The B.C. provincial government is urging employers and employees to apply together for temporary layoff provisions before an application deadline on Aug. 25.

Temporary layoffs were recently extended in June to a maximum period of 24 weeks following a lengthy summer of COVID-19 impacting business operations.

After today’s announcement, employers and employees can apply for variances to temporary layoffs that allow for changes to standards such as daily hours, paydays, and the maximum length of a temporary layoff.

Minister of Labour Harry Bains says that the provisions are aimed at preserving relationships between employers and employees and ensuring that workers can return to positions as COVID-19 restrictions ease.

He says employers and employees can jointly apply using an online portal to expedite applications and to ensure they are not impacted by severance pay and other penalties.

“We have seen a steady increase in applications over the past weeks,” said Bains during a news conference on Thursday.

“For some, missing this deadline could result in significant severance payments due to temporary layoffs becoming permanent layoffs, which could make their restart even more difficult.”

The government has updated the application process to provide an online portal for applicants that also includes templates for agreements.

Applications can be submitted online at www.gov.bc.ca/covidlayoffs.

The Minister said that an additional 70 staff have been hired specifically to process applications for temporary layoff variances.

Victoria has been ranked as the fifth most expensive city in Canada for apartment rentals, according to a monthly report.

Listing website PadMapper’s August Canadian Rent Report says that the average price for a one-bedroom apartment in Victoria was $1,590 as of July 2020.

That figure is down 0.6 per cent from last month. Two-bedroom prices in B.C.’s capital city held steady from last month at $1,990.

On a yearly basis, prices for both apartment types are up 15 per cent.

The report analyzed hundreds of thousands of listings across the country to calculate median rents in the 24 most populous metro areas in Canada.

Victoria dropped one place from last month’s report and now sits behind Barrie, ON, where prices jumped 5.1 per cent—the highest monthly growth in the country.

Ahead of Barrie in fourth place, the three most expensive cities in Canada were:

1. Toronto – one-bedroom rent stayed flat at $2,100, while two-bedrooms decreased 1.9% to $2,650. Year to year rents fell, with one bedroom apartment prices dropping 7-8%.
2. Vancouver – One-bedroom rent took a 0.5% dip to $2,060, while two-bedrooms dropped 2.4% to $2,800. On a year-over-year basis, one and two-bedroom prices have fallen 6.4% and 9.4%, respectively.
3. Burnaby – saw one-bedroom rent increase 1.2% last month to $1,710, while two-bedrooms remained flat at $2,300. One-bedroom rent rose 8.9% since this time last year.

Kelowna jumped two positions from last month to rest just outside the top five at sixth place, with one-bedroom apartments increasing 4.2 per cent in price to $1,480.

The highest monthly drop in prices was in Saskatoon, where one-bedrooms fell 2.2 per cent to $890, and two-bedrooms decreased 4.6 per cent to $1,040.

The University of Victoria has announced the appointment of the eighth President in their 57-year-long history.

Kevin Hall, currently serving as Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President Global Engagement & Partnerships at the University of Newcastle in Australia, will be taking over the role of President at UVic starting November 1, 2020.

“After an extensive international search, the committee decided that Dr. Kevin Hall is exactly the right choice to lead the University of Victoria as its next president,” said UVic Board of Governors Chair Cathy McIntyre in a statement Thursday morning.

“Dr. Hall has the research and executive experience to advance UVic’s global reputation and stature in all its activities. He has a deep commitment to the impact universities can make in their communities, to equity, diversity and inclusion, and to advancing our goals on truth, respect and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.”

Hall’s appointment comes after a year-long search process involving input from the Board of Governors, Senate, faculties, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and the UVic Alumni association, according to a statement from the university.

He has previously served the University of Guelph as vice-president for research and external partnerships.

Hall comes from a background of civil engineering, and has conducted research on water quality modelling and environmental monitoring, pathogen detection systems, and water and health in marginalized communities.

He will be replacing current President Jamie Cassels who was first appointed to the role in July 2013.

A ball python that went missing over a month ago on July 2 has safely located by police.

According to VicPD, the 4’5″ long python was not reported missing until August 4 and had therefore been on the loose for a month before authorities were notified.

Fortunately, the snake was spotted in the 1900 block of Richardson Street just before 6 p.m. Wednesday evening, and police were called.

When patrol officers arrived, they found the snake hiding under a vehicle.

“As our crisis negotiators don’t speak parseltongue, Patrol officers attended [and] one who was (thankfully) familiar with snakes approached the vehicle,” said VicPD in a tweet this evening.

Police say the animal appears to be in good health, but was transported to a veterinary hospital for assessment.

After the assessment, police say they will contact the owner of the python and follow up to make sure they are capable of taking care of it.

The B.C. Government is taking applications for a second round of projects aimed at improving clean-energy infrastructure and managing renewable energy.

Funding for the projects is provided by both the provincial and federal governments through the CleanBC Communities Fund.

Current applications will be funded by $25.9 million from the federal government and $21.5 million from the province, for a combined total of $47.4 million.

The first round of projects received over $63 million in combined funding. A list of approved projects from the first intake has not yet been released.

“This new round of funding will help us build an economic recovery from COVID-19 with communities and First Nations in every corner of the province,” said George Heyman, B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

Only project proposals from organizations based in British Columbia are eligible for funding. Municipal governments, First Nation band councils, and for-profit and non-profit organizations are all eligible.

Projects that are successful can receive up to the following funding toward eligible costs:

• Up to 33% provincial funding and up to 40% federal funding for local government projects
• Up to 15% provincial funding and up to 75% federal funding for Indigenous off-reserve projects
• Up to 75% federal funding for Indigenous on-reserve projects
• Up to 25% provincial funding and up to 40% federal funding for not-for-profit projects; and
• Up to 15% provincial funding and up to 25% federal funding related to for-profit projects.
• Indigenous recipients may access additional funding for a project up to a maximum of 100% of eligible expenditures from all federal sources.

Examples of eligible projects include electric-vehicle charging stations, public building retrofits to improve energy efficiency and clean energy projects that reduce community energy expenses and greenhouse gas emissions.

Detailed eligibility criteria is on the Government of BC website. Applications are open until 11:59 p.m. PST on November 12, 2020. 

Victoria City Council voted unanimously on August 6 to support priority housing for those who have been homeless in the community for over a year.

Mayor Lisa Helps put forward the Motion on July 31 following the release of the Greater Victoria Point-in-Time (PIT) Count of the homeless population in the Capital Regional District (CRD).

“Once again we see that the strong majority, over 80 per cent of people who are experiencing homeless in the Capital Region are from the Capital Region,” Mayor Helps said in Council on August 6.

Her motion asked that the Coordinated Assessment and Access (CAA) process prioritize people who have lived in the region for one year or more.

The CAA process is administered by BC Housing, Island Health, and the CRD.

Current criteria prioritizes housing for Indigenous people, people who are chronically homeless, and those over the age of 55.

Helps’ motion also called on the CAA process administrations to broaden the age priority to better reflect the results of the PIT Count.

According to the survey, only 12 per cent of the homeless population in the CRD had lived in the area for under a year.

“It doesn’t mean that these people are the only people who will get housing,” Mayor Helps added in Council.

“It just means that when they take a lens to look at who should receive housing or motel rooms or indoor sheltering opportunities, first, it’s people who are Indigenous, who are in that age range, and with this change, who have lived in the Capital Region for one year or more.”

The motion was seconded by Councilor Alto and passed with the unanimous support of Council.

Mayor Helps says that the CAA administrative body will be reviewing their criteria in September.

When Gurdeep Pandher first uploaded a video of himself performing a traditional Punjabi Bhangra dance, he had no idea that he was putting himself on a path to viral stardom.

“I didn’t have any plans to show it to the world,” the 42-year-old Sikh immigrant said in a phone call with Victoria Buzz. “I posted it just to show my friends and family.”

That was Canada Day, 2016. Overnight, 300,000 people had seen the video of Pandher showing off his dance moves.

Now, he’s become a viral sensation who is recognized all over the country.

“It happens every day. It has become normal for me to find people every day who approach me just to talk, take photos.”

Pandher became a Canadian citizen in 2011. He has lived in several different provinces and cities, including Squamish, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Saskatoon, and now makes his home in the Yukon.

“After travelling Canada, I went to the Yukon, and felt that place was magical. It’s remote. There’s 40,000 people in the whole territory.”

This week though, he has been spotted posting dance videos on Vancouver Island.

Pandher arrived in Victoria on August 7 for a 10 day visit and quickly found his inbox flooded with messages of welcome, along with a deluge of requests to meet up.

“I’m going to the legislature on Friday morning, I was invited to do an introduction in the house.”

While he had intended the trip to be a vacation, Pandher says he embraces his fame as an opportunity to spread positivity, especially during a difficult time.

“COVID affected all of us in different ways,” he adds. “I’ve received messages from health care professionals expressing that it was very tough for them to be at work. Being positive or happy isn’t easy.”

Pandher says he has been trying to post at least one video per day during the pandemic. While he has always received positive messages, recent ones are particularly humbling to read.

“People started sending me feedback, saying things like ‘our day was tough, but we watched your video and it made us happy.’ There’s a lot of negativity in the news, and on social media. When I hear that feedback, it touches my heart.”

Meanwhile, Pander is finding time to enjoy the sights on the Island and has been encountering plenty of fans along the way.

“Someone recognized me [in Tofino] while I was surfing. People are very welcoming.It’s unbelievable, the number of messages I’ve received.”

He heads back home on Sunday, humbled and ready to spread joy to other communities.

“It’s sometimes hard for me to describe or put into words. I’m feeling very blessed.”

Someone in Greater Victoria just lost a lot of pot today, and could be in for a hefty ticket if caught.

Saanich Police say they have seized a total of 18 marijuana plants after they were found growing in a public place.

In a tweet shared Wednesday, the department announced that the plants were found by kids who had been using the trails in Panama Flats.

The children reportedly called police who then showed up to get rid of the goods.

“TIP: You can possess up to 4 plants in public however leaving them in a public space unattended to grow is not permitted,” said Saanich PD on Twitter.

Those who are found in violation of this law can receive a $230 ticket.

However police do not know who these plants belong to and say any tips are welcome.

Anyone with information on the owners of the confiscated cannabis plants can contact Saanich Police at (250) 475-4321.

One man was taken to the hospital after a fire broke out at an apartment building in downtown Victoria this morning.

According to Victoria Fire Department Deputy Chief Dan Atkinson, multiple 911 calls were recorded in which building occupants advised the department of smoke coming out of the third floor of a multi-unit residential building at 820 Fisgard Street at around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Firefighters arrived in full force and evacuated all occupants from the building.

“On arrival there were smoke conditions on the third floor, and some other building occupants alerted us to the possibility of a person being in the apartment unit,” said Atkinson in a phone call with Victoria Buzz.

When they entered the suite, firefighters found one man who was unresponsive, rescued him from the unit, and transferred him over to paramedics with the BC Ambulance Service.

According to Atkinson, the man is in serious condition. The nature of his injuries are not being disclosed at this time.

The fire itself was fairly minor and a few building occupants reportedly attempted to put out the flames before authorities arrived.

The Victoria Fire Department was able to quickly extinguish the flames, and have turned the scene over to the police department who remain on site.

Victoria Police say an initial investigation has indicated that no foul play was involved in this incident.

VicPD’s Forensic Identification Section (FIS) are continuing their investigation.

You’ve almost made it over the hump! And we’ve compiled a few fun events for you to partake in to celebrate.

As you head out to activities and events, please follow the restrictions and guidelines that these businesses require to keep their employees and patrons safe during the pandemic.

As always, wash your hands, wear masks, practice physical distancing, and stay home if you feel sick or show symptoms!

Without further ado, here are five things to do today, Wednesday, August 12th:

Beach Cleanup!

Help keep Sooke’s best coastal destinations safe and healthy for our community. Begin the day at Whiffin and end the day at Ella. You can sign up here.

Additionally, please bring proper attire (gloves, hat, comfortable clothing) for this event. They will be supplying volunteers with the equipment necessary for the cleanup initiative.

• When: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Where: Whiffin Spit, Sooke

Virtual Raptor Day

Join Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary for an online event all about raptors including owls, eagles, hawks and falcons. Feel free to ask us questions in the comments!

• When: 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Where: Online here

Comedy Night at the Mint

Comedy Night at the Mint is back! Each week they bring you the most hilarious comedians in the city. Each week Morgan Cranny and Drew Farrance bring the most hilarious comedian’s in the city together for a wonderful evening of food, drink and fun!

Seating is limited, be sure to book your table online! There are options for 2, 4 or 6 only.

• When: 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Where: The Mint Restaurant, 1414 Douglas Street

Oaklands Sunset Market

Oaklands Sunset Market has reopened with a modified format. There will have a selection of local farm and food vendors, including food trucks.

• When: 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  
• Where: 1-2827 Belmont Avenue

Live Music Happy Hour at Pagliacci’s Restaurant

Pagliacci’s will be hosting live bands daily outside on their patio, with no cover and there will be drink specials.

• When: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Where: 1011 Broad Street

The return to school for BC students could be delayed, according to Education Minister Rob Fleming.

Kids were expected to return to class on September 8th but following concerns from teachers, the original start date may be in question.

“I have to say that we’re looking at a very different September than in previous years,” said Minister Rob Fleming during question period in the BC Legislature on Tuesday, August 11th.

“Previously, students would come back into class, usually with their previous year’s teachers, and wait a few days for school to be organized for the coming school year.”

On July 29th, the B.C. Ministry of Education, alongside the Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced the plan that aimed to have most students back in classrooms on September 8th.

Now, Fleming has said that it is important that school staff and teachers have a few days prior to kids starting their 2020/21 school year.

The original plan would see students divided into learning groups or cohorts in order to reduce the number of contacts each individual has in school. These groups will remain consistent for the remainder of the school term.

For elementary and middle schools, there will be 60 people in each cohort, while in secondary school, there will be a maximum of 120 people in each group.

However, larger schools—those that cater to 1,500-2,000 students and are located primarily in the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan—may need to come up with a hybrid approach with a blend of remote, online learning and in-classroom instruction, as seen in June.

In a recent online survey conducted by Canada’s largest polling and marketing research firm, Leger, it was found that just 40 per cent of B.C. parents and guardians are planning on sending their children back to classrooms this fall.

48 per cent said they have not yet made up their minds about what to do with their K-12 aged kids, and just 12 per cent said they will keep them at home.

Meanwhile, on a national scale, 59 per cent of Canadians say they will send their kids to school, 18 per cent will keep them at home, while 23 per cent have not yet decided.

With files from Brishti Basu

Beyond the repetitive tunes of Nirvana and Red Hot Chilli Peppers blaring from every radio station in existence, there exists a realm of incredible new music, artists, and bands just waiting to be discovered.

That is what one popular radio personality and longstanding member of the community wants to highlight.

With the aim of pulling Victoria’s radio scene out of the 1990s and into the 21st century, former The Zone radio host Jon Williams is launching his own station called “What Was That?”

“The way the station has been built, from one song to the next listeners will be going ‘What was that?’ There’s so much new music and so many local artists that we maybe haven’t come across yet that I want to showcase,” said Williams in a phone interview with Victoria Buzz.

The idea behind ‘What Was That’ is to host music from all genres—modern rock, alt, hip hop, punk, soul, jazz, and more—but nothing older than 24 months, and up to 50 new songs per week.

See also: Victoria radio host creates sign-off tshirts to fundraise for mental health charity

Since moving to Vancouver Island over a decade ago, Williams has hosted his own show with The Zone 91-3 before recently deciding to call it quits.

“I didn’t see eye to eye with how the corporation viewed the community and our role within it. They just don’t quite understand how connected The Zone and The Q! staff are with their community in Victoria,” said Williams when asked about his decision to leave, but added that he remains an avid supporter of former colleagues.

“When you start throwing around big city mindset in Victoria, it’s different. Every single village and town has its own feel and it’s got to be respected and understood.”

Disagreements with corporate management at the Jim Pattison Group were not the only driving factors behind Williams’ decision to try going solo.

In December 2019, when he visited his family in London, England for the first time in four years, Williams said his grandfather pulled him aside.

His grandfather, who fought in World War II, expressed how proud he was of Williams’ growth, and hoped that he would soon branch out and do something that would effect further positive change.

One month later, Williams’ grandfather passed away, leaving him CAD $9,500 to invest in executing this dream. That investment allowed the radio personality to purchase the equipment and subscription services necessary to launch ‘What Was That?’.

The details

Set up in one corner of Williams’ studio apartment, the subscription radio service will stream music 24/7 with Williams himself weighing in with commentary six hours a day, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., on weekdays.

“In the first month, it’ll just be me surrounded by new music and educating [people] about those bands,” he says, adding that the station will also feature a plethora of interviews with up and coming artists.

‘What Was That?’ will launch as a free app for Android and Apple devices, compatible with CarPlay. After listeners get a feel for what the station is all about, they can choose to pay a monthly subscription fee of $7 or an annual fee of $55.

According to Williams, 50 per cent of any money he makes from ‘What Was That?’ subscriptions will be used to pay his own bills, while the other half will be donated to support local artists, initiatives, and organizations chosen by Williams and his listeners.

“I’m basically trusting people to come along and know that they’re going to be awash with new music. They’ll find that connection,” said Williams.

“Then we will choose where we put that money as a collective, as a family, at the end of each year to support our community.”

Over the past year, Williams has been working to collect and upload 1,000 songs and build an algorithm through an online server called radio.co. He has also created a website and enlisted a friend to help him design the branding and logo for ‘What Was That?’.

If his radio station/charitable foundation-hybrid model finds success, Williams hopes to eventually hire more DJs in an effort to offer a platform for more artists looking to break into the radio industry.

“I would not be able to do what I’m about to do if it weren’t for the growth I’ve obtained from those around me at The Zone and in Victoria. This is not me saying I’m better, but this is how I can effect change for the community,” he adds.

The goal is to eventually be able to funnel $100,000/year back into community programs and mental health organizations.

‘What Was That’ launches on September 1 at 10 a.m. Follow the station on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Hands up if you want free french fries!

Dairy Queen Canada has announced a partnership with McCain’s in support of Canadian potato farmers by offering customers a free order of regular fries.

Until September 15, everyone who downloads the DQ mobile app and registers for an account will be given the offer and will have seven days to redeem it at participating locations.

The deal is part of McCain’s #FrenchFriesFeedFarmers campaign on Twitter.

With many restaurant doors closed, Canada is experiencing a huge surplus of potatoes that were dedicated to be turned into fries, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The demand for french fries dropped by about 10 to 15 per cent after restaurants closed down across Canada in March.

This left farmers with a large amount of spuds that they couldn’t sell, and roughly 2 million pounds of them had to be put into storage.

So let’s come together and support farmers, and make sure to treat yourself to a Blizzard while you’re at it!

Canadians can get their morning and afternoon coffees for the price of one this week, courtesy of a week-long BOGO deal from Starbucks Canada.

Between August 10 and 16, you can get yourself two signature Starbucks drinks for the price of one by following a few simple steps.

Patrons who want to avail this deal must fill out a form online and share their name, email address, and phone number, after which they will receive a bar code.

They can then show this bar code at the counter at participating Starbucks Canada locations and grab their two drinks!

Unfortunately the offer cannot be redeemed via mobile order and is a single-use coupon that can be availed once until the deal runs out on August 16.

Stella the dog is home again after she went missing on the Juan de Fuca trail on May 2, 2020.

A pair of good samaritans who were in the area on Saturday spotted the dog and took her in, then contacted local charity ROAM (Reuniting Owners with Animals Missing).

“We knew based on the area where the dog was found this would be unusual,” said ROAM Co-Founder Lesli Steeves in a phone call with Victoria Buzz.

“I took down the statement as verbatim as possible.”

Steeves says the actions of the two men who took Stella in were “amazing.”

“I was so impressed with them and what they were doing to keep the dog safe and comfortable.”

ROAM posted about the found dog and contacted CTV Vancouver Island to run the story. It was thanks to that coverage that Stella’s owners spotted their missing pooch.

Steeves says that the owners had brought Stella with them on a honeymoon weekend out to Juan de Fuca.

“They turned around and Stella was gone,” Steeves said. “They did everything they could. They stayed for five days and searched. They figured probably a predator had taken her.”

The area in which Stella was found is lost is very large and rugged, according to ROAM. “For the dog to survive out there is just incredible.”

Steeves says the rescue has been an emotional experience for everyone involved and demonstrates the positive side of social media.

“The power of social media is part of our job. You get the word out there and all it takes is that one little share. Social media can feel toxic. If you use it for something like this, it can be absolutely incredible.”

Saanich Police are investigating a series of break-and-enters at Mount Tolmie Hospital.

In a statement released Monday, the police department stated that there have been multiple break-ins at the hospital since the beginning of this month over August long weekend.

Officers believe the suspects returned to the unoccupied hospital last week and again this past weekend and broke in during the night.

Police say they allegedly caused damage to the building and stole tools and electronics.

The Mount Tolmie Long-Term Care facility was permanently closed and does not house patients. Additional security measures have been recommended to secure the building.

According to the statement, police believe it is “very unusual” for a building to be the target of repeated property crimes.

The Saanich PD Forensic Identification Section through the Detective Division is assisting in this investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Saanich Police Department or report anonymously through the Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.