The West Shore RCMP is aware of reports that a Devils Army clubhouse is being constructed in Langford. This news is concerning and under close scrutiny by your local RCMP and city officials.

Maintaining public safety remains the top priority of the West Shore RCMP Detachment. We will work closely with our neighbouring RCMP, Municipal Police Forces and partner agencies to identify, investigate and disrupt criminal activity and organized crime in our communities, states Inspector Larry Chomyn, West Shore RCMP Detachment Commander.

At this point, there is no evidence to suggest that criminal activity is occurring at the location on Spencer Road, in Langford. Significant resources from local and regional RCMP units are closely monitoring the situation and will take immediate and legally appropriate action in response to any alleged criminal activity.

Langford Mayor Stewart Young states, We will continue to work closely with the RCMP and commit to pursuing all available avenues to maintain the safety of our community.

As always, we encourage anyone in the community who has information relating to criminal activity to contact the West Shore RCMP Detachment at or anonymously through CRIMESTOPPERS at (8477).

West Shore RCMP Press Release

Photo by CFAX 1070

Romeo’s Langford location in the Westshore Town Centre (2945 Jacklin Rd)  has completed months of renovations and is back open for business!

Romeos has five locations on Vancouver Island, with the completion of the Langford location renovation,  all four of their Lower Island restaurants have a similar modern look and contemporary feel.

Romeo’s says, the feedback and response has been overwhelming.

Photo source:  Romeo’s Facebook Page

A 29-year-old Victoria man is in hospital with non-life threatening injuries after an early morning shooting.

Officers were at an unrelated call at approximately 12:30 a.m. m at the Royal Jubilee Hospital when the victim arrived in Emergency with a gunshot wound.  The victim told officers that he had been shot in a suite in the 2800-block of Kiwanis Way.

Officers immediately went to the suite and continued the investigation.

VicPD Detectives are investigating and have been searching for evidence and continuing to search for the suspects. Investigators do not believe that this is a random event, and as such, do not believe the public to be at risk.

If you have any information for officers that you think may assist the investigation, please call VicPD on the non-emergency line at 250-995-7654, or report it anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Victoria Police Press Release

The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and VicPD detectives have now been able to confirm that the suspicious death of Shaun Alexander McGregor was indeed a homicide.

McGregor was discovered on Thursday, April 9 shortly after 7:30 p.m. in an apartment in the 1500-block of Begbie Street. The 34-year-old man was pronounced dead on scene.

The building and a large section of the 1500-block of Begbie Street were cordoned off as officers investigated.

The autopsy, which took place on April 16th, was able to determine his death was a homicide. Investigators are not releasing the cause of death at this time.

Investigators have also located, and spoken to, Chelse Burns, a person of interest who officers believed may have had information to assist the investigation.

If you do have any information about this investigation, please call VicPD on the non-emergency line at 250-995-7294 or report it anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Victoria Police Press Release

Francis “Paddy” Clancy was taken into custody by VicPD officers just before 11 a.m. this morning.

Clancy, a 68-year-old man whom authorities were looking to return to custody after his parole was suspended, was arrested without incident at an apartment in the 1300-block of Lyall Street.

Original Story:

VicPD is asking the public to be on the lookout for a federal offender who is unlawfully at-large.

Authorities are looking to return 68-year-old Francis Patrick Clancy to custody after his parole was suspended. Clancy, who goes by the name “Paddy”, is described as a Caucasian man, five feet, eight inches tall; with a slender build of about 150 lbs. Clancy has thinning, grey hair and wears glasses. Clancy also often wears a short beard.

Clancy is a four-time federal offender who is serving a life sentence for murder, but who also has an extensive criminal history going back to 1969, which includes frauds and property thefts. Clancy is interested in computers and often collects bottles for money.

VicPD has information that Clancy could possibly be in the Victoria area.

If you know where Francis Patrick “Paddy” Clancy may be, you are asked to call the VicPD non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654. If you see Clancy, you are asked to not approach him, and instead call 911.

The Sooke Lake Reservoir is nearly full, but right on schedule, as of  May 1, stage 1 water restrictions will kick in this Friday throughout the CRD.

As of April 26 of this year, the reservoir was at 99.3% of full capacity.

The restrictions apply to any customer of CRD Integrated Water Services receiving drinking water from the Sooke Lake Reservoir, including residents, businesses and municipalities in the Greater Victoria area.  They are in place until at least September 30.

Trees, shrubs, vegetable and flower gardens may be watered by hand using a hose with a shut-off device or hand held container, or micro/drip irrigation system, on any day at any time.  But sprinkler watering is restricted to certain times and days.

Victoria’s own Jamie Broder speaks to Global News about her recent beach volleyball win in China and what it means for the Canadian team on the world stage. It’s the first event of the 2016 Olympic qualification period.

From Times Colonist:

Jamie Broder of Victoria and Kristina Valjas of Toronto have written their names large in the sand of the FIVB World Tour, which is the NHL of beach volleyball.

Saanich Police are warning area residents of a recent scam that has been reported numerous times in recent weeks. The scam could potentially result in identity and financial theft from individuals.

Emails, claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have been circulating, advising individuals that they have been sent an INTERAC e-Transfer for a designated amount.

Please be reminded that the CRA will only send payments by direct deposit or by cheque, never by email money transfer.

The notification provides a website link for the recipient. When the link is followed, a website that appears to be legitimate prompts the person to enter personal information, which could potentially be used for a malicious purpose.

Occasionally, taxpayers may receive, either by telephone, mail, or email, a communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) but is NOT. In all these cases, the communication requests personal information, such as a social insurance, credit card, bank account, and passport numbers, from the taxpayer. These fraudulent communications are also referred to as scams or phishing.

The CRA has confirmed that these emails do not originate from them; the website is not linked to them; and that these communications are in fact a scam. CRA has posted information on their website at:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-e.html

The CRA does not do the following:

•    will not request personal information of any kind from a taxpayer by email
•   will not divulge taxpayer information to another person unless formal authorization is provided by the    taxpayer
• will not leave any personal information on an answering machine

When in doubt, ask yourself the following:

•  Am I expecting additional money from the CRA?
• Does this sound too good to be true?
• Is the requester asking for information I would not include with my tax return?
• Is the requester asking for information I know the CRA already has on file for me?
• How did the requester get my email address?
• Am I confident I know who is asking for the information?

For information on scams, to report deceptive telemarketing, or if you have given personal or financial information unwittingly, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca  or toll free at 1-888-495-8501.

If you have received a telephone call from CRA and wish to confirm the authenticity of the CRA telephone number, you can contact 1-800-959-8281.

A video of a fox taking food from RFE/RL Ukrainian Service journalists in the Chornobyl exclusion zone has gone viral, with more than 1 million hits on social and news media sites. The fox shows no fear of humans, stacking up meat and bread like a sandwich, which it carries off for later. The area was abandoned by humans after the Chornobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. There now appears to be an increasing number of foxes, wolves, and bears in the zone.

There will be a decidedly familiar “pink” look to the third base deck at Sports Trader’s Diamond at RAP this season – and the familiar smile of Marilyn Monroe, to boot.

The Victoria HarbourCats are excited to announce Floyd’s Diner will be providing the burger/food options on the third base side for 2015, and both sides couldn’t be happier.

“Our brand is so well-known in Victoria and this is a perfect match for us to be offering our signature burgers and poutine for HarbourCats games this season,” said Petr Prusa, owner of Floyd’s Diner – the famous landmark on the corner of Yates and Quadra being the best-known. There is also a location in Langford.

“That area of the ballpark, with the picnic tables and the perfect sightlines, is always teaming with people and we look forward to the challenge of making their mouths water and adding to the enjoyment of the games. This is an exciting project for us – who doesn’t have fun at baseball games?”

Floyd’s stepped to the plate for the area that had Bin 4 Burger Lounge last season. With Bin 4, a valued partner, recently opening another great location (beside HarbourCats partner Accent Inns on Blanshard), owners Mike Ringland, and Dan and Sarah Blackmore, were regretfully unable to return after a successful 2014 season. Floyd’s was more than happy to step into the place that became a buzz of activity in 2014.

Also returning to the food service lineup – considered by many the best in the West Coast League, from feedback from other teams/officials – is Romeo’s Pizza, a quality slice from the great local food chain. The city’s tried-and-true concession faire, including traditional hot dogs, popcorn and beverages, also helps assure every taste is satisfied.

And added to the mix this year is another new option – Fat Daddy’s Catering, providing a plated-meal offering and located near a new picnic section by Section 7 and the main ticket booths.

The variety does not stop there. Various local food trucks will be spotted from time-to-time along the first-base side concourse.

“We think these options will give everyone a chance to find something they really like, and we clearly heard the feedback last year that the burgers were a hit, the pizza was outstanding, and the variety from night-to-night added to a great ballpark experience,” said General Manager Jim Swanson.

“The beer is already getting cold – we’re that excited to start the season with this franchise’s first true exhibition game on May 31, and then games on June 2-3-4 before our Home Opener against Kelowna on June 5. It’s not far away!”

Continue reading:  Douglas Street plan in downtown Victoria leaves cars for last

As more people are enjoying our parks and beaches during the warmer weather, Saanich Pound reminds dog owners of a few restrictions in place from May 1 to August 31.

In these months, dogs are prohibited from the following locations:

• Cadboro-Gyro Park and the public beach at Cadboro Bay lying between the easterly boundary of Gyro Park and the boundary of the Municipality of Oak Bay, EXCEPT before 9:00 a.m. on any day;
• Whitehead Park (located at north end of Prospect Lake);
• Cordova Bay Beach area lying between the northerly boundary of Cordova Bay Park and the southerly boundary of the Walema Avenue right-of-way, EXCEPT before 9:00 a.m. on any day;
• Mount Douglas Park Beach and that part of Mount Douglas Park bounded by Cordova Bay Road, Ash Road, Douglas Creek, the natural boundary of the ocean and the northwesterly boundary of the park, EXCEPT the asphalt road surface lying to the northwest of the picnic area between the two gate.

Dog owners are also reminded of the year round leash restrictions on the perimeter trail at Cedar Hill Golf Course, in Rithet’s Bog, within 10m of playgrounds, and on all public school grounds. Dogs are also prohibited from any fenced baseball field from March 1 to October 31, and from artificial turf sports fields. Dogs and their owners have excellent access to parks and open space in Saanich. There are over 165 parks in Saanich and only 4 prohibit dogs from May to August. A further two parks, Swan Lake and Quick’s Bottom, prohibit dogs all year long, as they are sensitive nature sanctuaries.

Stay safe and keep your dogs under control at all times!

If you have any questions regarding the Saanich Animals Bylaw #8556, please feel free to contact the Saanich Pound at (250) 475-4321, or see www.saanich.ca/parkrec/parks/parks/dog.html.

Coast Reporter | BC Ferries CEO and president Mike Corrigan says the public campaign against high ferry fares is keeping tourists away and could become “a self-fulfilling prophecy” that hurts coastal economies . . .

Read the full article here: BC Ferries CEO says fare beefs hurt tourism

Article and photo by: John Gleeson

Tasha Noble from the Modern Real Estate Team had the opportunity to sit down with Mayor Carol Hamilton of Colwood to chat about the beautiful municipality.

A series of plans proposed by a British Columbia man on trial for plotting to blow up the provincial legislature was “hokey and harebrained,” an undercover officer has told a Vancouver court.The officer, who cannot be identified, said in B.C. Supreme Court Thursday that John Nuttall’s hands were shaking nervously as he tabled his ideas that included hijacking a nuclear submarine and firing rockets at a Vancouver Island military base.Nuttall and his wife Amanda Korody have pleaded not guilty to four terrorism-related charges stemming from an elaborate police sting in 2013.In covert audio played in court on Thursday, Nuttall is heard telling the officer, who was posing as a high-ranking terrorist, that he wasn’t sure exactly whose idea it ultimately was to plant pressure-cooker bombs on the legislature grounds.“Whose plan is this?” the officer is heard asking Nuttall during a supposedly private meeting.

Source: Officer describes terrorist plot as ‘harebrained’ | Globalnews.ca

Debate on whether to ban camping from four of Victoria’s small city parks was postponed Thursday, pending city council’s receipt of a staff report on the larger issue of camping in parks.Coun. Ben Isitt had proposed banning overnight sheltering in Haegert, Cridge, Kings and Arbutus parks, arguing the four parks are too small and too close to residents to be used for overnight sheltering. The ban on camping in the four small parks would not take effect until campers and neighbouring residents were consulted and temporary housing options considered.But the item was withdrawn from the committee agenda at the suggestion of Mayor Lisa Helps.“It will wait and come back to this table when we have a comprehensive report from staff that we directed a couple of weeks ago to come up with … solutions for how to handle this problem,” Helps said.

Source: Victoria councillors postpone debate on camping in city parks

Last week, thieves hit Mayfair Optometric Clinic​ twice, stealing nearly $10,000 worth of sunglasses. Victoria police confirmed an arrest was made after one alleged thief was identified from a surveillance video made public.

The first time, the male entered the location alone and is seen on video surveillance removing sunglasses and putting them in the pockets of his hoodie and cargo pants.

Three days later, the same individual returned, this time accompanied by a female.  The young woman is seen bending security locks and removing sunglasses while the man keeps a watchful eye.  When approached by Mayfair Optometric Clinic employees, the two individuals quickly left.  Victoria Police have confirmed the man seen in the video has been arrested.  So now they are just looking for the female.

There is a possibility that these people are also wanted in connection with several sunglass thefts through out the Victoria area in the past couple of weeks.

Mayfair Optometric Clinic and Victoria Police request the publics assistance in identifying thes female in the surveillance.  Please also be aware of name brand sunglasses being sold on the internet locally that come without a case, and are priced far below retail value.  The name brands stolen include Ray Ban, Serengetti, Jimmy Choo and others.

Watch surveillance video:

From Times Colonist:

Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) has signed a 2-year agreement with Wilson’s Transportation Ltd. to operate a safe, clean, efficient and effective Ogden Point cruise shuttle service for the 2015 and 2016 cruise seasons. Under the terms, Wilson’s will use leased BC Transit buses and work with GVHA to develop a program to engage members of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations in hiring, training and career development.

“We are pleased to secure a partnership with Wilson’s Transportation to operate and manage the cruise bus shuttle service at Ogden Point,” said GVHA’s Interim CEO Rick Crosby. “As a local, family-run company with a long track record of success and a deep commitment to our community, Wilson’s is a strong partner to manage this critical service moving cruise ship passengers to downtown.”

The agreement calls for Wilson’s to meet or exceed the expectations outlined in GVHA’s Cruise Tourism Passenger Bus Shuttle Service 2015 Minimum Expectations document, including: all core service bus equipment requires wheelchair accessibility, and core service bus equipment requires a minimum of 3 double decker buses with engine age newer or equal to 2008; a minimum of 2 low floor buses with engine age newer or equal to 2009; and remaining non-core service bus equipment with engine age newer or equal to 2005. The minimum expectations guidelines also cover appropriate behaviour standards and passenger safety as well as ensuring that for buses waiting at Ogden Point, engine idling is not permitted.

“The cruise ship shuttle provides a valuable link between Ogden Point and the downtown Victoria business district,” said John Wilson, CEO of Wilson’s Transportation. “With 20 minute service on an increasingly busy cruise ship schedule, working collaboratively with the local communities to ensure adequate routing and communication is key to overall success.”

During the upcoming 2015 cruise season, BC’s Passenger Transportation Board will allow standees on BC Transit buses used for the shuttle service for the first time. This means that the number of buses required for cruise passengers will be either reduced or maintained during the season and passenger queues likely reduced, resulting in a more efficient service.

All Wilson’s drivers are unionized and trained for safety, customer service and operating procedures (including idling time rules). The company regularly screens and monitors drivers’ safety and compliance records. Driver training will also be provided by BC Transit.

The 2-year deal with Wilson’s covers the 2015 and 2016 cruise seasons and is renewable for up to three additional cruise seasons up until the end of the 2019 season at Ogden Point.
Victoria’s Ogden Point is Canada’s most popular cruise ship port of call with 229 ship visits and over 513,000 passengers expected in 2015. Passengers currently transported from the Ogden Point terminal to downtown Victoria and other locations in Greater Victoria use a variety of transportation options including: the shuttle bus service, shore excursion services, pedi-cabs, taxis, limousines, and horsedrawn carriages. Each year, approximately 100,000 passengers use the shuttle service to downtown Victoria and in 2014, more than 90,000 people chose to walk to downtown.

Over the next six weeks, citizens are invited to share their thoughts on the future of Burnside Gorge neighbourhood. Input will help shape a new local area plan to guide residential and commercial development and future capital projects in the area such as cycling and pedestrian improvements and park space.

“This is an exciting opportunity for residents and business owners to get involved and provide input as we work together to create a vision for the Burnside Gorge area,” said Mayor Lisa Helps. “We know our residents and business owners have creative and innovative ideas; we need these to help shape the future of this vibrant neighbourhood.”

Opportunities for community input include an online survey that runs until Sunday, May 31, walking tours in Burnside throughout May, and events including:

• A drop-in event on Thursday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Second Crack Coffee Lab (2612 Bridge Street)
• Community conversations on Saturday, May 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Burnside Gorge Community Centre (471 Cecelia Road). Two sessions will run during the day; one from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and a second in the afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Each session will be followed by an optional one hour walking tour through the Burnside area.
• Community Conversations on Thursday, May 21 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Gabriel Ross (2500 Rock Bay Avenue)

The Burnside Gorge neighbourhood is home to 6,000 residents and is one of the largest neighbourhoods in Victoria. With 1,400 businesses providing work for more than 14,000 people, it is a key employment area for the Greater Victoria region. The diverse neighbourhood is comprised of regionally significant industrial and employment areas alongside established residential areas crossed by several key transportation corridors including the Douglas Street Corridor and the Lochside Trail.

Victoria is expected to grow by 20,000 residents over the next 30 years. Victoria’s Official Community Plan identifies that 10,000 new residents will be accommodated in the downtown core area with the remaining focused in village centres across the city, including village centres in the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood.

Village centres are places that include a mix of residential, shopping, and community services within a small geographic area, allowing people to meet their daily needs without the use of a car. In Burnside Gorge, village centres are envisioned to develop along Douglas Street in the areas identified as Humber Green Village and Mayfair Town Centre. The area known as Selkirk Village is also envisioned to establish as a village centre.

Feedback collected will inform a new draft local area plan that will be considered by Council next year. A new local area plan for the neighbourhood will advance objectives of the City’s Official Community Plan and provide guidance for future projects in the area.

The new plan for the Burnside Gorge area is the first local area plan to be created since the Downtown Core Area Plan was approved in 2011 and is the largest local area plan to be undertaken by the City.  Subject to final approval April 30, City Council will be adding $200,000 to expedite local area plans across the city over the next four years.

For more information, visit www.victoria.ca/burnside 

The Downtown Victoria Business Association is launching Victoria’s first Car Free Day on Douglas Street on June 21, 2015 with registrations for vendors and exhibitors now open.

“We are excited to bring Car Free Day to Victoria. Closing six blocks of Victoria’s main street for a celebration of our community is a strong statement and we hope, a catalyst for longer-term enhancement for Douglas Street,” says Fran Hobbis, Board Chair for the Downtown Victoria Business Association.

Car Free Day will be spread out over six blocks of Douglas Street from Herald to Fort Streets from 12 – 6 pm. Three stages will support the street festival setting with music, entertainment, and talent throughout the event. The street will be lined with retail and business vendors, artisans and makers, food vendors and food trucks and more. The Victoria Public Market will anchor Car Free Day on the street between Herald St. and Fisgard St. at the north end and The Bay Centre will anchor the event between View St. and Fort St. at the south end.

“There is no other event where the public can stroll on Douglas Street. Car Free Day offers the chance for people to reclaim our busiest street,” says Ken Kelly, General Manager of the Downtown Victoria Business Association. “We intend this day to be Victoria’s care free, car free day.”

Modeled after Vancouver’s Car Free Day, an event which each year attracts tens of thousands of people, Victoria’s event is a chance to further celebrate Victoria as Canada’s most walkable city with the highest numbers of commuting cyclists in Canada.

Deadline for registration is May 11. Visit http://carfreeyyj.ca to register.

BC Transit is starting a one-year pilot project to test video cameras on 75 buses in the Victoria Regional Transit system for the enhanced safety of its passengers and operators. The first of the buses will be on the road this week and all 75 buses with cameras will be in service by May.

There will be signage and information on buses equipped with activated cameras to keep passengers informed of the added security feature. BC Transit says it is following the lead of a long list of public transit agencies in North American that have introduced security cameras on buses.

Up to six cameras will be installed on each bus. There is no live monitoring of the video which will only be removed and viewed by authorized security staff following a reported incident. Only video required for security purposes will be retained, all other video will be erased.

The one-year pilot program also includes cameras on 25 new CNG-fuelled buses being introduced in the Kamloops Transit System by the end of May.

For more information on the program and how the cameras operate, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on www.bctransit.com/victoria/riderinfo/safety

Martys Mountain Cycle, are sending out a warning after their shop dog, Calla, was lured from the back door of their shop.

Staff at the shop say the dog was well within the shop-designated area, but was lured into a car and taken to the pound without looking into who her owners are, which were meters away.  Martys Mountain Cycle says she told the pound-staff that Calla was found down the street away from the shop.

They were able to locate Calla a few hours after she was taken away and she is now safely back at the shop.

The first cruise ship of the 2015 season arrived this morning,  officially kicking off a record-breaking cruise season at Ogden Point.

Greater Victoria Harbour Authority says, 2015 is shaping up to be a banner year with 229 ship calls carrying 513,000 passengers. Direct spending by passengers and crew is expected to top $32 million, supporting 880 direct and indirect jobs in our region.

Passengers on board the Grand Princess were greeted by City of Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, representatives from the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, Tourism Victoria, the Town Crier and greeters from the Vic AM Association in colourful period costume.

With the scheduled increase in ship calls and passenger numbers, combined with the 17% increase in daytime calls, more passengers will spend more time and more money enjoying Victoria’s world-class network of shops, tours, restaurants and attractions.

The public is invited to come down to Ogden Point (free parking provided on site, staff to help direct traffic) at 8am to attend the launch ceremony (in front of Pier B) and participate in a walk with Mayor Helps from Ogden Point to the Steamship Terminal downtown leaving at 9am. Tours of the Unity Wall at the breakwater are also scheduled at 8:30am, 9am and 9:30am. A shuttle bus is available to take back those who walked downtown from Ogden Point and will depart the Steamship Terminal at the Belleville Street entrance at 10am. Join us as we celebrate the launch of Victoria’s 2015 cruise season with the arrival of the Grand Princess!

First ship of the season on a glorious #yyj morning. @princesscruises an important contributor to #yyj economy! pic.twitter.com/eLYwCGmfql

— Mark Mawhinney (@rhmarkmawhinney) April 22, 2015

The first cruise ship of the season just docked! Welcome @princesscruises #exploreVictoria #cruise https://t.co/n0HSPAZdHQ

— Tourism Victoria (@victoriavisitor) April 22, 2015

During the early morning hours on April 21, 2015, Saanich Police Department and Fire Department responded to a call of a fire at a residence on the 4900 block of Cordova Bay Road in Saanich, BC.  Saanich Fire Department extinguished a fire inside the residence.

Two people were found deceased inside the home.  The Saanich Fire Department, Saanich Police Department in conjunction with the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, and the BC Coroners Service, continue to investigate the cause of the fire and causes of death.

Names of the deceased have not been released pending notification of the Next of Kin.  No further information relating to the gender or age of the two deceased will be shared at this time.

Anyone who may have information relating to this investigation are asked to contact the Saanich Police Department at 250-475-4321, or Crime Stoppers at   1-800-222-TIPS FREE (8477.)

Source: Saanich Police

From Times Colonist:

Featured Photo Credit: Cfax 107o

Only one out of every six people who are suitable candidates for organ donation actually goes on to become a donor. If all of those candidates went on to donate, the wait list for organs could virtually be eliminated.

Victoria, B.C. has deceased donor rates nearly double that of the national average, thanks in part to a new program that is saving lives.

Shannon McCloskey works as Vancouver Island’s first transplant coordinator, making sure family members are asked if their recently deceased relative can be an organ donor.

“There is a strong sense of community that I’ve noticed since I’ve I moved here,” says McCloskey. “Really, if we don’t ask them, then we’ve made the decision for them.”

Read more at: http://globalnews.ca/news/1950857/48in48-victoria-b-c-leads-the-way-in-organ-donation/

On April 19, 2015, at approximately 1:53 pm, while West Shore RCMP officers were conducting a patrol in the parking lot of the Thetis Lake Park, in View Royal, they were approach by a family reporting a lost hiker. The family were hosting a 16 year old female international student who had gotten lost in the park while hiking for the last hour. The student had a cellphone with her and kept communicating with her hosting family. Police directed her to call 911 on her cell phone so that they could retrieve the GPS coordinates.

West Shore RCMP received a 911 call from the lost hiker, a GPS location was identified. She was told to remain where she was. The two members who were on scene hiked to the GPS location, using the GPS map on their cell phones and located the lost hiker, she was escorted out with only scratches and a scare.

Fortunately, she had her cell phone with her to call for help, states Constable Alex BERUBE, spokesperson of the West Shore RCMP. We also remind trail users to stick to the beaten path to ensure a safe outdoor experience.

A scary moment for drivers heading north on the Pat Bay Highway in Sidney on April 14. A driver was heading the wrong way on the highway. Jon Rabeneck, caputred this video on his dash cam.

Warning: Profanity in the video.

On their final day, Kyle Vanderberg, Liam McDonald, Liam James Kelly, Brady Zomer and Eric Deibert were discussing how to close out the store and had no ideas. They decided to play the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic over the P.A system, but Kyle decided to take it one step further and taught himself how to play it on the guitar.

A few days later he mentioned to his coworkers that he had his guitar in his car and had learned the song. So they sprung into action, printed off the lyrics (that Liam M didn’t even know 20 minutes prior to recording this) and began putting the pieces together.

Evan posted on his Facebook wall: “In one take, and no practice, we took to our make shift instruments. I sat and played a shopping basket with two plastic hangers, Liam M grabbed a hanger bar to use as a faux-mic, and Eric mounted up his camera and masterfully filmed and edited this bad boy. With Brady and Liam K (Skipper) pulling us along, we poured our heart into our final goodbye through song, to a job we loved, and a building that contains so many great memories”

To their surprise the video has now gone viral with over 168,892 Views and shared nearly 5,00 times!

The bus that had heads turning for two years in Victoria has announced it will be heading south to the Caribbean.

Join Fabulous Fort for their #KindnessMeterYYJ kick off party happening this Wednesday, April 15th at 9am!

Two old school parking meters have been installed to collect funds for persons experiencing homelessness in Victoria. All of the funds will be donated to The 9-10 Club and Pacifica Housing.

The goal is to raise $7500 per meter by the end of November!

Find the green and pink parking meters at the crosswalk on the 700 block of Fort Street.

Sometimes you just get lucky on your afternoon commute. Maybe you get a green light at every intersection, or your favourite song comes on the radio.

Or maybe an armoured truck accidentally opens and spills cash all over the highway.

Ok, that’s not exactly common (or strictly speaking, legal – more on that in a moment). But it was a reality for drivers on Interstate 20 near Weatherford, Texas this past Friday.
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Weatherford Police say they started getting calls around 3:00 p.m. saying drivers were stopping along I-20 to scoop up handfuls of cash, a scene captured on cellphone video by a driver who happened to be on the interstate at the time.

“There was a lot of money flowing around there. Some people had handfuls and it was all crumpled up,” Aldrige told the CBS News affiliate in Dallas, Texas. “It looked like an Easter egg hunt. They were bent over picking up stuff.”

Read more: http://globalnews.ca/news/1936226/watch-armoured-truck-accidentally-opens-spills-cash-on-highway/

Marian Minar was shocked to see a cougar in his backyard in Port Hardy Thursday night.

He tells Global News that at about 7:30 p.m. he first saw the animal, who appeared to on the prowl for the neighbour’s cat. Minar started to capture the encounter on video.

The cat stayed on the fence, staring the cougar down. The larger animal stayed for about 10 minutes, hoping for its meal, but when Minar opened the window to get a better view the cougar took off.

Minar says this is a very unusual sight in his neighbourhood.

Service between Mill Bay and Brentwood Bay will resume on Thursday, June 11. Ferry service was temporarily suspended while a nearly two-month long refit was conducted on the MV Klitsa.

During the refit, which occurs every four years, the following work was completed:

• Vessel dry-docking to renew coatings and conduct a full inspection
• Service main engines and propellers
• Survey the vessel
• Other general cleaning and maintenance

original release:

BC Ferries is reminding customers using the Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay route that service will be temporarily suspended April 13 to June 10, 2015 while the MV Klitsa undergoes a scheduled major refit. During this suspension of service, transportation between Mill Bay and Brentwood Bay is available via Highway #17 and Highway #1.

As part of mandatory safety and regulatory requirements, the MV Klitsa is removed from service every four years for a major refit and is expected to resume service on Thursday, June 11, 2015.
Under contract to the Province of British Columbia, BC Ferries is the service provider responsible for the delivery of safe, efficient and dependable ferry service along coastal British Columbia.

We had a chat today with Andrew Briggs, well-known for his intimate Victoria House Concert B sessions about one of his other loves, his charitable work with Angels Chopper Bike Club. Featured on People of Victoria, here is the remainder of the interview:

“I went to an Awolnation concert down at Legends, when it was still called that and I met this man, his name was Mike Harrington. He started Angels Chopper Bike Club Association or ACBC. And I was talking to him about it and he was interested in my House Concerts. I asked him what he did and he said “I’m sort of starting up this little bike club with my family.” So afterwards he came to one of my House Concerts, and we started talking about the costs. So I said “How about I give you all my bottles?” coz I had a whole bunch of bottles from the concerts, “And let’s earn money that way.” And that’s how I initially got involved.”

“I was interested because basically he took kids off the street.  It was a very small club, he just knew a couple kids that were on the street and what they would do is they would take their bicycles and they would make them better than bikes – so chopper bikes.”

“The kids, they would ride down to the arena when say Gene Simmons was playing and they’d make a little picnic out of it. They’d stay in the parking lot until the roadie would come out or the band member and they’d say, “Hey, can we get your autograph?” And then the roadie would say “Wow, that’s such a cool bike!” And they’d let him ride it and they would tell the musician and the musician would come out and ride it and they’d take the kids in and ride around in the stadium, inside or wherever. And have them in their dressing room and stuff. So it kind of morphed into us now telling the musicians we’re coming and we bring a bunch of kids there.”

“Now we make chopper bikes for musicians, for free. Most of them that we’ve done Gene Simmons, Ice Cube, Ozzy Osborne, Chris Cornell, Sarah McLachlan, Van Halen and more, we let them know that we’ve made them. For example one of the big ones, Gene Simmons, he was overwhelmed with it. He took it in, he had the whole family sign it – and it kind of makes the life of the kids who make the bike.”

“So the mission was to take the kids off the street, to teach them to socialize, how to do technical things with their hands with the help of people like Harley Davidson and other companies in town. All these business out there that are really giving us lots. Coz it’s non-profit, we have no funds. We get ours from our bottles. I just did a bottle run and I got $550, one huge truck, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Not only does it take kids off the street, but it also brings the parents in, because they find it really cool saying “I used to have a bike like that!” and they start bonding.”

For more information visit: http://www.acbcbikes.com/

Traffic is up on BC Ferries over the same period last year, with March showing increases of over 5 per cent for vehicles and nearly 4 per cent for passengers. In March 2015,  BC Ferries welcomed an additional 51,937 passengers and 29,861 vehicles compared to March 2014. February was even better with increases of over 10 per cent for passengers and nearly 11 per cent for vehicles.

“These numbers are very positive and we are optimistic we’ll have an outstanding summer for traffic on BC Ferries this year,” said Mike Corrigan, BC Ferries’ President & CEO. “Indications are that lower gas prices and a weaker Canadian dollar will combine to increase traffic this summer.  We are also optimistic for the future with annual preliminary price caps set at or below inflation at  1.9 per cent from 2016 to 2020.”

Tourism is rebounding from the economic downturn and it is expected to be a busy tourist season in B.C. Travel and accommodation are experiencing increases, and BC Ferries is predicting this upward trend in passenger and vehicle traffic will remain strong for the tourist season.
Under contract to the Province of British Columbia, BC Ferries is the service provider responsible for the delivery of safe, efficient and dependable ferry service along coastal British Columbia.

Source: BC Ferries

The Province is helping low-income adults and children access urgent dental care with a $120,000 one-time grant to support dental programs throughout B.C.

Twenty not-for-profit dental clinics will receive $4,000 each. The majority of the $80,000 distributed to the clinics will be used to deliver services at reduced rates for low-income families and individuals. The funds will assist with operating and capital costs such as replacement equipment.

Another $40,000 will go directly to the British Columbia Dental Association’s Save a Smile program, which supports urgent dental care to children of families without public or private dental-plan coverage throughout B.C. The association works directly with public-health dental staff who screen families for clinical and financial eligibility, as well as with the University of British Columbia, which administers program funds.

Quotes:

Michelle Stilwell, Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation –

“Good dental health is key to overall heath and along with the British Columbia Dental Association we are working to make sure that dental services are available to everyone, regardless of income. This funding and these 20 dental clinics will help low-income families and individuals access the dental care they need at a reduced rate.”

Dr. David Baird, president, British Columbia Dental Association –

“Thank you to the ministry for recognizing the valuable services offered by the 20 not-for-profit dental clinics in B.C. and the British Columbia Dental Association’s Save a Smile program. These funds will be directed to these programs to support patients in need of urgent dental care in communities throughout the province.”

Quick Facts:

• Last year government provided dental services to about 137,000 people receiving income and disability assistance and children in low-income families at a total cost of $58 million.
• Since 2006, the ministry has provided $1.4 million through numerous grants and contribution agreements in support of the British Columbia Dental Association’s charitable programs and not-for-profit dental clinics.

Learn More:

To learn more about the BC Healthy Kids program: www.eia.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/2005/healthy_kids.htm

For information on the Dental Program − Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers: www.mhr.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/2005/dental.htm

VicPD is requesting the public’s assistance in locating Delmer Esau, a 39-year-old Victoria man, who was last seen on March 28th.

Officers have been looking for Mr. Esau since his disappearance and are now looking for the public’s help. Mr. Esau was last seen at 8 a.m. on the morning of the 26th in the 400-block of Swift Street. Mr. Esau requires medications to assist his mental health and officers are concerned for his well-being.

Mr. Easu is described as Caucasian man, standing 5-foot-5 and weighing approximately 150 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Photo released earlier:

West Shore RCMP are happy to let you know they have retraced the owner of the money, reported lost yesterday at a West Shore restaurant. A Good Samaritan had originally turned in the money to the West Shore RCMP Detachment after finding it in a restaurant.

The owner was notified by her husband after seeing this report on the news. She was able to describe every detail of where, when and how she lost her money. The sum was $50.

We are very happy the public came together to help us return the money to its rightful owner”, says Cst. Alex BERUBE, spokesperson of the West Shore RCMP. It doesn’t matter what the total worth was, if this does not represent much for some, for others it might be a week’s worth of groceries. After all, we are here to assist in returning found properties, no matter what it is.

West Shore RCMP would like to thank the public for its assistance in this matter.

Original story:

West Shore RCMP are praising the selfless act of a Good Samaritan by bringing an undisclosed amount of money to West Shore RCMP after finding it today at a West Shore restaurant. It can be challenging to prove ownership of the money that was found; therefore police are not divulging the location or amount of money found, which would only be known to its rightful owner.

We really appreciate the dedication of the woman who turned in the money to us in effort to retrace its owner, says Cst. Alex BERUBE, spokesperson of the West Shore RCMP.

Any enquiries can be made to Cst. Andrea WOOD at andrea.wood@rcmp-grc.gc.ca and refer to file # 2015-4739.