In the first few weeks of the election, we asked our readers which issues mattered the most to them.

The third-highest voted issue was affordable housing and homelessness.

Here’s where each of B.C’s three major parties stand on the issue, according to their platforms and other comments.

BC NDP

The BC NDP is pledging a 10-year “Homes for BC” plan that offers short-term support for renters and long-term plans for more supportive housing projects.

In terms of rent relief, the incumbent party says they will implement a rent freeze until the end of 2021. After that, they promise to permanently tie rent increases to the rate of inflation.

The party is also promising to offer one-time payments of $400 to every rental household earning up to $80,000 annually.

This promise is a holdover from the last time John Horgan ran for premier. In 2017 he initially made the pledge to offer the $400 rebate, but during this minority government’s term the promise never materialized.

When asked by Victoria Buzz on October 7 why his government did not pass the rebate sooner, Horgan said the Liberals and Greens didn’t support it.

“We were not able to get it through a minority parliament because the Liberals did not support those who needed help, and the BC Green caucus didn’t support it either,” Horgan said.

The NDP also promised to create 2,200 units of supportive housing, however their platform says this would occur over the course of their 10-year plan — during which at least two elections would be held, per BC’s fixed election laws.

In addition, the party said they would explore public strata insurance options to offer lower rates, and would bring construction costs down, eliminating parking minimums on projects close to public transit and streamlining permitting processes.

On homelessness, the BC NDP referred back to their “TogetherBC” Poverty Reduction Strategy, launched in 2019, but said they had to wait for a panel recommendation coming later this year to “determine the best approach and path-forward to reducing poverty long-term.”

BC Green Party

The BC Green Party has promised to tackle housing affordability through rental subsidies, closure of tax loopholes, and a “housing first” approach to homelessness.

Leader Sonia Furstenau has referred to “sky-rocketing” housing prices and called for a goal of affordable housing for all by 2030.

The party plan calls for the implementation of a “means-tested grant” for low-and-moderate income earners who spend 30 per cent of their income on rent.

Earlier, the Green Party said they would spend $500 million on the grants, but did not specify how much money individual households could expect.

Furstenau later said that grants would likely be cut off around incomes of $75,000 a year.

“Housing affordability” is also detailed as a line item in the Green Party platform, with a pledge to spend $700 million in the first year, followed by $600 million in year two and year three.

The Greens also promised to close the bare trust loophole (through which owners can mask their identities through shell corporations), and to close loopholes in the speculation tax that offer exemptions for satellite families and foreign owners.

In terms of housing supply, the BC Green Party says they would establish a capital fund to “support the acquisition and maintenance of rental housing by nonprofits to maintain affordable rental units.”

BC Liberal Party

The BC Liberal Party said they would focus on implementing tax and permits changes to increase housing supply around the province.

Included in their promises on tax reform are a pledge to reform the speculation tax to a “condo flipping capital gains tax,” and a pledge to implement higher property taxes for non-residents of Canada.

“It’s done in many jurisdictions in the world, from New Zealand to Texas,” said leader Andrew Wilkinson on Friday.

“We can do it too, to control foreign purchasing of property by non-Canadians.”

In terms of regulations and permits, the BC Liberal Party says they would require mandatory reviews of zoning bylaws every five years as part of Official Community Plans at the municipal level.

The Liberals also said they would spend $750 million on BC Housing’s capital operating budget, and $146 million on their operating budget.

They pledged to modernize the BC Building Code to address accessibility, energy efficiency and strata insurance premiums, while also providing energy efficiency rebates for rental home renovations.

Tomorrow we will take a look at the parties’ positions on COVID-19 and economic recovery.

West Shore RCMP say that a passenger was ejected from a vehicle that collided with a power pole early Monday morning in Colwood.

Police say they received numerous reports from witnesses who heard a loud crash near Sooke Road and Marty Lane in Colwood.

The crash was followed by a power outage at approximately 1:40 a.m. BC Hydro reported that the outage affected 3,624 customers and was fully restored by 9:00 a.m.

Officers responded to the scene and found a badly-damaged 2004 Nissan 350Z, along with a power pole that had been knocked completely off its foundation.

The driver was identified as a 27-year-old male resident of Vancouver. The driver did not suffer any major injuries and was detained for an impaired driving investigation.

His passenger, a 22-year-old male, was thrown from the vehicle and was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He is expected to recover.

Police are still investigating and say that charges of impaired driving are forthcoming.

The RCMP announced on Monday that they arrested two people in relation to a 2019 hit and run incident that killed a Parksville man.

Police say that the 32-year-old victim died after being struck by a vehicle in the early morning hours of August 24, 2019 at the intersection of Hirst Avenue and McMillan Street.

35-year-old Ryan John Grob, the alleged driver, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving, fail to remain at the scene of a collision and obstruction of justice.

His alleged passenger, 31-year-old Travis Zackery Taylor, has been charged with obstruction of justice.

Grob was held in custody for a provincial court appearance on Monday. Taylor was released under conditions imposed by a Justice of the Peace.

“This intricate investigation illustrates the time it takes to gather sufficient information to propose charges to Crown Counsel,” Acting Detachment Commander Sergeant Stephen Rose said in a statement.

“It required a coordinated and collaborative effort between the front line officers, Traffic Services and General Investigation Section at Oceanside. I am very pleased with the concerted efforts of our team that has resulted in charges being laid in this matter.”

A candidate for the BC Liberal Party is calling attention to an incident of racism he experienced in Saanich on Saturday.

Rishi Sharma, the BC Liberal Party candidate for Saanich South, says he and his campaign team were out fixing some vandalized signs near Interurban Road and Marigold Road Saturday evening when they were shouted at by a man.

“He got out of his car, and was yelling at us,” Sharma said in an interview with Victoria Buzz.

“My brother was walking towards the guy, and then I heard what the guy was saying. It was straight up racist…’Oh you guys are East Indians eh? You guys are dumb, worse than Hell’s Angels.’”

Sharma and his brother, Muneesh, are both born-and-raised Canadians who have Punjabi ancestry.

The brothers were also accompanied by three white male volunteers of varying ages.

Sharma says he and his brother tried to ignore the man, but one of the volunteers, Stephen Puhallo, stepped forward to confront him.

“It was Stephen who stepped in front and said ‘what’s your problem?’” said Sharma.

“The guy got in this vehicle, sat in his vehicle for a bit. He finally took off around the corner … we watched him to make sure nothing else was going to happen.”

He says that while he was personally prepared to move on without going public about what happened, Puhallo urged him to post a record of the incident.

Sharma says that his initial instinct to move on stems from an ongoing societal problem where people of colour are treated as victims and aren’t taken seriously.

“I think it stems from inaction — you come forward, and nothing actually happens,” he said.

“It becomes a burden. I want to bring forward a business proposal for Saanich South, this is what I should be doing … I don’t want to be talking about being accosted by some guy in the middle of the night.”

Ultimately, Sharma made the decision to tweet the video Puhallo took, detailing the experience and the reactions of the group after the incident happened.

Responses

Several people, including Kate O’Connor, the BC Green Party candidate for Saanich South, replied to Sharma’s tweet expressing sympathy.

“That is totally unacceptable and I’m so sorry you experienced it — we must do better, and ensure a society where no one must face discrimination,” said O’Connor.

Sharma agrees. He says that out of the three different elections he has run in, this is by far the worst level of vitriol and hateful rhetoric he has ever seen, both online and offline.

The Liberal candidate wants to see the conversation shift from a reactive approach to a proactive one, beginning with changes to education.

“It needs to stop being an afterthought,” said Sharma. “We should be looking at the full spectrum of what inclusion can mean.

Let’s teach kids about the residential schools situation, let’s teach them about the Komagata Maru. Let’s get that information to the youth so they can make a knowledgeable decision about where they want to go.”

As one of the only people of colour running for office on Vancouver Island this election, Sharma says he is proud to inspire future leaders.

He says a student at St. Andrew’s school recently told him about how proud she was to see someone with her surname (unrelated to him) running for office.

Sharma wants to reach a point in society where everyone can run for office without being victimized for their race or background.

“I don’t feel like a victim and don’t want to be treated like a victim. We put this out so people can learn and see what it’s like …These are the conversations we should be able to have.”

A group of hereditary chiefs are calling on BC NDP leader John Horgan to remove their candidate for the Stikine riding after he made racist remarks about an Indigenous BC Liberal Party candidate.

“We are calling on you today to remove Nathan Cullen as a BC NDP candidate. Anything less will be a further signal of disrespect to Indigenous people in British Columbia, and inconsistent with your stated commitment to reconciliation,” reads the letter signed by 10 Gitxsan hereditary chiefs.

In a video that surfaced online on Saturday, NDP candidate Nathan Cullen could be heard talking about B.C. Liberals candidate for the North Coast, Roy Jones Jr. Cheexial, who is a Haida hereditary chief.

“He is not well-liked, in his – he’s Haida – in his own community. The guy’s going to get bedrock 20 per cent,” Cullen said before going on to laugh about his nickname. “His name is Kinkles…”

Cullen apologized for his comments during a media availability via Zoom on Saturday.

“I unreservedly apologize… they were inappropriate. I’ve since spoken with Roy and apologized to him and spoken with other Haida leadership,” said Cullen.

“It was wrong what I said. I take it back entirely.”

The campaign for Roy Jones Jr. Cheexial responded on Facebook, saying they hope the electorate of North Coast will “send a message to Mr. Cullen” by supporting Roy Jones Jr. on election day.

“Roy was given that name by an adult member of his community when he was young and it carries meaning for him,” reads the post.

“Nathan Cullen has been viewed by many as having the utmost respect for indigenous people but these comments about a Haida leader and his people are arrogant, unfortunate and show his true colours.”

Cullen’s comments have been widely criticized on social media for their insensitivity and racist undertones.

Controversy

However the letter from the Office of the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs has already become the subject of some controversy since it was published.

“I am totally choked that the Gitxsan Hereditary Chief’s office are calling for resignation of Nathan Cullen. I would really like to know just under whose authority they are doing this,” writes Hereditary Chief Gwininitxw Yvonne Lattie.

“So many times the Gitxsan Chiefs make negative comments stating it comes from the Chiefs office when in reality very few Chiefs have been contacted.”

Lattie says neither she, nor her partner Tony Gawa, Hereditay Chief Wii’s Tiis, gave the Chief’s office permission to make such a comment.

She also points out that the Executive Director of the Hereditary Chief’s Office is also the BC Liberal Party’s candidate for the Bulkley Stikine riding, Gordon Sebastian.

“Nathan Cullen of the NDP is a man you can talk to, he is approachable. As a Hereditary Chief, I have had a very good relationship with Nathan, we have had some very good debates on many issues,” writes Lattie.

Further, the Council of the Haida Nation issued a tweet stating that Cullen’s comments do not warrant his resignation.

“Nathan Cullen has worked hard over the years to represent all of the people of the North Coast with respect. Mr Cullen has established a good relationship with the Haida Nation and his recent comments do not warrant his resignation or an apology to the Haida Nation,” reads the tweet.

Former Premier and BC NDP leader John Horgan responded to the incident overall, saying he has spoken to Nathan Cullen and expressed his disappointment, but the candidate will not be removed from the NDP caucus.

“He’s been the MP for the area for 15 years. The Haida nation has endorsed his apology. I know no one’s going to work harder than Nathan to make up for his stupid comments,” said Horgan.

In a move that is becoming a monthly routine, the Canada-U.S. border closure was extended yet again due to ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced the extension on Twitter, saying that restrictions would be in place until at least Nov. 21, 2020.

The border was initially closed to non-essential travellers on March 21 and closures have since been extended multiple times.

Currently, all discretionary or optional travel is prohibited for people entering Canada from the U.S.

Exemptions are permitted for essential travel, provided individuals are not presenting signs of COVID-19 and also have a plan in place for a 14-day quarantine period.

A very limited number of travellers are exempted from quarantine, including people who regularly cross the border to provide essential goods or services.

Additional information on the border closure is available online at the Government of Canada website.

Saanich police are warning residents after a bear was reported near Claremont Secondary School Sunday night.

In a release, police said they received a report around 8 p.m. of a non-aggressive bear sighting in the 4000-block of Haliburton Terrace.

The bear was reported as having been last seen in the 4000-block of Highgate Road.

Saanich Police patrol units searched the area but were unable to locate the animal.  The BC Conservation Officer Service was advised of the reported sighting.

While the bear is not showing signs of aggression, it is advised to be extra vigilant of your surrounding, your kids and pets.

“Area residents, parents of children who may be playing in the area and people visiting
are advised to be aware of this sighting,” the release said.

Residents who spot bears in urban settings should report it to BC Conservation at 1-877-952.7277.

Victoria Police are advising the public of a high-risk sex offender that is now living in the area.

According to VicPD, 41-year-old Cameron Ratelle has been released from Corrections Canada custody and will be living in the Victoria area.

He is a court-designated dangerous offender deemed a high-risk to re-offend.

Ratelle has a history of violent sexual offences against young women and targets females between the ages of 16 and 25.

Ratelle is described by police as a 41-yr-old Black man, standing 5’8′ tall and weighs about 200 lbs. He has a heavy build, dark shaved hair, brown eyes, and wears hearing aids.

Cameron Ratelle has completed his sentence for sexual assault and will be living in Victoria.

He is bound by the following conditions of release:

• Not to attend the property of any educational institute or school of any kind, unless he has the prior written approval of his parole supervisor;
• Not to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol;
• Not to purchase, possess, or consume non-prescription drugs;
• Not to purchase, possess, acquire, or access pornography or sexually explicit material;
• Not to access the internet or any electronic device with internet capabilities;
• Not to be in the presence of any female under the age of 18 without permission from a parole officer;
• Immediately report any attempt to initiate a sexual or non-sexual relationship with females to his parole supervisor;
• Must reside at a community correctional centre or community residential facility that is approved by Correctional Service of Canada.

If you see Cameron Ratelle breaching these conditions, do not approach, and immediately call 911.

To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The BC NDP promised on Friday that if re-elected they would provide $150,000 in funding to help build new film facilities at Camosun College in Victoria.

According to the party, the funding would be used to develop a “business case” for private partners to sign on to the project.

The project itself has been outlined by Camosun as a series of new facilities that would be built on undeveloped land at the college’s Interurban campus.

The project would include:

• two 20,000-square-foot sound stages
• one 15,000-square-foot sound stage
• sound and editing facilities
• production offices
• 20,000 square feet of classrooms

Murray Rankin, the NDP candidate for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, says the proposed policy is a “no-brainer” that he hopes would see all-party support after the election.

“The first step is to make a business case,” said Rankin in an interview with Victoria Buzz.

“The point of [the announcement] today was that nobody has ever said ‘here’s the money we need’ to the industry. Now we’re putting money on the table to get this business case done.”

Rankin says that he has experience working with lawyers and other professionals in the film and television industry and would use those connections to find investors if he is elected as MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head.

The NDP says that last year 384 major productions throughout the province contributed $3.2 billion to the province’s economy.

Rankin says the goal with this project would be to promote the South Island, and Victoria in particular, as a new film and tv hub for production companies.

“We want people to know we have world-class facilities right here,” he said. “We have stunning locations here, but they’re different from the scenery in Vancouver.”

Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes expressed his support for the policy promise, saying local residents and the Island economy are currently “missing out” on the industry.

“The South Island receives just 1% of the $3.4 billion the film industry brings into the province,” Haynes said in a statement.

“It is well-established in the industry that the primary impediment for our region is the total absence of adequate infrastructure for sound stages, production facilities and equipment supply depots, in addition to educational supports.”

The new announcement follows a promise in the NDP platform to re-establish the government-film sector task force to provide recommendations on new visual effects tax credits.

Warning: this article contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers.

A VicPD officer who fired non-lethal rounds at a woman barricaded inside a burning apartment was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent investigation on Friday.

During a breaching operation by the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT), the woman was shot in the head by an officer with ARWEN (Anti-Riot Weapon, ENfield) rounds and later died from her injuries.

The incident was forwarded to the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC, a civilian-run police oversight body that investigates any incident involving an on-or-off duty officer where death or serious harm may have resulted from police actions.

According to the Independent Investigation Office (IIO) the incident occurred on Christmas Day last year, when police were called to a disturbance in the 700-block of Pandora Avenue at 4:42 p.m.

Police were told that a woman had barricaded herself inside a unit at a housing facility and was possibly armed with a knife.

Officers with GVERT were called and surrounded the unit. About an hour after the initial call, a fire alarm went off in the facility.

The report says that at 6:16 p.m. smoke could be seen billowing from the unit’s window and water from the building’s sprinkler system could be seen pouring down the side of the building.

Officers made the decision to breach the door to the unit and enter using a “slow and deliberate” advance to remove the woman from the fire danger.

According to the report, police had difficulty seeing inside due to the thick smoke, which was captured on CCTV. Officers also issued multiple verbal commands to the woman, which they say were ignored.

At 6:23 p.m. firefighters entered the apartment behind police and sprayed water into the room in an attempt to put out the fire.

One of the officers testified that the apparent ineffectiveness of the water caused him to think an accelerant had been used, and he was worried that the woman in the apartment would pour accelerant on the breaching team.

“At some point, I picked up some movement straight ahead of us,” the officer told IIO investigators.

“I don’t know if the smoke cleared a little bit for a moment or if she actually moved but what I thought I was looking at was her standing on the other side of the couch in an open centre of the room.”

The officer says he called ‘contact’ to the breaching team, and another officer armed with an ARWEN fired three rounds at the woman.

Police told investigators that they realized the woman had in fact been sitting facing away from investigators, and the rounds had hit the back of her head.

The woman was given medical attention by paramedics and transported to hospital, where she was found to be suffering from massive bleeding in the brain.

Four days later, on December 29, 2019, the woman was taken off life support and passed away.

An autopsy confirmed that her death was caused by blunt force head injuries consistent with the ARWEN rounds.

Toxicology reports also said that the woman was heavily intoxicated with alcohol, and had several recreational drugs in her system including methamphetamine and cocaine.

In his report, Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald wrote that the incident was a “tragic accident” and there was no indication of negligent behaviour on the part of the officers.

“They were doing all they reasonably could to save an emotionally disturbed and intoxicated person from herself – and the other residents of the building from her actions – and needed to act swiftly with a relatively high level of force,” MacDonald wrote.

He concluded that the matter would not be referred to Crown counsel for consideration of charges.

From October 10 to 16, Victoria Buzz will be profiling the seven ridings in the Greater Victoria area.

We reached out to candidates to provide information on what they think the most important issues are in this election.

Previous riding profiles can be found in our BC Election news section.

Today we wrap up this series by looking at the riding of Victoria-Swan Lake.

The riding overlaps sections of Saanich and Victoria, including Gorge Road all the way west to the Portage Inlet, as well as the neighbourhoods of Cedar Hill and Quadra.

Here are the candidates running for the riding:

BC NDP – Rob Fleming (incumbent)

Age: 48
Background: Minister of Education

Key issues:
“Number one is to keep strong, science-based leadership safely guiding families, communities and businesses through the end of the health crisis.

Affordable housing and childcare are critically important to the families of Victoria-Swan Lake.

In just three years, we’ve created 1,650 new childcare spaces and 3,500 new affordable homes in the capital region for working families, seniors, students and vulnerable people.

I want more people connecting with a family doctor through our new Urgent Primary Care Centres in Saanich and Victoria.

Additionally accelerated infrastructure in our region will create jobs, a strong recovery and a low carbon future.”

BC Green Party – Annemieke Holthuis

Age: Unspecified
Background: Former federal government lawyer/public servant

Key issues:
“I am running for the BC Greens as I want a government that is collaborative and wants to work, with other parties, for the people of British Columbia.

To make our communities more sustainable, we need to address homelessness, coordinate and manage police and social service resources, and reduce systemic racism.

We also must take concrete actions to address the climate crisis. Together, we can enact real climate action, get to carbon neutrality by 2045, protect our remaining old-growth forests, and ban fracking, while supporting all our communities to move towards a green economy.”

BC Liberal Party – David Somerville

Age: 25
Background: Legislative Assistant, 2018 UVic Graduate

Key issues:
“We need a government that will prioritize students and families when it comes to addressing affordability.

The NDP however, are more focused on power than finding solutions. They broke their agreement with the Green Party, forcing an election in the middle of a pandemic.

They insist that ICBC will become cheaper despite the premiums increasing roughly 40% over their tenure.

The BC Liberals have a plan to make life affordable. Eliminating the PST for one year will save families hundreds of dollars.

We also plan to end the ICBC monopoly, giving British Columbians the choice of finding cheaper car insurance.”

Communist Party of BC – Walter Parsons

Age: 29
Background: Truck Driver, Student

Key issues:
“The fact that while working-class and poor people have kept this society operating, ensuring folks can get essentials during the pandemic while bearing with low wages, Canada’s billionaires have increased their wealth by almost $40B without doing any work at all.

I fear the conversation surrounding how to repay the pandemic debt is not talking about taxing the super-wealthy, but burdening hard-working everyday British Columbians with increased income and other taxes.

I needed to stand up as the only socialist candidate in Victoria-Swan Lake to talk about a system that works for the many, not the few.”

One driver from Victoria just learned the hard way about the consequences of drunk driving.

A 29-year-old woman had their vehicle impounded and received some hefty fines after being pulled over on Jacklin Road near Langford Parkway Thursday morning.

On October 15th, at approximately 8:30 a.m. the West Shore RCMP received a report of a possible impaired driver on the Trans Canada Highway near Leigh Rd.

A witness had called police stating she was driving behind a 2019 GMC Yukon that was swerving in the lane.

Police said the driver was exhibiting symptoms of alcohol impairment, and conducted an impaired driving investigation.

On top of the driver being impaired, the vehicle had no insurance and was displaying the wrong licence plates.

The woman was issued a $598 violation ticket for no insurance, a $109 ticket for displaying the wrong licence plate, an immediate roadside driving prohibition for 90 days, the vehicle was towed and impounded for a 30 day period.

“When all is said and done the estimated cost associated to a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition is about $4730, add on the violations tickets for no insurance and displaying the wrong plates, and this driver is looking at a bill of over $5000,” said Cst. Nancy Saggar, West Shore RCMP Media Relations Officer.

“Not only is impaired driving one of the leading causes of collision-related death, it’s also incredibly costly. We are thankful to the witness who reported this impaired driver, their report helped us improve public safety by taking an impaired driver off the road.”

BC Green Party leader saw a large spike in popularity after the televised debate on Tuesday, but her party’s appeal remains stagnant, according to a new poll.

The Angus Reid Institute says that Sonia Furstenau saw a huge jump in personal appeal in a poll they conducted from October 14 to 15.

In a question that measured if voters found each leader “very” or “quite” appealing, 46 per cent favoured the Green Leader.

That’s an increase of nearly twenty points from October 1 to 3, when Furstenau scored 27 per cent for favourable views.

However, the Green Party’s fortunes don’t appear to be rising along with their leader. Angus Reid found that 14 per cent of decided and leaning voters intend to cast votes for the Greens, unchanged from their earlier poll.

John Horgan still enjoys the most overall support, 54 per cent saying they find the NDP leader “very” or “quite” appealing, and 49 per cent saying they intend to vote orange.

Andrew Wilkinson continues to struggle on a personal and electoral level, with only 24 per cent finding the Liberal leader appealing and 33 per cent looking to cast votes for his party.

Angus Reid says that the Green Party is the overwhelming second choice of most voters, with 34 per cent saying they could vote Green compared to 14 per cent for the NDP and 11 per cent for the Liberals.

A whopping 60 per cent of NDP voters say the Green Party would be their second choice in this election.

“The challenge for Sonia Furstenau and the Green Party is clear over the final week – convince BC NDP supporters to shift their allegiance,” the Angus Reid Institute stated.

The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from Oct 14 – 15, 2020 among a representative randomized sample of 801 British Columbia adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by ARI.

Samantha Bolen is standing proudly behind her staff after an anti-masker shot and posted a video inside her book store refusing to follow mask policies.

“I was thrilled with how they handled themselves,” said Bolen in an interview with Victoria Buzz.

Bolen is the owner of Bolen Books, a local bookstore based in Hillside Mall. She says that the store has very clear mandatory mask policies that are in place to keep her staff and customers safe.

The store asks every customer to wear a mask during business hours, but offers options for people to shop one-on-one without masks by appointment.

Appointments can be made for one hour before opening hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, or Wednesday nights between 6 to 7 p.m.

“There’s also the opportunity for delivery, and an opportunity to wear face shields instead,” said Bolen.

“We are also willing to let people give us their lists and pick books up for them, to bring visa machines.”

None of that seemed to matter to an anti-masker who posted a video to Youtube on October 12, confronting staff who explained they would not permit them to shop in-store without masks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhZRqX_K7l8

In the video, staff offer the appointment option to the unseen anti-masker, who refers to other anti-maskers accompanying them and demands the manager’s phone number.

Near the end of the video, a male staff member asks the anti-maskers to leave the store, and the person shooting the video asks the staff member to call the police.

“If you wish to escalate it to that degree, very well,” the staff member says, before going behind the store counter.

“We would like to buy the books, so if you’re not going to let us buy the books you’ll have to call the police,” the anti-masker says, before the video ends.

Bolen says that her staff conducted themselves professionally and gracefully.

“I just want to praise the staff for handling themselves so well,” she said. “I think they handled themselves with grace in an ugly situation.”

The store owner says the majority of her customers are supportive of the store policy and her staff have handled other situations as well.

“We treat our customers with respect and with grace and I expect reciprocal treatment,” said Bolen. “99 per cent of people do that. People are by and large very kind.”

She added that the small number of people who cause trouble in her store can shop elsewhere.

“To the few that are questioning if they have to wear masks: they don’t have to shop here. It’s their choice. If you choose to shop here, I do expect a level of respect in these situations.”

Bolen Books celebrates their 45th Anniversary under Samantha Bolen’s ownership this weekend and is marking the occasion with in-store discounts and a prize draw.

Victoria Council voted Thursday to remove the letters “ACAB” from a Bastion Square mural that has been a hotbed of recent controversy.

The mural was initially commissioned by donors and a grant from the City of Victoria in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and installed in mid-August.

Shortly after it was discovered that the artists had included the letters “ACAB” – widely understood to stand for “All Cops Are Bastards/Bad” – which brought strong condemnation from Victoria’s police.

The mural was later vandalized in mid-September but repaired to include the letters again.

On Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting Councilor Charlayne Thornton-Joe presented a motion brought by her and Councilor Geoff Young to remove the letters as soon as possible.

“I support 100 per cent that the dialogue continues,” Thornton-Joe said in debate on the motion. “But in the meantime, I do feel that the letters need to be removed.”

Thornton-Joe also read out several letters from constituents calling for the removal of the letters, with many saying that while they support anti-racism initiatives, they believe the letters spread more hatred.

Her motion also said that the African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island (AHAVI) had written a letter to the City expressing discomfort with the acronym.

Mayor Helps, who also voted in support of the motion, said that racism is an ongoing issue that the City needs to continue discussing.

“This is a really really difficult issue,” said Helps at the meeting.

“Every institution in this country, including this city, including this administration, has systemic racism. That’s the legacy of the way that the world’s been organized.”

Council voted unanimously to remove the letters at the earliest opportunity possible and to continue dialogue with the artists, City staff, the police, and AHAVI.

An amendment to formally recognize systemic and address racism in the City also passed with unanimous support.

Thornton-Joe’s motion also instructed that if the artists choose to replace the removed letters with another design, that they will have to submit their proposal for staff approval.

Councillors Sarah Potts and Ben Isitt voted against that recommendation, while the rest of council voted in support.

Speaking remotely, Isitt said he felt the instruction was a potential overreach of the government.

“There’s a saying I think by Voltaire: I may not agree with the words you say, but I will defend to your death your right to say it,” he said.

“I think we should tread lightly in exercising our power as a municipal government in exercising a form of censorship.”

The issue will be debated further at next week’s council meeting.

The Nanaimo RCMP are asking the public for help to find the rightful owner of a ring that was turned in to their detachment last week.

The person who found the ring told police they had found it on Thursday, October 8 near Long Lake on Wellesley Street.

RCMP describe the piece of jewelry as a men’s ring, square on top with an embossed pattern in the square.

Constable Gary O’Brien said the image on the ring is very distinct and the owner should be able to describe what it is.

Anyone with information about the rightful owner of the ring should call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file number 2020-37738.

A BC Liberal Party candidate has resigned after facing heavy criticism online for comparing a plan to provide free prescription birth control to eugenics.

Laurie Throness, candidate for the riding of Chilliwack-Kent, made the problematic comments at an all-candidates’ debate on Wednesday, October 14. The announcement of his resignation was made by party leader Andrew Wilkinson on Thursday afternoon, and the party issued a statement shortly afterwards.

A video of the debate shows Throness’ response after being asked whether government should provide free contraception to everyone. He started off saying he has no “moral” problem with birth control, but spiralled into a surprising comparison.

“It contains a whiff of the old eugenics thing where poor people shouldn’t have babies and so we can’t force them to have contraception so we’ll give it to them for free,” said Throness.

“And maybe they’ll have fewer babies so there will be fewer poor people in the future. And to me that contains an odour that I don’t like and so I don’t really support what the NDP is doing there and that’s my answer.”

https://twitter.com/selinarobinson/status/1316815228781223937

Both the BC NDP and the Green Party promised free contraception in their platforms, but the Green Party limited their pledge to making it available for people under the age of 25.

Throness’ comments were widely shared on social media Thursday morning, drawing condemnation from many including the Twitter account for Access BC’s campaign for free contraception.

“No @LaurieThroness, increasing access to prescription #contraception is not eugenics! It’s helping people make decisions about what happens to their bodies,” reads a post from the account.

“We met with you…We informed you about how increasing access to #contraception improves health outcomes for mothers + infants, increases equality, reduces the number of unplanned pregnancies + saves money!”

The advocacy group has been calling for governments to include free birth control as a health care measure for the past four years.

The NDP was also quick to respond to the Liberal Party’s latest scandal.

Their candidate for Coquitlam-Maillardville and former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Selina Robinson, weighed in, saying she was “horrified and flabbergasted” to hear Throness’ comments.

“To suggest somehow that giving people a choice to use contraception and that somehow making it free smacks of eugenics is from another century it is so disrespectful for women that I’m outraged,” said Robinson.

This is not the first time Laurie Throness has come under fire for problematic comments and actions.

Calls for his removal were also made earlier this year after he refused to stop advertising in a Christian magazine known for its homophobic views. Throness went even further to defend an article about conversion therapy.

BC Liberal Party leader Andrew Wilkinson was quick to respond to the comments, stating that he supports providing free birth control for anyone who wants it.

“What Laurie Throness said was wrong and against my position as leader of this party. I will be making this very clear to Laurie when we next speak,” wrote Wilkinson in a tweet.

This is the second time in one week that the party leader has had to perform damage control for one of his candidates’ missteps after a leaked video showed BC Liberals’ North Vancouver-Seymour candidate Jane Thornthwaite making sexist comments about Bowinn Ma, the NDP’s North Vancouver-Lonsdale candidate.

In response to Thornthwaite’s controversy, party leader Andrew Wilkinson was quick to apologize and add that the candidate “made a fool” of herself.

In the past, he refused to directly address Throness’ comments and views on the LGBTQ+ community, dodging questions on the subject by bringing up the fact that he has “gay family members” and therefore supports their rights.

But this time Throness’ comments appear to have been the last straw.

“Laurie Throness has accepted that his comments were wrong and inappropriate. It was clear that he couldn’t continue to be part of the BC Liberal team,” reads a statement from the BC Liberal Party.

“The BC Liberal Party is dedicated to a diversity of perspectives, but all party members are dedicated to inclusiveness and equality – that is not up for debate.”

From October 10 to 16, Victoria Buzz will be profiling the seven ridings in the Greater Victoria area.

We reached out to candidates to provide information on what they think the most important issues are in this election.

Today we’re looking at the riding of Saanich South.

The riding covers a large portion of Saanich from the Saanich Inlet in the Northwest to the Mount Douglas Park in the Southeast. It includes neighbourhoods like Cordova Bay and Royal Oak.

Here are the candidates running for the riding:

BC Liberals – Rishi Sharma

Age: 45
Background: Director, Ministry of Advanced Education, public servant, equity, seconded to BC Construction Association for diversity and inclusion initiative

Key issues:
“COVID-19 and economic recovery.  At the doorsteps of Saanich South residents and during my meetings, I am hearing that people are looking for a representative they can trust, someone they can count on to responsibly manage their (taxpayer) money and for someone to ensure their personal and family safety through the COVID pandemic.”

BC NDP – Lana Popham (incumbent)

Age: 51
Background: Minister of Agriculture

Key issues:
“COVID-19 is the biggest issue facing Saanich South, and indeed the whole province.

In the first six months of the pandemic, our government responded by investing in services and supports that are truly helping people, communities and local businesses.

We have kept the economy moving, and are taking care of those who have become sick.

And of course the pandemic has caused financial hardship or disruption for everyone.

A re-elected BC NDP government will focus on continuing to invest in people and building an economic recovery that works for everyone.

It’s about looking after each other, and building back better.”

BC Green Party – Kate O’Connor

Age: 18
Background: High school graduate, produce clerk, worker on Sonia Furstenau BC Green Party leadership campaign

Key issues:
“Kate is 17, soon to be 18, and a passionate advocate for urgent climate action, indigenous rights, better mental health care and food security.

She also believes decisive action is needed to address the affordability crisis. Kate represents a generation of young people who are done being ignored. They’re standing up and demanding their future is protected.

Kate believes that we need a strong team of Greens in the legislature to hold the NDP accountable. She also believes in the value of intergenerational leadership and diverse perspectives to make the best decisions possible for all British Columbians.“

Requests for vote-by-mail packages surged in the Greater Victoria area, with general voting day rapidly approaching on October 24.

Statistics from Elections BC released on October 13 say that an estimated 699,000 registered voters have requested a vote-by-mail package.

Included in that statistic is a large proportion of the population in the seven ridings within Greater Victoria.

Of the seven ridings’ total of 312,796 registered voters, just over 30 per cent have requested a vote-by-mail package.

Elections BC had earlier predicted that roughly one-in-three voters would use the vote-by-mail option.

The full statistical breakdown of vote-by-mail requests for Greater Victoria’s seven ridings is:

• Esquimalt-Metchosin: 41,312 registered voters, 11,667 packages requested
• Langford-Juan de Fuca: 47,552 registered voters, 11,608 packages requested
• Oak Bay-Gordon Head 42,385 registered voters, 15,073 packages requested
• Saanich North and the Islands: 50,488 registered voters, 15,512 packages requested
• Saanich South: 41,697 registered voters, 13,704 packages requested
• Victoria-Beacon Hill: 48,772 registered voters, 17,468 packages requested
• Victoria-Swan Lake: 40,590 registered voters, 12,302 packages requested

Vote-by-mail packages can be requested by anyone, right up until general voting day on October 24.

However, Elections BC recommends that people request their package by October 17, as they will stop allowing requests online or through the Elections BC contact centre at 8 p.m. that day.

Completed packages must be received by Elections BC by 8 p.m. on October 24 in order to be counted.

More information on vote-by-mail, including the online request portal, is available here: elections.bc.ca/voting/how-to-vote-by-mail

A section of the Pat Bay Highway in Saanich was closed last night and will be again overnight today for the filming of an upcoming Netflix series.

Filming is scheduled to take place on the highway between the McKenzie Avenue exit and entry ramps between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15.

A detour is in place during production and there will be signs and traffic control personnel will be in the area to direct drivers.

Additional filming will take place on the Pat Bay Highway in Sidney between McDonald Park Road and Lands End Road on Oct. 17 or 23. According to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation said, there will be rolling closures from 12 a.m. until 6 a.m. on Oct. 17.

The film being produced is a new Netflix adaptation of a bestselling memoir that began filming at Colwood’s Royal Beach in September.

“Maid” is a new series from Warner Bros/Netflix based on the memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land.

The City of Colwood says that the series will have a limited run of 10 episodes, filmed exclusively in the Victoria area between September 2020 and March 2021.

The series tells the story of a single mother who turns to housekeeping to make ends meet, battling poverty, homelessness, and bureaucracy.

Netflix announced Maid in November 2019. LuckyChap Entertainment, a production company founded by actress Margot Robbie in 2014, will be producing the series. Robbie is also listed as an Executive Producer on the show.

“Stephanie Land’s book is a powerful and necessary read, with incredible insight into the struggles people face whilst just trying to get by,” LuckyChap Entertainment said in a statement.

The City of Colwood says that the film industry sees dollars spent in the community for other businesses outside the film industry, multiplying the financial benefit for the region.

“Showcasing Colwood’s beautiful west coast waterfront location at Royal Beach to national and international audiences through film is an exciting way to promote our City and attract new investment in our community,” the City said.

A premiere date for Maid has not yet been announced on the Netflix website.

With files from Tim Ford

ShakeOut Day returned for another year on the third Thursday of October – this year, October 15 – to remind people about earthquake safety.

In the Victoria area, municipalities encouraged the public to participate by signing up for reminders and information at shakeoutbc.ca, while also offering information of their own.

“Victoria has a one-in-three probability of a damaging earthquake in the next 50 years – and we need to be prepared,” the City of Victoria wrote in a release.

The City posted information on emergency preparedness, including tips on assembling a kit, on their website.

District of Saanich staff were set to participate at 10:15 a.m. “drop cover and hold” drills, and also posted information on earthquakes to the District website.

“What we have experienced with COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of being prepared now more than ever,” said Frank Macdonald, Saanich Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief.

“The ShakeOut drill can be completed wherever you are on October 15 and is a great way to practise your preparedness while maintaining physical distancing.”

The science behind earthquakes

Dr. John Cassidy, Head of the Earthquake Seismology Section at Natural Resources Canada and an adjunct professor at UVic, says the drills are very important for raising awareness and can save lives.

“The greatest danger is from non-structural damage – items flying around, cabinets falling over, fridges,” said Cassidy in an interview with Victoria Buzz.

“It’s not so much a building a collapsing. Things falling…That really is the danger, the most common type of impact. That’s what we’re trying to minimize with this exercise.”

Cassidy says that earthquakes can cause household and workplace items to fly through the air with more force than just gravity. He says that’s why ShakeOut’s instructions stress “holding on” to a protective surface.

In the event of an earthquake, you should drop to the ground, take cover by getting under a sturdy desk, table, or another solid surface, and hold on to it to prevent it from moving away from you.

There are three main types of earthquakes that can impact Vancouver Island: subduction zone earthquakes, crustal earthquakes, and deep earthquakes. Subduction zone earthquakes are the most severe but are also much more infrequent.

The Island rests over the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate, which is being pushed towards North America by undersea volcanic activity.

“Plates are moving at about the same speed your fingernails grow,” said Cassidy. “It’s that movement that ultimately produces the earthquakes.”

As the Juan de Fuca plate presses against the continent, the risk of a subduction zone earthquake increases. When the plate finally “pops” under the continent, a massive quake will occur.

However, Cassidy said this is a very rare event.

“We know that the last one was January 26, 1700; that comes from Japan where there were written documents of a tsunami,” he said.

“That fits with Indigenous oral traditions [in Canada] that describe a village disappearing, and shaking that continued for a long time.”

Deep earthquakes are more frequent, such as the 2001 quake that caused $2 billion worth of damage in Seattle.

Cassidy says those types of quakes are caused by differences in composition and density in rock and magma along the bottom of the tectonic plate, and occur about 50 to 70 kilometres below the surface.

Shaking from deep earthquakes is reduced on the surface by the distance the shockwave has to travel, but can still cause major damage, injury, and even death.

Cassidy also says that aftershocks from particularly large earthquakes, like the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, can last for months or even over a year.

He says practicing drills and safety tips, like keeping a flashlight in the house and slippers on hand for walking through broken glass and other debris, can prevent injury and save lives.

“We know that the more people are prepared, the more lives will be saved,” said Cassidy. “Spreading the message is so important.”

Victoria police are currently at Johnson Street bridge for a report of a person in the water.

A VicPD officer who was in the water searching for the person for a significant amount of time is now being treated by paramedics for exposure to the cold.

According to police, they’re continuing to search for the person in the water.

The bridge is still open to traffic and pedestrians at this time.

More to come.

The BC Green Party announced their full election platform on Wednesday, becoming the last of the three major parties to do so.

Fresh off a debate performance that was widely praised by commentators across BC media, leader Sonia Furstenau announced the platform at a campaign stop in New Westminster.

“The pandemic has hurt young people, service and hospitality industry workers, as well as small business and the tourism sector,” Furstenau said.

“COVID-19 has also disproportionately affected women…and it has come at a heartbreaking cost to seniors.”

She added that a promise to shift money from for-profit long-term care and to reform the system had already been announced.

Other promises announced earlier by the Green Party in the campaign include:

• A pledge to fund free early childhood education programs for 3 and 4-year-olds
• $300 million for rent subsidies to small businesses
• Establishing a $1 billion mental health fund
• Re-working transit strategy by eliminating PST on e-bikes, supporting active infrastructure like bike lanes, promoting neighbourhood car co-ops, and reworking local government finances to be less reliant on property taxes
• Establishing a repayable loan program for tourism operators

One of the biggest highlights of the full Green platform is a pledge to “integrate the principles of basic income.”

While the platform doesn’t offer a fully universal income, the Green Party promised they would begin a transition towards basic income by making $300 crisis supplements through income and disability assistance permanent.

They would also index assistance to inflation, and eliminate asset tests.

The party also pledged to reduce clawbacks on earned income to reduce the disincentive to work and would establish a 12-month period where those who qualify for income assistance can earn extra income without clawbacks.

The BC Green Party also said they would eliminate loopholes on the speculation tax, while promising to create a task force on employment standards that would “ensure that multinational companies are paying their fair share of taxes in BC.”

Additional promises include:

• Introducing equal pay legislation
• Offering free prescription contraception for people under 25, and removing PST on all prescription contraceptive products
• Bringing back BC Ferries as a crown corporation
• Establishing a $500 million fund to support sustainable jobs

The full platform is available on the BC Green Party website.

The search is on for a family who may be missing some precious family mementos!

Victoria police have released three of 30 photos found in a parking lot in the 800-block of Bay Street on October 12th.

They released the photos with the hopes of reuniting them with the family.

The photographs include images of a young family and VicPD believe these may be valued family possessions.

https://twitter.com/vicpdcanada/status/1316464131990458368?s=20

If you recognize the people in these photographs or have information about who they may be, call the VicPD non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654.

To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477

From October 10 to 16, Victoria Buzz will be profiling the seven ridings in the Greater Victoria area.

We reached out to candidates to provide information on what they think the most important issues are in this election.

Today we’re looking at the riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca.

This riding is relatively new, being first created in a redrawing of boundaries in 2015, and contested only once in its current form, in 2017.

Here are the candidates running for the riding:

Green Party – Gord Baird

Age: 51
Background: Business owner, Councillor

Key issues:
“This election has me focused on three main issues, all of which are interconnected.

The climate and ecological crisis – unrealistic plans continue to be guided not by science, but instead what is palatable politically.

Community resilience and well-being is another issue close to home as I witness antiquated legislation tear communities apart and divert their attention from being able to focus on responding to the climate crisis.

The issue that triggered my decision and made me commit was the abuse of democracy from the premeditated ‘snap’ election – let alone using the pandemic as the rationale. I can’t look away.”

Communist Party of BC – Tyson Riel Strandlund

Age: 28
Background: Socialist, Métis activist & history graduate student

Key issues:
“There are many serious crises facing the people of this province, all symptomatic of an increasingly unstable and decaying capitalism.

These include the prioritization of profits over people and inadequate management of the pandemic; the climate emergency; the violent incursions on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory by the racist, corporate attack dogs, the RCMP; increasing poverty, inequality, and homelessness; and the unchecked opioid crisis.

Working people need support, including an immediate ban on ‘renovictions,’ ‘demovictions,’ and all evictions during the pandemic, a $20 minimum wage, and protections for those out of work due to COVID-19. It’s time we made the rich pay!”

BC Liberal Party – Kelly Darwin

Age: 45
Background: Government relations consultant, Ministerial Chief of Staff, radio/tv reporter and talk show host

Key issues:
“At this point in the pandemic I believe the economy is key to getting people back to work, helping put food on the table. I believe that the government should support small businesses in the reopening of the province.

It is the government’s job to create the environment to stimulate the economy. A government that hires people to create jobs only creates future liabilities.

Providing PPE, tax incentives and other support will help businesses hire back staff, ensure everyone is safe so people can have access to products and services they need as we adapt to life in the pandemic.”

BC NDP – John Horgan (incumbent)

Age: 61
Background: Leader of the BC New Democratic Party, Premier of BC

Key issues:
“People are worried about their future and their health. The BC NDP has a plan to lead us through the pandemic and build an economic recovery that works for everyone.

We will continue to make investments in healthcare and seniors care. We’ll support the conditions to create good paying jobs and provide relief for small businesses. We’ll make life more affordable with a Recovery Benefit of up to $1,000 for families and by continuing with our historic investments in affordable child care and housing.

And we’ll continue with our climate action plan, because we need to protect this beautiful place.”