May 31 - John Lennon's old car is at the RBCM

Good morning !

Imagine seeing John Lennon’s old car up close. It’s easy if you try.
Lennon’s old ride is back on display at the Royal BC Museum (RBCM).
To the uninitiated, it’s been kind of a thing here in BC for about 30 years.
And the yellow, psychedelic motor car isn’t a Beetle—it’s a Rolls-Royce.

Plus: How not to celebrate your buddy’s upcoming nuptials.

— Mark 

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

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Today: 🌦️16 / 9 

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Monday: 🌤️ 21 / 11

NEWS

John Lennon’s old car is back on display at the Royal BC Museum

The psychedelic Rolls-Royce is back in the spotlight at the Royal BC Museum (RBCM) to coincide with the temporary exhibit Beyond the Beat: Music of Resistance and Change, travelling from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

It’s a part of music history that has resided in Victoria since the 1990s, when Jim Pattison donated it to the RBCM. It was brought over to this side of the Atlantic when Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono moved to New York City, and it eventually made its way to the Smithsonian when the couple donated it to offset a tax bill. 

Years later, in 1985, the mostly yellow Rolls was placed on auction at Sotheby’s—with an estimated value of $300K USD—where Pattison bought it for $2.2M USD to display in one of his Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums. He sent it to Vancouver for Expo ’86, which he chaired, before donating it to the province. 

The car—which once made an outraged English woman yell “You swine! How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce!” as Lennon drove through the streets of London—was not always this eye-catching. The Rolls-Royce Phantom V was black when Lennon purchased it in 1965—but as the music and visuals of The Beatles evolved, so too did the car. Lennon commissioned an artist named Steve Weaver to paint the colourful pattern just before the 1967 release of the experimental album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. He also bought a white Rolls-Royce to coincide with the release of The Beatles (AKA the White Album).

The car symbolizes a period of music that pushed boundaries and fueled activism in the late 1960s and early 1970s, making it an ideal fit alongside the Beyond the Beat exhibit, which explores the history of music as a form of protest.

Despite the museum’s ownership of the pop culture treasure, the car isn’t suitable for year-round display. It’s a behemoth of a vehicle at 3,000kg (6,600 lbs) and 5m (19 feet) in length, too large to bring to the climate-controlled permanent galleries on the second and third floors. Instead, it’s stored off-site at a secret location in Victoria for most of the year or loaned to other museums. 

Now, it’s back in its usual display spot in the lobby, where the public can see it for free.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Scam: West Shore RCMP warn of police impersonation. [RCMP]

Minor park closures: Witty’s Lagoon and Devonian Regional Park will have small area closures throughout June while crews target invasive species with herbicide. [CRD]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Floyd’s Diner in James Bay to move into nearby hotel

The restaurant—known for its heaping servings at breakfast and lunch—will be moving into the Royal Scot Hotel, about one block from its current location at Menzies and Superior, where it’s been for seven years. 

Floyd’s founder, Petr Prusa, told the Times Colonist that the move away from its standalone location in the neighbourhood was due to “the sheer cost of doing business in these buildings.” 

He says he might eventually move his three other Floyd’s Diners—in Langford, Royal Oak, and Brentwood Bay—to a similar shared space.

Rising costs were the reason Prusa closed its original spot at Quadra and Yates in 2018, where rent was $12K a month (“You gotta sell a lot of eggs for that,” Prusa told Victoria News at the time).

Greg Greene, general manager at the Royal Scot Hotel, says the new restaurant will have the iconic look and feel of other Floyd’s Diners, with pink walls and Marilyn Monroe art (though, hopefully, this art won’t be stolen and thrown behind a dumpster like in 2014 and again in 2015 at the Quadra location.)

The new location will have seating for 60 people, with additional space on the patio. The renovation work has kicked off already, with painting planned for this week. Murder Burger will take over the Menzies location in the summer, serving up smash burgers with an expanded menu.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

⚾ HarbourCats win season opener in Kelowna.

🐻 Island-hopping grizzly: The massive bear was seen on Texada Island after swimming from Powell River. [Times Colonist]

🐳 The garden orcas are back: The stylized hedges downtown, near the Empress Hotel, have returned for the summer. [City of Victoria]

🗞️ In Other News

We’re No. 1: Victoria tops the country for the price of gas 
When, after 14 years, the consumer carbon tax was dropped on April 1, gas prices followed. But that relief appears to be in the rearview mirror as the average pump price in Victoria is 179.6 cents per litre. That’s a couple of pennies cheaper than last week, but it’s still the highest in Canada. With an average price of 157.2 cents per litre, BC is the most expensive province for gas; Ontario is the cheapest at 128.6. [CHEK]

Residents worry Langford development will endanger creek
Bilston Creek, which is home to many at-risk species, will soon have a storm drain connected to the Centre Mountain development. Advocates for protecting the creek say the water will not be properly filtered before entering the creek. Residents say there have been other concerning environmental impacts from the project, despite the municipality’s assurance that water entering the creek would be clean. Metchosin residents voiced worries about future flooding with extra stormwater in the creek. [Goldstream Gazette]

Bachelor party prank prompts ‘major’ police response
VicPD got a bunch of calls Thu. morning from people who said they saw a group of men place a bag over another man’s head and pull him into a white van near the city’s courthouse. Given the incident had the characteristics of a kidnapping, VicPD sent out several units, and the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) was deployed. Turns out someone’s getting married, and their buddies were having a bit of fun. VicPD is reminding the public to “be cognizant of how any innocent prank will be viewed by others in our community.” [VicPD]

SPONSORED

Ira Hoffecker's abstracted landscape paintings at Sotheby's

🎨 STUNNING DEBUT AT SOTHEBY'S!

German-Canadian visionary Ira Hoffecker transforms imagination into breathtaking reality with 12 explosive new paintings. Imagined Landscapes will leave you speechless.

📍 Sotheby's, 752 Douglas Street, Victoria
🗓️ Now - July 31

Don't miss this artistic revolution! Experience Hoffecker's masterful vision before July 31.

Visit Ira's website here.

🗓️ Things to do

🖊️ Vancouver Island Festival of the Word: Join local writers and readers for one day of groundbreaking workshops, author readings, and panel discussions. Support your local authors. Fernwood Neighbourhood House. June 7. 10am-4pm. [Info] 

🍓 Ichigo Strawberry Moon Market: A vibrant Japanese-inspired food and arts market with 25+ food vendors and 75+ artisan stalls. Fernwood Community Centre. Today. 11am-4pm. [Info]

🐈 Fernwood Cat Walk: Follow a map of “cat stops” to spot neighbourhood cats lounging in windows, yards, and sidewalks. Afterward, join the “After Paw-ty” at The Fernwood Inn. Fernwood. Today. 1:30pm to 6pm. [Info]

🎶 Folktoria 2025: A two-day free festival celebrating folk culture with music, dance, and crafts at Centennial Square. Today and tomorrow. 12–8pm. [Info]

🎨 Explore the Marine Debris Art Exhibit: The Floating World, an art installation by Pete Clarkson, featuring sculptures made from marine debris collected along Canada’s West Coast, will be on display as part of Ocean Week Victoria. Hillside Shopping Centre. Today–June 8. [Info]

🏡 Oaklands Garage Sale Day and Street Party: Join the community-wide garage sale across Oaklands for great finds and local treasures, plus food trucks, live music, and kids' activities. Belmont Ave. Today. 11am-3pm. [Maps and Info]

🌊 World Ocean Day Celebration in Sidney: Family-friendly celebration at Beacon Park with the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea. Tomorrow. 11am-3pm. [Info]

🦀 Family Intertidal Exploration: A casual intertidal exploration to get an up-close visit to marine life. Rainbow Park. Tomorrow. 1pm. [Info]

🐦 Exploring Marine Birds with CRD Regional Parks and Power To Be: Take a stroll or roll along the accessible beach trail to learn some basic identification, life history, and fun facts about some birds that you might see on the water. Island View Beach. Tomorrow. 1:30pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: Province puts Langford on housing targets list; Navy training near Esquimalt Lagoon; Vandalism rampage in Fernwood. [May 30]

Ocean Week Victoria event planner. [Capital Daily] 

Saanich sewers smoking: Here’s why. [CHEK]

Trump tariffs back on as the White House appeals court block. [City News]

Vote discredited by blurred Zoom screen, BC Conservatives contend. [Lakeland Today / CP]

Honorary Citizen Award nominations now open. [City of Victoria]

Sooke Fine Arts Show call for artists: Submissions close tomorrow. [Info]