Masks are back in BC health-care settings
Major factors affecting Victoria housing, record number of impaired drivers in Saanich last year, unlicenced Island midwife charged with manslaughter.
Good morning !
Masks are once again mandatory in BC health-care settings as respiratory viruses and the flu are on the rise. Our first story today looks at the temporary policy, which the province says should be lifted by the spring.
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NEWS
BC brings back masking at all health-care settings
Anybody visiting a health-care facility where patients are actively receiving treatment will have to mask up again as we enter the time of year when colds and the flu are more common.
The BC government made wearing medical masks mandatory as of the beginning of this week, “to protect people during the respiratory illness season.”
“Current surveillance trends show that influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) activity is increasing, and COVID-19 activity is stable but showing early signs of an increase,” the health ministry said in a release.
“As of January 6, 2025, all health-care workers, volunteers, contractors, patients, and visitors must wear medical masks in areas where patients are actively receiving care, except when eating and/or drinking.
The ministry said the temporary edict applies to all health authority-operated or contracted facilities such as hospitals, long-term care, assisted living, outpatient clinics, and ambulatory care settings for the respiratory season.
It’s temporary because the ministry expects the risk to subside in the spring, it said.
“Temporary measures like these have been regularly used in health-care settings both pre- and post-pandemic, including last year,” the ministry said.
The wearing of a mask was mandatory in various degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic and was rescinded last July.
Visitors don’t need to wear a mask when entering a single resident in a patient-care area, in multi-bed rooms, or in communal areas when visiting directly with one individual resident.
Residents of long-term care and assisted living settings must wear a mask over their nose and mouth, and other PPE when directed by a health care worker during times of direct patient care.
⚠️ Capital Bulletin
Register to vote by mail on the Crystal Pool referendum. [Details]
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is closed this week until Sun.
Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.
NEWS
Annual BC Assessment highlights factors impacting Greater Victoria market
Capital Daily recently reported on BC Assessment’s annual release on high-end property values throughout the province. The numbers, from lowest to highest collectively point to broader social, economic, and market trends going into 2025. We’ve put together some more context for the assessment release, looking at some of the contributing factors affecting housing prices in the CRD.
The Capital Regional District (CRD) housing market is largely impacted by the demand for quality and affordable living, population growth, and general lifestyle preferences as more and more people flock to the region.
There were 2,290 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service at the end of December 2024, a 7.4% increase from last year.
Population growth is a key factor
It's reflected in rising prices in suburban areas and the need for housing in general. Over the 2019-2038 period, the CRD projected its population to increase by 20%, from 412K to 494K. However, that estimate may be wildly conservative, given that recent numbers showed its population already at 453K in 2023. More people, more housing. But not all housing is created equal.
The combination of limited housing supply, rising interest rates, and high demand has kept property prices elevated, making home ownership challenging for many residents. This has intensified calls for more robust policies to increase housing stock, particularly for middle-income families and first-time buyers.
Read on to find out more about the issues affecting our local housing market—from dips in home values and the rising interest in Westshore properties to green construction initiatives.
⭐️ Capital Picks
🏛️ Royal BC Museum Community Days admission by donation.
🍜 Sea Glass Grill gift cards can be brought to Mary’s Bleue Moon Cafe in Sidney—a 5 min. drive from the recently shuttered restaurant—for a free meal. [Details]
🌊 Turquoise waters: See East Sook Park’s shoreline from above. [Doug Clement Photography]
🗞️ In Other News
$1.7M worth of contraband smokes seized from Langford home
The day before New Year’s, RCMP executed a search warrant on a residential property on Setchfield and they say it turned up 17.1K cartons—equal to 171K individual packs. It’s the largest seizure of illicit tobacco Westshore RCMP has ever made. No arrests have been made yet. The Mounties say the sale of illegal cigarettes helps to fund organized crime groups and siphons off federal tax revenues. [RCMP]
Saanich Police stop a record number of impaired drivers in 2024
Police said they stopped 628 impaired drivers last year, surpassing the previous record of 468 taken off the road in 2023. The majority—278—were handed 90-day licence suspensions; 178 lost their licences for three days; 110 were prevented from driving for 24 hours because of alcohol impairment; and 43 were banned from the roads for a day due to drug impairment. [Saanich Police]
Island ‘childbirth activist’ charged with manslaughter in newborn’s death
The charge comes almost a year after the infant died a week after Gloria Lemay oversaw its home birth in Ladysmith. Lemay was banned from acting as a midwife 10 years prior and it’s believed she caused injuries to the infant during the birth. Lemay has been linked to several incidents of mishandled births dating back to 1985 when she was charged with criminal negligence in connection to her midwifery, though she eventually was acquitted. She was sued last month by a couple in Chemainus for allegedly injuring their newborn in 2021. Lemay has never been licensed as a midwife. [CBC]
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🗓️ Things to do
🖼 Avenue Gallery show: Richard Motchman closes today. The Kenya-born, Penticton-raised nature painter's work examines the details of Island undergrowth. [Info]
🎹 Evan Crofton Trio: The Victoria-born keyboardist, vocalist, and Busty and the Bass band member returns to Hermann’s tonight. 7pm. [Info]
🍕 Trivia Thursday: Test your knowledge and grab a bite at Brickyard Pizza tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]
🎵 Encounters Concert: See the new Canadian chamber group perform under-represented and non-traditional music at Phillip T. Young Recital Hall tonight. 8pm. [Info]
🍄 Six-Course Wild Mushroom Dinner: Head to The Courtney Room restaurant to try out a mouth-watering wild mushroom menu accompanied by a talk from guest mycologist, Richard Winder, today. 5:30pm. [Info]
🕺 The Comic Strippers: Catch this male stripper parody and improv comedy show at Mary Winspear Centre tomorrow. 7:30pm. [Info]
🎸 Sum41: With performances from PUP and Gob at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre tomorrow. 6pm. [Info]
👀 In Case You Missed It
Wednesday’s headlines: Sea sponge soaks up climate info; Top dining spots; View Royal blaze investigated as an arson. [Jan. 8]
VIU basketballers to boycott games over alleged mistreatment of transgender player. [Newsweek]
Saanich preps for possible expropriation of land for cycling, pedestrian projects. [Times Colonist]
Stolen dog returned to Nanaimo family after six months. [CHEK]
Record waves on the Island's west coast. [TJ Watt photos]
Birds of a feather: See the fascinating wildlife of Sooke. [Facebook photos]
Hear Victoria’s Rhianna Barr-Beaumont’s version of Paula Abdul’s classic “Cold Hearted.” [YouTube]