A video shared on social media shows a shocking racist incident aimed at the Tseshaht First Nation near Port Alberni early Tuesday morning.

The footage depicts a white truck driving through the First Nation reserve while its passengers yell racial slurs.

The incident prompted a joint response from the City of Port Alberni and  Tseshaht First Nation expressing solidarity with members of their community and denouncing the act.

“This morning, we learned of what appears to be a shocking racially-fuelled incident that targeted local First Nations on the Tseshaht Reserve,” said Cynthia Dick, Elected Chief Councillor for Tseshaht First Nation.

“While the incident is upsetting, we are determined to emerge stronger and to use this as an opportunity to foster unity and teach our children what it takes to build a happy, healthy community that respects diversity and celebrates individuality.”

The incident has been reported to RCMP who are now investigating.

Port Alberni Mayor, Sharie Minions, also stated that the city will not tolerate racism, and stands with their First Nations neighbours.

“In recent days, much of the world news has focused on systemic racial divide, and our close-knit community is certainly not immune to these problems, but we have to be better,” said Minions in her statement.

A Port McNeil woman was lucky enough to capture a rare wildlife encounter last weekend, and her video is racking up the views on YouTube.

During a quiet night of playing Cribbage, the woman and her husband looked off their deck and spotted the pair of black bears as they made their way to the top of a large tree.

The tree is usually home to eagles, and it is suspected there may have been an eagle’s nest at the top, as footage shows a couple the birds angrily circling the cubs as they make their ascent.

Though it was originally believed that the two bears, one larger, and one smaller, were mother and cub, according to a wildlife photographer who spotted the video, one actually appears to be chasing the other.

The post has gathered nearly 30,000 views in two days on YouTube, and according to the woman who posted it, no eaglets or eggs were harmed in the filming of this video.

Check it out here:

A burger order gone slightly wrong led to one big tantrum from a grown man in Colwood.

West Shore RCMP are searching for a suspect who went berserk with rage after receiving a mustard-less burger at Wendy’s in Colwood.

The incident occurred at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday June 2, and police were contacted by staff at the Wendy’s restaurant located at 1800 Island Hwy.

According to the report, after getting his burger and seeing that there was no mustard on it, the suspect allegedly got out of his vehicle at the Wendy’s drive-thru and walked up to the window.

He then began smashing the plexiglass barrier, ripped it off the wall, and before leaving, threw it under another vehicle parked in the parking lot.

“Staff were thankfully not injured in this encounter, however police are searching for this suspect who is being investigated for mischief and causing a disturbance,” said Cst. Nancy Saggar in a statement on Wednesday.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian man in his 50s, of medium build, who is bald and has a reddish brown beard.

At the time of the incident he was wearing jeans and a plaid overcoat. He was last seen driving away in a blue or grey Toyota Matrix hatchback.

Anyone who knows this suspect or was a witness to the incident is asked to contact West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264, or report anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Hundreds of Victoria residents gathered in the city’s downtown core for a rally in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.

Over the past few days, cities across the U.S. as well as in several other countries have seen widespread protests against police brutality that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent Black people in recent years.

These protests were originally sparked after former Minneapolis PD officer Derek Chauvin killed an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, by kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes.

The movement snowballed over several days after local, state, and federal offices conducted arrests and deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, and mace on peaceful protesters as well as identifiable members of the media.

In Victoria, the demonstration was far more peaceful as hundreds marched from Centennial Square to the BC Legislature grounds carrying signs and slogans representing the Black Lives Matter movement.

Many who showed up to protest, a group largely made up of young people, wore masks and made attempts to maintain physical distancing.

Once at the Legislature, several young people shared their own experiences of racism, and read out the names of Black people who have been killed by police.

This demonstration was followed by a candlelight vigil in memoriam of all Black lives lost to police brutality over the years.

For those who missed it, check out these images of the demonstration from Victoria Buzz photographer Colin Smith.

The City of Victoria has sold their ‘Apex’ site located on the corner of Douglas and Humboldt Streets to Telus Communications Inc for the construction of a new landmark building.

The building is proposed as a commercial office and retail hub that will house 250 TELUS employees and, according to an official statement, serve as a “hub that will showcase advanced communications and information technology”.

Sale of the city’s ‘Apex’ site has been in the works since 2017, according to Mayor Lisa Helps, and the land was purchased from the city by Telus for a price of $8.1 million, plus up to an additional $1.1 million depending on the final proposal that is approved as part of the rezoning process.

There is currently no information on what the building, dubbed ‘TELUS Ocean’, will look like but it is expected to be a significant architectural landmark in downtown Victoria, rivalling the company’s innovative buildings in larger cities like Vancouver and Calgary.

“This development is anticipated to create new opportunities for the Victoria Conference Centre and other businesses in downtown,” said Mayor Lisa Helps at a press conference on Tuesday.

“It’s going to be a beautiful, sustainable building that’s going to serve as an office for Telus as well as an innovation centre.”

The company has partnered with local developer, Aryze Developments, which will provide architects and consultants to work on designing the building.

Telus and Aryze are now beginning their community engagement process through which they plan to consult surrounding businesses, residents, potential occupants and other key stakeholders about future plans for the building.

The City of Victoria will be providing $2.37 million towards the environmental and geotechnical costs to remediate the site at 749‑767 Douglas Street, after which Telus will be assuming all responsibility for remediation.

The 27,790 square-foot parcel of land is currently occupied by two car rental sites.

Proceeds from this land sale will be held in the city’s Tax Sale Lands Reserve to fund projects in the municipality’s Strategic Plan, including the acquisition of land for affordable housing.

Property taxes collected from this development are also expected to add a significant chunk of revenue to fund programs, services, and downtown core improvements in Victoria.

Construction of the building is expected to begin in 2021, with completion slated for 2024.

At a time when anger against discrimination is at a boiling point in the United States and around the world, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken the time to address racism in Canada, as well as the protests that have taken place since the death of George Floyd.

For several days during his daily address, Trudeau has continued to deliver the message that Canadians must recognize there is systemic racism in their own country.

“For far too many Canadians, the images and stories out of the United States are all too familiar,” the Prime Minister said on Monday.

“As a country, we can’t pretend racism doesn’t exist here. Anti-Black racism is real. Unconscious bias is real. Systemic discrimination is real. And they happen here in Canada.”

The Prime Minister called on Canadians and other leaders around the world to take action against all forms of racism, as a result of violent protests and scenes of police brutality emerging from south of the border.

These nationwide protests have been ongoing in the United States since early last week, when a video showed a Minnesota police officer killing an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by kneeling on his neck.

Several protests condemning the act and overall discrimination against Black people even took place in Canada over the weekend, including in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and most recently in Victoria.

“Over the weekend, we saw thousands of people join together in peaceful protests against anti-Black racism,” said Trudeau. “Canadians are sending the message that they would never tolerate injustice.”

When asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for military action against protesters, Trudeau took a lengthy pause.

It took just over 20 seconds before he was able to issue a response, and when he did, he did not address Trump by his name.

“We all watch in horror and consternation what’s going on in the United States,” the Prime Minister said when he finally spoke.

“It is a time to pull people together. It is a time to listen, to learn. It is a time for us as Canadians to recognize we too have our challenges,” said Trudeau.

West Shore RCMP have arrested a 34-year-old Langford resident for charges of drug trafficking after he was originally reported to have been spray painting vehicles.

Police were called to 713 Treanor Ave in Langford at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday May 30 for reports of a man spray painting vehicles in the parking lot.

When officers arrived, the suspect was driving his Ford F350 out of the parking lot.

He was pulled over and upon talking to witnesses, officers determined that the suspect had spray painted his own vehicle and no one else’s.

However during the investigation, officers found several items in the truck consistent with drug trafficking.

A full search of the truck yielded drug packaging paraphernalia, several used and unused small plastic bags with suspected narcotic residue inside, as well as a collapsible baton and replica firearm.

The suspect, a 34-year-old man, was subsequently arrested for drug trafficking, but he was later released.

Police have ordered an inspection on his vehicle.

Dozens of people in Victoria have been flocking to Centennial Square, and many more are expected to make their way downtown in the next few hours for one purpose:

A rally in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States that was sparked by police killing George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, after an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Canada’s neighbour to the south has seen riots and escalating police brutality over the past few days as authorities employ tear gas, rubber bullets, and mace to crack down on protesters and identified journalists alike.

In Victoria, the scene is far more peaceful as demonstrators hold up signs stating the names of Black people who have died in police custody in the U.S. in recent years.

Many protestors are seen wearing masks as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Peaceful demonstration is our right… but we cannot forget that we are still in the middle of a pandemic that is affecting our communities and our loved ones,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry in her briefing on Monday.

She cautioned the 3,500+ BLM protesters who gathered in Vancouver on Sunday about their risks of contracting COVID-19 after being part of such a large gathering, and advised them to monitor their symptoms over the next two weeks.

At the rally in Victoria, demonstrators are expected to remain at Centennial Square until 5 p.m., after which they will make their way to the B.C. Legislature to hold a candlelight vigil for George Floyd and other victims of police brutality at 7 p.m.

As of the time of publication, over 1,200 people have expressed interest in attending.

https://www.facebook.com/colinsmith2112/photos/pcb.2960804660701846/2960799530702359/?type=3&theater

On the first day of school reopening since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C., police and RCMP across the province have issued reminders for drivers to go slow in school zones that are now in effect.

Drivers are expected to drive at 30 km/h between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on school days in these zones.

Two weeks after the province began Phase 2 of their restart plan, students have started going back to in-class instruction on a partial, voluntary basis.

This means students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 have started going to school 50 per cent of the time — such as alternating days — while kids in grades 6 to 12 go to school one day a week.

See also: B.C. top doctor bans overnight summer camps for children and youth this year

On Saturday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry assured British Columbians that schools are now safe for students to attend.

According to her, just one per cent of all coronavirus cases in the province have been detected in people under the age of 19, which is an encouraging sign that the risk of transmission at schools will be low.

Public health officials in B.C. also purposely designed their plan to make sure there would be a period of two weeks between the time they eased economic and social restrictions and the time kids were allowed to return to classrooms.

During her briefing, Dr. Henry stated that if there had been a surge of new cases during those two weeks, the June 1 school reopening date would have been pushed back.

As cases have remained low, however, the original plan will move forward. Dr. Henry does expect there to be some new cases as a result of schools reopening, but adds that authorities are well equipped to monitor and manage any outbreaks at these institutions.

A 33-year-old Cobble Hill resident was killed Friday evening after an ATV crash on a service road near Nanaimo.

According to RCMP, the incident occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m., about 18 kilometres from Nanaimo Lakes Road.

Police, BC Ambulance Service and Nanaimo Search and Rescue (NSAR) personnel responded to the emergency call.

Due to the remoteness of the area, an RCMP officer rode along on one of NSAR’s quads and managed to locate the group and injured man using GPS from cell phone pings.

Once located, search-and-rescue members performed first aid for an extended period of time, but the man did not survive.

His body was then transported out of the back country to awaiting BC Paramedics. BC Coroners Service responded and confirmed his death.

Investigators spoke with the group of riders and based on statements provided, the death appears to accidental and not suspicious.

The name of the man was not released, but police said he was a Cobble Hill resident.

BC Coroners Service is continuing with its investigation and the family of the deceased has been notified.

Saanich residents must pay their property taxes by mail or online this year.

In an announcement on Monday, the District of Saanich stated that the municipal offices will not be open to the public for the purpose of making tax payments.

This is because the number of transactions that occur during a short period of time and the configuration of public spaces at the municipal hall will make it impossible for staff to provide adequate physical distancing opportunities at the location.

“In particular, we know there are many seniors who prefer to come in to pay their taxes in person. As some of our most valued yet COVID-vulnerable community members, while we will miss seeing you this year, we need you to take advantage of the mail, drop off or online methods for the sake of safety,” said Mayor Fred Haynes in the statement.

“These simple restrictive measures we are taking are to protect you and keep you safe. We look forward to seeing you again safe and healthy in 2021.”

There are a number of ways that property owners can pay their taxes this year instead:

• Online banking: Pay through your financial institution’s online banking system. Check their local cut-off time to ensure payment is received by the due date.
• By mail: Mail your cheque and the bottom portion of your tax notice to 770 Vernon Avenue, Victoria, BC V8X 2W7. Payment must be received by July 31 to avoid penalty.
• Through your mortgage company: Contact your financial institution to set this up.
• Through your financial institution: Contact your financial institution for their rules for paying bills in person.
• Drop box: There’s a secure slot at the entrance of the municipal hall near the parking lot. The slot is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please practice safe physical distancing when using the drop box.
• Drive through drop off: A secure drive through drop off will be available at the parking lot entrance to the municipal hall at anticipated peak times. Check the Saanich website for details.

Those who require it can access the province’s property tax deferral program online.

West Shore RCMP have confirmed that a motorcyclist involved in a collision on Sunday in View Royal has passed away.

On May 31st, at approximately 2:26 p.m., West Shore RCMP responded to a report of a serious motor vehicle collision on 6 Mile Road in View Royal.

The collision involved a Toyota Rav 4 and a motorcycle. Two people from the SUV were transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and were later released.

Sadly, a 39-year-old Saanich man, identified as the driver of the motorcycle, has since succumbed to his injuries.

6 Mile Road between Old Island Hwy and Atkins Avenue was closed for several hours in order for the RCMP traffic reconstructionist team to investigate.

Police are still investigating to determine the cause of this fatal collision.

The BC NDP government is carrying on with their four-year plan to increase minimum wage in the province despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of June 1, 2020, the general minimum wage in B.C. has risen by $0.75 to $14.60 per hour.

Today’s jump marks the third iteration in the provincial government’s plan, and has moved forward despite concerns that some businesses may not be able to meet the new wage rate due to losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The minimum wage will go on as planned. The lowest-paid workers in B.C. need help as well,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour, at a recent press conference.

“They need money in their pockets so that they will go and invest in the local businesses who are suffering right now, and they’ll help local businesses in their own communities.”

The general minimum wage increase is accompanied by raises for liquor servers, resident caretakers, and live-in camp leaders.

They are as follows:

• Liquor server: increases by 9.8 per cent to $13.95 per hour
• Resident caretaker: increases by 5.4 per cent to $876.35 for those who manage nine to 60 units or $2,985.04 for 61 or more units
• Live-in camp leader: increases by 5.4 per cent to $116.86 per day.

These annual minimum wage increases began in 2018 with the goal of reaching $15.20 per hour in June 2021.

Three people were transported to hospital Sunday afternoon, one with life threatening injuries, following a serious crash in View Royal involving a motorcycle.

Around 2:45 p.m. West Shore RCMP responded to a serious collision between a car and a motorcycle on 6 Mile Road.

As of 4:15 p.m., the road between Old Island Hwy and Atikns Avenue remains closed and there is no estimated time of reopening.

An RCMP traffic reconstructionist team have been called out and the road is expected to be closed for several hours as police continue their investigation.

One vehicle and one motorcycle were involved in this collision. Three people have been taken to the hospital, one person sustained life-threatening injuries.

Witnesses tell Victoria Buzz a nurse near the scene of the crash assisted in CPR on the motorcyclist.

There is no estimated time of reopening 6 Mile Rd. Police will update the public when the road becomes open.

Two whole months of surviving with zero revenue is a daunting prospect for any business, let alone those in a city’s downtown core that still have to pay the astronomical rents that come with a good location.

Yet some of downtown Victoria’s most popular gyms and fitness studios are taking it slow when it comes to reopening their venues after their pandemic-induced closure.

Workout facilities in the Island Health region were ordered to close until the end of May due to evidence of COVID-19 transmission at some venues. That order was lifted and gyms were allowed to reopen on May 19, over a week earlier than anticipated.

While some owners jumped at the chance to reopen their businesses, others took a slower approach in their efforts to comply with provincial health officer and WorkSafeBC guidelines.

See also: Gyms and fitness studios on Vancouver Island will be allowed to reopen May 19

In the heart of downtown Victoria, Annex Fitness owner Morgan Jones has kept her sparkling new fitness studio shuttered and does not plan to reopen until June 6.

Annex first opened its doors to the public in late 2019 and its offerings of three types of classes—spin, barre, and strength—and the accompanying luxurious service quickly made it a bustling centre for the city’s fitness enthusiasts.

They were abruptly ordered to shut down overnight in early April.

“It’s definitely not something I’d wish on anybody in their first year of business,” Jones tells Victoria Buzz. “In our three short months of opening, we have created a strong community there.”

A new look

Despite massive overhead costs, Jones and studio manager Mackenzie Reynolds have decided to take the time to restructure the facility and train all staff to meet enhanced health and safety guidelines.

When they do take down the boards from the windows of their Yates Street studio, the interior will look significantly different than what patrons are used to.

“We’ve dropped capacity in a major way. All three studios will be operating between 30 – 60 per cent capacity of where we were at,” says Jones.

Staff members who are not actively training will wear masks and gloves, locker room amenities will be removed, and showers will be closed.

Patrons will also be required to book their individual spots in the studio ahead of time before they can enter the facility.

As a result of these capacity restrictions, the studio owners have decided to open up a whole new facility at Uptown Shopping Centre called Annex Raw.

This no frills studio is designed to be a safe, one-stop shop for those craving their spin classes but unable to book in their bike time at Annex’s downtown location.

Days of hardship

Just one block over on the same street, Studio 4 Athletics owner Kevin Brett faced hardships familiar to nearly all businsesses when his 12,000 square foot gym space was forced to shut down.

“As a business owner I can say that it was frustrating because it’s difficult to turn a business off like a light switch, and it’s even harder to turn it back on,” said Brett.

“There’s staff to consider, supplies to order, equipment to be made ready, scheduling to work out.”

Brett and co-owner Darcy Dommett say they’ve incurred 100 per cent in losses over the past two months as a result of overhead costs and the fact that even those loyal customers who kept their memberships open during the shut down to support the business will expect a credit upon return.

Nevertheless, the business has held off on reopening until the first week of June.

According to Brett, the gym has always had rigorous cleaning protocols in place but they will be increasing the frequency of sanitization for their customers’ peace of mind.

“We’re fortunate that we do have a very large space here and so even if we operate at our full capacity, we’re still almost at double the recommended spacing protocols. I think people will feel good about that.”

Like Annex, Studio 4 Athletics has cut back on amenities like towel service, instated floor markings to enforce physical distancing, and limited the number of people that can be inside the facility at one time.

Silver linings

As a result of the pandemic-induced shut down, both of these downtown fitness facilities experienced the growing support of their community that may not have manifested otherwise.

During the period of lockdown, Annex and Studio 4 Athletics, like many other facilities, adopted a free virtual model in which trainers offered classes through video feeds on their social media channels or websites.

Both plan on making these online classes a complimentary part of membership packages due to their popularity.

“While we didn’t foresee going online, our Insta live videos drew in people who had never been to the studio and now want to come check us out,” says Annex studio manager Mackenzie Reynolds.

“There’s always a positive for everything.”

A Langford resident contacted police after discovering a bag full of drugs while out on a walk.

According to a statement from West Shore RCMP, the resident found a yellow fabric draw string bag with the words “Burberry London England” printed on it on the ground near the 3300 block of Turnstone Drive in Langford.

Upon inspection, they found that it was full of what appeared to be drugs, and immediately contacted police.

West Shore RCMP officers seized the bag and determined that it contained a large quantity of narcotics including methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin.

Officers believe the bag was left in the area sometime after noon on Thursday May 28.

They are now looking to talk to anyone who might have information about the bag.

Anyone who has vehicle dash camera that may have been driving in the area on May 28t between 12:00 p.m to 1:00 p.m. on May 29 is asked to review their footage.

People living in the area are also asked to review their home surveillance footage if they have them, and report any suspicious activity.

Those who find such footage can contact West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264 or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The City of Victoria has approved $300,000 from their COVID-19 response funding to continue housing the city’s unsheltered population.

The motion, filed by councillors Ben Isitt, Jeremy Loveday, Sarah Potts, and Sharmarke Dubow was voted on and approved during Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

See also: Victoria homeless camps at Topaz Park, Pandora corridor expect to be dismantled today

As a result, city staff will continue searching for hotel and motel rooms to book across the region for homeless people living outdoors.

The money will be drawn from unspent COVID-19 response funding that was previously approved for the city to spend.

“I think it’s a big challenging for the city to be stepping into this role. [BC Housing] has looked under every stone for hotel and motel rooms,” said Mayor Lisa Helps, who was not present at the Committee of the Whole meeting but commented on the motion at a press briefing on Friday.

“I think council wanted to pass a motion to show that some effort is continuing to be made, but in my opinion BC Housing is doing a tremendous job. We’re gonna be hard pressed not only to find any extra motel rooms but in particular the support services needed for people moving into them.”

Any housing secured for unsheltered populations in the region will be managed by BC Housing and city council plans to continue advocating to the provincial government to secure more housing across the province.

Most recently, a provincial order created hotel and other housing options for 360 homeless people who had set up camp at Topaz Park and along Pandora Ave.

For unsheltered people outside of those encampments, the City of Victoria passed a motion last week to allow them to camp until June 25 at sites like Beacon Hill Park.

The city will maintain hygiene facilities and washrooms close to 24 hour shelter sites for those who continue sheltering outdoors.

Victoria Police have issued a warning to residents late Thursday night after three suspicious dumpster fires were reported this evening.

In a tweet, VicPD asked residents to secure their trash bins and to report any suspicious activity.

According to police, the fires occurred earlier this evening at Douglas and Johnson streets, in the 1000-block of Hillside Avenue and in the 700-block of Government Street.

There are no injures and the major crime detectives are currently investigating the fires.

Police said more information will be released in the morning, but are asking people to be vigilant.

VicPD dealt with a similar situation earlier this month after a string of fires were lit in the James Bay area on May 15th.

Within a span of about 10 minutes, police were called to three suspicious fires. Those fires were also considered suspicious and remain under investigation.

Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to call the VicPD non-emergency line at 250-995-7654 or report anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

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