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Another downtown restaurant has said farewell: The Poke Lounge at Quadra and Yates quietly shuttered its business this week, posting a note on the door thanking patrons for their support. The note called it a “truly bittersweet moment” for management and staff.

The Poke Lounge’s location was once the longtime home of Floyd’s Diner, which operated out of the corner spot from 2004 to 2019. It’s sad to see another restaurant leaving the space.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: ☀ 20 / 12

Tomorrow: ☀️ 22 / 13

Day after: ☀️ 19 / 15

7-day forecast

Sidney council has approved a temporary food service contract between Truffles Catering and the SHOAL Centre, a seniors recreation and assisted-living facility in Sidney, allowing the catering business to work out of its kitchen until the end of the year.

SHOAL’s current operating agreement does not allow commercial catering services, but Town of Sidney staff recommended the rules be relaxed during the six-month tenancy. Council unanimously approved.

SHOAL’s food services, including the Tides Dining Room and SHOAL Cafe, provide revenue for programs and care at the facility, but lately it’s been dealing with kitchen woes of its own. 

Sidney staff say the arrangement would have the “tremendous benefit” of easing an employee shortage in Beacon’s food programs, including the loss of its primary chef, while giving Truffles a space to operate.

“At the outset, Truffles would prepare meals for [SHOAL’s] assisted living residents; once that service becomes routine for the provider, the service would be made available to independent living residents and SHOAL members visiting the Centre,” Sidney staff said in a report.

“The catering operation is not expected to have a negative impact on the Centre in any way.”

The town says the “revenue generated through the arrangement will help offset food service operating costs and support the continued delivery of services” at the centre.

Update on the fire

The catering company lost its permanent Central Saanich location in a fire last month that caused “extensive interior damage,” according to the Central Saanich Fire Department.

Yesterday, the fire department shared an update on the investigation into the blaze at Truffles, as well as the fire at the neighbouring Garden Forks Restaurant that occurred less than three weeks prior. 

The department said investigators determined the origin of the flames at Truffles and found no evidence of criminal activity. The Garden Forks investigation is still ongoing, with no known cause yet.

“While both fires occurred within a relatively short period of time, investigators have found no evidence to suggest the incidents are related,” said the Central Saanich Fire Department in a statement.

Festival safety tips from Island Health.

Missing teen: Jahmai (Nathan), 15, was last seen in Oak Bay on July 10. [OBPD]

Missing teen: Joshua, 15, last seen July 10 on Kings. [VicPD]

Road closures for tomorrow’s Art Gallery Paint-In. [VicPD]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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A group of artists is putting on free outdoor concerts on Station Avenue in Langford this month in a big, borrowed tent. It’s cozy and dry, and the acoustics work, but they’d rather be playing in something more permanent—if only there were such a venue.

The Westshore is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, but it doesn’t have an arts hub.

“In the same way that we invest in sports fields, swimming pools, and these kinds of things, we also need to invest in our art space,” says Judith Cullington, president of the Juan de Fuca Performing Arts Centre Society (JdFPACS). 

Since the mid-nineties, Cullington, a former Colwood councillor, and her group have been pushing for an arts hub, a permanent place for artists to work on and store their materials, practise and perform. 

Cullington says there are plenty of school theatres and church spaces in the Westshore, but what artists need is guaranteed space.

“We've had groups from the Westshore, who end up doing their thing downtown [in Victoria] because there is no space out here."

In November 2025, the society released its plans for a $40M facility. 

The society isn’t looking for money. It's looking for a place to build.

"The challenge is bringing together the right combination of land, municipal partnership, capital funding, and long-term operational planning to create a sustainable facility that serves the region for generations," says Kathryn Pascuzzo, the society's vice president.

At best, the group figures an arts and cultural centre is five years away, so right now, the task, Cullington says, is getting out the word at events such as its Rocking Summer on Station Avenue.

The free shows are supported by the Victoria Foundation Community Grants Program and developer Viking Properties, which donated the tent.

This story ran for our Insiders on July 12. Consider becoming an Insider today and be the first to receive stories every Sunday.

PHS Community Services Society is working to launch a life-changing commissary kitchen by matching a $500,000 grant from the Al Roadburg Foundation, and they need your help. 

After a two-year search, PHS secured a former restaurant that now requires seismic, building, and operational upgrades. This new facility will expand PHS’s Food Program, which already prepares and delivers over 3,900 meals daily, including 2,000 hot meals in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. 

The current kitchen was designed for just 200 meals, creating urgent safety and capacity challenges. A purpose-built facility will increase meal production, expand storage, and ensure uninterrupted service for thousands who face poverty, food insecurity, and complex health challenges. 

This is more than a building—it’s a lifeline.

Click here to donate today and double your impact. 

📚 GVPL Summer Reading Club: See the prizes available to young readers. [Greater Victoria Public Library]

🫖 Quintessential Oak Bay: Barnacles on a teapot found in the water near Queen’s Park. [Facebook photo]

🏠 Seniors and their families are thinking ahead about a home’s long-term fit for aging in place. This free screening guide helps with the process.*

🧢 HarbourCats host Wenatchee AppleSox tonight at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

🤩 Hollywood star vacations on the Island: James Marsden shared photos from his recent trip to Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge.

*Sponsored Listing

Colwood Mayor seeking reelection
Doug Kobayashi announced this week that he is seeking a second term as Colwood’s mayor. He said he decided he was ready to commit to another four years thanks to family support, his health, and his love for the job. If reelected, Kobayashi said he wants to continue growing Colwood’s city-owned medical clinic, which currently employs four physicians and expects to hire a fifth later this year; Kobayashi hopes to eventually have up to eight doctors employed. [Times Colonist] 

Saanich PD investigating stolen, damaged speed signs
Multiple speed-reduction signs along Torquay have been vandalized or stolen, according to the Saanich Police Department. Since April 29, there have been 10 incidents of stolen or damaged signs, with the most recent occurring on Monday. Police are asking anyone who witnessed these incidents or noticed suspicious activity near these signs to contact the department at 250-475-4321 (reference file 26-8715). 

Motorcyclist fined, bike impounded after stunt attempt ends in crash in Central Saanich
Police said the motorcyclist was trying a burnout at Wallace and West Saanich around 8:30am on Tuesday when their bike got away from them and slid across the intersection. The driver wasn’t injured, and traffic was not impacted significantly. The driver was issued a $368 ticket for driving without due care and attention, which comes with six penalty points. Their motorcycle was impounded for seven days. [CHEK]

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🎯 Robin Hood: Pacific Opera Victoria’s Youth Summer Performance Program presents a fully staged, spirited opera at The Baumann Centre. Today 4pm; Saturday 12:30pm; Sunday 12:30pm & 4pm. [Info] 

🎨 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Paint-In: The largest summer arts festival on the Island returns, with 180+ artists painting on Moss, a family-friendly beverage garden, and gallery exhibits tomorrow. 11am-6pm. [Info]

⚽ World Cup third-place match: See England vs. France at Langford Station or Market Square tomorrow. 2pm.  

🛍️ James Bay Community Market: A beloved neighbourhood market running every Saturday at the corner of Menzies and Superior. 9am–3pm. [Info]

🚘 Oak Bay Car Collector Festival: To honour 30 years of the Vancouver Island Region Porsche Club of America, 20 classic and exotic Porsches will be displayed on Oak Bay Ave. Sunday. 8am-3pm. [Info]

Thursday’s headlines: Eagle Wing Tours acquired by US-based company; GoFundMe launched for victim of alleged attack in Gorge Park. [July 16]

Missing woman: Rhaina, 41, last seen July 5 on Lodi. [Saanich PD]

Blue-green algae advisories in place for Prior Lake, Thetis Lake, and Beaver Lake. [CRD] 

The last fluent Ditidaht speaker: Michael Thompson, the oldest member of Ditidaht Nation, died this week at 93. [CHEK]

Beavers booping noses in Linley Valley. [Facebook videos] 

Westshore Rebels home opener vs. Valley Huskers is Saturday, July 18 at Starlight Stadium. 

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