy or being green is always ‘harder?’ It’s more work or more expensive? What we really want to create with these products is a way to sell green technology as a normal option.”

Saanich Police have arrested a 48-year-old massage therapist after an incident of alleged voyeurism was reported earlier this year.

Police are recommending one charge of voyeurism against Gilles-Philippe Lavoie, a masseur who operated out of his clinic—Tone Massage Therapy—in Saanich.

Lavoie was arrested after an incident was reported to Saanich Police on August 10, 2020.

“This is an extremely disturbing incident that is alleged to have occurred and we have provided support to the victim involved,” said Cst. Markus Anastasiades, in a statement.

“We must appreciate and respect the privacy involved here, so we are not sharing any further details of the incident.”

Police believe this was a single incident. Charges have been sworn in court and officers continue to investigate further.

Lavoie submitted his resignation to the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia on August 28, as a result of the investigation.

According to the resignation notice, he is no longer authorized to practice as a registered massage therapist in British Columbia.

As more British Columbians experience a strain on their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, calls to the Vancouver Island Crisis line have risen too.

“People are becoming more aware that we’re there to support, and to put people in contact with mental health services with whom we’re affiliated throughout the Island,” said Joanne Hogan, office and promotions administrator of Vancouver Island Crisis Society.

Results from a new survey released on Wednesday by the Pacific Blue Cross say that a majority of British Columbians are unaware of mental health services, despite 37 per cent reporting feeling anxious or depressed.

However, 66 per cent are aware of crisis lines, and Hogan says that is reflected in a large number of calls during peak COVID-19 restrictions.

“From March 1 to April 29, we received 1,199 calls pertaining to the pandemic. Most are relating to feelings of anxiety,” she said.

“It was very difficult for people at first because in Phase 1 there was much more isolation. People are experiencing less isolation as things open up, and less anxiety about going out.”

The positive news is that there has been a drop in the number of calls as restrictions have loosened. During the month of October, 160 calls to the Vancouver Island Crisis line were related to the pandemic, comprising only 6 per cent of the total calls placed.

Overall, the Society has experienced a 5 percent rise in call volume compared to this time last year.

The province is starting to see a spike in calls from a second wave of the pandemic that could see renewed restrictions, but Hogan says the Society is better equipped now to handle increased calls.

“As we progress with training personnel, once they’ve moved on to a certain level, some services are available remotely,” she said. “Crisis workers are now able to work from home.”

She also says the Society has seen an increase in volunteers, as people find themselves with more free time.

The Society also recently received a $10,000 donation from the PBC Health Foundation to provide potentially life-saving services to residents on Vancouver Island.

This funding and other donations will help to ensure the crisis line can be properly staffed and respond to mental health crises in a timely manner.

“Crisis lines offer a community ‘safety net,’ playing a huge preventative role when people are in crisis and don’t know where to turn, particularly during a pandemic when we are reducing our social engagements,” said Sandra Boulianne, President, Board of Directors of the Crisis Line Association of BC and Executive Director, Crisis Centre for Northern BC.

The Vancouver Island Crisis Line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-888-494-3888. Text and chat services are also available on vicrisis.ca.

BC Premier John Horgan announced Wednesday morning that he would be contacting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call for a ‘pan-Canadian’ approach to encouraging non-essential travel across the country during the second wave of the pandemic.

The focus of a media availability on November 18 revolved whether travel restrictions are imminent in B.C. and what Horgan plans to ask of the federal government.

Specifically, the Premier said he plans to call on Prime Minister Trudeau to work with Premiers on a national approach to calling on Canadians to stay home and avoid non-essential travel.

When asked about whether there would be any enforcement of non-essential travel rules within B.C. in the meantime — like implementing a 14-day quarantine for non-essential travellers visiting Vancouver Island — Horgan repeated his statement that only essential travel should be taking place at the moment.

“This is not the time to go storm watching on the west coast of Vancouver Island,” he said, while maintaining that in his view, “quarantine on Island may not be the best way forward.”

The decision of whether or not to implement it lies in the hands of Dr. Bonnie Henry and Dr. Richard Stanwick, Island Health Chief Medical Health officer, who originally called for the move.

For his part, Horgan acknowledged that tight travel restrictions among provinces in the Atlantic bubble on the other side of the country have successfully kept case counts low, but said the same is not possible for B.C.

“We have free mobility in Canada, it’s part of our citizenship… [but] we don’t have the ability to do that, we have large borders … we’re focused on international borders,” he said, referring to rising case counts south of the border and the focus on keeping the Canada-U.S. border closed to non-essential travel.

“We want to make sure we have an approach to travel that isn’t inconsistent with Canadian citizenship.”

During the briefing, the Premier also called on citizens in the Fraser Health region, where high COVID-19 case numbers have been driving the second wave of the pandemic in B.C., to amend their behaviours.

Horgan echoed public health officials in urging British Columbians to keep their social circles small and refrain from gathering in large groups at this time.

The Premier also alluded to amendments and new orders to come from the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, during her regular Thursday press briefing this week.

The Victoria Humane Society (VHS) is taking to the streets in a new rescue vehicle thanks to a generous gift from a local business.

Thanks to a $50,000 donation from B.C.-based Bosley’s by Pet Valu, VHS says they have acquired a brand new 2020 Ford Transit cargo van.

“This vehicle is a game-changer for us,” said Penny Stone, executive director, VHS.

“It is possible that we may be able to help close to a thousand more animals than previous years.”

The new vehicle comes equipped with a high roof, allowing VHS volunteers to more quickly and comfortably unload rescued animals.

It also has all-wheel drive, which VHS says will provide safer transportation to more remote areas with snowy and other adverse weather conditions.

VHS says that in one week the vehicle has already transported 200 cats and dogs to the society’s main facility.

“VHS does such important work; we are delighted to support it with this new rescue transportation.” said Rose Ferrante, VP Marketing, Pet Valu Canada.

Vancouver Island’s only remaining strip club announced on Monday that it has closed its doors due to COVID-19 restrictions.

JJ’s Pub in Campbell River says they will be shuttering their in-person operations temporarily in support of pandemic protocols.

“As of November 16, 2020 there have been no reported cases at JJ’s Pub,” the club said on their Facebook page.

“However, as part of our commitment to the health and safety of Campbell River, JJ’s management has decided it is in our community’s best interest to close the doors for the time being.”

JJ’s says they will be keeping their kitchen open for take-out orders, and will be adhering to safety protocols set out by health officials.

The pub also distributed menus to community mailboxes via Canada Post, with details on how to order food for delivery or take-out.

On Tuesday, Campbell River RCMP said they had fined a local night spot for multiple COVID-19 violations, but did not disclose the name of the business.

JJ’s pub did not respond to multiple media inquiries from Victoria Buzz. On Instagram, they stated that they would be reopening “as soon as the provincial government allows.”

The pub ended their statement on Facebook by thanking the community for their support and encouraging people to respect COVID-19 protocols.

“Again, we would like to thank our community for being supportive of our business during these unprecedented times,” JJ’s stated.

“We encourage members of the Campbell River community to continue practicing social distancing and remain up to date with the fast changing COVID-19 safety protocols…We are all in this together!”

RCMP in Campbell River have fined a local evening establishment for COVID violations after warnings were issued earlier this month.

Police say they were notified about concerns with the establishment’s actions regarding COVID-19 regulations laid out by the province.

Initial visits authorities made to the establishment provided education and warnings to ensure rules were fully understood.

According to the RCMP, during subsequent visits they found more violations. As such, two fines of $2,300 each were levied against the location.

Constable Maury Tyre says that fines are “typically a last resort” in these situations.

“There are businesses and people out there doing their best to follow the rules, keep people safe, and get by during this pandemic,” Tyre said in a statement.

“It’s important that businesses and people follow the rules for the public’s safety and in order to keep things running and open.”

RCMP did not disclose the name of the business.

The City of Victoria officially opened its first on-street Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers in the city’s downtown on Tuesday.

Six new Level 2 chargers will now be available on Broad Street between Pandora Avenue and View Street for free public use.

“We know that electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity,” said Mayor Lisa Helps.

“These EV chargers support the switch to zero emissions vehicles and are one more step in our work to tackle the climate crisis.”

The chargers were announced in September as part of the City’s long-term climate plan to power 30 per cent of passenger vehicles with renewable energy by 2030.

According to the City, a 90-minute charge on a Level 2 charger is usually sufficient to drive an average EV up to 50 kilometres.

The six new Level 2 chargers expand on the City’s existing EV charging network of 13 public Level 2 chargers which are located in public-owned parkades.

Funding for the new chargers was partly provided by the Natural Resource Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, in partnership with BC Hydro.

The provincial CleanBC plan requires the sale of all new light-duty cars and trucks to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2040.