Greater Victoria

BC Ferries’ Spirit of Vancouver Island is experiencing mechanical issues Sept. 29. (Black Press Media file photo)

UPDATE: Mechanical issue, power outage cancel and delay BC Ferries sailings out of Victoria

Half of Wednesday’s sailings between Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen cancelled

BC Ferries’ Spirit of Vancouver Island is experiencing mechanical issues Sept. 29. (Black Press Media file photo)
Police departments no longer receive funding for naloxone kits. (Courtesy Oak Bay Police Department)

Province cuts funding for police naloxone kits amid B.C. opioid pandemic

Three Greater Victoria departments say their funding has dried up, unclear if other forces affected

Police departments no longer receive funding for naloxone kits. (Courtesy Oak Bay Police Department)
Canadian comic Norm Macdonald arrives at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day at The Langham Huntington Hotel on April 2, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Chris Pizzello)

Norm Macdonald’s passing recalls memories of nightmare visit to B.C.

Macdonald joked about terrible bed-and-breakfast experience on Vancouver Island

Canadian comic Norm Macdonald arrives at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day at The Langham Huntington Hotel on April 2, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Chris Pizzello)
An aerial view over downtown Victoria and the Inner Harbour. In July 2021, the average monthly cost of a one-bedroom rental in Greater Victoria was $1,756, according to Rentals.ca. (Black Press Media file photo)

One-bedroom rental in Vancouver will cost you $2,100 a month, tops in Canada

Average rate for July one-bedroom rentals in Greater Victoria up 8.7 per cent over June

An aerial view over downtown Victoria and the Inner Harbour. In July 2021, the average monthly cost of a one-bedroom rental in Greater Victoria was $1,756, according to Rentals.ca. (Black Press Media file photo)
Wildfires raging through Interior B.C., including at Nk’Mip Creek, are expected to become more frequent and severe as climate change progresses and heat waves increase. A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says reducing carbon emissions is the only way out. (BC Wildfire photo)

‘See it as a call to action’: B.C. scientists rally behind UN climate change report

Cutting carbon emissions only way to stop global warming, report concludes

Wildfires raging through Interior B.C., including at Nk’Mip Creek, are expected to become more frequent and severe as climate change progresses and heat waves increase. A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says reducing carbon emissions is the only way out. (BC Wildfire photo)
Sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen this B.C. Day long weekend are rapidly filling up, with the majority of reservations already sold out. (Don Denton/News Staff)

Long weekend ferry sailings close to full between mainland and Vancouver Island

Hour and a half delay from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay kicks off busy weekend

Sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen this B.C. Day long weekend are rapidly filling up, with the majority of reservations already sold out. (Don Denton/News Staff)
Attendees at the 2020 Women’s March in Victoria carry signs with messages of empowerment. (Black Press Media file photo)

Police missteps leave Greater Victoria sexual assault survivor without justice

Police made several mistakes in handling of case, lawyer says

Attendees at the 2020 Women’s March in Victoria carry signs with messages of empowerment. (Black Press Media file photo)
Calgary Hitmen defenceman and Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop became the first player under an NHL contract to come out as gay when he made the announcement on July 19. (Photo courtesy of Luke Prokop/ Twitter)

First openly gay, NHL-contracted player gained insight from B.C. agent

Nashville prospect Luke Prokop consulted Bayne Pettinger before coming out

Calgary Hitmen defenceman and Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop became the first player under an NHL contract to come out as gay when he made the announcement on July 19. (Photo courtesy of Luke Prokop/ Twitter)
The Nature of Us is a non-profit storytelling platform for marginalized and underrepresented voices. (Courtesy of Winnie Weston)

B.C.-based storytelling platform provides space for marginalized voices

The Nature of Us shares underrepresented stories, like residential school survivor Eddy Charlie

The Nature of Us is a non-profit storytelling platform for marginalized and underrepresented voices. (Courtesy of Winnie Weston)
Firefighters Scott Rear, Brandon Knowles, Nik Wells, Dawson Tindale and Brent Henning form the five-person team from Metchosin and Sooke on Vancouver Island that headed to Lytton on the first ferry July 1. (Metchosin Fire Department/Facebook)

‘A heartbreaking scene’: Vancouver Island fire chief on the ground in Lytton

Wildfire season gearing up to be one of the worst yet, View Royal chief says

Firefighters Scott Rear, Brandon Knowles, Nik Wells, Dawson Tindale and Brent Henning form the five-person team from Metchosin and Sooke on Vancouver Island that headed to Lytton on the first ferry July 1. (Metchosin Fire Department/Facebook)
Kelly Favro, a 37-year-old Victoria mother, believes she is the first sexual assault survivor to have a publication ban overturned in B.C. history. (Courtesy of Kelly Favro)

Victoria sexual assault survivor achieves rare overturning of publication ban

Kelly Favro only learned of ban in 2020, four years after assault conviction

Kelly Favro, a 37-year-old Victoria mother, believes she is the first sexual assault survivor to have a publication ban overturned in B.C. history. (Courtesy of Kelly Favro)
The BC Ferries website went down for a short while Monday morning following a provincial announcement that recreational travel between health authorities can resume Tuesday. (Black Press Media file photo)

BC Ferries’ website crashes in wake of provincial reopening announcement

Website back up now, recreational travel between health regions to resume as of Tuesday

The BC Ferries website went down for a short while Monday morning following a provincial announcement that recreational travel between health authorities can resume Tuesday. (Black Press Media file photo)
A fundraiser intended to fund the search of Vancouver Island’s five residential school for children’s remains topped $100,000 Friday (June 4). Pictured is a church at Chawathil First Nation on Highway 1, on May 31, 2021. (Black Press Media file photo)

Fundraiser to search more B.C. residential schools tops $100,000

Indigenous leaders hope to use radar technology to search for lost children on Vancouver Island

A fundraiser intended to fund the search of Vancouver Island’s five residential school for children’s remains topped $100,000 Friday (June 4). Pictured is a church at Chawathil First Nation on Highway 1, on May 31, 2021. (Black Press Media file photo)
Local Indigenous leaders participate in a healing ceremony at Mungo Martin House in Victoria on May 31 for the 215 children whose remains were found near a former residential school in Kamloops last week. A new campaign launched Tuesday by Indigenous leaders to search former residential schools on Vancouver Island themselves has already surpassed its fundraising goal. (Black Press Media file photo)

GoFundMe to probe more B.C. residential school sites raises $77,000 in two days

Indigenous campaign to finance use of ground-penetrating radar technology

Local Indigenous leaders participate in a healing ceremony at Mungo Martin House in Victoria on May 31 for the 215 children whose remains were found near a former residential school in Kamloops last week. A new campaign launched Tuesday by Indigenous leaders to search former residential schools on Vancouver Island themselves has already surpassed its fundraising goal. (Black Press Media file photo)
Volunteers work on a past year’s poppy fund activities at the Trafalgar/Pro Patria Legion on Gorge Road in Victoria. The provincial government announced $1.5 million in one-time funding for B.C. and Yukon legions on June 2 to help them stay open through the remainder of the pandemic. (Black Press Media file photo)

B.C. government announces $1.5 million in pandemic relief for struggling Legion branches

Property tax exemption is what Legions really need, Victoria branch president says

Volunteers work on a past year’s poppy fund activities at the Trafalgar/Pro Patria Legion on Gorge Road in Victoria. The provincial government announced $1.5 million in one-time funding for B.C. and Yukon legions on June 2 to help them stay open through the remainder of the pandemic. (Black Press Media file photo)
Students need to be aware of summer employment scams. (File photo)

Summer job time in B.C. cause for wariness, Better Business Bureau says

Consumer watchdog encourages job applicants to do their homework on potential employers

Students need to be aware of summer employment scams. (File photo)
Allayah Yoli Thomas had recently turned 12 years old when she died of a suspected drug overdose April 15. (Courtesy of Adriana Londono)

Suspected overdose death of Vancouver Island 12 year old speaks to lack of supports

Allayah Yoli Thomas was found dead by her friend the morning of April 15

Allayah Yoli Thomas had recently turned 12 years old when she died of a suspected drug overdose April 15. (Courtesy of Adriana Londono)
Tina Starkey with her seven-month-old puppy Sugar on the E&N Trail in Esquimalt. Starkey now carries a small personal alarm device, her thumb on the button. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Random encounters leave B.C. woman concerned for her safety, and she’s not alone

Sharing her growing fear of walking in public opens a floodgate of advice and similar concerns

Tina Starkey with her seven-month-old puppy Sugar on the E&N Trail in Esquimalt. Starkey now carries a small personal alarm device, her thumb on the button. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
B.C.’s construction industry continues to be the No. 1 employer in B.C.’s goods sector, with more than 219,500 people relying directly on construction for a paycheque. (Black Press Media file photo)

Survey shows B.C. construction industry building career opportunities

Estimated 11,331 construction jobs in B.C. will go unfilled by 2030 due to labour shortages

B.C.’s construction industry continues to be the No. 1 employer in B.C.’s goods sector, with more than 219,500 people relying directly on construction for a paycheque. (Black Press Media file photo)
Local police and fire departments have expressed concerns as members are still waiting for COVID-19 vaccines. (Black Press Media file photo)

Some B.C. firefighters, police left searching for leftover COVID-19 vaccines

Departments still waiting despite being identified as a priority, leadership concerned about safety

Local police and fire departments have expressed concerns as members are still waiting for COVID-19 vaccines. (Black Press Media file photo)