Feb 25 - ‘Xavier’s Law’ takes another step

Good morning !

If you got caught in slow-moving traffic on the Island Highway in View Royal the last couple of days, there’s good immediate news: BC Hydro has suspended its underground work, so construction is being put on hold.
Of course, that just means that the work will be done at a later date, and we don’t know when that will be.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 9 / 6 

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 10 / 6

Friday: ⛅ 7 / 4

7-day forecast

NEWS

‘Xavier’s Law’ passes second reading in BC legislature

The private member’s bill, named for a young South Island boy who was killed in a tragic collision last summer, would amend the Motor Vehicle Act to clearly define “reckless driving.”

The amendment would also create an immediate 30-day operating prohibition for reckless driving and would require police to report every reckless driving prohibition to the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles in order to track high-risk drivers. 

Bill M 226, introduced by Juan de Fuca-Malahat MLA Dana Lajeunesse, is informally named “Xavier’s Law” after 12-year-old Xavier Rasul-Jankovics, who was rollerblading with his family on their quiet Cobble Hill road when he was killed by a 17-year-old driver. 

Shawnigan Lake RCMP said at the time that “speed played an important factor” in the boy’s death. As the driver sped down the road in the family’s direction, the teen lost control of the vehicle, hitting Xavier before driving into a telephone pole. The teen and his passenger sustained minor injuries.

In the weeks after Xavier was killed, his family said they were shocked to find out that drivers involved in deadly crashes could keep their licences. They said police were unable to confirm whether the teen driver had his licence revoked. No charges have been laid against the teen, though RCMP say the investigation is ongoing. 

After Xavier’s death, his family began to push for stronger policies around reckless driving, creating a Change.org petition that has since amassed 14K+ signatures. They met with multiple MPs and MLAs to make “Xavier’s Law” a reality.

Now, with two readings cleared, the bill will be reviewed by a committee of MLAs. The public can share feedback on “Xavier’s Law” through March 10.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Missing person: Randy Rogers, 38, last seen Monday in Langford. [RCMP]

Saanich road closure: Reynolds at Cedar Hill Cross, today and tomorrow, 9am to 3pm.

Saanich single-lane traffic: Beckwith at Quadra, today, 9am to 3pm.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

Wild animal rehab centre puts out the bat signal for spring volunteers

If you are passionate about wild animals and their welfare, want to invest 2-4 hours a week from April to September, and don’t mind cleaning up the odd animal mess, you may be exactly what the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) in Metchosin needs.

BC SPCA Wild ARC is looking for 100 volunteers to help care for 2K wild animal patients, from hummingbirds to eagles, squirrels to raccoons, deer fawns, and river otters. These are sick, injured, or orphaned animals that could use a helping hand.

“About 80% of the animals that come into our care are because of something related to human activity,” says Ashley Currie, Wild ARC’s manager.

“Our work provides an opportunity to give back and make a tangible difference.”

Wild ARC is the only wildlife rehab centre on the South Island. In an average year, 70% of Wild ARC’s patients are birds. The other 30% are mammals, with the occasional reptile and amphibian. 

Last year, 150+ volunteers invested 17K hours of their time helping the nonprofit’s core rehab staff perform life-saving care to more than 140 different animal species. 

“We provide all the training required for our various roles, so we only ask that applicants to our volunteer program are keen to learn, passionate about wild animals, and want to make a difference in their community,” Currie says.

Volunteers must be 19 years old, although keeners aged 16-18 are also welcome, provided their parents or guardians sign off.

Wild ARC is sending out the bat signal for volunteers now because the busy season is coming up, with the stork dropping off babies left, right, and centre. Monthly intake soars from 50-75 patients this time of year to near 400 in the spring and beyond that in early summer. 

Wild ARC was established in 1997 as part of the BC SPCA’s 100th year. It has treated 61K+ animals since. Patient No. 60K was a barn swallow that had fallen from a nest on Salt Spring Island last July.
Here’s a list by species of the animals Wild ARC has nursed back to health over the last 28 years. 

And here’s where you can apply to volunteer before April 30.

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In Victoria, PHS Community Services Society provides 290 units of supportive housing with round‑the‑clock supports, a homeless shelter, a 22‑bed recovery program, and daily meals for the people served in these programs.

Please donate to PHS today to help restore stability and dignity for those experiencing homelessness.

⭐️ Capital Picks

💗 Pink Shirt Day is today. 

💕🎞️ A Place Where I Belong is showing tonight, 7pm. at Cinecenta. 

🐢 See a sea turtle? The DFO is collecting data about sea turtle sightings on BC’s coast, with nearly 250 reports recorded over the last century. [Fisheries and Oceans]

💲Arrange a Neighbourhood Grant. [City of Victoria]

🤝 Sooke Job Fair: [March 20, 1-5pm]

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🗞️ In Other News

Clearer sailing: BC Hydro puts Island Highway work in View Royal on hold
Spokesman Ted Olynyck said the underground work on the Island Highway near Four Mile Pub has been suspended after excavation crews discovered some “challenges.” He didn’t say specifically what those challenges are, but he did say it had something to do with the covering on the buried hydro lines. Work began on Monday and was supposed to last two weeks. Now the plan is to reopen the closed eastbound lane today and repave on Friday. It’s going to be just gravel until then, so the Town of View Royal encourages you to drive accordingly. Traffic will be reduced to single-alternating lanes from 9am to 3pm for Friday’s paving. [Times Colonist]

Downtown vegan restaurant Odd Burger will close on Sunday
The last chance to get an oddburger will be Saturday, after the non-meat restaurant chain announced yesterday on social media that it was closing its doors at the end of the month. Owners of the restaurant, which opened in August 2024, cite high rent and low sales. The chain has a dozen+ locations across the country, including in Vancouver. It’s the third vegan restaurant in Victoria to close in the last few months. Virtuous Pie shuttered in October, and MeeT on Blanshard shut down last August. [CHEK]

Tumbler Ridge tragedy may have been prevented with an AI warning: Eby
BC Premier David Eby says he’s angry and thinks OpenAI had information that, if brought forward, could have been used to help avert one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian history. Nine people, including five children, were killed in the Feb. 10 school shooting. The shooter’s interactions with a ChatGPT chatbot were flagged internally, but the parent company, OpenAI, didn’t pass that along to police. Eby also wants the federal government to establish rules requiring AI companies to report users who plot violence on their platforms. [CBC]

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🗓️ Things To Do

👐 UJAM Club Night: Heart & Soul: Universal Jazz Advocates & Mentors Society hosts a fun night of music that bypasses the brain and goes straight to the soul, with performers sharing heartfelt songs. Hermann's Jazz Club. Tonight. Doors 5:30pm, show 7-9:30pm. [Info]

🎶 String of Legacy: Kora Sounds & Ancestral Rhythms: The African Arts & Cultural Society presents a powerful evening celebrating legacy, resilience, and African musical traditions through kora sounds and ancestral rhythms. Charlie White Theatre. Tonight. Doors 7pm, show 7:30pm. [Info]

🎵 Pacific Baroque Festival 2026—Concert #1: Iberian Splendour: Organist Abraham Ross presents baroque organ music from Portugal and Spain, featuring ringing bells, distant drums, lavishly ornamented motets, and ancient plainsong. Christ Church Cathedral. Tonight. 7-9pm. [Info]

🥃 Vancouver Island Whisky Fest: Vancouver Island's whisky makers come together to showcase the depth, character, and craftsmanship of Island-distilled whisky. Merridale Cidery. Saturday. 7-9pm. [Info]

🎼 Ruckus: This dynamic Baroque ensemble, featuring flutist Emi Ferguson and violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, performs the music of Handel and his contemporary, the English former slave Ignatius Sancho. First Church of Christ, Scientist. Saturday. 7:30-9pm. [Info]

🎪 Island Circus Presents: Winter Cabaret 2026. A high-energy circus cabaret featuring aerials, acrobatics, juggling, and playful chaos. Suitable for adventurous humans of all ages. United Commons (formerly First Metropolitan Church). Saturday & Sunday. Various times. [Info]

🎭 The Place You Gave Us: An intimate and fully improvised performance about the spaces and the places that shape us. Created and performed by Helen Burger and D’Arcy Briggs. Intrepid Theatre. March 13 & 14. 8pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: YYJ seems storm resilient so far; Seniors’ at-home care program to grow; Eastbound section of Island View Highway to close until March 6. [Not anymore] [Feb. 24]

BC Transit double-decker evacuated after smoke-filled trip from ferry terminal. [Times Colonist]

Because he needs a kidney: Victoria film Because I Can gets a special rescreening. [CHEK]

Construction on Cook: Intermittent lane closures, parking restrictions between Bay and Maplewood until March 6.  

Single-lane alternating traffic: 100-block of Gorge Road East, through March 6. [City of Victoria]

Support Tumbler Ridge. [Charities]

Rising Economy 2026 Conference. [March 10 & 11]

Local Champions: Community leadership program. [City of Victoria]

That’s it!

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