What’s Up on Vancouver Island

Sweet and savoury, the Snack Crawl is back in Victoria. A total of 20 downtown bakeries, cafes, candy shops, chocolatiers, grocery stores and general stores offer a chance for shoppers to win prizes just by snacking from Sept. 1 to 30. Shoppers pick up a stamp card at any participating shop, then spend $5 or more to get a 10 per cent discount and grab a stamp at that business. After collecting 10 stamps, drop the completed card at Belle General to enter for the prize draw – two individual packs filled with top picks from participating shops. Participating businesses Include: • Belle General • Bon Macaron Patisserie • Cinnaholic Victoria • Deer & Dough Bakery • The Dutch Bakery & Diner • Fizz Non-Alc Bottle Shop • Flourish BeauTea • Friends & Family Bake • Hey Happy Coffee • Oh Sugar • Oni Oni • OSO Cookies • Peaches & Pepperoni • Pure Lovin’ Chocolate • QV Café & Bakery • Smoke 2 Snack  • The Art of Slow Food • The Chocolate Project • Wannawafel • Zero Waste Emporium

If the District of Saanich is serious about prioritizing safety and environmental protection in our parks, then the logic behind its dog bylaw changes needs a second look. As it stands, the implementation seems less like careful policy and more like a patchwork of contradictions. Take Braefoot Park, for example – a park where summer camp programs regularly run. It was designated as an unlimited off-leash area. Yet other parks that don’t host children’s programming have leash-time restrictions. If the goal is to reduce the risk of conflict or protect children, shouldn't that logic be applied consistently? Or is this about something else entirely? The municipality claims this plan is backed by research. But I suspect that a significant amount of data amounts to complaint logs – vocal, repeated calls from a small segment of the population. That kind of input is important, but it isn’t a stand-in for good policy. Environmental degradation has also been cited as a major driver, and some evidence of this was provided. Yes, dogs can cause damage, just like people do. But if you walk Mount Doug or Playfair or Panama Flats – many of the areas flagged as degraded – you’ll often find them lush and thriving. Meanwhile, the fenced-in dog zones (think Cy Hampson park in North Saanich) are typically bare, muddy, and overrun – not because dogs are bad, but because the space is far too small, with nothing but a grassy field that turns to mud to sustain them. Instead of giving dog walkers meaningful areas to use responsibly, we’re being boxed into failure. The small fenced corridor proposed in P'KOLS (Mount Doug) won’t solve anything. It’s not an off-leash park – it’s a containment pen. I support fences in principle; I want my dogs to be safe. But let’s make them thoughtful, multi-use spaces – not boggy afterthoughts. Dog walkers are some of the most consistent park users in this city. We show up year-round, rain or shine, and we contribute to the safety and vitality of these public spaces. Municipal policy is supposed to be for the benefit of all of the community, not just the most vocal. We deserve more than contradictory rules and defensive policymaking. Jennine Gates Saanich

I have to take issue with the complacent editorial, Adding doctors won't cure all the problems, on the pace of health-care improvements in your Aug. 21 issue. To me, it is totally unacceptable that despite efforts made by governments over the last seven years, 24% of B.C. residents still don’t have access to a family doctor. Equally unacceptable are periodic closures and associated long-term waits in hospital emergency rooms, several-year waits for hip and knee replacements, and the difficulty in getting aging patients with dementia and similar issues into appropriate care facilities. It has got so bad that we are in danger of accepting the status quo as a normal state of affairs. I attribute this to a lack of priorities placed by governments on the issue and the apparent unwillingness to revisit the Canada Health Act and examine 'out-of-the-box' solutions to get more resources applied to the various problems and inefficiencies in the system. In making these criticisms, I totally applaud the dedication and hard work of the front-line doctors, surgeons and nurses who, once you get in the system, provide world-class care. A key reason for writing is that until more pressure is put on our elected government by citizens at large and the media (Black Press included), the glacial pace of change will continue (or not). Graham Williams North Saanich

Armed with a bigger budget than he’s ever managed before, Saanich filmmaker Arnold Lim is slowly exploring his way through life’s biggest questions using film. For the award-winning Korean-Canadian storyteller, The Bryce Lee Story – with principal filming across the region finishing Sept. 2 – builds on every piece he’s worked on previously. “I wanted to tell an Asian-led story that spoke to some of the challenges of what it was like growing up in rural British Columbia,” said Lim, who spent his youth in Blue River, B.C. “While there were challenges that arose, and there were difficulties that many people of colour had to go through, this ultimately was a place I love and wanted to be. “At the end of the day I think that all we want to do, all I want to do as an artist, is tell personal stories and tell stories rooted in authenticity and truth.” Lim is that writer and director for The Bryce Lee Story, which follows a 13-year-old Chinese boy who lies about being related to Bruce Lee in an effort to be accepted by his classmates at school. The script is fictional, but explores universal themes of identity, the role of family reputation in community and racialized roles for Asian-Canadians in Canada—and goes beyond that to tell the story of a lonely Canadian boy and his family.   >   >   >   >   > https://www.instagram.com/p/DN65MQ-CZFZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading > View this post on Instagram > [https://www.instagram.com/p/DN65MQ-CZFZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   > > A post shared by Bryce Lee (@bryceleestory) > [https://www.instagram.com/p/DN65MQ-CZFZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] > >     “This film to me encompasses many themes of my previous films. At the core, it’s a story about learning about love,” Lim said. He also wrote and directed the award-winning short Obscura, released last year, which follows the story of a young man who withdraws from the world and becomes what is known as a hikikomori. The syndrome – the name of which also refers to the recluses themselves – is a form of severe social withdrawal in which (generally) young men become hermits in their parents’ home. Prior to that he wrote and directed My Name Is Arnold (2022) – another award-winning short that echoed his childhood as a minority in small-town B.C. in the early 1990s. The feature-length Bryce Lee Story has the young central character facing a similar question Lim says he and many people ask themselves: “When you feel unloved or lonely, can you make other people love you?” “The answer is no, but what you can control is how you love others,” Lim said. It’s not a path he’s always followed, or one everyone can always follow. Everyone can veer from that authenticity and truth, which simply provides another path to be explored. “I think that’s true for most of us,” Lim added. To follow that perspective, viewers can expect Bryce to pose as both protagonist and antagonist in sharing the full spectrum of who he is. “I wanted to tell the story of a fictional person, but someone who had all the elements of having a fulsome personality,” Lim said. “I’m really exited to tell the story about a young Asian-Canadian who makes all the mistakes he can make, and does all the things young kids do and finds a way to find himself. I think that’s the story of the human experience. That’s what I do every day— make mistakes and meander through the darkness in ways I still don’t understand, even in my 40s,” Lim added later. “I’m still trying to decode all the bits and experiences I had as a child. Making films is, for me, one of the decoder rings for that. I feel really privileged to have that opportunity.” Another point of pride is sharing the beauty of the region to tell those tales.  As folks return from their Labour Day weekend shenanigans, the team wraps principal photography, shot in Chinatown, Central Saanich, Metchosin and other sites across the South Island. They’ll be back at it for one more day in October. “What we have here to offer in terms of location, beauty, crew and actors is amazing,” Lim said, echoing sentiments he’s shared widely in the past. “I can’t speak highly enough of it. I think a lot of people don’t really understand how artistic and talented we are. We really do hit above our weight class in Victoria and on the Island. “It’s something I take a lot of pride in and a lot of responsibility in. There’s nothing I'd rather than be a director in Victoria.” With this film, the team spurs outside the micro budget realm. Economically, he’s thrilled to be pumping into the local economy with food and hotels, among other expenses. “We’re bringing people from other places, We’re able to spend money in Greater Victoria and bring projects here,” he said about creating this fictional Vancouver Island town for The Bryce Lee Story. “I want to be a positive member of this community. Being able to bring a little bit of film to Greater Victoria is something I’m really proud of.”

Joyful sounds break the reserved quiet expected in a hospice setting as Rummy happily waltzes into a room. The patient – a small, frail-looking man tucked into the bed with eyes closed – is surrounded by those who care about him. “You’re exactly what I needed,” one woman says, reaching down to pat the bernadoodle’s thick coat. Rummy responds to the human happiness with a gleeful grin, giving in to the pets, and awaiting direction from owner/handler Celine Foucher to perch on the bed and provide comfort to the man.   > Puppy love in #yyj > [https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyj?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] – Spent some > quality time with Rummy, Celine, Kirsten and others @VictoriaHospice > [https://twitter.com/VictoriaHospice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] yesterday, here's a > peak into the story to come at https://t.co/MTAc7DQ28u > [https://t.co/MTAc7DQ28u]. pic.twitter.com/DGnC6eYauF > [https://t.co/DGnC6eYauF] > > — Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) August 28, 2025 > [https://twitter.com/VictoriaNews/status/1961177523947278794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] It’s the moment he’s been anticipating since Foucher put on his blue PATS (Pacific Animal Therapy Society) bandana in the parking lot at Victoria Hospice. Six-year-old Rummy loves this work, Foucher says. “He’s built for this work” and even thrives on it. The animated excitement he carries from the parking lot shifts to calm when he hits the ward. This once rambunctious puppy is now a prime therapy animal. “He turned into this very calm, peaceful dog. All he wants is attention and pets from people – 24/7, he just wants to be around humans if he can,” Foucher said. The Saanich pair has been doing volunteer pet therapy work since 2023, starting with student visits at the University of Victoria. A nurse by trade, Foucher isn't in palliative care, but understands the work. “Rummy was very good with students and brought a lot of joy. I felt like I had the skill set that would be well-fitted here and that I would maybe get more of it as well. Rummy enjoys it either way,” she said. “I just enjoy being able to bring some peace to people. I know how hard end-of-life can be, and he’s my favourite thing in the world and he brings me happiness. If he can do that for someone, even for five minutes, I think that makes a big difference.” The animated response of the family isn’t new to Foucher, she figures more than half their work is really with families. Not everyone wants a dog to visit, but those who do are visibly responsive. “They just brighten up and shove everything off the bed.” In this case, the entire conversation shifts to the dog, questions of his temperament, comments on his beauty and even that grin on his face. Patients have a similar response, says hospice nurse Kirsten Lambohs, also a fan of Rummy and his PATS peers. “The value to the patients is probably fairly obvious to people. They’re scared, they’re in pain, they’re away from home, and quite often home for them includes a pet,” Lambohs said. “Most people know that animals provide us with that unconditional love.” What may be less obvious is the therapy the pets provide the staff at Victoria Hospice, from the moment they step off the elevator and perhaps snag a treat from the nurses' station, to those final few moments after the patient work is done and there’s some free time for staff. “We get to take five minutes and have a cuddle, have a lick,” Lambohs said with a smile. “As much as we feel blessed and honoured to do this, and be with people at the end of life, it tolls on you emotionally.” Twice a week, teams from PATS visit the end-of-life facility on Richmond Road to visit with patients, family and staff. “The dogs can reach people in a different way than other types of therapy and consolation,” explains Kimberley Nemrava, placements coordinator for PATS. “The joy and unconditional love a dog can bring is really special.” Someone who did the work with her chocolate Lab until the pup crossed the rainbow bridge, Nemrava is one of eight board members for the society that boasts about 90 therapy teams – one handler, one dog – visiting about 90 sites in primarily Greater Victoria. The group includes a handful of “legacy teams” who have moved away and continue the volunteer work on other parts of the Island. “They’re just out in the community spreading the love.” Any of those teams will tell tales of folks from nonverbal to verbose, and the pleasure response of seeing and visiting with a pet. Nemrava recalls residents in the long-term care site she regularly visited calling out for Sophie the minute she stepped on the unit. They’d remember the dog’s name, not necessarily hers. “The joy and unconditional love a dog can bring is really special,” the Fairfield resident said. “We have a wonderful group of volunteers with their pets who are out literally every day visiting people in the community in hospitals, care homes, schools, and I just want them to know this is happening in their community.” Elementary school visits frequently include a high number of neurodivergent kids. On one such visit in Sidney, she recalls a handler asking the small swarm of students to give the dog a little space. Once youngster piped up: “Does he have dogtism?” The autistic child explained that sometimes that meant they needed a little extra space. After the handler suggested perhaps that was the case, the youngster sat down with their furry new friend for several minutes – sharing their experience, strategies and tips for living with dogtism. Not unlike Victoria Hospice, PATS relies on the generosity of the community for funding, and the call for pet therapy exceeds capacity at the small non-profit that has only one part-time staffer. They’re always looking for more potential teams. “We need to ensure that it’s continued and that as many people as possible are able to take advantage of it,” Lambohs said of the pup therapy program at hospice. “Everybody at some point is going to have a friend, a family member, a partner, a mother, a sister, a daughter, who is going to need palliative care or hospice care, and I think that what is done now will benefit everybody at some point.” Learn more about both organizations online at https://www.patspets.ca/ [https://www.patspets.ca/]and https://victoriahospice.org/ [https://victoriahospice.org/].

Window replacement [https://www.ecolinewindows.ca/location/victoria/] can make a noticeable difference for homeowners in Greater Victoria, where the coastal climate brings unique challenges. While the region enjoys mild temperatures, it also faces steady rainfall, damp winters and seasonal humidity. These conditions can wear down older windows, leading to condensation, leaks or drafts. Choosing models built to withstand moisture and salt air helps ensure your home stays comfortable, efficient and protected year-round. 5 FAQS ABOUT WINDOW REPLACEMENT IN GREATER VICTORIA 1. How can windows resist coastal rain and wind? Southern Vancouver Island is one of Canada’s rainiest regions, with homes often exposed to wind-driven rain in fall and winter. Coastal-grade windows that are sealed and installed to high standards help prevent water penetration, reduce leaks and provide better insulation. 2. How do seals prevent mould and condensation? Victoria’s damp winters make condensation a common concern. Maintaining indoor humidity between 35 – 60 per cent at comfortable temperatures helps reduce mould and odours. Quality seals and professional installation are essential for keeping interiors dry and finishes protected. 3. Why are Energy Star-rated windows important? For rain-heavy climates such as coastal B.C., Energy Star-certified windows offer proven moisture resistance and reliable thermal performance. Their tight seals and durable construction limit air and water infiltration while keeping indoor temperatures consistent. 4. What glazing is best for Victoria’s climate? Triple-pane windows deliver strong insulation and noise control, but many Greater Victoria homeowners find double-pane glass with Low-E coatings provides the best balance of efficiency and comfort. South-facing exposures especially benefit from Low-E coatings that reduce solar heat gain. 5. Which frame materials work best in a salty environment? Vinyl and fibreglass frames are recommended for their durability, low maintenance and resistance to corrosion in salty coastal air. Wood and aluminum can also be effective but require extra care or protective cladding to perform well long-term. WINDOW STYLES THAT BALANCE FUNCTION AND DESIGN Another key consideration is how replacement windows will complement your home’s style. A range of options means you can choose products that deliver both function and curb appeal: * Casement and awning windows offer ventilation and a tight seal. * Sliding and hung windows provide a classic look and easy operation. * Bay and bow windows expand living spaces with natural light and seating. * Tilt-and-turn windows add European-inspired versatility, swinging open like a door or tilting inward for airflow. * Fixed or picture windows maximize views while limiting energy loss. The right style depends on your home’s design, ventilation needs and lifestyle. 092025-coast-photo1 [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/shared/impress/client-photos-regulars/ecoline/092025-coast-photo1.jpg;w=960] Victoria’s damp winters make condensation a common concern. Maintaining indoor humidity between 35 – 60 per cent at comfortable temperatures helps reduce mould and odours. Photos courtesy of Ecoline. BEYOND THE BASICS: TIMELINES, WARRANTIES AND AFFORDABILITY For most homeowners, the practical details matter as much as the technical ones. A typical window replacement project in Greater Victoria takes six to ten weeks from contract signing to completion. This covers measuring, custom manufacturing, delivery and installation. Crews trained to CSA standards ensure every unit is airtight, insulated and securely sealed – protecting both the product and your home. Warranties are another essential factor. Strong coverage signals confidence in both workmanship and materials. Look for protection on frames, glass seal failure, hardware, labour and installation for at least 20 years, offering peace of mind that repairs won’t bring unexpected costs. Upgrading has also become more accessible thanks to financing and rebate programs. The Canada Greener Homes Loan provides zero-interest financing for energy-efficient renovations, while CleanBC Better Homes offers rebates for qualifying upgrades. Combined with flexible payment plans from installers, these supports make it easier to invest in windows that improve comfort now and deliver savings long-term. WHY WINDOW REPLACEMENT IS A SMART INVESTMENT Window replacement in Greater Victoria is about more than updating appearances – it’s about selecting products that stand up to the coast’s wet, windy conditions while improving energy efficiency and durability. With the right materials, glazing and professional installation, homeowners can protect their investment and enjoy a more comfortable, sustainable home. Book your window replacement today! Window replacements [https://www.ecolinewindows.ca/location/victoria/] aren’t just a quick fix – they’re a smart investment in your home’s comfort, efficiency and value. If your windows are outdated, fogged up or failing, the right replacement can make a lasting difference in how your home looks, feels and performs. Ecoline Windows offers exterior door and window replacement throughout B.C. as well as several other communities throughout Western Canada! Find more information about their services and your eligibility for rebate and grant programs online today at ecolinewindows.ca [http://ecolinewindows.ca] or by calling 778-400-2063.    

Greater Victoria is about to head back to school, and PISE (Pacific Institute for Sport Education) is hoping to make class a little more active this year.  This fall PISE has launched a new fundraising campaign aiming to raise $150,000 by December. They hope to direct the funds towards expanding access to inclusive, high-quality physical activity for schoolchildren.  “Our school programs give thousands of students more opportunities to move, learn and grow,” said Chris Wright, Manager of Physical Literacy Development at PISE. “Developing physical literacy is foundational, as children gain the motivation they need to be active for life.” PISE is a local not-for-profit, partnering with schools to help students lead active healthy lives.  Last year PISE connected with 10,000 children and youth through school programs and camps, this year they'll aim to support 5,000 more through programming for 500 Indigenous students through partnerships with school districts and Indigenous organizations such as the Songhees Nation and WSANEC Leadership Secondary School.  So far PISE says the response from parents and educators to their programming has been positive.  “PISE’s lessons are well-structured, inclusive and help inspire confidence in all our students,” said Luke Forand, a physical and health education teacher at George Jay Elementary. “I appreciated the commitment to instilling teamwork, communication, creativity and sportsmanship, qualities that will benefit our students beyond the gym.” PISE has impacted many youth through their programming in the past including 23-year-old Wally Trotter, who attended summer inclusive camps and school programs run by the organization. Trotter was able to secure his first job at PISE's fitness centre in Grade 12 through the job journey program.  “For the past five and a half years, he has brought positive energy and is an enthusiastic employee who is well supported in his employment in both the fitness centre, and as part of the physical literacy program [as a leader] in after-school care and spring break and summer camps,” said his mother, Wendy Trotter. “These experiences have built his self-confidence and leadership skills. PISE has been a vital part of his development, and we are grateful for their ongoing support.” PISE's hope is that with donor support, more of these programs can be brought to school and ensure every child is seen, supported and inspired to move.       

Summer may be drawing to a close, but Victoria received a revitalizing blast of colour, warmth, and music from the Caribbean ahead of the season’s end. During the Labour Day long weekend, Victoria’s Ship Point hosted the second-ever i-Land Fest, from Aug. 29 to 31. “What we're doing here is celebrating culture, food, vibrancy, diversity and unity from a Caribbean flavour,” said Oneil Randall, co-founder of the event. 7-oneil [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/victoria/2025-september/7-oneil.jpg;w=960] Oneil Randall, co-founder of i-Land Fest, poses in front of the main stage at Victoria’s Ship Point on Aug. 31. (Olivier Laurin/Victoria News) Hitting Victoria’s streets for the first time last year, after previously being held at Centennial Square, i-Land Fest was conceived out of a need to represent the Island’s Caribbean community, said Randall. “When I came here with my wife from Calgary, I said to her, ‘I don't think I'm going to survive long here,’” he said, cracking a smile. “I didn't see my food, I didn't see much of my people and I didn't see the festivity that keeps us in this culture. “So I said to her that we had two options: ‘We're going to have to bring (our culture) here or we're going to go somewhere else.” What started as an idea in 2021 materialized three years later, said Randall, who wanted to give Caribbean folks and second-generation immigrant kids who never had a chance to connect with their culture a place to come together and experience a sense of home. With a centre stage boasting a wide range of DJ sets, live performances, and activities, flanked by markets, booths, and a kids’ zone, Randall said this event was also an opportunity to share Caribbean heritage with Greater Victoria residents. Estimating that up to 20,000 attendees visited the three-day festivities, Randall calls this year’s second edition a “success” and extends an invitation to anyone who is interested in next year’s i-Land Fest. For more information, visit ilandfest.com [http://ilandfest.com].

With roots back 157 years ago, few traditions date as far back as the iconic Saanich Fair in Greater Victoria.  Starting with 10 farmers who wanted to gather and compare their stock, crops, and crafts, the event took on a life of its own and grew into one of the region’s most beloved annual traditions for kids and adults alike. Celebrating its 157th edition, the Saanich Fair drew about 45,000 people during its three-day run from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. Although the event’s roots lie in the region’s agricultural heritage, Vancouver Island’s largest fair continues to offer a wide array of attractions, from adrenaline-jolting rides to food trucks and live entertainment. Among this year's fair goers is Nick Stevaniuk and his two sons, Will and John, long-time attendees, living nearby the fairgrounds.  10-stevaniuk [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/peninsula/2025-september/10-stevaniuk.jpg;w=960] Nick Stevaniuk poses with his two sons, Will and John, at the 157th Saanich Fair on Sept. 1. (Olivier Laurin/Peninsula News Review) Having done everything from watching artists strum their guitars to petting month-old calves, the trio makes a point of marking this event on their calendar every year. “Is it a great day with the kids and we've got lots of friends here and that's a great community event,” said Stevaniuk.  For details on the fair and next year’s edition, visit saanichfair.ca [http://saanichfair.ca]. - With files from Tim Collins and Tony Trozzo

Campbell River RCMP are asking for the public's help in locating 27-year-old Cameron Raben Larsen. On Tuesday (Aug. 26), police were told Larsen had not been seen by his family for several months. He was last confirmed seen at the end of November 2024. Larsen is described as an Indigenous male with brown eyes and black hair. He is six-foot-three and 271 pounds.  Police are asking the public to contact the Campbell River RCMP at 250-286-6221 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Talking to a stranger has never been easier.  The Let’s Talk program, which began as a summer pilot at Spinnakers Brewpub, is growing beyond its original location as more downtown Victoria businesses embrace the idea of encouraging strangers to share a table. After a trial run in July and August, Spinnakers has made the initiative a permanent fixture. Guests can now pick up a Let’s Talk card at the hostess stand and be seated with another person who has opted in, creating a low-pressure way to meet someone new. Spinnakers owner Paul Hadfield said the structure makes it easy to connect. “Times have changed and you can’t just walk up to someone and say, ‘Hey, do you want to be my friend?’ But this structure makes it natural and easy,” said Hadfield. Following Spinnakers’ lead, Murchie’s, Whistle Buoy Brewing Company, Green Cuisine, The Drake Eatery, and Pagliacci’s have all introduced the program, allowing people to find conversation partners over coffee, lunch, or a pint. For Jennie Keeran, founder of the Let’s Talk Health Society, the expansion marks just the beginning. She said the summer confirmed a need for connection in the community, pointing to studies linking [https://lets-talk.live/research/]social interaction to lower crime, reduced addiction, and improved health. “This project took off because of the community safety and well-being plan [https://www.vicnews.com/local-news/city-of-victoria-reallocating-103-million-for-community-safety-plan-8107423],” she said. “It confirmed the need that everybody has to connect with each other. It literally heals.” Keeran and acting CEO James Brian Gomes are already looking ahead. They are working with app developer Steve Davis, a former Apple employee, on a mobile platform that would allow people to check where conversations are happening in real time. The society also plans to seek grants to help fund its growth. “This is not just a project, it is a movement,” Gomes said. “We want to promote it through B.C., Canada, and internationally, putting Victoria as a role model.” Keeran said she is also in talks with the Greater Victoria Public Library about dedicating time and space for the program. For now, the growth into multiple downtown locations shows momentum is building. As Keeran put it, the goal is simple: “No one ever has to eat alone again – unless they want to.”

A Sooke athlete is making waves in the lacrosse box, on the field and on the rugby pitch. Maren McKeown has played lacrosse since she was 10-years-old, after noticing a poster at Pearkes Recreation Centre. Since then, she has gone on to play at the highest possible level every opportunity she could. This year she stepped into the net for Team BC’s U22 women’s box lacrosse team as they headed to Halifax to compete for the Carol Patterson Trophy at the box lacrosse nationals earlier this August. “It’s a big honour to play for Team BC, and I love being able to represent the Island and represent the city as well,” said McKeown. “There’s a couple lacrosse kids, but it’s nice to show that kids can come from a small town like Sooke and play lacrosse on a national stage.” The team took home the silver medal in the tournament, after falling to Team Alberta 9-2 in the gold medal game – a slightly disappointing outcome given the expectations. But it was not a loss that defined the experience for McKeown. “It was a big thing to come out to the East Coast. When my age group came to nationals in Halifax in 2018 they won gold. So it was a big expectation for us to come back and win gold again. But I think it was definitely a fun tournament. There’s a lot of learning that happened as well throughout the tournament and a lot of memories overall,” she said. While it’s not the colour McKeown is used to – after taking gold with her U19 Team BC women’s field lacrosse squad in 2023 – it’s still an incredible accomplishment. Some of the best memories McKeown says she’ll take from the experience were those made outside the box. For her, the best moments were “all of us spending time in the hotel room together and just getting closer,” she said. “You would always hear our team laughing and making jokes with each other the whole time.” She has played with Team BC since 2019, and plans on returning next year for another shot at a gold medal. But it’s not the only sports goal on her mind. For her dad, Sean, seeing his daughter participate in so many sports at such a high level is has been a source of pride. He’s even started a YouTube channel – Maren Media so Maren and her teammates can relive their games. “I’m super excited that the kids are competitive and that they’re doing well,” said Sean, who also commented on his son’s success as a boxer. With the lacrosse season over, McKeown has now turned her eyes back to rugby, a favourite sport of hers. She is presently at the University of Prince Edward Island for training camp with the rugby team, and will turn her focus towards the Atlantic University Sport championships in October. “I just love playing sports. Ever since I was a little kid, I played every sport you can think of. I realized that I had a chance to play in university in either lacrosse or rugby, and rugby just had more of a calling for me,” said McKeown. After university, McKeown says she hopes to become a lawyer. Until then, she’ll go as far as sports will take her – whatever the game.            

Former Campbell River resident and Carihi grad, Michael Stevantoni, has had his second feature film debut on the big screen of Lemmie Glendale theatre, in Glendale California, a suburb of Los Angeles. This is Stevantoni’s second feature film, ‘Death Letter Blues’ and it debuted on Aug. 8. It was co-written and co-directed by Strack Azar. Shot in Mississippi, it is now streaming on Apple TV/iTunes, and YouTube.  The movie is a southern gothic supernatural film, a mysterious death rattles a small town, notably a troubled priest, who discovers haunting parallels between the tragedy and his recurring nightmares. ‘Death Letter Blues’ stars Sherman Augustus (Stranger Things), Karole Foreman, and Ramsay Midwood. Diana Stevan — a Campbell River author, professional actor, and also Michael's grandmother — plays Mrs. Webb, the priest’s friend in the film.  

The 2025-26 Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League Schedule has been released and the Kerry Park Islanders have been busy putting together what they hope will be another winning roster. "We are excited with our signings and excited to get started," head coach Jake Ebner said. "Main camp is this week, and followed by a week of practices, it will give us a better idea of how we look. We are excited to get to work." Most recently, the Islanders have picked up hard-hitting defender Nishaan Jauhol. The Richmond product was the defender of the year this past season while playing for the North Shore Warriors U17AAA team in the Canadian School Sports Hockey League. Having caught the eye of Kerry Park GM Brandon Cox some time ago, 16-year-old forward Hudson Boulanger is now officially a Kerry Park Islander. Boulanger led the Victoria Royals U17 AAA team in scoring this past season with seven goals and eight assists through 32 games. “He’s a great local athlete but what gets me every time is his ear-to-ear smile when I see him at the rink. It showcases that true love of the game," Cox said ion social media. Originally from Edmonton, Alta, Boulanger previously played with the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy's U15 prep team in the CSSHL. The Isles have also picked up Polish forward Tomasz Ptaszek for the upcoming season. The team describes the 18-year-old as a "powerhouse" and "a speedy, scoring forward" and lauds him for his talent and experience at an international level. Ptaszek has played for the Poland U18 team. Meanwhile, the Islanders have also doubled their luck, picking up twin brothers Taran Biring and Jayan Biring. "As 16-year-olds in the PJHL last season, the brothers were already heavily relied on to block shots, kill penalties, and play with grit and determination," said the team. Also joining the Isles for the upcoming season are speedy, hard-working forward Ryan Weaver, power-forward Reece Miyoshi, and highly skilled Australian defender Tobie Gilchrist. Miyoshi and Gilchrist joined from the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy. Weaver joins the team in Mill Bay from the Kootenay Hockey Academy.  

Victoria families will soon have more options for child care, as the Government of British Columbia expands access across the province. A total of 76 new spaces are opening on school grounds in the Greater Victoria School District, with 40 at the Kids Klub Centre McKenzie school, and 36 at a childcare centre at Victoria High Secondary School New Democrat MLAs Nina Krieger and Lana Popham say the spaces will help families balance work and home life. "As our region continues to grow, having child care spaces on school grounds will help families thrive," said Nina Krieger, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake. "These new spaces will make life easier for parents by giving them an easier drop-off and pickup location." "Our community is a great place for families to settle and grow, with access to the outdoors and nearby amenities," said Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South. "These new child care spaces are one more way we are supporting families now and into the future." Other Island communities are also seeing new child care opportunities. Nanaimo will get 52 new spaces, Port Alberni 22, Tofino 76, and Ucluelet 44. The province is providing $23.5 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces fund to create 640 new child care spaces in 12 communities around B.C.  The New Spaces Fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The agreement has recently been extended through 2030-31. Since 2018, ChildCareBC’s programs have helped fund more than 41,500 new licensed child care spaces in B.C., with 26,200 already open and serving families. The latest expansion continues the province’s efforts to make child care more accessible, affordable, and convenient for families across urban and rural communities.

With water levels still very low in Cowichan Lake until the rains of the fall season come, it might be a good time for observant lake watchers to see if they can catch a glimpse of a legendary monster said to inhabit its waters. Cowichan’s Rodney Chilton said that even though it’s not nearly well known as the Okanagan Lakes Ogopogo, the enigmatic lake monster called Stin-Qua (or Stin-Quo depending on who you talk to) has quite a rich history as well. He said one of the first sightings of Stin-Qua in Cowichan Lake was by a settler in 1885, and several more people have claimed to have seen Stin-Qua, which is described as a serpent-like creature, since. “It seems that the frequency (of the sightings), as far as I am able to discern, have coincided with intervals when the weather in the late spring to late summer have been warm and dry, and lake levels have dropped accordingly,” Chilton said. Chilton said when water levels in the lake are low, It appears that Stin-Qua is forced to the surface from the deeper parts of the lake seeking food and is more likely to be detected. In 2012, Rolli Gunderson wrote a story in the Lake Cowichan Gazette about a sighting of Stin-Qua in 1930 in which Youbou’s Charlie Caldwell spotted something that looked like a serpent in Cowichan Lake, and two years previously, two friends named Jarvis and Hill were hunting and fishing in the area and reported something similar. “While crossing Bear Lake (near Mesachie Lake) in the early morning of Sept. 17, 1928, they were very surprised by a strange sight,” Gunderson said. She reported that the friends reported that fish were jumping out of the water everywhere as salmon do when the runs are in.  “They noted the oddity then began fishing, hoping to catch their supper,” Gunderson said. “Moments later, in the misty distance, they saw, what appeared to be a flock of ducks near the channel that joins Bear Lake with Cowichan Lake. Paying no more attention they again set their sights on catching fish when one of the men looked around and saw about eight feet of a tapering neck and serpent-like head standing straight out of the water for about five seconds.”  Gunderson said the friends reported that the creature then moved its head back and forth before disappearing with a “serpentine motion” of the body. She said that another sighting had taken place several months earlier in 1928 when Riverside Inn proprietor Norman Thomas and his wife reported “having distinctly seen” a mysterious monster while out on the lake in their speedboat. “They noticed what appeared to be two logs ahead of them and, steering between the logs, they passed around the end of one log to within 60 feet of the other log when what they had thought was a log suddenly bowed up in the middle and disappeared with great commotion,” Gunderson reported. “They then realized that there were no logs nearby and therefore concluded that it was the same serpent they had seen on previous occasions. Thomas stated that in the past, when four tourists were also on board his boat, a long neck about 10 or 12 feet above the water was sighted. He stopped the boat to get a better view of what looked like a large snake upwards of 30-feet-long.” Gunderson said reporting of the mysterious creature has continued over years, but no evidence has ever been presented that Stin-Qua actually existed, or still exists. But Chilton said he thinks there is something out of the ordinary present in Cowichan Lake and he would like to see this enigmatic entity for myself. He said he's considering renting a cabin next spring on the Youbou side of the lake to monitor the water from that vantage with infrared camera equipment. "Perhaps as well someone with a boat and sonar equipment may even wish to do some scanning work in some of the deepest portions of the lake?" Chilton suggested.

National kudos means a $10,000 bump in budget for a critical literacy program aimed at healing intergenerational trauma among Indigenous people. A Greater Victoria-based organization, The Literacy Circle Society, earned honourable mention in the 2025 Canada Life Literacy Innovation Awards for its Learning for Life program. Learning for Life is a literacy program created for Indigenous Elders, residential and day school survivors and intergenerational survivors. Many Survivors were denied education and carry trauma that makes traditional classrooms inaccessible. Learning for Life offers a safe, culturally responsive alternative that supports healing, skill-building, and reconnection to community. Each session begins with a shared meal, followed by learner-led instruction in reading, writing, storytelling and basic math, tailored to each participant’s needs in a supportive group setting. Every learner is paired with a dedicated advocate who helps with logistics including transportation and addresses broader challenges such as housing or healthcare. The Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association earned the top nod and $20,000 and KnowledgeFlow Cybersafety Foundation in Ontario was named a second honourable mention, also receiving $10,000 in funding. The Literacy Circle Society offers programs in Greater Victoria and Nanaimo with new sessions starting in the fall. Learn more online at theliteracycircle.ca [https://www.theliteracycircle.ca/].

While 'Buddy' was top of the list for Nanaimo's most popular dog name last year, now it doesn't even break top 10 – with that crown going to 'Bella.' As of Aug. 1, Bella was the registered name of 104 dogs in the city, followed by Charlie with 98 and Luna with 95. This was a big resurgence for the name Bella, which climbed from ninth place in the last year, and Luna, which wasn't among last year's top 10. Charlie had a slight bump from third in 2024 to second this year.  Maria Walker, owner of Dog N' Suds, told the News Bulletin that as dog groomers, the business see multiples of those top names a day and the list didn't come as a surprise. "They're cute. I've never met a Bella who wasn't a little sweetheart, it's just the way it is," Walker said."It's a pretty name, it means pretty – it makes sense." Personally, Walker said she is a fan of food names, like Tofu, Popcorn or Peanut, but her own chihuahua-miniature pinscher mix is named Barkley. "It just fits him because he barks all the time, so I just call him Bark." Stephanie Thorpe, Dog N' Suds manager, said she imagines Bella as a yorkie "with attitude." Charlie, she believes, has the advantage of being used regardless of gender. "I'm really surprised [there isn't] a Finn on there, because Finn, Finley, Finnegan are really popular right now." In her opinion, current popular media also has an impact. Following the release of the HBO's Game of Thrones, dog groomers worked with several dogs named Daenerys. One of her own dogs is named Morty, a reference to the namesake character on Rick and Morty. "Usually some strong HBO show will spark a name trend and the cooler they sound, the cooler the character, that's usually what influences the dog's name. I think people like to name dogs something that gives them something warm in the heart," Thorpe said. City of Nanaimo's top 10 most-popular dog names, summer 2025: 10. Piper 9: Sadie 8. Bailey 7. Rosie 6. Molly 5. Daisy 4. Lucy 3. Luna 2. Charlie 1. Bella City of Nanaimo's top 10 most-popular dog names, summer 2024: 10. Jake 9. Bella 8. Daisy 7. Lucy 6. Bear 5. Bailey 4. Molly 3. Charlie 2. Max 1. Buddy

Comox Valley creator Charlie Karumi is taking conversations to the streets with ‘More Of That Please,’ a pop-up podcast that asks one simple question: “What would you like to see more of in the world?” Armed with just a table, two chairs, and a pair of microphones, Karumi invites members of the public to share their ideas, ranging from more empathy to more local food to even more love for BC Ferries workers. The content takes two forms, long-form podcast episodes available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, along with short vertical clips tailored for Instagram and TikTok audiences. Supported by a Comox Valley Arts Incubator microgrant, ‘More Of That Please’ has already partnered with the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market and Courtenay’s Pulse on the Plaza, bringing community-driven conversations to multiple locations. “It’s a podcast of the people, by the people and for the people… Shout out to Abe Lincoln!” says Karumi. Don’t be surprised if you see it soon, the pop-up podcast might just appear in your neighborhood next. Explore episodes and clips here: linktr.ee/More.Of.That_Please [http://linktr.ee/More.Of.That_Please]  

The Victoria International Wine Festival is returning this fall with a record pour. Set for Oct. 3 and 4 at the Victoria Conference Centre, the festival will feature more than 467 wines from 15 countries, filling two days with tastings, seminars, and special events. Now in its 12th year, it has grown into one of Canada’s leading wine showcases, attracting producers, trade, and wine lovers from around the world. This year, organizers are turning more attention to Canadian wines, introducing a coast-to-coast feature that highlights boutique producers from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. The program will celebrate the craftsmanship and diversity of homegrown winemaking through tastings and seminars, while also helping small Canadian wineries take part in the event. “Wine tells a story from the ground up. To me, that is the heart of wine, the history and the roots behind it,” said Dave Bain, producer of the Victoria International Wine Festival.  Bain said the new direction comes from a desire to give Canadian winemakers a stronger platform. “The festival gives people a space to learn and build a portfolio of new beloved wines. Wine should be exciting to talk about and discover at the store, not something that feels intimidating when faced with endless labels," he said. He added that the festival retooled its approach in response to recent global challenges. "We went back to the drawing board to reform the festival and strengthen our community. Our regional partnerships have allowed us to welcome wineries rarely seen in Victoria," said Bain. Ticket sales are currently trending to record-breaking numbers according to Bain, with all of Saturday's (Oct. 3) tastings on track to sell out in the coming weeks. 

A new exhibit at the Tofino Clayoquot Heritage Museum opened on Aug. 15 focusing on Japanese Canadians contributions to Vancouver Island's west coast.  Cultural Tides: Nikkei Journey in Clayoquot Sound highlights Japanese Canadians who lived in the area during the early 20th century. The term "Nikkei" refers to Canadians who are of Japanese descent. “The exhibition tells the story of Japanese Canadians and how they came here, the lives they built, the challenges they faced and the ways they contributed to the community,” said Chris Reitze, manager of the Tofino Museum.   During the Second World War, most of the Nikkei community were forced to leave the Island and were taken to internment camps. Once the war ended, the Government of Canada made it mandatory that Japanese Canadians must relocate to Japan or eastern Canada, making the already small Japanese community in Tofino almost obsolete. This exhibit is meant to raise awareness around the injustices and discrimination that Japanese Canadians faced at this time.   “The exhibition includes personal accounts from those who lived through the internment period. We are showing the deep impact on families and livelihoods during and after (the Second World War),” said Reitze.   Like many Japanese Canadians during the Second World War, life drastically changed for the Nikkei community after the bombing of Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941.   By 1942, Japanese Canadians were forced to give up their livelihood: their homes and fishing boats were confiscated and they were sent to internment camps or later deported to Japan.   “(The Second World War) was a challenging phase. We do not shy away from these difficult chapters,” Reitze said.   “The exhibition includes personal accounts from those who lived through the internment period. We are showing the deep impact on families and livelihoods during and after WWII,” he added.   Most of the Japanese Canadians did not return to Clayoquot Sound after the Second World War ended as they were forced to relocate to Japan or to eastern Canada, places unfamiliar to most.    “It is a small community out here. A couple families came back, but not the whole community,” Reitze said.   This greatly impacted their way of life and many looked for a community elsewhere.   In 1998, the Government of Canada issued an apology to Japanese Canadians and an agreement was settled.   As the 80th anniversary to the end of the Second World War approaches, Reitze believes these issues of  discrimination are still relevant today.   “This particular story of the Nikkei reminds us of the dangers of exclusion ... and the strength that comes from diversity and community support,” he said.   “At the end of the day (this) is the message people should take away.”  Reitze also shared how the exhibit explores their life working in the fishing industry and building a community on the Island. The opening of the exhibit was a success, said Reitze, and people of all ages attended.  "A wonderful mix of community members, visitors, and families connected to the history being shared," he said. "It was great to see how engaged people were with the exhibit, especially the audio stories and photos. Many guests expressed gratitude that this part of Clayoquot Sound's history is being acknowledged and displayed."    The museum (331 Main St. in the blue building) is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with guided tours offered on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

Boats are part of Greater Victoria’s lifeblood, and one group believes it’s worth celebrating this aspect of the region’s history. Over the Labour Day long weekend, more than 95 historical vessels docked at the capital’s Inner Harbour for the 46th Victoria Classic Boat Festival. Hosted by the Maritime Museum of BC, the event invited the public to tour the boats and chat with their owners from Aug. 29 to 31. From small dinghies to imposing steamboats, some having travelled as far as California and Toronto, this year’s lineup featured many notable vessels, including the Dorothy, a wooden sailing ship built in 1897 and one of the festival’s oldest boats. For Bill Noon, chair of the festival, this was the event’s “best weekend ever,” welcoming an estimated 10,000 people. More than being floating museums, many over a century old, Noon believes these classic boats should be celebrated for their cultural significance and the craftsmanship that went into making them. “We all came from the sea,” he said. “The First Nations looked at the ocean, and we arrived by sea. This is our transportation route, our roots, and (part of) everyone’s culture. And the skills that went into these boats and the materials they used are incredible. “They should be celebrated because we don’t build stuff like this anymore.” In addition to opening the Inner Harbour’s docks to those interested, the festival also showcased local musicians playing maritime tunes and hosted numerous booths to educate the public on Victoria’s long-standing history with vessels of all types. For those who missed the chance to attend this year’s celebration, Noon invites everyone to next year’s festival. For more information, visit mmbc.bc.ca [http://mmbc.bc.ca].

With the summer tourism season winding down, it looks like many Canadians chose the Parksville area for their summer vacation destination instead of a trip south of the border. The Parksville Visitor Centre estimated approximately 30 per cent more people passed through its doors compared to normal. "We have definitely been busy," said Liette Masse, executive director of the Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce, which operates the visitor centre. "It is my first year as the ED [executive director] for the chamber and the visitor centre, but I would have to say, based on what others are telling me, it has been busier for sure, and our statistics are showing it.” Lots of the visitors came from B.C. or Alberta, but there have been plenty from across Canada and the U.S. as well. Masse also noted visitors from various countries in Europe. Based on the conversations she has had with visitors, it seems people are interested in sticking local for their vacation, with some admitting they previously would have travelled to the U.S. "They’re wanting to keep their tourism money in the local area," she added. “It’s a bonus for all of us. The hotels and the restaurants, all of the attractions they can come to see and do here in Parksville and district as well." The chamber's weekly Summer by the Sea Street Market also saw more traffic, Masse added, before it wrapped up for the summer on Aug. 26. Visitors to the city's downtown core were numerous, as well as early, according to the Parksville Downtown Business Association. "By late May I was noticing more people in the downtown core and merchants were confirming that they were getting busy earlier than usual," said Teresa Cooper, executive director. "It will be interesting to see if that trend continues into the fall."  Numbers from the Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association have a two month delay, said executive director Blain Sepos, who added that stakeholders have reported "a strong season, to be sure".

As Greater Victorians wrap up their summer holidays and begin their back-to-school routines, traffic is once again on the rise.  It is also a time of abundant road work around the city, which has prompted a new campaign from Road Safety at Work (RSAW) – the Work Zone Safety Campaign.  "The combination of hot weather, holiday weekend travel, and back-to-school routines requires extra patience and care from drivers to help keep roadside workers in B.C. safe," said RSAW in a news release.  "More vehicles, and more drivers in a rush or travelling unfamiliar routes, mean greater risk for the tens of thousands of British Columbians who work within metres of moving traffic. Distraction, especially from phones, and heat-induced stress add to the danger."  The new campaign from RSAW encourages drivers who may be travelling with family and friends to remember that roadside workers have family and friends too, who are waiting to see them at the end of their workday.  “We’ve all got to keep our eyes on the road and be aware of everything going on in roadside work zones,” says Trace Acres, spokesperson for RSAW's Work Zone Safety campaign.  “Every year, we hear about near-misses – or worse – in work zones because a driver was driving too fast or looking at their phone instead of the road." Between 2015 and 2024, nine roadside workers in B.C. were killed and 267 more were injured seriously enough to miss work.  “Most drivers follow directions, slow down, and are respectful,” said Chris Ruddick, an operations manager with a contracting company in Greater Victoria. Ruddick is also a member of the Island Equipment Owners Association, and while he knows most drivers are respectful, that cannot be said for all of them. “But it’s still common to experience drivers who just don’t relate to how dangerous it is for workers doing their job beside passing traffic.” Ruddick says that drivers are better able to recognize roadside work zones due to signage, traffic cones, barriers and high-visibility gear. But a newer tool has been helping as well.  Ruddick's company is now utilizing an automated flagger assistance device, a remote-controlled flagging system using gates and flags to reduce worker exposure to traffic.  "I wish all drivers would understand that the workers occupying the roadways are just doing their job, and for some of them, that job is to help keep motorists safe,” says Ruddick. “For others, their job benefits the people driving those cars: garbage and recycling are being collected, landscaping is being done, sidewalks are being improved, drains are being unclogged, etc.” RSAW is highlighting three ways to keep workers safe: slow down and drive at the posted speed limit, pay attention and leave your phone alone, and obey all traffic signs and flag persons.  They remind drivers that construction speed limits are in effect even when workers are not present. And even if a work zone looks empty, don't assume it's inactive – crews may be setting up, packing up or just out of view. 

The City of Duncan is applying for a grant of up to $20,000 from the Union of BC Municipalities to support relationship-building events and the development of agreements with Cowichan Tribes. Jessica Hodgins, the city’s corporate services coordinator, told council at its meeting on July 28 that the UCBM’s regional community-to-community grant program offers up to $20,000 to local governments and First Nations to organize forums that support dialogue to build relationships, support reconciliation efforts, resolve issues of common responsibility, interest, or concern, and to advance tangible outcomes including the development of service agreements. “During the strategic planning process, council identified a strong relationship with Cowichan Tribes as a key goal for council’s 2023-2026 term,” Hodgins said. “Among the action items associated with this goal is to hold a joint breakfast meeting annually, update service agreements, and for the CAOs to meet two times annually.” Hodgins said the city was successful in its application for funding from UBCM’s program in 2023/24 and received almost $9,000.  She said with the funding, council hosted a breakfast meeting with Cowichan Tribes’s council which was followed by a presentation on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, as well as facilitated conversations on understanding different ways of communicating and placing the local government-First Nations relationship in historical context.  “The funding also supported further progress at the staff level on service agreements for the provision of water, fire, and sewer services by the city on Cowichan Tribes reserve land,” Hodgins said. “Following the progress made in 2025, staff recommend that the city submit another application for funding to support ongoing relationship-building events and further progress on service agreements between the city and Cowichan Tribes.” Mayor Michelle Staples said she’s grateful that the funding is still available and that it’s an ongoing program through the UBCM because it takes time and a lot of work to build relationships.  “I want to thank staff for all the work they are doing behind the scenes to continue those conversations,” she said.

When asked what brought Glenn Mahoney to Overdose Prevention Day at the B.C. legislature, he responded in a candid tone which can only come from years of confronting a horrible tragedy. "Death. Too much preventable death." Mahoney's son, Michael, developed a substance use disorder at 13 when prescribed oxycodone for a medical issue. His journey ended at 21 with him dying alone in his car. Michael is one of over 17,000 people in B.C. who have died from toxic drug use since the state of public health emergency was first declared in April 2016. What perplexes Mahoney as much as the fact that 2,000 more people have died since last year's gathering is the lack of action. "I always find it shocking that people aren't outraged at this level of death," he said. At one point, members in the crowd who had lost a loved one due to the crisis lay on the legislature steps. They covered them, painting a stark picture beneath the Canadian flag. One sign read "They were so loved." Photos of those lost were strung with hearts along the fence – all ages pictured including young teens. The drug toxicity continues to be the leading cause of death in B.C. for people ages 19 to 59, pointed out Lisa Lapointe, former B.C. chief coroner, in her speech. "What could be more important?" she asked, calling for standardized, evidence-based, free treatment. "Why isn't our government bringing this kind of health care into the health care fold?" Even though Mahoney and his wife are both graduate-level educated, he said they could not navigate the system to help their son. The best they could do was "very expensive" private treatment programs, all abstinence-based; programs he felt ridiculed people for taking any prescribed psychiatric medications.  "In every step, you're punished and stigmatized," he said. At one point before his death, Michael had been "fairly stable" while he was on pharmaceutical alternatives, also known as safe supply, a word that Mahoney says has now been "polluted" by politics and misinformation. But when Michael lost the person that was supplying him with the alternatives, he turned to the street supply that killed him. His case was used by the coroners death review panel in 2020 because of the number of encounters with the health care system that the family dealt with. That included being denied applications by Island Health and not being accepted as a patient by adult community psychiatrists. "At every point and every encounter, the system made his condition worse," Mahoney said. "It's a failure of public policy." A CALL FOR CHANGE Lapointe and Kelsey Roden, a physician, addiction medicine specialist and co-founder of Doctors for Safer Drug Policy, emphasized that despite progress with overdose prevention sites, decriminalization and safe supply, deaths continue because of prohibition and stigma remain unaddressed. Based off of information from public health professionals from the provincial health officer down, and BC Coroner Service death review panels, Lapointe said there are "straightforward things" that could be done to prevent deaths. The first, she said, is to acknowledge it as a health issue. She also criticized that private residential treatment centres are allowed to charge "tens of thousands of dollars" for unstandardized treatment and advocated for pharmaceutical alternatives. "[They are] a really, really important way of stabilizing people so they can start to see a future, moving them away from the chaotic drug trade," she said. For Glenn and Jan Mahoney, they vowed to keep fighting every year so that no other family endures the same loss, all while remembering their son – a "creative, artistic, funny, caring and polite" young man who used to sing with Victoria Opera. "If I have to be here every year until I'm 100 ... I'm gonna be here to tell the government that this is not good enough. These lives matter," Jan Mahoney said.    

Oceanside RCMP have issued a reminder to drivers that students return to school on Sept. 2. Approximately 4,500 students will be returning to school in every community across Parksville Qualicum Beach, stated a press release, noting many of the students walk, ride or take the bus. The RCMP wants to ensure each student gets to and from school safely. Motorists are reminded that unless otherwise posted, a 30-kilometre-per-hour speed limit is in effect in school zones every school day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. School zones are identified by a five-sided fluorescent sign with images of walking students. The minimum fine for speeding in a school zone is $196. Also, as many students are bused to school across the region, drivers are reminded vehicles from all directions must come to a complete stop when approaching a stationary bus with red lights flashing. The minimum fine for failing to stop for a school bus is $368. During the first few weeks of school, stated the release, expect to see police and Speed Watch volunteers from Oceanside Community Safety monitoring speeds in school zones. "As we move from summer into the start of the school year, many drivers may have become accustomed to school not being in session or perhaps forgotten about the many school zones around the community," said Sgt. Shane Worth of the Oceanside RCMP. "Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the school zones in your area so we can continue to keep every road user safe."

Calling all adventure seekers and family fun enthusiasts! Get ready for an unforgettable weekend as Ukee Days, the annual extravaganza, returns to Ucluelet. The action-packed 3-day festival starts Friday, July 28 and goes through Sunday. Its goal is simple, bring together locals and visitors alike to celebrate west coast culture. “Our normally sleepy(ish) seaside town explodes in a summery haze of Live Music, fun, entertainment, beer gardens, KidZone and logger sports,” says popular tourist joint Reef Point Cottages. For 72 hours straight, the usually peaceful seaside town transforms into a vibrant hub of excitement, offering a plethora of activities for all ages.  The festival kicks off on Friday evening with a West Coast BBQ featuring all the delicious seafood flavours that make our region so unique.  Round that off with a Pancake Breakfast the next morning, and you’ll have all the energy you need for the rest of the day’s activities. One of the highlights of Ukee Days is the thrilling logger sports demonstrations that showcase the rugged essence of the west coast. Watch as skilled lumberjacks compete in jaw-dropping competitions, displaying their mastery of age-old skills deeply rooted in our coastal heritage. An eclectic parade that winds through the heart of Ucluelet on Saturday exudes the community’s vibrant spirit. You’ll witness colourful floats, local groups showcasing their talents, and a sense of camaraderie that brings everyone together. Music lovers will also be treated! From homegrown fan favourite Mellissa Livingstone to Beatles tribute band “The Taxmen,” the festival offers a diverse lineup of live performances that will keep you grooving all weekend. For those over 19, the beer gardens provide a perfect spot to unwind and raise a toast to the festivities. But the whole family can enjoy exciting contests such as the Ucluelet Community Awards, a boat-building challenge, and an “awwww-inspiring” kids’ talent show. Of course, no festival is complete without delectable food and unique shopping opportunities. Ukee Days delivers on both fronts, with a wide array of food vendors serving mouthwatering treats and retail booths offering an assortment of treasures to take home. With something to captivate every family member, Ukee Days promise a fun weekend that will keep you up and about from sunrise to golden hour. Friday festivities occur mainly at Ucluelet’s village green (200 Main Street), and the Saturday and Sunday fairgrounds are at the Rec Hall field (160 Seaplane Base Road). Some Ukee Days events may be held elsewhere in town; check the schedule [https://ukeedays.wordpress.com/schedule/] for specific times and locations.

After 11 hours of swimming, there’s not a lot that could give you an energy boost. But loud cheers from friends, family and supporters were just enough to help West Vancouver’s Scott Rees complete his awe-inspiring swim across the Georgia Straight last weekend. “Hearing the cheers on the beach gave me the fuel, the fire I needed for the last 200 or 300 metres,” Rees told CBC News. It’s a journey not often attempted, but Rees had a reason that kept him going. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentose, which recently left him completely blind. He struggled to get around independently before he got his seeing-eye dog, Kaleb. [https://vanisle.news/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/scott-rees-pictured-with-his-guide-dog-Kaleb-406x494.jpeg]Scott Rees walks along the street with guide dog Kaleb | Swim The Strait | Facebook “The mobility that I have received through having a guide dog has given me back that freedom of moving around the city, getting to work, getting to the gym, getting to lunches with friends,” he told CTV News. He wants to make sure no one else has to go without the intense benefit that having a seeing-eye dog brought to his life. Rees’ goal of raising money to help others to afford a guide dog inspired him to swim across the dangerous channel. During his swim, Rees was joined by paralympic swimmer Donovan Tildesley, who swam alongside him for the first hour. “That is truly a champion and an inspiration in my mind,” said Tildesley of Rees’s performance to CBC. “What better way to spend a Sunday than helping out a fellow blind person pursuing a sport that we both love?” After leaving Sechelt at 6 AM, Rees arrived exhausted but elated at Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo around 5 PM after just under 11 hours of continuous swimming. Rees’s efforts in training for and completing the swim have definitely paid off. As of Monday, he raised $124,401 for the charity Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind to help visually impaired people access guide dogs, according to the organization. None were more thrilled with the success of his swim than his wife, Alexandra, and two kids, who you can see greeting him as he walks onto the Islands shores in the video below. To support Rees’ swim challenge, you can donate at Swimthestrait.ca [http://www.swimthestrait.ca/].

Living in a community where everyone cares for their neighbours is ideal for most people. According to the District Coalition to End Homelessness, Campbell River is a town that cares. They have been receiving many emails lately from people who want to help those around them. The offers are from “self-described regular community members who were looking for ways to give back,” said Coalition Executive Director Stefanie Hendrickson to the Campbell River Mirror. The catch is that many people want to help but are unsure how to do it. “There’s just a sense of sort of helplessness when you look at such a complex challenge such as homelessness and people don’t really know how they can help,” she added. But, as they say – where there’s a will, there’s a way. “This is a very hopeful sign that the community is starting to become engaged and reach out more.” To help guide communities on the best ways to confront growing housing and addiction issues at a grassroots level, the Coalition has just put together a resource to help give a bit of direction. The document lists local initiatives you can get involved with and inspiring stories of locals who’ve taken direct action to make a difference. One big step to making change is learning more about the root causes of local homelessness. “A lot of folks they get a lot of their information from social media, and a lot of what you hear on social media simply doesn’t have a lot of truth to it,” she said. “we wanted to give folks like a place to start to really find evidence-informed and data-driven resources so that people can learn about the causes of homelessness.” The Coalition hopes the document can become a community project in itself. They’re not looking to preach about what you should or shouldn’t be doing. They want to hear from anyone with other ideas or projects worth sharing, so they can grow the resource over time and benefit everyone. “We’re happy to consider additions or alterations to this document, and we hope that it will sort of evolve over time,” she said. You can review the document here and contact the Coalition [https://www.facebook.com/crdceh/] if you have other questions or want to contribute more resources. Living in a community where everyone cares for their neighbours is ideal for most people. According to the District Coalition to End Homelessness, Campbell River is a town that cares. They have been receiving many emails lately from people who want to help those around them. The offers are from “self-described regular community members who were looking for ways to give back,” said coalition executive director Stefanie Hendrickson to the Campbell River Mirror. The catch is that many people want to help but are unsure how to do it. “There’s just a sense of sort of helplessness when you look at such a complex challenge such as homelessness and people don’t really know how they can help,” she added. But, as they say – where there’s a will, there’s a way. “This is a very hopeful sign that the community is starting to become engaged and reach out more.” To help guide communities on the best ways to confront growing housing and addiction issues at a grassroots level, the Coalition has just put together a resource to help give a bit of direction. The document lists local initiatives you can get involved with and inspiring stories of locals who’ve taken direct action to make a difference. One big step to making change is learning more about the root causes of local homelessness. “A lot of folks they get a lot of their information from social media, and a lot of what you hear on social media simply doesn’t have a lot of truth to it,” she said. “we wanted to give folks like a place to start to really find evidence-informed and data-driven resources so that people can learn about the causes of homelessness.” The Coalition hopes the document can become a community project in itself. They’re not looking to preach about what you should or shouldn’t be doing. They want to hear from anyone with other ideas or projects worth sharing, so they can grow the resource over time and benefit everyone. “We’re happy to consider additions or alterations to this document, and we hope that it will sort of evolve over time,” she said. You can review the document here and contact the Coalition [https://www.facebook.com/crdceh/] if you have other questions or want to contribute more resources. Living in a community where everyone cares for their neighbours is ideal for most people. According to the District Coalition to End Homelessness, Campbell River is a town that cares. They have been receiving many emails lately from people who want to help those around them. The offers are from “self-described regular community members who were looking for ways to give back,” said coalition executive director Stefanie Hendrickson to the Campbell River Mirror. The catch is that many people want to help but are unsure how to do it. “There’s just a sense of sort of helplessness when you look at such a complex challenge such as homelessness and people don’t really know how they can help,” she added. But, as they say – where there’s a will, there’s a way. “This is a very hopeful sign that the community is starting to become engaged and reach out more.” To help guide communities on the best ways to confront growing housing and addiction issues at a grassroots level, the Coalition has just put together a resource to help give a bit of direction. The document lists local initiatives you can get involved with and inspiring stories of locals who’ve taken direct action to make a difference. One big step to making change is learning more about the root causes of local homelessness. “A lot of folks they get a lot of their information from social media, and a lot of what you hear on social media simply doesn’t have a lot of truth to it,” she said. “we wanted to give folks like a place to start to really find evidence-informed and data-driven resources so that people can learn about the causes of homelessness.” The Coalition hopes the document can become a community project in itself. They’re not looking to preach about what you should or shouldn’t be doing. They want to hear from anyone with other ideas or projects worth sharing, so they can grow the resource over time and benefit everyone. “We’re happy to consider additions or alterations to this document, and we hope that it will sort of evolve over time,” she said. You can review the document here and contact the Coalition [https://www.facebook.com/crdceh/] if you have other questions or want to contribute more resources.

It’s right out of the X Files, except its not fiction. At least according to a recent whistleblower. If you haven’t heard about the wild hearing that’s been going on in US Congress yet, you’re in for a ride. David Grusch, who led the analysis of “unexplained anomalous phenomena” (UAP) within a US Department of Defense agency until 2023, has been publically airing US intelligence’s alleged dirty laundry for the last few days. Grusch’s main claim – the government has had evidence of extraterrestrial life for decades. The hearing was prompted by claims from Grusch this past spring that the government was secretly harbouring alien spacecraft. He’s now repeated many of his former allegations under oath, saying he’d been informed of a decade-long program that retrieves and reverse engineers UAPs (the more modern name for UFOs). US Federal law makes it a crime to “knowingly and willfully” give “materially” false statements  [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001]to Congress. If found to be lying Grusch could face up to five years in prison. “As I’ve stated publicly already in my NewsNation interview, biologics came with some of these recoveries,” Grusch said. These “biologics” were reported as “Non-human, and that was the assessment of people with direct knowledge on the program I talked to, that are currently still on the program.” This allegation might shock some – or seem like old news to others – Grusch is far from the first person to make similar claims. “The story aligns with a lot of similar stories that have played out, going back to the 1980s and 1970s, that together allege that the US government has kept an incredible secret, the literal most extraordinary secret that mankind could have, for not just weeks or months, but years.” Garrett Graff, a journalist and historian writing a book [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/UFO/Garrett-M-Graff/9781982196776] on the US government’s hunt for UFOs, told the Guardian. Van Isle has been a hotspot for claims that could back up the existence of aliens – including evidence of UFOs that has yet to be ruled out. One of the most intriguing “UFO” sightings was by Duncan local Hannah McRoberts. She took a photo on October 8, 1981, at about 11:OO AM, which to this day has yet to be disputed as a fake. She said she was just trying to capture the mountain landscape and only noticed a distinctly UFO-looking object hovering in one photo after she got back the film’s negatives. [https://vanisle.news/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Best-UFO-Photo-Ever-Taken-1-988x494.jpg] Analyses of the original negative included micro-densitometry, computer enhancements, and other measurements intent upon showing a support thread, atmospheric disturbance, or other evidence of a hoax. No evidence of a hoax was ever found, and the pictured UFO remains a strange unknown. Besides McRobert’s “accidental” photograph, 1981 was apparently the year for alien vacations to Duncan. The “Duncan UFO Sighting” was another craze well-documented in the media that year. Multiple witnesses saw a large, brightly lit object with a triangular shape hovering silently over the area for several minutes before vanishing. In 2013, another noteworthy incident occurred in Comox Valley, where many people reported a series of mysterious lights moving erratically in the sky they said were unlike any conventional aircraft or celestial objects they had ever seen. Beyond UFO sightings, Granger Taylor (yet another Duncan resident), fascinated with space travel, left a note telling his family he could communicate with extraterrestrials and was embarking on an interstellar journey before mysteriously vanishing. His story generated an entire documentary from CBC called Spaceman. [data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20width='988'%20height='494'%20viewBox='0%200%20988%20494'%3E%3C/svg%3E][https://vanisle.news/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Letter-left-by-Granger-Taylor-released-in-Spaceman-988x494.jpg]The letter Granger Taylore left his parents | CBC Taylor’s story and other reports like Lisa Nydahl’s encounter with a boomerang-shaped object (again in Duncan??) add to the island’s intrigue in the UFO realm. Whether the idea that aliens have reached Earth as a result of human imagination and natural phenomena or something more remains a subject of ongoing curiosity and debate. It will likely continue to dominate the news more than ever in the coming weeks. Van Isle will no doubt continue to be a place where people share their experiences and stories of the unexplained.

Tofino just changed their downtown parking rules from parking to paid parking. While some concerns over affordability for residents were raised before the change was made, the expected $220,000+ in city revenue was too large to pass up for most of the City Council. “Frankly, people paying downtown will largely be tourists. There will be some residents, but most likely residents have the opportunity to avoid the downtown because they’re not here on holiday, and they can make other choices,” said Aaron Rodgers, Tofino’s Director of Infrastructure and Public Works, in a meeting. However, new concerns have been raised now that paid parking has been implemented. Residents from Hesquiaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, and Ahousaht communities rely on the 110 allocated offshore parking spots to safely leave their vehicles while they travel home by boat or seaplane. Forty of these spots are given to Tla-o-qui-aht, according to the District of Tofino. However, new signage has led to confusion for both locals and tourists. To avoid the pay parking, some tourists park in the offshore spots, which were previously clearly indicated as such. “Even if we have a valid permit hanging on our rearview mirror, we have nowhere to park,” lamented Ahousaht resident Curt McLeod to Ha-Shilth-Sa. He has even seen vehicles with Washington and Alberta plates using these spots. Until recently, residents could park almost anywhere if the offshore spots were taken, but now all other parking spots are paid, so offshore residents run the risk of tickets or towing. In response to the concerns, the District of Tofino has said they know of the limited parking in the downtown core and are committed to working with offshore communities for a long-term solution. However, in an email, the city stated it is “aware that parking is limited in the downtown core and cannot meet the demands of everyone.” They emphasized that all drivers must comply with the posted time restrictions. Offshore permits are free and valid for one year, and residents can obtain them at the Tofino municipal office or register online with their license plate number and proof of offshore residency. But there is not much point in having an offshore permit if tourists fill the allotted spaces. The offshore parking spaces are available on a “first come, first served” basis. Permit holders may park in unrestricted areas or time-limited spots with the applicable fee if there is no offshore parking. McLeod highlighted the importance of the offshore areas for residents. “If there weren’t offshore areas…we wouldn’t be able to park in Tofino. That’s really our parking lot down there.” The change has confused everyone, and offshore residents hope for a resolution soon.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, underwater cinematographer and editor John Roney’s travel plans were shelved. So the Parksville resident decided to take his camera and capture local marine life. “I realized I had the opportunity to just hone in and film our local wildlife rather than travelling abroad and capturing the more famous tropical creatures,” says Roney. After two years of documenting the waters off of Vancouver Island comes the short film Beneath the Pacific Northwest. “It was filmed all over Vancouver Island, a lot in Victoria, up in Nanaimo and Nanoose Bay area, some even in the north island,” says Roney. “Really what made the cut for me was trying to fit in the animals that people didn’t already know about.” Just weeks after its release on YouTube and other online platforms the video is already drawing rave reviews. “The reception’s been awesome from both locals and around the world, so that’s been really cool,” says Roney. Roney hopes that the project helps educate islanders and British Columbians alike about the beauty that lies beneath the waves. “I think people don’t realize that we do have some of the best scuba diving in the world,” says Roney. “Most people think of Vancouver Island as having murky dark waters and the visibility is pretty poor, but at the same time the amount of colour is just amazing.” To see the full video and to see more of Roney’s work, visit his website [https://www.roneydives.com/].

Whether you love it or hate it, of all the sports news, none seems to generate funnier headlines than Pickleball does. The exciting mix of tennis and ping pong has a generous fan club in the gulf islands – and a just as prominent group of haters. The reason for so many people’s vehement distaste for what most would simply view as a fun game is the record level of noise it can generate. Unlike tennis, which uses a relatively soft and furry ball, pickle palls are made of hard plastic, producing an almost gunshot-like sound with every hit. The noise can be so bad that it induces some pretty crazy behaviour from those living near a court – a Chilliwack couple just went so far as a week-long hunger strike in protest of the pickleball courts near them. Yikes. While no one has yet had to resort to a hunger strike, residents across the Island have staged their own forms of protest. On Mayne Island, a BC Supreme Court judge recently dismissed a case involving a group of tennis players who had tried to take over two tennis courts to prevent people from playing Pickleball there. Although the case has gone away, the struggle over the courts created a genuine rift between Mayne Islanders. “It’s been quite devastating,” Adrian Gowing, Mayne Island Tennis Association president, told CBC News. “You know, we’re in our little village here. At times we get on the ferries to go places, and now you’re sort of looking around going, ‘Oh, I don’t want to talk to that person, I don’t want to talk to that person.’ It’s become quite uncomfortable,” said Gowing. On the other hand, Pickleball has been gaining a massive following in the Comox Valley and seems to be bringing the community together. “Pickleball is fun….. Pickleball is competitive….. Pickleball is recreational….. Pickleball is social; Pickleball is anything you want it to be!.. YOU WILL LOVE IT!” says the uber-enthusiastic Comox Valley Pickleball [https://www.facebook.com/cvpickleball.ca] group on their Facebook page. They host weekly skill sessions and don’t seem to have gotten any public flack over generating noise – likely because the courts are mainly indoors and out of residential earshot. In recognition of National Pickleball Day, the Comox Valley group is hosting an Open House at the Rotary Highlands Pickleball Courts for their 500 group members and anyone else that would like to join! Will this be your new favourite sport? Or do you hate Pickleball just as much as pickles? Let us know in the comments.

The Knox Fall Fair is coming up Sept. 13 in Parksville and will offer up a fun day of bargain finds. The event goes from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Knox United church, located at 345 Pym St. The fair will provide a chance to browse through clothing, accessories, jewellery, kitchenware, garden supplies, linens, books, baking, decor, puzzles, sporting goods, Christmas items, crafts, games, tools and toys. The event will also include a concession, outdoor games, a children's play zone, a Quality Corner and a silent auction. The fair is the church's largest fundraiser of the year and funds raised help Knox respond to the needs of the local community. Donations are welcome at the church Sept. 8 through Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., plus Sept. 9 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information email FallFair@kucparksville.ca [FallFair@kucparksville.ca].    

Twenty-one communities in B.C. broke or tied temperature records on Sunday, according to Environment Canada. The hottest spot in B.C. on Sunday (Aug. 24) was Lytton at 40.3 C, breaking a 1958 record of 28.9 C. Records have been kept in the area since 1921. The Cache Creek area was the second-hottest spot with a new record of 38.2 C. The previous record of 35.8 C was set in 2022. Records have been kept in the region since 1944. Lillooet had the third-hottest temperature on Sunday, tying the 2022 record of 37.4 C. Record have been kept in the region since 1917. It was followed by 36.8 C in Kamloops, breaking a 1958 record of 36.7 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1890. Princeton recorded the same temperature of 36.8 C, breaking the old record of 36.7 set in 1966. Records have been kept in the region since 1893. Pemberton hit 36.7 C on Sunday, tying the 2022 record. Records have been kept in the region since 1908. Merritt broke the 1988 record of 36 C, with 36.3 C on Sunday. Records have been kept in the region since 1918. That was followed by Kelowna with a new record of 36.2 C, breaking the old record of 35 C set in 1999. Records have been kept in the region since 1899. Whistler hit 35.1 C, breaking the 1988 record of 34.3 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1950. Vernon record 34.8 C, breaking the record of 33.9 set in 1958. Records have been kept in the region since 1900. Clearwater reached 34.7 C, breaking the 1958 record of 34.4 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1913. Creston recorded a high of 34.4 C, breaking the previous record of 33.5 C set in 1981. Records have been kept in the region since 1912. Nanaimo tied a 1958 record of 33.3 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1892. The Tatlayoko Lake area hit a new record of 32.5 C, breaking the old record of 31.7 C set in 1966. Records have been kept in the region since 1930. Campbell River recorded 32.2 C, breaking the 2016 record of 32 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1958. Clinton also hit 32.2 C, breaking the 2002 record of 31.6 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1974. Chetwynd recorded 30.6 C, breaking the old record of 30.4 C set in 2022. Records have been kept in the region since 1970.  Comox hit 30.3 C, tying the 2016 record.  Records have been kept in the region since 1914.  Courtenay also hit 30.3 C, also tying the 2016 record.  Records have been kept in the region since 1914. That region was followed Malahat with a new record of 30.2 C, breaking the 2022 record of 29.8 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1986.  West Vancouver tied a 2022 record of 29.3 C. Records have been kept in the region since 1976. 

One person was injured Wednesday, Aug. 13, when an explosion on a vessel anchored in Ladysmith Harbour sparked a blaze. The fire burned through the anchor rope, sending the boat drifting north into the harbour. Black smoke from the fire was visible to motorists on the Island Highway. “The department was notified shortly after 4 p.m. that there was a boat on fire and adrift in the harbour,” said Ladysmith Fire/Rescue (LFR) chief Chris Geiger. “Chief training officer Dan Cross requested a page out of the department.”  Geiger said a boat operator in the harbour managed to attach a line and, after a few attempts, towed the burning boat to Slag Point, where LFR crews extinguished the remaining flames.  “A dinghy, also on fire, was separated from the main boat and came ashore on the other side of the harbour where North Oyster Fire/Rescue dealt with it,” Geiger said. An LFR truck and crew, along with two ambulances, attended the scene. Volunteers from the local Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) as well as the Coast Guard were also on hand to assist.  Ladysmith RCMP detachment commander S/Sgt. Trevor Busch said “I can confirm that the Ladysmith RCMP did respond to this fire and assisted Ladysmith Fire/Rescue, the local Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) as well as the Coast Guard. One male was taken aboard the RCMP vessel, he had minor injuries and was later transferred to RCM-SAR and taken to Emergency Health Services at the government dock.” The cause of the fire has not been determined. It is not yet known if there are environmental impacts.

Comox Valley Search and Rescue (CVSAR) was busy over the weekend with two call outs for support for the BC Ambulance service (BCEHS).  Volunteers were assisting outdoor enthusiasts including a hiker who sustained injuries while hiking at Therriault Falls near Rosewall Creek on Aug. 24. The hiker, visiting from Vancouver, was on a solo venture along the popular but rugged trail when he slipped and injured himself and then used his cell phone to call for assistance. Paul Berry of the Comox Valley Search and Rescue says his team received a call shortly after 4 p.m. about the hiker, indicating he either had a broken or dislocated shoulder and wasn’t able to walk out. “We responded with both ground teams and air teams and attempted to locate the subject by air in hopes that we could do a long line rescue from that location,” said Berry. Rescuers quickly found that the area wasn’t accessible by air but the helicopter did drop in search volunteers utilizing a long-line. “So it meant moving the subject further downstream to a location where the helicopter could access. However the movement was going to take much longer than the daylight that we had left,” he said. A second helicopter was then dispatched from North Shore Search and Rescue to conduct a night-hoist operation. “North Shore is the only volunteer search and rescue team in the province at the this point that is operating with night vision capability and so they're a busy team. They're busy enough in their own area, but also supporting teams like us when we have a situation like this,” said Berry. CVSAR, supported by Campbell River SAR and 49 North Helicopters, attempted a long-line helicopter rescue. However, due to difficult terrain and approaching darkness, the helicopter was forced to return to base. As always, plans B and C came into play. Additional crews from Arrowsmith SAR (Parksville/Qualicum) were requested, along with a night-hoist operation supported by North Shore Rescue through the Emergency Coordination Centre. Fourteen team members were initially on the rescue but a second page went out for more volunteers as a backup in case the helicopter extraction wasn’t possible. In the end the injured man did get relocated downstream and was then prepared for hoisting. He was flown to the Qualicum Airport where he was transferred to an awaiting ambulance. Search volunteers hiked out of the area back to the main staging area and arrived back at the hall to clean and restock gear shortly before 2 a.m. The Rosewall Creek incident was the second tasking for volunteers over the weekend. On Saturday afternoon they were called to locate and assist a female mountain biker who had crashed and sustained a suspected pelvic fracture. She was riding with her family and unable to walk. CVSAR medical staff treated her before moving her by stretcher to a waiting ambulance.   

Nanaimo firefighters rescued a dog while they were responding to a fire in an apartment building on the weekend. Firefighters were called to an alarm in the 100 block of Haliburton Street on Saturday, Aug. 23.  “Upon arrival there was evacuation of a five-storey, multi-family residential building…” said Troy Libbus, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief of operations. "We noticed light smoke on the second floor in an apartment and they noticed a dog pacing back and forth … in the window." Firefighters accessed the apartment balcony with a ladder and found the balcony door was open. “So we rescued the dog and brought the dog out and then [firefighters] continued on and there was a fire in the kitchen,” Libbus said. “It had open flames on top of the stove and the back splash upon us going in.”  The assistant chief said no one was home, but firefighters were able to contact the home owner, who did have insurance and is temporarily displaced. The fire damaged kitchen appliances and cupboards and required shutting off the electricity. The dog, an Australian shepherd, was unharmed.  Libbus said people should never leave home with cooking on the stove unattended. He also noted that it’s important to have fire insurance and working smoke alarms and to make sure to check them twice a year. The apartment’s smoke alarms were functioning.  The assistant chief noted that the homeowner had placed a sticker on the apartment door indicating there was an animal inside. He said the sticker in this case was from a local veterinary clinic, but they may also be available from pet supply stores. The sticker lists the type of pet, such as dog, cat or bird, that can be checked off to indicate the pets inside.

Championships will be on the line at a 'Back to School' pro wrestling show in Nanaimo. 365 Pro Wrestling is coming to Cedar Community Hall on Sept. 5. "We just see Cedar as a small town that doesn't get any wrestling and we like bringing wrestling everywhere up and down the Island, hitting a lot of towns," said promoter Mike Becherer. The main event will see two fan favourites do battle as Krofton will put his 365 Pro Wrestling Championship on the line against Inferno. "[Krofton] is an Island staple, he's been wrestling here for years and years, he's been up and down the Island … People just seem to love him. He's the everyday man, he's someone everyone can believe in," Becherer said. "Inferno, he is on fire right now, no pun intended. He's tearing up the ranks, people are really loving him and this is his shot at the big belt." Another title match on the card will see Rad Dad defend his 365 Global Championship against past champion Eddie Osbourne. Also, Devon Shooter will take on Sawyer Stein, Van Bruggen will face Zack Andrews, Haviko will take on Good Thelonious, and Josh Cadwell is up against Lak Siddartha. Becherer said good crowd support in places like Cedar brings the wrestlers "another layer of adrenaline" and makes them want to perform well. "Hearing [fans] scream and boo and cheer is what we're all about. We want interaction, we want noise, we want everyone to go there and have a fun time…" he said. "We want you to boo with your parents or cheer with your grandma or however it goes. Lose yourself in some pro wrestling, have a great night and maybe go home talking about it." Bell time is 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $25 or $20 for youths 16 and under. Front-row seats are $30. For more information, visit http://365prowrestling.com [http://365prowrestling.com].

The bass thumped through downtown Victoria on Sunday night, spilling out from the back lot of Phillips Brewing and into the warm August air. In the glow of the setting sun, friends leaned on each other’s shoulders, plastic cups in hand, as the crowd pressed closer to the stage. It was the final night of Phillips Backyard’s “Reverb” festival – three days of sunshine, sweat and songs that have turned a brewery’s parking lot into one of the city’s biggest summer rituals. From Friday to Sunday, 24 acts filled two stages – 15 on the main stage and nine more on the Music BC stage, which spotlighted up-and-coming artists from across the province. This year’s lineup had something for every ear: Peach Pit, Ruby Waters, Mac Sabbath, Phantogram, BØRNS, Danielle Ponder, and the weekend’s closing headliners, The Roots. What started as a modest lot party back in 2013 has grown into a full-scale production. The main stage, now two feet higher, gave fans a better view over the sea of heads that stretched to the limits of the Phillips Backyard.  For Saanich resident Nolan Sams, the festival has become a summer staple. He’s been every year since COVID restrictions lifted, but seeing The Roots live carried a special weight. “I mean look around and tell me that live music isn’t back,” Sams said. “Growing up, music was something that my dad and I could always bond over, and The Roots were one of those bands. This is going to be a core memory.” A few feet away, Victoria local Caroline Henderson was soaking in her first Phillips Backyard experience.  “There wasn’t just one particular act I was looking forward to, more so just getting the chance to see live music and spend a good weekend with my friends,” Henderson said. “Sometimes I forget how much fun live music is, and seeing so many people here proves how important it really is to so many people.” Victoria’s next big festival is just around the corner – Rifflandia, a local staple since 2008, returns to Rock Bay from Sept. 11-14.

When the dome of the Plaskett Telescope opens, it won't just be eyes looking up to the celestial heavens. The haunting voices of around 20 choral singers will also carry upwards during Vox in the Stars, one of Victoria's most unique concert experiences, taking place Sept. 5-7 in the world-renowned Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. "The sound in the dome is amazingly resonant, akin to, for instance, an ancient cathedral," describes Vox Humana Chamber Choir artistic director David Stratkauskas. "The atmosphere of this historic observatory, on top of the hill, under the skies, is quite literally otherworldly! It's almost a religious experience." Sitting atop Observatory Hill in Saanich, the dome of the 106-year-old Plaskett Telescope has been the scene of Vox in the Stars concerts going back to at least 2013. This year, Vox Humana Chamber Choir performs a cappella – except for a song that involves a violist – under the dome's open roof, singing music that explores themes of astronomy, science, the majesty of the heavens and our place in the cosmos. The choir uses new pieces each year, with this year's repertoire including two special pieces by Victoria composers: Christine Donkin’s evocative Aurora for choir and viola, and Chris Sivak’s newly composed Star Light, Star Bright. To recreate the majesty of space in music, Sivak used various musical techniques in his composition, including a trick called 'extensor notes'. This is where the choir sings a smooth melodic line, while sections of the choir break off and sing decaying rhythmic figures. "The intent is to sonically paint the image of shooting stars flying across the sky. It's a pretty magical effect," he said. He described the composition as a labour, both of relentlessness and of joy, that involved workshopping the piece with two other choirs. voxhumana2024-4-of-13 [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/saanich/2025-july/voxhumana2024-4-of-13.jpg;w=960] Vox in the Stars takes place at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, which boasts the 106-year-old Plaskett Telescope. Ben Dorman What remains true today, as any time in history, is the way that art and science complement one another, particularly when it comes to the awe that the cosmos inspires. "It's interesting to note that many astronomers and scientists over the years have not only had a strong sense of awe and wonder – and choral music communicates this sense beautifully – but many have also been keen musicians," Stratkauskas said. "And of course, for thousands of years, there was a belief that music and science were closely related – it's said that Pythagoras thought that the celestial bodies made music." He hopes that the concerts will help raise awareness for the "wonderful education and outreach" done by the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.  Eventbrite [https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/vox-humana-chamber-choir-presents-vox-in-the-stars-tickets-1485274549159] tickets for the concert, which runs Sept. 5-7 at 7:30 p.m., are $45 for general admission and free for ages 25 and under. The observatory is located at 5071 West Saanich Rd.  More can be learned about the observatory at https://centreoftheuniverse.org [https://centreoftheuniverse.org/].

Fifty-two births, 244 deaths, 141 weddings and five – possibly seven – serial killers. Not the latest statistics for downtown Victoria, but the colourful history of a fictional cobbled street in northern England. Coronation Street – or “Corrie” to its legion of fans – has been dishing out drama, scandal and Betty’s Hotpot for 65 years, earning a Guinness World Record as the longest-running television soap opera. In the U.K., an average of four million Brits tune in three times a week to catch the latest twists and turns in the lives of Weatherfield’s working-class residents.  While across the Atlantic, Canadian audiences are just as loyal, with an average of 532,000 viewers glued to each episode on CBC. It’s also been a fixture in CBC Gem’s top three programs since the streaming service launched in 2018. But it’s not just on the sofa where Canadian fans get their Corrie fix. For almost 20 years, the cobbles of Weatherfield have stretched all the way to Canadian stages. Stars of Coronation Street have crossed the Atlantic to tour from Halifax to Vancouver Island, packing theatres and delighting fans in more than 170 shows – selling an estimated 50,000 tickets along the way. In 2012, Corrie royalty William Roache – suave lothario Ken Barlow since episode one in 1960 and now, at 93, the Guinness World Record holder as the longest-serving television star in a continuous role – toured Canada to a rock star welcome, even meeting then-prime minister Stephen Harper. That same enthusiasm for the show is still going strong to this day.  Joe Duttine, better known as Tim Metcalfe, brought his northern charm to Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre and Vancouver's York Theatre in January this year, selling out both venues faster than you can say “another pint please, love.” Now, to mark the soap’s 65th anniversary, actors Mikey North (Gary Windass) and Ryan Prescott (Ryan Connor) will soon bring a slice of Weatherfield to the west coast, swapping the Rovers Return pub for Victoria’s Vic Theatre on Aug. 23 and Vancouver’s York Theatre on Aug. 24. On stage, the pair will spill stories and secrets from behind the scenes of the iconic TV soap in a hosted interview, with plenty of laughs – and a chance for folks to ask their own questions. 250812susankargelrolfkargel [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/victoria/2025-august/250812susankargelrolfkargel.jpeg;w=960] Central Saanich residents Susan and Rolf Kargel pull a pint in the Rovers Return pub as part of the Coronation Street Experience tour in Manchester, U.K. Courtesy of Susan Kargel Among the audience in Victoria will be Central Saanich resident Susan Kargel, who remembers first watching Corrie as a young teenager, back when the drama played out in black and white. It was the thick Manchester accents, unusual colloquialisms and brash personalities that first pulled Kargel into the world of Coronation Street. “Growing up in Ottawa, I wasn't exposed to British people … it was like a whole new world, it just fascinated me,” she said.  “It's almost like being able to travel to another part of the world, putting yourself in their living room, their kitchen or pub without leaving your armchair.” Hooked by this glimpse into a “foreign lifestyle,” Kargel quickly became invested in the characters and their stories, which veer from laugh-out-loud ridiculous to unexpectedly poignant. “I never take it seriously, but I do remember some really tragic storylines that really hit you deep down … maybe something that you could relate to personally, or experiences that your family could relate to,” she says. Now retired and approaching 70, Kargel makes Corrie part of her nightly routine, sometimes joined by husband Rolf, who dips in and out of the show when the mood takes him – under one firm household rule. “I’ve told him he’s not allowed to ask questions until the commercials are on or until the show is over,” Kargel says with a laugh. Recently, the couple jumped at the chance to step onto the cobbles themselves, signing up for the Coronation Street Experience in Manchester, U.K., before embarking on a Scandinavian cruise. They toured the exterior set, explored replica interiors of Roy’s Rolls and the Rovers Return, and even met Channique Sterling-Brown, who has played Dee-Dee Bailey since 2022. “Honestly, it was pretty cool,” said Kargel about her peak behind the scenes. As for why Corrie continues to resonate in Canada, Kargel thinks it could be tied to the country’s Commonwealth connection to Britain. “Or the fact that we have a lot of Brits here in Canada, or a lot of Canadians who have British relatives,” she adds. 250812susankargelrolfkargel3 [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/victoria/2025-august/250812susankargelrolfkargel3.jpg;w=960] The residents of the small row of terraced houses on Coronation Street have been entertaining audiences across the world for 65 years. Courtesy of Susan Kargel Host of the upcoming Victoria and Vancouver shows Neville MacKay agrees with Kargel’s theory. For him, Coronation Street isn’t just television – it’s family history.  Raised in Nova Scotia by a British war bride mother and surrounded by other strong British women, the show was part of the wallpaper of his childhood – Corrie’s instantly recognizable theme tune a signal that it was bedtime. “Everyone watched it,” he says. “And those that say they didn’t, I call BS, because your mother or grandmother did, and you sat there with them and you watched.” MacKay has been watching for more than 50 years, hooked on its mix of grit, humour and heart. He loves that Corrie keeps older actors front and centre, embraces imperfect looks and has always celebrated strong women.  “They’re as common as muck, the bunch of them,” he says. “None of them are pretentious, most of them as poor as church mice, so there’s no looking up to them – and that’s so refreshing compared to other ‘grand’ shows.” His enthusiasm spills into his work – he has hosted more than 70 fan events in Canada and, for over 15 years, has led tours to northern England, culminating in visits to the show’s set.  His role gives him a unique insight into the Canadian fandom. At theatre shows, it’s clear the Corrie-watching tradition is something that continues to be passed down from one generation to the next. “You see people from the womb to the tomb who watch it,” quips MacKay, his quick wit reminiscent of Corrie's legendary battleaxe Blanche Hunt, who once told her long-suffering ex-jailbird daughter, “Good looks are a curse Deirdre – you and Kenneth should count yourselves lucky." For MacKay, the show’s charm is simple: real people, good humour and the occasional surprise.  “You never know who’s going to die, cry, get slapped, beaten up or fall in the canal –  and that's what keeps you on the edge of your seat.” 250731mikeynorthcoronation [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/victoria/2025-july/250731mikeynorthcoronation.jpg;w=960] Coronation Street's Mikey North aka Gary Windass, will be visiting Victoria in August. Supplied by Stroll Promotions For Coronation Street stars, nothing quite prepares them for the devotion of Canadian fans.  Actor North suspects Corrie’s enduring Canadian popularity stems from the many British expats who have settled here. But whatever the reason, the reception is always the same – warm and unmistakably Canadian. “They're so knowledgeable about the show," he says. "They know more than me, and I'm in the show.” On past visits, North’s been recognized everywhere from Victoria to Vancouver – even invited for an impromptu tour of BC Place ahead of the Women’s World Cup final in 2015. A lifelong Maple Leafs fan, one career highlight came far from the cobbles – seeing his face on the jumbotron at a game and hearing the arena erupt in cheers. “And I'm amazed at that," he says. “That's made my career a couple of times. It's amazing for me that we can travel across the pond and people still know who we are. “I guess that's a testament to the show, that it’s stood the test of time.” Since swaggering onto the street as resident bad boy Gary Windass in 2008, North's alter ego has ticked off nearly every soap trope imaginable. He's been to prison, served in the army, fathered two children, tied the knot with the local widowed hairdresser, killed a loan shark in self-defence, and even sabotaged the roof of a knicker factory, causing more death and destruction on the cobbles – all before turning 40. But North wouldn’t have it any other way, especially when there’s action involved. “It's always nice playing a baddy,” he says. “The best part of the job for me is the stunt side of things … fight scenes, gun scenes and car crash scenes and things like that.” The most recent twist saw North’s character left in a coma by a mystery attacker, which at first sounded like the easiest acting gig in soap history. “When I read the scripts that I was going to be in coma for a few weeks, I thought, 'Great, I can just sleep at work',” he said. “But as I've come to realize, keeping your eyes shut and not have your eyes flicker is really difficult ... we had to redo so many scenes because my eyes were flickering." Thankfully, Gary survived – for now – and North hopes he can keep dodging the Grim Reaper’s all-too-frequent visits to Weatherfield. “That’s the north of England for you,” he jokes. But North hints that danger may soon be stalking the street’s residents yet again. Marking a first in British soap history, an upcoming storyline will see the world of Coronation Street collide with fellow long-running drama Emmerdale, in a special crossover episode. “I don’t know if I'm involved in that yet, but I think there's going to be a lot of deaths, so I'm sort of hoping that I'm not,” he says with a hopeful laugh. For more information about the upcoming 65th anniversary show in Victoria and Vancouver, visit: strollpro.ca [https://strollpro.ca/]. Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketscene: www.ticketscene.ca [http://www.ticketscene.ca/list.php?q=coronation].

Victoria’s Inner Harbour will come alive with the sights, sounds and flavours of the Caribbean later this month as i-Land Fest expands to a three-day celebration. The free festival, running Aug. 29-31 at Ship Point, will feature live music, dancing, food vendors, artisan markets and cultural exhibits. Organized by the Vancouver Island Caribbean Hub, the event is growing from previous years to offer more performances and activities. The festival opens Friday with a steel pan showcase featuring bands from Vancouver. Evening ticketed events include GLOW, a Caribbean dance party at Ambrosia Banquet Hall on Friday, and the Official After Party at Wicket Hall on Saturday. Saturday’s highlights include a carnival parade along Government Street, ending at Ship Point.  Throughout the weekend, visitors can enjoy a kids zone, traditional Caribbean board games, 35 artisan and community vendors, and a cultural exhibit on Caribbean history and heritage. Headliners include Toronto soca artist Jaxx and Barbados performer Hypasounds on Saturday night, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Benjai on Sunday night. For more information, visit vicaribbeanhub.com [http://vicaribbeanhub.com].

Dallas Smith is hitting the road with a tour that strips away the lights and production, leaving just the music, the stories, and the audience – and Greater Victoria will get its own intimate taste this October. The Canadian country music star will perform as part of the Dallas Smith and his Band: One Night Only "Unplugged" Tour, with special guest Brock Phillips. Smith will make six stops on Vancouver Island, including two trips to the region, as part of a massive 51-show Canadian tour spanning 72 days. The tour kicks off on Oct. 3 in Fort St. John and wraps up Dec. 14 in Belleville, Ont., hitting every province in Canada except Newfoundland and Labrador. Despite the packed schedule, Smith is eager to connect with fans in a more personal setting. "There’s something special about taking it all back to the songs, the stories, and the raw connection that happens when it’s just you, your long-time band, and the audience. I can’t wait to bring this experience across Canada, and for you to see what we have in store," Smith said via social media. The 47-year-old is a three-time CCMA entertainer of the year and a two-time Juno Award winner. He also serves as lead singer of Canadian rock band Default, which formed in Vancouver in 1999 and built a devoted cult following. "I've always chosen and written songs with challenging vocals that I love to sing," Smith says in his YouTube bio. Smith’s country career took off in 2012 with his album 'Jumped Right In', followed by four more albums, most recently the self-titled 'Dallas Smith' in 2023. Over his career, he has accumulated 21 Gold-certified singles, nine platinum singles, four Gold albums, and more than 640 million global streams. Island stops include the Charlie White Theatre in Sidney on Oct. 14, the McPherson Playhouse in Victoria on Oct. 15, Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River on Oct. 16, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in Duncan on Oct. 17, Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay on Oct. 18, and Nanaimo’s Port Theatre on Oct. 19. Smith is also one of the featured artists on this year's live television CCMA Awards show on CTV on Sept. 13.

It was a rainy, almost bleak evening at Macaulay Point Park in Esquimalt on Aug. 14, but that only enhanced the whimsical, post-apocolyptic scene that permeated it. New Earth Bandits 2, a theatrical experience running Aug. 14-17 and 21-24, is put on by SNAFU and is unlikely to be like anything you've ever seen. In the waterfront park, featuring remnants of a historic military outpost, audiences can explore – at their own pace –  a theme park of futuristic characters. Whether emerging from a tunnel to the sounds of singing, or twisting around a wall of blackberry bushes, theatre pops from all corners, as certain characters weave between scenes and dreamt-up worlds. "It's very curious," one audience member was overheard saying. Others gleefully participated, joining characters in dancing, role play or improv exchanges. Co-artistic director Kathleen Greenfield said there is an "immersive, scavenger-hunt feel to the show" and that audiences can experience it in new, different ways each time. SNAFU worked with a number of community groups to imagine what possible new worlds await the human race 5,000 years in the future. Collaborators include artists on parole, Latin American artists, and artists of all abilities from the Embrace Foundation.  In a past interview with Victoria News, Greenfield clarified that New Earth Bandits is not a post-apocalyptic play: rather, it’s about a generative and imaginative world-building. Amid themes of destruction, foxes laid out persian rugs inviting audience members to dance, a hilarious green knight challenged a stranger to a duel, and there were many fantastical costumes, ranging from hobbit-like to mythological. But, of course, it was impossible to see it all, and that was part of the magic. BREAKING NEW TERRITORY IN VICTORIA THEATRE Creating a show with so many elements meant there was a lot to experiment with when New Earth Bandits premiered last year. Greenfield said important things were learned in that production that influenced this year's show.   "I learned that it is most exciting when there are things going on everywhere in the park, but to investigate clear ways to invite the audience to the 'next thing' so they aren't left for too long without a performance to see," she said.    While this style of show might be novel for many audience members, for SNAFU, innovation has always been the name of the game. The company has been creating site-specific theatre since 2006. Greenfield said she's always been "interested in finding new ways to tell stories. "I find it challenging to sit in a dark theatre listening to people recite text, so New Earth Bandits is offering a new way to experience art as a community."  

The Strathcona Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is proud to welcome Keni Fusé as the new Music Director to the communities of the Comox Valley, Campbell River and surrounding areas. Fusé performed with some of the world’s greatest musical artists while in his position as Principal Viola with the Victoria Symphony. Artists include Yo-Yo Ma, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Celine Dion, Rosemary Clooney, James Ehnes, Nelly Furtado, and Angela Hewitt as well as performances with the Vancouver Symphony, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. He has taught at the University of Victoria, the Victoria Conservatory of Music, Comox Valley Youth Music Centre, and coaches the viola section of the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra. “I am extremely honoured and excited to conduct the SSO and during my brief audition time with the musicians, I enjoyed their wonderful attitude and willingness to learn and adapt quickly to my performance suggestions,” said Fusé. “I feel that great things can be accomplished by the SSO musicians in the upcoming season and over the next several years,” he said. “I also feel a drive to promote quality orchestral music to Canadian communities, and the Comox Valley seems like a perfect spot to receive this music, and for me to give something back to the orchestra in terms of support.” “I am also hoping to write a piece or two for the orchestra, as I get to know the musicians better,” said Fusé. “This opportunity really excites the creative musician inside me.” In the 2025/26 season, Fusé is looking at focusing on the orchestra performing some of the masterpieces of the repertoire, such as Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and some iconic Canadian composers.  He will also be conducting one of his favourite pieces, Kodály’s Háry János Suite. For more information about the SSO, the beginner/intermediate string ensemble, Hello Strings!, becoming a sponsor, or joining the orchestra, please visit www.strathconasymphony.ca [http://www.strathconasymphony.ca] or email strathconasymphony@gmail.com [strathconasymphony@gmail.com]. The upcoming winter concerts will be held at Courtenay’s Filberg Centre on Dec. 6 and 7.  Tickets will be available on the SSO website closer to the performance dates.  

Sail into a new read with Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas from Ucluelet author Shirley Martin who will be signing copies of her new book at Volume One Bookstore in Duncan on August 23. "I am very excited about coming to Duncan to promote my new book," said Martin. "Volume One is a lovely bookstore, and I am looking forward to being there to chat with people about west coast history, and about writing Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas. Martin has lived in Ucluelet since 1951 as it was where she was born and raised and has strong west coast roots and connections to it. Aside from the four years she spent attending the University of Victoria and another three years upon graduation in our capital. Ucluelet has always been her home.  "I love," said Martin. "It was a great decision to return home, and to raise our children in Ucluelet, to spend our working years here, and now, to enjoy our retirement years here on the west coast." Martin was inspired to write her new book after first noticing a gap on bookshelves when it came to west coast history books. "Before mine, there has been no comprehensive history of Ucluelet written, and I saw the need to preserve and share the fascinating history of Ucluelet and area, " said Martin. "The name Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas has a literal meaning, as our harbour is protected, but just offshore mariners frequently experience turbulent and dangerous seas – we live along the area known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, which has seen many a shipwreck. Also, the name of Ucluelet comes from the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ people, and means “people of the safe harbour.” Martin says the book also comes with a metaphorical meaning, as throughout Ucluelet’s history there have been turbulent times, including the catastrophic effects of colonialism on the local First Nations, wartime and internment of Ucluelet Japanese Canadian citizens, disruption of resource industries such logging and fishing, and the changes wrought with the transition to tourism. Her new book which was published by Harbour Publishing and released on July 22 of this year is already on the BC Bestsellers list. "I was thrilled that Harbour Publishing agreed to publish my book, and I am so excited about it making the BC Bestsellers list," said Martin."That feels like the icing on the cake." Martin's new book covers aspects of early First Nations history as Ucluelet sits on the Traditional territory of the nuučaan̓uł people. It tells of the arrival of fur traders, whalers and missionaries and the resultant cataclysmic changes and how Ucluelet went from once a resource-based industry then shifting into tourism, which brought yet another period of adjustment. "There is naturally a strong marine component, with tales of shipwrecks, lifeboats, and the building of Amphitrite lighthouse," said Martin. "Transportation was key, first by ship, late planes, and finally, the long-awaited road." For more information visit harbourpublishing.com [https://harbourpublishing.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorbNiBlsNznj4Zi39LbCBiVrQvgX_6OJRARaPNgilhhOhsEilR4], or if your are in Duncan this Saturday hit the road to Volume One Books where Martin will be signing copies from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. "I hope readers of my book gain an insight into the rich and vibrant history of this area, and that decisions about the future of Ucluelet are informed with consideration of the past," said Martin.

Early on Sunday morning, artists will gather with coffee in one hand and original art in the other, ready to greet visitors as Ladysmith’s First Avenue is transformed into the 27th annual Arts on the Avenue festival—a colourful, pedestrian-only celebration running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 24. The festival, presented each year by Ladysmith Arts, has grown into one of Vancouver Island’s most anticipated summer art shows, bringing together more than 60 artisans who set up along the main street downtown to showcase their work. Attendees will find everything from original paintings and photography to jewellery, carving, fabric art, pottery and whimsical wearables.  Wandering through the booths, you may encounter a rustic willow chair from Andrew Kent, delicate glasswork from Diane Brinton, or bright, cheerful mixed-media paintings by Cara Weisner. Local favourites such as painter Ellen Brandson, known for her fearless abstracts, and Jennifer O’Brien, a multidisciplinary artist working in oils, acrylic, watercolour and ceramics, will be there alongside newcomers offering fresh perspectives. The artistic mix is part of the appeal. Visitors can pick up a handcrafted guitar or ukulele from award-winning maker Bruce Whittington, pause at Dead Ringer Purses by Arielle Bonsor for reclaimed-leather bags with a spooky edge, or admire the detailed wildlife portraits burned into wood by Meghan Robertson.  For those drawn to functional art, there are hand-built pottery pieces, carved wooden spoons, and contemporary jewellery in silver, gold and reclaimed metals. With so many booths, festival-goers are encouraged to browse the lineup online in advance and plan their route. But Arts on the Avenue is more than a market. It’s a day-long event filled with music, food and opportunities to watch artists at work.  Live music fills the street throughout the day, with performances ranging from Scott Rainone and Charlotte Wright’s dynamic vocals to the Copper Canyon Band’s classic country and early rock ’n’ roll. Nice Verdes bring Latin-inspired melodies, SueMack Music offers harmonized covers of everything from Radiohead to The Tragically Hip, while Sarah Leo adds indie-folk charm and Dos Cabezas rounds it out with pop, soft rock and originals. Families can stop by the youth art zone, where young creators get their moment to shine, or watch demonstrations by working artists.  The always-popular paint competition returns, giving three emerging artists just one hour to create a work of art based on a surprise theme. Spectators watch the process unfold and then get to vote on the winner, adding a fun, interactive element. There are fresh offerings too. New food vendors this year include Mizu Real Fruit Ice Cream and Victoria’s Greek n’ Go, alongside Ladysmith’s own cafés and restaurants. The Ladysmith Downtown Business Association will host its annual sidewalk sale, while Bayview Brewing anchors the celebration with a beer garden — an ideal spot to relax and soak up the day. One tradition that sets Arts on the Avenue apart is the guest artist program. Each year, organizers highlight one creator, offering festival-goers a chance to go beyond casual browsing and connect with an artist’s process and perspective. This year’s guest artist is Nanaimo-based painter and interior designer Patti Ransom, whose abstract mixed-media canvases combine bold colour and textured layers. Her work, often inspired by Italy and Vancouver Island’s coastal light, is about mood and memory as much as materials. “I am endlessly fascinated by how colour can alter a mood, how a single bold line can anchor a scene or how layers of texture reveal traces of memory beneath the surface,” Ransom said. “Through my work, I hope to offer viewers a pause, an exhale, a sense that something familiar has been seen anew.” Organizers describe her paintings as an invitation to slow down and notice subtle rhythms of light, form and texture. Ransom’s work is also featured at the Ladysmith Gallery. For longtime attendees, Arts on the Avenue is as much about atmosphere as it is about acquisitions. It’s the easy rhythm of strolling down a closed-off main street, meeting makers face-to-face, listening to music drift from one end to the other, and pausing to watch a painter’s brush in action. It’s the conversations on the street, the scent of food from local vendors, and the chance to find a piece of art that sparks stories long after the festival. Arts on the Avenue serves as a creative reminder that art is not only something to hang on a wall, but something to experience together in the heart of town. The full lineup of artists and musicians is available online at www.artsontheavenue.ca [https://www.artsontheavenue.ca].  

Award-winning author JP McLean conjures up witches and warlocks with an abundance of magic in her upcoming release, ‘The Never Witch’. The Denman Island writer is starting a new series.   Like her previous urban fantasy novels, ‘The Never Witch’ is set on Canada’s west coast.  “Today, it’s more important than ever to celebrate being Canadian. It’s why I use Canadian English and set my books north of the 49th parallel,” McLean said. “Readers love finding familiar shops and sites in the novels.”  ‘The Never Witch’ is the first in what will become the Thorne Witch series. It tells the story of Adeline Thorne, a witch who has no powers until a warlock on the run drops his magic into her. The thrilling action turns on a struggle between the witch and the warlock, who will stop at nothing to get his powers back again. This is McLean’s 11th novel. Her first seven-book series, opening with ‘Secret Sky’, features a woman who discovers she can fly; and the second three-book series, beginning with ‘Blood Mark’, is about a woman who carries magical and mysterious birthmarks. This prolific author clearly has a vivid imagination. When asked why she chose to write about witches, McLean said she enjoys creating new twists on old magical tropes. “There are endless possibilities when it comes to magic. It’s pure escapism.”  JP McLean will sign books for ‘The Never Witch’ book launch at the following locations: Abraxas Books on Denman Island, Saturday, September 20, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Blue Heron Books in Comox, Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Fireside Books in Parksville, Saturday, October 11, 2025, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Mulberry Books in Qualicum, Friday, October 17, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Coles Driftwood Mall, Saturday, October 18, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  McLean is a three-time winner of the Literary Titan Book Award and has garnered many other accolades for her work, including Honorable Mention in the national Whistler Independent Book Awards.  Learn more about JP McLean on her website, jpmcleanauthor.com [http://jpmcleanauthor.com].

Nanaimo pop star Lauren Spencer Smith was on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, singing about how karma can catch up. The 21-year-old singer appeared as the musical guest on the late-night talk show Tuesday, Aug. 19, performing If Karma Doesn't Get You (I Will) from her 2025 album The Art of Being a Mess.  Spencer Smith is about to start a world tour for The Art of Being a Mess in September, making stops in major cities such as Amsterdam, London, Sydney and Los Angeles until March.  The Jimmy Kimmel Live episode was hosted by comedian Tiffany Haddish and also saw special guests Adam Scott from Severance and the cast of Tiffany Haddish Goes Off, Selena Martin, Sparkle Clark and Shermona Long. The episode can be watched on www.abc.com or Prime video.

Victoria rock band Three Sailing Wait will be back on stage this weekend, playing the Phoenix Bar & Grill on Saturday (Aug. 23), with Conjure Hand Music and Odd Sum Band. The show comes the day after the group put out its latest release, a six-song EP called Marsec Level 2. The four-piece started out in a less-than-traditional setting, playing curling bonspiels at the Victoria Curling Club. From there, they found themselves performing at several Victoria Royals games and slowly building up a catalogue of original music. “We started out just playing the music we loved, but the more we played together, the more we wanted to write our own stuff,” said Cam, who handles vocals and bass. “This EP is the result of that, a chance to put down what we’ve been working on and share it with people.” Recording took place in a rented red cabin outside Duncan, nicknamed “Little Red.” Each room became part of the setup, with amps stashed in the kitchen and bathrooms and drums filling the living room.  “It was just a weekend of rocking out, capturing everything we’d been writing, then refining it later,” Cam said. “It was a blast.” The band is particularly excited to share Bureaucrat Boogie, a track that Cam says will resonate in Victoria. “It’s our only boogie and we hope it gets the dance floor moving. A lot of us are public servants, so it’s kind of an ode to the people you see streaming downtown every morning," he said.  The set will also feature the live debut of a brand new song, Cease and Desist. “If you like rock and roll and sticking it to the man a little, you’ll like this one,” Cam said. Three Sailing Wait will play in the middle of Saturday’s lineup, with Odd Sum Band opening and Conjure Hand Music closing out the night. Doors open at 8 p.m. with a $15 cover at the door. “It’s going to be a high-energy night with three great Victoria bands,” Cam said. “We’re excited to celebrate the EP and have a raucous time with everyone.”

When it comes to an artistic challenge, imagine the sorcery it takes to weave together ancient folklore, 19th-century ballet traditions and even a touch of Hollywood magic into one seamless spectacle. That’s exactly what Ballet Victoria’s artistic director Paul Destrooper is conjuring in his newest full-length creation: Aladdin [https://www.balletvictoria.ca/aladdin-2025/]. “It’s a show that has everything in it – beauty, drama, humour, brilliant dancing,” says Destrooper, who’s leveraging the magic of Disney and the enduring pull of the Aladdin story to draw audiences into a world of wonder. “Anything that Disney has done is already going to be the general vernacular of knowledge. From there, of course, we’re doing something completely original and new.” Described by Ballet Victoria as “fierce dancing,” the spectacle places bravura front and centre. Destrooper’s choreography demands technical fearlessness, intensity and playfulness. The score casts a wide net, spanning the opulence of 19th-century ballet and the sweep of contemporary cinema. Audiences will hear the fire of Saint-Saëns and Borodin, the lyrical grace of Minkus, Rimsky-Korsakov and even parts of Hans Zimmer’s Dune soundtrack. The combination gives the production a rich musical texture that is at once familiar and fresh. The ballet’s playfulness is no accident. Destrooper points to Disney’s Aladdin – and especially Robin Williams’s legendary turn as the Genie – as inspiration for the comic energy he wants on stage. “The humour was absolutely brilliant, right?" Destrooper says. “He basically ad-libbed that whole part when they were making the movie. So I think that aligns well with the sense of humour that I like to have in my production.” Visually, Aladdin will stretch Ballet Victoria’s stagecraft. Projection artistry by Jason King provides a shifting backdrop that expands the world of the piece, while the set design builds an immersive stage environment. Costumes inspired by the richness of Arabian folklore heighten the sense of mystery and magic, transporting audiences straight into the pages of One Thousand and One Nights. Yet even with the colour and spectacle, Destrooper aims to never lose sight of balance.  The result is a production that honours ballet’s heritage while boldly updating it. With bravura movement, contemporary flair and flashes of humour, Aladdin promises to be more than a fairy-tale ballet. It’s an adventure in dance and storytelling that invites audiences to believe, if only for an evening, in a little magic. Performances run Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Royal Theatre. Learn more at balletvictoria.ca/aladdin-2025 [https://www.balletvictoria.ca/aladdin-2025/], and for tickets, visit rmts.bc.ca [https://www.rmts.bc.ca/production-detail-pages/2025-royal-theatre/aladdin/].  

Unfortunately all things must come to an end. For Ladysmith its most recent claim to fame, Resident Alien, has ceased to be. We believe that almost everyone, locally, has at least heard about the show. Yes Resident Alien is (was) a TV show that was filmed in Ladysmith. One of the strangest things, about the show, was seeing the old Travellers Hotel turned into a city hall and sheriff’s office or Barnacle Barnies, on the outside, transformed into a saloon called the 59ers. The story was about an alien whose space craft crashes to earth, in Colorado, near a small town called Patience (Ladysmith). His goal was to wipe out the human race. To start his task he kills a local doctor and takes on his form and identity. During his time and experiences he has to deal with his own moral struggles because of his mission. Over the 36 episodes, over four seasons, the alien, played by Alan Tudyk, develops compassion for humanity and ends up defending them from other extraterrestrial threats. Episodes showcased elements of science fiction, comedy, and drama, with off-shoot stories of identity, morality, family and human connection. When choosing Ladysmith, as a location, Ken Brooker the location manager, said “In general, I think it's a good thing to note that we chose over and over again to return to Ladysmith. It's a massive financial commitment to move the shooting unit around...and just crossing the strait is a logistical challenge and the cost is extreme... so there must be a reason to do it. The fact is that Ladysmith offered a great look, and the community a great partner in the process. The support of businesses and residents alike was key to making that whole thing work.” To find out how residents of Ladysmith feel about the show, featuring their town, being cancelled, the Chronicle went out to ask some opinions. Here are a few. Krista Aurala: We watched it and liked it. Sorry to hear it is cancelled. Kara Olson: I am devastated with this news....I love the show! I’m not even a sci-fi type of person. Jan Christenson: Sorry, never watched it. Jacquie Chellew: I did start watching the first season of Resident Alien when it first came out and was really enjoying it. Sci-fi isn’t usually my thing, but I was pleasantly surprised — it was light, humorous, and easy to get into. I don’t watch a lot of television in general, and life circumstances put it on hold for me, but I still hope to catch up on it this winter. Rod Alsop: I actually haven’t seen it. I’ve heard it’s really good, so I’m going to have to try and see some of the episodes. John deLeeuw: I watched the first couple of seasons and it was funny. Somewhat aimed at a specific crowd and I’m not a sci-fi fan but have heard lots of folks talk about it. “From a tourism perspective, the show has definitely had an impact,” was also a statement from Chellew, who is the administrative assistant at the Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Information Centre. "It’s a real draw for visitors. Many ask about it when they come through town, whether just in passing or because they’ve come here specifically due to the show.” The summer students have created a brochure that highlights filming locations, with side-by-side photos showing how the spots appear in the show versus real life. “Resident Alien certainly has a loyal following, and people always love hearing what it’s like when filming is happening in town,” Chellew said. According to the television rating organization Parrot Analytics the audience demand for Resident Alien is 21.9 times the demand of the average TV series in the United States. Episodes of Resident Alien can be found on the SyFy channel or the first three seasons are available on Netflix.

There was always music in Holly Cole’s home. “In my family, both my parents were classical piano players, and we always sang at home, said Cole. “We just had music surrounding us all the time.” The type of music that surrounded Cole, however, was not the sort that would capture her soul in the end. “My brother had decided to study jazz piano in Boston and when I was 15 years old, I hitchhiked from New Brunswick to Boston to see him, without actually asking permission to go,” Cole says. “When I heard jazz or the first time, I was swept off my feet.” It was quite a departure from the defined structures and forms that characterized her early musical exposure and training. “The music had so much freedom. I mean, I love classical music now, but at the time I didn’t. My parents had been educating my ears with one form of music and when I heard jazz, I figured that jazz was classical for the kids who were a little bit bad.” “I don’t think we ever do the same song the same way twice. Every performance is fresh and a new challenge. The spirit of improvisation that captured Cole’s imagination those many years ago has never left her and has made her multi-award-winning, internationally renowned jazz artist. “It was that spirit of improv … with jazz you could make a personal statement, and I loved that. I still love it,” Cole says. “I don’t think we ever do the same song the same way twice. Every performance is fresh and a new challenge. Sure, you could ‘phone in a show’ and do the same thing over and over, but that’s not what it’s about and no one wants to hear that.” Cole has captured that fresh approach to every performance in her latest studio album, Dark Moon. Released in January of this year, the music is fresh and spontaneous, and Cole’s smoky, sultry voice delivers the smart arrangements in a way that has never been heard before. “I wanted this album to be spontaneous. We did very little advance rehearsal and the songs were incredibly fresh for us. The band I play with are amazingly talented and I wanted to hear the sound they would make when that recording light went on. It worked.” That band, featuring Aaron Davis on piano, George Koller on bass, Davide Direnzo on drums, John Johnson on saxophone and Kevin Bright on guitar are all amazing musicians in their own right. “All of these guys are multi-instrumentalists,” Cole says. “Doing Dark Moon with them has been an absolute joy.” For Cole, Dark Moon and the jazz life in general has been a natural fit. “I’ve always been a lover of the night,” Cole says. “I remember when I was sick with the croup when I was very young and my father bundled me up and put me on his shoulders and we walked around the neighbourhood in the middle of the night. “I was amazed that it had been transformed into this mystical, deserted land that was lit only by the moon. I could feel the moist Nova Scotia sea air soothe my sore throat and as I looked out into the moonlit night, it seemed like magic to me,” she recalls. “These days I still love that world and most nights I won’t go to bed until about 4:30 in the morning. I belong in the night and I think that jazz sort of does as well.” Holly Cole will be appearing at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo as part of the Nanaimo International Jazz Festival. Tickets for the Sept.13 show are available at porttheatre.com/events/holly-cole-2025/.

For Connie Kaldor, the stage is a canvas and, without exception, her every performance paints a passionate, magical, musical masterpiece. “I come alive when I’m on a stage,” Kaldor says. “And the audience is what makes it happen. The electricity and the magic of what you do live can’t be duplicated in a studio. On stage you can laugh with the audience … or you can cry or dream.” Kaldor’s love of the stage didn’t start with her musical career. She initially pursued a professional career in the theatre, studying dramatic arts at the University of Alberta, performing at the Théâtre Passe Muraille in Toronto and the 25th Street House in Saskatoon, and appearing on radio and TV. “I did some wonderful work on stage but in the back of my mind I was always thinking of music. There came a point where I had to decide whether I was going to be a theatre person or a musician,” Kaldor reflects. “I chose to go with music, but I had learned that, on stage, I could come with something a little different. Theatre was a wonderful training ground for me and has influenced my approach to performing my whole life.” Still, the choice to dedicate her life to music has made us all a bit richer as Kaldor’s music has touched countless fans in a way that many musicians can only dream. The recognition began when Kaldor became part of the Canadian Wave – a musical movement that defined a newly emerging Canadian sound in the early 1980s. She performed alongside Valdy, Ferron and Stan Rogers and in 1984 Kaldor was nominated for the Most Promising Female Vocalist Juno award. Since that time, she has been nominated and won more awards than we have time to list, been invested with an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Regina, and, in 2006 was made a Member of the Order of Canada. In the past year alone Kaldor has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Woodstock Folk Festival and was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award and for Song of the Year at the Folk Alliance International Folk Music Awards. Yet, despite all of her success, Kaldor is not slowing down. Her latest album, Wide Open Spaces, is another triumph, born out of Kaldor’s love of her roots. Her current tour, in fact, marks the official launch of that album. “This is a Western prairie album and every song on that album is there for a reason. Everything has a personal western connection and it’s a celebration of a part of the world that I love,” Kaldor says. “Of course, every next song is the one I love the most. Every song has a life and its place and has a meaning, and that’s the magic of music. Often times someone will request a song and it’s obvious that that song means something for them. It was a song they had at a wedding or a funeral or some other important time in their life. "Those songs give me a chance to connect … when it's become meaningful to the audience and you can feel them respond,” Kaldor says. “Feeling the audience respond…that’s the gig.” Connie Kaldor will perform in Duncan at the Duncan Showroom on Sept. 17, at the Nanaimo Yacht Club Marina on Sept. 19, and in Victoria at the St Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Sept. 20. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit conniekaldor.com/tour [http://www.conniekaldor.com/tour].  

When comedian Brent Butt takes to the stage in Victoria and Nanaimo, he’ll bring his signature Bob Newhart-like humour – understated, witty and conversational. Or, as he deadpans, “just a bald guy talking.” Speaking to Monday Magazine from his Vancouver home, Butt explained that after nearly four decades in stand-up, he still thrives on keeping his shows organic and unpredictable, guided by the audience in the moment. “I need to connect with the crowd. I need to learn what they like, what they don’t like, what they’re into, in real time. And it makes (the show) very organic and it keeps me very present.” Butt will perform in Nanaimo on Sept. 19 at the Port Theatre and in Victoria on Sept. 20 at the McPherson Playhouse, part of a string of Canadian shows this fall. Unlike comics who strictly map out their sets, Butt prefers a conversational approach. He carries a “tickle trunk” of material gathered over the years, drawing from it in the moment depending on the audience. While he usually knows how he’ll open a show, from there the evening unfolds organically. When it comes to writing new material, Butt follows a three-step process: brainstorm, polish and road-test. He jots down funny ideas or phrases, then works them into something structured at his desk. Next comes the critical stage – sneaking into a comedy club to deliver the material in front of a crowd. “I always say you can only be so funny at the kitchen table at two in the afternoon. Once you get up under the spotlight with a microphone, something clicks … That’s where the magic is.” That willingness to experiment live has kept his stand-up sharp, even as his career has expanded far beyond the stage. Many fans know him best as the creator and star of Corner Gas, one of the most successful Canadian sitcoms ever produced. But these days, Butt is also focused on writing – and not just comedy. He’s currently at work on his second novel, another dark psychological thriller following the release of his debut, Huge, in 2023. He’s also developing a new television pilot, a project he says excites him more than anything he’s written in years. “Sometimes it’s a book, sometimes it’s a script, sometimes it’s stand-up. I just follow the idea that won’t leave my head.” Still, his mission on stage remains simple: to entertain. “You’re going to disengage with any problems you have in your life for an hour, hour and a half, and we’re going to have some laughs. If you leave thinking, ‘that was a good use of my time,’ then I’ve done my job.”

The Maritime Museum of B.C.’s 46th annual Victoria Classic Boat Festival will return to the Inner Harbour this Labour Day weekend. Running Aug. 29 to 31, the festival will feature up to 90 restored heritage and classic vessels, open for viewing Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is by donation, with $5 suggested. Highlights this year include the return of the 1897 sailing vessel Dorothy, live maritime music on the docks, and the Artists Aboard program, where local artists will create new works inspired by the festival.  The event is supported by the City of Victoria, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and several local sponsors. “The Pacific Northwest is blessed with an enormous number of traditional boats – from sailboats, to workboats, to cruisers,” said Brittany Vis, executive director of the museum. “The festival began in 1977 with the idea that our maritime heritage must not only be preserved, but also celebrated.”

Sunday night in North Saanich, the defending champion Panthers got an early reminder that the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s 2025-26 season isn’t going to hand anything out for free. The Cougars jumped on Peninsula right from the start, making pre-season feel like the real deal. Across the Island, Westshore kicked things off with a 9-3 win over Saanich on Aug. 20, then fell just short 4-3 to the Predators a few nights later. Oceanside doubled up Nanaimo 6-3, while Lake Cowichan edged Comox Valley 4-2. For Peninsula, the scoreboard mattered less than finding its footing with a roster stacked with rookies. Marcus Nichols put the Panthers on the board first, but Tyler Delli-Carri and Cater Stamp-Vincent quickly answered for Victoria, giving the Cougars a brief lead. Wyatt Martel made sure Peninsula wasn’t out of it, scoring just 36 seconds later. But Victoria kept coming. Haydyn Brooks, Tee Hagel, and Carter Brooks added three more goals, with Milo Mauer chipping in one for Peninsula along the way. By the final whistle, it was a 5-3 win for the Cougars. Peninsula will have 19 players return from last season’s championship squad, but the opener was really about letting the new faces get used to the pace. Several 2010-born players were sprinkled on both sides, and for some, it was their first taste of the speed and structure of VIJHL hockey. “I thought there was lots to be positive about,” said Panthers director of hockey operations Tyler Stanton. “Some of the young guys really stood out. Obviously, there’s still improvement needed, but it’s game one. We’ve only worked on structure for a couple of days and nobody’s played in set lines yet.” Like most teams in the league, Peninsula will see a shuffle over the next two weeks as prospects head off to major junior and BCHL camps. Stanton said it’s all part of the rhythm. “There’s a process to it,” he said. “At the same time, the expectation with 19 guys returning is that they’ll carry the load and teach the younger players our culture.” The 11-team league is in its second year outside Hockey Canada, now running closely with the BCHL. Last year alone, 36 VIJHL players got called up, and the league is eager to show just how many doors are opening for its talent. It was also a strong off-season for alumni. Former Peninsula Panther Spencer Carbery earned NHL coach of the year honours, ex-Port Alberni goalie Callum Tung signed with the New York Rangers, and former referee Graedy Hamilton worked the AHL Calder Cup Finals. Exhibition games run through Aug. 31 before the 48-game regular season kicks off Sept. 4, with Peninsula and Victoria set for a rematch at Archie Browning Arena. “As long as the players are getting better and getting opportunities, that’s what matters,” Stanton said.

Canada’s women’s rugby team opened the 2025 Rugby World Cup in emphatic fashion, powering past Fiji 65-7 on Aug. 23 at York Community Stadium in England. The win, built on 11 tries, was fuelled by a strong contingent of Greater Victoria talent. Oak Bay High graduates Sophie de Goede and Caroline Crossley, along with former Castaway Wanderer Julia Schell, all made their presence felt in the dominant performance. De Goede, 26, steered Canada’s attack with four conversions and a try in her 35th international appearance, a fitting return after a 13-month recovery from a serious knee injury. The Castaway Wanderer showed no hesitation in Canada’s opener. >   >   >   >   > https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNtKu703Kov/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading > View this post on Instagram > [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNtKu703Kov/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   > > A post shared by CBS Sports (@cbssports) > [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNtKu703Kov/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] 27-year-old flanker Caroline Crossley added to the scoresheet with Canada’s third try of the match, recording her first-ever Rugby World Cup try. For the former Oak Bay High standout and current Castaway Wanderer, it was another milestone in an international career that now stands at seven caps. Head coach Kevin Rouet praised the team’s sharp start but noted there is still more to come. “It’s good to start with confidence. We know there’s still room to improve, especially as this group adjusts to being ranked No. 2 in the world,” said Rouet. “It’s about building belief and showing we can deliver.” The day’s biggest storyline, however, came from former Castaway Wanderers standout Julia Schell. >   >   >   >   > https://www.instagram.com/p/DNtt-PDUAnn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading > View this post on Instagram > [https://www.instagram.com/p/DNtt-PDUAnn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   > > A post shared by Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) > [https://www.instagram.com/p/DNtt-PDUAnn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] The 26-year-old turned the match into a personal showcase, scoring six consecutive tries in a blistering 21-minute span. She had entered the tournament with three career tries in 26 appearances, but by full-time had tripled that total. “At halftime, Kevin challenged us to win our one-on-ones," Schell said. "I just wanted to get out there and do that – for myself and for the team. I know if I’m in the right place at the right time, the tries will come, but our focus was always on the team’s performance.”  By the final whistle, seven Canadians had found the try line. Canada also showed strength in the set piece, winning all five of their own scrums, while posting an 82 per cent tackle success rate. Canada continues pool play against Wales on Aug. 30 and Scotland on Sept. 6. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals on Sept. 13.