Victoria Police and Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) have taken one man into custody after an hours long barricade at a suite.

The incident began at around 7 p.m. August 19, when police arrived at a temporary housing facility in the 100-block of Gorge Road East to arrest a man for alleged domestic assault and breach of a release order.

Once on site, police found the man in a suite, but he refused to surrender himself to police.

According to a statement from VicPD, this is when GVERT and Crisis Negotiators were called in and worked several hours to try and take him into custody without further incident.

However in that time, the suspect was reportedly uncooperative, refused to talk to police, and tried to escape the scene to avoid arrest.

GVERT officers then deployed several loud distraction devices and used tear gas to get him out of the suite.

At around 1:30 a.m., the suspect exited the suite and was taken into custody. Police say there were no injuries during the arrest.

The suspect was transported to cells and held to await court, and police say the file remains under investigation.

Anyone who has information on this incident is asked to call VicPD’s non emergency line at (250) 995-7654 and press #1 to speak with the report desk.

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

In a bid to fight back against what they deem unfair working conditions exacerbated by the pandemic, workers at the Douglas Street drive-thru Starbucks location have voted to unionize.

The announcement came via a press release on Wednesday August 19. 

“We’re sick of being paid minimum wage to work for a multi-billion-dollar company, being understaffed during a global pandemic, and we don’t like decisions that directly affect our safety being made without us,” said a Victoria Starbucks worker in the statement. 

“We’re working much harder to keep ourselves and our customers safe, and we deserve better from Starbucks.

In an interview with Victoria Buzz, Douglas St Starbucks employee Dylyn Wilkinson (xe/xem) spoke on the recent decision.

“Personally I’m thrilled because the conditions in that store especially were just absolutely destroying me, mentally and physically, even before the pandemic was a huge concern,” xe revealed.

Another employee from the Starbucks Saanich Centre location, who opted to remain anonymous, told Victoria Buzz that “coming back to work at Starbucks after [the pandemic] was an impossible task.”

“The major lack of communication was only a small piece of a larger puzzle. There were little to no hours available for anyone but Starbucks was unwilling to lay off struggling baristas.” 

This move made it impossible for baristas to apply for CERB. 

“There was a huge refusal to staff stores in a way that would give baristas the confidence to abide with COVID-19 health and safety protocols,” they continued, 

“It left all the partners I came in contact with feeling hopeless and more overworked than usual.”

In the statement, USW Western Canada Director Stephen Hunt said that it takes courage for employees to organize like this, let alone during a pandemic.

“I want to thank the Starbucks workers for reaching out to each other and our union,” he said.

Victoria Buzz reached out to the management at the Starbucks on Douglas S, who declined to provide a comment.

The United Steelworkers District 3 represents over 50,000 workers in Western Canada and the Territories.

The Victoria Foundation announced the recipients of $280,000 in community grants Wednesday.

A total of 11 local organizations will receive funds between $10,000- $100,000 towards goods and services with social, cultural, or environmental purposes.

Funding is provided for the grants through the federal government’s Investment Readiness Program (IRP) and distributed locally through a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada and the Victoria Foundation.

The full list of recipients includes:

• Canadian Mental Health Association Port Alberni – $25,000
• Habitat for Humanity Victoria – $30,000
• Galiano Conservancy Association – $18,000
• Victoria Native Friendship Centre – $25,000
• HeroWork – $30,000
• Westcoast Community Resources Society – $30,000
• Habitat Acquisition Trust – $25,000
• The Mustard Seed Street Church – $24,500
• Scale Collaborative – $30,000
• Unbuilders Deconstruction – $30,000
• INEO Employment Counselling Inc. – $12,500

The Victoria Foundation says that grants will support projects such as supporting affordable housing, natural habitat protection, Indigenous entrepreneurship and waste reduction and recycling.

Unbuilders Deconstruction, for instance, salvages heritage lumber from deconstruction that would otherwise go to the landfill. Their founder, Adam Corneil, says the funding will expand their service to Vancouver Island.

“We want to ensure building owners on the Island a better way to remove an old building and divert that waste,” said Corneil in a statement.

Applications for a second and final round of funding for the IRP program will be accepted from September 8 to October 9.

Information on eligible organizations and applications can be found on the national IRP website.

Victoria Police have seized two replica handguns from a man in the Burnside Gorge area—the latest in a series of cases involving imitation firearms that have spiked in the first half of 2020.

Officers were called to the 300-block of Gorge Rd East on August 18 shortly after 11 a.m. for a report of a man with a gun.

Upon arrival police were informed that a man at a multi-unit temporary housing facility had surrendered a replica handgun to staff.

The handgun was handed over to officers, who determined that it did not match the description of the gun the man had been seen with earlier.

Police located the man in a suite at the facility and negotiated his surrender. After he was taken into custody, officers searched his suite and found a second replica handgun.

VicPD spokesperson Bowen Osoko says this incident is only the latest in a string of cases involving replica firearms.

He says that from January to July, VicPd have seen over 50 cases with airsoft guns, pellet guns, or other imitation guns.

“It’s unheard of. This is the most I’ve ever seen,” said Osoko in a phone interview with Victoria Buzz.

In some cases, Osoko says replicas have been altered to make them look more realistic, including removing or painting over orange safety tips.

For members of the public, the effect can be as harmful as the real thing.

“If someone points it at you, you’re going to think it’s real,” says Osoko.

“We had a file where a guy pulled what looked like an AR-15 on people. That will cause an emotional or psychological injury for sure.”

A pellet gun was recently used in an incident where a suspect shot at City Hall and the McPherson Theatres, damaging multiple windows.

See Also: Victoria Police seize pellet gun used to damage City Hall and McPherson Theatre

Osoko says these guns can also cause non-life-threatening or even life altering injuries, such as permanent eye damage.

He worries that it’s only a matter of time before the spike in replica handguns leads to a more tragic outcome.

“We’re definitely concerned,” Osoko says. “In every case, people should treat the gun as if it’s real, and call 9-1-1.”

The CRD has officially lifted a toxic blue-green algae advisory for Beaver Lake that had been in place for nearly one month.

The beach advisory went into effect on July 22 and warned people against swimming in the lake and advised them to keep animals leashed to prevent them from drinking or swimming.

It was lifted for Beaver Lake on the morning of Wednesday, August 19, but the District warns that blue-green algae blooms are still present at Thetis Lake and Prior Lake.

“Water samples collected indicated a “below detection limit” result for cyanotoxins,” reads the CRD statement, explaining why the advisory was lifted for Beaver Lake.

“The extended absence of blue-green scum combined with test results are good indicators that the bloom is over.”

However beachgoers are still advised to be on the lookout for a distinctive blue-green sheen that appears on the water when algae blooms are present. However not all blooms are easy to see and toxins may still be present even without a visible bloom.

Ingesting water with algae-produced cyanotoxins can lead to headaches and abdominal pain in humans and lethal liver damage in dogs.

Beaver Lake has seen multiple toxic algae blooms over the past year, including incidents in August and December of 2019.

For the latest updates on the status of the algae bloom visit www.crd.bc.ca/alerts or follow the CRD on Twitter @crd_bc.

West Shore RCMP have arrested a 17-year-old boy for allegedly starting a fire on the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

On Sunday August 16, police received a report from a complainant who said they saw a young man start a fire on the trail.

The complainant told police that they told the suspect to put out the fire, but the suspect left the scene.

Police say the fire had potential to quickly spread to homes nearby, due to its proximity to foliage on either side of the ditch. Firefighters from the View Royal Fire Department were able to put out the flames before they spread.

When officers arrived on site, witnesses were able to provide them with a detailed description of what the suspect looked like.

This led them to quickly find him nearby and take the 17-year-old into custody for arson.

He was held in custody and appeared in court on August 17 where he was charged with Mischief.

“We want to thank the witness for acting quickly and calling for help,” said Cst. Nancy Saggar.

“The witnesses also tried to put out the fire themselves before help arrived but the fire proved to be too large to extinguish without help from View Royal Fire Dept.”

British Columbia remains in the longest state of emergency the province has ever seen after a further extension on Tuesday.

Premier John Horgan has extended the provincial state of emergency for the 11th time on August 18 after the previous extension period ran out.

Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth initially declared a state of emergency on March 18 as a result of COVID-19, which was originally in effect for 14 days.

See also:  146 COVID-19 cases in reported over B.C. Day long weekend, no new deaths

It was then extended 10 times by Premier Horgan, on March 31, April 15, April 29, May 13th, May 27, June 10, June 24, July 7, July 22, and August 4.

Tuesday’s announcement further extends the state of emergency until the end of day on September 1, 2020.

“The vast majority of British Columbians are following Dr. Henry’s orders of seeing fewer faces in bigger spaces, but we all have to remain committed to flattening the curve,” said Premier John Horgan in a statement.

“British Columbians have sacrificed a lot to keep transmission rates down, and now unsafe parties and gatherings are eroding that hard work. We’re committed to getting our province back on track and will be announcing enforcement action against those who continue to put others at risk.”

Declarations of emergency can be extended by the province by increments of 14 days at a time.

The province has recently seen a major spike in the number of daily cases, with 236 new cases reported over the course of three days.

A large portion of these have been attributed to private events, social gatherings, and workplace exposures.

The BC Wildfire Service is reporting four wildfires are now classified as ‘out of control’ on southern Vancouver Island as of August 18.

The fires were caused by a major lightning storm across the southern coast of B.C. that lasted several hours and included around 1,800 lightning strikes in total.

About 900 of those strikes landed directly over Vancouver Island and caused at least 14 wildfires in the south island region, according to BC Wildfire Service.

While most of those fires were easier to deal with, four are now burning out of control.

See also: “Caught us a little off guard”: 1,800 lightning strikes recorded over southern B.C. Sunday night

One of the fires is burning on Mount Healy near Sooke Lake and is estimated to be around eight hectares in size.

Two smaller fires have also been classified as “out of control” near the Sooke region, the first of which spans 1.10 hectares and is on Trap Mountain, located just west of the Sooke Potholes area.

The second in the region is smaller still, at 0.01 hectares, and is located near Bear Creek Reservoir.

Meanwhile, further up island in Lake Cowichan burns another out of control lightning-induced wildfire in the Meade Creek area. This fire is estimated to be 2.40 hectares in size as of the time of publication.

Since the wildfires broke out, BC Wildfire Service officials have been using water bombers to battle the flames.

In total, there have been 28 wildfires in the Coastal Fire Centre region reported over the past two days.

https://twitter.com/LesGraham16/status/1295521035001815040

Anyone who sees a potential wildfire in the region is asked to contact the authority at 1-800-663-5555.

An extensive development project in Langford is moving into its next phase and seeking tenants for a new office tower.

The tower is part of the planned Pacific Maritime Centre (PMC), a $87 million complex that will also include a new Maritime Museum, a performing arts theatre and a new conference centre at 790 McCallum Rd.

The PMC is being built in partnership between the City of Langford and the Maritime Museum of BC.

The Maritime Museum says that Coldwell Banker Commercial Oceanside Real Estate has been hired to represent the Museum’s interests in identifying tenants for the first floor of the office tower.

The proposed leasing project will provide up to 90,000 sq. ft. of AAA office space. The building is also expected to include free onsite parking and onsite daycare services.

“This project aligns with Council’s commitment to enhance arts and cultural opportunities in Langford, and supports Council’s vision to create more commercial office space so residents don’t have to commute outside the City for work,” stated Langford Mayor Stew Young.

The Maritime Museum says that the project is on its way to becoming ‘shovel-ready’ and is expected to generate hundreds of short-term construction jobs as well as several new full and part-time jobs in the community.

Representatives from Coldwell Banker Commercial Oceanside Real Estate will be seeking expressions of interest from government, non-government organizations and the business community regarding leasing opportunities in the coming weeks.

Saanich Police are calling on parents and children to work together to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 after a video over the weekend showed a large youth gathering.

Officers were called to Northridge Elementary School around 10:51 p.m. on Friday night for a noise complaint involving around 20 to 30 people.

At around 11 p.m. more reports came in stating that the group had grown to over 100 people and had moved into nearby streets.

Callers also said that the group had become aggressive and was damaging private property.

Police arrived at approximately 11:10 p.m. and saw large groups of youths gathered on Carey Rd.

Officers talked to the group and learned that weapons including a baton and a knife had been brandished by one of the youths.

It is believed that this individual had also been at the site of the original complaint—Northridge Elementary School— while carrying these weapons.

The officers were then flagged down by a resident who provided additional information about the suspected weapon and shared concerns about the youth gathering.

Police say the gathering eventually broke up and its members left the area, while officers remained on scene to speak to residents.

Saanich PD are still investigating, however no charges have been laid at this time.

Cst. Markus Anastasiades says that there are currently no bylaws prohibiting gatherings of this nature, and police are only investigating potential charges of mischief or possession of prohibited weapons.

He says that at this point it is up to individuals to respect the recommendations of health authorities and professionals.

“At the end of the day, we have a reminder to parents that this would be a good time to sit down with their children and talk about how important their actions are during this pandemic,” Anastasiades said in a phone call with Victoria Buzz.

He also added that the incident does not represent a trend and police have not seen an unusual spike in these types of gatherings.

“This is just one particular group. The majority are doing a fantastic job. We see examples of that every day.”

Residents who witnessed the incident on Friday night are asked to provide statements to Saanich Police at (250) 475-4321.

The province has set aside $2 million for B.C’s arts and cultural organizations as part of a new COVID-19 recovery program.

The Arts Infrastructure Program offers eligible organizations up to $75,000 for capital improvements such as facility renovations or expansions, or up to $40,000 for specialized equipment acquisitions used in cultural programming.

Funds will be distributed through the BC Arts Council.

“Arts and culture groups operate vital spaces in our communities and they need support to upgrade their facilities,” said Susan Jackson, chair, BC Arts Council.

Jackson says that examples of eligible projects include expanding gallery exhibition areas or purchasing equipment to share work digitally.

Applicants must be based in B.C., have operated for at least two years, and have a demonstrated history of artistic leadership.

Applications for the program are now open and will be accepted until Oct. 19, 2020. Detailed information on the program is online at www.bcartscouncil.ca/program/arts-infrastructure-program/

Hundreds of southern Vancouver Island residents were drawn to their windows and yards Sunday night to watch a lightning show that took meteorologists by surprise.

“Last night’s event was a little odd or anomalous because it’s on the South coast and was a mid-atmosphere driver. That one caught us a little off guard,” said Armel Castellan, Environment Canada’s regional meteorologist for Vancouver Island, in a phone interview with Victoria Buzz.

The dazzling climatological event began around Port Renfrew and travelled up to Powell River before sweeping northeast.

According to Castellan, the lightning strikes were visible in Seattle, and as far up as Sechelt and Whistler.

Environment Canada calculated around 1,800 lightning strikes in total during last night’s event, including 900 that appeared directly over southern Vancouver Island.

“Those include cloud to cloud and cloud to ground strikes. Cloud to cloud are usually not as visible, but probably about half of those were cloud to ground, which were visible,” said Castellan.

The B.C. Wildfire Service interactive map shows that at least four wildfires from Sooke all the way up to Ladysmith were caused by last night’s lightning strikes.

There are currently a total of 13 wildfires in the southern Vancouver Island region.

A rare event

Castellan compares Sunday night’s lightning storm to one that took place almost exactly two years ago, on August 11, 2018, that made a more dramatic landing.

“We saw a very dry cold front come by, mostly for northern tip of Vancouver Island, that was interesting because it created 98 wildfires. This one wasn’t quite as impactful because it wasn’t maybe as dry in those forests as it had been in 2018,” says Castellan.

On average, Victoria sees 3.6 days per year of lightning activity within 25 km of the airport, meaning a show like Sunday’s is rare.

While it is difficult for models to predict when or whether lightning storms will occur in the future, Castellan says the possibility of another show is “certainly not impossible” around Thursday and Friday this week.

A dry storm like this one can only happen in the next two to three weeks, as mid-September brings with it wetter weather, he adds.

For those craving cooler temperatures, there is good news on the horizon:

“This week we start to see not just a ridge breakdown but a precipitation event that starts on the outside coast [of Vancouver Island] on Wednesday afternoon and reaches down to Lake Cowichan and Victoria Wednesday night.

It goes all the way through on and off to about late Friday and is a two day event,” said Castellan.

This moment of respite will include lower temperatures than what we have been seeing over the past few days, with highs of 18ºC expected between Wednesday and Friday.

The region is expected to bounce back to relatively dry, warmer than normal weather come Saturday and last for about a week.

As the southern coast of Vancouver Island has stayed relatively true to average temperatures for this time of year, Castellan says it is likely that the heat will start to dissipate within a couple of weeks.

“The last half of August is that sad time in the summer where you can have some warm days but you’re also on average cooling off,” he adds.

For now, residents are reminded to slather on the sunscreen and keep their hats on— especially between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.—as a few hot summer days are still on the horizon.

A new poll says that one in five Canadians are making little to no effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, and they are mainly young people and right-wing voters.

The Angus Reid Institute says that they analyzed public opinion data to group people into three broad categories measuring behaviours and mindsets called the ‘COVID Compliance Index’.

The first group, called “Infection Fighters,” follow virus suppression measures carefully and make up nearly half the population (47 per cent).

About a third of Canadians are “Inconsistent” (36 per cent), meaning they follow handwashing and physical distancing measures but are less strict on staying home or limiting social circles.

The last group are referred to as “Cynical Spreaders” and make up nearly one-in-five Canadians (18 per cent).

The people most likely to fall into this last group were young people between the ages of 18-24, and those who voted for the Conservative Party of Canada, according to the Angus Reid Institute’s analysis.

Cynical Spreaders reject mask usage, socialize in large groups including strangers and disregard most, if not all, COVID-19 safety precautions.

The study measured nine risk-taking behaviours, including:

• Not washing hands regularly
• Not keeping extra personal space from others
• Not wearing a mask indoors with those outside their household
• Shaking hands, hugging, or touching others
• Not avoiding public spaces
• Seeing people outside of close friends and family
• Spending time with 10 or more people outside of their household
• Spending at least half of their time with others indoors
• Not social distancing when in groups of friends

Cynical Spreaders engaged in at least three of these behaviours, with three-quarters engaging in at least five.

34 per cent of those polled between the ages of 18-24 said they followed few, if any, safety precautions, along with 31 per cent of those who said they voted for the Conservatives in the last federal election.

Equal proportions of those who voted Liberal or NDP fell into the Cynical Spreaders group, with 8 per cent each.

The likelihood of flouting COVID-19 safety guidelines fell steadily along with the age of respondents, with only 9 per cent of those over 65 falling into the Cynical Spreaders category.

Education was also a factor in determining who follows COVID-19 precautions.

Only 9 per cent of respondents who had attained a University degree or higher were identified as Cynical Spreaders, while 21 per cent of those with only High School education flouted guidelines.

The online survey was conducted between August 5 and 8 among a representative randomized sample of 1,511 Canadian adults, with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The District of Saanich says that the Flipside Teen Centre located at G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre will not be reopening this fall.

While the Pearkes Centre has already reopened for certain recreation programs, the teen centre space is currently being used to house Saanich Fire Department crew from Fire Station #1.

The District says this move was made to allow physical distancing for fire crews and to keep emergency services running efficiently.

“We are well aware of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social and physical isolation has had on youth in the community,” said Saanich’s Youth Programmer Chris Filler.

”Teens are disproportionately affected by the social impact of COVID-19 and as a result of the disruption to school, social connections, music, art and sport routines, youth have had a hard time connecting with each other as well as meeting their own needs of self-care and well-being.”

Programs such as the Outdoor Club, LGBTQ2+ Social program and Crafters Club will be available through the Upside Teen Centre at Saanich Commonwealth Place and the Backdoor Teen Centre at Gordon Head Recreation Centre.

The District says they will be focusing on community partnered work in the Tillicum neighbourhood while the Flipside Teen Centre is closed.

Information on programs being offered through Saanich’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services is available online through the Active Living Guide.

The independent oversight agency for police in British Columbia are investigating an incident in Esquimalt.

In a statement released Monday, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. said they are looking into a police incident in which one person was injured.

According to IIO, Victoria Police responded to a call at a residence in the 800-block of Kindersley Road at around 8:30 p.m. on August 9.

Upon arrival, they were told that there was a man inside the residence who refused to leave despite being asked to.

Police say they asked the man to leave but he refused to. Officers then told him he was under arrest, after which a struggle ensued.

The man sustained non-life threatening injuries during this fight, and was taken to hospital for treatment.

IIO asks that anyone who heard the incident contact the investigation office through the IO Witness Line toll free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.

Did you catch the brilliant light show across the Vancouver Island sky last night?

What started as an awe-inspiring sunset transformed into a brilliant lightning storm which brightened the skies over the west coast Sunday evening—a rare showing in these parts— accompanied by loud thunder in some areas.

If you weren’t able to watch the spectacle yourself, or maybe you just want to relive it, here are 22 photos and videos of last night’s epic sunset with accompanying lightning storm:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158703314001719&set=p.10158703314001719&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10159116082625639&set=pcb.1685222901625226&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10159116082650639&set=pcb.1685222901625226&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/jacqueline.whyte.714/videos/o.126545880826277/217356093071552/?type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157276197631746&set=p.10157276197631746&type=3&theater

https://www.instagram.com/p/CD_KkOADuG6/

https://www.facebook.com/noah.pellatt/videos/3205560019534172/

https://www.facebook.com/ilovevancouverisland/posts/3231126636966269

https://twitter.com/DouglasPynn/status/1295252352664875009?s=20

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10164021965310285&set=a.10150951574915285&type=3&theater

An advisory has been issued by the CRD after water samples taken from Thetis Lake Regional Park have tested positive for blue-green algae and associated cyanotoxins.

CRD say park users should avoid both the upper and lower lakes and to keep animals on a leash to prevent them from drinking or swimming in either lake.

Algal blooms are known toxin producers and can be harmful to both humans and animals.

The algae usually produces a visible blue-green sheen, which appears as surface scum. However, not all blooms are easy to see and toxins can still be present in the water even if you cannot see the algal blooms.

Ingesting water containing the blue-green algae may cause a range of symptoms, including headaches and abdominal pain in humans, and can lead to lethal liver damage in dogs.

The algae advisory at Prior Lake remains in effect.

Advice from BC health officials around physical distancing and social gatherings appeared to go unheeded by a large group of kids seen spilling into the streets of a Saanich neighbourhood on Friday night.

The scene was captured on video and sent to Victoria Buzz by a concerned resident who has asked to remain anonymous. It shows dozens of people, many who appeared to be teenagers, gathered on the street.

According to the video taker, one neighbour claims that one of teens brandished a knife when the group was confronted.

They said the kids were leaving a nearby party that got shut down around 10 p.m.—the teens then reportedly gathered at Northridge Elementary School.

In the 24 second video clip, you can hear one teen yelling “Record me! Record me!”, followed by some expletives.

One teen showed some compassion for the situation at the end of the video and can be seen approaching the person filming and apologizing.

Multiple neighbours said they called Saanich Police about the mass gathering but say the response took nearly an hour.

Victoria Buzz has reached out to Saanich Police for more information.

The Salmonella outbreak that began in late July has continued to spread across Canada.

In an update from Health Canada on Friday, the agency announced that a total of 339 people have thus far contracted Salmonella Newport, up from 120 people on August 2.

See also: Red, yellow, white onions recalled across Canada due to possible Salmonella contamination

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has thus far recalled a variety of onions that are believed to be infected, along with a host of other products that contain onions as an ingredient.

According to the Public Health Agency, onions grown in Canada are not associated with this outbreak, but those imported from the U.S. are under investigation.

A full list of products can be found on the CFIA website.

Retailers, restaurants, and members of the public are advised not to serve, use, or sell, these products.

Anyone who has already consumed the recalled onions or related products and has fallen ill is advised to call their doctor.

The agency warns that food contaminated by Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick.

Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications include severe arthritis.

Additional recalls could follow as the CFIA continues its investigation into other possible importers.

A 23-year-old man from Victoria has been arrested and charged after a stabbing in Vancouver resulted in the death of an overdose prevention site worker.

On July 27 Thomus Donaghy, a 41-year-old support worker, was working at the Overdose Prevention site connected to St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver when he went outside.

According to Vancouver Police Department, he was then involved in a fistfight with an unknown man, before the man stabbed him.

Donaghy was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.

On July 31, the police department issued a call for witnesses to assist in their investigation. A few weeks later, on August 14, VPD announced that a suspect had been identified, arrested, and charged in his death.

23-year-old Maximus Roland Hayes, a Victoria resident, has been charged with one count of manslaughter, approved by the BC Prosecution Service.

Hayes remains in police custody.

Traffic patterns are due to change as a new loop ramp opens at McKenzie Interchange this Saturday.

BC’s Ministry of Transportation says that effective August 15, the exit to McKenzie Ave off Highway 1 southbound will be via the new loop ramp at the McKenzie Interchange.

Traffic signals will be turned off at the Interchange overnight from Friday evening into Saturday morning as they are reconfigured to the new traffic flow.

The Ministry is asking that drivers use extra caution during this period as they travel through the interchange and obey directions from traffic control personnel.

With the loop ramp open, the exit from Highway 1 southbound to McKenzie Avenue and Admirals Road remains in the same location.

Signage will direct drivers to the correct lane upon exiting the highway—staying right for Admirals Road or proceeding around the loop directly onto the overpass for McKenzie Avenue.

The controversial interchange project originally started in September 2016 with an expected completion date of late 2018.

It was delayed twice over the course of construction, with $11 million added to its initial budget of $85 million, for a total of $96 million.

In a statement Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Transportation thanked people in advance for their patience during the traffic pattern change.

The Ministry added that more updates will be provided in coming weeks as the project nears completion.

If you’ve been looking for a chance to own your own vineyard worthy of Hollywood’s elite, we have some good news for you.

The Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery, purchased in 2014 by filmmaker James Cameron (of “Titanic” fame) is up for sale.

All you need is $5.6 million and you can own the business that was Vancouver Island’s first organically certified winery, located at 5854 Pickering Rd in Courtenay.

The listing on realtor.ca includes all the facilities and equipment required to run the business, including several buildings like the winery, tasting room, wine bar and workshop, and winery residence.

Katie Phelan, Beaufort’s Sales and Communications Manager, said in a phone call with Victoria Buzz that the business is booming.

She says that Cameron and his wife are selling as they relocate to a full time life in New Zealand.

“The expectation is that the team will continue as normal,” Phelan said. “It’s business as usual, things are going really well.”

Phelan added that there is no specific buyer in mind for the listing at this time.

So if you happen to have a little under $6 million kicking around, why not spring for a winery that will make you feel like you’re “king of the world”?

Vancouver Island has another lotto winner!

Chemainus resident, Kyle Germiquet, said yes to the “Extra” on the July 28 Lotto Max draw and matched all four numbers to win $500,000.

“It’s pretty indescribable,” said Germiquet.  “I just find myself smiling a lot more now.”

The Vancouver Islander was on the road for work when he purchased his ticket at the Salmon Arm Petro Canada while filling up for gas, saying he “always” says ‘Yes’ to the Extra.

See also:  ‘I was in shock’: Nanaimo woman wins $500K lottery prize

The first person he told after checking his ticket a few days later was his wife.

“She started to cry when she saw I won,” he recalled. “She was so overwhelmed.”

Germiquet claimed his prize using BCLC’s alternate prize-claim process. He says he plans on buying a larger home for his wife and children, giving them a bit more room to roam, inside and out.

“I still don’t really believe it — it hasn’t really sunk in,” he said.

So far in 2020, over $19 million has been won by BC residents playing the Extra.

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