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Update: According to VicPD, Brandi Sheen, who was the subject of a high-risk missing person alert on August 18th, has been located and is safe.
— original:
Victoria Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 36-year-old woman.
Brandi Sheen, a woman described by police as high-risk, was last seen on August 16th.
In a release, VicPD said they want to ensure that she is safe.
Sheen is described as a Caucasian woman, 5’4″ tall and weighs about 120 lbs. She has shoulder-length blonde hair and brown eyes.
People are asked to call 911 if you see her.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call VicPD at (250) 995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The BC Wildfire Service is reporting four wildfires are now classified as ‘out of control’ on southern Vancouver Island as of August 18.
The fires were caused by a major lightning storm across the southern coast of B.C. that lasted several hours and included around 1,800 lightning strikes in total.
About 900 of those strikes landed directly over Vancouver Island and caused at least 14 wildfires in the south island region, according to BC Wildfire Service.
Sunday evening thunderstorms with dry lightning passed over southern #VancouverIsland & onto the mainland on a north-south path. As of noon today the Coastal Fire Centre had picked up 24 new wildfire ignitions, 10 in the Pemberton area & 14 on southern Vancouver Island (1/2).
One of the fires is burning on Mount Healy near Sooke Lake and is estimated to be around eight hectares in size.
Two smaller fires have also been classified as “out of control” near the Sooke region, the first of which spans 1.10 hectares and is on Trap Mountain, located just west of the Sooke Potholes area.
The second in the region is smaller still, at 0.01 hectares, and is located near Bear Creek Reservoir.
Meanwhile, further up island in Lake Cowichan burns another out of control lightning-induced wildfire in the Meade Creek area. This fire is estimated to be 2.40 hectares in size as of the time of publication.
Since the wildfires broke out, BC Wildfire Service officials have been using water bombers to battle the flames.
In total, there have been 28 wildfires in the Coastal Fire Centre region reported over the past two days.
Habitat for Humanity Victoria is hosting a fun, FREE family-friendly event this Sunday, August 23rd and you’re invited!
In honour of their latest build project in North Saanich, Habitat for Humanity has created a physically distanced day of celebration where visitors can learn more about their current build, tour the site and compete for tons of fabulous prizes – all while helping raise funds for eleven local families.
The perfect all-day activity for family and friends to take part in while maintaining their social bubble, it all kicks off this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How it works
First, you head on over to the Habitat for Humanity Victoria page to register(make sure you pick a fun group name!)
On the day of the event, registered groups will receive a scavenger hunt challenge card to complete in a safe, independent way around the Peninsula.
Each challenge card completed will be entered to win prizes from local businesses including items from Canadian Tire, Cinnzeo, Cobs Bread, Dairy Queen, Fairways Market, Heart Pharmacy, Kernels Extraordinary Popcorn, Mayfair, Pharmasave, Save-on-Foods and Victoria Bug Zoo.
Also, on the build site at Bakerview Place they will be guided tours, information on Habitat’s programs and some additional fun activities for groups.
Here’s what your registration gets you
Challenge card
Entry to win prizes
Guided site tour
Other activities by donation
The opportunity to meet Habitat’s newest families along the way
All funds raised will go directly towards the materials needed to complete eleven homes which are currently in construction, and to help local families in need of an affordable place to call home!
Habitat for Humanity Victoria is a registered charity that brings communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership.
Founded in 1990, Habitat Victoria has built 23 homes locally and served 27 families.
Through volunteer labour as well as donations of money and materials, Habitat for Humanity builds safe, decent and affordable houses alongside the future homeowner. Each family invests 500 hours of their own labour into the building of their home and the homes of others.
(Island Health COVID-19 screening facility on Cook Street in Victoria/Victoria Buzz)
Every health region in B.C. has been impacted by a spike in new COVID-19 cases reported over the past weekend.
Between Sunday and Monday, provincial health authorities reported a whopping 236 new cases, with 100 cases on Saturday alone—the highest number of cases in one day ever recorded in the province.
The region that saw the most dramatic increase over the three-day period was the Fraser Health region, recording 149 new cases in that time.
By comparison, Vancouver Island Health region has been doing relatively well, clocking in four new cases over the weekend.
Of these, three patients are located in the Central part of the island, while one is located on Southern Vancouver Island.
This graph shows the number of new cases and their origins in the Island Health region since the start of the pandemic in March:
(Source: Island Health)
On the evening of Friday August 14, 7-Eleven Canada confirmed that an employee at their 1327 Douglas Street tested positive for COVID-19 and advised any customers who shopped at that location between August 10 and 14 contact 811 for guidance.
In total, there have been 154 cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region, and the area has a 93 per cent recovery rate.
As of Tuesday, there are six active cases in the Island health authority, and no outbreaks or exposure alerts are currently place.
In total, there have been 54 cases in South Vancouver Island, 40 cases in Central Vancouver Island and 60 cases in North Vancouver Island.
Across British Columbia, there currently remain 743 active cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday morning.
From delicious deals and discounts to salsa dancing and more, make this Tuesday one for the books.
As you head out to activities and events, please follow the restrictions and guidelines that these businesses require to keep their employees and patrons safe during the pandemic.
As always, wash your hands, wear masks, practice physical distancing, and stay home if you feel sick or show symptoms!
Without further ado, here are five things to do today, Tuesday, August 18th:
Discover Local YYJ is an economic initiative created and hosted by the Victoria Women’s Professional Group to promote the small businesses in the Greater Victoria Area that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
They have partnered with locally owned and operated small businesses to provide discounts and special offers to the residents of Victoria between August 15th and 30th. Participants purchase a Discover Pass online, then use it to claim promotions and discounts offered by the vendors during the 15 days.
When: All day long! Runs from August 15th to August 20th
The Oak Bay Beach Hotel has launched its new VIP Summer Screenings. A combination of Classic films and new releases will be presented in their David Foster Foundation Theatre each Tuesday evening throughout the summer.
Little Miss Sunshine will feature tonight.
Each ticket includes complimentary parking, one glass of sparkling wine, a bottle of water, local charcuterie board and pre-packed theatre snacks such as popcorn and licorice. Tickets are $40 each and physical distancing measures are in place.
When: Doors open at 7:40 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m.
To register, simply show up at the beginning of classes. Open to all. Join them to learn cool steps in two popular salsa dances. An excellent foundation for all Latin dancing!
When: Fairfield Gonzales Community Association, 1330 Fairfield Road
The B.C. provincial government is extending temporary COVID-19 supplements for people on income or disability assistance and low-income seniors.
Monthly supplements of $300 were initially offered from April to August and are now being extended. They will continue to be available from September to December.
The benefit is available for low-income seniors on Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplements, and individuals on income or disability assistance.
“As BC’s Restart Plan is creating signs of hope, low- or no-income people are still disproportionately affected by this pandemic,” said Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
Individuals who were receiving federal benefits like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or Employment Insurance (EI) are not eligible for this supplement.
The $300 supplement will automatically be deposited for eligible individuals on September 23, October 21, November 18 and December 16.
The Minister of Health in British Columbia issued a somber message the weekend after the province recorded its highest ever number of active COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.
“This pandemic… that we are all so very tired of will be going on, we would expect well into 2021, into 2022,” said Adrian Dix at a press briefing Monday to provide an update on three days worth of new cases.
On Saturday, August 15, there were 100 new cases reported over a 24 hour period, marking the highest number of new cases ever recorded by provincial health officials in a single day.
The province currently has 743 active cases of COVID-19—a higher number than B.C. has ever had at any point during the pandemic thus far.
A further 2,286 people are currently in isolation after having been exposed to the virus.
The majority of cases are still linked to private parties and gatherings. Minister Dix has hinted that stronger enforcement measures to prevent transmission at such events will be announced later this week by Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
“One public exposure that we have put on our website is related to an outdoor event… but the number of transmissions that have been reported in purely outdoor settings has been very limited,” said deputy provincial health officer Dr. Réka Gustafson.
“The vast amount of transmission is occurring through close prolonged contact, especially in indoor settings,” Gustafson.
According to Gustafson, there has been a rapid increase in demand for COVID-19 testing at designated testing sites over the past week.
Health authorities have reported delays in providing testing to those who need it right away, and are working to ramp up capacity.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 236 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in to 4,594 in the province.
Between Friday and Saturday, 100 people tested positive for the virus; 88 cases were reported between Saturday and Sunday; and 48 cases were reported between Sunday and Monday.
In total, 1,419 of the cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 2,425 in Fraser Health, 154 in Vancouver Island Health region, 405 in Interior Health, 117 in Northern Health region, and 74 people whose residence is outside of Canada.
The number of active cases has spiked by 114 to 743 in B.C.
There are a total of four people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, three of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
Two additional deaths were reported over the past weekend, and the death toll is now at 198 in total.
2,286 people are now in isolation and being monitored by public health officials after being exposed to COVID-19.
A total of 3,653 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
Outbreaks
Two new outbreaks were reported at health care facilities over the weekend: one in Fraser Health region and one in Vancouver Coastal Health region.
In total, nine long-term care or assisted living facilities and one acute care facilities have active outbreaks.
No new community outbreaks were reported over the past three days.
There continue to be a number of ongoing COVID-19 exposure sites. B.C. residents are urged to check the BC CDC website for all public alerts about possible exposures to the virus.
Those who may have been exposed are asked to monitor their symptoms, reduce the number of contacts they have, and call 811 to get tested for the virus if they do develop symptoms.
Island Health region
Four new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Island Health region since Friday.
There have been 154 total cases of COVID-19 in the region, five of whom have died, and 142 people have recovered.
This means there remain seven active cases in the region.
Thus far, there have been 300,230 novel coronavirus tests conducted across B.C., 43,682 of which were done in the Island Health region.
The BCCDC has set up a 2019 novel coronavirus telephone information line at 1-833-784-4397 for those who have further questions about this disease.
Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.
The Province has also created the 1-888-COVID-19 line to connect British Columbians needing non-medical information about the coronavirus pandemic.
As of the time of publication, the total number of COVID-19 patients worldwide has risen to 21,979,223.
Over 776,090 people have died from the illness and 14,700,141 have made a full recovery.
(Pacific Maritime Centre photo rendering/bccommercialproperty.ca)
An extensive development project in Langford is moving into its next phase and seeking tenants for a new office tower.
The tower is part of the planned Pacific Maritime Centre (PMC), a $87 million complex that will also include a new Maritime Museum, a performing arts theatre and a new conference centre at 790 McCallum Rd.
The PMC is being built in partnership between the City of Langford and the Maritime Museum of BC.
The Maritime Museum says that Coldwell Banker Commercial Oceanside Real Estate has been hired to represent the Museum’s interests in identifying tenants for the first floor of the office tower.
The proposed leasing project will provide up to 90,000 sq. ft. of AAA office space. The building is also expected to include free onsite parking and onsite daycare services.
“This project aligns with Council’s commitment to enhance arts and cultural opportunities in Langford, and supports Council’s vision to create more commercial office space so residents don’t have to commute outside the City for work,” stated Langford Mayor Stew Young.
The Maritime Museum says that the project is on its way to becoming ‘shovel-ready’ and is expected to generate hundreds of short-term construction jobs as well as several new full and part-time jobs in the community.
Representatives from Coldwell Banker Commercial Oceanside Real Estate will be seeking expressions of interest from government, non-government organizations and the business community regarding leasing opportunities in the coming weeks.
Horse-drawn carriage in downtown Victoria (Jodi Mucha)
Victoria Police are searching for a suspect and witnesses to an alleged assault and robbery in downtown Victoria Sunday night.
In a statement released Monday, police say they were called to the intersection of Menzies and Belleville at approximately 9:40 p.m. August 16 for reports of a robbery at Victoria Carriage Tours.
The carriage operator told police that she was pushed to the ground from behind by an unknown man, who then proceeded to take her envelope that contained the day’s pay and flee the scene on a bicycle.
Police say the victim declined medical attention.
Officers searched the area upon arrival but were unable to locate the suspect, and are now seeking witnesses to the incident.
The suspect is described as Caucasian man in his mid-30s with a long, full beard. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black and red ball cap, a dark coloured hoodie, and jeans.
He was riding a light coloured road bike, and the victim reportedly saw him riding the bike in the area before she was robbed.
The suspect was last seen riding away eastbound on Belleville Street.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Victoria Police non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654 and select option 1 for their report desk.
To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Officers were called to Northridge Elementary School around 10:51 p.m. on Friday night for a noise complaint involving around 20 to 30 people.
At around 11 p.m. more reports came in stating that the group had grown to over 100 people and had moved into nearby streets.
Callers also said that the group had become aggressive and was damaging private property.
Police arrived at approximately 11:10 p.m. and saw large groups of youths gathered on Carey Rd.
Officers talked to the group and learned that weapons including a baton and a knife had been brandished by one of the youths.
It is believed that this individual had also been at the site of the original complaint—Northridge Elementary School— while carrying these weapons.
The officers were then flagged down by a resident who provided additional information about the suspected weapon and shared concerns about the youth gathering.
Police say the gathering eventually broke up and its members left the area, while officers remained on scene to speak to residents.
Saanich PD are still investigating, however no charges have been laid at this time.
Cst. Markus Anastasiades says that there are currently no bylaws prohibiting gatherings of this nature, and police are only investigating potential charges of mischief or possession of prohibited weapons.
He says that at this point it is up to individuals to respect the recommendations of health authorities and professionals.
“At the end of the day, we have a reminder to parents that this would be a good time to sit down with their children and talk about how important their actions are during this pandemic,” Anastasiades said in a phone call with Victoria Buzz.
He also added that the incident does not represent a trend and police have not seen an unusual spike in these types of gatherings.
“This is just one particular group. The majority are doing a fantastic job. We see examples of that every day.”
Residents who witnessed the incident on Friday night are asked to provide statements to Saanich Police at (250) 475-4321.
This year’s lottery features 8 Grand Prize options, one of which could be yours if you play your cards (or tickets!) right.
The proceeds from ticket sales go towards research initiatives at BC Children’s Hospital — which support thinkers and scientists, whose discoveries are then translated directly into improved care to benefit kids within the hospital.
Buying a ticket (or 10, or 25!) supports the only hospital in the province devoted exclusively to children, and with your support, they can help improve their lives and define the future of children’s health care for generations to come.
Tickets to the main lottery – and a chance to win one of the 8 Grand Prize options including the beautiful new James Bay townhome – start at 3 tickets for $100, and go all of the way up to a 20-ticket pack for $500.
If you’re chosen as a grand-prize winner, you’ll be the proud new owner of a 1,443 sq.ft. three-level, 2-bedroom townhome located in Victoria’s inner circle – but wait, it gets even better! Included in the package is also a brand new 2020 BMW x3 xDrive 30i, 2020 Tesla Model 3, PLUS $800,000 cash!
You could also choose 1 of 7 other Grand Prize choices – which feature homes in Kelowna, South Surrey, Tsawwassen, Okanagan Falls, Vancouver and the Island’s own Courtenay – OR choose $2.2 million cash!
Capital Park Residences are just steps from downtown’s inner harbour, and you’ll have the best of all worlds with this townhome and its direct access to nature, the waterfront and urban living, closely connected to everything Victoria has to offer.
Take a look at these photos of the luxury townhome that’s up for grabs:
On top of the impressive grand prize draws, there’s also an Appreciation Reward Draw which includes a a choice of 3 prizes – a 2020 Corolla Hybrid plus $2000, a 2020 Honda HR-V LX15, OR choose $26,000 cash! But act fast on this one, as the deadline to enter is Friday, August 21st.
Stay tuned for more info on even more Bonus Draws happening including sports and travel packages, as well as the End of Summer Bonus and Fall Bonus draws, packed full of prizes such as new cars, RVs and cold hard cash!
Deadlines to enter the various draws are:
Appreciation Reward Draw: Midnight, Friday, August 21, 2020
End of Summer Bonus Draw: Midnight, Friday, September 4, 2020
Fall Bonus Draw: Midnight, Friday, September 18, 2020
Early Bird Draw: Midnight, Thursday, October 8, 2020
Main Draws and Grand Prize: Midnight, Friday, October 15, 2020
Make the world a safer place, one shift at a time!
No, you won’t be a superhero – but pretty close.
Paladin Security is now hiring for a host of different positions, including full-time, part-time, and casual Security Officers in Victoria and Nanaimo.
This includes shopping centres, mobile patrols, tourism, concerts and events, and office buildings.
The perks
Not only does Paladin Security provide extensive company-paid training, rewards and recognition programs, they also pride themselves on offering a ton of promotion from within opportunities – with a focus on employee development and ongoing support.
For example, Shane Wright joined Paladin as a Healthcare Security Officer in 2010. After his hiring, he was quickly promoted to higher positions, such as Field Manager, Client Service Manager, Branch Manager for Victoria, and is now Executive Vice President for BC.
“When I think back to my start in Paladin, I think of all the great people who introduced me to the company and taught me about the different opportunities within the company and the industry at large,” says Shane Wright, Executive Vice President.
Aside from perks like life insurance, dental insurance AND paid vacation, Paladin notes that almost 25% of their employees move on to pursue successful careers in law enforcement.
This includes RCMP, local law enforcement, and CBSA.
Paladin Security will also provide all hired personnel with the appropriate PPE to get the job done safely.
What does a security officer do?
Provide specialized security services in a professional manner according to client need
Patrol client properties by foot, bicycle, or vehicle to ensure the safety of persons and property
Follow and enforce rules, regulations, policies and procedures
Control access to properties and remove trespassers from sites
Watch for and report irregularities including security breaches, safety hazards and emergencies, and contact appropriate personnel and emergency responders
Provide exceptional customer service and respond to inquiries from the public
Ready to start your career as a modern day superhero? You can apply for a position in Victoria here, and positions in Nanaimo here.
The B.C. Ministry of Education has released updated guidelines that will require some students and staff to wear face coverings in high traffic areas when they return to classrooms in September.
The statement released Monday announces that students in middle and secondary school—grades 6 to 12—and staff will have to wear non-medical face masks in areas like buses and hallways, where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
The ministry says exceptions will be made for those who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons.
“Even when wearing a mask, staff and students will still be required to maintain physical distance from people outside of their learning group,” reads the statement.
“Efforts will be put in place to ensure there is not crowding, gathering or congregating of people from different learning groups in a school setting, even if non-medical masks are being worn.”
The province is funding the purchase of up to 1.5 million face masks, to make sure every public school student and staff member has at least two masks available.
In addition, schools will be required to make sure masks are available for staff in case someone falls ill while at school.
A PPE manufacturer in Ontario, Canadian Shield, is also donating 54,500 face shields for K-12 schools in B.C., to add to the inventory of personal protective equipment that will be available for students and staff.
Further guidelines include:
increased cleaning of high-contact surfaces like doorknobs, keyboards, desks and chairs,
requiring staff and visitors to clean their hands before boarding buses, entering school buildings, before and after eating, using the washroom and using playground equipment, and
potentially installing transparent barriers for staff who have more contact with others, like front-desk workers, bus drivers or food services staff, where appropriate.
Earlier this month, amid backlash for rushing a back-to-school plan, the Ministry of Education announced that students will return to classrooms two days later than planned in order to give teachers and staff enough time to familiarize themselves with new health and safety procedures.
This means teachers will undergo an orientation process on September 8 and 9, and pass down guidance and information to students when they head back on September 10.
Mandatory masks for high traffic areas within the school system has long been advocated for by people like B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Teri Mooring.
The province has set aside $2 million for B.C’s arts and cultural organizations as part of a new COVID-19 recovery program.
The Arts Infrastructure Program offers eligible organizations up to $75,000 for capital improvements such as facility renovations or expansions, or up to $40,000 for specialized equipment acquisitions used in cultural programming.
Funds will be distributed through the BC Arts Council.
“Arts and culture groups operate vital spaces in our communities and they need support to upgrade their facilities,” said Susan Jackson, chair, BC Arts Council.
Jackson says that examples of eligible projects include expanding gallery exhibition areas or purchasing equipment to share work digitally.
Applicants must be based in B.C., have operated for at least two years, and have a demonstrated history of artistic leadership.
Hundreds of southern Vancouver Island residents were drawn to their windows and yards Sunday night to watch a lightning show that took meteorologists by surprise.
“Last night’s event was a little odd or anomalous because it’s on the South coast and was a mid-atmosphere driver. That one caught us a little off guard,” said Armel Castellan, Environment Canada’s regional meteorologist for Vancouver Island, in a phone interview with Victoria Buzz.
The dazzling climatological event began around Port Renfrew and travelled up to Powell River before sweeping northeast.
According to Castellan, the lightning strikes were visible in Seattle, and as far up as Sechelt and Whistler.
Environment Canada calculated around 1,800 lightning strikes in total during last night’s event, including 900 that appeared directly over southern Vancouver Island.
“Those include cloud to cloud and cloud to ground strikes. Cloud to cloud are usually not as visible, but probably about half of those were cloud to ground, which were visible,” said Castellan.
The B.C. Wildfire Service interactive map shows that at least four wildfires from Sooke all the way up to Ladysmith were caused by last night’s lightning strikes.
There are currently a total of 13 wildfires in the southern Vancouver Island region.
(B.C. Wildfire Service)
A rare event
Castellan compares Sunday night’s lightning storm to one that took place almost exactly two years ago, on August 11, 2018, that made a more dramatic landing.
“We saw a very dry cold front come by, mostly for northern tip of Vancouver Island, that was interesting because it created 98 wildfires. This one wasn’t quite as impactful because it wasn’t maybe as dry in those forests as it had been in 2018,” says Castellan.
On average, Victoria sees 3.6 days per year of lightning activity within 25 km of the airport, meaning a show like Sunday’s is rare.
While it is difficult for models to predict when or whether lightning storms will occur in the future, Castellan says the possibility of another show is “certainly not impossible” around Thursday and Friday this week.
A dry storm like this one can only happen in the next two to three weeks, as mid-September brings with it wetter weather, he adds.
For those craving cooler temperatures, there is good news on the horizon:
“This week we start to see not just a ridge breakdown but a precipitation event that starts on the outside coast [of Vancouver Island] on Wednesday afternoon and reaches down to Lake Cowichan and Victoria Wednesday night.
It goes all the way through on and off to about late Friday and is a two day event,” said Castellan.
This moment of respite will include lower temperatures than what we have been seeing over the past few days, with highs of 18ºC expected between Wednesday and Friday.
The region is expected to bounce back to relatively dry, warmer than normal weather come Saturday and last for about a week.
As the southern coast of Vancouver Island has stayed relatively true to average temperatures for this time of year, Castellan says it is likely that the heat will start to dissipate within a couple of weeks.
“The last half of August is that sad time in the summer where you can have some warm days but you’re also on average cooling off,” he adds.
For now, residents are reminded to slather on the sunscreen and keep their hats on— especially between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.—as a few hot summer days are still on the horizon.
A new poll says that one in five Canadians are making little to no effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, and they are mainly young people and right-wing voters.
The Angus Reid Institute says that they analyzed public opinion data to group people into three broad categories measuring behaviours and mindsets called the ‘COVID Compliance Index’.
The first group, called “Infection Fighters,” follow virus suppression measures carefully and make up nearly half the population (47 per cent).
About a third of Canadians are “Inconsistent” (36 per cent), meaning they follow handwashing and physical distancing measures but are less strict on staying home or limiting social circles.
The last group are referred to as “Cynical Spreaders” and make up nearly one-in-five Canadians (18 per cent).
The people most likely to fall into this last group were young people between the ages of 18-24, and those who voted for the Conservative Party of Canada, according to the Angus Reid Institute’s analysis.
Cynical Spreaders reject mask usage, socialize in large groups including strangers and disregard most, if not all, COVID-19 safety precautions.
The study measured nine risk-taking behaviours, including:
Not washing hands regularly
Not keeping extra personal space from others
Not wearing a mask indoors with those outside their household
Shaking hands, hugging, or touching others
Not avoiding public spaces
Seeing people outside of close friends and family
Spending time with 10 or more people outside of their household
Spending at least half of their time with others indoors
Not social distancing when in groups of friends
Cynical Spreaders engaged in at least three of these behaviours, with three-quarters engaging in at least five.
34 per cent of those polled between the ages of 18-24 said they followed few, if any, safety precautions, along with 31 per cent of those who said they voted for the Conservatives in the last federal election.
Equal proportions of those who voted Liberal or NDP fell into the Cynical Spreaders group, with 8 per cent each.
The likelihood of flouting COVID-19 safety guidelines fell steadily along with the age of respondents, with only 9 per cent of those over 65 falling into the Cynical Spreaders category.
Education was also a factor in determining who follows COVID-19 precautions.
Only 9 per cent of respondents who had attained a University degree or higher were identified as Cynical Spreaders, while 21 per cent of those with only High School education flouted guidelines.
The online survey was conducted between August 5 and 8 among a representative randomized sample of 1,511 Canadian adults, with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The District of Saanich says that the Flipside Teen Centre located at G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre will not be reopening this fall.
While the Pearkes Centre has already reopened for certain recreation programs, the teen centre space is currently being used to house Saanich Fire Department crew from Fire Station #1.
The District says this move was made to allow physical distancing for fire crews and to keep emergency services running efficiently.
“We are well aware of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social and physical isolation has had on youth in the community,” said Saanich’s Youth Programmer Chris Filler.
”Teens are disproportionately affected by the social impact of COVID-19 and as a result of the disruption to school, social connections, music, art and sport routines, youth have had a hard time connecting with each other as well as meeting their own needs of self-care and well-being.”
Programs such as the Outdoor Club, LGBTQ2+ Social program and Crafters Club will be available through the Upside Teen Centre at Saanich Commonwealth Place and the Backdoor Teen Centre at Gordon Head Recreation Centre.
The District says they will be focusing on community partnered work in the Tillicum neighbourhood while the Flipside Teen Centre is closed.
Information on programs being offered through Saanich’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services is available online through the Active Living Guide.
The independent oversight agency for police in British Columbia are investigating an incident in Esquimalt.
In a statement released Monday, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. said they are looking into a police incident in which one person was injured.
According to IIO, Victoria Police responded to a call at a residence in the 800-block of Kindersley Road at around 8:30 p.m. on August 9.
Upon arrival, they were told that there was a man inside the residence who refused to leave despite being asked to.
Police say they asked the man to leave but he refused to. Officers then told him he was under arrest, after which a struggle ensued.
The man sustained non-life threatening injuries during this fight, and was taken to hospital for treatment.
IIO asks that anyone who heard the incident contact the investigation office through the IO Witness Line toll free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
A group of Victoria residents, most of whom are bus drivers, have just cruised their way into a cool $1 million prize.
The group consists of 10 people, nine of them bus drivers, and form a team whose “captain”, Frederick “Nate” Green, has been purchasing Lotto Max and BC/49 tickets twice a month for the group.
This time, Green bought his ticket from a lottery kiosk at University Heights Mall on Shelbourne Street.
After hearing that a ticket purchased in Victoria had won, Green checked the group’s ticket from his couch at home using the BCLC Lotto! App, and was ecstatic at being able to tell his friends that they were the prize winners.
He says one of them reacted in a way he’d never seen before.
“He was in shock, he just kept walking around in circles,” Green said, laughing. “I think he forgot where he was.”
“We got our spark back now that we won.”
The group now plans to host a physically distanced celebration in the near future.
Green says the group plans to keep playing, and he plans to keep buying the tickets for them.
Lottery players who are part of a group should always appoint someone to coordinate collecting participant’s money, buying the group’s tickets, tracking group winnings and posting results.
When purchasing as a group, the BCLC says it is a good idea to have a record of which group members have contributed to the ticket purchases.
*Note: Victoria Buzz is not affiliated with BC Lottery Corporation and does not advocate gambling or taking part in lotteries. If you choose to participate, remember to play responsibly.
Did you catch the brilliant light show across the Vancouver Island sky last night?
What started as an awe-inspiring sunset transformed into a brilliant lightning storm which brightened the skies over the west coast Sunday evening—a rare showing in these parts— accompanied by loud thunder in some areas.
If you weren’t able to watch the spectacle yourself, or maybe you just want to relive it, here are 22 photos and videos of last night’s epic sunset with accompanying lightning storm:
Well, it might be hard to top last night’s excitement around the lightning storm, but without further ado, here are 5 things to do in and around Victoria today to keep the momentum going into a new week.
As you head out to activities and events, please follow the restrictions and guidelines that these businesses require to keep their employees and patrons safe during the pandemic.
As always, wash your hands, wear masks, practice physical distancing, and stay home if you feel sick or show symptoms!
Without further ado, here are five things to do today, Monday, August 17th:
Happening every Monday in August: Ballroom and line dancing in Royal Athletic Park! The Victoria Ballroom Dance Society will present a beginners’ lesson in line dancing and ballroom dancing, followed by a free dance! Accompaniment will be provided by a DJ (August 10, 17) and a live band (August 24, 31).
For participants of dance programming, please do not swap partners. If participating in partnered dances, you must bring your designated partner who is already in your ‘bubble’. Please wear a mask if possible.
To register, please email coordinator@npna.ca to reserve your spot.
Head to the Mary Winspear Centre for your blood donation appointment. Their front line team is set to greet you – with masks and proper physical distancing measures in place of course!
To book your appointment:
on our website – https://bit.ly/2C2KnVJ
on the GiveBlood App
by calling 1-888-2DONATE (1-888-236-6283)
If you are in good overall health and meet our eligibility criteria, please book and keep your appointment to give blood.
Weekly Pub Quiz with Sixty Watt Trivia. Build your teams of 8 or less and test your knowledge of… well… EVERYTHING! This is 4 rounds of Pub quiz for every skill level, from the “blinding halogens” to the ” dimming 60-watt bulbs.”
It’s FREE to play, no charge per person or per team and damn rights we have wicked prizes!
When: 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Where: Moon Under Water Brewpub and Distillery, 350 Bay St
Online life drawing is open to members and non members alike. The same as our in-person sessions, all skill levels are welcome. In fact, beginners may be even more comfortable working in their own space to begin with. If you have any concerns about group gatherings or our in-person sessions are full, this is a great option.
Cost: $10 Members, $15 Non Members
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Xchanges Gallery and Studios, 2333 Government St Suite 6E
For rounds of complete random obscure knowledge including movies, music, sports, science, geography and possible things found in a hardware store …who knows!
When: 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Christies Carriage House Pub, 1739 Fort Street
An advisory has been issued by the CRD after water samples taken from Thetis Lake Regional Park have tested positive for blue-green algae and associated cyanotoxins.
CRD say park users should avoid both the upper and lower lakes and to keep animals on a leash to prevent them from drinking or swimming in either lake.
Algal blooms are known toxin producers and can be harmful to both humans and animals.
The algae usually produces a visible blue-green sheen, which appears as surface scum. However, not all blooms are easy to see and toxins can still be present in the water even if you cannot see the algal blooms.
Ingesting water containing the blue-green algae may cause a range of symptoms, including headaches and abdominal pain in humans, and can lead to lethal liver damage in dogs.
The algae advisory at Prior Lake remains in effect.
Advice from BC health officials around physical distancing and social gatherings appeared to go unheeded by a large group of kids seen spilling into the streets of a Saanich neighbourhood on Friday night.
The scene was captured on video and sent to Victoria Buzz by a concerned resident who has asked to remain anonymous. It shows dozens of people, many who appeared to be teenagers, gathered on the street.
According to the video taker, one neighbour claims that one of teens brandished a knife when the group was confronted.
They said the kids were leaving a nearby party that got shut down around 10 p.m.—the teens then reportedly gathered at Northridge Elementary School.
In the 24 second video clip, you can hear one teen yelling “Record me! Record me!”, followed by some expletives.
One teen showed some compassion for the situation at the end of the video and can be seen approaching the person filming and apologizing.
Multiple neighbours said they called Saanich Police about the mass gathering but say the response took nearly an hour.
Victoria Buzz has reached out to Saanich Police for more information.
Unbelievable. A gathering of over 100 kids between 14 – 18 years old outside Northridge School in Saanich Friday night. According to people in the neighborhood, they were dispersed from a nearby house party. #victoriabuzz@victoriabuzzespic.twitter.com/A3EHD5DREC
Summer may be half-gone already, but the events are still coming at a steady pace. Check it all out here, Victoria!
As you head out to activities and events, please follow the restrictions and guidelines that these businesses require to keep their employees and patrons safe during the pandemic.
As always, wash your hands, wear masks, practice physical distancing, and stay home if you feel sick or show symptoms!
Without further ado, here are five things to do today, Friday, August 14th:
BLACKBuster is partnering with Legacy Drive-In to host a screening of “Selma” along with a panel discussion on Racial Justice. The panel will include local community leaders, activists and organizers as they discuss Racial Justice: Organizing from the Roots. The panel will also be live-streamed and recorded for those unable to attend in-person. Reserve your car for $30 online at legacydrivein.com
When: Saturday, 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Where: University of Victoria, Lot 10 (just off the West Campus Gate)
Uptown mall features a mini Summer Market of physically distanced local vendors with a variety of handmade goods. A few familiar vendors you can expect to see are: Nutsie Snacks, Little Fox Teething, Mother Lifestyle and Nature Bee Beeswax wraps.
Pacific Opera Victoria hosts a free taste of musical performance in Royal Athletic Park. Drop by the baseball diamond for a 10-minute show of talented operatic singers.
Local R&B dance band The Soul Shakers hit the stage for a free live show at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Langford on Sunday. A maximum of 50 people are permitted in the cordoned audience area, so arrive early to grab a spot! Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase along with some Soul Shakers swag.
DJs will be playing all day long at the Smiths Pub’s reopened patio. Audio Osmosis will be on deck Noon to 3 p.m., followed by Crow Furtado from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m, with a mix of exotic, lounge, lo-fi and hip hop music.
Electra Socket & Karazmatic host an evening of laughs, performances, and good old fashioned bingo! It all goes down at the Paparazzi Nightclub on Sunday. COVID-19 measures will be in place to protect performers and audience members alike. Book your table online to avoid disappointment!
Patrons at a downtown Victoria 7-Eleven store are asked to monitor for symptoms after the convenience store chain confirmed a case of COVID-19 at the location.
In a statement released Friday evening, 7-Eleven Canada confirmed that one employee at their 1327 Douglas Street location has tested positive for the virus.
“The health and safety of our customers, employees and the communities we serve is the top priority for 7-Eleven Canada,” reads a statement from the company.
“We are asking store staff to self-isolate with pay.”
The store has been temporarily closed while it undergoes sanitization, with plans to reopen on Monday, August 17.
Customers who visited the 7-Eleven at any point between August 10 and 14 are asked to contact 811 for guidance.
This exposure alert was issued by the company itself, and has not yet been added to the list of public exposures on the BCCDC website.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 84 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province today, bringing the total number of cases in to 4,358 in the province.
In total, 1,354 of the cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 2,276 in Fraser Health, 150 in Vancouver Island Health region, 399 in Interior Health, 107 in Northern Health region, and 72 people whose residence is outside of Canada.
The number of active cases has spiked by 51 to 629 in B.C.
There are a total of 12 people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, four of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
No new deaths were reported today, and the death toll stands at 196 in total.
2,026 people are now in isolation and being monitored by public health officials after being exposed to COVID-19.
A total of 3,533 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
Outbreaks
One new health care facility outbreak was reported within the past 24 hours, at the Queen’s Park Care Centre in the Fraser Health region.
In total, seven long-term care or assisted living facilities and two acute care facilities have active outbreaks.
No new community outbreaks were reported today.
There continue to be a number of ongoing COVID-19 exposure sites. B.C. residents are urged to check the BC CDC website for all public alerts about possible exposures to the virus.
Those who may have been exposed are asked to monitor their symptoms, reduce the number of contacts they have, and call 811 to get tested for the virus if they do develop symptoms.
Island Health region
No new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Island Health region today.
There have been 150 total cases of COVID-19 in the region, five of whom have died, and 142 people have recovered.
This means there remain three active cases in the region.
Thus far, there have been 296,742 novel coronavirus tests conducted across B.C., 43,255 of which were done in the Island Health region.
The BCCDC has set up a 2019 novel coronavirus telephone information line at 1-833-784-4397 for those who have further questions about this disease.
Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.
The Province has also created the 1-888-COVID-19 line to connect British Columbians needing non-medical information about the coronavirus pandemic.
As of the time of publication, the total number of COVID-19 patients worldwide has risen to 21,300,137.
Over 761,630 people have died from the illness and 14,076,477 have made a full recovery.
The Salmonella outbreak that began in late July has continued to spread across Canada.
In an update from Health Canada on Friday, the agency announced that a total of 339 people have thus far contracted Salmonella Newport, up from 120 people on August 2.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has thus far recalled a variety of onions that are believed to be infected, along with a host of other products that contain onions as an ingredient.
According to the Public Health Agency, onions grown in Canada are not associated with this outbreak, but those imported from the U.S. are under investigation.
A full list of products can be found on the CFIA website.
Retailers, restaurants, and members of the public are advised not to serve, use, or sell, these products.
Anyone who has already consumed the recalled onions or related products and has fallen ill is advised to call their doctor.
The agency warns that food contaminated by Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick.
Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications include severe arthritis.
Additional recalls could follow as the CFIA continues its investigation into other possible importers.
(Bob Orchard/Salish Sea Lantern Festival Facebook)
The Salish Sea Lantern Festival is taking the lanterns to the yards, balconies, and windows of Sidney as they adapt to COVID-19 restrictions.
Ordinarily the annual event, organized by ArtSea Community Arts Council on the Saanich Peninsula, welcomes nearly 1,000 people to a display of stunning lanterns, many inspired and created by First Nation artists.
This year, however, ArtSea is inviting the community around Sidney and the Peninsula to display lanterns around their homes from August 16 to 22.
Those who wish to participate can light their lanterns up with battery-operated lights on their own property each night at 7 p.m.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to be creative and be part of a community project in a time when community is most important,” ArtSea Vice President Wayne McNiven wrote in an email.
A 23-year-old man from Victoria has been arrested and charged after a stabbing in Vancouver resulted in the death of an overdose prevention site worker.
On July 27 Thomus Donaghy, a 41-year-old support worker, was working at the Overdose Prevention site connected to St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver when he went outside.
According to Vancouver Police Department, he was then involved in a fistfight with an unknown man, before the man stabbed him.
Donaghy was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.
On July 31, the police department issued a call for witnesses to assist in their investigation. A few weeks later, on August 14, VPD announced that a suspect had been identified, arrested, and charged in his death.
23-year-old Maximus Roland Hayes, a Victoria resident, has been charged with one count of manslaughter, approved by the BC Prosecution Service.
Traffic patterns are due to change as a new loop ramp opens at McKenzie Interchange this Saturday.
BC’s Ministry of Transportation says that effective August 15, the exit to McKenzie Ave off Highway 1 southbound will be via the new loop ramp at the McKenzie Interchange.
Traffic signals will be turned off at the Interchange overnight from Friday evening into Saturday morning as they are reconfigured to the new traffic flow.
The Ministry is asking that drivers use extra caution during this period as they travel through the interchange and obey directions from traffic control personnel.
With the loop ramp open, the exit from Highway 1 southbound to McKenzie Avenue and Admirals Road remains in the same location.
Signage will direct drivers to the correct lane upon exiting the highway—staying right for Admirals Road or proceeding around the loop directly onto the overpass for McKenzie Avenue.
The controversial interchange project originally started in September 2016 with an expected completion date of late 2018.
If you’ve been looking for a chance to own your own vineyard worthy of Hollywood’s elite, we have some good news for you.
The Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery, purchased in 2014 by filmmaker James Cameron (of “Titanic” fame) is up for sale.
All you need is $5.6 million and you can own the business that was Vancouver Island’s first organically certified winery, located at 5854 Pickering Rd in Courtenay.
The listing on realtor.ca includes all the facilities and equipment required to run the business, including several buildings like the winery, tasting room, wine bar and workshop, and winery residence.
Katie Phelan, Beaufort’s Sales and Communications Manager, said in a phone call with Victoria Buzz that the business is booming.
She says that Cameron and his wife are selling as they relocate to a full time life in New Zealand.
“The expectation is that the team will continue as normal,” Phelan said. “It’s business as usual, things are going really well.”
Phelan added that there is no specific buyer in mind for the listing at this time.
So if you happen to have a little under $6 million kicking around, why not spring for a winery that will make you feel like you’re “king of the world”?
Chemainus resident, Kyle Germiquet, said yes to the “Extra” on the July 28 Lotto Max draw and matched all four numbers to win $500,000.
“It’s pretty indescribable,” said Germiquet. “I just find myself smiling a lot more now.”
The Vancouver Islander was on the road for work when he purchased his ticket at the Salmon Arm Petro Canada while filling up for gas, saying he “always” says ‘Yes’ to the Extra.
The first person he told after checking his ticket a few days later was his wife.
“She started to cry when she saw I won,” he recalled. “She was so overwhelmed.”
Germiquet claimed his prize using BCLC’s alternate prize-claim process. He says he plans on buying a larger home for his wife and children, giving them a bit more room to roam, inside and out.
“I still don’t really believe it — it hasn’t really sunk in,” he said.
So far in 2020, over $19 million has been won by BC residents playing the Extra.
*Note: Victoria Buzz is not affiliated with BC Lottery Corporation and does not advocate gambling or taking part in lotteries. If you choose to participate, remember to play responsibly.
(Dr. Bonnie Henry, Minister Adrian Dix/BC Gov Flickr)
The latest presentation showing epidemiological statistics of COVID-19 in British Columbia has revealed some troubling trends.
On Thursday, August 13, the B.C. Ministry of Health shared its most recent breakdown of who in the province is most affected by COVID-19 and what the transmission rate trajectory looks like for the near future.
Arguably one of the most important figure throughout the presentation is that which shows that B.C. residents are currently interacting with their peers at 70 per cent of normal.
Dynamic modelling shows that if this level of contacts is not scaled back, the number of new COVID-19 cases per day could keep increasing to the point where, by September, there could be over 100 new cases per day.
In contrast, reducing contacts down to 60 per cent would keep the transmission rate at around 50 new cases per day, while reducing further to 50 per cent would see the transmission rate start to decline by September.
(B.C. Ministry of Health/BCCDC)
The data also showed what provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and health minister Adrian Dix have been expressing for several weeks: young people in their 20s and 30s account for the majority of the spike in cases B.C. has seen in recent weeks.
These cases have mostly been linked to parties and social gatherings, but some have also been attributed to outbreaks and exposures at workplaces.
Of the 4,274 COVID-18 cases thus far recorded in the province, only 78 have been children under age 10—accounting for 2 per cent of all cases—and 162 have been older children, account for four per cent of all cases.
Deaths and hospitalizations due to coronavirus are still heavily skewed to older populations, particularly those in the 60 to 90+ age range.
Fortunately, there has only been one COVID-19 related death recorded in B.C. thus far in August.
(B.C. Ministry of Health/BCCDC)
“This virus has consequences for every age group. It can hurt your heart and lungs, and leave you exhausted, even if you are a young adult,” reads a statement from the Ministry of Health.
“These symptoms can last weeks. That means weeks of your summer away from work and away from friends.”
Throughout August, public health and government officials have been asking young people to refrain from gathering in large groups without masks or physical distancing measures.
On Friday, prominent B.C.-born Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds took up the cause after Premier John Horgan called on him for help to spread the message.
“I hope that young people in B.C. don’t kill my mom, frankly, or David Suzuki, or each other. Let’s not kill anyone, I think that’s reasonable,” he said in an audio clip.
That clip has thus far been retweeted 1,500 times and shared by nearly every media organization in Western Canada since Reynolds first posted it Friday morning.
VicPD are warning the public of a phone scam involving a message about social insurance numbers after a Victoria woman was defrauded of $6,000.
Officers were contacted by the woman on August 12 to report she had been the victim of a fraud.
She said she received a call from a toll-free phone number with an automated message claiming her social insurance number (SIN) had been compromised.
The message prompted her to press a button to speak with a police officer.
When she did so, she was put through to a man who impersonated a RCMP officer and claimed that due to COVID-19 police could not meet her in person.
The woman was then transferred to another scammer who impersonated a VicPD officer. This second individual provided the victim with fake badge numbers.
The VicPD impersonator told the victim her identification had been stolen and her SIN had been compromised.
The woman was instructed to withdraw money from her bank accounts and deposit it into a bitcoin machine, which they claimed would transfer the money to the federal government.
The scammer said the federal government would confirm a new social insurance number for the victim and send the money back.
The victim was persuaded to deposit $6,000 into a bitcoin machine.
VicPD says that fraudsters like this are convincing and will “spoof” legitimate telephone numbers like the Canada Revenue Agency and police departments including VicPD.
Scammers often persuade victims to not hang up or leave the phone call using aggressive tactics.
Police will never demand cash to be paid to resolve an incident, nor request funds transferred through bitcoin.
VicPD advises that if you are contacted by someone claiming to be an officer who asks you for money that you simply hang up.
However, in the event that you do give out personal information or money, police say you should immediately contact your financial institution to stop all unauthorized payments.
Inform your financial institution about the fraud, change your passwords and access information to your accounts.
You should also contact the VicPD non-emergency number at 250-995-7654 to report the incident.
If you receive a call but do not give out money or personal information, it is not necessary to report the incident to police.
However, you can reach out to the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre by calling 1-888-495-8501 or by visiting their website online.
VicPD have more information on fraud and how to protect yourself at vicpd.ca/fraud
What started out as a simple shoplifting investigation at a Langford store has led police to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen property as far away as Markham, Ontario.
In July, investigators with the West Shore RCMP initially set out to identify two women, accused of stealing over $3,000 worth of high end cosmetics products from a Shoppers Drug Mart store on Jacklin Road.
Each of these incidents allegedly involved the same two women and, in one case, one additional male suspect.
After analyzing a series of surveillance videos and following up on leads, officers were able to identify the male suspect as a resident of Markham, Ontario.
“That’s when we contacted York Regional Police and sought assistance in our investigation,” said Cpl. Fred Ritchie, West Shore RCMP Crime Reduction Unit.
“York Regional Police monitored the address in Markham, Ontario and observed boxes filled with stolen items from all over Canada were being delivered to Markham, Ontario.”
Investigators thus uncovered a major national stolen goods operation, involving thefts at stores across B.C., Alberta, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and those goods then shipped to Ontario.
A follow up investigation by the York Regional Police Department led them to recover more than $250,000 in stolen property, including cosmetics, perfume, health care products, smoke alarms, electric hand tools and many other items. Over $67,000 in cash was also seized.
A total of 13 people are now facing charges in connection with this operation:
(York Regional Police)
Photos of the stolen goods, courtesy of the York Regional Police department are below:
Deadpool filmed at Hatley Castle (@vancityrenyolds / Instagram)
One of the most famous British Columbians has answered our Premier’s plea for help in classic Deadpool style.
With rising COVID-19 cases in recent weeks being attributed to people in their 20s and 30s attending large parties, Premier John Horgan called on Ryan Reynolds and Seth Rogan to get in touch with him and help spread the message that large gatherings help spread the virus.
“Minister Dix and I have been talking about the importance of making sure that younger demographics are hearing the message. This is a call out to Deadpool right now,” said Horgan at a press briefing earlier this week.
“Ryan, we need your help up here. Get in touch with us…Seth Rogen and other outstanding British Columbians, we need to communicate with people who aren’t hearing us. The two of you alone could help us in that regard.”
Just two days later, Reynolds responded with an audio message on Twitter with the caption “Called your office. Left a message.”
In his well-known comedic style, the B.C.-born Hollywood star started his message by denying that he could actually be of help.
“I don’t think they want medical advice from guys like me… No sir. Unless it’s plastic surgery which…a lot of people don’t know this but I used to be Hugh Jackman,” says Reynolds.
But he goes on to bring up some excellent points like how young people partying is dangerous, that thousands of young people are dying for coronavirus, and that it affects the most vulnerable populations.
“B.C. is home to some of the coolest older people on earth, I mean David Suzuki. He lives there! And my mom,” he adds.
Reynolds goes on to talk about his mom’s prospective cougar exploits on Kitsilano beach, before getting back to the point.
“I hope that young people in B.C. don’t kill my mom, frankly, or David Suzuki, or each other. Let’s not kill anyone, I think that’s reasonable.”
He ends his ingenious message with an example of his kind of party: sitting alone in a room with a glass of gin and the “first 32 seasons of Gossip Girl”.
For those who (somehow) don’t know, Reynolds’ wife and prominent American actress Blakey Lively played the role of lead character ‘Selena van der Woodsen’ in the CW drama television series Gossip Girl.
The reference to a glass of gin isn’t out of the blue either: Reynolds is the owner (or at least part owner) of craft gin company, Aviation gin.
With its inflections of comedic genius combined with an important message for the youth of B.C., this audio clip is made to be viral and fast gathering steam among Twitterati.
The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) have taken one woman into custody after a four-hour long barricade, and a prior break-in to a vehicle dealership.
On Thursday, August 13 at around 8:20 p.m., Victoria Police patrol officers responded to reports that a woman had broken into a vehicle dealership in the 500-block of Frances Ave.
The woman allegedly tried to steal a vehicle while inside and drove the car into the dealership’s garage doors. Before police arrived, the suspect reportedly fled the business, leaving the car running inside.
While officers were searching for the suspect, a call came in at about 10:40 p.m. in which residents of a property in the 400 block of Burnside Road E reported that they had returned home to find an unknown woman inside.
Police arrived to find that the woman had barricaded herself in the basement of the property and, through conversations with her, established that she was the same suspect that had broken into the nearby dealership earlier that night.
GVERT, including crisis negotiators were then called in and worked for several hours to resolve the incident.
However police say negotiations failed, and at around 2:15 a.m., GVERT officers entered the house, deployed a noise distraction device, and deployed a non-lethal ARWEN round to take the suspect into custody.
She was taken to hospital for assessment where she was medically cleared. The suspect was then transported to cells and held for morning court.
The suspect faces recommended charges of break and enter with intent.
The investigation into both the break-ins is ongoing.
The Canada-U.S. border closure has been extended for another month, as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to escalate south of the border.
According to federal Minister of Public Safety, Bill Blair, the extension means the border will remain closed to non-essential travellers until September 21, 2020.
“We will continue to do what’s necessary to keep our communities safe,” said Blair.
We are extending the reciprocal restrictions at the Canada-US border for another 30 days, till Sept. 21, 2020. We will continue to do what’s necessary to keep our communities safe.
The initial border closure was announced in March, as a collaborative effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
As always, essential border crossings and trade movements will not be impeded by these measures.
The closure agreement exempts the flow of trade and commerce, as well as vital health care workers such as nurses who live and work on opposite sides of the border.
As of August 13, COVID-19 transmission continued to climb at an alarming rate in the U.S. as the country recorded over 55,000 new cases for a total of 5.4 million cases.
By comparison, Canada had 390 new cases yesterday for a total of 121,234.
More like Fri-YAY, right? Victoria Buzz has all the cool activities and events about town in one convenient place.
As you head out to activities and events, please follow the restrictions and guidelines that these businesses require to keep their employees and patrons safe during the pandemic.
As always, wash your hands, wear masks, practice physical distancing, and stay home if you feel sick or show symptoms!
Without further ado, here are five things to do today, Friday, August 14th:
Rollerskate Victoria hosts a free family friendly Rollerskate night on Uptown Boulevard! Rollerskates will be provided but attendees are encouraged to bring their own. Uptown representatives will provide masks to anyone who requests one. Further details on the event can be found in our article here.
Vancouver Island Brewing is hosting a different food truck every Friday on its patio. This Friday they are welcoming Rogue, a purveyor of tasty sandwiches, poutine, fish tacos, and more.
When: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Vancouver Island Brewing, 2330 Government Street
The City of Victoria is continuing its program to distribute seedlings to provide food and education about sustainability. Fall/winter vegetables will be available, including green onions, peas, kohlrabi and more. Pre-register through eventbrite or by emailing coordinator@npna.ca to guarantee yourself a plant, or visit Franklin Green in person for a chance to pick some up. Masks are recommended!
When: 11am-2pm
Where: Franklin Green (behind Wellburn’s Market at 1058 Pandora Avenue)
The Blue Hearts formed as a duo in 2016 but recently added James Young on stand-up bass, and are playing as The Blue Hearts Trio at Hermann’s Jazz Club. They will WOW you with their authentic brand of Blues, including original compositions and classic favourites.
A Vancouver Island resident is out several hundred dollars after attempting to keep a baby deer.
During a press briefing on Thursday, the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) says that a fawn was seized from a Cumberland residence on August 12.
The person who decided to keep the fawn was issued a fine of $345 for unlawful possession of live wildlife.
According to BCCOS Deputy Chief Chris Doyle, the baby deer was taken in for a health assessment and will be released in the wild if it is healthy enough.
This is the second time this summer that a Vancouver Island resident has been fined for taking in reportedly abandoned wildlife.
In June, the BCCOS announced that they had been receiving a much higher number of calls than normal about orphaned fawns picked up by residents on Vancouver Island.
In response, Doyle reminded the public that deer often leave their young for several hours at a time and that this does not mean the fawns are orphaned.
For most cases, Conservation Officers advised the residents of where the leave the fawns for the mother to find. In some cases, officers had to attend in person to reunite the baby deer with their mother.
B.C. residents can report all wildlife-human interactions that put the public and animals at risk by calling 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP) or #7277 on the TELUS Mobility Network.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 78 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province today, bringing the total number of cases in to 4,274 in the province.
In total, 1,306 of the cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 2,242 in Fraser Health, 150 in Vancouver Island Health region, 398 in Interior Health, 106 in Northern Health region, and 72 people whose residence is outside of Canada.
The number of active cases has spiked by 47 to 578 in B.C.
There are a total of eight people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, four of whom are in critical care — ICU or acute care units.
No new deaths were reported today, and the death toll stands at 196 in total.
A total of 3,500 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
1,878 close contacts are now in isolation after being exposed to COVID-19.
Outbreaks
There have been no new health care facility outbreaks over the past 24 hours. In total, seven long-term care or assisted living facilities and one acute care facility have active outbreaks.
One new community outbreak has been reported at the Okanagan Correctional Centre where three staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.
There also continue to be a number of ongoing COVID-19 exposure sites. B.C. residents are urged to check the BC CDC website for all public alerts about possible exposures to the virus.
Those who may have been exposed are asked to monitor their symptoms, reduce the number of contacts they have, and call 811 to get tested for the virus if they do develop symptoms.
Island Health region
No new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Island Health region today.
There have been 150 total cases of COVID-19 in the region, five of whom have died, and 141 people have recovered.
This means there remain four active cases in the region.
Thus far, there have been 293,127 novel coronavirus tests conducted across B.C., 42,873 of which were done in the Island Health region.
The BCCDC has set up a 2019 novel coronavirus telephone information line at 1-833-784-4397 for those who have further questions about this disease.
Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.
The Province has also created the 1-888-COVID-19 line to connect British Columbians needing non-medical information about the coronavirus pandemic.
As of the time of publication, the total number of COVID-19 patients worldwide has risen to 21,033,245.
Over 751,840 people have died from the illness and 13,877,643 have made a full recovery.
Earlier this week, the B.C. Ministry of Education announced a slower start to the school year this fall in order to give teachers and staff more time to acquaint themselves with health and safety measures implemented due to COVID-19.
This announcement means students will return to classrooms on September 10 instead of September 8 as originally planned.
Teachers and staff, on the other hand, will head back on September 8 and spend two days meeting with their school’s joint health and safety committee to go over how guidelines developed with the BC Centre for Disease Control and provincial health officer will work at their school.
“We have been calling for some time for health and safety orientation training for school staff at the beginning of the school year,” said BC Teachers’ Federation President Teri Mooring in a phone interview with Victoria Buzz.
“So I’m heartened to hear that the Ministry is devoting two days for that work to take place, and I think this is a good start.”
The BC Teachers’ Federation was initially critical of the government’s decision to send all K-12 students back to classrooms without an adjustment period in place, and called for more time.
Mooring says the Province’s slightly more phased-in approach is a step in the right direction.
These decisions were made by a steering committee and working groups, through consultation with the provincial health officer. The BCTF has two representatives on this steering committee and 25 active classroom teachers who are involved in the working groups.
According to Mooring, the two day period for teachers to learn the logistics of how new COVID-19 safety measures will work on the ground is a good start but the BCTF will advocate for more time should the need arise.
As it stands, B.C.’s school restart plan is in Stage two of a five stage approach, meaning students will return to class full time but remain in learning pods of 60 or 120 people, depending on what grade they are in.
“We knew there was a chance that we might enter the school year in one stage and move to another stage. We hope that doesn’t happen but we think it could,” said Mooring, referring to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the province in recent weeks.
(BC Gov)
One point of contention in B.C.’s restart plan for the K-12 system is that of requiring mandatory masks in spaces where physical distancing is not possible for students and teachers to maintain—like on buses and in common areas.
Thus far Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and her team of public health officials have been adamant in keeping a mandatory face covering policy out of the school system.
However not everyone agrees.
“I do think there needs to be plans in place for masks to be required in certain situations and it can’t be ambiguous,” said Mooring on that subject.
“I’m quite confident that the policy will be in place before the school starts. There need to be measures in place that people know will keep them safe and that’s one of the basic ones.”
Furthermore, within learning groups of 60 or 120, Dr. Henry has maintained that students will still be minimizing contact and keeping distance from one another.
However Mooring says this would be difficult to achieve in the status quo, given that the most common class size from Grades 4 to 12 include 30 students plus the teacher and support staff.
“We’re calling for reduced classroom density in order to facilitate physical distancing… because it’s not realistic that physical distancing is going to be possible [in classrooms],” adds Mooring.
She also stated that work is currently underway to make sure there are alternate spaces available for students and staff to be able to maintain distances in school.
The topic of reducing classroom density is ongoing in the steering committee that informs the decisions made by the Ministry of Education on the province’s school restart plan.
Mooring adds that this is a particularly nerve wracking and stressful time for teachers, staff and parents alike but there is a need for patience as details are in the process of being worked out.
“Right now, working groups are developing frameworks and resources for districts to use in their planning,” she said.
“It’s likely that district details hopefully are communicated a little earlier but the planning process won’t be complete until the end of August.”
VicPD are asking the public for help identifying a suspect who assaulted a store employee during a daytime theft Wednesday morning.
Officers were called to the 1900-block of Oak Bay Avenue for a report that a man had been assaulted.
A victim on scene suffered non-life-threatening but potentially life-altering injuries and was being assisted by bystanders when police arrived.
He was transported to hospital for treatment.
According to witnesses the victim was a store employee who intervened when a suspect attempted to steal items.
The suspect then assaulted the employee and fled, injuring a second victim who did not require immediate medical attention.
Police describe the suspect as a Caucasian man wearing a black ball cap with a yellow rim, a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey with the number 7, grey baggy jeans and black sneakers with white soles.
The suspect left the area accompanied by a woman, and police believe they may have gotten into a taxi to flee the scene.
Police are still investigating and ask that anyone with information about the incident contact the non-emergency line at 250-995-7654, ext. 1.
Those wishing to report anonymously can call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The B.C. provincial government is urging employers and employees to apply together for temporary layoff provisions before an application deadline on Aug. 25.
Temporary layoffs were recently extended in June to a maximum period of 24 weeks following a lengthy summer of COVID-19 impacting business operations.
After today’s announcement, employers and employees can apply for variances to temporary layoffs that allow for changes to standards such as daily hours, paydays, and the maximum length of a temporary layoff.
Minister of Labour Harry Bains says that the provisions are aimed at preserving relationships between employers and employees and ensuring that workers can return to positions as COVID-19 restrictions ease.
He says employers and employees can jointly apply using an online portal to expedite applications and to ensure they are not impacted by severance pay and other penalties.
“We have seen a steady increase in applications over the past weeks,” said Bains during a news conference on Thursday.
“For some, missing this deadline could result in significant severance payments due to temporary layoffs becoming permanent layoffs, which could make their restart even more difficult.”
The government has updated the application process to provide an online portal for applicants that also includes templates for agreements.
Victoria has been ranked as the fifth most expensive city in Canada for apartment rentals, according to a monthly report.
Listing website PadMapper’s August Canadian Rent Report says that the average price for a one-bedroom apartment in Victoria was $1,590 as of July 2020.
That figure is down 0.6 per cent from last month. Two-bedroom prices in B.C.’s capital city held steady from last month at $1,990.
On a yearly basis, prices for both apartment types are up 15 per cent.
The report analyzed hundreds of thousands of listings across the country to calculate median rents in the 24 most populous metro areas in Canada.
Victoria dropped one place from last month’s report and now sits behind Barrie, ON, where prices jumped 5.1 per cent—the highest monthly growth in the country.
Ahead of Barrie in fourth place, the three most expensive cities in Canada were:
Toronto – one-bedroom rent stayed flat at $2,100, while two-bedrooms decreased 1.9% to $2,650. Year to year rents fell, with one bedroom apartment prices dropping 7-8%.
Vancouver – One-bedroom rent took a 0.5% dip to $2,060, while two-bedrooms dropped 2.4% to $2,800. On a year-over-year basis, one and two-bedroom prices have fallen 6.4% and 9.4%, respectively.
Burnaby – saw one-bedroom rent increase 1.2% last month to $1,710, while two-bedrooms remained flat at $2,300. One-bedroom rent rose 8.9% since this time last year.
Kelowna jumped two positions from last month to rest just outside the top five at sixth place, with one-bedroom apartments increasing 4.2 per cent in price to $1,480.
The highest monthly drop in prices was in Saskatoon, where one-bedrooms fell 2.2 per cent to $890, and two-bedrooms decreased 4.6 per cent to $1,040.
The University of Victoria has announced the appointment of the eighth President in their 57-year-long history.
Kevin Hall, currently serving as Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President Global Engagement & Partnerships at the University of Newcastle in Australia, will be taking over the role of President at UVic starting November 1, 2020.
“After an extensive international search, the committee decided that Dr. Kevin Hall is exactly the right choice to lead the University of Victoria as its next president,” said UVic Board of Governors Chair Cathy McIntyre in a statement Thursday morning.
“Dr. Hall has the research and executive experience to advance UVic’s global reputation and stature in all its activities. He has a deep commitment to the impact universities can make in their communities, to equity, diversity and inclusion, and to advancing our goals on truth, respect and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.”
Hall’s appointment comes after a year-long search process involving input from the Board of Governors, Senate, faculties, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and the UVic Alumni association, according to a statement from the university.
He has previously served the University of Guelph as vice-president for research and external partnerships.
Hall comes from a background of civil engineering, and has conducted research on water quality modelling and environmental monitoring, pathogen detection systems, and water and health in marginalized communities.
He will be replacing current President Jamie Cassels who was first appointed to the role in July 2013.
Victoria Police officers and Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team Crisis Negotiators are working to extricate suspects believed to be barricaded inside a Cook Street apartment.
Police initially arrived at the multi-unit residential building in the 2300-block of Cook Street for reports of a robbery at around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Upon arrival, they learned that one man was assaulted with a weapon during the robbery. He suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to hospital for treatment.
Police believe that suspects in the robbery are currently barricaded inside a suite in the building.
GVERT Crisis Negotiators are now working to safely take them into custody.
Citing a major increase in overdose deaths in recent months, the B.C. Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions has announced a major investment that will double the number of beds available for youth seeking mental health and substance use treatment.
Through a $36 million investment delivered over two years between 2022 and 2023, the province will create 123 new beds for youth substance-use treatment and withdrawal-management services.
These beds will serve youth aged 12-24 and double the number of beds currently available to them.
“For too long, young people and their families have faced long waits for treatment and a fragmented mental health and addictions system,” said Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
“Especially in these challenging times, young people shouldn’t have to wait for care. There’s much more to do, and we’re going to keep building a full continuum of mental health and addictions care for everyone in B.C.”
According to the province, the first round of beds will be in place by the end of this fiscal year, but it remains to be seen what parts of the province they will be placed in.
During the press conference on Thursday, Darcy stated that the locations of these new services would be determined based on which communities were hardest hit by the fentanyl poisoning crisis.
Victoria has consistently had the third most number of overdose deaths per month, according to BC Coroners Service’s monthly reports.
67 people in Victoria have lost their lives to drugs in the first six months of 2020. To put this into perspective, 61 people overdosed on drugs in all of 2019 in the city.
