What’s Up on Vancouver Island

A Canadian Coast Guard ship out of Victoria and its crew are among those credited with continuing the nation’s global commitment to protect fish stocks, marine ecosystems and sustainable fisheries through two months of joint surveillance, inspections and enforcement efforts in the North Pacific. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a serious problem around the world, posing a significant threat to fish populations and damaging marine environments. It also jeopardizes the incomes of law-abiding harvesters and fishing industries while putting food supplies at risk, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The DFO’s third patrol under the annual, multi-national high seas operation included representatives from four nations onboard a single patrol vessel. The Canadian patrol included representatives from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States.   “The thousands of hours that our fishery officers spend patrolling the North Pacific Ocean each year, by air and sea, detecting and deterring illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, is a strong demonstration that Canada backs its support for international laws with concrete action. The ongoing success of Operation North Pacific Guard attests to the continued need for Canada to be a leader in securing marine species and ecosystems at home and abroad in support of both our conservation and economic objectives,” Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson said in a news release. Fishery officers and support personnel patrolled 17,773 km while onboard the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, a high-endurance, multi-purpose vessel that is also a light icebreaker and is biofuel capable. Over the course of two months, the crew aboard the Victoria-based ship monitored several hundred fishing vessels, conducted 41 high-seas inspections and interacted with more than 1,000 crew members onboard vessels. Canada also deployed one of the DFO’s long-range Fisheries Aerial Surveillance and Enforcement aircraft, which is normally based in Campbell River, to Hokkaido, Japan, where daily patrols monitored fishing activity in the Northwest Pacific. Over the operation, 366 fishing vessels were inspected by air, discovering 51 potential violations related to shark finning, pollution, salmon retention, and marking requirements. High-seas inspections uncovered 39 potential violations of international fisheries requirements, including shark finning, the illegal harvest of dolphins, misreporting or inaccurate reporting of catch and bycatch, as well as obstruction and the destruction of evidence. North Pacific Guard Operation, which included Canadian Coast Guard and RCMP members, is among those working to protect both international waters and the resources they hold with an annual, multi-national high seas operation in the North Pacific. During this year’s mission, CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier made a special port visit in Osaka, Japan, while the World Expo was underway. Thousands of members of the public learned about Canada’s role in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing through tours of the vessel and engagement with Canadian Coast Guard crew and fishery officers at the Expo’s Canada Pavilion. Laurier also stopped in Hakodate, Japan, further strengthening relations. Find behind-the-scenes action online at https://ow.ly/TrMo50WGagL [https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fow.ly%2FTrMo50WGagL%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExSzR5RnFPbkg4Zjc2YXc0cgEeK6t8_N_Oev3cPlF-GmBnqp9BM6GNUGdwO-xX4NIj3OWWitatiK9q9qgNinY_aem_os0dCztDjkMB4yp9HE5OkQ&h=AT1RSpMN9Sc655W0FV13apb3yfmW4Em0XBCWdAjF9caaHt5PMaIyh1-8TN7viamWRloLBmL3th4JXSx5GEzLGxAI_ziLElzeT7BV542vPgrYeDuI64GqXtlFd6Lu86NHrw4Zu3DIMV2d-mHeidOxqg&__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT09YccjcTuIlgOk5dqtUGSuLH6SZFmYLFlor9GlNnsGGfNMrLWD9Dw-wLsPwaBvDqOTZs4KStnkl9PFxBjocafpi6nzVL2uG9MzE0YpzEgbpAsoNPiL5jQUSxdDxiXTcVpxacsKrOnSp51HHQtAU7MusjlKU6a90L8n0mA_gL681iFJt01IEb8QnAB1ULSZj6ExSAmlZ7_T0BnCF_xt7RP3874QW7tSvseqMg].

The world-class sand sculptures in the Parksville Community Park will come down this week, after a successful five-and-a-half-week festival. This year’s Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Exhibition welcomed 119,092 visitors, up three per cent from last summer, according to the Parksville Beach Festival Society. “Strong visitor attendance is due to a fabulous exhibition, excellent weather, and our new location in the park,” said Cheryl Dill, society president, in a news release. “The encouragement from both residents and visitors is so uplifting for our hard-working volunteers and staff.” The event relocated to a section of the kite field in Parksville Community Park, next to the beach volleyball courts, after approval from council earlier in the year. The new, larger site is meant to allow for more spectators and improved mobility access, as well as reduced congestion at main beach access locations. While it’s always bittersweet to watch the sculptures fade back into sand, there’s plenty to celebrate — such as entertainment highlights like Chilliwack’s Farewell to Friends Tour, the lively Tim Hortons Summer Concert Series, Party City Buskers, Art in the Park and the Beachfest ROCKS! Music Festival. The Sculpture Light-Up added some extra magic on the final weekend, which also saw the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy close out the festival on the outdoor stage. More than 102,000 people voted for the People’s Choice Awards and crowned Manuel Campos, from Columbia for "Role Reversal" and Sue McGrew (USA) and Dmitry Klimenko (Russia) for "Peace Amid the Storm" in the singles and doubles categories, respectively. The festival is dedicated to giving back and since 1999, it has donated more than $1.2 million to local non-profits and community projects, including the Parksville Outdoor Theatre. In 2025, proceeds will again support 24 not-for-profit organizations and community initiatives. Before the sculptures are taken down, the Parksville Beach Festival Society is welcoming a group with visual impairments to experience the creations through touch, part of their ongoing commitment to improving accessibility. "The Parksville Beach Festival Society is proud to host a family-friendly, community-driven event that brings joy to thousands, supports local groups, and showcases incredible talent," the release said. For more information about Parksville Beach Festival visit parksvillebeachfest.ca [http://www.parksvillebeachfest.ca.].

Market-style tables with ribbons, resources, a memory tree and naloxone training will be hosted by Island Health at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. International Overdose Awareness Day takes place on Aug. 31, with this year's theme 'one big family' representing that everyone is connected and through compassion and awareness people can honour the lives lost and support those impacted by the toxic drug poisoning crisis.  Starting Monday, Aug. 25, purple chairs will be stationed at 18 Island Health locations as a memorial exhibit for those who have died during the toxic drug crisis. Each location will include information and resources, purple ribbon pins and an interactive memory board. On Aug. 29, Nanaimo will host an open event with naloxone training from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tracey Thompson, Island Health harm reduction coordinator, told the News Bulletin that learning about and carrying naloxone is one way the general public can participate in reducing overdose deaths in the region. According to the B.C. Coroners Service, Nanaimo lost 94 lives in 2024 due to unregulated drugs. As of June 30 of this year, Nanaimo had 32 recorded unregulated drug deaths. "It's important for community members to know what resources are available to support them and if people are engaged in substance use and wanting some support, to understand what services are available," Thompson said. "That could be in the community through community agencies or through their physician, or through Island Health." She said it can sometimes be difficult for people to understand what motivates substance use and some may have preconceived ideas. "It's really important for us to try to reduce the stigma and think about how we can support people to get the help they might be looking for, rather than focusing on criminalizing or being punitive." In a press release, Dr. Réka Gustafson, Island Health's chief medical health officer, said preventing overdose deaths requires "actions beyond health services including investment in the social determinants of health, like housing, income, education and social connection, which shape people’s vulnerability to substance use." “These deaths are preventable,” Gustafson said. “Remembering those we have lost honours them and keeps them in the centre of the dialogue about a meaningful response to the crisis from the entire community.” Other events marking the day will be held in Port Alberni, Campbell River, Duncan, Gabriola Island, Crofton, Parksville, Sooke, Campbell River and Victoria.  In addition to in-person memorial stations, Island Health is hosting an online memory wall [https://app.mural.co/t/islandhealth6899/m/islandhealth6899/1747869109631/439e504eb6be0a4da5dfcf71e7c940e300813c0f], available until Sept. 20. People can visit the website to share memories, special words and photos at app.mural.co/t/islandhealth6899/m/islandhealth6899/1747869109631/439e504eb6be0a4da5dfcf71e7c940e300813c0f [http://app.mural.co/t/islandhealth6899/m/islandhealth6899/1747869109631/439e504eb6be0a4da5dfcf71e7c940e300813c0f]. Island Health advises that residents may call 1-888-885-8824 [tel:1-888-885-8824] to learn about supports that best meet their needs, and if someone is experiencing a crisis, they can contact the Vancouver Island Crisis Line, available 24/7, at 1-888-494-3888 [tel:1-888-494-3888]. Additionally, mental health and substance use services can be viewed at Island Health's mental health and substance use services page [http://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services] at http://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services [https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services]. To sign up for toxic drug health alerts via text message, text 'join' to 253787.

Five distinct one-person plays will bring a mixture of comedy, drama and LGBTQ programming to an upcoming Gabriola Island performing arts festival.  The plays, part of the Gabriola Theatre Festival, will showcase talents from Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Toronto, England and the Gulf island itself.   Associate festival producer, Dibs Barisic Sprem, said the selection committee whittled the original 18 applicants to the selected five, and focused on productions that could inspire, uplift and challenge audiences.  The festival is also planning for an opening night party and a closing night party. First to the stage will be an autobiographical story by Frank Moher called Boy Player on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and Aug. 30. Boy Player tells of Moher's experience as a child suddenly orphaned and transplanted from Edmonton to New York City.  The following production, The Heterosexuals by Jonnie McNamara Walker, will be staged on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and Aug. 27. Walker's performance will take a tongue-in-cheek 'deep-dive' into the shocking world of heterosexuality. "As a queer person, I love material that flips the script on cultural norms," Sprem said. "Johnnie McNamara Walker has been receiving rave reviews after having sold-out shows in Hamilton, Montreal, Orlando, Edmonton, and an off-Broadway run in NYC."  Next up will be Jem Rolls: Adventures in Canadian Parking Lots on Wednesday, Aug. 27 and Aug. 30. Rolls, who has "done more Fringe Festivals than anyone on earth this century," is a high-energy English performance poet who will feature "dumb comedy, smart comedy and dark tales" in his new show. How I Met My Mother by Jon Paterson will show on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 and follow a bachelor as he answers the call to care for his ailing mother.  "This gives me the impression that it's going to be one of those shows where people might shed a tear," Sprem said. "Paterson has described his show as cathartic … this is the first show that he has written for himself." Katie-Ellen Humphries joins the festival with her show No Worries If Not, which shows on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29, and will deliver a "funny and surprising tale of love, lying and laundry." "No Worries is a show that speaks to me, as a recovering people-pleaser myself," the associate festival producer said. "Katie-Ellen has a very sharp way of writing jokes and connecting to audience members with relatable, observational humour."  All productions can be caught at the Gabriola Theatre Centre, 1475 Peterson Rd., from Aug. 26-30 with performances at 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. Each production will have two stagings. Ticket information can be found online at www.gabriolatheatrecentre.ca [https://www.gabriolatheatrecentre.ca/].

A few Gabriola Island residents might just catch a glimpse of themselves in an art show this week.  Opening on Thursday, Aug. 21, artist Nic Cooper will present 'I Was Drawn To You' at the Nova Boutique and Gallery as an interpretive "portrait of a place." The show will feature a collection of drawings made on the spot at different social settings, including the Surf Lodge and Pub, Ground Up Café and Catering, and several beaches.  Cooper said the show emanated from their intuitive drive to always be drawing. "The idea is that it's kind of a diary for me. But also a portrait of the island and of its inhabitants and environments," they said. "It sort of shows the trace of the seasons as well." Their technique involves no pencils or erasers, just straight marker ink to paper. As part of picking a good scene, the artist will seek out an interesting angle with one or more subjects and a compelling vantage point to see what they're drawn to, figuratively and literally. And then they'll start drawing. Quickly and covertly, to interpret the fleeting moment.  While it's important to capture the feeling of a place, Cooper said, the 20-year practice is more about decompression and mindfulness.  "If I look back on drawings from 10 years ago, I'll have a clear memory of what croissant I ate, the cappuccino I had, where I was in the world, the time of day."  However, shortly after moving to Gabriola, they noticed their whimsically representational drawings emerged as a sort of story of the island as a whole, rather than lone, isolated scenes.  I Was Drawn To You is the first show Cooper will exhibit drawings that depict a portrait of a place, as their previous off-island showings have been paintings concerning queer history.  Cooper moved to Gabriola last summer and works as a learning and engagement coordinator at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. They attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design for an undergrad, then completed a master's degree at the University of Ottawa in visual arts. They have taught at various institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada.  There will be an opening party for I Was Drawn To You on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. and will remain up at the Nova Boutique and Gallery until Sept. 7.

Born out of a love-hate relationship with the teaching profession, Bored Teachers, The Struggle is Real Comedy Tour, is stopping in Victoria this fall with all-new material. The "funniest teacher comedians" in the world will be at the McPherson Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 19. Bored Teachers delivers comedy that anyone who has ever been in a classroom can relate to. Since starting in 2022, they've filled over 200,000 seats and sold out more than 100 major theatres across Canada and the U.S. Founded by James and Marilou Tarantino, the comedians share stories from all over the world about their struggles and frustrations. The duo began Bored Teachers on social media, where they posted skits, memes and articles born from real experiences and honest feelings about how "complex and undervalued" teachers everywhere are. From there, Bored Teachers was expanded and took on more writers, content creators and comedians, garnishing tens of millions of views. "I think the response just shows you how much teachers need this time together to laugh," one of the comedians said about the show. Tickets are on sale now and are available through the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour [https://www.boredteachers.com/comedy-tour]website.

Symphony Splash returns this weekend for the first time in five years, expanding into a two-day celebration to mark Victoria Symphony’s 85th anniversary. The free outdoor concerts take place this weekend (Aug. 2 and 3) at the Inner Harbour, with performances held on the iconic barge stage in front of the B.C. Legislature. Festivities will begin Saturday at 3:30 p.m. with Indigenous singer-songwriters Celeigh Cardinal and Shawnee Kish joining the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. That same evening, the Victoria Symphony is set to perform alongside percussionist Sal Ferreras, his Latin Jazz Sextet, and Cuban vocalist Adonis Puentes at 7:30 p.m. Sunday opens with another youth orchestra performance at 3:30 p.m., followed by the signature Symphony Splash concert featuring the Victoria Symphony and young piano soloist Patrick Cao. The night concludes with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, Amazing Grace, and a fireworks display. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring back an expanded Symphony SPLASH! over the B.C. Day long weekend,” said Matthew White, CEO of Victoria Symphony. “We’re looking forward to welcoming locals and visitors alike to enjoy a varied program, from orchestral masterworks to contemporary compositions.” Beyond the music, the Inner Harbour will feature a family zone, local artist showcases on community stages, and food vendors.  A limited number of grandstand seats are available for $5 to $88. All other programming is free. For tickets, the full schedule, and more information about the event, visit victoriasymphony.ca [http://victoriasymphony.ca].  

A sandy, bikini-clad pachyderm prone atop a beach towel graces a popular international seaside sand sculpture competition up Island. The feeling of life and gesture in the “truly sculptural” display earned kudos from both judges and peers for View Royal artist Damon Langlois in the Parksville sandcastle competition. Langlois captured third from the judges, and Sculptor’s Choice in the solo category for his work T.G.I.F., which stood out for its life-like expression and humour, resonating strongly among fellow master sculptors. “As an artist that always feels good to get positive feedback from your peers for sure,” he told the Goldstream Gazette. Langlois, an industrial product designer, started his first job here in Victoria, working alongside a sand sculpture artist a generation ago. That coworker was on a team called Freddy and the Sandblasters – which included former Greater Victoria artist Fred Dobbs, who now lives on Mayne Island. The former coworker had just started their own team and had a hole they invited Langlois to fill. “I said, ‘Sure, why not,’ and then we went and competed at Harrison Hot Springs,” he said. That Fraser Valley beach that hosted world championships for a decade up to 2009. The team finished second. “I was hooked.” He spent the next seven years working with a team at Harrison that generally did well. “When I started in the ’90s it was much easier with these large teams, more amateur with a lower bar. Now … the bar is so high, it’s definitely more intimidating,” he said. “The scene was a lot more amateur, with more fun on the beach, now it’s a high-level, high-calibre art form.” Still clearly drawn to the ephemeral art three decades later, Langlois credits both the medium itself and the community. His work as an industrial designer has a permanence, where the sand is temporary and subject to the elements – affording some spontaneity. “It’s a less rigid creative process,” he said. “You’re also at this challenge of gravity and the elements, and with this medium, you can’t just do whatever you want with it. You get into this strange mode, becoming one with the sand because you have to read it.” And the community has cultivated a subculture with its own language, stories and legends like Ted Siebert and the late Joe Maize. The Pacific Coast was the jam, with White Rock then Harrison bringing sculptors together and sharing knowledge long before the internet. The west was big, the east coast was all about busking. Maize was among the original busking sculptors, leading the crowd as he worked. But in those days, bigger teams included diggers alongside artists and more time for things like leading the public. And everyone travelled competition to competition and exhibition to exhibition full time. “They used to joke and call it joining the circus, because they’re always travelling,” Langlois said. “It really bonds you. You’re having these adventures that are outside the real world in a sense. You end up having these stories and legends that you share with each other.” It’s still required, with little work that will pay the bills outside of places like California where promotional work is big. Now, most events, aside from a handful of amateur U.S. events, are invite-only, and you have to prove your mettle to get one. Parksville remains “pretty precious” and is widely recognized internationally as one that top artists want to attend. “Right now, I think it’s the only competition in Canada.” Dobbs also earned accolades at the annual Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition, July 11 to 13. Teamed up with Jakub Zimacek of the Czech Republic, their work, The  Acrobats – with a daring structural design at nearly 14-feet tall with a central hole – clinched first place and Sculptors’ Choice in the doubles division. Parksville Beachfest continues, with the finished sculptures on display through Aug. 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily and visitors voting for the People’s Choice Award.

It would be a shame to let summer pass by without reading at least one good book. Below, Bolen Books in Victoria has offered their top picks for page-turners.  Emperor of Gladness, Ocean Vuong Nineteen‑year‑old Hai, a Vietnamese‑American living in the decaying town of East Gladness, Connecticut, stands on a bridge ready to end his life, until an elderly widow with dementia, Grazina, calls him back. He becomes her live‑in caretaker, scraping by at a fast‑casual restaurant where he finds a loving found‑family. Over nine months, Hai learns to care, survive substance withdrawal, and forge unlikely connections – slowly discovering that meaning and redemption can emerge in moments of quiet, fragile empathy.  So Far Gone, Jess Walter Former journalist Rhys Kinnick exiles himself to a reclusive, remote cabin after a turbulent Thanksgiving where he punched his daughters' belligerent new husband. Seven years later, when his grandchildren show up on his doorstep, Kinnick barely recognizes them. They seek a safer place to stay since their father joined a Christian Nationalist militia, but things quickly escalate when the militia shows up and kidnaps them. Kinnick's journey to save his grandchildren sets him on a journey across an America splintered by intolerance and fractured institutions in a thrilling work of fiction. Say You'll Remember Me, Abby Jimenez Samantha reluctantly takes an escape‑room date with veterinarian Xavier amid heavy responsibilities caring for her mother with dementia. Romance blossoms and fear lingers: Samantha knows her mother may forget her at any moment. Xavier’s own past burdens him. As they fall together in a long-distance love story, they wrestle with identity, memory, and sacrifice. Jimenez balances heartbreak with humour, mixing soul‑numbing grief and resilience with laugh‑out‑loud moments, holding up a mirror to what it means to be seen and remembered. Broken Country,  Clare Leslie Hall Set in the 1950s–60s, Beth lives on an isolated sheep farm until reconnecting with her first love Gabriel – a reunion that drags up buried secrets, old betrayals, and judicial reckonings. The novel blends courtroom drama, romance, and psychological tension as Beth must choose between the safety of her past and the risks of reclaimed love.  There are Rivers in the Sky, Elif Shafak Elif Shafak spins a magical realist tapestry tracing a raindrop’s journey from ancient Mesopotamia through Victorian London and into modern day: intersecting with an Assyrian king, a mudlark child, a Yazidi healer grandmother with her granddaughter by the Tigris, and a contemporary hydrologist who wonders whether water carries memory. The novel illuminates themes of colonialism, identity, ecological crisis, and the humanity of displaced peoples, including a moving portrayal of a 10-year-old girl suffering from a rare disorder while living under the rising presence of ISIS. Don't Let Him In, Lisa Jewell In this kaleidoscopic thriller, three women are connected by one man. The novel begins with Nina Swann, intrigued when she receives a condolence card from an old friend of her late husband, looking to connect. While she is quickly swooned, Nina's adult daughter, Ash, thinks he is too polished, too good to be true. Digging into Nick Radcliffe's past behind her mother's back, she discovers something more than unsettling. Atmosphere,  Taylor Jenkins Reid Joan Goodwin, an astronomy professor, joins NASA’s early 1980s space shuttle program as one of the first women scientists admitted. She navigates training, sexism, and familial obligations – including stepping in to help raise her niece, Frances – while falling in secret love with engineer Vanessa Ford. Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant. Killer on the First Page,  Ian Ferguson The Happy Rock bookstore, I Only Read Murder, is holding a murder mystery festival with six of crime fiction's biggest names. Rivalries, egos and grudges quickly raise tensions, which escalate when a mysterious posthumous manuscript is delivered to the bookstore. Things go from bad to worse when one of the authors turns up dead in a locked room with no windows. Former TV star and novel protagonist Miranda Abbott will stop at nothing to solve the murder, which soon turns into three seemingly impossible cases to crack. The Summer Pact, Emily Giffin Four college freshmen – Lainey (California drama queen), Tyson (D.C. scholar), Summer (Midwest athlete), and Hannah (quiet southerner) – forge deep bonds, until tragedy strikes: Summer dies by suicide. In grief, the friends vow a “Summer Pact”: to always answer in crisis. Ten years later, when Hannah’s fiancé cheats on her, Lainey and Tyson drop everything to support her. Then they embark on a dismantled yet transformative journey across Texas, Capri, and Paris – finding forgiveness, self‑acceptance, and unexpected love within scars.  Here One Moment,  Liane Moriarty On a flight from Hobart to Sydney, a quiet woman named Cherry mysteriously boards and begins predicting passengers’ deaths. Told in first person, the novel unfolds not through supernatural horror but psychological exploration: Cherry reveals her own tragic past, and survivors are forced to reckon with predestined fate versus free will.

Ray St. Denis has taken on a series of books, called the Shakarri Series, with his first book available now - set in the Comox Valley.  The first book in the series, Lethal Tattoos, follows the main character of Kelly who, while caving, finds himself in a new world. In this foreign place, Kelly finds a world that intertwines magic, prophecy, cybernetic technology and multiverse war. While Kelly doesn’t have much of a backstory, other than the fact that he lost his wife in an accident and found himself moving to the Comox Valley to explore caves that no human had been in before, we learn about his sense of adventure in the unknown. “He’s a bit insane, because he crawls through (caves) that nobody would go through. I set the tone of ‘what’s going to happen to this guy, how is he going to unwind,’ and eventually he gets to this new planet, kind of freaks out and then decides he better get (himself) together,” shared Ray St. Denis, the author. The book takes the reader through Kelly’s lack of will to survive and into his decision that he must survive to help the tigers he encounters upon landing on this new planet. “He’s almost trying to die, at least that’s the impression that we get and then on the other hand, he wants to survive. He’s looking for a reason to survive. He meets the tigers on his first day and he thinks ‘Oh my God, this is not going to end up very well,’ so he goes through the process of trying to survive.” This process of learning to survive with a war happening and to protect the tigers that have Kelly in awe is not an easy feat.  “I try to unfold the story so that there is an understanding that everything is brand new for them, and they have to not only discover what it is, but they have to actually get good at making it work, make it happen. That they can do better if they can work together.” The reader is introduced to a family that Kelly becomes immersed in and feels the need to protect in this war, as he feels a connection to them. “After his experience with the massacre at the shores, when they went to their main encampment, he realized that there is no way to talk to (the enemy).”  St. Denis did a deep dive to gather the knowledge to put together this book series. He had no experience as a caver and stuck his nose into one and had a look. He knew the experience wasn’t for him, but it was intriguing.  He also wanted to be hands-on with the weaponry that the various groups would be using in his book.  “I met a fellow at the Filberg Festival who was offering courses on how to make bows, so I made my bow. I took advantage of whatever was local to put in the book.” St. Denis is not originally from the Valley, having made the move in retirement after spending all his vacation time here since 1998 and falling in love with the area. He and his wife decided that the Valley was where they needed to be. Due to this, he felt it was important to have his book start in the Comox Valley with Kelly caving in Strathcona Park.  While St. Denis had to learn about various topics, such as caving, for the book, he also drew on personal experience. “What I’ve discovered in writing is that you don’t really stray that far away from who you are. I’m an adventurous person, although… when it comes to caving, not that adventurous. But throughout my life, from the time I was 13, I have always been very active.” St. Denis has included a glossary of terms in the book so that the reader can understand the new terms that he uses to describe the world.   For more information on the Shakarri Series, Lethal Tattoos and about St. Denis, visit: restdenis.ca [http://restdenis.ca].  

A sea of people filled Victoria's Inner Harbour on Sunday night (Aug. 3) as the long-awaited Symphony Splash returned with an evening of classical music and fireworks. Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards clustered before the floating stage, while tens of thousands of spectators gathered on the Legislature lawn and surrounding streets to enjoy the concert, which began shortly after 7:30 p.m. Held for the first time in five years, the event featured its very own orchestra performing from a barge under the direction of conductor Sean O’Loughlin.  The night’s program included highlights from past Symphony Splash events, with pieces such as Shostakovich’s Festival Overture, Holst’s Jupiter from The Planets, selections from Star Wars, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Amazing Grace. Victoria Symphony CEO Matthew White, who experienced his first-ever Symphony Splash, qualified the celebration as an “internationally recognized, iconic event.”  “It’s just one of the best opportunities to go hear a world-class orchestra in an incredibly beautiful central setting for free,” he said. “It's a joyous, beloved civic tradition. “There's no other event like it anywhere else.” While the event was out for a five-year hiatus, caused by COVID and financial challenges, it was atop White’s priority list to revive this unique tradition that returned for a 30th year after the inaugural concert in 1990. “From the moment I got here, people were telling me, ‘As soon as this whole pandemic mess is over, you need to make sure that you get Symphony Splash back on the water because it's become a calling card for arts and culture on Vancouver Island,’” he said. While working to get the festivities back on track, White discovered that Symphony Splash’s DNA was deeply rooted in the community and a celebration of local talent. “Symphony Splash… was designed as a community engagement event to remind the city that we had these professional musicians at the core of the Victoria Symphony that we should treasure,” he said. “And it grew year after year after year into something that became more than just a local event.” After trials and tribulations, the festival was reborn from its ashes, stronger than ever,  delivering its biggest event yet. Thanks in large part to a grant from the City of Victoria, Symphony Splash evolved into a two-day festival, featuring dozens of local and international musicians performing across four stages throughout the downtown core.  In addition to the symphony’s traditional performance, the event included concerts by the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Juno-nominated Indigenous artists Celeigh Cardinal and Shawnee Kish, renowned percussionist Sal Ferreras and his Latin jazz septet, among others. As the weekend event came to a close, White emphasized that the iconic celebration stands as a testament to Victoria’s vibrant arts and culture scene. And for those who missed it, White extends an open invitation to the next event.

A big voice is coming to Victoria to sing the blues. Shemekia Copeland is set to take centre stage as the headliner of the Harbour Blues 'n Roots Festival in Victoria. “Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time,” writes Alligator Records in a news release. The label says Copeland is beloved worldwide for the “fearlessness, honesty and humour of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality.” Copeland’s work was recognized by the Recording Academy as recently as last year, when her album Blame It On Eve was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album. “There’s serious business on the album,” Copeland says. “But there are a lot of smiles here too, a lot of joyous moments. It’s my blues for sure, but it’s the brighter side. Issues are always important to me, but so is rocking, dancing and just having fun. And that’s something we all can agree on.” Aside from her Grammy accolades, Copeland has won four Living Blues awards, including Blues Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Blame It On Eve, and Most Outstanding Blues Singer (Female). The album’s producer and musician also won the 2025 Blues Music Award for Album of the Year, bringing Copeland’s all-time Blues Music Award total to 16. Copeland will take the stage at the Harbour Blues 'n Roots Festival on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Ship Point. Tickets start at $42 and can be purchased at jazzvictoria.ca [https://jazzvictoria.ca/].     

The much-anticipated return of Symphony Splash presented by the Victoria Symphony on the August long weekend was nothing short of magical, maestro Sean O'Loughlin said. "Seeing music connect the community in such a transcendent way was inspiring, both on land and on water!" The two-day concert series, on Aug. 2 and 3, took place on a floating barge in the Inner Harbour, making it the only event of its kind in North America. This year, the festival drew an estimated 60,000+ spectators. Two sets of music filled the Inner Harbour each day, with a lineup featuring 91 members of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Juno Award-winning and nominated Indigenous artists Celeigh Cardinal and Shawnee Kish, B.C. Hall of Fame percussionist Sal Ferreras, Cuban vocalist Adonis Puentes, a Latin jazz sextet and the Victoria Symphony. Three hundred and forty-five volunteers poured effort and a total of 1,464 hours into the event. Island Savings sponsored the Symphony Splash Volunteer Program. Victoria Symphony CEO Matthew White highlighted in a press release the feat that Symphony Splash is produced entirely by the symphony.  "Getting it back on the barge has been a multi-year effort, which for a local not-for-profit arts organization is a monumental task. Without our volunteers, this event simply wouldn’t happen.” Victoria Symphony partnered with the Victoria Native Friendship Centre on a new initiative, In Harmony, with all donations collected during Splash! split equally between the two organizations to support youth programming and music education. Also new this year were Community Stage performances around the harbour, sponsored by Peninsula Co-op and the Royal BC Museum. National Youth Orchestra's participation in the event marked the end of its 65th anniversary tour. CEO Christie Gray said the moment was a momentous one for the musical group. "Performing from a floating stage, surrounded by water and thousands of people gathered around the harbour, created an energy you simply can't find anywhere else,” she said in a press release.

Few things capture the rhythm of a Victoria summer quite like the thump of basslines drifting down Government Street, the sun dipping over the Inner Harbour, and the Phillips Backyard Festival lighting up the city’s core. What started as a modest brewery lot party in 2013 has grown into one of Victoria’s biggest music events. Now split across two weekends, the festival returns with Reverb Weekend – running Aug. 8 to 10 – following the Tilt Weekend opener in July. With headliners like Peach Pit (Aug. 8), The Roots (Aug. 10), Phantogram (Aug. 9), BØRNS (Aug.9) and Ruby Waters (Aug. 10), this year’s Reverb lineup leans big and bold. Originally set to feature Sombr, Friday’s schedule now includes Ruby Waters after a last-minute cancellation. “Due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, Sombr will no longer be performing at Phillips Backyard Music Festival – Reverb Weekend on Aug. 8,” organizers said in a statement. “We apologize for any inconvenience and are thrilled to welcome Ruby Waters.” >   >   >   >   > https://www.instagram.com/p/DMljVFcBdNF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading > View this post on Instagram > [https://www.instagram.com/p/DMljVFcBdNF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   >   > > A post shared by Phillips Backyard (@phillips.backyard) > [https://www.instagram.com/p/DMljVFcBdNF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] The lineup cements Phillips Backyard as a serious contender in the city’s live music scene, shoulder to shoulder with Rifflandia in terms of crowd size and cultural weight. This weekend marks the third post-COVID edition of the festival, and organizers have made a few key changes including raising the main stage by two feet, giving audiences a better view and helping performers connect with fans across the packed lot. Alongside the marquee names, the festival also spotlights emerging talent through the Music BC Stage. On Sunday evening, Whistler-based singer ZADA will step into that spotlight. “I am so stoked,” ZADA told Victoria News. “I tried to get into it last year and didn’t make it – then this time it just happened out of nowhere. I was like, what?!” ZADA has been building momentum with her genre-blending sound – a mix of alternative R&B, jazz, folk, electronic and global influences. She credits Music BC for helping open doors as an independent artist, and said performing in Victoria last fall left a lasting impression. “It seems really supportive from what I experienced,” she said. “I don’t always get to play to a Black audience or a crowd as diverse as I’d like to – and in Victoria, everybody showed up. It was amazing.” Her Sunday set will feature her latest singles, including Breath Away – which she calls a “warm hug in the summertime” – and Access Denied, a track about setting boundaries and reclaiming space. “My best friends and I talk a lot about growing up in a world where women are asked to be a certain way,” she said. “That song is about saying no and protecting your peace.” Though she’s playing a show in Vancouver the night before, ZADA plans to soak in some of the Reverb energy while she’s here. “The lineup is insane," ZADA said. "I’d be honoured to collaborate with any of them.” Reverb Weekend runs Aug. 8-10 in the backyard of Phillips Brewing.

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.  

People in Port Alberni should expect to see more smoke, and more firefighters, from the Mount Underwood wildfire in the coming days as the weather heats up and firefighters move their base to the Alberni Valley. In a Tuesday morning update (Aug. 19), BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said with the Wesley Ridge fire under control, firefighters are moving base to Port Alberni while the Mount Underwood fire remains out of control. "That is not because the fire has increased in severity or intensity or is becoming more of a concern," Fire Information Officer Karley Desrosiers said at the update. The fire has not grown since Thursday, and has in fact been adjusted to a slightly smaller 3,603 hectares due to better perimeter mapping, she added. Desrosiers said with the relief from the rain, crews have been working on building guards, clearing fuel and extinguishing hot spots in a 100-foot perimeter around the fire where it is safe to slow or stop the spread when conditions do warm again. For the fire to be declared under control, BCWS says they need to be confident it won't cause problems for the community in the future. "Our long-term objective is full containment of this incident in all areas where it is safe to do so to avoid any potential challenges down the line," she said. "Summer is kind of winding down but we want to be able to leave this area confident that this fire is not going to pose any issues or risks to the community." She added no firefighters have been seriously injured with this fire, but that conditions were difficult with heat in the early days of the fire and rain more recently. Desrosiers added she spoke with crews and said while the rain was welcome, it did make things more challenging. "Morale can be a bit down but they're happy to continue to do that hard work and they recognize the importance of being there," she said. "They're really out there doing the best job that they can and they're working really hard for the communities." In order to get crews into the areas they need to go, BCWS is creating pathways using heavy equipment and even creating landing areas for helicopters so crews can be brought in from the air. There is a section of the Bamfield Main Road that is considered a "no-go" zone for crews due to slope instability in steep cliffs beside the highway, she added. Throughout the course of the fire around 150 visitors to the area were evacuated. It was previously reported that no permanent residents were evacuated, but the regional district's chief administrative officer Daniel Sailland clarified there are approximately 50 long-term residents of recreational homes who were forced to leave the area. "I want to give justice to that and say this it was their homes and they looking forward to returning as soon as possible," Sailland said. BC Wildfire Service said they are reviewing evacuation alerts and orders and changes to the recommendations may be made in the near future. BC Hydro is working to restore power to Bamfield and the surrounding area, but said it could take as long as two weeks due to the extent of the damage and challenging conditions. The area has not had power since Aug. 11. "We've got close to about 60 folks on site. That'll be vegetation crews and powerline technicians doing the work out there," said Ted Olynyk from BC Hydro. He added they are hoping to have more crews on site tomorrow. "It's challenging in some areas. We've had to have geotech in there to ensure we have stability where we're going to put poles, where crews are working." Since BC Hydro crews began working, they have placed 15 new power poles and strung 11 spans of power line with an additional 30 poles ready for power lines. They have also been clearing debris. Many of the poles and lines needed to restore power have already been transported to where BC Hydro is working. BC Hydro said 56 power poles and 70 spans of line need to be replaced. One area is not yet accessible to BC Hydro due to safety concerns, they will work with BCWS to determine the safest way to access that area.  Olynyk said there are some BC Hydro crew members who have cancelled their vacation time to be part of the restoration effort. "They live in the area, they want to help out so they're coming (back) from holidays to make things go a lot faster and restore power to the community," he said. To get to the areas BC Hydro needs to work in, they cannot use the Bamfield Main Road and must travel all the way around, using the Youbou Road. Port Alberni's mayor, Sharie Minions said throughout the situation, she has been asked if Alberni has been given enough resources. "It's such a nice feeling to be able to say 'yes,'" she said. "This fire was prioritized by the province, by BC Wildfire, with an excellent amount of support services being put into it and we're extremely grateful that our community has been protected." The fire was discovered on the evening of Aug. 11. Massive plumes of smoke were seen from Port Alberni and air quality was affected for several days. While the fire is still considered out of control, its behaviour has calmed since its discovery when it had large, open flames burning across trees.

The downtown CIBC bank was cordoned off this morning as police responded to what they say was a bank robbery. According to the Victoria Police Department, on Aug. 19, just before 11 a.m., they responded to a reported theft in the 1100-block of Douglas Street. "The investigation is ongoing, and officers are actively searching for a suspect. No weapons were involved," noted an emailed statement from VicPD.

A first-of-its-kind celebration of Vietnamese culture is set to grace Vancouver Island this fall, with the inaugural Soul of Vietnam Festival [https://soulofvietnam.ca/] taking place at Ship Point in Victoria on Sept. 20. This free, all-day event promises to be a vibrant showcase of Vietnamese heritage, bringing together music, fashion, food and traditions for the entire community. Organized by the Soul of Vietnam Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to cultural exchange and community empowerment, the festival aims to elevate the visibility and representation of Vietnamese on Vancouver Island. “Our dream is to bring the vibrant spirit of Vietnam into the heart of the city, where colourful stories, tradition and flavours come to life, allowing generations to connect through shared pride and cultural celebration,” says organizer Will Nguyen. “We believe it is time to demonstrate that Vietnamese voices, heritage and passion rightfully belong in Victoria.” Festival attendees can expect cultural performances, including traditional Vietnamese music and folk dance, alongside contemporary acts. READ MORE Victoria stories here [https://www.westcoasttraveller.com/?s=Victoria] A highlight of the day will be a fashion show curated by renowned designers Tran Thien Khanh and Nguyen Phuc Tuan, featuring runway modelling by Dang Truong from Toronto. Live music from Vietnamese-Canadian artists like SaigonBites from Vancouver and Hai Tuan Family will also keep the energy high. Families will enjoy dedicated activities, including Vietnamese traditional games and a kids’ zone. A bustling marketplace will offer authentic Vietnamese cuisine, handmade crafts and a variety of community vendors. Soul of Vietnam Festival [https://soulofvietnam.ca/] is a collaborative effort, bringing together local Vietnamese organizations such as Hai An and Van Hanh Temples, the Vietnamese Canadian Business Association and the UVic Vietnamese Student Association. Festival hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Ship Point, Wharf Street in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Admission is free. Plan your adventures throughout the West Coast at westcoasttraveller.com [https://www.westcoasttraveller.com/] and follow us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/theWestCoastTraveller/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thewestcoasttraveller/] @thewestcoasttraveller. And for the top West Coast Travel stories of the week delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our weekly Armchair Traveller newsletter [https://www.westcoasttraveller.com/newsletter/#//]!

Island Health will be setting up memorial stations and holding events up and down the Island as part of International Overdose Awareness Day. Overdose Awareness Day takes place on Aug. 31, with this year's theme 'one big family' representing that everyone is connected and through compassion and awareness, people can honour the lives lost and support those impacted by the toxic drug poisoning crisis.  Starting Monday, Aug. 25, purple chairs will be stationed at 18 Island Health locations as a memorial exhibit for those who have died during the toxic drug crisis. Each location will include information and resources, purple ribbon pins and an interactive memory board. Tracey Thompson, Island Health harm reduction coordinator, told the News Bulletin that learning about and carrying naloxone is one way the general public can participate in reducing overdose deaths in the region. "It's important for community members to know what resources are available to support them and if people are engaged in substance use and wanting some support, to understand what services are available," Thompson said. "That could be in the community through community agencies or through their physician, or through Island Health." She said it can sometimes be difficult for people to understand what motivates substance use and some may have preconceived ideas. "It's really important for us to try to reduce the stigma and think about how we can support people to get the help they might be looking for, rather than focusing on criminalizing or being punitive." A press release from Island Health noted that drug poisonings are the leading cause of death among adults 19 to 59 years old on Vancouver Island. In the first half of 2025, toxic drugs have caused the deaths of 163 people across the Island Health region: 30 on the north Island, 77 on the central Island and 56 on the south Island. In the release, Dr. Réka Gustafson, Island Health's chief medical health officer, said preventing overdose deaths requires "actions beyond health services including investment in the social determinants of health, like housing, income, education and social connection, which shape people’s vulnerability to substance use." “These deaths are preventable,” the doctor said. “Remembering those we have lost honours them and keeps them in the centre of the dialogue about a meaningful response to the crisis from the entire community.” Events marking the day will be held in Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Campbell River, Duncan, Gabriola Island, Crofton, Parksville, Sooke, Campbell River and Victoria.  In addition to in-person memorial stations, Island Health is hosting an online memory wall [https://app.mural.co/t/islandhealth6899/m/islandhealth6899/1747869109631/439e504eb6be0a4da5dfcf71e7c940e300813c0f], available until Sept. 20. People can visit the website to share memories, special words and photos at app.mural.co/t/islandhealth6899/m/islandhealth6899/1747869109631/439e504eb6be0a4da5dfcf71e7c940e300813c0f [http://app.mural.co/t/islandhealth6899/m/islandhealth6899/1747869109631/439e504eb6be0a4da5dfcf71e7c940e300813c0f]. Island Health advises that residents may call 1-888-885-8824 [tel:1-888-885-8824] to learn about supports that best meet their needs, and if someone is experiencing a crisis, they can contact the Vancouver Island Crisis Line, available 24/7, at 1-888-494-3888 [tel:1-888-494-3888]. Additionally, mental health and substance use services can be viewed at Island Health's mental health and substance use services page [http://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services] at http://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services [https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services]. To sign up for toxic drug health alerts via text message, text 'join' to 253787.

The Songhees Nation is grieving the death of 48-year-old Bernice Sam, a devoted mother of five and cherished member of the community. A spokesperson for the nation confirmed Sam is the pedestrian who died after she was struck by a vehicle near the border of View Royal and Songhees Nation. The collision occurred Aug. 14, on Admirals Road near Maple Bank Road. West Shore RCMP has said the cause of the collision remains under investigation. Sam has been described as a “dedicated and vibrant presence” within the Nation, assuming many roles including family member, friend and valued staff member, working multiple roles for the Songhees Education Department. “Her unwavering commitment to the well-being of our youth touched the lives of many far beyond our community,” said a statement from the Songhees Nation leadership team. Her colleagues at the Songhees Education Department, where she worked for three years, have said the impact of Sam’s work will be felt for generations.  “Bernice's warm, caring and compassionate nature brought comfort and nurturing to the students on the daily school bus run, and after school in the KKE program,” they said in a statement. “Her passion for supporting Songhees children and youth in their education was one of the many strengths that she contributed to our team.   “She was a fierce advocate for the health and well-being of all Songhees students and their families. She cared with all her heart, and that light and fire shone through every day in her work.” An online fundraiser with a target of $9,000 has been launched in Sam's memory. As of Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 19), over $8,400 had been raised, which will be used to help Sam's five children "navigate this challenging period," said the Nation. "Unfortunately, mom has passed; leaving the kiddos to move forward in a life without the one person who loved them the most. Anything helps," says a statement on the GoFundMe page. To make a donation, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/4uyt6q-the-sam-family [http://www.gofundme.com/f/4uyt6q-the-sam-family].

Last month's cancellation of a land lease tied to a controversial Vancouver Island shipbreaking operation has some in its neighbours celebrating. But those same people also say more work needs to be done to ensure adequate oversight of shipbreaking operations in Canada. Deep Water Recovery has been dismantling ships in Union Bay since late 2020, A letter sent to Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound from Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne’s office confirmed Deep Water's lease was revoked last month due to failure to provide an updated security deposit of $3.2 million and failure to comply with a pollution abatement order from March 15, 2024. The Crown lease had granted Deep Water Recovery permission to operate on the foreshore in Union Bay. The province ordered the firm to “cease all use and occupation of the crown foreshore area and to immediately vacate the lease area,” according to the letter. It also noted that the Pollution Abatement Order from March 15, 2024 was still in effect. Ian Munro, president of Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound, told The Discourse he thinks this lease cancellation is a critical step in the process to shut down the controversial shipbreaking operation. He said denying the operation access to the foreshore is important, but shared concern about vessels that he said still remain on the site one month after the lease was revoked. His group is waiting to have a better understanding as to what will happen with those vessels and how they will be disposed of.  “We don’t have any further indication of that right now,” he said.  The Discourse reached out to Deep Water Recovery with questions, but did not receive answers by the time of publication. Years of warnings and concern The regulatory regime governing Deep Water Recovery’s operations is complex. Generally, the federal government manages what happens offshore, including the transport of vessels to and from the site. It also has responsibilities related to the fish habitat in the tidal waters. The province manages the company’s foreshore lease, which covers activities in the water and below the high tide mark. But the land higher up is privately owned, and governed by the land use rules of the Comox Valley Regional District. The Indigenous land and water rights of the K’ómoks First Nation overlay all of this. For years, residents have voiced concerns about the environmental impact of the operation on the land and water.  As of the publication date, the company has received five administrative penalties and over a dozen out-of-compliance warnings from the province. Deep Water Recovery brought one of the penalties to the Environmental Appeal Board, arguing that the requests for the province to submit monthly effluent sampling on time was unfair due to low rainfall. On July 28, 2025, the Ministry dismissed the appeal and upheld the $500 penalty. The other penalties range from $19,405 to $51,000 and in total, the fines add up to more than $100,000. The letter from Osborne’s office says Deep Water Recovery’s file is now in the hands of the Ministry of Forests’ Natural Resource Officer Service (NROS), and said this office will decide next steps after the lease cancellation. The Discourse reached out to the Ministry of Forests and a spokesperson responded with a statement saying the department will lead “administration and public engagement related to this file and will assess and address any actions required by DWR or any further contraventions of the Land Act.” “Until this investigation is resolved, we are unable to provide any further comments,” the statement concluded. MLA voices support of lease cancellation Osborne shared her support of the lease cancellation in a Facebook post last month. “Ship recycling, repair and maintenance are important components of B.C.’s maritime industries and they must be done safely, responsibly and in accordance with laws and regulations,” she said in the post.  Osborne pointed to concerns raised by various organizations, citizens and First Nations regarding the shipbreaking activities in Union Bay.  “Deep Water Recovery (DWR) has not demonstrated the level of regulatory compliance, operational responsibility, or environmental stewardship required to justify entrusting them with the use of Crown land to enable management and dismantling of end-of-life vessels,” Osborne’s post says, attributing this part of the statement to the province. “Protecting people and the environment while enabling responsible industrial activity is paramount. Seeking resolutions to this local issue and the larger issue of ship recycling regulations has been — and will continue to be —  a top priority for me and my MLA office staff,” Osborne said. In April 2022, Comox Valley Regional District filed a Notice of Civil Claim with the Supreme Court of B.C. to stop Deep Water Recovery’s shipbreaking operations in Union Bay. The CVRD said shipbreaking is not a permitted land use under the location’s current Industrial Marine zoning. The district asked a judge to order the company to stop shipbreaking on the site.  Deep Water recovery issued a response the following month stating its activities fall under “boat building and repairs and service and sales, barge facility, waterfront freight handling facility [and] storage and works yard and warehousing,” which are approved uses in the zoning bylaw.  The case has not been heard in court yet, according to Comox Valley Regional District A director Daniel Arbour. Munro also noted that both K’ómoks First Nation and Tla’amin Nation have been opposed to Deep Water Recovery’s operation. The company operates on both K’ómoks and Tla’amin traditional territory.  Both nations expressed their opposition to the shipbreaking operation during talks at the Baynes Sound Ecological Forum, which brought stakeholders together to discuss shipbreaking and the future of stewardship for Baynes Sound. During the forum, K’ómoks councillor and former Comox guardian said she is concerned to see so much of her nation’s harvesting area lost over the years to industrial operations.  “We feel a lot of pressure from all of the industries. Today, we’re just talking about Deep Water Recovery and its impacts on our rights, but it’s hard to separate that from everything else that is happening here in the Comox Valley and on the coast of B.C.” K’ómoks First Nation also expressed its opposition in 2021 via a press release. A legal win for Union Bay resident Mary Reynolds — another Union Bay local who has been actively opposed to Deep Water Recovery’s operation — is celebrating a win after she was informed that she would receive more than $165,000 for her legal costs under the Protection of Public Participation Act.  Reynolds has been using her drone to film Deep Water Recovery’s operations in Union Bay since its early days, and she filed a civil claim in 2022 against the company.  In a statement of claim, Reynolds alleges that Jurisich and other employees of Deep Water Recovery repeatedly intimidated and harassed her. On one occasion, Jurisich snatched her drone from the air and took it. It was later returned, but it had been damaged and was inoperable, according to the court document.  Deep Water Recovery denied all of the allegations in a response filed with the court. The company launched a countersuit against Reynolds, accusing her of trespassing on its property and airspace and engaging in a “malicious campaign” against the company. Reynolds told The Discourse that after Deep Water Recovery’s response, she “disseminated the images and recordings collected [by her drone] to third parties,” and that her lawyer, Jason Gratl, put in an application under the Protection of Public Participation Act (PPPA).  The act is in place with an aim to protect those who may be silenced from strategic lawsuits against public participation, commonly known as SLAPP suits. Reynolds told The Discourse the act is helpful for those who want to speak out about something and that it is often used to protect those speaking out on social, environmental or political issues.  “There are a lot of people who aren’t aware of it,” she said, adding that sometimes lawyers might send a cease and desist letter after someone speaks out against a project to scare the person. Reynolds is not an official member of Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound, but she shares the group’s concern about what will happen next.  She said she wants to know if the province can actually follow through on its decisions.  “I mean, we all applaud the decision, but you know — make it happen,” Reynolds said.  ‘This should be a lesson to Canada. We need regulations’ Munro said he and the other members of Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound are still feeling cautious about what’s going to happen next.  “Of course, we’d be concerned if activities continued,” he said. “There’s a history of activities continuing despite any government interventions.” In September, Bohn and Jurisich told The Discourse during a site tour that they did not think the effluent and pollutants on the site were from their company. On the tour, Bohn and Jurisich spent time explaining the company’s position in regards to the staunch opposition it has received. They argued that chemicals found in the water from the site by the province are not caused by Deep Water Recovery’s operations, but by the historical coal mining operations that existed near the site. Bohn and Jurisich said the company was being “unfairly hammered” and asked that community members who have been fighting against their operations leave them alone. Munro said Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound is ready to keep protesting the operation if it continues. Even if the shipbreaking activities stop, he said the group wants to make sure the uplands and foreshore are cleaned up and the vessels are removed.  He noted a recent press release shared by NGO shipbreaking platform — an international organization that advocates for safe ship dismantling practices — that says the Crown lease cancellation is “a victory for residents and environmental protection.” But Munro said it’s important to keep pressuring the Canadian government to create better ship dismantling standards, noting that he does not want to see similar issues happen elsewhere in the country. Currently, there are no robust rules in Canada that are specific to shipbreaking and instead, the country relies on guidelines and other rules such as hazardous waste or contaminated sites regulation. “This should be a lesson to Canada that we need regulations,” Munro said. 

A new device at Victoria General Hospital (VGH) could help shorten wait times, cut costs and quell youngsters’ fears – all thanks to a group of hard-working Camosun College students. With funding from the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, the soon-to-be engineering grads built a pediatric MRI simulator for their capstone project – a task that ate up a whopping 5,000 hours over the span of just three-and-a-half months. The device, which acts, sounds and looks like a real MRI, was unveiled at VGH on Monday. “We’re so grateful for this opportunity,” said Camosun student Julianna Kwan. “We were able to use the skills we learned during the program and actually make something with our own hands, which is super special, and it’s going to really impact a lot of people positively.” Just like training wheels help kids learn how to bike, the simulator will prepare youngsters for real MRI scans, which the hospital’s child life practice lead Becki Steel explained “can be a really overwhelming experience.” “If kids have an opportunity to practise things and … break things down into steps, it's really not as scary as it might seem,” she said. “But if you go directly into a tunnel and it plays loud clunking noises that sound like your refrigerator's broken, who wouldn't be scared?” Because receiving an MRI can be intimidating, the majority of patients under the age of eight are first sedated, according to Joshua Coulson, the hospital’s manager for pediatric surgical daycare and ambulatory clinics. He added the process requires “a sedation nurse with a sedation respiratory therapist and an intensivist to make sure all of the pieces are in place."  Though MRI scans at VGH take place 24 hours per day, the hospital only offers scans for kids requiring sedation three times per week. Right now, the waitlist for these sought-after appointments is 68-names long. “Getting access to the sedation team is a big roadblock because it requires a lot of resources,” said pediatric intensive care doctor Allon Beck. "The sedation team costs money to run and maintain." If VGH can ready kids for MRI scans, to the point where they are confident enough to opt not for sedation, they can be squeezed into any of the many MRI timeslots throughout the day – thereby cutting wait times and costs. Beck added that the simulator could also positively inform kids’ long-term perceptions of the health-care system. “I've seen children go into the MRI scanner not realizing just how loud and disorienting it is and come out of it in tears,” he said. “As soon as a child has a bad experience ... with a medical procedure like an MRI, then that just heightens their anxiety the next time they have to encounter the health-care system.” The hospital has already identified 53 children on the MRI waitlist to try the simulator, according to Coulson, who hopes the new machine will decrease the rate of sedation for kids' MRI scans by 50 to 90 per cent.

A renowned professor at the University of Victoria was fired last year after the school claimed he sexually harassed at least two students, according to two recent decisions made by the B.C. Labour Relations Board. According to the decisions, Robert Gifford, who had worked at UVic for 45 years as a professor of psychology and environmental studies, was first suspended in 2021 and then fired in June 2024 for "the serious nature of the findings against [him], the repeated harm to junior scholars, and [his] lack of accountability and understanding of [his] obligations as a senior scholar." The LRB panel found that in 2017, Gifford had met a visiting grad student who is named in the documents as "AB," and in 2018 they went to a conference to present a paper they had co-authored. In an email presented to the board, Gifford wrote to the student that he wished to share a hotel room. "This arrangement might require a bit of care in terms of other people who we know at the congress, but that can be managed," he wrote. "And, of course, everything beyond the mere sharing of the room is to be decided on a completely mutual basis, at the time. How does that sound?" AB wrote back that she wanted to remain "strictly professional" with Gifford. An investigation report had noted that AB had become more concerned with Gifford's conduct after she learned that he may have made similar advances towards other women affiliated with UVic. A recent decision by the board had noted there was a second individual who alleged he had sexually harassed them, however, there were no further details about the incident. After his termination, his union filed a grievance, alleging the school failed to provide Gifford with "progressive discipline," and failed to properly investigate the incidents related to his termination. However, the grievance was denied, and the union declined to bring the grievance to arbitration. Gifford alleged that the union breached its duty of fair representation by making the decision not to pursue the grievance to arbitration, which was denied in a decision from the board in May. In the most recent decision, Gifford applied for leave and reconsideration of the May decision, though that was also dismissed on Aug. 7. Gifford is a highly awarded academic with numerous awards, including being named as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He has also sat as president of several environmental psychology organizations and the chief editor of the Journal of Environmental Psychology. In an emailed statement, UVic said they are aware of the board's ruling, however, due to privacy concerns, they can't speak specifically to Gifford's case. "What we can share is that UVic is committed to providing an inclusive and respectful environment in which to work, learn and teach. If there is behaviour by a UVic employee that is contrary to UVic’s policies and collective agreements, we want people to come forward so the circumstances can be addressed," they said. UVic says they have policies that include a discrimination and harassment policy, which is complaint-based, and a sexualized violence response policy, which takes a "survivor-centred approach" to addressing concerns. "Terminating employment is not a step we take lightly and, when it happens, is indicative of the serious nature of the concerns raised," they concluded.

Langford’s dream of hosting soccer stars from around the globe has been shown the red card. Councillors have unanimously voted against continuing with its bid to offer Starlight Stadium as a Team Base Camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The city had hoped the federal and provincial governments would help cover some of the cost to host the event – including up to $1.2 million to swap out artificial turf for natural grass – but both levels of government declined. With additional expenses for security escorts, road closures and permits, the mounting bill has proved too steep for Langford to shoulder alone. “We acknowledge that this is a great opportunity, but this is not something that is in our budget,” said Mayor Scott Goodmanson at the Aug. 18 meeting. While praising Langford’s ambitious spirit, Coun. Lillian Szpak criticized the province for not sharing a portion of the $115 million it received from the federal government to support FIFA 2026 – something that had been encouraged by MP Will Greaves. In his letter to the city explaining why the federal government would not be helping, Greaves called the training camp bid a “worthwhile initiative that offers benefits across the South Island.”  “ … (I) encourage the province to fulfill this request with their own funds or those received from the federal government for this file,” he wrote. Despite his appeal, the former minister of tourism, arts, culture, and sport Spencer Chandra Herbert, told Langford the province does not have “specific programs available” with the amount of funding support requested. “We have applied to the province, we did have our MLA go on bended knee,” Szpak said. “I just want to highlight that I am disappointed in how that money has been allocated.” The potential disruption to local sports teams and community events was another red flag for the city. If Langford had pressed ahead, Starlight Stadium would have been off-limits from February to early July 2026 for turf replacement and the World Cup group stage. “Displacing Pacific FC for two-thirds of its season in order to be a very small part of the World Cup activities would be a terrible trade-off,” said Langford resident Frazer Johnson. “Costs are too high, the risks can’t be mitigated, the benefits are questionable — there are so many drawbacks,” he added. “It’s a fun idea … but this isn’t the right move for the city.” Johnson’s feelings were echoed by other residents during the meeting’s period of public participation, where no one spoke in favour of the plan. Residents also called foul at the notion that hosting would “bring destination awareness to the City of Langford globally,” as suggested in a staff report. “That kind of recognition will be limited and unlikely to deliver lasting value to our community,” said Natalie McNeely. “Once the training camp packs up and leaves, it will be nothing more than a bit of trivia on Langford’s Wikipedia page.” But as one door closes, another opens, suggested Steven Rossander, offering up a last-minute substitution. Noting the BC Lions will be sidelined from BC Place while World Cup festivities are in play, Rossander said the city had an opportunity to play host to the football team again, as they did during their pre-season in May this year. “While we could maybe lose the FIFA, we could gain the Lions,” he said. “And I think we’ve shown that’s a great success and very well supported in the community." But as for Langford’s World Cup ambitions, the final whistle has been blown.  Or as sports commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme famously declared in the dying moments of England’s 1966 World Cup win over West Germany, “They think it’s all over. It is now.”

Comox Valley soccer player Liam Mackenzie has signed an MLS contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.  "Liam is a young player with a good mentality who continues to progress at our club," said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. "It is exciting to see another player from British Columbia signed to our roster. Liam has a fantastic work rate, and has adapted well to every level he has stepped up to. We look forward to helping him move forward into this next stage in his career."  The club signed Mackenzie, a Whitecaps FC BMO Academy and Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) midfielder to an MLS contract as a Homegrown player through 2028, with a club option for 2029. The Homegrown player rule lets MLS teams sign local talent directly to their first team rosters, which helps develop and foster local talent.  Mackenzie made his MLS debut on a short-term call-up from Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) when he started and recorded an assist against Chicago Fire FC at BC Place on March 22. Prior to the season, the 18-year-old enjoyed a productive preseason with Whitecaps FC in Marbella, Spain. "I'm incredibly grateful to have signed my first MLS contract with Whitecaps FC. This club has meant a lot to me growing up, and it's a special feeling to now be part of the first team. I'm excited to contribute and grow with the team and show what I can bring to the group. Thank you to my family, friends, coaches, and teammates who have supported me along the way. This is just the beginning of what I hope to achieve with the club," added Mackenzie. Mackenzie joined the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy as a 13-year-old in 2020. He made his MLS debut with the Whitecaps FC2 team against Chicago Fire FC in March as part of a short-term contract. He's had multiple successes in the academy, and has represented Canada on the international stage at the U-17 level. 

Langford’s dream of hosting soccer stars from around the globe has been shown the red card. Councillors have unanimously voted against continuing with its bid to offer Starlight Stadium as a Team Base Camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The city had hoped the federal and provincial governments would help cover some of the cost to host the event – including up to $1.2 million to swap out artificial turf for natural grass – but both levels of government declined. With additional expenses for security escorts, road closures and permits, the mounting bill has proved too steep for Langford to shoulder alone. “We acknowledge that this is a great opportunity, but this is not something that is in our budget,” said Mayor Scott Goodmanson at the Aug. 18 meeting. While praising Langford’s ambitious spirit, Coun. Lillian Szpak criticized the province for not sharing a portion of the $115 million it received from the federal government to support FIFA 2026 – something that had been encouraged by MP Will Greaves. In his letter to the city explaining why the federal government would not be helping, Greaves called the training camp bid a “worthwhile initiative that offers benefits across the South Island.”  “ … (I) encourage the province to fulfill this request with their own funds or those received from the federal government for this file,” he wrote. Despite his appeal, the former minister of tourism, arts, culture, and sport Spencer Chandra Herbert, told Langford the province does not have “specific programs available” with the amount of funding support requested. “We have applied to the province, we did have our MLA go on bended knee,” Szpak said. “I just want to highlight that I am disappointed in how that money has been allocated.” The potential disruption to local sports teams and community events was another red flag for the city. If Langford had pressed ahead, Starlight Stadium would have been off-limits from February to early July 2026 for turf replacement and the World Cup group stage. “Displacing Pacific FC for two-thirds of its season in order to be a very small part of the World Cup activities would be a terrible trade-off,” said Langford resident Frazer Johnson. “Costs are too high, the risks can’t be mitigated, the benefits are questionable — there are so many drawbacks,” he added. “It’s a fun idea … but this isn’t the right move for the city.” Johnson’s feelings were echoed by other residents during the meeting’s period of public participation, where no one spoke in favour of the plan. Residents also called foul at the notion that hosting would “bring destination awareness to the City of Langford globally,” as suggested in a staff report. “That kind of recognition will be limited and unlikely to deliver lasting value to our community,” said Natalie McNeely. “Once the training camp packs up and leaves, it will be nothing more than a bit of trivia on Langford’s Wikipedia page.” But as one door closes, another opens, suggested Steven Rossander, offering up a last-minute substitution. Noting the BC Lions will be sidelined from BC Place while World Cup festivities are in play, Rossander said the city had an opportunity to play host to the football team again, as they did during their pre-season in May this year. “While we could maybe lose the FIFA, we could gain the Lions,” he said. “And I think we’ve shown that’s a great success and very well supported in the community." But as for Langford’s World Cup ambitions, the final whistle has been blown.  Or as sports commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme famously declared in the dying moments of England’s 1966 World Cup win over West Germany, “They think it’s all over. It is now.”

Hockey season is only a month away. The Nanaimo Clippers recently announced their full schedule for the 2025-26 B.C. Hockey League season, and are now counting down to their season opener on Sept. 19, when the Alberni Valley Bulldogs visit Frank Crane Arena. “Fans can start planning for another action-packed year of Clippers hockey,” noted a team press release. Season ticket packages are now available and cover all exhibition home games in addition to all regular-season home games. The packages also include two ‘bring-a-friend’ vouchers as well as tickets to the first two home playoff games in 2026. The full schedule is available at http://nanaimoclippers.com/schedule.

Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party of Canada and MP for Saanich – Gulf Islands, shared that she will not lead the party into the next election. In an email sent to party members on Aug. 19, May, the only MP under the Green Party banner, shared the news, adding that she does intend to stay on as leader and as a member of parliament as the party soon begins their upcoming leadership review. "We have big plans for the fall 2025 session of parliament. My voice, as the sole Green MP in the House of Commons, is stronger as Leader. I intend to grow our parliamentary caucus before stepping down, just as I intend to focus on the climate crisis, on justice and peace in conflict-ridden areas around the world, and on the deepening struggles of Canadians of all ages to afford life’s necessities," she said in the email. The party will release more information regarding the mandatory leadership review in the future, she says, however she hopes to stay in her position for right now to avoid what she says is "something that the party doesn't need right now, which is internal instability." May has been the leader of the party for over 15 years, from 2006 to 2019, and again since November 2022 after Annamie Paul stepped down.

September 20, 1931 - August 9, 2025 In loving memory ~ We are sad to announce the passing of Elaine Percy on August 9th, 2025, in Victoria BC. To send condolences to the family please visit: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/parksville-bc/elaine-percy-12483942

A new cycling amenity is coming to the area near Cedar Community Secondary thanks to the non-profit named after one of the school's alumni. In a press release, the Regional District of Nanaimo announced that a new pump track will be built thanks to money from the Stevie Smith Legacy Foundation. The foundation will pay for design and installation of the track, which will be situated next to Cedar Skate Park in RDN Electoral Area A on land owned by Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools. An initial concept plan, which will be refined, has been drafted "to show how the pump track could be integrated within the school district property," noted the press release, and will include a children's playground. The RDN will be responsible for track maintenance after the amenity opens and will utilize money from the area community parks and halls operating budget. Jessica Stanley, RDN Area A director, expressed gratitude to the foundation. "This new facility will provide riders of all skill levels with a space to develop their abilities and have fun in their own community," she said in the press release. "We look forward to working with the foundation on this exciting project." The foundation said it was looking forward to the collaboration. "The Stevie Smith Legacy Foundation is excited to partner with the RDN to bring our next project to fruition, a pump track located in the heart of Cedar … next to Cedar high school where Stevie himself graduated," said Michelle Corfield, foundation founder, in the press release. "This project is built to honour the memory of Mike Davidson (long-time BMX executive) who we lost suddenly just over a year ago," said Randy Little, foundation director. "The entire foundation is extremely excited to get shovels in the ground." Work to build the track is expected to begin in 2026. For more information, visit www.getinvolved.rdn.ca/cedar-community-park-expansion [http://www.getinvolved.rdn.ca/cedar-community-park-expansion].

September 10, 1943 - August 1, 2025 Ken lost a courageous battle against a mysterious malaise that was never clearly identified. Perhaps it was picked up during his many world adventures—canoeing along the Amazon, exploring the wilds of Africa or China, far from tourist destinations. Or perhaps it was right here at home, where he lived life to the fullest. A quiet-spoken man, Ken grew up in Vancouver, attended Vancouver Tech, and began a lifelong career with BC Hydro.With his then-wife Yvette, he welcomed two sons, and after a few years working at Burrard Thermal, he transferred to Cranbrook. Later, he settled and retired in Marysville. If it was interesting, challenging, or just plain fun, Ken would do it with gusto —from fishing, skiing, curling, and model airplanes, to renovating his house or hanging out with his tight-knit group of friends. His premier project was restoring an old 1941 Chevy pickup to incredible perfection. Ken lived to walk, but Kootenay winter streets are hazardous, so in 2017 he relocated to Nanaimo. There, he met Doreen Parry, who would become his partner and steadfast supporter as his health inexplicably began to fail. He passed away in Nanaimo Regional Hospital, surrounded by loved ones. Ken was predeceased by his parents, Elsie (née Card) and Victor Mauro. He is survived by his sons David (Brenda) and Dean (Shannon), grandsons Riley, Connor, and Colton, his sister Dianne (Wilfredo), Doreen, and her family. The family would like to thank the medical staff at the Nanaimo General ICU for their tireless efforts and compassion in caring for Ken during his last days. He was interred at Cedar Valley Memorial Center, and a celebration of his life will be held at the Marysville Pub on September 6 at 2 pm. SERVICE DETAILS Celebration of Life Saturday, September 6, 2025 2:00 PM Marysville Pub

The Sooke Pet Food Bank will continue to keep furry friends fed this fall, after a generous donor threw them a thousand bones.   On Aug. 8, the Paws at Home Sooke Pet Food Bank took to Facebook for help. The unthinkable had happened – they had no dog food. “The need has just grown and the donations have slowed, and for the first time since we started the pet food bank, we ran out of dog food,” said Linda Watson, president of Salish Paws, which operates the Paws at Home Sooke Pet Food Bank. The pet food bank began during COVID-19 in conjunction with Salish Paws. At first, it handed out portioned Ziploc bags of dog food. Later, they partnered with Sooke Bosley’s, which conducted multiple fundraisers for the pet food bank. For a time, they were even able to hand out entire bags of dog food, but since then, their supplies have dwindled. To make up for the shortage, Watson asked locals to donate cash or dog food at Sooke Bosley’s to help the food bank through this time of need. While she was optimistic the community would step up – and many did – she did not expect a single $1,000 donation – but that is what she got. “I just got a message through our Facebook page from someone saying, ‘I’d like to donate some money.’ We said, ‘Absolutely, we’re grateful for it, and we’ll take a picture of the receipt,’” Watson said. “When the e-transfer came through, it was for $1,000. I actually messaged the person back and said, ‘Are you sure this is the amount you meant to send?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, 100 per cent. Please take it and do what you need to do with it'.” Upon recieving the donation on Aug. 17, Watson then dashed to Bosley’s and asked to be shown every red-stickered bag of dog food on sale, hoping to stretch the money as far as possible. A thousand dollars’ worth of discounted food went a long way. “It all depends on how many people show up at the food bank, but I’m feeling really good that we are at least good for the rest of September and October,” she said. “We’re not going to be able to give away big bags like we were in the past, but we’ll be able to do extra-large Ziploc bags and give people whatever they need for the week.” Watson said the donation brought tears to her eyes. It comes at a time when she knows many in Sooke are struggling. “Living in Sooke is expensive, shopping in Sooke is expensive. I often go into the grocery stores and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how people with teenage boys are feeding their families with the price of food',” she said. “I think a lot of the time it comes down to: we buy groceries, or we make a donation. People are just really struggling right now.” Watson was not able to reveal the identity of the donor but said she hopes others will be inspired. She also hopes to let people know that the bar to help is not that high.  “It doesn’t have to be anywhere near what this wonderful woman did. You can go into Bosley’s and buy a can of cat food that costs $1 – just add $1 to your bill. We don’t need the most expensive stuff in the store. We just need to know that we’re feeding the community.”

Saanich council unanimously rejected a proposal to build a 12-storey highrise at the corner of Quadra Street and Nicholson Street on Aug. 18, after a staff report cited numerous concerns about the project.  The development application for 4085 Quadra and 945 Nicholson streets included 110 rental housing units, a 99-space childcare facility and two commercial spaces. The project also featured two levels of underground parking, a partially underground level providing daycare access, and a rooftop amenity area. The staff report also noted that the project would have helped address housing and childcare shortages within the municipality, with a family-friendly unit mix and 11 affordable units secured through federal funding. However, planning staff raised concerns about the tower’s scale and location. At up to 14 storeys on the sloped site, the building would have stood at the northern edge of the Quadra-McKenzie Centre, where lower-density housing is expected. Saanich's official community plan places the tallest buildings in the centre of growth areas, not the periphery. The report also warned the project would “orphan” the neighbouring property at 949 Nicholson St., leaving it isolated and difficult to redevelop.  2-birds-eye [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/saanich/2025-august/2-birds-eye.jpg;w=960] A bird’s-eye view of the proposed project. (Saanich staff report) While the developer made some changes, trying to adapt their application to fit Saanich’s requirements, staff concluded the project still did not meet key guidelines and core planning policies. Before council deliberations, several residents spoke against the development during the public input session, including local resident Evelyn Thompson-Smith, a former director of planning for the City of Victoria. “The 12-storey that we're looking at doesn't make sense, especially given the safety components of our already narrow streets, many of which don't have sidewalks,” she said. “Our daughter and her family would already be living with us, but they can't because it's not safe for their kids to go to school.” Shortly after, Loreen, a longtime North Quadra resident, shared her concerns about the impact of the development on the neighbourhood’s character and ecosystem, while expressing support for growth. “It's always been my view that Quadra should support greater height and density than our residential streets,” she said. “However, never in our wildest dreams did we expect… a building that is so dramatically out of scale and proportion, contrary to neighbourhood character.” Coun. Colin Plant, although appreciative of the applicant’s wish to do business in Saanich, said this project missed the mark for this given area. “I am not convinced on the whole that this is the appropriate thing for this site,” he said.  “I think it is too much at this site in this part of Quadra… so I don't think this is supportable. Coun. Nathalie Chambers also opposed the application, citing concerns about the potential impact of the development on key sensitive biodiversity areas, including nearby Christmas Hill and the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. Next to speak was Coun. Mena Westhaver, who echoed similar comments to Plant, particularly amid the district’s ongoing review of the Quadra-McKenzie Plan (QMP). “This just doesn't fit; it's not the time,” she said.  While Westhaver welcomes growth in the community, she advocates for development that fits the neighbourhood’s aspirations, character, and limitations. “I look forward to seeing (the area) grow in a very mindful way with increased density that's very respectful and something we can really enjoy into the future,” she said. “In the meantime, let's do what's right for the greater good of Saanich.” Closing the conversation was Mayor Dean Murdock, who discussed the challenge of balancing growth and what this vision might look like.  “In this case, I think that it became perfectly clear that this is not the form of land use council wishes to see in this location, and I think that that's a view shared by the neighbours,” he said. “We heard very clearly that the density is supported in locations where that makes sense, closer to the centre, closer to good public transit and amenities that people can walk to.  “This is not a location to have that scale of development.”  As the QMP moves into its next phase of public consultation, Murdock reiterated the importance of public input in shaping the community. “It's so important that we have a shared vision for what this vital community is going to look like, change is happening in all the neighbourhoods across Saanich,” said Murdoch. 

A Canadian Coast Guard ship out of Victoria and its crew are among those credited with continuing the nation’s global commitment to protect fish stocks, marine ecosystems and sustainable fisheries through two months of joint surveillance, inspections and enforcement efforts in the North Pacific. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a serious problem around the world, posing a significant threat to fish populations and damaging marine environments. It also jeopardizes the incomes of law-abiding harvesters and fishing industries while putting food supplies at risk, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The DFO’s third patrol under the annual, multi-national high seas operation included representatives from four nations onboard a single patrol vessel. The Canadian patrol included representatives from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States.   “The thousands of hours that our fishery officers spend patrolling the North Pacific Ocean each year, by air and sea, detecting and deterring illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, is a strong demonstration that Canada backs its support for international laws with concrete action. The ongoing success of Operation North Pacific Guard attests to the continued need for Canada to be a leader in securing marine species and ecosystems at home and abroad in support of both our conservation and economic objectives,” Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson said in a news release. Fishery officers and support personnel patrolled 17,773 km while onboard the Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, a high-endurance, multi-purpose vessel that is also a light icebreaker and is biofuel capable. Over the course of two months, the crew aboard the Victoria-based ship monitored several hundred fishing vessels, conducted 41 high-seas inspections and interacted with more than 1,000 crew members onboard vessels. Canada also deployed one of the DFO’s long-range Fisheries Aerial Surveillance and Enforcement aircraft, which is normally based in Campbell River, to Hokkaido, Japan, where daily patrols monitored fishing activity in the Northwest Pacific. Over the operation, 366 fishing vessels were inspected by air, discovering 51 potential violations related to shark finning, pollution, salmon retention, and marking requirements. High-seas inspections uncovered 39 potential violations of international fisheries requirements, including shark finning, the illegal harvest of dolphins, misreporting or inaccurate reporting of catch and bycatch, as well as obstruction and the destruction of evidence. North Pacific Guard Operation, which included Canadian Coast Guard and RCMP members, is among those working to protect both international waters and the resources they hold with an annual, multi-national high seas operation in the North Pacific. During this year’s mission, CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier made a special port visit in Osaka, Japan, while the World Expo was underway. Thousands of members of the public learned about Canada’s role in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing through tours of the vessel and engagement with Canadian Coast Guard crew and fishery officers at the Expo’s Canada Pavilion. Laurier also stopped in Hakodate, Japan, further strengthening relations. Find behind-the-scenes action online at https://ow.ly/TrMo50WGagL [https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fow.ly%2FTrMo50WGagL%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExSzR5RnFPbkg4Zjc2YXc0cgEeK6t8_N_Oev3cPlF-GmBnqp9BM6GNUGdwO-xX4NIj3OWWitatiK9q9qgNinY_aem_os0dCztDjkMB4yp9HE5OkQ&h=AT1RSpMN9Sc655W0FV13apb3yfmW4Em0XBCWdAjF9caaHt5PMaIyh1-8TN7viamWRloLBmL3th4JXSx5GEzLGxAI_ziLElzeT7BV542vPgrYeDuI64GqXtlFd6Lu86NHrw4Zu3DIMV2d-mHeidOxqg&__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT09YccjcTuIlgOk5dqtUGSuLH6SZFmYLFlor9GlNnsGGfNMrLWD9Dw-wLsPwaBvDqOTZs4KStnkl9PFxBjocafpi6nzVL2uG9MzE0YpzEgbpAsoNPiL5jQUSxdDxiXTcVpxacsKrOnSp51HHQtAU7MusjlKU6a90L8n0mA_gL681iFJt01IEb8QnAB1ULSZj6ExSAmlZ7_T0BnCF_xt7RP3874QW7tSvseqMg].

The world-class sand sculptures in the Parksville Community Park will come down this week, after a successful five-and-a-half-week festival. This year’s Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Exhibition welcomed 119,092 visitors, up three per cent from last summer, according to the Parksville Beach Festival Society. “Strong visitor attendance is due to a fabulous exhibition, excellent weather, and our new location in the park,” said Cheryl Dill, society president, in a news release. “The encouragement from both residents and visitors is so uplifting for our hard-working volunteers and staff.” The event relocated to a section of the kite field in Parksville Community Park, next to the beach volleyball courts, after approval from council earlier in the year. The new, larger site is meant to allow for more spectators and improved mobility access, as well as reduced congestion at main beach access locations. While it’s always bittersweet to watch the sculptures fade back into sand, there’s plenty to celebrate — such as entertainment highlights like Chilliwack’s Farewell to Friends Tour, the lively Tim Hortons Summer Concert Series, Party City Buskers, Art in the Park and the Beachfest ROCKS! Music Festival. The Sculpture Light-Up added some extra magic on the final weekend, which also saw the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy close out the festival on the outdoor stage. More than 102,000 people voted for the People’s Choice Awards and crowned Manuel Campos, from Columbia for "Role Reversal" and Sue McGrew (USA) and Dmitry Klimenko (Russia) for "Peace Amid the Storm" in the singles and doubles categories, respectively. The festival is dedicated to giving back and since 1999, it has donated more than $1.2 million to local non-profits and community projects, including the Parksville Outdoor Theatre. In 2025, proceeds will again support 24 not-for-profit organizations and community initiatives. Before the sculptures are taken down, the Parksville Beach Festival Society is welcoming a group with visual impairments to experience the creations through touch, part of their ongoing commitment to improving accessibility. "The Parksville Beach Festival Society is proud to host a family-friendly, community-driven event that brings joy to thousands, supports local groups, and showcases incredible talent," the release said. For more information about Parksville Beach Festival visit parksvillebeachfest.ca [http://www.parksvillebeachfest.ca.].