Feb 27 - Durkin getting the boot

Good morning !

We start with a bit of closure on a long-brewing story about a white knight who lied, bullied, and cheated people out of money in his attempt to secure a deal to buy Sooke Harbour House.

We also have news on how the city is encouraging contractors to clean up construction sites.

We have zero stories on international hockey, leaving me officially in Canada-USA shinny withdrawal.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌤️ 10 / 5 

Tomorrow: 🌤️ 11 / 6

Saturday: 🌤️ 11 / 6

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NEWS

Sooke Harbour House grifter loses last-gasp attempt to stay in Canada

The man who stole a hotel through an elaborate fraud scheme while a fugitive of the US—and who bullied the former owners of Sooke Harbour House—has lost his fight against deportation and will be booted from the country.

Timothy Durkin’s bid for a judicial review was tossed out of Federal Court in Ottawa.

In her decision released last week, Madame Justice Negar Azmudeh found a Canada Border Services Agency deportation order, based on Durkin’s involvement in an Alabama Ponzi scheme, to be justified. 

In 2014, Durkin, 73 and a UK citizen, along with Oak Bay business partner Rodger Gregory agreed to buy the hotel, which at the time was almost $3 million in the red. 

What ensued is what a judge would later call a “six-year odyssey of lies, excuses, threats, intimidation and bullying” that walloped the wallets and sensibilities of the Philip family which owned the hotel, and would-be investors—including an octogenarian from Kamloops.

Through their company SHH Holdings, Durkin and Gregory perpetually missed payment deadlines, offering “a revolving door of excuses for the holdup,” as our Tori Marlan wrote in her CAJ award-winning investigative piece.

Built in the 1920s, Sooke Harbour House was internationally known and its at-the-time-novel farm-to-table restaurant helped to pioneer the slow-food movement, spotlighting the idea of locally produced dining. 

Frederique and Sinclair Philip bought the sprawling hotel in 1979 and had three decades of success—the New York Times once wrote its restaurant was among the “half-dozen best” in Canada.

However, the 2008 global economic crisis cut into business, particularly from US patrons, leading the Philips to sell to SHH Holdings, which didn’t hold up its end of the bargain. 

The BC Supreme Court ordered Durkin’s business holdings to pay the Philips $4 million in damages. In 2023, the BC Securities Commission hit SHH Holdings with $1.6 million in total penalties for lying to investors. 

Located about 40 clicks west of Victoria and overlooking Whiffin Spit, Sooke Harbour House is under new ownership. It reopened last summer after four years—and one pandemic—and features two restaurants with a kitchen run by executive chef Melissa Craig, and a waterfront patio that seats 300. 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Electric ranges on recall: fire hazard. [Details]

Wanted man: Andre Brunet, 38. Last seen Tue., in downtown Vic. [VicPD]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

Have your joined our supporter drive yet? We’re one week in, and a quarter of the way to our goal!

Support local journalism by supporting Capital Daily. Become a Capital Daily Insider member today and help bring local stories to life. 

NEWS

The city wants to clean up cluttered construction sites

If you’ve driven around town and have seen some construction sites with materials strewn about, and plastic covering blowing in the wind, the city hears you.

Vic City Council has approved revisions to its demolition, waste, and deconstruction bylaw in a bid to increase sustainability and reduce construction waste. 

The idea is to divert more construction waste from landfills, where discarded construction materials make up more than 30%.

The updated bylaw focuses on salvaging and repurposing materials from demolitions to support a more sustainable circular economy. It also gives contractors clear guidelines on what to do with their unused materials. 

One of the changes includes shifting from mass-based to length-based targets for salvaged wood, simplifying the measuring process for contractors. The bylaw introduces adjustments to signage requirements which had confused some homeowners and contractors. There’s also a refundable $19K fee to incentivize compliance. 

The first phase of the bylaw targets single-family house demolitions, while Phase 2 will apply to multi-unit demolitions when it launches in May.

Read Sidney Coles’ full story here.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

😎 Step into your future with confidence! Advance your career with bite-sized professional development programs from Continuing Studies at UVic.*

🩷 UVic professor Jillian Roberts’ The Friendship Guide. Timely, following Pink Shirt Day.

🏒 Submit an original hockey-themed song by tomorrow and you could win $5K and perform at Victoria Hockey Legacy Society's Century Celebration Music Night.*

♥️ Victoria non-profit Creatively United for the Planet launches the World We Want Contest for creatives. First place wins $3K.

💌 Get Victoria Foundation updates right to your inbox with its bi-weekly eNewsletter! They share foundation news, publications like Vital Signs, funding announcements, and spotlights on local non-profits!*

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🗞️ In Other News

New earthquake early-warning system works… for the most part
According to Natural Resources Canada, when a 4.8-magnitude shaker hit last Friday, alerts went out to emergency broadcast systems and cellphones about 10 seconds later. But some of the fancier features, such as automated shut-off of gas valves and the kicking in of generators and opening of firehall doors are still months, possibly years away because they require separate technology. The new system went live last May. [Times Colonist]

Victoria woman faces dangerous driving charges following Whiskey Creek crash
The two-vehicle collision about 45 minutes north of Nanaimo on Valentine’s Day last year killed one person and seriously injured another. Jasmine Bal, 39, is charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death and one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm for her part in the crash. She is to appear in court on March 25. [CTV] 

Suspect arrested after allegedly fleeing crash scene outside Cedar Hill Rec Centre
Saanich police said they tried to stop a suspected impaired driver around 10 Tue. night near Cedar Hill and Cedar Cross and when the driver didn’t stop officers didn’t pursue. Not too long afterward, the black four-door pickup crashed into a tree near the rec centre. The driver ran off but the canine team was called in and a suspect was arrested. [CHEK] 

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🗓️ Things to do

🎻 Launch Party: Max Francis. The 13-year-old BC fiddle champion is joined by an all-star lineup including Daniel Lapp, Adam Dobres, and Adrian Dolan to perform music from Home, Francis’s first full-length album of original compositions. The Mint. Sun. 2pm. [Info]

😆 Nikki Glaser will make you laugh. The Emmy Award-winning comedian—and recent Golden Globes host—will play to a sold-out crowd. Royal Theatre. Tonight & tomorrow. 7pm. [Info]

🎶 Wes Carroll Confabulation’s 10th-anniversary show. Since 2015, the sextet has honed its unique blend: stretching out into a world of hip-hop grooves, soul, and electricity while not losing its jazz footing. Hermann’s. Tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🎤 PechaKucha Night Victoria VOL 21. 12 local creatives, entrepreneurs and change-makers will inspire, entertain & educate us with dynamic and captivating presentations on a wide variety of topics. Vic Theatre. Tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎭 The Prom: St. Michaels University School is proud to present a cast, crew, and orchestra of Grades 9-12 students in the hit Broadway musical. McPherson Playhouse. Tonight-Sat. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎵 Jeremie Albino: Out Time in the Sun tour. The Toronto roots rock singer-songwriter will perform tunes from his fourth album. Capital Ballroom. Tonight. 9pm. [Info] 

📚 Open House: Undergraduate Studies at RRU. Explore Royal Roads University's new undergraduate programs at the Dogwood Auditorium. Engage with faculty, staff, and alumni through interactive sessions, enjoy a complimentary lunch, and tour the historic Hatley Castle and gardens. Royal Roads. Sat. 9am. [Info]  

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Symphony of Splash returning to Inner Harbour this summer; UVic turns to First Nations for emergency preparedness; Pipe problems pass residential sewage backups. [Feb. 26]

Quadra-McKenzie Plan gets Saanich Council’s approval. [CHEK]

US tariffs would impede construction and renovation projects, say BC builders. [CTV]

BC Supreme Court dismisses short-term rental legal challenge against the province. [Times Colonist]

Have your say: Juan de Fuca Transportation Network plan. Until March 8. [Details]

Restaurant matchbooks from the past: Do you remember these Victoria eateries? [Facebook photo]

Chiton closeup: See the ocean creature up close at 10 Mile Point. [Facebook photo]

That’s it!

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