A motion to suspend the School Liaison Officer (SLO) in the Greater Victoria School District was rejected at a board meeting on Monday.

Three board trustees—Diane McNally, Ryan Painter, and Rob Paynter—voted in favour of suspending the program, while the rest stood opposed.

In lieu of outright getting rid of the program, the Board passed a motion directing the Superintendent to form an ad hoc committee to review the current School Liaison Program for concerns and potential changes.

The motion was presented after around 40 letters were sent to the school board ahead of their meeting, expressing concerns about the presence of police officers in schools.

In response to the rejection of the motion, the Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Color issued a statement calling for the Board to revisit the idea at their next meeting and address the concerns of racialized students and parents in their community.

“Trustees claim to have no data on the success of the program, but heard from many concerned parents,” reads the statement from the group.

“Asking students to prove their trauma, with ‘real data’, after many parents have contacted the board in this regard, is callous and unnecessarily harmful. It is not the safe and welcoming school environment that parents wish to foster for their children.”

The Greater Victoria School Board meeting earlier this week also renewed their five year strategic plan that aims to focus on creating an inclusive environment for students.

“A main deliverable for us through this plan will be engaging and collaborating with Indigenous educators and partners to examine and address systemic biases and improve outcomes for Indigenous learners,” said Board Chair Jordan Watters in a statement on Thursday.

The strategic plan was developed after consultation with students, Indigenous communities, staff, educational partners and administrators.

A tragic University of Victoria field trip that ended in the death of two young students will result in changes to how the school conducts similar trips in the future.

UVic hired independent expert, Ross Cloutier, to examine the school’s planning and execution process after a bus carrying 45 first year Biology students and two Teaching Assistants slid off the roadway and down an embankment on September 13, 2019.

The accident occurred during an annual field trip to the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, and resulted in the deaths of 18-year-olds Emma Machado from Manitoba, and John Geerdes from Iowa.

See also: UVic hosts gathering to commemorate two 18-year-old students killed in bus crash last week

On Thursday, UVic released a report detailing recommendations made after Cloutier’s assessment which involved reviewing university policies, pre-trip information and planning processes, interviewing students, parents and university employees, and visiting the accident site and the Bamfield facility.

The 87-page report found that a series of what seemed to be non-related and low-consequence events can combine to form a much larger and catastrophic event.

In light of his findings, Coultier made dozens of recommendations, all of which the university said they will implement ahead of future field trips.

“We’re grateful to those who contributed to this report through interviews or written submissions including Emma’s and John’s families, the surviving students and their families, as well as the faculty members, instructors and staff at the university,” says Cassels.

“This was a harrowing event that presented complex challenges and those interviews and conversations would have been difficult. We care deeply about our students. This was devastating for us all.”

The school will be implementing the following measures for any future bus trips to Bamfield:

• a hazard assessment and control program;
• travel and arrival during daylight;
• pre-determined itineraries;
• an additional satellite communications device;
• first aid equipment for the group size;
• and appropriate staff on board who can enforce protocols such as adhering to the itinerary and the wearing of seatbelts.

The university along with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, the BMSC, and others continue to advocate to the BC government for improvements to the logging road which forms an essential corridor between Bamfield and Port Alberni.

Due to COVID-19, there will be no field trips to Bamfield until at least 2021, and buses will not be used for future trips until the recommendations have been implemented.

The full report, along with the list of 43 recommendations, can be found at this website.

A major cyberattack that resulted in over 15 million personal data breaches at LifeLabs last year has been found to be the result of inadequate safeguards.

The results of a joint investigation conducted by the information and privacy commissioners (IPC) of Ontario and B.C. find that the company failed to protect their patients’ information.

According to a statement released on Thursday, the investigation found that LifeLabs violated Ontario’s health privacy law, the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), and B.C.’s personal information protection law.

See also: LifeLabs pays ransom after losing 15 million patient records to cyber attack

The company was found to have collected more personal health information than was necessary, did not have adequate information technology security policies in place, and failed to “take reasonable steps to protect the personal health information in its electronic systems”.

LifeLabs has been ordered by both commissioners to rectify their shortcomings through the following orders:

• Improve specific practices regarding information technology security.
• Formally put in place written information practices and policies with respect to information technology security.
• Cease collecting specified information and to securely dispose of the records of that information which it has collected.

“LifeLabs exposed British Columbians, along with millions of other Canadians, to potential identity theft, financial loss, and reputational harm. The orders made are aimed at making sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Michael McEvoy,  information and privacy commissioner of British Columbia.

“This investigation also reinforces the need for changes to B.C.’s laws that allow regulators to consider imposing financial penalties on companies that violate people’s privacy rights. This is the very kind of case where my office would have considered levying penalties.”

The cyberattack was detected by LifeLabs on October 28, 2019 after which the company advised its patients that over 15 million people had their personal data breached.

The majority of those people were residents in B.C. and Ontario, and the data included customers’ names, addresses, emails, logins, passwords, dates of birth, health card numbers, and lab test results.

On November 1st, 2019, the company notified the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC) about the attack.

LifeLabs then consulted with outside cybersecurity firms and made a ransom payment to secure the data. They did not disclose how much was paid.

This was the second privacy concern from the company in recent years.

In 2013, a hard drive was stolen from a LifeLabs computer in Kamloops that contained personal information including patients’ names, addresses, and health care numbers.

The hard drive was lost in January but authorities were notified of the security breach in June. Over 16,000 people were affected by the theft.

LifeLabs performs over 100 million laboratory tests each year, with 20 million annual patient visits to its locations. Its website hosts Canada’s largest online patient portal, on which more than 2.5 million individuals access their laboratory results each year.

With files from Cormac O’Brien.

Canada’s second largest airline announced Wednesday that it would be permanently eliminating 3,333 positions as the business struggles with the “devastating force” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a spokesperson for WestJet, 55 of these permanent layoffs are positions at Victoria International Airport.

The layoffs come as part of a list of “organizational changes” within the Calgary-based airline, that include consolidating call centre activity in Alberta, contracting out airport operations in all domestic airports outside of Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, and restructuring office and management staff.

WestJet says that the airline’s scheduled operations have been reduced by more than 90 per cent year over year.

In a video statement posted to the company’s YouTube channel, WestJet President and CEO Ed Sims said, “Today is the toughest of all these difficult days.”

Sims says WestJet will “seek to find a suitable partner” to contract with for airport operations, and is hoping that employees affected by the layoffs can be hired by this partner.

This latest move to cut costs follows earlier measures including a hiring freeze, cutting executive salaries, and pausing more than 75 per cent of its capital projects.

Police are praising a bystander who helped them locate a man in mental health distress at Esquimalt Lagoon on June 5.

West Shore RCMP say a caller from out of province contacted the detachment saying they were concerned about the well being of a friend in the West Shore area.

The caller told police the individual had threatened self-harm.

Officers were searching for the man in distress and his vehicle, when they were flagged down on Ocean Blvd in Colwood by a bystander. 

The bystander had spotted a semi-conscious man in a vehicle, but was unaware that the police were looking for this person already.

According to RCMP, the bystander’s actions “potentially helped save a life,” and police expressed gratitude to both the caller and the bystander for supporting a person in crisis.

The man was transported to hospital and received care.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis to please reach out for help. You can visit the crisiscentre.bc.ca/get-help/ website or call the crisis centre at 604-872-3311. 

Additionally, you can always call your local police service for help. 

Mount Washington Alpine Resort announced on Tuesday that it will be opening for summer operations on Saturday June 27 , and launching Vancouver Island’s longest zip line.

The addition of the zip line opens up a new way to experience Mt. Washington year-round, and is sure to be a highlight for thrill seekers and outdoor adventure lovers.

The resort’s new Eagle’s Flight ZipTour spans a total length of 2,313 metres (7,589 ft) and descends over 415 metres (1,364 vertical ft), with riders reaching a speed of 100 kilometres per hour almost instantly when they step off the top platform.

“The ZipTour makes it possible for everyone to experience the beauty and thrill of Mt. Washington, whether you are a skier or not,” said Dean Prentice, General Manager at Mt. Washington Alpine Resort. 

“We’re excited that the addition of the ZipTour and the further expansion of our lift-accessed mountain bike trails allows us to offer experiences of a true year-round destination.”

The new ZipTour attraction is a $4 million, four-stage course that begins with a chairlift ride to the top of Mt. Washington and finishes back at the resort’s Alpine Lodge. 

Guests on the ZipTour can control their speed of descent on the zipline dynamically, which allows the option to open the throttle for thrills, or to ease back and take in the spectacular 360-degree alpine-to-ocean views.

Designed as a shared experience, the tour runs two parallel zip lines providing the opportunity for friends and family to interact while soaring through the air together.  

The tour starts with training sessions at the practice zip line, followed by a chairlift ride to the top of the mountain and short scenic walks between each of the four-stages. 

The final side-by-side aerial flight leads back to the base for a dramatic entrance onto the roof of the Alpine Lodge above surrounding activities. 

Once the Eagle’s Flight ZipTour opens for business, it will surpass the resort’s Hawk Excursion zipline that launched last year and currently holds the mantle for the longest zipline on the island.While the Hawk Excursion tour will not be running this summer, thrill seekers can book the Eagle’s Flight ZipTour on the Mt. Washington Alpine Resort Website.

Tickets cost up to $129 per person.

Vancouver Island’s Longest Zip Line 

• When: Opens for Summer Operations June 27 
• Location: Mt. Washington Alpine Resort – Eagle’s Flight ZipTour
• How to reserve: Online at the Mt. Washington Alpine Resort Website

How do you make your big day even bigger?

Ask Nanaimo woman Amanda Lauer, who recently won a cool $250,000 just days before celebrating her birthday; talk about a gift that keeps on giving!

Lauer won the life-changing quarter million dollars by playing a game called “Bonanza”, an online slots game on PlayNow.com.

“I had realized I was a winner, but I didn’t realize it was that much,” said Lauer.

“I just looked at my screen and it took a few extra seconds to really process. I went downstairs to tell my dad and I think we were both really shocked.”

After Lauer played through a few free spins she acquired for Bonanza, she made a few more spins when the symbols on the reels lined up to make her $250,000 richer.

The recent university graduate plans to use some of her winnings towards a down payment on a home in Nanaimo, as well as to pay off student loans.

With plans to work in the social-services sector, Lauer says the win gives her the freedom needed to pursue her dream career.

“It’s huge to come out of university with no student debt, and it really takes some of that stress off your shoulders,” Lauer said.

“I know $250,000 won’t last a lifetime, but I do feel blessed at this moment.”

Island Health have announced plans to paint rainbow sidewalks at three hospitals on Vancouver Island in celebration of Pride Week.

According to a statement on Wednesday, these sidewalks will be painted at Royal Jubilee Hospital, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and North Island Comox Valley Hospital.

Black and brown stripes will be painted along with the usual rainbow to represent LGBTQ2S+ communities of colour.

“Island Health is committed to addressing discrimination against people because of who they are or whom they love,” said Leah Hollins, Chair for the Island Health Board of Directors, in a statement.

“Rainbow sidewalks make this commitment visible and recognize the diversity and inclusivity of the LGBTQ2S+ community.”

The health authority says they will continue to review other health care facilities in the region for the potential to paint more sidewalks.

For now, the three sidewalks will be painted by the end of August.

After a nearly two month closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Strathcona Hotel’s Rooftop Patio announced it will be reopening for small group bookings.

The Rooftop Patio Facebook Page announced on Tuesday that the business was granted permission from Island Health for use of their volleyball courts, which normally open every summer from May to September.

The Rooftop Patio says that bookings will be subject to a number of restrictions, including:

• A maximum of 15 to 20 people in the court.
• Denial of entry to anyone who is showing symptoms of COVID-19.
• Mandatory use of hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving the volleyball court area.
• Maximum of 10 people on the court at one time. 2-5 players per side.
• A 30 minutes wait time between bookings to ensure proper sanitization.

A full list of restrictions was posted to the Strathcona website on Tuesday, along with information on how to book the courts. 

The Rooftop Patio reopened on May 21 with reduced seating, down from 300 to 110, but the courts remained closed until this latest announcement.

Make sure to reserve your spot!

Strathcona’s Rooftop Patio 

• When: Courts Available 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 
• Location: 919 Douglas Street
• How to reserve: Online or by phone at 250-220-8582

Victoria Carriage Tours are asking residents to consider being tourists in their own city, and they’re prepared to offer rides-by-donation and an exclusive discount to get them back in the saddle.

The horse-drawn carriage tour operator says that they will be offering rides in Brentwood Bay by donation every Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., from July 12 to August 2.

Additionally, the business will be offering a 20 per cent discount for locals on their 60 minute “Royal Tour” for the month of July.

Victorians champing at the bit for a socially distanced staycation activity during the COVID-19 pandemic can take advantage of the discount online at victoriacarriage.com, with the discount code ‘thankyoulocals2020’.

Locals will then have to provide ID with a local address upon arrival at their scheduled tour.

Tours operate between, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Friday to Sunday.

Tom Walker, General Manager of Victoria Carriage Tours, says that he is hoping locals will consider experiencing the Inner Harbour and “staycation” in their own city. 

“All tour operations are suffering from COVID, we want to encourage people to come down and support local businesses,” Walker says. “We wish we could offer more, but at this time it’s tough.”

Victoria Carriage Tours says that their revenue over the past two weekends has been only 6 per cent of what they saw in previous years. The business is hoping that with a boost in local traffic, they can reach 20 per cent revenue through July and August.

The company is also taking steps to ensure compliance with WorkSafe BC protocols, including adding plexiglass barriers on carriages between the driver and passengers, and sterilization of equipment between rides.

“We are proud of the changes we have made to ensure both safety and comfort expectations are exceeded,” says Walker.

Victoria Carriage Tours had closed in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had sought public support through GoFundMe before reopening on June 5.

The company says they want to thank those who donated and hopes that this community discount can help return the favour.

Meanwhile, the cancelled tourist season is a horse that has already left the barn.

Residents and visitors in downtown Victoria and Esquimalt are advised to avoid entering the waters along multiple shorelines for health and safety reasons.

According to a public service announcement from the CRD, screened wastewater was discharged into the water out the short outfall overnight on June 22, affecting multiple shorelines:

• Between Fraser Street and Victoria View Road including Saxe Point, Macaulay Point and McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt; and
• Along Dallas Road between Dock Street and Government Street in Victoria.

As a result, the public should refrain from wading into the water as the discharge poses a health risk.

Advisories against entering the waters in those areas will remain in place until testing of water samples indicate that enterococci levels are below the 70CFU/100mL recreational limit.

A CRD spokesperson stated on Twitter that water samples were collected Tuesday and the test results should be back on Thursday.

The wastewater discharge was required as part of the construction process in building a new Macaulay Point Pump Station as part of the Wastewater Treatment Project.

Once complete, the system will pump wastewater from the western core area municipalities and the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations to the new McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant for tertiary treatment.

A popular brunch restaurant chain with two locations in Greater Victoria has shut down for good.

In a heartfelt video shared on Facebook, Josh Miller, the owner of Mo:Lé Restaurant, announced that both the Pandora Ave and Millstream Rd branches of the eatery have permanently closed their doors.

“This is not an easy decision to make but it was the right one,” said Miller.

“The people we’ve got to work with, the customers we’ve been able to serve—it’s truly been the most amazing time of my life,” he added with a heavy sigh.

Without diving into specific details about the reason behind this decision, Miller talks about how his passion for the business has been waning over the last couple of years, and how the restaurant industry is a difficult one even at the best of times.

“I think a lot of us get stuck and we think that this is all that we can do but that’s not the truth. My staff are incredible people and they can do anything.”

Mo:Lé Restaurant first opened their doors almost exactly 16 years ago, in June 2004. Since then, both branches have been serving up vegan-friendly all day breakfast and lunch meals everyday, along with brunches on the weekend.

“We look back at everything that’s happened and all we can think about is all the great times. So I really appreciate all the support and love,” adds Miller.

“Please don’t be sad for me or my staff. I know everybody’s gonna land on their feet. I know I am.”

A man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after his vehicle was side swiped by a car whose driver admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.

First responders attended the Trans Canada Highway near the Six Mile Rd off ramp at around 7:20 a.m. on June 20 for reports of a vehicle collision.

According to a statement from West Shore RCMP, the victim was driving a Chevrolet Metro hatchback south on the highway when a Saturn SL1, headed in the same direction, side swiped him.

“The impact sent the Metro hatchback into the centre median,” said Cst. Nancy Saggar.

“The driver of the hatchback was taken to hospital for non-life threatening injuries.”

After drug and alcohol impairment were ruled out as causes of the crash, the driver of the Saturn admitted to having fallen asleep at the wheel.

They were issued a violation ticket for not having a driver’s license, and for “driving without due care”.

Both vehicles sustained significant damage and had to be towed from the scene.

UPDATE: Bonnie Arsenault, the subject of a missing person report, has been located and is safe.

Earlier:

West Shore RCMP are currently looking for missing View Royal Resident, Bonnie Arsenault.

Bonnie was reported missing by her family on June 21st at approximately 2:00 p.m. She was last seen at about 10:00 a.m. the same day.

Bonnie Arsenault is described as:

• Caucasian female
• 73 years old short white and black hair
• approx. 5′ tall
• petite build
• wearing leggings and a black sweater

Police are very concerned for her health and well-being. Friends and family report that it is out of character for her to be out of contact for this long.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Bonnie Arsenault is urged to contact their local police immediately.

As of today, all open fires are once again allowed in British Columbia’s Coastal Fire Centre jurisdiction.

According to a statement from the BC Wildfire Service, the recent bout of rainfall has decreased the risk of wildfires in the region that encompasses Vancouver Island and parts of the lower mainland.

This means that campfires, Category 2 and 3 open fires and Resource Management Burning are now allowed everywhere in the jurisdiction as of 12 p.m. June 19.

“The public is asked to undertake open burning responsibly, and to follow guidance to ensure their burning is conducted in a safe manner,” reads the statement.

“While the BC Wildfire Service has developed protocols for staff to safely respond to wildfires and reduce the risk from COVID-19, we ask for the public’s assistance to reduce the likelihood of a forest fire.”

However residents are advised to still check with their municipalities as local governments may still have their own open burning restrictions in place.

Anyone lighting a Category 3 open fire—a fire that burns material more than two metres high or three metres wide, stubble or grass of more than 2,000 square metres, or more than two piles of any size—must acquire a burn registration number by calling 1-888-797-1717.

More information on the different types and categories of fires are available at this website.

Three elementary schools in Nanaimo are scheduled to undergo extensive construction after the provincial government announced millions of dollars in investments for seismic upgrades and expansions.

A total of $18.8 million is earmarked for Cilaire and Pleasant Valley elementary schools in Nanaimo to get seismic upgrades.

This funding includes the cost of renovating Rutherford Elementary school and Woodlands Secondary school which will be used as temporary accommodations to speed up seismic projects in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District.

Additionally, construction is also set to begin on a $15.9-million expansion at Hammond Bay Elementary school that will add 295 seats to the school district.

“Parents deserve the comfort of knowing their children will be protected at school if an earthquake were to impact Vancouver Island,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education.

“That’s why we’re moving at record speed to upgrade schools in Nanaimo and throughout B.C, continuing our work to ensure every student can attend a seismically safe school.”

While construction is under way, students at Pleasant Valley will be relocated to Rutherford Elementary, while Cilaire students will attend Woodlands school.

Transportation to and from their schools will be provided to all students.

Construction will begin at both schools in June 2021, and work is expected to be completed by September 2022.

After an announcement about allegations of emergency room staff playing a racist “guessing game” on Friday, Métis Nation B.C. came out with a statement addressing a broader issue.

According to information obtained by Métis Nation BC and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, First Nations, Métis and Inuit patients in need of emergency services are regularly assumed to be drunk and therefore denied medical assessment by health care workers in the province.

Thousands of Indigenous people seeking medical care face racism of this nature on a regular basis, based on findings from participants of the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training program.

“There remains a lack of will to address systemic and specific racism towards Métis, First Nation and Inuit people,” says Leslie Varley, Executive Director of the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC),

“We know that our people avoid hospitals because we are afraid of having a discriminatory encounter. This happens to the point where Indigenous people end up in emergency with extreme diagnosis, like cancer.”

Earlier on Friday, health minister Adrian Dix announced that he has hired lawyer Mary-Ellen Turpel Lafond to investigate reports that health care workers have been playing a game to guess the blood alcohol level of patients in the emergency room, in particular of Indigenous patients.

Métis Nation BC says these allegations were brought to light by a participant of the San’yas program—an anti-racism training program that has been made mandatory for public servants in Ontario but not in B.C.

Indigenous leaders now say British Columbia is inconsistent in their requirements for anti-racism training, and call upon the province to accept four recommendations:

• Launch a public inquiry into Indigenous specific racism in health care in B.C with a focus on hospitals and emergency departments.
• Ensure that all front-line staff are required to take mandatory First Nations, Métis and Inuit training that results in increased health professional personal accountability in the delivery of safe health care.
• Commit to structural and systemic changes to dismantle Indigenous specific racism to ensure culturally safe health care experiences for Indigenous people.
• Ensure that Indigenous governments play a stronger role in the development and implementation of anti-racism programs and training throughout BC.

The statement argues that acceptance of these recommendations would be the proper way to acknowledge National Indigenous People’s Day on June 21.

Last night, B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix was made aware of a disturbing racist game being played by health care workers in an emergency room at one or more health care facilities in the province.

While remaining tight lipped about where these allegations came to light, Dix announced that he has hired lawyer Mary-Ellen Turpel Lafond to investigate reports that health care workers have been playing a game to guess the blood alcohol level of patients in the emergency room, in particular of Indigenous patients.

“If true, it is intolerable, unacceptable, and racist,” said Dix at the impromptu press briefing on Friday morning.

“I will also be reaching out to Indigenous leaders in health care… as we address the fundamental issues that are involved.”

The allegations were brought to Dix’s attention by Deputy Minister of Health Steven Brown who in turn received the information from members of the community.

At this time it is unclear which health region these “games” where being played at, whether it was at more than one emergency room, and how many health care workers were involved.

Dix says none of this information will be made public until Turpel Lafond has had time to conduct an investigation into the issue.

In the mean time, there have been no repercussions for any health care worker allegedly involved in these incidents.

Minister Dix acknowledged that these allegations are not the first of their kind and are indicative of a broader issue of systemic racism that exists within the health care system in B.C. and across Canada.

“We’ve got work to do, and when cases arise we consistently take on that work but the circumstances of this case require both an establishment of fact and action. And action will follow,” said Dix.

“It tells us that systemic racism has not just a existed but exists in our country and has impacts in all walks of life.”

There is currently no timeline for when the investigation is expected to be completed.

“No one should fear discrimination when they need help the most,” said Premier John Horgan in a statement responding to the allegations.

“No one should worry that when they visit a hospital that they will be prejudged and given a lower standard of care. If confirmed, this is a heartbreaking example of systemic racism in our province.”

Once the situation came to light, Métis Nation BC issued a statement calling on the province to address ongoing systemic racism in the health care system.

Thousands of Indigenous people seeking medical care face racism of this nature on a regular basis, based on findings from participants of the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training program.

Métis Nation BC says these allegations were brought to light by a participant of the San’yas program—an anti-racism training program that has been made mandatory for public servants in Ontario but not in B.C.

Premier Horgan has promised the Ministry of Health his “full support” in their investigation of these racist practices.

There has been no response yet from government on the Métis Nation’s recommendations.