Greater Victoria

Ray Young upcycles old wood pallets into incredible things, including libraries like this Oak Bay book box that matches its Hampshire Road human-sized home, through his company I Used To Be A Pallet. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

Retired Greater Victoria consultant crafts wasted wood into libraries

Ray Young started I Used To Be A Pallet while reconnecting with his dad

Ray Young upcycles old wood pallets into incredible things, including libraries like this Oak Bay book box that matches its Hampshire Road human-sized home, through his company I Used To Be A Pallet. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)
Weston Green sings Christmas carols outside of Tanner’s Books in Sidney to raise money for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank. (Courtesy of Nadia Green)

View Royal boy sings carols for Saanich Peninsula food bank

Weston Green has raised $1,184 for the food bank

Weston Green sings Christmas carols outside of Tanner’s Books in Sidney to raise money for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank. (Courtesy of Nadia Green)
Urgent and primary care services in the Capital Region are being consolidated over Christmas and on New Year’s Eve. (Black Press Media file photo)

Hours trimmed at Greater Victoria urgent, primary care centres over holidays

Some urgent and primary care centres will be closed on Christmas Day

Urgent and primary care services in the Capital Region are being consolidated over Christmas and on New Year’s Eve. (Black Press Media file photo)
Coastal Celebration and The Queen of New Westminster have both been delayed this morning by 60 minutes due to crew shortages. (Don Denton/News staff)

Crew shortage delays some BC Ferries routes for Greater Victoria

BC Ferries has informed passengers online to arrive at their check-in time to reserve their status.

Coastal Celebration and The Queen of New Westminster have both been delayed this morning by 60 minutes due to crew shortages. (Don Denton/News staff)
A NextRide technology replacement is coming to the Victoria Regional Transit System to increase certainty and bus predictability for transit users. (Black Press Media file photo)

BC Transit replacing tech for Greater Victoria buses to increase certainty

The project is expected to cost $16.8 million

A NextRide technology replacement is coming to the Victoria Regional Transit System to increase certainty and bus predictability for transit users. (Black Press Media file photo)
Impaired driving deaths have been uncommon, said Adam Defrane, director of MADD, but there are still serious crashes and people driving when they have had too much to drink in Victoria. (Photo Submitted)

‘Chugging water won’t help’: Madd Victoria cautions about impaired driving

The hours of 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. are the most common hours for impaired drivers

Impaired driving deaths have been uncommon, said Adam Defrane, director of MADD, but there are still serious crashes and people driving when they have had too much to drink in Victoria. (Photo Submitted)
Amanda Farrell-Low with the wind phone at Royal Oak Burial Park in Saanich. She led the initiative to have the phone installed, spurred by the loss of her brother in 2012. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

VIDEO: Saanich wind phone offers ‘profound’ way to grieve lost loved ones

Woman plans payphone in Royal Oak Burial Park to honour memory of her brother

Amanda Farrell-Low with the wind phone at Royal Oak Burial Park in Saanich. She led the initiative to have the phone installed, spurred by the loss of her brother in 2012. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)
Salvation Army marketing and communications specialist Sipili Molia collects donations during a Christmas Kettle campaign. (Black Press Media file photo)

Salvation Army makes urgent appeal to Greater Victoria to fill $100K gap

The local community has contributed $190,000 towards the current goal

Salvation Army marketing and communications specialist Sipili Molia collects donations during a Christmas Kettle campaign. (Black Press Media file photo)
Teale Phelps Bondaroff, Greater Victoria Placemaking Network board member and Little Free Library enthusiast, stops for a read at library on Richardson Street near Oak Bay. (Christine van Reeuwyk/Oak Bay News)

Greater Victoria’s 800th little free library started as a pallet

Victoria neighbourhood launches latest placemaking project

Teale Phelps Bondaroff, Greater Victoria Placemaking Network board member and Little Free Library enthusiast, stops for a read at library on Richardson Street near Oak Bay. (Christine van Reeuwyk/Oak Bay News)
Avid birders Liam Singh, left, and Rick Schortinghuis look out over Esquimalt Lagoon while on an outing with the Victoria Natural History Society. The annual Christmas Bird Count takes place on Saturday, Dec. 16. (Ann Nightingale photo)

A Christmas tradition for the birds takes flight in Greater Victoria

South Island birders hope for the unusual while counting species on Saturday

Avid birders Liam Singh, left, and Rick Schortinghuis look out over Esquimalt Lagoon while on an outing with the Victoria Natural History Society. The annual Christmas Bird Count takes place on Saturday, Dec. 16. (Ann Nightingale photo)
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside says the Bridging Care program is a welcoming place where people can build skills to better manage their mental health. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)

Mental health program at Greater Victoria hospital makes a difference

The Bridging Care program provides mental health support and services

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside says the Bridging Care program is a welcoming place where people can build skills to better manage their mental health. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)
Rainbees and Honeybows: A Vancouver Island Fairy Tale is among the titles in the Greater Victoria Public Library 2023 Emerging Authors Collection. (Courtesy Wendy Picken)

Sidney author-illustrator turns 4,000-word poem into family favourite book

Greater Victoria Public Library now accepting applications for 2024 Emerging Authors Collection

Rainbees and Honeybows: A Vancouver Island Fairy Tale is among the titles in the Greater Victoria Public Library 2023 Emerging Authors Collection. (Courtesy Wendy Picken)
LETTER SIG

LETTER: CRD water plan essential despite criticism

Re: CRD water project under fire for cost, ‘flawed’ process (News, Dec.…

  • Dec 8, 2023
LETTER SIG
Steve Farmer (left) and Kathy Green (right) deliver boxes of popcorn to health-care professionals at Victoria General Hospital on Friday (Dec. 8). (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)

Transplant recipients thank Greater Victoria hospital staff with popcorn

Transplant recipients delivered popcorn at Victoria General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital

Steve Farmer (left) and Kathy Green (right) deliver boxes of popcorn to health-care professionals at Victoria General Hospital on Friday (Dec. 8). (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)
Film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert retires in spring 2024 after 13 years in the role supporting filmmaking on the south Island. (Courtesy Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission)

$6M to $60M: Retiring commissioner credited with south Island film spending

Kathleen Gilbert set to retire in spring 2024 after 13 years at the helm

Film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert retires in spring 2024 after 13 years in the role supporting filmmaking on the south Island. (Courtesy Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission)
Gardein savory stuffed turk’y. (Facebook)

Gobble, gobble: Free vegan turkey give away in Victoria

PETA supporters will give away vegan turkey on Sunday, Dec.10

Gardein savory stuffed turk’y. (Facebook)
Victoria is the number one generous community in Canada according to GoFundMe. (GoFunndMe)

Victoria is named as the capital of donating: GoFundMe

GoFundMe created a list of the top 20 most generous communities

Victoria is the number one generous community in Canada according to GoFundMe. (GoFunndMe)
A rockslide has closed Sooke River Road near the Sooke Potholes Regional Park. (Hayley Clarke - Facebook)

Small rockslide closes Sooke River Road

More than 1,200 people in Sooke and East Sooke experiencing a power outage

A rockslide has closed Sooke River Road near the Sooke Potholes Regional Park. (Hayley Clarke - Facebook)
Winter Wonderland draws an unexpected visitor in Victoria’s Centennial Square. (Photo by Ken Lee)

UPDATE: 12 owl photos captured in Greater Victoria this fall

Share your owl or other wildlife photos/videos by emailing christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca

Winter Wonderland draws an unexpected visitor in Victoria’s Centennial Square. (Photo by Ken Lee)
Sean Burns (RLP Coast Capital Broker Owner), Candace Stretch (manager, Cridge Supportive Transitional Housing), Natalie Burns (RLP Coast Capital broker owner), April Grout (manager, RLP Coast Capital Realty), Marlene Goley (manager, Cridge Transition House for Women), Michelle Kientopp (manager, RLP Coast Capital Reality) and Adam Richards (CEO, Cridge Centre for the Family) celebrate a donation to change the lives of women facing violence. (Courtesy Cridge Centre for the Family)

Fall walk raises $27K for Victoria women’s transition house

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, community support ‘sends women a powerful message’

Sean Burns (RLP Coast Capital Broker Owner), Candace Stretch (manager, Cridge Supportive Transitional Housing), Natalie Burns (RLP Coast Capital broker owner), April Grout (manager, RLP Coast Capital Realty), Marlene Goley (manager, Cridge Transition House for Women), Michelle Kientopp (manager, RLP Coast Capital Reality) and Adam Richards (CEO, Cridge Centre for the Family) celebrate a donation to change the lives of women facing violence. (Courtesy Cridge Centre for the Family)