Good morning {{First name}}!

An ugly election-related situation arose yesterday and was handled quickly and decisively by the BC Conservatives.
As a result of the fallout, the Downtown Victoria Business Association’s all-candidates meeting scheduled for Oct. 20 at the Victoria Conservatory of Music is now a two-candidate affair.
See our first story for the details.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: 🌦️ 15 / 8

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 14 / 8

Sunday: ☀️ 15 / 8

7-day forecast

Joachim Agou is no longer running in the NDP stronghold riding after a series of his social media posts were reposted by Amna Shah, an NDP candidate in Surrey City Centre, who described them as “absolutely horrific racism.”

The comments—since deleted—targeted the Pakistani and Palestinian communities.
In one posted in September 2025, Agou commented on a driver plowing into pro-Palestinian protesters in Switzerland.

“He should have reversed too!!!” the post read.

Another, from June 2025, depicts US President Donald Trump looking out an Air Force 1 window with a caption that refers to Pakistan in a crude, unflattering way.

“There's only one way for Lorne Doerkson to respond: fire this candidate immediately,” Shah posted yesterday morning on X.

About 90 minutes later, the BC Conservatives leader did just that.

“There is no excuse for this. I will not tolerate it,” Doerkson said in a brief statement. “The candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill is no longer a Conservative candidate. If elected, he will not serve in the caucus.”

According to Elections BC, a candidate has 48 hours before the start of advance voting to officially withdraw from the race. Advance voting begins one week from today, meaning Agou would have until next Wednesday to pull out.

It was unclear whether Agou planned to do that or run as an independent, but the ballots have been printed so his name will appear for the Oct. 24 vote.

Agou’s page on the Conservative Party website has been taken down.

The Victoria-Beacon Hill riding is considered firm NDP territory, with incumbent Grace Lore pitted against Agou and BC Green candidate Rajinder Sahota. 

Military Helicopter Training: Canadian Special Operations Forces Command CH-146 Griffon helicopter crews will be doing low-level flying training starting today, between 2pm and 1am, until Oct. 30. 

Royal Victoria Marathon road closures this Sunday. [Map]

Craigflower Bridge closure: Oct. 20 & 21, 7:30pm-7am for expansion joint replacement.

Saanich Road Closure: Piedmont between Del Monte and Santa Clara.

Driving today? Check current traffic conditions via Google.

On the water today? Check the tide times for Victoria.

The region’s tourism bureau said 2026 is shaping up to be another banner year for out-of-town visitors to Greater Victoria. 

Destination Greater Victoria (DGV) said its data indicates this year’s tourism economy is on pace to potentially match 2025, one of the region’s best years—and in some benchmark areas, this year's numbers are ahead of last year’s.

Between Victoria Day and Labour Day 2026:

• The average daily hotel room rate increased 7.3% over summer 2025 to $370
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR) was $328, up 2.8% from summer 2025
• Overall average occupancy was 88%, which is just below the 92% achieved in 2025

Comparing the year so far (Jan. 1 to Sept. 30) with 2025:

• Occupancy is even at 80.3%
• The average daily room rate is up 5.3% to $313.47
• RevPAR is $251.75—a 5.3% increase. 

“These results are a reflection of all the hard work that has gone into promoting Greater Victoria as a year-round destination, with a wealth of activities and attractions to enjoy throughout the year,” said Paul Nursey, DGV’s CEO.

Nursey said the addition of 14 cruise ship visits (for a total of 335), along with 12 upcoming conference bookings (adding to the 67,624 delegate days and 22,598 hotel room nights already involved) and sporting events (the Royal Victoria Marathon this weekend and the Grand Slam of Curling next month) will make for a bustling autumn.

Overall, domestic travel to Victoria has been strong, the bureau said, and American visitation to Greater Victoria is steady, if not slightly up. 

“We are also seeing a small uptick in visitors from international locations,” said Astrid Chang, DGV’s executive director of corporate communications. 

This story ran for our Insiders on Oct. 4. Consider becoming an Insider today and be the first to receive stories every Sunday.

Celebrate World Egg Day with BC Egg and a breakfast worth waking up for. Discover the omelette that inspired Yolks founder Steve Ewing, try his lemon curd on French toast, and sharpen your egg skills with practical tips from culinary veteran Hythe Al-Keder. Ready to try something delicious? Start cooking.

🎽 Royal Victoria Marathon events are this weekend. [Registration]

✈️ Rename Vancouver’s YVR to Terry Fox International Airport. [Petition]

💪 Step up. This is your opportunity. Build skills that work right now with Continuing Studies at UVic and keep your career moving.*

✅ Victoria All-Candidates Forum on homelessness, housing, and toxic drug crisis on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Solid Outreach Society.

🎭 Pacific Opera Victoria Opens Season with Verdi’s Il trovatore on Oct. 16.

🏡 Senior parents and adult children sometimes see the same home very differently. This free walkthrough guide helps them view it together and compare notes.*

✍️ Victoria Poet Laureates: Call for applications open until Nov. 19.

*Sponsored Listing

Local funny people open new comedy club on Cook
OK, Dope, a new comedy club, has opened in the former Logan’s Pub space. Named for the local comedy production company started by Nash Park and Alex Foreman, it will run shows Wednesday to Sunday, including standup and OK, Dope's famed Blind Date and Girls Night shows. The 90-seat venue will be open from 5pm to midnight. If no shows are scheduled, the space will operate as a standard bar with food. [CHEK]

Resist the urge to act, police tell the public after Langford cat incident
West Shore RCMP is urging the public not to engage in “vigilante justice” after a video circulated online showing a man apparently hitting a cat in a Langford apartment. The RCMP said officers visited on Oct. 5, found the cat distressed but with no obvious injuries, and turned it over to CRD Animal Control for further examination. Police said the man cooperated and gave up any claim to the cat. Police said sharing his identity and address online risks his safety and the ongoing investigation.

Distracted and unbuckled driving on the Island went up big time, year-over-year
BC RCMP compared their provincewide distracted driving campaign findings for September 2025 to this year’s and have concluded, “the numbers are way too high.” Here on the Island, the number of motorists caught using electronic devices while driving increased to 214 last month from 76 last September. The RCMP said it caught 79 motorists for not wearing seatbelts last September. Last month, they caught 148 people not buckled up. [RCMP]

🤣 Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood: Quick-witted, improvised comedy at the Royal Theatre. Today. 4:30pm. Shows tomorrow and Sunday. [Info]

🎸 Band of the Month Showcase 11: Free show. The Zone @91-3 presents a live showcase of music at Studio 919. Tonight. 6pm. [Info]

🎺 Fernando Ferrarone Quartet: Travel With Me. The jazz trumpeter and alto saxophonist and his quartet perform compositions from their upcoming album. The Coda. Tonight. 6:30pm. [Info]

🎶 Spirit of Jazz and Soul: VTC fall and winter concert series. Victoria Truth Centre. Tonight. 7pm. [Info] 

🎃 God is a Scottish Drag Queen: Halloween Spooktacular: See this seasonal special packed with sass, satire, and supernatural wit at the McPherson Playhouse tonight. 7:30pm. [Info]

🎸 The Zolas: The Vancouver band will bring its indie-rock sound to the Capital Ballroom tonight. 8pm. [Info]

🎶 The Fruit Bats: The American folk-rockers will perform new music at the Capital Ballroom tomorrow. 8pm. [Info]

🖼️ Art Crawl: Check out unique works from 100+ creators at two Victoria arts hubs at 780 Blanshard and 1101 Yates tomorrow. 2-8pm. [Info] 

👻 Things That Go Bump in the Night: Delve into the world of ‘ghosts and lingering spirits’ in this fun-filled afternoon at the Molson Mansion in Rockland. Tomorrow & Oct. 17, 1-4pm. [Info]

📚 Victoria Festival of Authors: Events at various venues in the city, celebrating local writing. Monday-Oct. 18. [Info]

Thursday’s headlines: Another orca calf dies; New app developed in Victoria available for busy days at BC Ferries; War and Remembrance finally remembered—and returned to GVPL. [Oct. 8]

Sooke brewery reps meet with Indigenous leaders to discuss T-shirt transgression. [CTV]

Water main flushing in the Westshore: Now through December, starting in East Sooke. [CRD]

Saanich road closure: Fairburn, between Gordon Head and Feltham, will be closed through Oct. 16, 9am-3pm.

Election grades: See where Greater Victoria candidates land on top issues. [Livable CRD]

New Indigenous mural under Johnson Street Bridge is complete and ready for visitors. [GVHA]

Motorsports Spectacular returns to Victoria for 3 shows in January 2027. [Tickets on sale today at 10am]

Bleeding tooth fungus season: The spooky-looking fungi are popping up on the Island, just in time for Halloween. [Facebook photos]

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