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(Sidney/North Saanich RCMP - Victoria Emergency Photography)
A stolen trailer and its contents have been returned to their rightful owner, after Sidney/North Saanich RCMP received a tip from a concerned citizen.
On the morning of April 8th, a local resident reported to the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP that they noticed some activity happening near the sewage plant on Sa Su Road that might be suspicious.
When Sidney RCMP arrived on scene, they located an enclosed trailer that appeared to be broken into.
After investigating further, they determined that the trailer had been stolen from Malaview Avenue in Sidney, where it had was storing with thousands of dollars in welding equipment that was now missing.
Sidney/North Saanich RCMP were able to locate some of the stolen items in the following days, and a suspect was identified.
Sidney RCMP General Investigations conducted many inquiries with local businesses throughout Sidney, looking to locate video surveillance identifying the suspects.
The Forensic Identification Section out of Victoria was also asked to assist with this investigation, and a search warrant was drafted for the remainder of the stolen items, which were recovered at a later date.
“This file shows the hard work done by the members of the Sidney RCMP everyday,” says Detachment Commander Sgt Wayne Conley.
“The victim got their property back and can get back to work, and a suspect was identified. This file was successful because of the help of the public in identifying the vehicle used in the theft, and because of the extra effort put in by the investigators.”
This file is still under investigation, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Sidney North Saanich RCMP Detachment, their local police, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
The 31st annual Victoria Symphony Splash set to take place this summer has been cancelled.
The announcement comes after provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s statement this month that there will be no events this summer that require gatherings of more than 50 people.
The musical event is one of the largest annual symphony performances in North America, and attracts over 40,000 spectators from all over the world each year.
“We promise this does not mean the end of Splash or the Victoria Symphony in our community this year, and we are now shifting our focus to our 2020/21 fall season as well as planning for the 2021 Splash,” reads a statement from Victoria Symphony.
To compensate for patrons missing out on this year’s season, organizers of the event have built a Musician’s Corner section of their website that allows people to view archived videos of past concerts including Symphony Splash, interviews with the Maestro, an Ask a Musician section, and more.
Those who had tickets to the Symphony Splash or other concerts are encouraged to donate them Victoria Symphony and receive a charitable tax receipt, as a way to support the organization financially.
Anyone who wishes to request a refund can get one by contacting the box office by phone at 250-385-6515 or by email boxoffice@victoriasymphony.ca.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed this morning that one Canadian military member is dead, and five others are currently still missing after a NATO naval task force helicopter crashed in waters between Greece and Italy Wednesday night.
The body of the crew member was recovered from debris from the crash, though searches for the helicopter itself are still underway.
The first victim was identified by her parents as Abbigail Cowbrough, a 23-year-old marine system engineering officer from Nova Scotia.
“I am broken and gutted,” Shane Cowbrough, Abigail’s father wrote in a Facebook post.
“Today I lost my oldest daughter Abbigail Cowbrough in the crash involving the Cyclone from HMCS Fredericton. There are no words. You made me forever proud. I will love you always, and miss you in every moment. You are the bright light in my life taken far too soon.”
Aboard the helicopter were four Royal Canadian Air Force members and two Royal Canadian Navy members.
“All of them are heroes. Each of them will leave a void that cannot be filled,” Trudeau said.
The helicopter was based on HMCS Fredericton which had recently sailed from Souda, Greece, as part of a mission of maritime situational awareness in the Mediterranean.
This included exercises with the Turkish Navy and Greece’s Hellenic Navy and Air Force this past week.
As the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter is still currently missing, aircraft from Canada, Italy and Turkey are carrying out search operations with additional support from Greece and the U.S., according to NATO.
The Royal Canadian Air Force’s Cyclone helicopters generally carry a crew of four, including two pilots, a tactical operator and a sensor operator with space for several passengers.
They are primarily based on naval vessels and used for hunting submarines, surveillance and search and rescue.
I am broken and gutted. Today I lost my oldest daughter Abbigail Cowbrough in the crash involving the Cyclone from HMCS…
B.C. will start trialing potential antibody or serology tests on patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and are therefore most likely to have developed antibodies for the virus.
Serological tests are diagnostic blood tests used to determine whether an individual has developed antibodies in response to an infection.
At the moment, Canada has not approved any serology tests to be conducted on the general population.
However on Tuesday, B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that the BCCDC has been testing 17 different versions of serology tests, a couple of which show promise.
Public health authorities are developing protocols as early as this week to trial these tests on some of the people who have recovered from the virus to see if the tests detect their antibodies.
“The challenge has been with some of the tests, for example ones in California, the parameters are not that great so there are both false positives and negatives,” said Dr. Henry.
BCCDC already has blood samples from people in the community ready to test using the serological tests. Dr. Henry says this will give scientists an understanding of whether anyone had antibodies against the virus before the start of the outbreak.
She says there are plans to test another cross section of population in early May with a second test in six months, in order to give time for the antibodies to develop.
Testing a broader selection of B.C. residents will also help public health authorities understand how many cases went undetected during the first wave of the pandemic.
“We want to know as we go forward, as we identify cases or clusters, how can we use serology to see who might have had it and been missed in the past. So we’re working on that protocol,” said Dr. Henry.
According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, there are four types of serology tests, the fastest of which can provide results in 10 to 30 minutes. This Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) tells us whether or not antibodies are present within a sample, but cannot determine the amount of antibodies or whether they can prevent virus growth.
A second type of test, called ELISA takes two to five hours to complete, and can determine the presence of antibodies and whether or not they are able to inhibit virus growth.
Currently there are six serological tests approved for use in the United States, all of which are either RDT or ELISA tests.
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 3,216,353.
Over 227,800 people have died from the illness and 999,217 have made a full recovery.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 34 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province today, bringing the total number cases in B.C. to 2,087 people.
In total, 811 of these cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 941 in Fraser Health, 120 on Vancouver Island, 169 in Interior Health and 46 in Northern Health region.
Dr. Henry says the majority of active cases now are linked to the known cluster outbreaks described below.
There are now a total of 89 people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, 35 of whom are in critical care – ICU or acute care units — showing a continued decline in hospitalizations.
Sadly, four new deaths were reported today and the death toll is now at 109 in total across the province.
In good news, a total of 1,305 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
Outbreaks
There are two new outbreaks at a long term care facilities across B.C. 13 outbreaks have now been declared over.
In total, 24 facilities and three acute-care units have active outbreaks. 404 people at those facilities have tested positive for the virus. This includes 252 residents and 152 staff.
The coronavirus outbreak at the Mission Institute federal correctional facility continues to have 120 people who have tested positive for COVID-19, 108 of whom are inmates while the rest are staff.
The outbreak at a Vancouver chicken processing and packaging plant, United Poultry Company, now has 42 employees who tested positive for COVID-19.
Its sister plant, the Superior Poultry processing plant in Coquitlam now has 50 test-positive cases of patients who have contracted the virus.
There continue to be 11 COVID-19 cases connected to workers returning from the Kearl Lake oil sands project in Alberta, as per the latest updates.
Island Health region
Specific data for the Vancouver Island Health region shows that there are 120 total cases of COVID-19 in the area.
BCCDC data shows that as of April 28th, 86 people have recovered in the Island Health region and there have now been four virus-related deaths in total.
This means there are now 30 active cases in the region.
Five people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized in the Island Health region as of today, according to Minister Adrian Dix.
Dr. Henry added that COVID-19 testing is now available to anyone in our community who has symptoms, including those who have very mild symptoms. Tests are also being used extensively to identify cluster outbreaks.
“The random testing of people with no symptoms is of little value. That type of testing leads to both false positives and false negatives and it’s not a reliable mechanism to understand what’s happening in our communities,” said Dr. Henry.
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 3,127,947.
Over 216,900 people have died from the illness and 950,753 have made a full recovery.
Starbucks Canada has announced intentions to reopen as many stores as possible across the country by the end of May.
When each store will reopen is being determined on a community-by-community basis, according to the coffee chain, as different places have flattened the COVID-19 curve by varying degrees.
Most Starbucks cafés were shut down entirely and service was reduced to drive-thru, delivery and takeout.
According to the company, the stores that provided reduced services have allowed Starbucks to test and refine a new model of operation that they will implement at all stores moving forward.
“A lot has changed over the last six weeks,” said Starbucks Canada President Lori Digulla in a letter to employees on Wednesday.
“As we enter this new phase, we know that we can evolve how we serve our customers as restrictions begin to lift and we are ready to continue to be fluid in how we serve our communities.”
Starbucks will monitor and adjust its operations, making decisions to open additional stores or expand services — like curbside pick-up or walk-in orders — on a community-by-community basis working closely with local leadership, health authorities, and provincial governments as regulations change.
Operations will resume in as many stores as possible by the end of May, with more locations offering drive-thru, pick up, and delivery service to start with.
Mandatory safety measures at Starbucks branches for employees include masks or face coverings, temperature checks ahead of each shift, extra cleaning protocols, and plexiglass shields at the register.
B.C. Premier John Horgan has extended the province’s state of emergency a third time, and will therefore remain in place for two more weeks.
The Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth initially declared a state of emergency on March 18th which was in effect for 14 days.
It was then extended twice by Premier Horgan, once on March 31st and again on April 15th.
Today’s announcement further extends the state of emergency until the end of day on May 13th, 2020. Declarations of emergency can be extended by the province by increments of 14 days at a time.
Premier Horgan addressed the public after his weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to assure everyone that the economy will be returning to “something resembling normal in the near term”.
Specific plans to increase economic activity will be announced next week, but the Premier says their approach will be “slow, methodical, and phased.”
Unlike other provinces that are now restarting various sectors of their economy, B.C. will not be making that announcement as industries were never fully shut down to begin with.
“The approach of BC was to focus on how could we keep sectors operating safely rather than shutting them down until we could open them up again,” said Horgan. Next week’s announcements will relate to increasing economic activity rather than restarting individual sectors.
After giving credit to the restaurant sector for coming up with innovative ways to function safely, Horgan says he is now asking individual industries to present their ideas on how they may adapt to to the new normal.
The provincial government is also working with WorkSafe BC to come up with specific guidelines for businesses to follow once they reopen.
“Physical distancing is going to be here for a long time and we all need to get our head around that,” added Horgan, speaking to the measures that everyone needs to keep taking in the foreseeable future.
Horgan says B.C. has made great progress in flattening the curve in comparison with other provinces, and must continue to keep following health precautions.
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 3,197,198.
Over 226,500 people have died from the illness and 992,900 have made a full recovery.
One of Canada’s largest retailers is now extending a helping hand to small businesses, creating an aisle within select stores for them to showcase their local products.
London Drugs announced on Tuesday that space will now be available on the stores shelves for businesses to highlight items they’re selling, many who have had to close their doors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a really hard time for many small businesses, and we are in a unique position where we can really help out,” said London Drugs President and COO Clint Mahlman.
“As a 75-year-old Canadian owned and operated company we have always supported fellow Canadian businesses and now is the time more than ever, to come together.”
The company’s plan is to turn centre aisles in select stores into ‘Local Central,’ and small businesses across Western Canada will be invited to immediately submit products for consideration.
“Whether you sell coffee, local honey, or your restaurant’s graphic T-shirts, London Drugs is here to help,” Mahlman said.
Small business owners can apply online and must meet a handful of restrictions such as:
Must have a valid Canadian business license or permit.
Business must be based in Western Canada (B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba).
No alcohol, cannabis or tobacco products.
Products must be physical items (cannot be service-based).
Businesses deemed essential services (e.g. grocery stores) that are operating at full capacity do not qualify.
Products must not require refrigeration or freezing.
As of April 28th, BC Housing has moved a total of 41 people into indoor shelter spaces at hotel rooms.
An order issued by Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, requires the encampments at Topaz Park, along Pandora Ave, and at Oppenheimer Park in Vancouver to be dismantled by May 9th.
Everyone residing in those encampments need to be moved into hotel rooms or otherwise designated shelter spaces by that date.
As of April 25th, there were 360 vulnerable people living on Pandora Avenue and in the Topaz Park homeless encampment.
Today, BC Housing announced that 41 of those people have been moved into shelter spaces, and outreach teams remain on the ground working with people one-on-one to find indoor options that best meet their needs.
“We are supporting people who have been living outdoors in these camps for some time now,” reads a tweet from BC Housing.
“We have been working with them for weeks, if not months, and are now taking steps to get a roof over their heads.”
(Ministerial order at Pandora Ave/Photo by Tim Ford)
Hotels have been identified by the province as temporary shelter options for homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic as they are currently empty in most B.C. cities due to travel restrictions.
The province has also secured spaces for women only — including an entire facility just for women in Victoria — shelter spaces for youth, and culturally specific locations for Indigenous people after identifying specific needs.
Transfer to hotel spaces are referrals-only, meaning BC Housing, its non-profit partners, and health authorities choose who goes to which hotel and when, after outreach workers speak to individuals on the ground to assess their needs.
Meals and cleaning services are provided daily to those staying at shelters, and staff on site provide specific supports as needed by individuals. Staff have also been monitoring people going in and out of the hotel buildings and preventing guests from entering the buildings.
The transition process and services provided to people living at these facilities over the next few months will be funded by the $40 million allocated to BC Housing in March.
Hotels & civic centres are an interim step. These sites are also accommodating people from shelters or other precarious housing. Some people are also moving directly into permanent housing. BC Housing is committed to helping people long-term w/ permanent housing solutions. 6/6
These interim housing spaces at hotels are being rented by BC Housing for a period of three to six months.
Once that period of time is over, the province will work to acquire permanent supportive housing units to try and ensure that people do not return to homelessness after the pandemic.
To that end, BC Housing will be looking at acquiring some of the hotels and motels that are currently being leased for long term use to shelter homeless populations.
Authorities are also looking at accelerating the construction of temporary modular housing units at locations across B.C.
As for COVID-19 concerns, both Victoria and Vancouver have begun testing protocols for vulnerable populations.
According to Dr. Richard Stanwick, Chief Medical Health Officer for the Island Health region, no one at the Topaz Park encampment or on Pandora Ave has thus far tested positive for the virus.
“Our major concern right now is people bringing COVID-19 into those groups rather than the group being a primary source of transmission,” said Dr. Stanwick.
A large number of vulnerable people were displaced and forced into the streets of Victoria and Vancouver after homeless shelters had to shut down, as they did not have adequate room for people to maintain a distance of six feet from each other during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similar measures are being taken in Vancouver, where authorities are also working to secure hotels and emergency response centres to house homeless people living at Oppenheimer Park in the Downtown East Side.
BC Housing will be taking responsibility of professionally cleaning each hotel after it has housed homeless people before handing it back to owners.
An 18-year-old in the West Shore won’t go down in history as a criminal mastermind, at least judging by the reason why he’s currently under investigation.
On April 28th, the “self-proclaimed drug dealer” surprised police after he called them to advise he had been robbed near the bus loop at the Juan De Fuca Recreation Centre in Colwood.
“Investigators answered the call and learned that the complainant was actually a suspected drug dealer who was allegedly selling Xanax pills at the time of the robbery,” said Cst. Nancy Saggar of the West Shore RCMP.
He told West Shore RCMP officers that he was bear sprayed then jumped by two men who stole pills and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police located the suspects — aged 15 and 19 — a short time after they used the stolen money to purchase liquor. Both youths arrested without incident.
The Xanax pills, liquor and bear spray were seized.
An investigation into all three individuals is ongoing.
The Canadian Armed Forces’ famed Snowbirds aerobatics team will embark on a cross-country flyover tour starting this weekend, in an effort to boost morale across the nation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the tour during his daily press conference on Wednesday, saying Canadians will see the Snowbirds begin their flyovers in Nova Scotia this weekend and work their way west throughout next week.
The flyovers look to salute everyone working to flatten the curve amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and hope to dazzle the skies and inspire Canadians to continue.
“As we watch the Snowbirds fly over our homes, let’s remember we are all in this together,” said Trudeau during his announcement.
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds paused operations on March 20th to preserve the team’s health, and the members have been at home physically distancing since then.
They will embark on two days of training ahead of the planned flyovers.
“Every year, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds travel the country putting smiles on the faces of Canadians,” said Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger, Commander Royal Canadian Air Force.
“While Canadians may not be able to gather at air shows for now, we’re honoured to bring the Snowbirds team to Canadians and to pay special tribute to them.”
In a sattement, the CAF urged Canadians to watch the flyovers from the safety of their homes, and to continue to practice physical distancing by not travelling to see the shows.
The team will release anticipated locations, routes, and times on their social media platforms each day prior to the flyovers.
Flyovers will occur at an elevation no lower than 500 feet above all obstacles.
Now that Canadians have been social distancing for over a month, nearly everyone is starting to experience the negative effects of staying away from loved ones.
Kids, in particular, aren’t able to hang out with their friends and socialize like they normally would… and not being able to have a party on your birthday can be doubly isolating.
That’s where the Saanich Fire Department stepped in with a plan that’s been putting a smile on everyone’s faces.
Since last week, firefighters have been driving by the homes of birthday kids, sirens blaring, creating a celebratory moment for the whole neighbourhood.
Engine 1 stopped by and wished Beckett Happy Birthday 🥳 today!
We’ve received lots of emails and it’s been very well received by the public,” said Lt. Inspector Sean Lillis, in a phone call with Victoria Buzz. “We’re actually going to three birthday parties today!”
According to Lillis, the Deputy Chief of the fire department had the idea to introduce firetruck drive-bys in Saanich after observing departments in the U.S. start the trend.
The idea has been widely popular with the community as firefighters are booked for drive-bys all the way into May.
“It’s been amazing. The kids are super excited; they love it,” says Lillis.
“The whole neighbourhoods come out on the entire street to support the drive by, support first responders, and support the kid(s) whose birthday it is. It’s actually become a way for people in the street to connect with each other while still maintaining the social distancing.”
The department is doing drive-bys for kids’ birthdays aged four to 12 years old, and require at least two business days’ notice to organize it.
Residents who request a drive-by must live in the municipality of Saanich, and should take place before 5 p.m.
“We want to encourage people to do this, as it’s a great program and our firefighters like it too,” said Lillis.
“A lot of the times, the firefighters are connecting with people in an emergency situation so this is a way for them to connect in a more positive way.”
Those who wish to request a birthday drive-by and shoutout can do so by emailing the Saanich Fire Department at fireprevention@saanich.ca.
If you’re feeling like this summer might be a weird one, you’re probably right — but don’t fret!
The sweet, creamy refreshment of a Dairy Queen Blizzard is most definitely still a thing, even if you have to get one via drive-thru or SkipTheDishes.
Dairy Queen has dropped their new summer menu right when our spirits need boosting the most, and there are some delectable treats on there we personally can’t wait to get our hands on (after washing them, of course).
Along with the classic summertime favourite Cotton Candy, newly announced for this year’s menu is flavours like Wonder Woman Cookie Collision, OREO Cheesecake, Coffee Crisp and Raspberry Fudge Bliss.
The Wonder Woman consists of chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge, all blended into their classic creamy vanilla base.
Oreo Cheesecake is made up of OREO cookies, choco cookie crunch, and cheesecake pieces coming together in perfect harmony.
Raspberry Fudge combines real raspberries with soft fudge pieces and choco chunks.
And if you’re looking for a midday pick-me-up with your ice cream treat, Coffee Crisp is pieces of the caffeine-flavoured candy bar combined with a chocolatey topping.
If cones are more your style, the sweet shop is once again offering its famed electric blue Cotton Candy dipped cone.
All of these seasonal treats are available at participating restaurants — but only for the summer!
Saanich is moving forward with approving a property tax rate increase of 2.4 per cent for homeowners in the municipality.
Several municipalities in the CRD — Victoria, Colwood, and Sidney — have eliminated their annual property tax hike altogether in an effort to alleviate financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At their meeting on April 27th, Saanich council approved their 2020 Tax Rate Bylaw that reduces the previously approved tax increase from 3.74 per cent down to 2.4 per cent.
The initial budget proposal offered an even higher tax increase of 7.2 per cent which was brought down to 3.74 per cent on March 31st.
“Our intention with this year’s budget is to provide as much relief as possible to all of our residents who are feeling the financial impacts of COVID-19 while continuing our existing service levels,” said Mayor Fred Haynes in a statement.
“The limited increase balances the need for relief without having to reduce the essential services that our residents depend on and enjoy.”
According to the municipality, this rate increase amounts to $65 for the average homeowner in Saanich.
2.85 per cent of the amount collected through the tax increase will go towards supporting current levels of municipal and police operations and 0.11 per cent will be allocated to the Greater Victoria Public Library.
Tax notices and information will be mailed to all property owners in Saanich by the end May with payments due on or before July 2.
The municipality will be announcing changes to late penalties and how and where property taxes can be paid in the coming days.
Three people were arrested Friday after the West Shore RCMP Drugs and Organized Crime Unit executed three search warrants on separate properties where individuals were suspected of trafficking drugs.
Officers raided three homes in Sooke, Saanich, and Langford on April 24th, seizing 25 firearms including a pistol equipped with a silencer, a fully loaded restricted AR-15 style carbine rifle and a prohibited sawed off shot gun.
The raid followed an extensive covert surveillance operation in which investigators gathered evidence of drug trafficking — all three residences were connected in the sophisticated multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking ring.
In addition to the firearms, police seized over $9,000 dollars in cash, cocaine, and two vehicles used to traffic drugs.
“This was a lengthy and complex investigation requiring many police resources. Three suspects have been arrested for drug trafficking and firearms related offences,” said Cpl. Walsh of the Drugs and Organized Crime Unit.
“We seized a significant amount of cocaine packaged and ready to be sold. We also seized numerous firearms as well as three sets of soft and hard body armour along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition and prohibited magazines.”
A 25-year-old woman, and two men aged 36 and 46 were arrested.
Police are continuing to investigate and charges are forthcoming.
(Cam Hope at end of season media availability / Victoria Royals Hockey Club)
The Victoria Royals have announced a big change in leadership this morning, as Cam Hope will not be returning to the team next season.
Hope’s title consisted of President, General Manger and Alternate Governor, and he was hired by the franchise in 2012.
Though originally acquired as the former, he added President of the team to his resume in 2014.
Cameron Hope entered his eighth season as the General Manager of the Victoria Royals this year, and was the second general manager in the team’s history and fourth in the franchise’s history.
Though the current 2019-20 season was cut short due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, under Hope’s management, the Royals were able to secure a spot in the WHL Playoffs each season he was with the team.
Prior to joining the Royals organization, Hope was a member of the management team for the NHL’s New York Rangers from 2004 to 2011, first as Vice President of Hockey Administration, Research and Development.
In 2007, he was promoted to the Assistant General Manager’s position, and served four seasons in this role for New York. As the team’s Assistant General Manager, he oversaw the day-to-day work of the hockey operations department and assisted in all contract work for the Rangers as the hockey club’s salary cap specialist.
“We would like to thank Cameron for contributions and for guiding our franchise,” GSL Group President and CEO Graham S. Lee said in a statement.
“The COVID-19 crisis has given us the time to reassess our organization and to set a new direction. We are committed to finding strong leadership that will help the Royals reach their full potential both on-and-off the ice.”
Emergency crews are currently on scene of a structure fire at a historic home in the Vic West neighbourhood.
Shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Victoria Fire Department was called to a structure fire at 223 Roberts Street – reports suggest the home is fully engulfed, however, this has not been confirmed.
The home, which was constructed in 1903, is a one-and-one-half storey wood frame house and was deemed historic in 1975.
Photos from the scene show black smoke billowing from the home.
There are reports the resident living in the home was able to escape safely.
More to come.
Video courtesy of Courtnay Paige
Fire crews continue to battle a significant blaze at a historic home in Vic West. More: bit.ly/2We4zdo Video courtesy of Courtnay Paige
Victoria Police are looking to return several items to their rightful owner(s) after seizing stolen property from a suite on Swift Street.
The VicPD Strike Force and Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) members executed a search warrant at a suite in an apartment building in the 400-block of Swift Street on Thursday, April 23rd.
One man was arrested in connection with a stolen property investigation, VicPD spokesperson Bowen Osoko confirmed in a phone call with Victoria Buzz. There were no injuries while making the arrest and the investigation is ongoing.
After the unit was cleared, officers found a large number of stolen goods including tools, guitars, and a unique bicycle.
Police have been able to return some of the stolen items to their rightful owners already. “In some cases, the owners did not yet know the items had been stolen,” says a statement from VicPD.
However officers are now looking to return the following items to their rightful owner:
A red “e wing” L folding bike…
(VicPD)(VicPD)
These guitars…
…and this black Evo bike
Anyone who recognizes any of this stolen property is asked to contact the VicPD non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654 and select option 1.
Those who have information about property crime offenders in Victoria can call the Strike Force line directly at (250) 995-7260.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 55 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province today, bringing the total number cases in B.C. to 2,053 people.
In total, 803 of these cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 918 in Fraser Health, 119 on Vancouver Island, 168 in Interior Health and 45 in Northern Health region.
Dr. Henry says the majority of active cases now are linked to the known cluster outbreaks described below.
There are now a total of 94 people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, 37 of whom are in critical care – ICU or acute care units — showing a continued decline in hospitalizations.
Sadly, two new deaths were reported today and the death toll is now at 105 in total across the province.
In good news, a total of 1,231 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
Outbreaks
There are no new outbreaks at a long term care facilities across B.C. and a total of twelve long term care facility outbreaks have been declared over.
In total, 20 facilities and three acute-care units have active outbreaks, with outbreaks declared over at 12 care facilities. 391 people at those facilities have tested positive for the virus.
The coronavirus outbreak at the Mission Institute federal correctional facility now has 132 people who have tested positive for COVID-19, 120 of whom are inmates while the rest are staff.
The outbreak at a Vancouver chicken processing and packaging plant, United Poultry Company, continues to have 34 employees who tested positive for COVID-19.
Its sister plant, the Superior Poultry processing plant in Coquitlam now has 46 test-positive cases of patients who have contracted the virus — an increase of nine cases since the last report.
There continue to be 11 COVID-19 cases connected to workers returning from the Kearl Lake oil sands project in Alberta.
According to Dr. Henry, many B.C. residents continue to travel to Alberta and back in order to work, and while there remain 11 cases linked to that outbreak, there are several hundred people associated with the Kearl Lake workplace.
Health authorities are testing contacts and family members of those affected, and attempting to contact individuals associated with the project to inform them of the outbreak as workers have varying degrees of information about the outbreak from their employer, according to Dr. Henry.
Island Health region
Specific data for the Vancouver Island Health region shows that there are 119 total cases of COVID-19 in the area.
BCCDC data shows that as of April 27th, 81 people have recovered in the Island Health region and there have now been four virus-related deaths in total.
This means there are now 34 active cases in the region.
Three people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized and one person is admitted in ICU, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix.
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 3,127,947.
Over 216,900 people have died from the illness and 950,753 have made a full recovery.
While the country’s economy and businesses take a hard hit amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, so has another important factor — mental health.
The results of a recent survey from the Angus Reid Institute show that half of all Canadians feel that their mental health has worsened during this time, signalling that the impacts of the virus are being felt across the nation.
The study surveyed 1,912 Canadian adults between the dates of April 15th and 17th, and asked how the current physical distancing measures, closures, and other regulations have affected them over the past six weeks.
Precisely 50 per cent of respondents stated that their mental health has worsened over the past few weeks, with only 7 per cent stating that they are doing better than they were six weeks ago.
The other 42 per cent said that there had been no change at all.
When asked about physical health, slightly fewer (42 per cent) stated that theirs had worsened, and 12 per cent felt it had improved.
The Angus Reid Study noted that women aged 18 to 54 were most affected, while men 55 and over say they were least affected.
It also found that the female group is more likely to be caring for children and parents during this time, which could play a factor in increased stress.
Canadians surveyed have also said that relationships with people outside of their homes have worsened, which may not come as a surprise.
With the inability to see friends and family members not in their household, one-in-three — or 32 per cent — say that the social aspect of their life is now worse than it was before.
The Township of Sidney is the latest CRD municipality to vote against implementing a property tax hike for 2020.
A statement from Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith on Tuesday says the town council has voted to reduce a previously approved property tax hike of 1.79 per cent to zero for residential and commercial properties.
Council also approved a 10 per cent reduction in the municipal portion of taxes for Commercial and Light Industrial properties.
“The Town is using some of the limited tools available at the municipal level to provide a degree of financial relief and flexibility to residents and businesses in an effort to help reduce the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor McNeil-Smith in a statement.
This revised plan was announced at a council meeting on April 27th after budget deliberations over the course of three meetings, and follows both Victoria and Colwood announcing similar measures to help mitigate financial hardships faced by business owners.
The tax cuts apply on top of a 25 per cent reduction in commercial property tax bills applied by the provincial government by reducing the school tax rate.
Penalties for unpaid taxes will also be deferred to a later date in Sidney. The 5 per cent penalty date for residential properties shifts from July 3rd to August 1st, and the 5 per cent penalty date for commercial properties shifts from July 3rd to October 1st.
A second 5 per cent penalty date for both residential and commercial properties will be moved to to December 15th, 2020.
The township will provide an explanation of these property tax changes on the Residential and Commercial tax notices sent out in late May.
Many renters are being left behind despite a financial supplement that has been offered by the province of B.C., says a Landlord advocacy group.
LandlordBC is calling on the province to increase its current COVID-19 rental supplement, as well as loosen the program’s eligibility requirements.
British Columbia unveiled its provincial rental supplement in March, after thousands of renters reported being affected by the strain COVID-19 has put on the economy.
The fund currently provides $300 per month to renters without dependents, and $500 to renters with dependents, and is provided in addition to the one-time $1,000 B.C. Emergency Benefit for Workers offered to workers who have lost income due to the pandemic.
But LandlordBC says this just isn’t enough, stating that they would like to see the benefit increase to $750 per month for renters with no dependents, and $1,000 per month for those with dependents.
The association argues that the current amount of the supplement does not meet the high rental costs in most major cities in the province.
They are also calling on the provincial government to remove the income test for eligibility, and to extend this enhanced benefit through to August 2020.
In a statement released April 28th, LandlordBC says, “The current benefit amount is inadequate for a vast majority of renters relative to the monthly rent they are responsible for and, furthermore, the selection criteria is in our view leaving many renters behind.”
“The good news is that there’s time to fix this for May 1st when we are predicting a significant spike in the number of renters unable to pay their rent.”
Applications for the temporary provincial fund to assist renters who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic in paying rent are now open.
Students will be returning to in-classroom instruction in B.C. through a phased approach that will be guided by the Ministry of Education and the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.
In an announcement on Tuesday, education Minister Rob Fleming pointed to jurisdictions like New Zealand — where students will be returning to school tomorrow — as places that authorities in B.C. are watching to guide their approach to how more students will eventually be allowed back in classrooms.
The province has not announced a concrete date for when schools across B.C. can reopen to a larger number of students, unlike places like Quebec where students will return to classrooms by mid-May.
According to Minister Fleming, jurisdictions that have set a date on when to resume in-class instruction have done so before developing a health and protocol framework to guide a phased re-opening. “I think that’s backwards,” said Fleming.
Currently, several thousand students — mainly elementary school children of essential service workers, and vulnerable students who need more support — are attending in-person classes in school.
In answering questions during prior briefings, Dr. Bonnie Henry has alluded to the fact that schools in B.C. are looking at accepting more students before the end of the school year through a hybrid approach.
Some students, particularly older children, may stick to virtual learning. Some students could attend classes on some days while others would go in on different days to minimize the number of people in the building at any given time.
Parents may go back to work on a modified schedule that allows them to look after their kids. The province is looking at ways to trial these methods in the coming weeks.
At the moment, school districts’ teachers and staff have some Personal Protective Equipment that they use in a non-mandatory way while working with the few students who currently require in-class instruction.
Minister Fleming says that authorities are looking at plans to acquire more PPE and possibly make their use mandatory when developing their health and safety protocol in planning for greater numbers of students.
As of today, the majority of K-12 students in B.C. have been out of school for 42 days, since March 17th.
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 3,118,589.
Over 212,200 people have died from the illness and 947,126 have made a full recovery.
One of Vancouver Island’s most popular summer pastimes has now been banned this summer in an ongoing effort to control the spread of COVID-19.
The Town of Lake Cowichan has issued a ban on tubing on Cowichan River, with the town’s mayor Rod Peters stating that it’s not so much the act of tubing they’re worried about.
Mayor Peters tells Victoria Buzz that the issue is with more congregation of people at entry points, as well as an influx of tourists the activity tends to bring each summer.
“Saywell Park, where the tubes are rented from, can see upwards of 400-500 people per day at the peak of tubing season,” said Peters.
“This ban is more for the protection of the citizens of Lake Cowichan than anything else.”
Not only are tube rental businesses being shut down, but river entry points will be patrolled as well so those who have their own tubes are also asked to stay away.
“The way we’re going to close the river is by taping it off and having signs,” Peters explained.
“We’re going to have bylaw officers and, if need be, the RCMP to stop people from going into the river.”
Rod Peters also told Victoria Buzz that the Ministry Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development would step in if necessary to enforce the ban.
Federal health officials have announced that Canada is making good progress in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
But we are also “far from out of the woods”, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during his daily address on Tuesday.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has released new projections for the virus’ trajectory, showing that the curve has flattened in many provinces, largely due to the ongoing physical distancing measures that are currently in place, say health officials.
At the same time, Trudeau warns that the country should remain cautious when it comes to lifting restrictions that have devastated the economy and created financial hardships for almost all.
“The measures we’ve taken so far are working. In many parts of the country, the curve has flattened,” Trudeau said at his daily briefing. “If we lift measures too quickly, we might lose the progress we’ve made.”
Health Canada officials announced today that Canada’s epidemic growth is slowing, with new cases doubling every 16 days, as opposed to when they were doubling every three days at the start of the pandemic.
Canada is currently closing in on 50,000 known cases of the virus, of which more than 2,700 have been fatal.
According to government projections, the worst-case scenario is that total cases of COVID-19 across Canada could reach 66,835 by May 5th, or in the best case scenario, it could be low as 53,196.
The number of projected deaths could reach 3,883 by May 5th under the worst-case scenario, and 3,277 in the best-case.
Dr. Theresa Tam says that so far, 740,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Canada, with about 20,000 people being tested daily. Seven per cent of these people have tested positive for the virus.
The country’s numbers are largely made up of cases in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. There are currently no cases in Nunavut, and no community transmissions in PEI, NWT or Yukon.
(Public Health Agency of Canada)
The median age for an infected person is presently at 52, with 55 per cent of cases being female, and 45 per cent male.
17.1 per cent of patients require hospitalization, and 5.5 per cent of cases result in death.
(Public Health Agency of Canada)
As of April 28th, there are 49,025 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada.
As more and more people shelter in place at home during this unprecedented period of global lockdown, everyone is tuning in to entertainment sources like never before.
One of the most popular streaming platforms in the world, Netflix, has had nearly 16 million new subscribers join the network in the first three months of 2020 — nearly double the number of new sign-ups in the final three months of 2019.
While few new additions to the channel can take the world by storm like ‘Tiger King’ did, Netflix Canada is adding a whopping 98 movies and shows for locked down viewers to enjoy.
Most of these additions include older movies and films that have already aired elsewhere, like Das Boot, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Back to the Future, Bad Boys, and Happy Feet, as filming has been paused on most new movies and shows due to COVID-19.
If that mix sounds eclectic enough to interest almost any viewer, take a look through all the new movies and shows coming to Netflix Canada this May:
Over half of all COVID-19 cases recorded in B.C. today have been declared recovered, and while stringent public health measures remain in place, the curve for new cases has, by and large, flattened.
Hundreds of patients still remain diagnosed with the virus, however, and outbreaks at long term care facilities, poultry processing plants, and prisons account for most of the remaining active cases in the province.
Since the pandemic began to ramp up in B.C., there has been one change in criteria for declaring a COVID-19 patient fully recovered and one technical glitch in the Vancouver Coastal Health region that threw off recovery numbers for a week.
Originally, the nationwide approach to declaring any coronavirus patient recovered was two negative tests and ensuring the patient had no symptoms after 14 days of symptom onset.
Current criteria
On March 20th, provincial health officers across Canada agreed to change this criteria to requiring no symptoms after 10 days of isolation.
“For general workers, symptoms must be completely resolved before you can return to work, otherwise, stay home,” a Ministry of Health spokesperson told Victoria Buzz via email on April 1st after being asked about the new criteria.
“Occasionally people have [a] lingering dry cough after they have recovered from a cold/flu. [If] after a minimum of 10 days you have recovered, have no other symptoms and feel fine otherwise, you may return to work.”
Dr. Bonnie Henry added, in response to our question on the subject, that people who have a mild form of the illness were not found to be shedding a live virus after eight days of symptom onset, meaning they could not transmit the illness to others.
This information was gleaned after health officials learned more about the virus from data made available after widespread testing in South Korea.
On March 20th and 21st, B.C. had declared six people recovered from COVID-19 across the province. During the Ministry of Health’s next update on March 23rd, that number had jumped to 100.
(Created by Thor Tronrud)
At the moment, B.C. uses both the original and the updated criteria to determine recoveries on a case-by-case basis.
“We’re still using [the initial] criteria for those who have been hospitalized and for people who are immunocompromised because they can shed virus for longer periods of time,” said Dr. Henry.
However those who had a mild case of the virus and did not need hospitalization are considered recovered ten days after the onset of any symptoms.
“We have had people early on, particularly people who had to have two negative tests, and we found that they would go back and forth between negative and positive results,” added Dr. Henry, in explaining why two negative tests are no longer necessary for those who have a mild case of COVID-19.
Nevertheless Dr. Henry said on April 22nd that some people who have a mild version of the disease but whose symptoms progress and last longer than 10 days are not considered recovered from the virus until symptoms resolve completely.
Reporting glitches
Provincial health officials in B.C. rely on data coming from individual health regions and cluster outbreaks to make their daily case updates.
Two weeks ago, in the week of April 12th – 17th, people monitoring the number of cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and recoveries in the province noticed a strange pattern.
Vancouver Coastal Health region, one of the largest and hardest hit regions in B.C., had not been reporting new recoveries for several days as the number of recovered COVID-19 patients stood stagnant.
In a clarification last week, Dr. Henry said there was a point when Vancouver Coastal Health region was using an algorithm to report recoveries for patients with a mild case of the illness, and did not have a physician overseeing the reports.
Those technical glitches also accounted for an odd day of case numbers, as the number of recovered patients dropped from 983 to 966 between April 16th and 17th.
The wrongs have been righted, however, as health officials went back and recalculated the number of people who had actually recovered from the virus based on the criteria after 10 days of symptom onset, and on April 20th, reported 1,039 recoveries.
As of the time of publication, there are 1,190 people who have recovered from COVID-19 in B.C. out of 1,998 total cases.
103 people have died from the virus in the province, which means there are currently 705 active cases of novel coronavirus in B.C.
The next step now is to determine how many people have had COVID-19, whether they displayed symptoms of the virus or not, in an effort to determine to what extent people are immune to it.
Serological tests — blood tests that detect the antibodies produced in response to an infection — are needed in order to determine the level of immunity in the population.
As of now, there are no serology tests approved to be conducted in Canada, but Health Canada is in the process of assessing a number of applications for serological tests that are supported by appropriate evidence.
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 3,064,830.
Over 211,600 people have died from the illness and 922,397 have made a full recovery.
A singer-songwriter based in Victoria B.C. had an idea that would provide a creative outlet for his audience during this period of global lockdown.
Matt Stern decided to create a whole new music video for his song, Take It or Leave It, after a friend sent him a 10 second clip of her dancing to it in her living room.
“I always like having dance in my videos, and I love professional dancers but I also love people dancing naturally,” said Stern in a phone interview with Victoria Buzz.
“Doing creative projects like this at home give people a sense of purpose, and my friend suggested opening this up to other people.”
So Stern got about a dozen friends, family, fans, and acquaintances to submit clips of themselves dancing to his uplifting title track from his latest album, ‘Take It Or Leave It’.
“I feel like that’s one of the most catchy songs, and I guess I’m thinking a lot about how people need to be uplifted as much as possible,” said Stern.
Stern moved to Victoria from Montreal about three years ago and notes that B.C.’s capital city has far less diversity than what he’s used to and getting to know the culture here has been a process.
But what he loves about Victoria is the feeling of community and the ability to interact with people while performing at places like Centennial Square.
“The nature aspect has affected my music too, and lends itself to being contemplative and let ideas germinate which I like,” says Stern, adding that his writing retreats to the Gulf Islands have aided his process and given him time to work on creative projects slowly in a beautiful atmosphere.
His compilation video features ordinary people from Victoria and across Canada dancing their hearts out, which Stern says conveys the message of his song perfectly.
“I think the message when it comes down to it is everyone being their full selves — in this case, accepting the invitation to do a home dance and share it with the world even if you’re shy about it,” he adds.
“The way people are doing it is so unique to them. There’s alway some degree of self consciousness but they seem pretty comfortable.”
Those who dig his music can catch Matt Stern’s next live online performance that will be streamed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28th on the Facebook group entitled ‘Get Down With the Lockdown‘.
Matt Stern, a Victora based singer-songwriter has produced a feel-good compilation of people dancing to his song — at home, of course!Read more about it here: https://bit.ly/2SeqU9o
Every night at 7 p.m., the cheers and clanging pots in support of Victoria’s frontline workers can be heard across the city.
But one quiet local street has taken it a step further, with everyone coming out of their homes to join together in joyful song — while still practicing physical distancing, of course.
The residents of Chamberlain Street have created a new way of coming together while still staying apart, flooding into the street for a singalong each night, many with instruments in hand.
The songs they sing vary, though some favourites have been ‘Satisfaction’ by the Rolling Stones, and ‘Hallelujah’ by K.D. Lang, clearly going along with the theme of friendship and relying on one another.
After the neighbours finish singing the song of the night, they move on to choosing a song for the following evening, so that everyone has time to find the lyrics and perhaps get a little practice in before the big debut.
With many feeling the social effects of physical distancing, the singalong has created fun evening activity and helps evoke a sense of community, even when people can’t get together in the usual sense of the phrase.
One resident says that the nightly ritual is “very sacred to her”.
There are around 20 singers who gather each evening, reminding the neighbourhood that just because there are self-isolation practices in place – we’re not alone.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 50 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province since Saturday, bringing the total number cases in B.C. to 1,998 people.
39 people tested positive for the virus in the period between Saturday and Sunday, and 11 people tested positive between Sunday and Monday morning.
In total, 795 of these cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 879 in Fraser Health, 117 on Vancouver Island, 164 in Interior Health and 43 in Northern Health region.
Dr. Henry says the majority of active cases now are linked to the known cluster outbreaks described below.
There are now a total of 97 people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, 36 of whom are in critical care – ICU or acute care units — showing a continued decline in hospitalizations.
Sadly, three new deaths were reported today and the death toll is now at 103 in total across the province.
In good news, a total of 1,190 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
Outbreaks
There are two new outbreaks at a long term care facilities across B.C. while one long term care facility outbreak has been declared over.
In total, 21 facilities and three acute-care units have active outbreaks, with outbreaks declared over at 12 care facilities. 389 people at those facilities have tested positive for the virus.
The coronavirus outbreak at the Mission Institute federal correctional facility now has 118 people who have tested positive for COVID-19, 106 of whom are inmates while the rest are staff.
The outbreak at a Vancouver chicken processing and packaging plant, United Poultry Company, continues to have 35 employees who tested positive for COVID-19.
Its sister plant, the Superior Poultry processing plant in Coquitlam now has 25 test-positive cases of patients who have contracted the virus — an increase of nine cases since the last report.
In addition, there continue to be 11 COVID-19 cases connected to workers returning from the Kearl Lake oil sands project in Alberta.
According to Dr. Henry, many B.C. residents continue to travel to Alberta and back in order to work, and while there remain 11 cases linked to that outbreak, there are several hundred people associated with the Kearl Lake workplace.
Health authorities are testing contacts and family members of those affected, and attempting to contact individuals associated with the project to inform them of the outbreak as workers have varying degrees of information about the outbreak from their employer, according to Dr. Henry.
Island Health region
Specific data for the Vancouver Island Health region shows that there are 117 total cases of COVID-19 in the area.
BCCDC data shows that as of April 27th, 81 people have recovered in the Island Health region and there have now been four virus-related deaths in total.
This means there are now 32 active cases in the region.
Six people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized and one person is admitted in ICU.
The Ministry of Health is developing a plan to reopen businesses and schools to a modified version of in-person classes, and Dr. Henry urges people to be patient and wait a few more days as they release information in a phased way.
“We’re taking the time to do them right and to meet the conditions that we have and are experiencing here in B.C.,” said Dr. Henry.
“Our focus is to provide a consistent framework so that different sectors know where they need to operate within.”
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 3,058,186.
Over 211,100 people have died from the illness and 919,727 have made a full recovery.
(SookePoint Grand Prize Home / BC Children's Hospital Dream Lottery)
In times like these, our Hometown Heroes need us more than ever!
Not only is the Hometown Heroes Lottery the hottest ticket in town, it supports both Vancouver General Hospital and the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn fund.
This includes BC’S health care heroes, like doctors, nurses, front line workers, first responders – as well aspatients that need life-saving care, and who benefit from all the work and research the lottery funds.
This year’s lottery features 9 incredible prize packages, one of which could be yours if you play your cards (or tickets!) right – including a brand new luxury condo in Sooke.
BC’s Hometown Heroes come to the aid of people in life-threatening situations every day. From rescue to recovery, BC’s fire fighters – along with the doctors, nurses and healthcare teams at Vancouver General Hospital, where 60% of the province’s trauma surgeries take place – are always on duty for severely injured and critically ill patients from all across BC.
When you buy a Hometown Heroes Lottery ticket, you’re directly supporting VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation – this raises essential funds for specialized adult health services and research at Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Vancouver Community Health Services for all British Columbians.
Ticket purchases also support programs of the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund, including burn survivor support services and resiliency programs for fire fighters.
Tickets to the main lottery – and a chance to win one of the 9 prize packages including either a gorgeous SookePoint condo – start at 3 tickets for $75, and go all of the way up to a 20-ticket pack for $275.
If you’re chosen as a grand-prize winner, you’ll be the proud new owner of a 1,763 sq.ft. 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom condo located in beautiful SookePoint – but wait, it gets even better!
(Image / Hometown Heroes Lottery)
Included in the SookePoint package is also a brand new 2020 Audi Q7 Progrssiv Quattro, plus $300,000 cash.
You could also choose 1 of 8 other Grand Prize choices – which feature homes in White Rock, Courtenay, Abbotsford, Vancouver, TWO homes in White Rock and Cultus Lake, Kelowna and Penticton or $2.1 million cash.
On top of all of this, Hometown Heroes has an incredible Welcome Bonus Draw happening before the Grand Prizes are drawn, which includes your choice of a 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, a 2020 Toyota C-HR LE – or you can choose $22,000 cash.
Don’t wait on Welcome Bonus tickets, as the deadline to enter is May 22nd – the prize package is worth over $30,000 in total!
The grand prize draw will be Monday, August 17th, 2020. Purchase your ticket (or packs of them!) here.
(Image / Hometown Heroes Lottery)
Deadlines to enter the various draws are:
Welcome Bonus Draw: Midnight, Friday, May 22nd, 2020
Heroes Bonus Draw: Midnight, Friday, June 5th, 2020
Summer Bonus Draw: Midnight, Friday, June 19th, 2020
Early Bird Draw: Midnight, Friday, July 10th, 2020
Main Draws and Grand Prize: Midnight, Thursday, July 23rd, 2020
50/50 PLUS™: Midnight, Thursday, July 23rd, 2020
Daily Cash PLUS™: Midnight, Thursday, July 23rd, 2020
Know your limit, play within it. Must be 19+ to play.
A property owner in the Nanaimo area was fortunate to have spotted a broken lock on his barn this past weekend, as it led him to interrupt a break and enter in progress.
Nanaimo RCMP have arrested one man and are seeking two other suspects after the incident occurred on a rural property in Cedar.
The attempted incident happened at around 10 a.m. on Sunday April 26th, in the 1200-block of Maughan Road.
The property owner told Nanaimo RCMP officers that he noticed the lock on the door to the barn had been broken, and shortly after, heard a vehicle horn sounding.
Following this, two men were seen running from his property, and the owner was able to take a photo of a female driver and vehicle plate before the suspects drove off.
Nanaimo RCMP also located bolt cutters near the barn, and Police Dog Services attended to tracked the two suspects but were unable to locate them at that time.
After following up on the vehicle information that the property owner provided, Nanaimo RCMP were able to locate the registered owner driving the suspected vehicle at his home.
The 36-year-old man is known to police, and was arrested without incident for the attempted break and enter.
He was later released from police custody on an Undertaking, and is expected to make an appearance in Nanaimo Provincial court on July 7th.
The investigation is ongoing, and Nanaimo RCMP are confident the female driver and the second male suspect will be identified.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.
Sidney’s beloved annual street market, which often attract crowds of 5,000 every Thursday during the summer, has officially been cancelled this year.
The cancellation was announced on Friday by the Town of Sidney Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) after provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s statements regarding the cancellation of all summer events that promote large gatherings this year.
According to a statement form the municipality, the night markets aren’t the only summer events that will be missed in Sidney this year.
All events that involve public gatherings held both indoors and outdoors in Sidney in summer 2020 have been either cancelled or postponed.
Instead, the township has reached out to event organizers to explore ways to host significantly modified versions of the same events through online activities and functions that allow for physical distancing.
In particular, the municipality is working with Peninsula Celebrations to look at hosting altered versions of the annual Sidney Days/Canada Day events.
“I would like to thank Sidney event organizers and arts and culture organizations for their quick response to the threat of COVID-19,” said Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith.
“Sidney rightfully prides itself on its numerous events that bring great vitality and happiness to our community. While we all share in the disappointment of event cancellations, I believe we can also take pride in the way we have come together, by staying apart, to protect our community.”
(Totem Poles at 'Namgis First Nation Cemetery, Alert Bay, BC/Photo by A. Davey - Flickr)
A First Nation elder in Alert Bay is now among the 100 people who have died after contracting COVID-19.
Her death was reported on Saturday by Dr. Bonnie Henry during her daily briefing, and without identifying the individual, she stated that this elder was the first person from a remote Indigenous community to succumb to the virus.
“Our elders, particularly in our First Nations communities are culture and history keepers. When they become ill and when they die, we all lose,” said Dr. Henry, her voice breaking with emotion.
“My thoughts are with her family and her entire community as I recognize the tragic impact this has on all of them.”
In a Facebook video shared on Friday, Dr. Dan Cutfeet with the ‘Namgis Health Centre confirmed that the woman was a member of the ‘Namgis First Nation community in Alert Bay — a remote village on an island located northeast of Vancouver Island.
“We lost a community member today,” he said. “We’re thinking of family. We’re thinking of friends in this time. We’re praying for you.”
The Village of Alert Bay is the known location of a COVID-19 outbreak after its mayor, Dennis Buchanan, tested positive for the virus earlier this month.
On April 19th, the community declared a local state of emergency, with permission from Minister Farnworth, and instated a curfew of 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.
This state of emergency was due to last until April 24th, but the Village has received approval from the province to extend it as the pandemic cluster outbreak continues to pose a risk to the small community and its health care capabilities.
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 3,029,746.
Over 209,200 people have died from the illness and 900,334 have made a full recovery.
Though it can’t unlock all the answers, one Victoria company has designed a tool to hopefully make things a little easier for those who need to leave their homes to access or provide essential services.
The ‘COVID KEY’ was created by local furniture design firm, Shape Design, and is inspired by the need to maintain physical distances while still allowing Vancouver Islanders to shop for their essentials.
The tool is made from acrylic and has curves and edges that help open handles and doors, as well as pick up bags and press buttons — all in an effort to avoid touching objects outdoors.
It also includes a keychain hole for easy access, and is about twice as long as an average key.
These keys cost $12 each, are available for purchase online, and can be shipped right to your door.
On top of keeping your hands squeaky clean, the tool looks to help some of the local businesses islanders may visit, with 50 per cent of the profit from each key sold going towards buying gift cards from said businesses.
With each key purchased, buyers can vote for one business they want to support – up until August 31st.
For every $2,500 raised, Shape Design will randomly select five businesses from those nominated, and gift cards worth $500 each will be bought.
And even better, the gift cards will then be handed out to frontline workers.
Eligible businesses must be located on Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands, have a physical location, and be operating and able to provide gift cards.
(From left to right: Habit Coffee, Mo:Le Restaurant, Bliss Cafe / from Bliss Cafe Facebook page)
It’s no secret that small businesses and locally-owned restaurants have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone social distancing and sheltering in place, restaurants are empty and owners and staff are taking on the economic toll.
Canada Takeout Day aims to combat this economic hardship and bring communities across the country together. The movement encourages Canadians to support local eateries by ordering takeout on Wednesdays.
The initiative kicked off on April 15th with a live show on Facebook featuring a variety of Canadian artists, athletes, and personalities. George Strombolopolous, Tessa Virtue, Alan Doyle, and more are all participating in the project. Their third show will be happening this Wednesday, April 29th at 5 p.m. PST.
Over a million people work in Canada’s restaurant industry. Canada Takeout Day is a great way to support them and keep the businesses you love up and running throughout the course of the pandemic.
And it’s not just restaurants that could use the business. Miss happy hour? Order from a local brewery or distillery and hold a tipsy Zoom hangout.
Canada Takeout’s restaurant finder provides a map of eateries that are open for business. If you want to add your establishment to the map, you can submit a form via their website.
Tourism Victoria also features a list of restaurants, breweries, and other businesses that have adapted their services in the midst of the pandemic.
While there is estimated to be a low chance of transmission when it comes to takeout and delivery, there are practices that can help to reduce risk even further:
wash your hands before and after handling packaging and food
throw out packaging as soon as possible and minimize the surfaces it touches
reheat food on the stove or in the microwave if possible
More health guidelines can be found on the Government of Canada website.
This Wednesday, and every Wednesday until the pandemic has passed, anyone that has the ability to do so is encouraged to order takeout!
We’ll make it through this as long as we keep supporting each other. And eating your favourite foods with no dishes to clean up afterwards? Sounds like a pretty great way to lend support!
In his daily address this morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reminded Canadians that applications for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy have opened today.
Last month, Trudeau informed Canadians that all small and medium-sized businesses – whose revenue has decreased by 30% or more because of the COVID-19 pandemic – will be eligible for the 75% wage subsidy.
As for what this could look like for employees, the Prime Minister stated specifically that the government will offer up to 75% of salaries on the first $58,700 – this will break down to $847 per week.
The subsidy will be offered regardless of the number of employees the business has, and will be back-dated to March 15th, 2020 – businesses can apply on the CRA website.
To aid the application process, the federal government has launched a new wage subsidy calculator on the Canada Revenue Agency website, which has been set up to help businesses determine the amount of funding that they could receive.
Officials have said they expect to process around 90 per cent of applications in the first week of May, which will ensure that funds get distributed as quickly as possible – Trudeau said this morning that eligible businesses should expect to receive their first payment by May 7th.
Trudeau’s original announcement also came with a cautionary word to businesses, urging them not to misuse the program and if they can continue to pay their staff, to do so.
“Every dollar of this should go to workers,” he said.
The benefit is an increase from the is an initial announcement of only a 10% subsidy, and also comes alongside an emergency guaranteed business loan of up to $40,000 – of which $10,000 may be “forgiven”, according to Trudeau.
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 3,021,049.
Over 208,000 people have died from the illness and 891,212 have made a full recovery.
Victoria police are seeking the public’s help in finding a high-risk woman who has been missing for almost a month.
Danielle Haywood, 32, last spoke to her family on April 1 and are very concerned for her well-being – VicPD also want to ensure that Haywood is safe.
Police describe Haywood as Caucasian woman standing about 5’1” tall, weighs about 120 pounds and has a slim build. She has shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes.
VicPD did not elaborate on why Haywood was deemed “high-risk”.
Anyone who sees her or knows of her whereabouts is asked to contact the Victoria Police department at 250-995-7654. To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Remember that time Sunfest Country Music Festival broke the record for Vancouver Islands largest crowd? 📸: Tyler Falk Chalmers
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed two more major summer events on Vancouver Island.
Organizers of Sunfest and Laketown Shakedown made the official announcement on Friday and said both festivals have been postponed until 2021.
Headliners for both events included big names such as Wu-Tang Clan, Keith Urban, Third Eye Blind, Nelly and many more.
“We have been in constant communication with artists, agents, management teams, staff, government and health agencies over the last six weeks,” organizers of both festivals said in a statement. “The volume of moving parts and people involved in these decisions is unprecedented, but the support and understanding from all of you has been amazing.
Ticket holders will have multiple options with regard to refunds or credit for future events. Laketown Shakedown festival-goers who hold onto their passes until next year will receive a free early camping entry for the 2021 festival, and SunFest attendees will be invited to attend a private function.
Laketown Shakedown, originally set for June 26th to 28th of this year, has been rescheduled to July 1st to 3rd, 2021. Sunfest, planned for July 30th to August 2nd, will now take place July 29th to August 1st, 2021.
Both festivals take place at the Laketown Ranch Music and Recreation Park in Lake Cowichan.
Now that Spring is here, Victorians are starting to spot baby deer, or fawns, taking their very first steps all over town.
Whether they’re in your own back yard or in a park somewhere, these adorable creatures are often seen wandering around by themselves, leading many people to assume that they are orphaned or in distress.
It can be tempting to go pet the fawn or offer it comfort, but this is inadvisable even if the animal is actually injured or in danger.
Why?
According to a study, fawns typically only nurse 2-3 times a day during the first few weeks of their life.
When they’re not nursing, they choose their own bedding away from their mom, and move around several times a day all by themselves! But the doe is always about 90 metres away from them – even if you can’t always see her.
Fawns also take several days to imprint on their mom, which means that before they do, there’s a chance they could imprint on other large moving objects. This includes human beings.
Plus touching a fawn means leaving our human scent all over it. This makes them much more easily detectable to predators in the area, since fawns naturally have little to no scent.
What to do if a fawn is injured/in danger
If you suspect that a fawn is orphaned, Animal Control Services recommends that you “observe from a distance for 12 to 18 hours” to see whether or not the mom returns. If she still hasn’t returned, call the BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (WildARC) at 250-478-9453.
Other reasons to call WildARC for a baby deer include if:
it seems frantic, is wandering and bleating consistently, or approaching people
it is obviously injured
it has been fed anything by anyone
it is located in a dangerous or high-traffic area
It is also important to note that in many parts of Greater Victoria, it is illegal to leave food out for wild animals including deer, raccoons, rabbits, etc.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 95 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province today, bringing the total number cases in B.C. to 1,948 people.
According to Dr. Bonnie Henry, today’s jump in cases can be attributed to COVID-19 patients being identified at ongoing outbreak sites.
Out of the 95 new cases reported today, 40 can be attributed to the Mission federal correctional facility outbreak, and there are now 16 cases related to the Superior Poultry processing plant outbreak in Coquitlam.
In total, 778 of these cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 853 in Fraser Health, 115 on Vancouver Island, 160 in Interior Health and 42 in Northern Health region.
There are now a total of 96 people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, 41 of whom are in critical care – ICU or acute care units — showing a continued decline in hospitalizations.
Sadly, two new deaths were reported today and the death toll is now at 100 in total across the province. Dr. Henry noted that one of the people who died was an elder in a remote First Nation community.
In good news, a total of 1,137 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
Outbreaks
There are no new outbreaks at a long term care facilities across B.C. In total, 19 facilities and three acute-care units have active outbreaks, with outbreaks declared over at 10 care facilities.
The coronavirus outbreak at the Mission Institute federal correctional facility now has 106 people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Two inmates have been hospitalized.
The outbreak at a Vancouver chicken processing and packaging plant, United Poultry Company, continues to have 35 employees who tested positive for COVID-19.
Its sister plant, the Superior Poultry processing plant in Coquitlam now has 16 test-positive cases of patients who have contracted the virus.
In addition, there are now 11 COVID-19 cases connected to workers returning from the Kearl Lake oil sands project in Alberta.
During her briefing on Saturday, Dr. Henry said the number of new cases at these cluster outbreaks does not change the Ministry of Health’s assessment of where B.C. is at in the pandemic trajectory.
We still need to see a decrease in the number of cases, but the fact that the province has seen a steady number of new cases over the past few weeks is not unexpected.
“The fact that we’re picking up these outbreaks is important because that tells us our surveillance is working,” said Dr. Henry in response to a Victoria Buzz question.
Island Health region
Specific data for the Vancouver Island Health region shows that there are 115 total cases of COVID-19 in the area.
BCCDC data shows that as of April 24th, 81 people have recovered in the Island Health region and there have now been three virus-related deaths in total.
This means there are now 31 active cases in the region.
Five people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized and one person is in ICU.
Dr. Henry also specified that today’s spike in case numbers is not linked to Easter long weekend travel that we know of.
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 2,896,946.
Over 201,700 people have died from the illness and 825,376 have made a full recovery.
(Former Topaz Park homeless encampment/Victoria Buzz)
A massive effort to temporarily house unsheltered populations in Victoria and Vancouver has been announced on Saturday.
The provincial government and BC Housing are working with multiple non profit groups to address the health and safety crisis posed by 360 vulnerable people currently living on Pandora Avenue and in the Topaz Park homeless encampment.
To date, BC Housing has secured 324 shelter spaces across five hotels in Victoria for the purpose of providing rooms for unsheltered people, with 80 of them being occupied as of yesterday.
There are 360 people currently living in the Topaz Park encampment and along Pandora Avenue corridor.
Authorities will start moving people from Topaz Park and Pandora Avenue into hotel rooms in Victoria starting Saturday, April 25th. BC Housing is currently negotiating leases with four other hotel rooms in the capital city to be able to house everyone that needs sheltering.
Hotels have been identified by the province as temporary shelter options for homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic as they are currently empty in most B.C. cities due to travel restrictions.
“Every day I am inspired by the tremendous leadership the Province has shown in British Columbia,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps in a statement responding to these measures.
“This approach to helping our most vulnerable residents is thoughtful, prudent and ultimately will keep all of us safer during this pandemic.”
The transition of vulnerable people into hotel spaces has been ordered through the Emergency Program Act by Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth.
The order sets May 9th as the deadline to transition people out of the encampments.
This order prevents anyone from entering those encampments starting today, and requires all individuals currently residing in the encampments to vacate those locations by May 9th.
Transition and supports
Authorities are making efforts to keep self-identified families together when transitioning them into these spaces.
The province has also secured spaces for women only — including an entire facility just for women in Victoria — shelter spaces for youth, and culturally specific locations for Indigenous people after identifying specific needs.
Transfer to hotel spaces will be referrals-only, meaning BC Housing, its non-profit partners, and health authorities will choose who goes to which hotel and when.
Meals and cleaning services will be provided daily, and staff on site will be providing specific supports as needed by individuals. Staff will also be monitoring people going in and out of the hotel buildings and prevent guests from entering the buildings.
Once individuals have been identified as needing a shelter space, an outreach worker will connect with them to gain an understanding of their needs, and everyone will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Each individual will be given a bin to pack their belongings in — additional storage options are available to those who need it — and professional movers (wearing Personal Protective Equipment) will help move these bins to their hotel or motel room.
The transition process and services provided to people living at these facilities over the next few months will be funded by the $40 million allocated to BC Housing in March.
Future concerns
These interim housing spaces at hotels are being rented by BC Housing for a period of three to six months.
Once that period of time is over, the province will work to acquire permanent supportive housing units to try and ensure that people do not return to homelessness after the pandemic.
To that end, BC Housing will be looking at acquiring some of the hotels and motels that are currently being leased for long term use to shelter homeless populations.
Authorities are also looking at accelerating the construction of temporary modular housing units at locations across B.C.
As for COVID-19 concerns, both Victoria and Vancouver have begun testing protocols for vulnerable populations.
According to Dr. Richard Stanwick, Chief Medical Health Officer for the Island Health region, no one at the Topaz Park encampment or on Pandora Ave has thus far tested positive for the virus.
“Our major concern right now is people bringing COVID-19 into those groups rather than the group being a primary source of transmission,” said Dr. Stanwick.
A large number of vulnerable people were displaced and forced into the streets of Victoria and Vancouver after homeless shelters had to shut down, as they did not have adequate room for people to maintain a distance of six feet from each other during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similar measures are being taken in Vancouver, where authorities are also working to secure hotels and emergency response centres to house homeless people living at Oppenheimer Park in the Downtown East Side.
BC Housing will be taking responsibility of professionally cleaning each hotel after it has housed homeless people before handing it back to owners.
Across the Vancouver Island Health region, the province has thus far acquired a total of 470 shelter spaces across Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port
Alberni, Sooke, and Victoria.
The B.C. Ministry of Health has reported 29 new test-positive cases of novel coronavirus in the province today, bringing the total number cases in B.C. to 1,853 people.
In total, 767 of these cases are in the Vancouver Coastal Region, 772 in Fraser Health, 114 on Vancouver Island, 158 in Interior Health and 42 in Northern Health region.
There are now a total of 96 people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, 41 of whom are in critical care – ICU or acute care units — showing a continued decline in hospitalizations.
Sadly, four new deaths were reported today and the death toll is now at 98 in total across the province.
In good news, a total of 1,114 people have now recovered from novel coronavirus in B.C.
Outbreaks
There are no new outbreaks at a long term care facilities across B.C. In total, 20 facilities and three acute-care units have active outbreaks, with outbreaks declared over at 10 care facilities.
The coronavirus outbreak at the Mission Institute federal correctional facility continues to have 78 people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Five inmates have been hospitalized.
The outbreak at a Vancouver chicken processing and packaging plant, United Poultry Company, now has 35 employees who tested positive for COVID-19.
Its sister plant, the Superior Poultry processing plant in Coquitlam now has two test-positive cases of patients who have contracted the virus.
In addition, there are now 10 COVID-19 cases connected to workers returning from the Kearl Lake oil sands project in Alberta.
Island Health region
Specific data for the Vancouver Island Health region shows that there are 114 total cases of COVID-19 in the area.
BCCDC data shows that as of April 23rd, 80 people have recovered in the Island Health region and there were three virus-related deaths in total.
This means there are now 31 active cases in the region.
Five people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized and one person is in ICU.
“While our weekends are a time to unwind and relax, the exception is with these important health measures,” reads the statement from the Ministry of Health.
“As you get outside and safely spend time with loved ones, let’s continue to stay strong and show care and compassion to those around us, by ensuring we do not undo all of our hard work and sacrifice.”
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 2,820,935.
Over 196,700 people have died from the illness and 779,774 have made a full recovery.
Nanaimo RCMP are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing pregnant woman who didn’t show up for a planned medical appointment in Vancouver.
Ashley Virtue, 25, was first reported missing to police on Wednesday, April 22nd.
Police were told Virtue was planning on travelling to Vancouver for medical treatment but did not arrive. Her cell phone was traced to Vancouver, but police say investigators have been unable to find her.
Her family is extremely worried for her safety and well-being who requires daily medication.
Virtue is described as a Caucasian woman who stands 5’ 5” and weighs approximately 120 pounds.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP’s non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
The Greater Victoria School District has loaned out 1,050 iPads and Chromebooks to help students stay on top of their education while distance learning is required during this pandemic.
Students who don’t have access to computers, laptops, or tablets at home are being lent these iPads and Chromebooks.
“We must ensure public education remains accessible and that every student can be successful,” said Board Chair Jordan Watters in a statement.
“By providing digital devices for our students who need them, we are removing a key barrier to participating in their virtual classroom and connecting with their teachers and classmates.”
This initiative was rolled out after the district identified families who required access to this technology ever since in-class instruction was suspended on March 17th and classes were moved online after Spring break.
Any student in the district who requires a device is asked to contact their school Principal.
During her most recent briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C., provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has advised that students may be able to return to classrooms before this school year ends, in a modified format.
To limit the number of students present in classrooms in an effort to help maintain physical distances, students may be able to return to school on alternating days, or with some children attending during the morning and some later in the afternoon.
Virtual learning, at least in some capacity, is expected to remain a part of the new normal in B.C. for the foreseeable future.
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 2,820,935.
Over 196,700 people have died from the illness and 779,774 have made a full recovery.
West Shore RCMP have arrested a 22-year-old man for exposing his genitals in a public place.
According to police, the man was walking along the main trail inside Thetis Lake Regional Park while revealing himself at around 2 p.m. on April 18th.
A witness who saw the man near the first bridge in the park called police and added that the suspect was walking in an area where a family with young children may have been privy to the indecent act.
Officers were able to find and arrest the suspect after the witness provided a detailed description of him.
They are now asking anyone else who may have witnessed the incident to come forward and speak to police.
The suspect is described as a Caucasian man standing approximately 5’8″ tall, wearing a blue plaid jacket, black hoodie, black pants, and was walking a dog at the time.
“We have not been able to identify the family who were in the area at the time and may have witnessed this crime,” said Cst. Nancy Saggar.
“If you were witness to this crime we are asking you to come forward and speak to police.”
Witnesses can call West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264.
In a ‘fairy’ important announcement earlier today, B.C. Premier John Horgan has declared that everyone’s favourite winged friend has been deemed an essential service and therefore has no limits on travel amid COVID-19.
In a written proclamation on social media this morning, Horgan says that he is “pleased to welcome our legendary friend who provides the essential service of rewarding healthy habits and good brushing”.
He also stated that many parents and children alike have reached out to him to ask about this “important line of work”, and he is happy to announce that the Tooth Fairy has been given clearance to travel freely across the province.
He emphasized that despite the current physical distancing, we are all in this together, and thanked all people and creatures alike for doing their part in this.
And in typical Premier Horgan fashion, he threw in a little dad joke at the end, specifying that the permission only applies to registered fairies, “no substi-tooth-ions or fillings-in allowed”.
The main point is little ones can take solace in the fact that there will still be a shiny coin under their pillow after losing a tooth during these uncertain times — so don’t forget to brush those pearly whites!
Many kids and parents in BC have reached out to ask about another important line of work.
I'm pleased to announce the Tooth Fairy is authorized as an essential service and may travel freely throughout British Columbia. 🦷🧚 pic.twitter.com/0ErsZDlIar
Victoria Police has confirmed that one man was taken into custody after making threats against COVID-19 testing facilities in the region.
Starting at 10 a.m. this morning, testing sites at Cook Street and on Mount Newton Cross Road were under lockdown for over an hour and a half because of the incident.
Police have confirmed Victoria Buzz’s original reports that the suspect made the threats after calling the 8-1-1 information line.
Officers from departments across Greater Victoria attended and spoke with staff at various public health facilities to ensure their safety.
Saanich Police coordinated with VicPD to locate and arrest the suspect. One man was taken into custody by officers in Saanich just after noon on Friday.
There were no injuries or additional incidents while making the arrest.
BC Transit will not be collecting fares or requiring tickets from passengers and require rear-door boarding for yet another month, until May 31st 2020.
These measures were first implemented on March 19th, intended to stay in place for a 30-day period, but has been extended for a second time according to an advisory from the crown corporation.
“The extension means customers do not need to purchase monthly passes or other fares for the month of May,” reads the statement.
“Details about refund processes for fare products will be available when we announce the return to regular fare collection.”
Passengers will continue boarding buses through the rear door until at least May 31st in an effort to ensure physical distancing between drivers and transit users.
Light duty buses that do not offer rear door boarding, used most commonly for handyDART and community transit services, have vinyl panels installed for drivers.
Moreover in addition to annual Spring service changes, BC Transit reduced service levels on multiple routes and temporarily discontinued late night service on Friday and Saturday nights starting April 6th.
Buses have also started limiting passenger capacity to enhance physical distancing, however they will not be blocking out seats to indicate which seats can be used by passengers to best follow physical distancing directives – a measure that has been adopted by TransLink in Metro Vancouver.
Media spokesperson Jonathon Dyck says this measure will not be adopted as they want to “allow families and those living in the same household to still be together on the bus.”
More information about specific schedule changes can be found on the BC Transit website.
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 2,807,490.
Over 195,800 people have died from the illness and 778,348 have made a full recovery.
Two local organizations have partnered together to offer Victoria business owners some expert advice while navigating uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Downtown Victoria Business Association and Community Micro Lending have announced they will be hosting “Small Business Ask an Expert” sessions on April 27th and April 29th, completely free and virtually hosted on Zoom.
Participants will be given the opportunity to ask for advice from legal, human resources, and accounting professionals.
“We know small business owners have many questions due to the pandemic,” says Jeff Bray, Downtown Victoria Business Association Executive Director.
“These webinars are intended help navigate the various programs that are available, and to help owners and operators with some of the strategic thinking they may need to ensure they can recover.”
The sessions are scheduled for Monday, April 27th from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday, April 29th from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Participants can join for one or both events, and registration is available through Eventbrite — all sessions will take place on Zoom.
“A lot of small, independent businesses can’t afford to talk to a lawyer or accountant and don’t have in-house Human Resources experts,” said Elysia Glover, Executive Director of Community Micro Lending.
“With the situation changing so rapidly, we wanted to offer one way easy way for folks to connect with expert advice,” said Elysia Glover, Executive Director of Community Micro Lending.”
Session experts include Dale Samsonoff, CPHR, Associate HR Consultant with Chemistry Consulting, Bruce Hallsor, Q.C., Managing Partner at Crease Harmon, Mike Delves, CPA, CGA Business Advisor at MNP and Steve Wellburn, CPA, CA, Partner at MNP.
