Greater Victoria

The Better Business Bureau is warning of an emerging scam where fraudsters send text messages that appear to come from Amazon. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

Beware of scam offering enticing prize from Amazon: Better Business Bureau

Text messages appear to come from Amazon

The Better Business Bureau is warning of an emerging scam where fraudsters send text messages that appear to come from Amazon. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
Jacob Baggott, 4, is raising money for his favourite train conductor, Claude Jolivet, and Heritage Acres after a fire March 17 damaged the family attraction. (Courtesy of Ali Baggott)

Four-year-old Saanich boy raises thousands for Heritage Acres following fire

Heritage Acres is Jacob Baggott’s favourite place to ride trains

Jacob Baggott, 4, is raising money for his favourite train conductor, Claude Jolivet, and Heritage Acres after a fire March 17 damaged the family attraction. (Courtesy of Ali Baggott)
Gardeners are preparing for the second spring during COVID-19. Business is already picking up at some Greater Victoria nurseries, including Elk Lake Garden Centre. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

Greater Victoria garden centres preparing for busy season

Businesses stocking up for second gardening season during COVID-19 pandemic

Gardeners are preparing for the second spring during COVID-19. Business is already picking up at some Greater Victoria nurseries, including Elk Lake Garden Centre. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)
The Customs House construction site is closed temporarily after a COVID-19 exposure. (Black Press Media file photo)

Victoria Customs House construction site closed temporarily after COVID-19 exposure

Additional cleaning and sanitization underway

The Customs House construction site is closed temporarily after a COVID-19 exposure. (Black Press Media file photo)
People living in Victoria encampments will be offered indoor shelter by May 1, according to the City of Victoria. (Black Press Media file photo)

Victoria’s daytime park camping prohibition back in effect May 1

BC Housing, city, set new goal of sheltering all encampment residents by May 1

People living in Victoria encampments will be offered indoor shelter by May 1, according to the City of Victoria. (Black Press Media file photo)
Ruth Bartesko gives some love to Fanny the Shetland pony during an Equine Assisted Learning session at Heart Lake Farm on March 8. Bartesko is one of several participants from the Victoria Brain Injury Society to take part in the new program. (Nina Grossman/News Staff) Ruth Bartesko gives some love to Fanny the Shetland pony during an Equine Assisted Learning session at Heart Lake Farm March 8. Bartesko is one of several participants from the Victoria Brain Injury Society to take part in the new program. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

Greater Victoria brain injury survivors harness power of equine connection

Humble Hooves, Heart Lake Farm and Victoria Brain Injury Society team up for new program

Ruth Bartesko gives some love to Fanny the Shetland pony during an Equine Assisted Learning session at Heart Lake Farm on March 8. Bartesko is one of several participants from the Victoria Brain Injury Society to take part in the new program. (Nina Grossman/News Staff) Ruth Bartesko gives some love to Fanny the Shetland pony during an Equine Assisted Learning session at Heart Lake Farm March 8. Bartesko is one of several participants from the Victoria Brain Injury Society to take part in the new program. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)
A new harm reduction strategy called Tailgate Toolkit targets addictions amongst trades and construction workers. (Unsplash)

Harm reduction project targets Vancouver Island construction, trades workers

More than half of B.C.’s 2018 overdose deaths were people working in trades or transport

A new harm reduction strategy called Tailgate Toolkit targets addictions amongst trades and construction workers. (Unsplash)
Single-game tickets for the 2021 HarbourCats season are now available. (Christian J. Stewart/HarbourCats)

Single-game tickets available for 2021 HarbourCats games

Victoria club’s season set to start June 1 on the road

Single-game tickets for the 2021 HarbourCats season are now available. (Christian J. Stewart/HarbourCats)
Business owners are pushing Victoria city council to keep the 1000-block of Broad Street as pedestrian only. (Don Denton/Black Press Media)

Council to consider permanent pedestrianization of Broad Street block

1000-block of Broad Street was closed to traffic in spring 2020

Business owners are pushing Victoria city council to keep the 1000-block of Broad Street as pedestrian only. (Don Denton/Black Press Media)
The Better Business Bureau is warning people of a sizable increase in gift card scams. (Black Press Media file photo)

Gift card scam losses nearly tripled over last three years: Better Business Bureau

Consumers over 65 most likely to lose money

The Better Business Bureau is warning people of a sizable increase in gift card scams. (Black Press Media file photo)
Former patients of the Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) unit at the Royal Jubilee Hospital are asking for more thorough and compassionate care. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

‘Belittled and dismissed:’ Former patients of Victoria Psychiatric Emergency Services call for change

Culture of mental health stigma persists in the health care system, says MLA Adam Olsen

Former patients of the Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) unit at the Royal Jubilee Hospital are asking for more thorough and compassionate care. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)
Ken Winchester, a recently retired master distiller, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Whisky Awards last month. (Black Press Media File Photo)

Canadian Whisky Awards raise a glass to Vancouver Island’s Devine Distillery

A Saanich Peninsula distillery will have to slide the bottles over and…

Ken Winchester, a recently retired master distiller, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Whisky Awards last month. (Black Press Media File Photo)
Ken Winchester, a recently retired master distiller, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Whiskey Awards last month. (Black Press Media File Photo)

Canadian Whiskey Awards raise a glass to Saanich Peninsula’s Devine Distillery

The distillery will have to slide the bottles over and make some trophy space on the top shelf

Ken Winchester, a recently retired master distiller, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Whiskey Awards last month. (Black Press Media File Photo)
In a recent ranking released by comparison platform Hello Safe, Victoria is listed as 27th out of the the best 49 Canadian cities to study in. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Victoria ranks woefully low on best Canadian cities to study in list

Victoria ties for 27th place with Kamloops, B.C.

In a recent ranking released by comparison platform Hello Safe, Victoria is listed as 27th out of the the best 49 Canadian cities to study in. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Retired SD62 custodian Jim Black brought his ‘pack’ of BARK ambassadors to a drive-thru for David Cameron Elementary School students during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Black championed the BARK program, which encouraged students to keep their school and homes clean. (Courtesy of David Cameron Elementary)

Colwood custodian’s dachshund-inspired cleaning program a delight for students

Retired elementary school custodian’s BARK program a hit with the kids

Retired SD62 custodian Jim Black brought his ‘pack’ of BARK ambassadors to a drive-thru for David Cameron Elementary School students during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Black championed the BARK program, which encouraged students to keep their school and homes clean. (Courtesy of David Cameron Elementary)
The 2021 Greater Victoria Flower Count ended March 10, with 65,245,471,605 blossoms counted. (Black Press Media file photo)

Highlands wins 2021 Greater Victoria Flower Count

District ‘grows’ to the occasion, records more than 30 billion blossoms

The 2021 Greater Victoria Flower Count ended March 10, with 65,245,471,605 blossoms counted. (Black Press Media file photo)
Northwest Deuce Days has attracted thousands of visitors and hundreds of entries in its seven years hosted in Victoria. (Black Press Media file photo)

Major economic generator for Greater Victoria, Northwest Deuce Days cancelled

Huge Inner Harbour show and shine a victim of its own success

Northwest Deuce Days has attracted thousands of visitors and hundreds of entries in its seven years hosted in Victoria. (Black Press Media file photo)
Cecilia Dick, cultural tourism supervisor for the Songhees Nation, stands at the top of Beacon Hill Loop in Meeqan, one of 12 significant cultural sites along the new Songhees Indigenous Marine Trail. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

Songhees marine trail celebrates living history of Lekwungen people

Provincial funding boosts 12-stop marine tourism program set to open in 2022

Cecilia Dick, cultural tourism supervisor for the Songhees Nation, stands at the top of Beacon Hill Loop in Meeqan, one of 12 significant cultural sites along the new Songhees Indigenous Marine Trail. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)
(Black Press Media file photo)

Central Saanich surveys residents’ thoughts on active transportation plan

The online survey results will be used to finalize the plan before it heads to council

(Black Press Media file photo)
A decade into the 100-year blueprint for restoring the Bowker Creek watershed, Soren Henrich, director of the Friends of Bowker Creek Society, feels positive about the future of conservation and daylighting of the creek. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

Ten years in, Greater Victoria’s 100-year Bowker Creek blueprint gets a boost

Victoria council passes several restoration recommendations

A decade into the 100-year blueprint for restoring the Bowker Creek watershed, Soren Henrich, director of the Friends of Bowker Creek Society, feels positive about the future of conservation and daylighting of the creek. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)