Victoria Police are investigating a vehicle incident involving a child.
Sources say a vehicle hit a 9-year-old child at the intersection of Bay Street and Richmond Road near Royal Jubilee Hospital on Thursday afternoon.
VicPD media spokesperson Bowen Osoko confirmed to Victoria Buzz that the child in question did not require medical attention.
“The driver of the vehicle did not remain on the scene, however the details of what occurred are not yet in the file,” said Osoko.
More to come.
Are you ready for an epic weekend full of sports?
Look no further than the City of Langford!
Not only is the Island’s newest sports team Pacific FC hitting the turf this Saturday, September 14th, the well-known Westshore Rebels will follow it up with a home game of their own the next day on Sunday, September 15th – both at the newly renovated Westhills stadium.
Tickets for both of the games are still available, and PFC tickets as well as Westshore Rebels tickets can be purchased online.
Even better?
We’re giving away two pairs of box suite tickets to BOTH games, so you could have your chance to take in some of the city’s finest sports entertainment for yourself!
Pacific FC will be facing FC Edmonton at Langford’s very own Westhills Stadium at 12 p.m. this Saturday, hoping to secure a win following a loss their last game.
Back in action at Westhills on Sunday will be the Westshore Rebels, teaming up against the Valley Huskers at 1 p.m. in support of Youth Football! All youth football players who wear their team jersey will get in for free. There will be special seating, $10 youth Rebels shirts and half-time fun.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2IR2aCF5k2/
Looking for even more sports-themed fun?
Make a day or even a weekend out of it and enjoy things like bowling, Playzone, mini golf, or hit up the go carts and the batting cage at Western Speedway’s All Fun Park – there’s a little something for everyone!
Also, don’t forget to check out one of the many cafes, diners, and restaurants Langford as to offer – you’re going to be hungry after all those sports.
Take a look at Pacific FC’s full season schedule if you’re wanting to take in more soccer this fall, and the Westshore Rebel’s upcoming games if you want to celebrate the return of football season.
To enter to WIN a pair of box suite tickets to either Pacific FC vs. FC Edmonton OR Westshore Rebels vs. Valley Huskers this weekend, please complete one or more of the following:
Contest entries will be accepted from time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. PST on September 13th, 2019. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they enter within 24 hours of the contest closing. Good luck!
The provincial ministry of Mental Health and Addictions has announced that students at the Comox Valley School District will soon have access to more streamlined mental health care services.
According to a statement today, Comox Valley has been selected as the second school district in the province to implement a new “one-care” integrated mental health and substance abuse service delivery model.
See also: New mental health and addictions care facility opening in North Saanich next week
This means students suffering from mental health and/or substance use challenges will be able to access all the supports they need at school, rather than have to retell their stories to different care providers or search for resources on their own.
“For far too long, families have had to knock on door after door to get the help they need for their children,” said Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
“These integrated child and youth teams will make it so much easier to connect young people to the help they need, where and when they need it.”
The delivery model integrates school and team-based primary care and specialized services providers to offer comprehensive support for students.
See also: Island Health opens new mental health and substance use clinic in Langford
Earlier this year, the province also announced an investment of $8.87 million over the next three years for schools to enhance and introduce a range of mental wellness programs across all 60 school districts.
“It’s crucial we support wellness and mental health in schools, so kids can focus on reaching their full potential,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education.
“As teams are put in place in more school districts throughout B.C., students and families will have more accessible, integrated mental-health supports in their schools and in their communities.”
The first team of integrated mental health delivery in BC was established in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows in July 2019.
A Victoria resident who used to attend Carihi Secondary School in Campbell River has penned an open letter after she was assaulted by a former teacher.
The woman, who has requested to remain anonymous, states that she was sexually assaulted in June 2017 three years after she had graduated from the school, when she ran into a group of former teachers on a visit to Quadra Island.
In her letter, she candidly addresses the other teachers present on the night in question who she says knew what happened and chose to do nothing about it.
A (very long) open letter to the Carihi teachers who protected their own
—TW: Sexual Assault—
I’ve gone back and forth on this for days. I don’t want to be accused of seeking attention or sympathy. I wanted to consult everyone important to me before writing this. I was scared to surprise, or shock, but I realized that shouldn’t be the point – that it is not my actions that are shocking, but yours. I originally wrote this for myself – to figure this out, but I think there is value in sharing it. I just want to call out a system that allowed me to be abused, and ask for more from a group of people held highly within the Campbell River community. I want to speak about what happened and start a conversation.
Most people who know me can attest — my go-to line for describing high school is “I had a positive high school experience!” and I really did. I had a close-knit group of friends. I was an active participant in the drama department, graduation executive, leadership and more. I loved the community Carihi Secondary provided me and I adored the teachers – many, I considered friends.
I trusted you, Carihi Secondary. You were a school I could come back to. A school I looked forward to visiting, with teachers I wanted to keep in touch with.
That changed in June of 2017 on Quadra Island, three years after I graduated from Carihi, when one of you decided to sexually assault me.
I will not delve into the details of that night. It does me no favours to go back and relive that exploitation of authority and demolition of trust. That’s not what this letter is about. This letter is addressed, instead, to the men of Carihi Secondary, who had the opportunity to do the right thing, to take in the drunken man who was about to abuse me, to stop the events that were about to unfold from unfolding, and who, instead, shut the door in my face. I hope that the next time I see one of you around town, you can pick your gaze up off the ground and look at me.
It was early June of 2017 and a friend’s band was playing at the Heriot Bay Inn: one of the local, and only, places to drink on Quadra Island. Anyone who is familiar with Quadra is familiar with the HBI. It was a safe choice, until it wasn’t.
It was that particular night that a portion of the Carihi staff also decided to embark for Quadra Island to blow off some steam and enjoy some live music. The teachers, the majority of which were male, were already present when I arrived at the bar that night. At first, my friends’ and I’s strategy was to keep our distance – no one wants to see their high school teachers hammered. But, as drinks flowed, the two groups became more friendly with one another, as it always goes.
At the end of the night, I was asked by a Carihi teacher – whom, after much thought, I have decided not to name – to help him get back to his cabin. I was familiar with the location and it was a short walk, so I agreed to help, putting the drunk teacher around my shoulders and setting off.
This is where I am speaking directly to the men of Carihi Secondary, the ones present that evening. When I arrived at the cabin you’d rented – the cabin you’d all rented together – you took one look at this drunken man, standing with a past student, and decided it was trouble you didn’t want to get involved with. Trouble that might cost your careers.
I explained that I did not want to join him in coming in, that I just wanted to drop him off where he belonged, but the image of us together, possibly planning to engage in something inappropriate, was too much for you and you refused.
You shut the door in my face and left me with the man who would soon assault me. A man you all had your doubts about. A man known for inappropriate comments. Did you stop to think I was in danger? That this man could hurt me? That this was an inappropriate scenario? I honestly hope you didn’t – because if you did, it means you knowingly left me on my own anyway. The men who helped shape a younger version of myself were the first to become implicit in my assault.
Again, I don’t plan to go into details. There is nothing to be learned from it. It sucked. It continues to suck. The man that committed the assault no longer works at Carihi Secondary. I have a whole different letter addressed to him, but this is to you – to the rest of you.
Three weeks after my assault, a family member of mine who worked at Carihi Secondary, contacted me, telling me she had heard from the counsellor at Carihi what had happened. At the time, the counsellor was a woman not present the evening of the incident. My family member continued on to explain to me that she had been told this information at a Carihi staff barbecue – you were talking about it. This triggered the realization that more people than I realized knew what had happened.
Although, I had always known you knew what had happened. You answered the door that night, didn’t you? You spent the remainder of the night with him. One of you came to take him away after the incident. You are men with children, with daughters, with wives, who didn’t come out to protect me because I didn’t fall into any of those categories. Next time, I urge you to protect all women, not just your own.
Almost three years have passed and I wonder how I went from the youth that you taught, travelled with, and formed a relationship with, to the adult who you left to fend for herself – the adult that you never checked in with, despite staring me in the eyes and shutting the door. Did it bother you? Does it still bother you? Does it sound like I want it to bother you? Maybe I do.
I reached out to some of the staff I was closest with, who weren’t there that night, asking for advice, only to be told that because I wasn’t a student anymore, nor a minor, that there was nothing they could do. That they didn’t believe he was a danger to students, and therefore, they wouldn’t pursue it. I was told to go to the police.
So, I went to the police with three(!) witnesses – to whom I am eternally grateful – only to be told that I didn’t have enough evidence to go forward. So, here we are. This is my solution.
I don’t think I stand to gain much from this letter. There’s no going back in time and repairing the relationship I had with Carihi Secondary, nor is there a need for me to. I’ve got a great support system. However, I do hope that someone does stand to gain something from this.
I hope that the next time the staff of Carihi Secondary are faced with the chance to do the right, that they do. I hope that they recognize the danger in sending a young woman into the middle of the night with a man too drunk to find his way home. I hope that they advocate for the safety of their students, past and present, and actively work to create the spaces they walk through safer for all.
I’d like to end by saying that there are many, many wonderful teachers at Carihi who I truly believe, had they been there that evening, would have acted in a more honourable way.
A baby humpback calf was successfully rescued after becoming entangled in fishing nets off the coast of Vancouver Island.
On September 9th, crews operating Canadian Coast Guard vessel M. CHARLES M.B. near Bamfield were able to spot the marine mammal entangled in fishing gear.
See also:
For six straight hours, Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans crews worked to free the calf while its mother, identified as “Winnie” (BCY0462*) stayed close by.
In photos uploaded by the DFO, several fishing lines can be seen wrapped around the baby humpback’s tail.
“One of the biggest threats to our oceans and the animals that live in them is marine litter and in particular, ghost fishing gear,” writes the DFO.
“To identify entangled marine mammals, look for buoys or lines trailing behind or wrapped over the animal.”
The agency advises people to report stranded, injured, or entangled marine life to the DFO website whenever sighted.
One of downtown Victoria’s most prominent and popular bookstores is reaching for the skies in a bid to kick off their move to a new location.
Earlier this year, we announced that Fort Street staple Russell Books is moving to a bigger location right across the street.
See also: Russell Books is moving to a bigger location in downtown Victoria
To celebrate this transition, the owners are trying to build the tallest stack of Guinness World Record books in an effort to set a new world record.
But they need your help to achieve this enormous feat.
While management at Russell Books has a hefty stack of books on hand to get started, they’re asking Victorians to contribute their Guinness World Record books in exchange for a $5 gift card and a chance to help them make history.
The store will be completing the move to their new 747 Fort Street location this October and hopes to have enough copies to set a new world record by then.
Bring your contribution over to the main floor front desk at Russell Books’ current storefront at 734 Fort Street to participate.
We need your help! pic.twitter.com/Vp2omAnni4
— Russell Books (@russellbooks) September 9, 2019
Back in June, Russell Books announced that they will be combining all of their inventory and moving into the old Staples building right across the street at 747 Fort Street.
This transition is a massive expansion for the business, as the new store is 18,000 sq. ft. – that’s 6,000 sq. ft more space than their current location.
The building comes equipped with an elevator, an escalator, a loading bay in the back for when shipments come in, and a single storefront entrance rather than the three that Russell Books currently has.
See also: Downtown Victoria book store announces major sale for its last day on August 15th
“We don’t want to have closure so we’re going to do our best to get it as organized as possible,” owner Andrea Minter told Victoria Buzz. “It might mean that some sections might not be open but we’re going to do our best to have as little disruption as possible.”
Once they’ve moved into the larger space, Minter says customers can also look forward to a larger inventory and bigger sections.
Russell Books first opened in downtown Victoria in 1991 when founder Reg Russell expanded his Montreal operation and brought it to the city.
Today, it is the single largest independent bookstore operator in downtown Victoria and offers a massive variety of literature, covering every inch of the store from floor to ceiling.
Victoria is about to get its very first Miniso branch as the low-cost Japanese-style retail store is set to open at Uptown Shopping Centre.
Miniso Canada has confirmed to Victoria Buzz that the company will soon be opening its first Vancouver Island store inside Walmart at Uptown.
See also:
The global franchise specializes in Japanese-style accessories, beauty, lifestyle, and electronics products. They currently operate dozens of stores in Canada, and hundreds worldwide.
In Victoria, Miniso will be located on the upper level of Walmart at Uptown Shopping Centre in a space that has been set aside behind tarps for several months.
More information about opening dates will be made available early next week.
Hot coffee and delicious breakfast on-the-go, and it helps support local kids?
Sign us up!
United Way of Greater Victoria’s #DRIVE4FIVE 4 Kids is happening next week, and on Tuesday, September 17th between 6:30 – 9 a.m. you’ll be able to stop by Save-On-Foods grocery store parking lot, across from Uptown on Blanshard Street and grab a coffee, a muffin, a piece of fruit and a juice to go – all for only $5 with proceeds going towards United Way!
Even better?
You can double your donation, and for $10 you can provide three children with a healthy snack in an after-school program – and an extra $20 buys two hot meals served at a community kitchen for a family.
You can even be the office hero for a day and treat your coworkers to breakfast – breakfast bags for groups of 10 or more can be pre-ordered before Friday, September 13th by emailing drive4five@uwgv.ca.
This event officially kicks off United Way Greater Victoria’s 2019 fundraising campaign, and all funds raised will go towards combatting the #UNIGNORABLE issue of child hunger so no child gets left behind.
1 in 5 children in BC live in poverty, but you can help by driving up and driving away next week with breakfast for just $5 to help a hungry child!
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The source of that smoky smell and haze all over Victoria has been uncovered.
Starting Wednesday afternoon, a controlled burn is being conducted by the BC Wildfire Service at the Canadian Armed Forces base at Rocky Point in Metchosin.
According to the Langford Fire Rescue, Langford, Happy Valley and the surrounding area is currently under smoke advisory potentially for the next three days.
See also: Police seek two men following suspicious brush fire near Victoria General Hospital (VIDEO)
However the haze can be seen and smelled in downtown Victoria, and some have reported smelling smoke as far away as Gordon Head.
This 20-hectare prescribed burn was first announced by the Wildfire Service last week, as a way to restore and preserve Garry Oak ecosystems.
“Historically, First Nation communities maintained the grassy plains at these sites by burning off dry grasses, shrubs and young trees that are less tolerant of fire than Garry oaks,” reads a statement from the BC Wildfire Service.
“These ecosystems relied on regular, low-intensity ground fires to limit the spread of competing tree species, remove accumulations of dead wood and other vegetation, and promote new growth.”
Bringing fire back into these areas is a good way to control invasive species and prevent the encroachment of conifer trees into these specialized ecosystems.
A second controlled burn will be conducted either in September or October at the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve about six kilometres northeast of Duncan.
From helping build trails to music bingo, here are 5 things to do in and around Victoria today, Thursday September 12th.
Are you an Indigenous Entrepreneur or a business owner? IY SCAEL has created an innovative workshop series tailored to your business and to help you achieve your goals. There are 12 exciting workshops facilitated by experts in the field. The workshops run from September 9th – 27th. It is a great way to LEARN FREE SKILLS and receive guidance from industry experts.
Help build some trails at the Power To Be Adventure Therapy property. They provide advanced trail building training, tools and a $20 Gift Card for the Fernwood Inn.
Sing along to your favourite songs and win prizes!
More music bingo! Test your music trivia knowledge and get into the *Grand Prize Draw at Thursday Night #MusicBingo at Bartholomew’s Pub.
Packaged up the “Know Your Bike” and the “Flat Repair” Clinics. Here are the combo details:
– Basic Bicycle Setup
– Its Parts & What They Do
– Basic Maintenance
– Checking for Wear
– How To Remove The Wheel Properly
– Identifying The Cause Of The Flat
– Fix The Flat, Place The Tube
– Getting The Wheel Going
The full roster for the Vancouver Canucks Training Camp was officially announced this afternoon, which is being held this weekend at Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
The roster houses a handful of new faces – Jordie Benn, Michael Ferland and even Victoria Royals’ Will Warm, to name a few – as well as some familiar ones.
Forwards Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen and Elias Pettersson will also take the ice this weekend, alongside veteran defensemen Chris Tanev and Alexander Edler – as well as elite prospect Quinn Hughes, who has only played 5 games for the Canucks thus far.
One big name that’s only penciled in the ‘maybe’ column for now happens to be fan-favourite Brock Boeser – who is currently in the midst of contract negotiation with the Canucks, and has not yet signed for the upcoming season ahead.
See also:
The Canucks Training Camp kicks off this Friday, September 13th at 9 a.m and continues through the weekend, finishing with their sold-out first pre-season bout versus the Calgary Flames also happening right here in Victoria, this Monday, September 16th.
Tickets for the Training Camp are still available and can be purchased online, costing only $5.00 with in-and-out privileges allowed.
Check out the full roster of Canucks Training Camp attendees below:
Vancouver Canucks Training Camp Schedule:
Friday, September 13th
Saturday, September 14th
Sunday, September 15th
Saanich Police are seeking public assistance in identifying a suspect who allegedly assaulted a 24-year-old woman.
At around 2:30 a.m. on September 6th, a woman was walking towards the beach in the 4500 block of Gordon Point Drive when she says an unknown man assaulted her.
See also:
The attacker left her with swelling and bruises to her face and body, before she was able to fight him off, run home, and call police.
Paramedics arrived to treat her injuries and Victim Services provided her with further support.
The assailant is described as a tall man with medium build, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, and “looked homeless”.
Police have not yet identified the suspect and are currently seeking witnesses or anyone with information.
Contact Saanich Police at 250-475-4321 or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at
1-800-222-8477, if you have information that can help.
Canadian and international experts have confirmed that three Asian giant hornets were found in the Nanaimo area in August.
This is the first time the invasive species has been found on Vancouver Island according to the BC Ministry of Agriculture.
Hornets are dormant and unlikely to be seen during the fall or winter, but Asian giant hornets are known to feed on honeybees and can destroy hives in short periods of time.
See also:
For this reason, the Ministry will be assisting beekeepers with surveillance and trapping equipment in the spring in case any more hornets emerge from dormancy.
Asian giant hornets feed on insects only, so anyone who encounters a nest of hornets is advised not to disturb the nest or the hornets, and to leave the area.
These hornets rarely sting humans but may do so if they are disturbed. They inject a larger amount of venom, and therefore the stings can be very painful and cause localized swelling, redness and itching.
British Columbians who think they may have seen one can report findings to the Invasive Species Council of BC at 1 888 933-3722, via the council’s “Report Invasives” mobile phone app, or at: https://bcinvasives.ca/report.
A History professor at the University of Victoria has just revealed details of her research into what really grinds Canadians’ gears when it comes to politics.
While voters in the US and UK tend to focus on sex scandals, Dr. Penny Bryden says misspent taxpayer dollars is what Canadian voters hate the most.
See also:
Bryden has catalogued over 1,000 scandals across the country since 1867, encountering everything from the purchase of a $16 glass of orange juice to the sale of an amusement park owned by a provincial premier.
“In Canada, we get outraged about misspent money more than anything else,” said Bryden in a statement. “Money is rarely far from the centre of a Canadian political scandal.”
Among others, she notes a sponsorship scandal that contributed to the downfall of the federal Liberals in 2006. Bryden says Canadians were angry that federal money was being spent in Quebec as a way to shore up support for national unity.
See also:
The $16 glass of orange juice was another memorable scandal ensuing from the Harper government that followed, after then-minister Bev Oda charged it to her expense account.
Her current list exceeds 1,000 scandals and counting, with Bryden already halfway through an exhaustive five-year humanities research project funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
You may have seen the signs, recognize the logo, or even used the app yourself, but do you know what local food and beverage delivery service Tutti is all about?
Tutti is actually a word of Italian origin meaning all or together – and that’s the idea the Victoria-based business wants to bring to our city!
Now Victoria’s only local food delivery service, Tutti was founded in 2017 as a multi-faceted app that allows you to order not only things like food and beverages for delivery, but also houses a ‘Gofer’ service – offering help with shopping and errand running.
Interested in trying Tutti out, or been a loyal user since the beginning?
In celebration of their second birthday this month, they’re giving away a $500 food credit to the app – that’s a whole lot of delicious delivery!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzguNvwFkXf/
Tutti offers meal delivery from more than 100 local restaurants, low delivery fees and longer distance deliveries to areas such as the West Shore and Central Saanich and beyond.
They also pride themselves on being a bilingual app that’s available in English and Mandarin for download on iOS and Android devices – with no hidden fees!
So what are you waiting for, Victoria?
Download the Tutti app, and get to ordering – you can stay in your pajamas AND don’t have to leave your couch tonight!
To enter to win a $500 credit to your Tutti account that can be used toward meal delivery and/or Tutti’s Gofer service, please complete one or more of the following:
Contest entries will be accepted from time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. PST on September 18th, 2019. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they enter within 24 hours of the contest closing. Good luck!
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In an unusual turn of events, a man who was arrested for allegedly stealing items and assaulting several people turned around and thanked the VicPD officer who took him into custody.
At around 7:30 p.m. on Monday night, police were called to a store in the 2600-block of Quadra Street to attend reports of a man stealing items from the business.
See also: Victoria Police officer injured after allegedly impaired driver slams into police cruiser
When a loss prevention officer tried to stop the suspect, he allegedly began fighting them and continued to struggle with the store manager and passersby who tried to restrain him.
While police was on route, another passerby told the 911 dispatcher that the suspect claimed to have a weapon and had threatened to stab those restraining him.
Due to this message, several officers were dispatched to the site. When the first officer arrived, the suspect began to fight them as well.
After a brief struggle, police were able to take him into custody and fortunately no one was injured in the altercation.
However once the suspect was in custody, police say he thanked the officer who arrested him, remarking that he had been “in the midst of days-long period of drug use and had been unable to successfully access detox and other social supports”.
The man is known to VicPD through previous interactions and told the officer that he knew he’d have access to supports while in custody.
He was then transported to cells where he was held for morning court and connection to support services.
Police are recommending charges of theft, robbery, assault and resisting arrest.
Victoria native Tristan Connelly recently received a life-changing phone call, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship reached out to ask him to fight in this weekend’s event, with only four days notice.
Now fighting out of Vancouver, the Checkmat product made his professional mixed martial arts debut nine years ago – and it’s this Saturday Connelly will step inside the cage in front of his hometown crowd at Rogers Arena.
The local Welterweight has fought primarily in Western Canada, and sports a 13-6 professional record – he has most recently won four straight, and eight of nine contests.
Connelly is slotted to face Michel Pereira in a Welterweight bout Saturday at UFC Vancouver – stepping in on such short notice due to Pereira’s originally scheduled opponent Sergey Khandozhko being forced to bow out due to Visa issues.
UFC Vancouver’s Fight Night will take place this Saturday, September 14th at Rogers Arena, and features a lightweight headliner between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Justin Gaethje – the event will air live on ESPN.
https://www.facebook.com/tristan.connelly.3/posts/10156709821398002
UPDATE: 84-year-old Shirley Bird, who was the subject of a missing person report has been located, according to the West Shore RCMP.
Earlier: West Shore RCMP are seeking public assistance in their search for missing Shirley Bird.
84-year-old Bird was reported missing on the morning of Wednesday, September 11th and was last seen on the evening of Tuesday, September 10th.
See also: West Shore RCMP searching for missing 19-year-old woman
Police believe she left her Langford residence (in the area of Rock Hill Place) on foot with her dog, a German Shepherd named Smoke.
Bird is described as a Caucasian woman standing 5’3″ tall, has light brown and white hair, and light coloured eyes.
Friends and family report that it is out of character for her to not be in contact with them for so long, and police are concerned for her health and well-being.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact their local police or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
When’s the last time you’ve got your eyes checked?
Proud to have served Victoria for over 30 years, Vista Eyecare – formerly known as Dr. Eitutis & Associates Optometric Centre – is committed to meeting each person’s individual eyecare needs – because everyone’s eyes are different!
Located in Saanich (Suite #201 – 3750 Shelbourne Street), Vista focuses on eye care for patients of all ages, and they also carry a huge selection of frames that can suit any style, and also fit any budget.
Whether it’s regular eyeglasses or even sunglasses, the possibilities are endless – and don’t forget, even though summer is nearly over, your eyes still need that UV protection.
Just need an eye exam? They do that, too!
On top of Full Comprehensive Eye Exams, they also offer emergency care, contact lens assessment and even pre-operative appointments – just in case you’re considering LASIK surgery.
Also, in celebration of all things eyecare and the Victorian community, Vista Eyecare is giving away a supply of Acuvue Oasys with Transitions contact lenses with free fitting!
Vista has three on-site Optometrists to help with all of your eyecare needs, each committed to helping the people of Victoria maintain clear and comfortable vision – so make sure to pop by and get your eyes checked, at least every 2 years – annually for kids and seniors!
To enter to win a supply of Acuvue Oasys with Transitions contact lenses with free fitting from Vista Eyecare, please complete one or more of the following:
Contest entries will be accepted from time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. PST on September 18th, 2019. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they enter within 24 hours of the contest closing. Good luck!
*If contact lenses not available in patient’s prescription or not an appropriate fit, will substitute other contact lens options (up to the same value) or a free pair of Polaroid sunglasses for prize.
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This past summer, BC Ferries employees have been busy participating in cleaning up 30 beaches on and around Vancouver Island.
Around 330 employees from Haida Gwaii, the Southern Gulf Islands, Northern Gulf Islands, Comox and Campbell River, the Sunshine Coast, Victoria, and Metro Vancouver volunteered to remove garbage from the 50 km of province’s shoreline.
See also:
Among the trash cleaned up, volunteers found items like a baby stroller, various car parts and a can of ham.
“Our employees live and work in coastal British Columbia, and are dedicated to making a
positive impact in the communities we serve,” said Janet Carson, BC Ferries’ Vice President
Marketing & Customer Experience.
“Caring for the environment is a cornerstone of the work we do with coastal communities. It’s a natural fit for us to help keep B.C. beaches clean for our marine life and everyone to enjoy.”
Among its other green initiatives, BC Ferries upgraded its Spirit of Vancouver Island and Spirit of British Columbia vessels to operate on natural gas.
In April 2019, BC Ferries won the European-based Shippax Retrofit Award for making these switches.
Later this year, the company also plans to introduce two new ‘Island Class’ ships into their fleet – these vessels are hybrid battery electric and, according to the company, use some of the most advanced clean marine technology in the world.
West Shore RCMP are seeking public assistance in their search for missing Colwood resident, Shannon McGhee.
19-year-old McGhee was last seen on September 6th and despite police following up on several leads and possible sightings, she remains missing.
She is described as a Caucasian female, standing 5’11” tall, weighing 130 lbs, and has hazel eyes. Since the above photo was taken, police say McGhee has dyed her hair red.
Officers are concerned for McGhee’s health and well-being.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact their local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
From the last few market nights, to comedy and more, here are 5 things to do in and around Victoria today, Wednesday September 11th:
The Oak Bay Village Night Market Season is not over! The final night market of the season is in September and with the extended summer weather there will be lots of great produce available.
Join them for a huge range of seasonal produce and preserves as well as original jewelry, artwork and other things of beauty created by their vendors.
Every 2nd Wednesday, Just Transition Arts will be hosting a drop-in afternoon of artivism with their friends at the Victoria Event Centre.
This is a fun afternoon of offline, hands-on, community-driven art with all supplies provided (by donation). Drop-in anytime between 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. every second Wednesday, unless otherwise posted!
The funniest night of the week is Wednesday at The Mint! Each week Morgan Cranny and Drew Farrance bring the most hilarious comedian’s in the city together for a wonderful evening of fun at the best venue for stand up comedy in Victoria.
Come check out all the amazing clubs and course unions the University of Victoria Student Society has to offer (and maybe even sample a few of the treats provided by clubs as incentive to sign up)! Clubs and course unions are a great way to get involved in your campus community and with over 175 clubs, there’s something for everyone!
They supply a 16” x 18” stained cedar sign, your pre-selected stencil choice and paint. Their assistants are on-hand to lead you through every step. At the end, you will have a custom wood sign that you will be proud to hang in your home or office for years to come.
– One Signature handmade sign per person
– A Pre-cut stencil saying and design ( 24 choices )
– Acrylic paints & stencil brushes
– Stencil utensils & more!
– Includes 2hrs of instruction
“Students, schools, families and community all under one umbrella,” is how Ruchi McArthur describes the ‘Healthy Schools, Healthy People’ initiative when asked about it.
McArthur was recently appointed to lead the project, which is currently being implemented at three schools – Belmont Secondary, Royal Bay Secondary, and Edward Milne Secondary – in Sooke.
See also: BC Coroners Service launches inquest into 16-year-old Oak Bay student who died of opioid overdosed
What is Healthy Schools, Healthy People? According to their website, “strengthened health-education partnerships, tools for healthy school assessment and planning, and the coordination of existing school-based healthy living programs and resources combine to support improvements in students’ health and learning.”
In other words, Healthy School, Healthy People aims to look at the overall wellness of students – not just at academic success and physical health – as a way to reduce the chances of opioid dependency later in life.
Due to the increase in usage of opioids in British Columbia and in turn, the risk of death by overdose, a lot of what ‘Healthy Schools, Healthy People’ deals with is substance abuse-related.
“What we try and do is bring parents, students, and the community together to have conversations surrounding substance abuse, and give the students a safe place to ask questions and work through scenarios. We try to educate and prevent, rather than dealing with the aftermath,” McArthur tells Victoria Buzz.
The program will take aim at teaching practices, curriculum, student engagement, and more to determine what causes success in some students and failure in others.
“It’s an attempt to create a connection between school, home and community partners,” says McArthur, “We use a holistic approach in trying to look at what ails a student.”
See also: BC launches class action lawsuit against opioid drug companies
The goal is to grow the initiative and implement it at all secondary schools across the Greater Victoria region.
Community partners of Healthy Schools, Healthy People include, but are not limited to:
For more information on Healthy Schools, Healthy People visit https://www.sd62.bc.ca/parents/comprehensive-school-health/.
A Victoria Police officer was injured in the line of duty after trying to apprehend an allegedly impaired driver.
On September 8th, police responded to reports of an impaired driver at a parking lot in the 800-block of Douglas Street.
As officer approached the vehicle, the driver immediately attempted to flee and in the process rammed into the police cruiser.
The officer suffered non-life threatening injuries and was unable to return to work. The vehicle and suspect in question have not been located yet.
VicPD are currently investigating this case, and anyone with information is asked to contact them at 250-995-7654.
UPDATE: As of 2:40 p.m., sources in the area confirm that the road has reopened and traffic is flowing both ways.
Earlier: West Shore RCMP are diverting traffic on Highway 14 near Luxton Fairgrounds due to a downed power line.
Officers arrived at the 2800-block of Sooke Road at around 1:20 p.m. this afternoon after a semi-truck snagged a power line.
This caused the entire line to go down down across the highway and prompted police to shut down Sooke Rd between Happy Valley and Luxton Road.
Authorities are diverting traffic through Marwood Road for the time being.
Crews from BC Hydro are en route, and officers ask everyone in the area to be patient while they work to clear the line.
Shock, anger, and helplessness are just some of the emotions Asiyah Robinson is struggling with as she starts a new semester of classes at the University of Victoria.
Between September 1st and 3rd, Robinson’s family was one of the many who lost their home and all of their possessions as Hurricane Dorian crashed down on the Bahamas.
See also: GoFundMe created for family of toddler who was run over in driveway of Cobble Hill residence
Robinson herself was born and raised in Freeport, Grand Bahamas and moved to Victoria in 2014 to pursue an education at UVic. Her parents, older brother, and extended family currently live in Freeport.
Over the course of a few days, the Robinsons watched their family home – that took them nearly 6 years to build – get destroyed in the ruthless storm.
“My dad was stranded [on] the roof of our destroyed home for the better part of 2 days without food, drinking water and sufficient clothing,” Robinson tells Victoria Buzz.
“My little brother, one of my old high school friends, and myself were emailing and calling trying to organize a rescue. The US Coast Guards had tried to [reach him the] day before but the water was too rough and high to get in that area.”
In the end, it was selfless Bahamians who used jet skis to reach Mr. Robinson and transport him to safety. But for over 12 hours, his family genuinely believed that he had succumbed to the storm.
Fortunately he has since recovered physically, but is suffering from significant mental anguish after having to watch their family dog drown.
In Victoria, Asiyah Robinson has been working tirelessly to gather funds for her family to rebuild their lives through a GoFundMe campaign.
Fellow Victorians, UVic administrators, and Muslim community members have reached out to offer words of comfort and assistance, but Robinson says most people here do not understand the scope of the disaster.
“In three days, my entire home was destroyed, my family devastated, my people crushed, and not many people in Victoria, outside of those on my social media, knew or understood the humanitarian crisis my Bahamians are in,” she says.
“That shocked me. I don’t have family in Victoria, so I just sat at home in my room on the phone with my brothers as we provided comfort for each other and waited for any kind of update about our parents and our people.”
Through tears, she writes to us of her desire to return home and be with her family during this difficult time, but believes her presence in Freeport would be futile.
“I want to go home, but what can I do there but be one more person without access to food and water? How can I help my people? I can’t right now. Not from home. So I will do what I can from Victoria, no matter how helpless I feel,” says Robinson.
For now, she has returned to her class at UVic while continuing fundraising efforts alongside her siblings and community in Victoria.
The family hopes to raise up to $110,000 to help rebuild their home. At the time of publication, they have garnered $8,290. Click here to contribute to the fund.
As authorities examine the situation in the Bahamas in the week following Hurricane Dorian’s landfall, some reports estimate the death toll to be at least as high as 50.
UN estimates state that thousands of people are still missing after the Category 5 storm, and 76,000 people are believed to be homeless and in need of assistance.
“There isn’t a person in Abaco or Grand Bahama that isn’t affected. We are such a small
community that you are either related to or friends with everyone on our islands,” says Robinson.
“We have all sustained damages. Almost all of us have lost our homes. Some have lost loved ones. We are all Bahamians. We all feel the pain.”
On that note, Robinson encourages everyone to attend a Bahamas Relief Fundraiser event happening on Sunday, September 15th.
Planned by Robinson, Parker Johnson, and Natan and Danya Smith, this event will use all donations to support the affected communities in Abaco and Grand Bahama.
An advisory from the CRD warns against swimming at Beaver Lake once again after high levels of bacteria were detected in the water.
Beaver Lake Beach at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park was recently reopened for swimming and recreational activities after being closed for nearly a month due to toxic blue-green algae bloom.
See also: Toxic blue-green algae bloom at Beaver Lake is over, says Island Health
Authorities now advise swimmers to avoid that beach once again after water samples show that it may be unsafe for people and pets alike.
“As a precautionary measure, it is NOT recommended for people or pets to enter the water at Beaver Beach. Signs are being posted at the lake and further sampling is underway,” reads the advisory.
When live symphony music and ballet dance meet, it’s bound to be an event for the ages!
To launch their 2019-20 season of POP concerts, Victoria Symphony is presenting an electric fusion combining the talents of Ballet Victoria with their musicians’ unique sound – aptly named ‘A Fantasia of Dance’.
Happening Saturday, September 28th and Sunday, September 29th, talented dancers and the accompanying symphony will take the stage at the Royal Theatre to bring audiences many fan favourites from Rodeo, Appalachian Spring, Romeo and Juliet, and Fantasia.
Principal Pops Conductor, Sean O’Loughlin will also present his own creation from the Hollywood blockbuster soundtrack of The Art of Racing in the Rain.
Ballet Victoria Artistic Director Paul Destrooper has also created original choreography for the concert, playing with the various genres of classical ballet, mixing traditional classical with neo classical style and adding contemporary choreography as well.
Here’s a look at the concert’s impressive playlist:
Tickets are on sale now for both shows, but don’t wait! This is one event you won’t want to miss out on.
For a chance to WIN a a pair of tickets to A Fantasia of Dance from the Victoria Symphony, complete one or more of the following:
Win 2 tickets to see one of the @VicSymphony’s A Fantasia of Dance performances via @victoriabuzzes RT to enter! #victoriabuzz
Contest entries will be accepted from the time and date of publishing until 11:59 pm on September 17th, 2019. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they used to enter.
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Island Health sent out an advisory to parents and staff at Keating Elementary School on Monday after a bat found on the premises tested positive for rabies.
On Wednesday, September 4th, a bat was found near the Out of School care portable and upon examination, tested positive for rabies.
See also: 21-year-old man dies after contracting rabies from bat on Vancouver Island
According to the letter, Island Health administered preventative rabies vaccinations to several people who were considered to have had direct contact with the bat.
Authorities believe that children attending the elementary school did not have contact with the bat as it was found after hours in an area that is currently out of bounds and not used during school hours.
They reiterate in the letter that seeing or being near a bat does not constitute direct exposure to rabies, and direct contact means touching a bat with bare hands or being bitten or scratched by one.
Any child or adult who has had direct contact with a bat on the school grounds is asked to contact the Island Health Communicable Disease program immediately at 1-866-665-6626.
See also: Friends and family identify Vancouver Island man who died of rabies after contact with a bat
Island Health Chief Medical Officer Dee Hoyano also adds that children should be reminded never to interact directly with or disturb wildlife.
“Children should not touch, poke, or pick up a bat. No one should tease or taunt any wildlife by poking it with sticks, nor try to catch it or throw things at it,” reads the letter.
Earlier this year, 21-year-old Nick Major died after contracting rabies after he came into contact with a bat on Vancouver Island in mid-May.
A large percentage of British Columbians have spoken in favour of making a permanent switch to Daylight Saving Time.
The results of a public online survey conducted by the provincial government this summer indicate that 93% of respondents approve of the move. In total, a whopping 223,273 residents responded to the survey.
See also: BC government wants your opinion about ending Daylight Saving Time
“The people of British Columbia have spoken and their collective voice has come through loudly and clearly,” said Premier John Horgan in a statement.
“This engagement has done exactly as we hoped it would in providing clarity about a preferred direction. The insights generated will be relied upon as we make a final decision about how to move forward.”
90% of respondents from each region of BC indicated their support of permanent DST, with more than half of all who took the survey stating how important it is for B.C. to be aligned with neighbouring jurisdictions in its time observance practices.
According to the provincial government, the results of this survey will be considered alongside decisions made by other jurisdictions in Canada and the western United States.
See also: A record-breaking number of people took survey on BC’s Daylight Saving Time
“Lawmakers in Washington, Oregon and California are in various stages of creating or enacting legislation that, pending federal approval, would see those states adopt year-round observance of daylight saving time,” says the premier’s office.
In their quest to engage with BC residents on this subject, the province also received 279 emails from private citizens and 15 written submissions from organizations and experts.
However among these expert submissions, there was no consensus on which year-round time to observe: six submissions preferred year-round observance of DST, while four preferred year-round observance of ST.
75% of survey respondents who preferred permanent DST cited health and wellness concerns as a reason for their support.
A little over half of them noted the benefits of additional daylight during the evening commute in winter, while 39% identified other safety concerns as reasons for their support.
After a flurry of tweets and emails, Victoria mayor Lisa Helps took to Twitter to denounce a viral post for spreading misinformation.
A tweet shared on September 6th claims that the mayor of Victoria has “decided to take down all the Christmas lights this year not to offend the Muslims and all of Somalians there”, and includes a photo of Lisa Helps.
The mayor of Victoria just decided to take down all the Christmas lights this year not to offend the Muslims and all of Somalians there. I said before she's the stupidest woman in Canada taking down Sir John McDonald statue. pic.twitter.com/juMhCR1fe2
— Dennis moller (@MollerDennis) September 7, 2019
Since it was first posted, it has been retweeted 1.1K times and garnered nearly 2,000 comments, giving the false statement increased visibility across the social media platform.
In a response, mayor Helps slammed the contents of the tweet stating that it is “a total and absolute lie” and says it has resulted in her receiving hateful emails from across the country.
This post is a total and absolute lie. Do I have to get off of #Twitter too?! It's generating hateful emails from across the country to which I feel a need to respond. The actual facts are that we are supporting @myDVBA in EXPANDING the holiday light up this year. Sheesh! pic.twitter.com/ePwWhtWkpf
— Lisa Helps – Victoria Mayor (@lisahelps) September 9, 2019
The original tweet was posted by self-professed “Liberal hater” Dennis Moller whose Twitter bio states that he is “not fond of Islam”.
In response to the incident, Victoria residents and politicians came to Helps’ defence on social media.
“This really goes beyond the whole issue of civil discourse on social media,” writes View Royal mayor David Screech. “It is a complete and utter fabrication, completely unacceptable and something we are seeing more of.”
Others implored her to stay on Twitter despite hateful attacks.
“While we might not agree politically, I am appalled that you are the subject of untruthful and personal attacks,” writes Margot Swinburnson, SD62 trustee. “We need more women in politics, not fewer, and this crap is a deterrent.”
From learning how to prepare for a natural disaster to seeing if you’re Roller Derby material, here are 5 things to do in and around Victoria today, Tuesday September 10th.
Got your kit together? Isn’t it time to make emergency preparedness a priority for you and your family?
This FREE workshop will teach you about the hazards that can affect Victoria, what to include in your home and vehicle emergency kits, simple steps you can take to protect your home from an earthquake, and how to reunite with your loved ones after a disaster.
Learn what you can do to be prepared for a power outage, winter storm, earthquake, or a tsunami.
This is the chance you’ve been waiting for — The Eves of Destruction Roller Derby League are holding Fresh Meat tryouts. These tryouts will focus on skating abilities. There will be no hitting. To pass through tryouts they are looking for the following abilities:
Everyone is required to be completely dressed, geared up, and ready to go by 7:30 p.m.
With their seamless blend of soulful hip hop vocals, rap, signature brass and synths, Busty and the Bass is ushering in a new era of genre-defying sound. After meeting in their first week of the McGill University jazz program, the Montreal-based nine-piece quickly shot up from from packed house party jams to scorching live performances in front of thousands of fans across the US, Canada, Europe and the UK.
With a plethora of craft beers on tap and multiple pints on special each night, it only makes sense to bring together this awesome pub with Sixty Watt Trivia’s one of a kind trivia night!
Join Emily and live musical guests every Tuesday night for Soul Jam sessions. Unravel tension through movement set to beautiful music. Find relaxation through slow, deep stretching & breath.
Solwood Studio (previously Metta Yoga) is a private character studio with over-sized windows, hardwood floors and a great sound system.
Arrive 10 minutes early, enter on Broad street and head upstairs to the room on the far right. Cubbies, bathrooms (including a shower) and tea will be available.
Mark your calendars, Victoria!
7-Eleven will be giving away FREE hot beverages every month until the end of 2019 at participating stores across Canada.
Patrons can stop by any of the store’s 500+ locations on the 7th and 11th of each month to grab themselves a free, fully customizable 355 mL hot drink.
With fall just around the corner, 7-Eleven is one of the many stores already offering Pumpkin Spice Lattes, in addition to their Hershey’s SKOR Hot Chocolate. Starting November, the chain will also carry their signature Peppermint Mocha.
The offer is valid for 7Rewards members – click here to join the rewards program for free – at all participating 7-Eleven locations.
Victoria may soon be joining the ranks of major cities like Vancouver, Montréal, New York, and Paris in getting its very own cat café!
Local resident Ashley Deiter has launched a Kickstarter campaign to turn her cat-hub dream – Mask and Mantle Cat Café – into reality.
See also: 2-year-old cat in Oak Bay dies after being shot by pellet gun
In her own words, a Cat Café is a modern, unique type of foster home for cats that would otherwise be in a shelter environment.
Deiter, a self-proclaimed cat enthusiast, hopes to create a social gathering spot for fellow pet lovers to relax and unwind.
“The reason I started this business is because I was stuck in a stressful government job that actually affected my mental health and my cats helped me through that,” Deiter tells Victoria Buzz.
“So I’m very much aware of how much an animal can improve your quality of life and I would like to hold space in the community for other people in the community to experience that if they’re unable to have their own pet for whatever reason.”
While you’re not allowed to bring your own feline friend with you, visitors can get their kitty fix by hanging out with several rescue cats on site – and maybe even take one home eventually!
According to her campaign description, Deiter plans to offer themed events with the fur-babies as well, including movie night, ‘crafts with cats’, cat yoga, and more.
Once she finds a property to house the business, the idea is to separate the food and beverage side of the café from the actual cat lounge in order to ensure compliance with Island Health codes and food safe standards.
See also:
“There will be a coffee shop portion with our food and drink menu as well as strategically placed observation windows. Those that wish to pay a small fee to take part in the magic will enter the ‘cat lounge’ separately through a special entrance,” reads the website.
The cat lounge section of the property will be turned into a veritable kitty wonderland, with cat trees, climbing shelves, kitty runways, cat hammocks, scratching posts, toys, and a private kitty retreat area in case they aren’t feeling too social.
“We’re still in the process of figuring out the perfect human to cat ratio. It’ll depend on physical size of the space and on which municipality we’re in,” says Deiter.
Deiter and her team are currently on the lookout for the purrfect spot to open their business, but have been holding off on signing a lease until after the Kickstarter campaign ends.
“We’re looking for location on outskirts of downtown, anywhere from Discovery Street anywhere up to Tillicum Road. We’ve got a few potential locations we’re looking at, and we want to make sure there’s enough parking and easily accessible bus routes,” adds Deiter.
They are looking to raise $7,500 to fund the initial opening and maintenance of Mask and Mantle, and as of the time of publication, have accumulated $1,222.
Since Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing platform, any pledges will not be collected unless the total goal is met by 6:30 p.m. on October 8th.
Due to the resounding popularity of cat cafés around the world, the team expects to meet this goal with ease and expects to open for business in March 2020.
Click here if you would like to help fund Mask and Mantle Cat Café.
A Victoria driver took to social media after witnessing major water accumulations on the Malahat this afternoon.
Tanya Henry is warning drivers on the Malahat to exercise caution as rain water pooled up and flooded the highway this afternoon.
See also: CRD opposes new highway through Sooke Hills Regional Park as alternate Malahat route
Henry, the owner of Metchosin-based food truck Molly’s Fish & Chips, captured a video of vehicles splashing through the water, as she drove northbound just after Tunnel Hill.
Upon sending the video to the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Henry received the following response:
“Heavy downpours can overwhelm any highway. We remind people to drive to the conditions they are in — in this case, slowing down.”
With fall just around the corner and rainy weather about to become the norm once more, “slowing down” might be the only way to stay safe on the highway.
West Shore RCMP have arrested prolific offender, 25-year-old Devan Lambert, for a total of 13 offences.
Lambert was arrested at around 6 a.m. on September 4th, after police received reports of suspicious people in the area of Duke Rd and Chapel Heights in Metchosin.
See also: West Shore RCMP impound uninsured car for excessive speeding in Colwood
An officer recognized Lambert walking along the 4100 block of Metchosin Rd and, knowing there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest, promptly took him into custody.
He was arrested for a warrant of failure to comply with a court order, and upon appearing in court, had an additional 12 charges sworn in against him including:
According to West Shore RCMP Media Relations Officer Cst. Nancy Saggar, the majority of his charges stem from an encounter with police on August 16th when he fled from police in a vehicle that turned out to be stolen from View Royal.
See also:
“When officers attempted to stop Lambert he fled from police driving dangerously through a red light and into oncoming traffic,” says Cst. Saggar.
He was also charged with stealing yet another vehicle from Comox – this vehicle was recovered by West Shore RCMP in May 2019.
“We can attribute the capture of Devan Lambert to the keen eye of the officer who, along with other officers on the road, were able to safely bring Lambert into custody,” said Staff Sergeant Raj Sandhu.
Lambert remains in custody at this time.
After a growing number of attacks on bus drivers in recent years, BC Transit has decided to move forward with installing full driver doors on buses across the province.
In a project estimated to cost $6.5 million, BC Transit has contracted Arow Global Corporation to design and manufacture full driver doors for double deckers, regular buses, and medium duty buses across the province.
See also: Full driver doors to enhance safety on BC Transit buses
These doors include a transparent piece of laminated tempered glass with anti-glare coating with a metal base, and are adjustable to account for sightlines based on different seat positions.
Victoria will be the first city to have buses fitted with full driver doors starting late 2019, followed by Kelowna. The crown corporation plans to start fitting all 650 buses across the province with the doors by early 2020.
The concept of driver doors is not new to Victoria, as three buses in the capital city were fitted with the Plexiglass barriers during BC Transit’s pilot project in 2017.
See also:
Last month, a 33-year-old man was arrested for allegedly assaulting and robbing a BC Transit driver on Victoria’s route 75.
Earlier this year, another Victoria bus driver required hospitalization after intervening to stop an assault from taking place on their bus.
Make-A-Wish BC & Yukon sure knows how to throw a party, and their presence here on Vancouver Island is proving especially popular!
As they continue to grow, they’re hosting their 4th annual UnWined event this upcoming September 26th at the University of Victoria – a celebration of local food, drink, and fundraising for their fabulous foundation.
In looking to fulfill 100% of the Island’s wishes in 2019 with the community’s support, Make-A-Wish BC & Yukon have partnered with Rite Self Storage to throw the soiree of the season – and tickets are on sale now!
If you’re chosen as the winner, your pair of tickets to the much-anticipated UnWined event include active food stations sponsored by local chefs, local beverage companies, live and silent auctions, door prizes, and even a photo booth!
Check out some of the local cuisine sponsors UnWined has in store:
Come thirsty!
Generous beverage sponsors include:
Also, if you’re a designated driver or choose not to partake, there will be complimentary non-alcoholic beverages AND they’ll be handing out free bus passes – so everyone can get home safe!
To enter to win a pair of tickets to Make-A-Wish’s 4th annual UnWined event, please complete one or more of the following:
Contest entries will be accepted from time and date of publishing until 11:59 p.m. PST on September 23rd, 2019. One winner will be chosen at random and contacted through the platform they enter within 24 hours of the contest closing. Good luck!
West Shore RCMP have confirmed that the body of a 29-year-old woman was recovered at Glen Lake in Langford last Friday.
See also: BC Coroner’s Service investigating body found at Glen Lake in Langford (UPDATED)
On September 6th at approximately 3:45 p.m., RCMP, fire, and BC Coroner’s Service cordoned off a section of Glen Lake after a body was found in the area.
Officers now state that foul play is not suspected, and the circumstances surrounding her death do not appear to be suspicious.
Police have confirmed that her next of kin were notified.
After an initial delay due to their pending liquor license, BC Ferries has officially announced the sale of alcoholic beverages aboard some vessels starting late October.
For a trial period of one year, BC Ferries will be adding beer and wine to the Pacific Buffet menu, available on three vessels servicing the Vancouver – Victoria (Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay) route: The Spirit of Vancouver Island, the Spirit of British Columbia and the Coastal Celebration.
See also:
These drinks must be purchased with a meal, and are limited to one drink per customer.
“Many of our customers have said they would like to have a glass of wine or beer with
their meal while sailing with us,” says Melanie Lucia, Executive Director of Catering and
Terminal Operations.
“We look for ways to enhance the customer experience and are pleased to now offer these beverages in the Pacific Buffet.”
After a period of one year, the company will review customer and employee feedback and evaluate the pilot to determine its level of success.
The decision to roll out beer and wine on the Vancouver-Victoria route was initialliy made in April 2019, and the company expected to be able to start the project in June. However this was delayed as BC Ferries had not received their liquor license approval by June.
The former crown corporation already sells beer and wine on its Northern routes and now aims to test the “viability and scalability” of offering alcohol on all routes by implementing the pilot program for one major route.
A 2-year-old cat has had to be put down after being shot by a pellet gun in Oak Bay.
On Sunday, September 1st, Briggs the cat returned home to his owner on Deal Street and appeared to be very ill.
See also: Family cat undergoes amputation after being shot in North Saanich
Upon taking him to the vet, it was discovered that Briggs had been shot by what appeared to be a pellet gun. The cat’s injuries were severe enough that he had to be euthanized.
In a Facebook post, owner Joelene Heathcote writes, “When we took him to the vet, x-rays showed he had been shot in the belly with a pellet gun and had suffered blunt force trauma to his body and his insides were ruptured.”
Oak Bay Police and Animal Control investigated the incident and, according to a statement by police, have conducted extensive neighbourhood inquiries but to no avail.
“We believe someone knows who did this and we encourage them to call us or to call Crime Stoppers,” says Deputy Chief Ray Bernoties.
“We don’t know the motive but we’re aware that, at times, some residents can be unhappy about cats being in their yard so that is certainly one possibility, among others.”
See also:
Animal Control says there had been no similar incidents in the area and there are no suspects at this time.
“The person who assaulted my pet lives in our Oak Bay neighbourhood and is likely doing this to other animals. Anyone who has information on the individual who did this terrible thing, is urged to contact Oak Bay Police,” says Heathcote.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Oak Bay Police at (250) 592-2424 or call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at +1 800-222-8477.
Last month, a family cat in North Saanich had to undergo amputation after being shot by what is believed to be a .22 calibre firearm.
Around the same time, a cat in Nanaimo suffered extensive injuries after being shot by a pellet gun five times.
The Fall air is beginning to sneak in. Start your week off with a good with our list of things to do around Victoria today, September 9.
From comedy to beer, there so much to get things going.
Learn how to Roller Dance! This class will get you started on roller dance basics. Students will also learn a choreographed routine to be performed at the Roller Skate Victoria Dance Academy Christmas Show. (performance optional for those with stage fright!)
Students should have completed our Learn to Roller Skate class or already be confident on roller skates. Rental skates available if need be. Cost is $204.75 for a set of classes.
A rare artifact crucial to determining hitherto unknown facts about the ancient Mayan civilization has just made its way to Victoria.
The next Drag, Queers & Beers night is going down tonight! Get out and get G-L-A-M-O-R-OUS at this queer extravaganza, celebrating local drag and local brews. They are turning the Tasting Room into a runway with performances from three of the city’s hottest drag artists. Hosted by the dynamic duo of Victoria’s bearded wonder, Woofie Goldberg, and the zest, the spunk, the spicy funk that is Vivian Vanderpuss, and featuring the styling of 2 Spirit Metis drag king Eddi Licious, this event will have plenty of glam lewks, big hair, and shablams. This is a free and all ages event but we are subject to capacity.
See Victoria’s comics work on their newest, weirdest jokes at this fun open mic comedy. This week, they have the extremely eccentric and never predictable Kieth Sonic hosting and the Banana King of Victoria and producer of the Ha-Ha Happy Hour at Dylan’s sports bar and grill featuring!
Help people at risk of suicide. Take safeTALK, a 1/2 day suicide prevention training event that is subsidized by funds raised during the Canadian Mental Health Association’s 2019 Ride Don’t Hide event in Victoria, BC.
Take safeTALK and learn to:
This is a FREE event that will coincide with World Suicide Awareness Week. Refreshments are provided. The event will take place in the Library Meeting Room. Limited number of tickets available.
On Saturday, dozens of people in Victoria organized a rally to protest human rights violations conducted by the Indian government in Kashmir.
The rally, which was advertised as non-partisan, invited all Canadians to participate in taking a stance against Indian occupation of the contested state of Kashmir, that had until recently been afforded special status for the past 70 years.
See also: Victoria to commemorate 85th anniversary of Ukrainian genocide this month
On August 5th, 2019, the Indian government revoked Article 370, removing Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status which has been in place ever since the country gained independence from British rule in 1947.
According to publications such as BBC and the New York Times, Indian forces have since cut off internet and phone services in the region, and rounded up 2,000 Kashmiri intellectuals who have been detained without being formally charged.
People living in India’s only Muslim-majority state have been protesting these measures ever since they were first announced a month ago, while soldiers use tear gas and buckshot to quell the crowds.
See also: Remains of fallen WWI soldier identified as 18-year-old from Esquimalt
The Indian army has also been accused of violence and torture against civilians – allegations that they and the government have denied.
Few pieces of information from the region has been forthcoming due to the communications blackout and media restrictions imposed by the government.
According to the latest BBC article on the subject, the Indian Supreme Court is set to hear a total of 14 petitions against the federal government’s decision to revoke Article 370 for Kashmir.
See also: Half of Canadians cannot name a single Nazi concentration camp or ghetto (STUDY)
In Victoria, protestors accompanied by a single Victoria police cruiser marched from the Masjid Al-Iman mosque to the cenotaph at the Legislature grounds on Saturday.
“This is the time to stand in support of oppressed Kashmiris when they are locked down in curfew for more than 29 days now, with no access to even basic necessities,” reads the event description.
The peaceful demonstration ended without incident at 4 p.m.
#WakeUpUN_KashmirCrying
Kashmir is still under fire however most of the world seems to have moved on ۔ pic.twitter.com/QgqYoHrgPE— Sadia Tahir (@SadiaTa86984544) September 8, 2019
Southern Vancouver Island residents were treated to quite the show Saturday night thanks to our neighbours down south.
Last night a massive lightning storm traveled through Washington state and Seattle – between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. there were over a thousand lightning strikes, able to be seen from Victoria.
Seeing a thunderstorm is a rare phenomenon for them just as much as it is for us.
People from Sooke to Sidney reported being able to see the strikes.
According to the National Weather Service, about 1,250 lightning strikes were recorded in western Washington state during a storm that caused widespread power outages.
Doug Clement captured these photos near the tail end of the storm – this is the view from Colwood looking towards downtown Victoria and Washington state.
As seen from Gratton Park in Colwood. pic.twitter.com/kXtHgfd5zP
— Rob O'Brien (@65rawbobO) September 8, 2019
Let us know where you watched the storm from in the comment section below!
From two of Victoria’s greatest festivals to fitness fun and more, there is plenty to do and see in and around the city this weekend!
Check out these 11 things to do in and around Victoria this first full weekend of September:
The Great Canadian Beer Festival (GCBF) is coming back to the Royal Athletic Park in Victoria this weekend. This local event is one of the oldest beer festivals in Canada and 2019 marks its 27th year running.
A variety of local food trucks will also be on hand to help you soak up all those beverages, including Taco Justice, Roast, Ali Baba, Deadbeetz, and more.
Modelling themselves off of the Great Canadian Beer Festival, The Drake Eatery has decided to showcase some of their favourite brews from our friends south of the border.
Back again this year with 6 awesome Rib Teams, the best local craft brews, wine, cider and live music. FREE admission, FREE music, FREE kids zone. Bring the whole family.
This brand new pilates and barre studio just recently opened its doors, and to celebrate, they’re throwing a grand opening bash! Stop by and check out what #booychurch is all about.
Happening for its 25th year, this annual event is sponsored by Old English Car Club – South Island Branch. This year’s venue is Government House – so head on down and check out some beautiful classic English cars on a sunny Saturday!
Join CFB Esquimalt for a fun day filled with live music, interactive activities, displays and a market place. This all-ages event is sure to impress and have something for everyone in the family!
Mia Pasta just opened at Mayfair Shopping Centre and it’s a must try! Choose your own adventure with an array of pasta choices, sauces, toppings and more.
The Victoria Conservatory of Music invites the whole community to join in their musical fun when it throws open the doors on Saturday, and welcomes visitors for a day full of learning about all they have to offer.
A fun day and that’s free for the whole family! Starting off with a five-kilometre run/walk, there are valuable prizes (fresh Metchosin produce) for fastest in all age classes and terrific draw prizes. There will be pancakes for sale for runners, vendors, volunteers and the public.
Hilarious meme page Victoria Tourist Memes is hosting a bash to celebrate the end of another busy summer working with tourists – time to blow off some steam with your fellow locals and hospitality/service industry friends!
Since 2010, Tweed Ride Victoria has been organizing rides throughout the city, where riders dress in tweed or smart-looking outfits and finish the ride with a signature tea and picnic. It’s a fun opportunity to celebrate a bygone era and tour our beautiful city by bicycle.
UPDATE: BC Coroner’s Service have confirmed that the bound found is that of woman in her 20s.
Her death has not been deemed suspicious.
Earlier: Officers are investigating a body found at Glen Lake in Langford.
West Shore RCMP, BC Coroner’s Service, and Langford Fire arrived on site at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Friday, September 6th.
A section of Glen Lake has been cordoned off to public as officers investigate.
There is no word on whether or not the death is suspicious.
Victoria Buzz has reached out to West Shore RCMP and BC Coroner’s Service for further details.
More to come.
Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers has released surveillance images of a man who allegedly committed an armed robbery at a Saanich gas station.
According to a Facebook post, the suspect entered the gas station in the 3500 block of Shelbourne Street on August 3rd to commit a robbery.
He then lunged at a staff member repeatedly while holding a large knife.
After that, police say the suspect decided to leave without any further violent behaviour.
Officers are now searching for the man, and have posted images from a surveillance video to help further their investigation.
Anyone who recognizes him is asked to contact Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or Saanich Police at 250-475-4321.
Victoria’s one and only vintage arcade is about to add a whopping 22 new games to their already extensive collection.
Quazar’s Arcade opened its doors to clamouring crowds back in November 2018 and has remained a popular destination in Trounce Alley ever since.
See also: New 80’s style arcade is now open in Trounce Alley
Until recently, the business offered a collection of 40 games on the floor (20 pinball and 20 arcade), including X-Files, BurgerTime, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Alien Pinball, Atari A.P.B, Ghostbusters, and more!
As of this fall, they’ve officially announced that 27 games new games are being brought into circulation for all vintage gamers in town.
According to the store, they will be releasing a new game every Friday from August 23rd until Nov 15th, 8 of which are brand new pinball machines.
Quazar’s is also receiving a shipment of 14 new games this Saturday including several Nintendo arcade cabinets.
So far, they’ve released a new Pinball machine called Data Easts 1993 Tales from the Crypt, one classic arcade game, and a Premium Pin from 2018.
The 80’s gamer’s paradise is open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from noon until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
An online survey of a representative provincial sample shows that over a third of British Columbians identified long wait times as the biggest problem in the provincial health care system.
Nearly 60% of the population believe that there are some good things about the health care system, but others need changing.
See also:
Out of the respondents, 12% think the health care system needs a complete overhaul, while 26% believe there are only minor issues that need fixing.
“Residents of Metro Vancouver and Southern BC are more likely to say that the provincial health care system requires only minor changes (27% each),” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co.
“The proportion is lower in Northern BC (22%), Vancouver Island (also 22%) and the Fraser Valley (18%).”
In particular, one of the biggest problems identified is long wait times, according to 38% of survey respondents. Around 45% stated that they’d be willing to pay out of pocket to avoid waiting in long lines for health care.
Furthermore, 37% of respondents stated that they would travel to another country for quicker treatment rather than wait for health care in BC.
The shortage of doctors and nurses, inadequate resources and facilities, and bureaucracy and poor management were seen as the next biggest issues with the provincial health care system.
These findings are based on an online study conducted from August 28th to August 30th, 2019, among 800 adults in British Columbia who stand as representation for the population.
Central Saanich police are searching for witnesses to an incident where a man allegedly fired a handgun at a beach in Island View Regional Park.
At around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 5th, officers responded to reports of a male firing a handgun at the beach.
Once they arrived, police were able to locate the suspect and the handgun. The man was taken into custody and his weapon has been seized.
According to a statement by Central Saanich police, several beachgoers observed the incident, and officers are now looking to speak to witnesses.
If you were one of the witnesses, contact CS Police at 250-652-4441, and ask to speak with Cst. Shea or Cst. Robertson.
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