A pair of Victoria residents are bringing the pub experience to the streets, backyards, and driveways of Islanders with Canada’s first mobile Irish pub.

The Wild Rover mobile pub is owned by Danny Hamilton and Warren Crolly, and offers people the opportunity to rent a miniature trailer-mounted pub for private events.

Decorated inside and out to resemble a classic Gaelic watering hole, the pub is available for weddings, birthdays, and other gatherings and celebrations.

Alcohol and service staff are not included in the package but the Wild Rover is equipped with four taps to serve drinks like beer, cider, or prosecco.

The pub is not licensed, however for small gatherings on private premises the owners say a license should not be required.

RCMP are investigating two separate incidents in Campbell River on Monday.

First, at around 2 a.m. on October 5, Campbell River RCMP were called for reports of a possible domestic violence incident in progress in the 2700 block of Woodburn Rd.

An investigation revealed that the incident was actually an argument and ensuing altercation between the occupants of two vehicles.

It ended with one person firing a gun at the other vehicle and then fleeing the scene. No one was injured by the gunfire.

A loaded firearm was found at the scene after a Police Dog unit was called in to assist the investigation. Police are now searching for the accused and say that everyone involved is known to them. There is no risk to the general public as a result of this incident.

In the second case that took place just one hour after the first, the Campbell River Fire Department responded to a fire that appeared to have originated in shopping carts in between Chances Casino (located at 361 Hunt Rd) and the rear entrance of Shot in the Dark café.

Firefighters determined that the fire had been set accidentally by a woman who had been living on the streets and somehow ignited the contents of her shopping carts.

The fire got out of hand when it reached flammable aerosols and the carts exploded. Police say no one was injured in the incident.

“Police are presently determining whether charges are warranted,” reads a statement from Campbell River RCMP.

The woman associated with a placenta found on a beach in Comox has come forward.

On October 2, a woman called Comox Valley RCMP stating she had discovered a placenta along the beach at Goose Spit.

She was unsure if the placenta belonged to a human or not and called RCMP. Police say an initial investigation revealed that it does, in fact, belong to a human being

It was initially believed the placenta may be associated to a mother and/or baby who require medical assistance, however, police now say they have no further concerns “for the safety of anyone involved and this matter has been concluded.”

“The woman associated with the placenta located on the beach in Comox has come forward to speak with investigators,” said Cst. Monika Terragni in a statement.

“Police have no concern for the safety of anyone involved and this matter has been concluded. No further information will be released out of respect for those involved.”

BC’s three major parties committed to a range of promises over the weekend, including new policies for rent relief and benefits for seniors.

Here’s a breakdown of what was announced by the NDP, Liberals, and Greens.

Liberals: a new seniors tax credit and $1 billion for long-term care

On Sunday, the BC Liberals announced they would introduce a new Seniors’ Home Care Tax Credit while also pledging a five-year $1-billion spend on long-term care homes.

Seniors would be able to expense 35 per cent of their home-care costs up to an annual limit of $20,000, for a maximum credit of $7,000 per year.

If the senior’s income exceeds $60,000, the credit is reduced by 3 per cent of the amount by which their income exceeds that amount, unless the senior is considered a dependent.

The party says they would spend $1 billion on care homes over five years in order to ensure every senior who wants a private room can have one, and to upgrade facilities to better safeguard against infection outbreaks.

The Liberals also promised on Sunday to halt the transition process for the Surrey police force, saying they would put the matter to a referendum.

NDP: ICBC rebates for drivers

The BC NDP said on Sunday that if re-elected they would offer a rebate to drivers based on profits generated by ICBC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rebates would be paid out on May 1, 2021, the same date as when the crown corporation moves to a new system.

The NDP says the new care-based system will save the average driver 20 per cent on their insurance rates.

No estimate was provided for how much drivers would receive in rebates. The NDP says that ICBC’s net income for the first quarter of 2020 was $311 million.

Greens: rebates for low-and-middle income renters

The BC Green Party announced on Sunday that they would bring in a new rental rebate aimed at supporting low-and-middle income tenants.

$500 million would be set aside by a Green government for low and moderate income earners who are paying more than 30 per cent of their income in rent.

The Green Party says that this support program would be means-tested, setting it apart from the NDP’s plans for a $400 rental rebate.

Income threshold amounts were not provided in the policy announcement.

With the election moving into its third week, more comprehensive policy platforms are expected from all three major parties.

Comox Valley RCMP are reaching out to the public to try and determine the origin of human placenta discovered at a beach.

On October 2, a woman called Comox Valley RCMP stating she had discovered a placenta along the beach at Goose Spit.

She was unsure if the placenta belonged to a human or not, and so she called RCMP. Police say an initial investigation revealed that it does, in fact, belong to a human being.

“It is with an abundance of caution that we are reaching out to the public,” said Cst. Monika
Terragni in a statement.

“This placenta may be associated to a mother and/or baby who require medical assistance. We want to ensure they’re alright and have access to any medical care required.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Comox Valley RCMP at (250) 338-1321.
Those who wish to remain anonymous should contact Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or go online to comoxvalleycrimestoppers.bc.ca.

Nanaimo RCMP have released a statement announcing the death of a motorcyclist after a collision with a motor vehicle on Friday afternoon.

Police say the crash occurred at around 2:45 p.m. on Friday, October 2 at the intersection of Turner Road and Highway 19A.

Preliminary investigations through speaking with witnesses revealed that the motorcyclist was travelling northbound on Highway 19A when he failed to stop for a red light at the intersection with Turner Road.

That is when the motorcyclist crashed into a vehicle turning southbound from Turner Road, and he sustained life threatening injuries in the collision.

Paramedics arrived and transported him to the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

No other injuries were reported in the incident, and the intersection is expected to be closed for at least four hours as authorities investigate.

“All vehicle traffic north of Turner Road and travelling south on Highway 19A, is being diverted on to Metral Road from Enterprise Road,” reads the statement from Nanaimo RCMP.

“All vehicle traffic travelling north on Highway 19A and south of Turner Road, is being diverted onto Uplands Drive from Oliver Road.”

Motorists are asked to avoid the area entirely if possible.

Any witnesses who left the area without speaking to an officer, or anyone who has dash cam footage of the collision is asked to reach out to Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345. 

BC Liberal Party leader Andrew Wilkinson says that if elected, his party would support court rulings as the final arbiter in disputes with protesters.

During a campaign press conference on Friday in Merritt, Wilkinson said his party believes that permanent projects such as the Trans Mountain pipeline should not be blocked by protesters.

When asked if he would pursue legislation to block protests, Wilkinson said that he believes protesters should pursue their activism through the court system.

“It’s really not acceptable to have permanent projects that then go on hold indefinitely because of a few protesters. If people don’t like the project then they can use the courts to try and get a judicial review of the project.”

The Liberal leader cited the example of a ruling on the Coastal Gaslink pipeline where an injunction was sought to block protesters from accessing the site.

“That’s the right way to do things,” Wilkinson said. “Having the courts ignored and having chaos in British Columbia is simply not acceptable.”

Following the press conference Wilkinson led a campaign rally with supporters in trucks and other vehicles honking their horns in approval.

At the rally he accused the BC NDP of helping to “organize protests” against the Trans Mountain pipeline as part of a variety of tactics aimed at blocking the project.

“They spend millions of your dollars on lawyers, they organize these bogus protests, they’ve blocked the roads, they’ve blocked the rail tracks. And they say we’re gonna use [our] tool box to go to Ottawa, the Supreme Court of Canada.”

A BC NDP spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Victoria Buzz that the comments were “baseless.”

“This is another baseless allegation from Mr. Wilkinson to try to distract from the fact that he has no plan to deal with the issues important to British Columbians,” the NDP stated.

During a media availability, Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau responded to a question about Wilkinson’s comments by saying that her party supports the role of protesters in giving a voice to communities.

“Sometimes we have to recognize that decisions are being made that communities are unhappy with,” Furstenau said.

“When we see protests happening as governments, we have to ask ourselves, what is it the community feels is wrong here.”

Candidate nominations for the B.C. snap election in 2020 has officially closed as of 1 p.m. on Friday, October 2.

Nearly 500,000 British Columbians have received mail-in ballots so far—compared to just 6,500 mail-in ballots requested during the entirety of the 2017 provincial elections—which means more and more British Columbians are figuring out how to vote by mail.

See also: One-in-three voters expected to cast their ballots by mail in BC’s snap election

Over the past two weeks, candidate nomination announcements have been trickling in from all three parties. But as of today, we have compiled a full list of who is running for the election from each of the three main parties in every riding across B.C.

Both the BC NDP and BC Liberal parties are running with a full slate of 87 candidates for all 87 ridings in the province. Sonia Furstenau’s BC Green Party is running just short of a full slate, with 74 candidates running.

Voters casting their ballots by mail are asked to enter the name of the candidate or the political party they wish to vote for and the riding they live in—remember to not enter the name of the party leader, as that could render your ballot unusable—and mail it in by 8 p.m. Pacific time on October 24.

Without further ado, here’s a full list of BC NDP, Liberal, and Green Party candidates running in this year’s provincial election*:

*Note: This list has been compiled based on information provided to Victoria Buzz or posted on the official websites of the BC NDP, Liberal, and Green parties.

With files from Tim Ford.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on British Columbia’s drug overdose crisis has been well documented thus far, with over 1,000 people losing their lives to an increasingly toxic street drug supply so far this year.

More people have died by overdose in B.C. compared to the number of people who have lost their lives to the pandemic, raising alarm bells for residents in the province.

In an online poll conducted by Victoria Buzz, nearly 70 per cent of the 700+ respondents chose ‘Mental health, addiction, and the overdose crisis’ as one of their top priorities for the leaders of B.C.’s three main political parties to discuss ahead of the snap provincial election later this month.

While none of the three parties have released their full campaign platforms yet, past policies and statements, clips from announcements, and answers to questions at media briefings have enabled us to compile an understanding of where each party stands on policies surrounding mental health, addiction, and the overdose crisis.

BC NDP

John Horgan’s NDP party inherited the province’s public health emergency when he and the Green Party were elected in 2017.

The new government created the province’s first ever Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, with Minister Judy Darcy at the helm, to lead the response to the overdose crisis and manage the province’s mental health programs.

That Ministry had been working to create a virtual mental health counselling and referral service for post-secondary students—a program that was launched recently, in September.

To address the overdose crisis, the Ministry planned to add mental health and substance use workers to primary care teams and expand hours of primary care to expand access to treatment.

In terms of policy recommendations to mitigate the impacts of the overdose crisis, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry released a detailed report laying out why drug use needs to be decriminalized, and thereby de-stigmatized, so that drug-users are not afraid to seek help.

“While law enforcement in BC exercise their discretion when considering possession charges, such as the presence of harmful behaviour or identified need for treatment services, the application of the law is inconsistent across communities,” reads part of her report.

She endorsed reforming the province’s Police Act that would prioritize a harm-reduction approach taken by law enforcement towards drug users, rather than criminalizing them.

However, initially in 2019, this recommendation was rejected by NDP-appointed Solicitor General Mike Farnworth who cited federal laws on drug policy as reasons for why provincial actions would be moot.

In recent months however, with overdose deaths on the rise, incumbent Premier and NDP leader Horgan has called on the federal government to decriminalize the use of drugs, and also supported a call from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) to decriminalize personal possession of illicit drugs.

Dr. Henry’s recommendation to amend the Police Act was brought back on the table and Horgan said at a press conference that the province was in the process of reviewing it when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

In June, Mike Farnworth issued a statement announcing a review of the 45-year-old Police Act in an effort to modernize it.

Amidst the rise in overdose deaths, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has authorized doctors and nurses to offer prescription alternatives to street drugs as a way to wean people off of an increasingly toxic street drug supply.

Horgan has expressed his support for this public health order, the safe supply program, and Dr. Bonnie Henry’s expertise.

However the NDP has not yet come out with specific plans on the future of supporting the safe supply program, or any other mental health or substance use prevention or treatment programs.

BC Liberal Party

BC Liberal Party leader Andrew Wilkinson has focused on the issue of mental health and addiction through the lens of public safety and homelessness, criticizing the approach taken by the NDP government so far.

“In cities across B.C. people are getting fed up with growing street crime and the increase in violent incidents. We’re all appalled at hearing stories of people being chased, harassed, or attacked,” said Wilkinson in a statement on October 1.

“Mayors and local governments have come out to say John Horgan and the NDP’s plan of supporting permanent tent cities and warehousing those suffering from mental health and addictions issues without full wrap-around medical supports is failing society’s most vulnerable and it’s failing the people and small businesses impacted.”

In his campaign announcement, the BC Liberal leader says he plans to end tent cities in urban parks, adding that these encampments are where people suffering from “brain injuries, addictions, and untreated mental illness” have been left without supports by the NDP government.

On top of banning tent cities, Wilkinson says he plans to enforce a ban on roadside panhandling, and explore “alternative approaches to mental health and substance calls”.

This policy announcement came after he slammed the incumbent government for “warehousing” homeless people, meaning leaving people in tents or supportive housing without wraparound supports.

“There’s been a lot of emphasis on harm reduction, that’s fine, but the harm reduction that matters is reducing the number of deaths… We can do that through treatment programs, through prevention, through enforcement,” Wilkinson said in a televised debate back in 2018, where he claimed the Liberals could cut overdose fatalities by 50 per cent.

The Liberal stance on emphasizing ‘enforcement’ was repeated in the October 2020 announcement, when the Liberals’ statement said they would make sure courts, law enforcement, and first responders have all the tools to “keep everyone safe in our B.C. communities.”

It remains unclear whether Wilkinson is specifically in favour of or opposed to decriminalizing drug use, however.

At a press briefing on September 25, he noted that the criminal code elements of narcotic drugs are the jurisdiction of federal authorities.

“It’s fine to talk about decriminalizing, but that actually doesn’t do anything to get people off drugs, it doesn’t do anything to treat their addictions, it just changes whether they’re subject to criminal consequences,” Wilkinson said in response to a Victoria Buzz question.

He repeated this stance, and clarified where he stands on the safe supply program in response to another one of our questions on September 30.

“My medical experience teaches me that there are some people in our society who are going to require continued supply of clean, safe drugs for the rest of their lives, but that should not be our primary approach. We’ve got to provide prevention tools,” he said. 

Wilkinson’s mantra continues to be “treat the causes and prevent the harm”, when it comes to mental health, addiction, and the overdose crisis.

However, like the NDP, the BC Liberal Party has not come out with any concrete policies on how they plan to do just that.

BC Green Party

Sonia Furstenau’s BC Green Party was quick to support the provincial health officer’s safe supply order when it came out.

“The opioid crisis in B.C. is first and foremost a health crisis, and therefore requires a health response from our provincial government and health officials,” she said in a statement on September 16.

“For years, advocates, academics, and medical professionals have been calling for accessible treatment, a safer drug supply, and voluntary, community-based support – available to people where they need it, when they are ready. It is heartening to see progress and concrete action on this front.”

The statement also included the party’s stance on decriminalizing drug use—a proposal they support unreservedly.

“The B.C. Green Caucus also believes we need to decriminalize illicit drug use and put an end to the heavy policing of those who need support,” said MLA Olsen.

“There are so many aspects in responding to the opioid crisis – all levels of government need to commit to working with health experts and community organizers, to ensure the system works and British Columbians can access the support they need.”

However when it comes to mental health supports, the BC NDP criticized the Green Party for voting against proposed mental health legislation that would have permitted officials to place youth with substance abuse issues involuntarily into care for a week.

NDP leader John Horgan also cited the Green Caucus’ refusal to support the bill as one of his reasons for calling a snap election in the first place.

The Green Party responded by stating that the bill was also opposed by the BC Civil Liberties Association, the Representative for Children and Youth and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and the Chief Coroner also voiced concerns over the proposal to detain youth involuntarily.

When Furstenau was asked about her position on the bill now, at a recent press briefing, she stood firm on the Green Party stance to create more voluntary treatment options for people in their communities.

“This is the wrong place that we should be starting to put our efforts. We need to ensure that there are mental health supports available to every person who needs that,” Furstenau said, going on to slam the NDP for not “acting with urgency” about a 10-month waitlist for children to receive counselling. 

“If we want to talk about helping marginalized people, we need to talk about a government system that, at this moment, creates more harm.”

On the topic of supports for unhoused populations suffering from complex mental health and addiction issues, Furstenau says the Green Party supports the incumbent government and BC Housing’s measures to purchase hotels and announce new supportive housing units as a concrete measure.

“We absolutely need to be focused on a housing-first approach… The basic human dignity of having a place to sleep at night is something that should be paramount,” she added in response to our questions on the subject.

She further emphasized the need for wraparound supports for people combatting mental health and addiction, in addition to making more housing options available.

From the PHO and BC mayors

Much of the policies that we see surrounding the overdose crisis in B.C. have been implemented either directly or indirectly through recommendations by the provincial health officer appointed by the incumbent government, Dr. Bonnie Henry.

Henry recently issued the health order that allows nurses (and physicians) to prescribe drugs to replace the street drug supply.

The order will also expand the number of access points from which these medications can be dispensed to include health authorities and community pharmacies.

According to her, this order will remain in place regardless of the outcome of the provincial election this month.

“Obviously it helps when government is aligned, and… there was a ministerial directive to allow this to go on long term and I would hope that that would continue, but my orders would still stand,” said Henry in response to our question on October 1.

The safe supply policy is supported by an Urban Mayors’ Caucus that was convened in response to the snap election, and is comprised of 13 mayors across B.C. who have specific requests for party leaders.

“We’ve been taking our direction from medical experts in the province as well as federal health ministers who have all enabled safer supply here,” said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart in response to our question on September 30.

“What we’re calling on is for this to be made permanent and also get regulatory agencies help get this rolling.”

A new poll says nearly half of Canadians won’t be taking their kids out for trick-or-treating, and a large majority won’t attend Halloween events or parties this fall.

Ottawa-based firm Abacus Data says that while 71 per cent of adults with children aged 18 or under took their kids out for candy last year, 47 per cent say they are unlikely to or definitely won’t this year.

48 per cent said they would at least consider trick-or-treating with their kids, with 35 per cent saying they were “definitely or likely” to do so.

Even fewer will consider partying, with 57 per cent saying they “definitely won’t” attend a party, and 61 per cent saying they “definitely won’t” attend a community event.

Roughly 20 per cent said they were “unlikely” to attend either parties or events.

Activities around the house are also in doubt, with 37 per cent saying they “definitely won’t” carve a pumpkin and between 43 to 44 per cent saying they “definitely won’t” decorate either the inside or outside of their homes.

Despite these stats, however, an overwhelming majority of respondents (85 per cent) said they would be celebrating Halloween with their children in some way.

Some alternatives for parents with children surveyed by Abacus Data included:

• Hosting or taking part in a video costume party (11 per cent plan to do, 30 per cent would consider doing, 59 per cent will not consider doing)
• Attending a truck-or-treat: An organized event that usually takes place in a parking lot where people decorate their cars and kids go from car to car collecting treats (15 per cent plan to do, 39 per cent would consider doing, 47 per cent will not consider doing)
• Organize a glow-in-the-dark egg hunt (17 per cent plan to do, 37 per cent would consider doing, 46 per cent will not consider doing)

The survey was conducted with 2,286 Canadian adults (including 533 parents with children 18 or younger) from August 28 to September 3, 2020.The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.1%, 19 times out of 20.

A cannabis store that has been over a year in the works will finally be opening in Sidney after a council vote on Monday night.

Cindy Prendergast and Brad Styles, co-founders of the soon-to-be opened Happy Buddha cannabis store on 2410 Beacon Avenue, have been seeking a licence from council for their business since October of last year.

Their initial application was rejected in a four-three vote on October 28, 2019. Shortly afterwards, Prendergast and Styles took their fight to the BC Supreme Court.

Judge Jennfier Power ruled in favour of the Happy Buddha co-owners, instructing Sidney council to reconsider the application and also ordering that they retrieve resident feedback before making a decision.

A staff report to Sidney Council in September 2020 said that they received 347 public responses, 311 of which were in favour of licensing the cannabis store.

“We have all had quite a journey together over the last 18 months,” Pendergast said during Monday’s meeting. She thanked the community and her partners, Styles and Zack Pendergast, for their support.

Styles echoed her comments and added that the business will be a positive boon to Sidney. “We’ll be a great addition to the Sidney business community and to the town itself,” he said.

Among the other speakers to comment positively on the application was John Treleaven, a member of the Board of Directors for the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Treleaven said the Chamber’s membership supported Pendergast and Styles’ application and he personally praised the two for their hard work on the delayed process.

“I want to commend Brad and Cindy for the patience and diligence.” said Treleaven.

“They are well aware that they are moving into a heavily regulated industry, in which compliance is critical. This is going to be just fine.”

Ultimately, the majority of council agreed, with only one Councilor, Terri O’Keefe, voting against Happy Buddha’s license.

The store is currently undergoing a name change contest in response to negative feedback, and says they will be opening soon.

The City of Victoria has officially decided on a date to hold the byelection to fill a vacant council seat, following a vote on Thursday.

After months of postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the municipal byelection will be held on December 12.

The seat will have been vacant for over a year by the time it is filled. It was left vacant when then-councillor Laurel Collins was elected as a member of parliament in the 2019 federal election.

Collins resigned from her spot on Victoria Council as she assumed the role of MP for Victoria, prompting a byelection with an originally planned date of March 14.

However, voting was delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Council recently requested a report from city staff on options for holding the byelection safely.

In their report, staff say that they are able to implement measures to address public health concerns related to voting.

“Instrumental to that will be adapting typical voting procedures at voting locations and expanding mail ballot voting to ensure that voters who are not comfortable attending in person have another option,” the report says.

“Safety and operational plans will provide safeguards for in-person voting for electors and election workers.”

Staff went on to say in their report that additional workers would need to be hired to help administer voting systems and practices.

In debate on the motion, city clerk Chris Coates added that it was not yet possible to estimate the full cost of the byelection due to the evolving nature of voting during the pandemic.

Initial estimates pegged the cost of the by-election at $170,000, $90,000 of which had already been spent before the cancellation of the vote in March.

Staff say that an additional $350,000 could be needed to properly fund the by-election in December.

Federal restrictions on international travellers entering Canada from countries other than the United States have been extended until October 31, 2020.

The announcement was made by Public Safety Minister Bill Blair in a pair of tweets on Wednesday, one in French and one in English.

International travel restrictions were first announced in March when the COVID-19 pandemic began. They have subsequently been extended multiple times.

The order from the federal government prohibits entry to any person from a country other than the United States who is showing signs of COVID-19 symptoms.

People who are permitted entry must enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine or isolation period.

Violations of the order are subject to fines up to $750,000 and/or six months imprisonment. Penalties increase up to $1,000,000 in fines and/or three years imprisonment if a violation results in death or bodily harm to another person.

A separate order prohibiting non-essential travel from the US remains in place until October 21, 2020.

Details on travellers who are exempt from restrictions and further information on travel to Canada can be found online at the Government of Canada website.

Victoria-based Very Good Butchers announced Thursday they will be partnering with the Pamela Anderson Foundation throughout October in support of animal rights and plant-based diets.

The Very Good Food Butchers, a manufacturer and distributor of plant-based meat products, says they will be donating a portion of their sales in October to the Pamela Anderson Foundation.

Island-born actress and model Pamela Anderson is a longtime supporter of animal and environmental rights and says the partnership will support her Foundation’s efforts.

“It is a thrill to have my Foundation associated with a butcher: a 21st-century butcher who uses technology to create plant foods that help animals, human health, and our planet,” Anderson said in a statement.

The partnership will be run through a promo code on the Very Good Butchers website and through the sale of specially marked packages in retail stores.

Customers can contribute by using the discount code “Pamela” on online orders for a 10 per cent discount. 25 per cent of proceeds from sales using the discount code will be donated to the Foundation.

10 per cent of proceeds from in-person purchases of specially marked packages will also be donated to the Foundation.

Products and information for the Very Good Butchers can be found on the company website.

She’ll be turning 18 just in time to vote. But Kate O’Connor is aiming a little bit higher with her first election: she’s running for office.

Yesterday, O’Connor was officially granted the candidacy for the BC Green Party in Saanich South.

She’ll be running against incumbent Lana Popham, who served as Minister of Agriculture under the minority government elected in 2017. Equity advocate Rishi Sharma is running with the BC Liberals.

O’Connor’s candidacy was announced by leader Sonia Furstenau alongside a slate of Greens running in the Greater Victoria area.

“Today means a lot for me,” O’Connor said in an interview with Victoria Buzz. “Sonia is a huge inspiration to me.”

She says she started out working with the recently-appointed leader on her leadership campaign. O’Connor volunteered on social media, and worked communications and geo targeting.

At 17, she is the youngest person currently seeking office in the 2020 provincial election. O’Connor will turn 18 on Oct. 9, ahead of general voting day on Oct. 24.

BC’s Elections Act says that a person must be 18 by general voting day in order to run, which could very well mean O’Connor is the youngest person in provincial history to seek office.

She says she would welcome more young people joining her in politics.

“The youngest MLA is 35,” O’Connor said. “The youngest 40 per cent of Canadians do not have a representative in government. We need youth engagement.”

The Green Party has also nominated young candidates in ridings like North Vancouver-Seymour, where 20-year-old student and activist Harrison Johnston is running.

O’Connor says it’s no coincidence that the environmentally-focused Green Party is attracting young people.

“We’re in a climate crisis. Young people are the ones who are going to be shouldering the burden.”

She added that the NDP have broken their promises on climate action, and haven’t stood up for environmental principles.

O’Connor says that while she may be up against a tough opponent with Popham, she intends to run with the sole purpose of winning.

“I for sure believe I have a chance in this race…I do think as a young woman I’m underestimated. I’ve definitely experienced that so far.”

In a political atmosphere that sees harassment directed against youth activists like Greta Thunberg and David Hogg, O’Connor recognizes that she is facing an uphill battle, but wants to break people out of their preconceptions.

She says that cynicism towards youth in politics is a self-defeating argument that excludes a huge portion of the electorate.

“Young people are often criticized and blamed by older, middle-aged people who say that young people aren’t engaged with politics, they aren’t voting,” she said.

“And then when younger people try to get involved and step up, they’re told ‘you’re too young, you’re not serious.’ And that’s a vicious cycle that needs to be broken.”

The young politician also recognizes that her candidacy serves a dual role in advocacy, serving as a possible inspiration for women in leadership.

“Growing up, even though female leadership has improved, I’ve seen a lack of women in leadership roles,” O’Connor says.

“I’m lucky that I have so many strong women, and men too, who’ve always advocated for me.”

She says she is proud to count Furstenau among those advocates, and says she looks forward to campaigning on issues they both prioritize.

Chief among those issues for O’Connor are mental health supports, indigenous-led conservation, and food security in the province.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, she says she hopes to pursue these values in whatever career she follows.

“I’m not set on politics for life,” O’Connor said. “But now is the time I feel I need to stand up.”

Correction: an earlier version of this article said that a candidate had not yet been announced for the BC Liberals. Rishi Sharma is running for the party in Saanich South.

One American man will now have to pay $2,000 more than he expected for a date gone wrong.

RCMP members with the force’s ShipRider Program arrested a man on Sunday after he illegally crossed the border from Washington state in a boat.

Police say they were patrolling the marine border in the Southern Gulf Islands region when they encountered a Seasport cabin cruiser out of Bellingham, WA.

The boat was anchored in the Crescent Beach Channel near Blackie Spit and was occupied by two people.

One was a 50-year-old woman from Surrey, BC, and the other was a 49-year-old US man from Bellingham.

Investigators discovered that the man had left his home port that morning and picked up his girlfriend at Elgin Park Marina in Surrey.

The man did not report his crossing into Canada and did not meet entry requirements under current COVID-19 restrictions.

Police arrested the man under the Customs Act and seized his vessel for failure to report to customs.

RCMP say that a search of the boat confirmed that the trip was only personal and no other criminality was involved.

The man was fined $1,000 for contravening the Quarantine Act and was released without further charges. He was also required to pay an additional $1,000 for the return of his boat, and was required to leave Canada immediately.

The woman was taken to Crescent Beach Marina, where she obtained a ride back to her vehicle. She planned to self-isolate and get a COVID-19 test if she experienced any symptoms in the next 14 days.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented economic crisis that followed, many Canadians have been relying on federal and provincial benefits programs to make ends meet.

But now that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit—the largest aid program available to struggling residents—is coming to an end, some new benefits are expected to take its place.

The Trudeau government received unanimous approval from the House of Commons early Wednesday morning for a variety of measures aimed at providing economic relief to Canadians.

Bill C-4 contains three new benefits intended to replace CERB, which is set to end on October 3, 2020.

Here is a quick breakdown of the programs and how people will be able access them.

Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)

The first benefit outlined in Bill C-4 most closely resembles the outgoing CERB program. It offers weekly payments of $500, for two-week periods, after which recipients must reapply.

Applicants may apply for up to 13 two-week periods, until September 25, 2021.

The CRB is available for residents of Canada who:

• Have a valid social insurance number (SIN)
• Are over the age of 15
• Earned at least $5,000 in the past year, from employment income, self employed income, Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, or pregnancy/child benefits
• Lost at least 50 per cent of their income due to COVID-19
• Are not currently receiving EI
• Are actively seeking work and/or have not declined either reasonable offers to return to work or new offers of employment
• Are not receiving either of the other two benefits outlined in Bill C-4 (more below)

Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)

This benefit is very similar to CRB, but is intended for people who have either contracted or may have contracted COVID-19.

It offers a $500 payment for a maximum of two weeks to people who lose work due to self-isolating, contracting the virus, or from being more susceptible due to underlying conditions.

CRSB requires that applicants be residents of Canada who:

• Have a valid SIN
• Are over the age of 15
• Earned at least $5,000 in the past year, from employment income, self employed income, EI benefits, or pregnancy/child benefits
• Lost at least 50 per cent of their income due to COVID-19
• Are not currently receiving EI
• Are not receiving either of the other two benefits outlined in Bill C-4

CRSB will also be implemented until September 25, 2021.

Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)

The last of three benefit streams is targeted for parents and caregivers of children and family members in need of supervised care.

Like the other two programs, it offers $500 payments, in this case for single-week periods up to a maximum of 26 weeks. It also is set to end on September 25, 2021.

The same eligibility criteria as CRSB applies, except the person applying should have lost income due to:

• Caring for a child under 12 who missed school due to COVID-19
• Caring for a child under 12 who contracted COVID-19 or is at serious risk of contracting COVID-19
• Caring for a family member who requires supervised care and was unable to attend a day program or facility due to it being closed for COVID-19 related reasons
• Caring for a family member who requires supervised care and was unable to attend a day program or facility due to the family member either contracting COVID-19 or self-isolating due to COVID-19 related reasons

The bill was introduced to the Senate Wednesday afternoon, but is expected to pass with benefits beginning as soon as next week.

Results from the Nanaimo Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count released this week show an increasing number of unhoused people on Vancouver Island.

According to the PIT count, the minimum number of homeless people in Nanaimo is 433, but is likely closer to 600.

Of those individuals, 71 per cent said they had lived in the city for more than five years, and had moved there for reasons related to work, school, and family.

A majority (68 per cent) identified as male, and over half were between the ages of 25 to 44.

Indigenous people continue to be disproportionately represented in the city’s homeless population, with a third of those surveyed having First Nations, Metis or Indigenous ancestry.

That figure is a substantial increase from the 2016 PIT Count, when 24 per cent of respondents identified as having Indigenous ancestry.

The report also identified a critical lack of shelter space in Nanaimo, with only 150 spaces available for homeless individuals.

Projects undertaken by the province and BC Housing were identified as current actions being used to address the issue.

Over 300 new affordable homes are being built in Nanaimo, including permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, and a new 60-bed navigation centre with clinical supports was also announced in September.

The PIT Count was conducted in March 2020 by trained volunteers surveying individuals in shelters, short-term housing, and sleeping rough on the streets.