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Rabbit rabbit! Welcome to September. It’s hard to believe summer is almost over, but starting next week, kids will be returning to school.

If picking up new footwear from the iconic Baggins Shoes is part of your back-to-school routine, you may want to hit up their website or warehouse soon—the store will be closing in a few months. More on that in our first story today.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: ⛅ 20 / 12

Tomorrow: 🌧 17 / 11

Day after: 🌦️ 17 / 12

7-day forecast

Victoria sneakerheads will soon lose one of the city's premier footwear shops. Baggins Shoes announced yesterday that it would permanently shutter operations before the end of the year.

Baggins was founded in 1969 by Glen Lynch, who continues to own the store today. Known for its massive selection of Converse shoes—one of the biggest in the world—Dr. Martens and custom options, the store was a homegrown mainstay on Lower Johnson for decades. 

In 2024, that location closed, and the business moved to an online-only model, operating out of its Vic West warehouse on Wilson.

Tara Savrtka, Baggins co-owner and director, told Capital Daily that the business will likely wind down by mid-December, with the store's lease finishing at the end of that month. 

The decision to close the store was a bittersweet one, according to the owners, who said it was the "result of an increasingly challenging landscape faced by Canadian retail businesses due to economic circumstances." Changes in the owners’ personal lives were also cited.

The overall cost of doing business was the main reason for the decision, Savrtka said, but the ever-increasing US tariffs also played a role in the closure. 

"We had to discontinue all US sales because it was such a nightmare for customers and no matter how much we explained it, people were upset," she said.

Lynch said in a statement that he's grateful for the "loyal Victorians and all the wonderful staff who’ve made this business great and kept [him] out of trouble over the years.”

Savrtka said the team has loved being a part of back-to-school routines and a tourism destination for visitors.

“It’s been an honour seeing you and generations of your families grow," Savrtka said.

The Baggins team said it wants to "go out with a bang" and will host a series of closing sales this week at the store's warehouse at 685 Wilson, happening tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 10am to 2pm.

Missing teen: Oak Bay Police are looking for Jahmai (Nathan), 15, who was last seen Aug. 29. 

Road closure: Richmond, from Fort to Oak Bay, today. 9am-3pm.

Saanich single-lane traffic: Burnside West at Wascana today, 8am-3pm.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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

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

The City of Victoria is taking another look at its noise bylaws, which it says are outdated and need to be made easier for bylaw officers to follow and enforce. 

“Noise district boundaries no longer reflect current land-use patterns,” a city staff report reads. The city’s growth has changed its landscape, with residential and business areas overlapping as more mixed-use development is permitted.

“In mixed-use areas, residential, commercial, and industrial uses often coexist within the same building or neighbourhood, making noise boundaries and various decibel limits increasingly irrelevant and impractical,” the report said. 

The city held public consultations in December 2025 and January 2026 in advance of updating the regulations, which came into effect in 2003. 

The report, which will be debated at Thursday’s Committee of the Whole, provides recommendations, including defining “loud work” as anything up to the maximum 85 dBA limit and “quiet work” as anything lower.

Currently, construction is permitted between 7am and 7pm on weekdays and between 10am and 7pm on Saturdays. Construction is prohibited on Sundays and stat holidays.

One recommendation is to allow commercial construction from 9am to 7pm on weekdays and Saturdays. This moves the weekday start time two hours later and the Saturday start time one hour earlier.  

Another suggests a 10pm restriction on music from patios and private property. Right now, there is no actual time restriction, apart from individual liquor licences. 

Garbage pickup could start a half-hour earlier, at 6am on weekdays, and an hour earlier, at 9am, on weekends.

Waste management companies have said earlier pickup is favourable because fewer people are on the street. 

Our inaugural speaker, Dr. Michael Prince, PhD, will discuss The place of Alberta in Canada today: quarrels, questions, and quotients. 

Come join the Canadian Club of Victoria Luncheon Meeting on Sept. 8 from 11:45 am to 1:30 pm at the Hotel Grand Pacific.

Deadline to register is Sept. 4 at noon. Non-members are welcome to attend. Details here.

🍦 Ice cream for breakfast: 49 Below is fundraising for Victoria Mustard Seed's “Fair Start Fill-a-Backpack” program with $1 scoops at its Vic West location tomorrow. [9am-12pm]

🦋 Dolly Parton Tribute: Nine to Five Sunday at 7:30 at The Vic. 

☑️ Want to be mayor or councillor? Nomination period opens today and closes Sept. 11.

🛍️ Muji coming to Mayfair Mall: Hiring events happening Sept. 11 and 12. 

BC Transit riders: expect delays and trip cancellations as union bans overtime
The union representing BC Transit drivers and mechanics is implementing an overtime ban effective today that’s going to impact service. Last May, Unifor Local 333 members voted 97% in favour of a strike over wage increases and working conditions. The union’s previous agreement with the authority expired on March 31, 2025. Job action has escalated since a uniform ban was initiated on Aug. 17. Commuters are encouraged to visit the transit authority’s website for updates. Services provided by handyDART are not affected. [BC Transit]

James Bay demolition doesn’t quite go as planned
A fourplex and garage at 50 Government, one block from the ocean, were torn down last Thursday and Friday to make room for a three-unit townhome, but the work damaged neighbouring homes. Developer Oeza Developments said the foundation of the 114-year-old building collapsed, forcing the walls outward instead of inward. One wall fell onto a neighbouring home, tearing off shingles and ripping off the eaves. Another neighbour’s fence was damaged. Oeza said it has already fixed the fence and has promised to repair all other damaged areas. [Times Colonist]

And then there were 30: BC Conservatives lose their 14th MLA
The BC Conservatives were just three ridings from winning a majority in the 2024 provincial election, but infighting under both former leader John Rustad and his replacement, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, has caused one-third of their 44 seats to shift, with 14 MLAs leaving the party since 2025. The latest—and seventh in August alone—is Áʼa:líya Theresa Warbus, the MLA for Chilliwack-Cultus Lake. She, like many of the others, will sit as an independent. Warbus left the party yesterday, saying under Findlay, there had been a “critical breakdown” in communication. [CTV]

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🎵 Soul Source: The 20-person R&B band is raising money to fight food insecurity in Victoria with a lively show at the Coda tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🍔 Randy's Cheeseburger Picnic: The lovable, shirtless character from The Trailer Park Boys will host a night of comedy and shenanigans at Capital Ballroom tomorrow. [Info]

🤘 The Flatliners: The Canadian punk rockers will perform at Wheelies Motorcycles. Thursday. 6pm. [Info]

🎸 Tinariwen: See the pioneers of desert blues, combining traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock music, at Studio 919. Thursday. 7pm. [Info]

🎻 Ian Maksin: Hear this immersive cello performance, using loops and electronics, at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. Saturday. 7pm. [Info]

🎡 Saanich Fair: The end-of-summer staple returns to the Saanich Fairgrounds this weekend, with rides, animals, agriculture showcases, and more. Saturday-Monday. [Info]

🌱  Potted Thinking: Learn practical guidance on growing bulbs with The Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society at First Memorial Meeting Room, 4725 Falaise & on Zoom. Sept. 8. 7:30pm. [Info]

Sunday’s headlines: SD61 senior staff on leave as board probes possible financial benefits; Weekly roundup; Overdose Awareness Day turns 25. [Aug. 30]

Province promises to fix misaligned crosswalk navigation pads in Sidney. [CHEK]

Monument park honouring 22K Japanese Canadians sent to internment camps nears completion by St. Ann’s Academy. [Times Colonist]

Byelection called for Abbotsford-Mission next month. [CTV]

Autumn Lantern Festival is in Saanich on Sept. 12.

What If Everything We Know is Wrong? A fundraiser for Centre of the Universe is on Sept. 28. 

Register to get a family doctor or nurse practitioner. [Details]

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