Times Colonist

Duncan man’s giant maple burl is looking for new home

When Glen McLeod decided to remove a massive burl that had grown out of a maple tree in his front yard, he knew it would be a big task — but he didn’t realize it would become a multi-decade effort that changed his life. It was more than 20 years ago...

New drugs make it harder to tackle disorder

The rise in street drugs that don’t respond to Naloxone has been an unanticipated snag in the City of Victoria’s $10-million effort to tackle street disorder, but staff say the city is still making headway. Kerrilee Jones, the city’s assistant...

Peninsula mulls scaled-down rec centre plan after Sidney rejects borrowing

Councils on the Saanich Peninsula will consider a scaled-down proposal for a new recreation centre after Sidney rejected borrowing for a more expensive version. Borrowing $9.1 million for the proposed facility requires consent from Sidney, Central...

Nurses end pickets as mediation begins

The president of the B.C. Nurses’ Union told nurses picketing at Royal Jubilee Hospital on Tuesday that she’s hopeful mediated talks will be successful, but “cautious,” as the government has yet to move on its position. Tuesday was the last day of...

Cadborosaurus

Cadborosaurus, nicknamed Caddy by journalist Archie Wills, is a sea serpent in the folklore of regions of the Pacific Coast of North America. Its name is derived from Cadboro Bay in Victoria, British Columbia, and the Greek root word “saurus” meaning...

Long-beaked dolphin sightings around Island linked to El Niño

Two long-beaked common dolphins have been spotted swimming at three separate locations around the north Island this month, far from their usual range. They were likely brought to the area by warmer water associated with El Niño weather events,...

Cathedral bells set to ring quarter peal in honour of 90th year

The bells at Christ Church Cathedral will ring for an especially long time this Sunday, as the cathedral marks 90 years since they were first rung on July 12, 1936. The eight original bells, cast in London as replicas of the ones in Westminster Abbey,...

Inmate found dead off William Head struggled with mental-health issues

An inmate found dead in the ocean off William Head Institution in Metchosin last month had a history of self-harm and suicidal thoughts, and had been meeting monthly with a psychologist for mental-health issues, according to parole documents. Ernest...

Central Saanich toddler loses half of ear in ‘horrifying’ dog attack on Canada Day

A Central Saanich family is in shock after their two young sons suffered serious bite injuries — including the toddler losing part of his ear — when they were attacked by a dog in their neighbourhood on Canada Day. Bryanne and Chris Pennington were...

‘I told my clients to hang on tight’: Guide rescues two after boat sinks

It was supposed to be a routine fishing charter with five guests, but it turned out to be a life-saving mission for captain Pete Matthews. The owner of Wild West Sport Fishing was heading out of Comox Harbour to fish for salmon early Sunday when he...

Carney picks German firm for submarines

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday named German defence manufacturer TKMS as the preferred bidder to supply the Royal Canadian Navy’s next fleet of submarines, and he said several are expected to be delivered by 2034. The news had leaked out ahead...

Pride outweighs heartbreak as Island fans celebrate Canada’s World Cup journey

It is said dreams die hard. But sometimes they die predictably and gently. In a touching scene, the redclad fans inside a packed Market Square in downtown Victoria clapped appreciatively at the giant TV screen as the Canadian players were shown...

Waiting in the wings for a bite of tasty seafood

B.C. to retain tanker ban, be compensated for risk if Ottawa imposes pipeline

British Columbia will keep its ban on oil tankers along the province’s northern coast while receiving compensation for environmental risks if Ottawa approves a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast under an agreement announced Thursday by Prime...

Red and white on full display as thousands gather across Victoria to celebrate Canada Day

For nine-year-old Quinton Ramsay, the best part about Canada is maple syrup. “Here, there are no tornadoes,” he added, listing the best parts about growing up in Victoria. His great-grandmother, Val Utman, brought Quinton to the Gorge Canada Day...

Raising Victoria’s Pride rainbow

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto with Coun. Chris Coleman, left, Victoria Pride Society president Nick Luney, and councillors Krista Loughton and Jeremy Caradonna raise the Pride flag in front of city hall on Monday. Nine additional flags representing the...

Aging infrastructure key driver of rising property taxes in Greater Victoria

Oak Bay property owners may have bristled when they learned their 2026 property taxes were going to jump an average of 8.5%, but it turns out that might have been the good news. The bad news is, it’s likely to get worse in coming years. With a...

Victoria woman aims to get country singing O Canada together again

The Fernwood woman who got 130,000 people singing in unison across the country on Canada Day last year is ready to do it all again. About a month before the big day in 2025, Katharine Casey figured she would get everyone she could to sing the national...

Victoria choirs set to perform at iconic London cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral singers ages eight to nearly 80 have only a few more weeks to polish their hymns before they jet off to England to perform at some of the most famous cathedrals in the country. The group of about 50 choristers includes three...

Tech company aims to return Victoria Plaza Hotel site to its former glory

Seven years after it was destroyed by a fire, an unlikely suitor has stepped up to rebuild a hotel at the corner of Government Street and Pandora Avenue that a century ago was a major social and tourism hub. Redbrick, a Victoria-based digital...

‘What if I’m stuck like this?’: After suffering stroke at 28, UVic student recalls recovery

Unable to talk or walk, Melissa Wing sat at Victoria General Hospital running through scenarios of how she’d live the rest of her life if she didn’t recover from a devastating stroke. “I’m 28 but I’m now locked in my head — I can’t communicate...

New owner of Bay Centre eyes ‘experiential’ tenants

A Montreal-based real estate firm has acquired the Bay Centre in downtown Victoria, and says it’s in discussions with retailers as well as “experiential tenants” to fill the void left by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Henry Zavriyev, chief executive of...

Island critically short of dermatologists with skin cancers on the rise

Vancouver Island is facing a critical shortage of medical dermatologists even though skin cancer diagnoses are on the rise, says the president of the Canadian Dermatology Association. Dr. Mark Kirchhof said there’s a need for three medical...

All ages celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day

Three-year-old Ace Rice, left, and two-year-old Phillip George Jr. perform with the Lekwungen Traditional Dancers and Singers during a welcome ceremony for National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations at Royal Roads University on Friday.

Glassy water contributed to fatal seaplane crash: TSB investigation

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is urging seaplane pilots to be aware of risks when landing on calm and glassy water, after a crash two years ago that claimed the life of a passenger. The Cessna seaplane carrying three people was landing at a...

Floating TV shows World Cup games off Fisherman’s Wharf

When Mexican restaurant owner and soccer fan Ramesh Espinoza was not allowed to erect a bigscreen TV on Fisherman’s Wharf to broadcast FIFA World Cup games, he did the next best thing — he floated one in. Vancouver is among the 16 cities across...

Little sign of FIFA boost for Island hotels

Industry associations say hotel bookings in Victoria and Nanaimo are staying flat or dipping compared to last year, despite global attention on Vancouver as it hosts the World Cup. Destination Greater Victoria CEO Paul Nursey said hotel bookings this...

Downtown businesses call for closing drug-consumption sites

The province should immediately close all public-facing supervised drug-consumption sites and harmreduction services, says the head of the Downtown Victoria Business Association. Jeff Bray said the results of the association’s annual report on...

Ten years after it brought them together, Victoria couple still in Race to Alaska

Ten years after they met during the 2016 Race to Alaska, Victoria’s Janice Mason and Ian Graeme are back in the running for this year’s event: a 1,200-kilometre ocean journey from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska, via Victoria. The...

Victoria crowd cheers as Canada scores in first World Cup match on home turf

Despite the heart-racing result of a Canadian draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina, there is no other way Sarah Krzymowski would have spent her 40th birthday than watching Canada open the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the company of other passionate red-clad fans...

World Cup kicks off with outdoor watch party in Langford

Hundreds of green-clad Mexico fans gathered on Station Avenue in Langford to celebrate their homeland’s opening game against South Africa in Mexico City, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday. The vibe in Langford was an illustration of...

Reports of ‘evil’ group online exploiting kids, youth on West Shore

West Shore RCMP say they are investigating three recent reports about an online group that exploits children and youth, encouraging young people to record themselves in sexually explicit poses or attempt suicide. They said the group, known as 764, is...

North Salish Sea kelp die-off began earlier than believed: study

Brian Timmer was digging through old research at the University of Victoria when he discovered aerial and underwater photos of thick bull kelp forests floating in the northern Salish Sea. The kelp covered 550 hectares of ocean around Comox and Denman...

Your guide to Island festivals this summer

People go for a ride on Zero Gravity during the Oak Bay Tea Party at Willows Beach park on Saturday. The parade portion of the annual event was cancelled this year after organizers cited rising costs, a shortage of volunteers and new safety guidelines....

Art deco-style B.C. Power Commission building eyed for hotel redevelopment

Reliance Properties is taking another run at redeveloping the art-deco-style B.C. Power Commission building. Chief executive Jon Stovell has submitted plans to the City of Victoria for a heritage alteration permit to convert the landmark building in...

HarbourCats fans bring the party to Royal Athletic Park

Dunsmuir Middle School students cheer during a Victoria HarbourCats and Edmonton Rivercats game at Wilson’ Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park on Thursday. The HarbourCats won the WCL game 6-2. Victoria will play against the Kelowna Falcons at home...

‘It was like a wrecking ball’: Island sailor rescued from Pacific recounts ordeal

Over decades spent at sea, 73-yearold John Campbell has swum alongside whale sharks off Baja Mexico, sailed through a lightning storm near Hawaii and made a solo crossing of the equator. But last week, trapped in a violent Pacific storm hundreds of...

Planned 1,000-home community in Mill Bay to break ground this week

Earth will start to move this week on 150 acres in Mill Bay where developers have plans to build nearly 1,000 new homes and more than 100,000 square feet of commercial space that will include a major grocer and medical clinic. The project, which is...

B.C. court finds retailer liable for exploiting up to 880 migrant workers

Hundreds of migrant workers have won a class action lawsuit against Mac’s Convenience Stores and three B.C. immigration consultant companies, after a judge found they were unlawfully charged recruitment fees for jobs that rarely materialized. B.C....

Ancient Egypt arrives in Victoria, bringing afterlife with it

Archaeologist Lisa Marie Wolff calls it “Egyptomania,” and for the third time in 18 years, it’s about to grip Victoria. A fascination with pyramids, pharaohs and mysterious mummies has been around for centuries and persists today, said the...

Review ordered of unions’ role in workers not crossing picket lines

The question of whether labour leaders illegally encouraged hundreds of civilian trade workers at CFB Esquimalt not to cross another union’s picket line has been referred back to the federal labour relations board, after a court ruling this week. The...

Aboriginal title can’t apply to private land: top court

The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld that Aboriginal title cannot be declared over private land. And that decision gives British Columbia an avenue to win a future appeal in the landmark Cowichan Tribes case, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said...

Drumming up fanfare for Sunday’s Awakening Chinatown Festival

Members of the Happy Drum Group perform at the Victoria Chinatown Museum during a media event ahead of the Awakening Chinatown Festival this weekend. The free family event runs Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Victoria’s Chinatown and features...

CFB Esquimalt visit a sales pitch for Korean submarines

A South Korean navy visit to CFB Esquimalt is serving as both a show of military co-operation and a sales pitch for one of the submarines Canada is considering for its future multi-billionaire-dollar fleet. The frigate ROKS Daejeon and the submarine...

Victoria’s worst single-day loss of life was 130 years ago today

The last witness to the largest single-day loss of life in Victoria’s history still stands near the eastern approach to the Point Ellice Bridge. The heritage property known as Point Ellice House was there on that dark day 130 years ago when the bridge...

Wind fills sails for Swiftsure races

The annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race started from Clover Point on Saturday. Of the 99 yachts registered, about 65 percent are from the United States. Sailors help boost the local economy by visiting restaurants and pubs during race weekend,...

E.J. Hughes painting sells for $5.7 million

An auction at Toronto’s Heffel Fine Art Auction House has set records, with paintings by Vancouver Island artists Emily Carr, E.J. Hughes and Takao Tanabe collectively selling for millions above auction estimates. Buyers from Canada, Europe, U.S. and...

Ready to ride the wind for 81st annual Swiftsure this weekend

Racing yacht Hinzite from Seattle sits in the Inner Harbour, ready for the 81st annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race this weekend. Of the 99 boats registered across four races, four will sail to the Swiftsure Bank in the Lightship Classic Race, a...

Carney, Eby open talks as pipeline tensions simmer

VANCOUVER — Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier David Eby have agreed to enter negotiations on B.C.’s economic priorities and Ottawa’s role in national development projects. Carney met with Eby in a closed-door meeting in Vancouver Wednesday,...

Snowbirds grounded until early 2030s

Canada’s famous military aerial ambassadors — the Snowbirds — are getting grounded well into the next decade. Defence Minister David McGuinty announced Tuesday the nine-jet aerobatic team will be mothballed until the early 2030s, as the team’s...

Victoria woman slowly coming back to life after contracting vaccine-preventable virus

Advised against taking a vaccine for a rare disease, a Vancouver Island woman set out on the trip of a lifetime in Southeast Asia only to lose a lifetime of memories and abilities after a virus attacked her brain. Kelly Worthen, then 58, and the...

‘Presumptive positive’ hantavirus test for one of four isolating on the Island

B.C.’s provincial health officer says one of the four Canadians isolating on Vancouver Island who had been on board a cruise ship where there was a hantavirus outbreak has received a “presumptive positive” test. Dr. Bonnie Henry said Saturday that the...

Eby pushes back as Ottawa and Alberta revive plan to build pipeline across B.C. to coast

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday they’re eyeing a fall 2027 start date for construction of a new bitumen pipeline that would cross B.C. on a journey to the West Coast. It’s part of a plan to accomplish the...

Safety plans ramp up as region braces for another hot summer

With the arrival of the May long weekend, often considered to be the unofficial start of summer, the region’s emergency co-ordinators are rolling out plans to keep people safe in case heat waves hit. Tanya Seal-Jones, the City of Victoria’s emergency...

Jump start to high school track and field titles

Levi Venables of Royal Bay Secondary flies over a hurdle during the senior boys 110-metre hurdles event at the Lower Island High School Track and Field Championships on Wednesday at Centennial Stadium. Venables cruised to victory in a time of 14.83...

UVic can now punish AI cheaters, even after graduation

The University of Victoria will update its student academic misconduct policy this fall to give instructors more power to address the use of artificial intelligence and punish cheaters even after they graduate. The UVic senate approved an expanded...

Islanders hit by longer, more severe allergy season

Even as spring progresses and some plants stop producing pollen, experts say allergy season isn’t stopping any time soon. The season of sniffles and itchy throats is especially bad in Victoria this year — the city was recently labelled the worst in...

High 19. Low 9.

Langford superfan family wins trip to watch Blue Jays play

Jenny Erskine of Langford bleeds blue. But she’s feeling anything but blue after winning a contest that has sent her and her family to Toronto to watch the Blue Jays this Mother’s Day weekend. Jenny and Dave Erskine and their children, eight-year-old...

Councillors praise church and housing project

A project that intends to reimagine a North Park block and provide 129 new residential units has cleared the first hurdle with Victoria city council. Council voted unanimously Thursday to endorse Aryze Development’s rezoning application and...

Death after hospital discharge prompts calls for changes to B.C.’s Mental Health Act

Within an hour of Jesse Flowerdew’s discharge from Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, where he had gone to seek help for suicidal thoughts, he killed himself. Flowerdew, who would have turned 48 on Monday, had a documented history of suicide attempts....

PreparedBC is B.C.’s emergency preparedness education program and we are here to help you get ready for the hazards we all face

In recent years, B.C. has coped with a pandemic, a record-breaking heat dome and a devastating atmospheric river event. These emergencies were felt across the province and are having lasting effects on those still recovering. As we look ahead, we know...

B.C. lumber producers miss out as Ottawa unveils $1.5B in tariff relief

The federal government said Monday it will put $1.5 billion toward tariff relief in response to the United States expanding the range and depth of its tariffs, but help for B.C. softwood lumber producers was not on the list. The announcement includes...

Times Colonist book sale continues today, Victoria Curling Club, 1952 Quadra, 9 to 5 Book lovers from near and far descend on sale

Tonatiuh Amor flew from Mexico City to Victoria for the annual Times Colonist book sale just to buy titles for his bookstore. The English literature student said he heard about the sale from a friend and decided to make the trip north to hunt for...

Orcas wow spectators at Ogden Point

Amy MacCutchan was having a tough day at the B.C. Cancer Centre at Royal Jubilee Hospital, where, as a medical secretary, she sees every day the suffering, worry and pain of so many. Heading home on Thursday afternoon, she saw a socialmedia post that...

‘Game changer’ blood test is beloved brother’s legacy

Angela Lee of Nanaimo says that when her brother was told he had three months to live, he fretted about not having a legacy. Little did he know that the genetic cancer testing he did was his legacy — benefiting generations of his family to...

Tumbler Ridge families likely to seek US$1 billion in OpenAI lawsuit

An American lawyer representing some of the victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting says they will likely be seeking more than US$1 billion in their California legal action against OpenAI and its founder, Sam Altman. Chicago-based Jay Edelson has...

Pro-Palestine marchers demand return of police traffic control

Organizers of weekly pro-Palestine marches in downtown Victoria are demanding that police resume providing “reasonable traffic control,” a month after VicPD scaled back its presence. Maureen Stone, one of the march organizers, said police are obliged...

Call to build 20 hotels in a decade finds support

The ambitious goal to build up to 20 new hotels and add 2,000 new rooms to the region over the next decade is gaining momentum with municipalities, First Nations and developers, says the chief executive of Destination Greater Victoria. Paul Nursey...

Esquimalt mulls pausing new missing-middle housing projects

Esquimalt council is considering halting new applications for missing-middle housing projects due to concerns about “jarring” three-storey houseplexes being built next to one-storey bungalows. Council asked staff this week to look at whether the...

Royal Roads will help train military again

Royal Roads University is returning to its roots by offering military officer training this fall in a new partnership with the Canadian Armed Forces. The university replaced Royal Roads Military College after it closed in 1995. University president...

New whale-watching vessel visits Victoria to mark Clipper’s 40th year

Long-awaited post-secondary financial review due at end of April Cowichan Valley District postpones decision on controversial bylaw

To trades workers: Don’t ‘walk it off,’ text Pain B.C.

Ben Marsolais began working in home construction with his stepfather at the age of 11, and by 20, he had developed chronic back pain. Unlike colleagues who self-medicated with drugs and alcohol, however, the 47-year-old Coquitlam man had family he...

Victoria Day Parade route shortened as part of safety changes

Big changes are coming for the Thrifty Foods Victoria Day Parade, including cutting the length of the route from four kilometres to 1.6. After years of being on Douglas Street, the 126th edition of the parade will follow the same route as last year’s...

After Times Colonist book drive, volunteers help prepare for book sale May 2 and 3

Jane Mertz gives directions to volunteers sorting books at the Victoria Curling Club for the upcoming Times Colonist book sale, set for May 2 and 3. Tens of thousands of books were donated this past weekend during a two-day book drive at the curling...

Reader’s delight: Books pour in for Times Colonist’s annual book sale

Volunteers in bright orange vests carried boxes and pushed shopping carts filled with books Saturday as donations for the annual Times Colonist book drive poured in. Some take time off work to help sort the books, while others travel to Victoria from...