At-home happy hour sessions can keep going through the summer and early fall with alcoholic beverages from your favourite local restaurants and bars.

The B.C. provincial government has extended a special permit for food-primary and liquor-primary licensees to sell and deliver packaged liquor products during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The permit was initially created in late March to allow businesses in the food services sector some reprieve after being forced to shut down in person services.

It was set to expire on July 15, but has now been extended til October 31, 2020.

See also: Restaurants, bars in B.C. can buy liquor at wholesale prices to help ease costs

As a result of this measure, restaurants that were previously only allowed to serve alcohol on site could start to hire out-of-work servers to deliver sealed, packaged liquor products to the public.

Workers serving and delivering liquor products will still be required to have Serving it Right certification, and those purchasing alcohol will still be required to produce identification proving they are aged 19 years or older.

The provincial government is also extending a permit that allows private liquor retailers to be open for longer hours.

Liquor retailers like wine stores or private liquor stores across B.C. will continue to be allowed to operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. if they choose to do so.

This measure was set to expire on July 15 but will now remain in place until August 31, 2020.

Farmers on Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands are slated to receive a total of $300,000 to help form strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

In a statement on Monday, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture announced this funding will be made available by both the provincial and federal governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The projects funded by this investment will respond to four climate change impacts that are harming agriculture on the islands:

• warmer and drier summer conditions,
• changing pests and beneficial insects,
• increasing variability and shifting suitability, and
• increasing precipitation and extreme precipitation events.

“We’re helping farmers plan and develop to respond to the challenges of a changing climate and how that affects their livelihood,” said Lana Popham, B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture.

“These strategies, specifically designed for farmers on Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands, will help them adapt so they can continue contributing to our economy and providing the fresh local food our communities depend on.”

The planning process for these projects began last summer through a series of focus groups that involved 90 farmers to work with six Vancouver Island regional districts, as well as provincial and federal agencies, to identify priorities and actions for agricultural adaptation.

The development of priority projects will be overseen by 20 representatives from the agricultural sector and regional and provincial governments.

As of 2016, the agriculture sector on Vancouver Island employed over 7,500 people.

Saanich Fire crews remain on scene after an early morning fire at Strawberry Vale Elementary school.

Firefighters were called to the school located in the 4100 block Rosedale Avenue at around 5 a.m. Saturday morning.

Flames could be seen shooting from the windows of the school as fire crews worked to contain the blaze.

According to Saanich Fire, there has been extensive damage to the roof area of the building.

Fortunately,  there have been no injuries reported at this time.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

More to come.

Vancouver Island has been named one of Canada’s best three islands in a survey conducted by a New York-based travel magazine.

Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards survey placed Vancouver Island in the number two spot, sandwiched by two islands on the Atlantic Coast: Cape Breton in number one, and PEI in number three.

The survey asked readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe, rating islands on activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness, and overall value.

According to the magazine, Vancouver Island “offers an irresistible mix of big-city sights and natural attractions.”

They specifically singled out the century-old architecture of Victoria and the “surf capital” of Canada, Tofino, as sights to see on the Island.

Each destination was assigned a score out of 100. Vancouver Island received a score of 84.97.

The government of B.C. says it will be providing $16 million to provide new addiction treatment and recovery beds in light of the ongoing opioid crisis that has been further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“British Columbians are facing two public health emergencies and pressures from COVID-19 have tragically resulted in more lives lost to overdose,” said Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

May 2020 was the worst month in B.C’s history for overdose deaths. The BC Coroners Service report for illicit drug overdose deaths in June will be released next week.

$13.5 million of the funding will be distributed as grants through the Canadian Mental Health Association, in consultation with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and health authorities.

The province says they are prioritizing grants for underserved communities.

They estimate that the grants will add 50 to 70 new beds over the next three years.

Applications for funding will open in August 2020 for eligible licensed and registered not-for-profit and private service providers.

The remaining $2.5 million of funding will go to operators of existing bed-based treatment and recovery services facing challenges due to COVID-19.

The province says operating budgets at these operators have been stretched to the limit as a result of the pandemic.

This funding is part of the government’s “A Pathway to Hope” 10-year strategy for mental health and substance use care.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has been notified after a VicPD cruiser crashed into an SUV in downtown Victoria earlier this week.

Dashcam footage from a passing vehicle shows the police vehicle speeding through a red light without sirens or lights deployed, and crashing into an SUV that was driving through the Douglas and Johnson Street intersection at a green light.

In a statement to Victoria Buzz, OPCC media spokesperson Andrea Spindler stated that the police watchdog was notified of the incident by the Victoria Police Department on July 8, the day of the crash.

See also: Dashcam footage shows VicPD cruiser crashing into SUV after running red light (VIDEOS)

“We are currently in the process of reviewing the materials provided by the Victoria PD and any results from their collision investigation before making a final determination of whether there will be any Police Act investigation into officer misconduct,” reads the statement from Spindler.

She has confirmed that the dashcam footage is will “form part of the review, along with the collision investigation results and outcome”.

Fortunately there were no injuries in the collision that resulted in heavy damage to both vehicles.

The dashcam video was shared with Victoria Buzz by Alexander Woodman on July 8 and can be seen here.

In one of the videos, the owner of the dascham can be heard saying “You crossed the light, sir!” to the police officer in the cruiser. The officer can be heard responding with “I know”.

Under the Motor Vehicle Act in B.C., police officers are allowed to disregard red lights, stop signs, and other traffic controls without deploying their sirens and lights under specific circumstances.

In particular, officers can do this if they are in the middle of a case or investigation in which they deem the harm to public posed by a threat is greater than the risks that come with speeding through a red light without their emergency lights or siren on.

They may also run red lights if they have “reasonable grounds to believe that it is safe to operate the emergency vehicle without operating an emergency siren or an emergency light and siren”.

No information on the circumstances surrounding this officer’s decision has been made available by VicPD.

The next time you’re checking out the wine sections at the liquor store, you might spot a new label: wines from the Cowichan Valley.

B.C’s Ministry of Agriculture announced on Friday that the region has officially been recognized as a distinct area for grape-growing and winemaking.

The Cowichan Valley will be designated as a sub-geographical indication (sub-GI), which is an official term under B.C. law used to help consumers identify B.C. wines’ origins.

Under the indication, the area is defined roughly between the Cowichan watershed, the eastern coastline from Mill Bay to Maple Bay and the western area of Cowichan Lake.

“This is a well-deserved accomplishment for all those involved in producing exceptional wines and memorable winery experiences,” said Sonia Furstenau, MLA for Cowichan Valley.

The designation is aimed at promoting regions for both wine and tourism.

Wines labelled with geographical indications and/or sub-GIs must be produced with a minimum of 95 per cent of grapes from the region.

The Cowichan Valley is the fifth sub-GI to be designated in B.C., and the first to be designated outside of the Okanagan Valley.

Other sub-GIs include Golden Mile Bench, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Falls and Skaha Bench.

The initiative to receive the designation was led by Bailey Williamson of Blue Grouse Estate Winery.

A list of other Cowichan Valley wineries is online at tourismcowichan.com

On Tuesday afternoon, hotel workers from across the province gathered at the B.C. Legislature to raise awareness of the lack of job stability workers currently face.

Approximately 50,000 hotel workers in the province have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and they are not legally guaranteed those positions back.

In a press release issued by Unite Here Local 40, the group claims that hotel workers are already being terminated permanently before the industry has had enough time to recover. Workers are now demanding that employers do not use the pandemic as an “excuse to replace them.”

Ingrid Jarrett, President and CEO of the BC Hotel Association has claimed that the industry is in dire shape.

“It’s absolutely devastating,” Jarrett says in a phone call with Victoria Buzz. “We have hotels all over the province that are literally on the brink of bankruptcy.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the B.C. hospitality industry brought close to 34 billion dollars into the economy and provided jobs for 60,000 people. Right now, the industry is operating at approximately 30 per cent of its total capacity.

Jarrett says that having to lay off hotel employees has been “heartbreaking” for employers. “The most precious relationship is the employee/employer relationship. They are the people who create the experience. They are the smiles at the door,” she says.

Although businesses have begun to reopen, the hotel industry has been slow to follow.

“We have rehired maybe 30 per cent of employees,” admits Jarrett, “Right now, we still have approximately 25 per cent of hotels in the province that are remaining closed because they cannot afford to reopen.”

So, what can British Columbians do to boost the hospitality industry?

“We need people to travel,” says Jarrett, “We’ve done a lot of work to make things safe and in line with WorkSafe and BC Health to ensure everything is clean and up to standard.”

Once B.C. entered Phase 3 of their COVID-19 reopening plan in late June, public health authorities have begun to encourage B.C. residents to travel within the province.

Jarret also requests the government extend its temporary layoff and wage subsidy policies, defer property tax interest, and provide a recovery investment for the industry.

After initially suspending services this summer, the Victoria Clipper V has announced today that they will not resume sailings between Victoria and Seattle until April 30, 2021.

The ferry service initially cancelled sailings on March 17, after which the suspension was extended several times as the Canada-U.S. border remains closed to non-essential travellers.

The company had planned to relaunch ferry services in July 2020, but given the continued border closure, extended 14-day quarantine requirement for travellers, and general uncertainty surrounding the evolution of the pandemic, the decision was made to cancel all services this year.

According to a statement from the Victoria Clipper, the significant loss of revenue during the summer—peak travel times—makes it unrealistic for the company to offer year-round service.

“We wholeheartedly agree with the steps and health precautions taken by Canadian and U.S. government officials to date to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission through non-essential travel,” said David Gudgel, CEO of Clipper.

“Our intent in suspending operations is to hopefully allow ample time to pass so that we may return to service next spring when travel across the border is safe and welcomed once again.”

In accordance with the Collective Agreement between Clipper Navigation, Inc. and Unifor Local 114, Clipper’s Canadian union employees will continue on temporary layoff into the anticipated return to service date of April 30, 2021.

The company’s Seattle employees will be furloughed until the return to service.

MV Coho ferry not ruling out winter service

For their part, Black Ball Ferry Line which operates the MV Coho that offers sailings between Victoria and Port Angeles, WA has not ruled out winter service.

According to company President Ryan Burles, their sailing cancellation has been extended until the end of August in accordance with the Canadian government’s 14-day quarantine requirement for travellers.

Depending on whether the border closure and quarantine requirements are extended or not, Black Ball Ferry Line is not ruling out service over the winter months.

But like the Victoria Clipper, the company has taken a major hit to their finances due to loss of revenue over the summer.

“We basically make money six months of the year and lose money other times, so not being able to operate in the summer obviously is a large blow,” said Burles in a phone call with Victoria Buzz.

Fortunately, Burles says, the company does have a nest egg to fall back on, but that requires close monitoring.

For employees in the U.S., the business enrolled in a program that allowed them to pay them for eight weeks in May and June. For Canadian full-time employees, the company supplemented their income loss with $1,000 payments per month—that ended in June.

Nearly all employees have been laid off, apart from a skeleton staff hired to maintain the ship.

Sidney/North Saanich RCMP are reminding motorists to keep their eyes on the road after a single-vehicle crash led to two more crashes earlier this week.

On Tuesday morning, RCMP were called to a single-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of the Pat Bay Highway near the Weiler Avenue pedestrian overpass. The driver of the vehicle suffered a medical incident which caused him to drive off the highway and into a ditch.

According to police, an officer on scene used his vehicle to block a portion of the highway with the emergency lights on to secure the area.

Traffic was proceeding around the police cruiser without incident until the driver of a black SUV, believed to be distracted by the crash, collided with the stationary police vehicle.

“The flashing emergency lights, and a large silver police SUV parked in the road was obviously not enough of a deterrent for a driver who wanted to see what the police officers and emergency crews were doing,” said Cpl Chris Manseau, B.C. RCMP media relations officer, in a release Friday.

The impact of the crash caused significant damage to both vehicles and the driver was transported from the scene by emergency personnel for medical treatment. The police vehicle was unoccupied.

After the second collision, traffic backed up significantly in both directions on the Pat Bay Highway which lead to a third crash in the northbound lanes, also believed to be caused by a driver distracted by the previous two crashes.

“The scene must have become even more interesting for those passing in the northbound lane as another crash occurred when a driver collided with another vehicle that had slowed down to see all of the commotion,” said Manseau.

The collision was minor and both vehicles were drive-able and left the scene after exchanging information.

“These collisions show how dangerous collision scenes are to first responders, not only from the smoke, debris, fluids and car parts, but other drivers on the road too.”

“Fortunately, these after collisions did not hurt any first responders on the scene,” Manseau added.

The suspect who allegedly assaulted a man who confronted him about how he was treating his dog has turned himself in to Saanich Police.

On Monday July 6, Ted Penston was on the deck of his property when he saw the man allegedly choking, kicking, and throwing around a small dog at Brydon Park, across the street from him.

See also: Saanich man assaulted after confronting alleged dog abuser says he does not regret his actions

In a phone call with Victoria Buzz on Thursday, Penston said there were a handful of women with their children in their park, screaming and asking the man to stop the abusive behaviour. That’s when he stepped in.

When Penston approached the man and confronted him about his treatment of the dog, Saanich Police spokesperson Cst. Anastasiades says the dog owner attempted to punch him.

While the punch did not connect, the victim fell to the ground while dodging the hit, after which the suspect kicked him, resulting in minor injuries.

At the time, police issued a statement asking for public assistance in identifying the suspect.

In the aftermath of media coverage, Penston says the suspect’s mother came to his home on Wednesday night and verbally assaulted him and his family.

“She was screaming at me, saying I ruined her son’s life, calling me a liar,” Penston said.

Now, Saanich Police say the suspect has turned himself in and BC SPCA has been notified of his treatment of the dog.

Initially, officers said they planned on recommending assault charges against the suspect.

Victoria Buzz has reached out to Saanich Police for more information about the next steps in this investigation.

With files from Tim Ford.

WARNING: This article contains graphic content relating to sexual assault.

Two tattoo artists who work at separate parlours in Victoria have been fired from their jobs after serious sexual assault allegations against them surfaced online.

Carne Tattoo on Johnson Street has announced that artist Dave Hadden has been fired after multiple disturbing sexual assault allegations were shared anonymously.

Similarly, Painted Lotus Studios on Gordon Street has stated that they’ve fired Corey Lyon after an allegation against him was posted on the same platform.

In both cases, stories were shared on the @victims_voices_canada account—an Instagram page that shares anonymous stories of sexual assault allegations against workers in the tattoo and piercing industry across Canada.

Both Lyon and Hadden have since removed their public social media profiles.

Dave Hadden, Carne Tattoo

In a statement on their Instagram profile shared on July 8, the owners of Carne Tattoo stated that Hadden no longer works at their parlour.

They acknowledged that they were made aware of an incident in March 2019 after a customer emailed the parlour to make sexual assault complaints against Hadden.

“At the time, we worked closely with the survivor to determine a path forward. It was our understanding that the situation had been resolved to the satisfaction of the survivor,” reads the statement from Carne Tattoo.

“In retrospect, we should have terminated this employee immediately as this disgusting behaviour has no home in our industry or our shop and our failure to immediately act upheld a system that protects aggressors and continues the cycle of victimization.”

The business goes on to add that they were not made aware of any other sexual assault complaints against Hadden until last weekend when more anonymous allegations were posted on the Victims Voices Canada Instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCZfKrHj5cr/

While this is not confirmed, the initial complaint against Hadden corresponds with a comment on another allegation against him.

This complainant states that Hadden performed non-consensual “digital sex” on the woman by slipping his fingers under her underwear, and spent about half of a four or five hour tattoo session “with his fingers inside” her.

Over the past weekend, two more allegations against Hadden surfaced on the social media page. In one of them, the survivor states that he grabbed her chest multiple times and, while working on a tattoo on her thigh, had his free hand placed on her vagina.

The last allegation that was posted on Thursday afternoon shares a story that is almost exactly the same as the first one.

The woman says she was getting a tattoo that extended down to the front of her hip, to an area that is covered by underwear.

“Near the end of the tattoo while working on the part that’s usually covered by underwear or bathing suits he managed to slip his fingers under my underwear (which at the time I thought was accidental) and was maneuvering them within the lips of my vagina,” reads the post.

“I had a friend with me who noticed and we talked afterwards about how that was a little off but I never chalked it up to anything until I read the first story shared by a survivor.”

The post goes on to thank others for speaking out about their experiences which allowed her to “admit to being assaulted instead of normalizing” the incident.

Corey Lyon, Painted Lotus Studios

In a statement posted on July 7, Painted Lotus Studios announced the termination of their employee, Corey Lyon, after a disturbing sexual assault allegation surfaced against him earlier this week.

The story was posted on the same Victims Voices Canada page on Sunday, and alleged that Lyon performed non-consensual “aggressive” oral sex on the customer while doing her under bust tattoo.

“I enquired about an underbust [tattoo] while there after hours (we knew each other outside the shop a bit, too) he asked me to pull my shirt up and eventually to lift my bra up, exposing my breasts,” reads the post.

“I honestly thought it was necessary, maybe for the tattoo placement to look right (I was a lot younger). I didn’t clue into it being not needed until he said ‘hmm the lighting is bad’ and physically picked me up and put me on his table beside his light.”

“That’s when the little lightbulb in my head went on and I realized this was sexual. This was close to another particularly traumatizing sexual assault experience, so I froze up and allowed everything else that happened to happen including aggressive oral sex.”

The survivor of the assault goes on to state that after the incident, she texted Lyon and arranged to meet up in order to tell him how she felt about the incident and talk about “the power dynamic that he abused”, but Lyon never showed up at the agreed upon time and place.

After the post was shared, multiple people tagged Painted Lotus Studios demanding an appropriate response.

Two days later, the business shared the news that Lyon is no longer employed by them.

“As a female-owned and predominantly female employed shop, we take this subject VERY seriously. As survivors and friends of survivors ourselves, this has been difficult and triggering processing our emotions,” reads the post from Painted Lotus.

“To the poster: We truly understand how hard it is to speak up about these issues, and if healing is possible we would be grateful to assist in yours however we can, anonymously if that’s your preference.”

Since its creation just five days ago, the Instagram page Victims Voices Canada has shared dozens of anonymous accounts of sexual assault against workers in the tattoo and piercing industry across Canada.

Their mission statement says the purpose of the page is to “give voice to survivors of sexual assault and harassment” in the industry and “shine a light into the dark recesses of our community” to create positive change.

Ted Penston was driven to action after he saw what he describes as a horrific display of animal cruelty outside his home.

“This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” Penston said in a phone call with Victoria Buzz. “We’ve been here 20 odd years.”

But on Monday afternoon he saw something unbelievably shocking: a man violently abusing a dog at Brydon Park.

“I live right beside the park,” Penston said. “I saw him from my deck.”

He says the man was choking, kicking, and throwing around a small dog, in full view of other park users.

According to Penston there were a handful of women with their children in their park, screaming and asking the man to stop the abusive behaviour.

“My wife says, Ted, you’ve gotta do something.”

He says he confronted the man, who swore at him before trying to punch him. Penston stepped backward in response and fell over, and he says the man kicked him while he was on the ground.

The man then allegedly threw the dog into a car and fled the park.

Saanich Police are investigating the assault and say they have identified a suspect, but have not yet made an arrest.

Penston, meanwhile, says while he is humbled by the support shown by his neighbours and the community, he is uncomfortable with the attention and adds that the situation has escalated recently.

He says that the suspect’s mother came to his house on Wednesday night, and verbally assaulted him and his family.

“She was screaming at me, saying I ruined her son’s life, calling me a liar.”

In an emailed statement regarding this new incident, Saanich PD are asking that people respect the privacy of the accused and of the victim as the investigation is ongoing.

“People are passionate about any time an incident involves the mistreatment of an animal, and rightly so, however we must have faith in the systems in place to address these matters and this case is no different,” Cst. Markus Anastasiades stated.

Despite the incident and the media attention, however, Penston says he does not regret his actions and will continue to enjoy the park.

“With the pandemic, we go out into the park a lot. A neighbour wrote a card thanking me for what I did. We love living here.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family of a Victoria man who died in a skydiving accident near Nanoose Bay early Sunday evening.

The fundraiser is in support of Marlena Smith, widow of deceased skydiver James Smith, as well as their two children, one of whom is only eight months old.

The GoFundMe says that Marlena Smith is a stay at home mom and the family is without a rainy day fund.

It also states that Smith’s death was not covered by “extra insurances.” The fundraiser was organized by Murrin Beweck of Tofino.

In a phone call with Victoria Buzz earlier this week, owner/operator of Skydive Vancouver Island Gord Gauvin stated that Smith, who was an experienced skydiver, died while performing a complicated maneuver.

Gauvin says that members of the community are meeting with grief counselors as they come to terms with the loss of a dear friend. His company is also making one-on-one counseling available to his employees.

As for the GoFundMe account in support of Smith’s family, it had raised over $22,000 for a $20,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon.

Those wishing to further contribute can find the GoFundMe page here.

Premier John Horgan says he supports a call from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) to decriminalize personal possession of illicit drugs.

The CACP announced their support for decriminalization in a statement Thursday morning and called for the creation of a national task force to research drug policy reform.

“If not now, when?” Horgan said when he was asked about the CACP statement during a Thursday briefing on COVID-19.

“Anything that we can do to reduce the deaths and to reduce the dependence and to quite frankly free up law enforcement to do other things, I support.”

Horgan added that decriminalization would require support from the federal government to reform the Criminal Code.

CACP President and Vancouver Police Chief Constable Adam Palmer stated that CACP would be seeking to reform section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

“Canada continues to grapple with the Fentanyl crisis and a poisoned drug supply that has devastated our communities and taken thousands of lives,” stated Palmer.

“We recommend that enforcement for possession give way to an integrated health-focussed approach that requires partnerships between police, healthcare and all levels of government.“

May 2020 was the deadliest month for illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C. history, and the number of illicit overdose calls remains on the rise on Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland region.

Appointed independent investigator, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, says she has a small team of investigators looking into allegations of a racist guessing game being played by health care workers in an emergency room at one or more health care facilities in British Columbia.

The game involves guessing the blood alcohol level of patients, particularly those who are Indigenous, which in turn affects the level of care they receive.

The allegations led to the launch of an investigation on June 19.

Once complete, the report is expected to contain recommendations for changes that will be implemented by Health Minister, Adrian Dix, across B.C.

See also: B.C. investigating allegations of racist guessing game played by health care workers (UPDATED)

To inform this investigation, Turpel Lafond has launched an online survey, phone line (1-888-600-3078) and email (Addressing_Racism@gov.bc.ca) for Indigenous people who have experienced racism within the health care system as well as health care workers who have witnessed and/or participated in these incidents to come forward.

“This investigation is not trying to determine whether racism exists in B.C.’s health care system. It does exist, just as it does in every aspect of Canadian society,” she said in a press briefing on Thursday.

Rather, the purpose of this inquiry is to determine the range and extent of racism across the system. One of the largest obstacles to gathering information to carry out the investigation, according to Turpel Lafond, is getting health care workers to come forward without fear of recrimination.

She therefore encourages physicians, nurses, etc. to report their witness accounts without being afraid of retaliation, and expresses that the intent of the investigation is not to “blame and shame” those who speak up.

Systemic racism in a stressful workplace

During the question period, Turpel Lafond responded to comments in response to these allegations which suggest that health care workers in B.C. play these guessing games to cope with the stresses of their high pressure jobs.

She emphasized her understanding of health care work being a stressful profession, but expressed that playing a demeaning game and making jokes about patients’ addictions is not an appropriate or healthy way to relieve stress.

See also: Indigenous patients in B.C. often assumed drunk, denied medical assessments: Métis Nation

Turpel Lafond also added that in the first few weeks of investigating these allegations alongside First Nations leaders, her team has received numerous reports of various racist incidents—apart from the guessing games—that take place within the health care system across all health authorities in the province.

From these reports so far, she says there is a constant theme of Indigenous people who have their medical complaints minimized based on assumptions of intoxication or addiction.

“It would appear as though this might have been present for a long time,” she added.

Individual acts of racism, like the guessing games played by some health care workers, are indicative of a larger, systemic and institutionalized form of racism when they are carried out in an environment where they are tolerated, and bystanders do not speak up against them, says Turpel Lafond.

“As an Indigenous person I’m not completely shocked,” she said about the number of allegations that have come forward.

However she adds that some of the stories that have come forward are very painful and, in some cases, lives have been lost.

Once the report is complete, Turpel Lafond hopes to share some of these stories with the public, with permission from the families of those who suffered through such experiences.

She expects that the recommendations that are made after the investigation is complete will be implemented by the B.C. Ministry of Health.

There is currently no timeline for when the report can be expected.

Free tea samples around town might become a permanent thing of the past, as DavidsTea announces their decision to transition to an online and wholesale model.

In a statement on Wednesday, the specialty tea company announced a restructuring plan that fast tracks the process of transitioning the majority of their business to an online retailer and wholesaler model under the under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.

This means the majority of their brick and mortar locations will be permanently shut down.

There are three DavidsTea branches in Victoria at Uptown Shopping Centre, Hillside Shopping Centre, and a standalone location on Johnson Street in the city’s downtown core.

In a statement to Victoria Buzz, a spokesperson for the company says there is currently no information on whether or not these locations will reopen.

The switch to an online and wholesale model was made after the company’s management and Board of Directors reviewed the losses from their brick and mortar stores, in light of the particularly challenging retail environment exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With all stores closed since mid-March, many of our loyal tea-loving customers have already shifted to buying our products online, and in supermarkets and pharmacies across Canada,” said founder and interim CEO Herschel Segal in a statement.

“I sincerely regret the impact the restructuring of our business will have on some of our exceptional and passionate employees. This has been an incredibly difficult decision to take, but a necessary one to ensure the long-term viability of our Company.”

DavidsTea has been experiencing declining revenue from their brick and mortar locations for several years, leaving them particularly vulnerable to the economic impacts of COVID-19 shut down.

Decisions on which locations across the country will shut down for good depend on a number of factors, including whether the company can reach agreements with landlords on more favourable lease conditions.

All 222 brick and mortar DavidsTea stores have been closed since March 17 due to the pandemic, and will remain closed until further notice.

Lovers of sweet treats can rejoice as McDonald’s discount ice cream and sundaes make a return this summer.

From July 14 to September 7, $1 ice cream cones and $2 sundaes will be available at McDonald’s across Canada.

The deal is returning after being offered last year in June.

Summer Drink Days are also on right now after kicking in on June 29, with any fountain fave pop priced at $1, and medium slushies and small iced frappé just $2.

These prices do not include applicable taxes.

Most McDonald’s restaurants have reopened following prolonged COVID-19 closures for dining room service.

To check if a restaurant is open near you, visit the restaurant locator at mcdonalds.ca

UPDATE: Dashcam footage uploaded to the Victoria Buzz Facebook group shows the police cruiser running a red light before crashing into the SUV.

The police vehicle does not appear to have deployed lights or sirens while speeding through the light.

More information here.

Earlier: The intersection of Johnson and Douglas Street was cordoned off after a collision between a Victoria Police cruiser and an SUV this morning.

According to VicPD, the crash occurred at around 8 a.m. this morning, and traffic was briefly disrupted in the area.

Officers say there were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Photos show both vehicles heavily damaged in the crash, with the front left tire of the police cruiser coming apart from the vehicle.

There are currently no details on what caused the crash.

Victoria Buzz has reached out to VicPD for further information.