Dec 31 - Our biggest stories of the year

Good morning !

As the year draws to a close, we want to thank you for all your support throughout 2023. We’re proud to bring you the news every morning—particularly when we have in-house investigative work to show you, such as the stories we’ve rounded up below.

We’re also proud to be fundraising to help local families in need. Today we’re making a last push to raise a little more to help people in our community with food, education, childcare, and more.

We hope you’ll consider contributing.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

It’s the final day to participate in our 4th annual holiday fundraising drive! Every dollar you donate today will be matched and donated to Saanich Neighbourhood Place.

Funds raised will be used to support local families in the areas of inclusive childcare, parent education and support programs, and food equity services. Get all the details here.

If we can get $4,110 donated today, it’ll get matched and we’ll pass $50K raised in one week!

Special thanks to Lochside Software and Tiny Foundation for generously matching donations

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 10 / 6 

New Year’s Day: ☁️ 7 / 5

Tuesday:🌧️ 9 / 5

NEWS

Our most-read investigations
& features of 2023

From new information on high-profile south Island crime cases to looks into local institutions to stories of the difficulties faced by families in the community, these are our most-read pieces of detailed original reporting in 2023.

The case the internet got wrong
This investigation shed light on the unsolved murder of local realtor Lindsay Buziak, revealing a vast web of misinformation and conflict that has grown around the case.

The disappearance of Melissa McDevitt
This story looked at the life and disappearance of a local woman, and at how her parents and others spent months looking for signs of her in Sea to Sea park in Sooke. This first story covered a new clue in the case that spurred a renewed official search in the summer. That search was unsuccessful, but McDevitt’s remains were finally found a month ago, one year after her disappearance.

The man accused of running a $300M Ponzi scheme
This ongoing series has covered an embattled local mortgage broker who has disappeared from Canada. Our stories looked at both the accusations in the case and the words of people who formerly worked for and with Greg Martel—and the behaviour they say went on during those projects.

The confusion around restaurant tip outs
Tips are a major part of Victoria restaurant workers’ salaries—but where they end up is the employer’s call. This summer, in response to allegations of unfair tip-handling, Capital Daily looked into what restaurant workers, employers, and experts are saying and doing when it comes to allocating money.

Perceived workplace discrimination widespread at VicPD: Survey
Building on our prior reporting into mental health and workplace treatment in Victoria’s police force, Capital Daily examined an internal VicPD survey. Its results showed both white and racialized participants feel discriminated against based on their race and gender, and highlighted both dissatisfaction and lack of diversity.

Victorians are surrendering their animals to find a place to live
We looked at how pandemic adoptions, an increasingly expensive and exclusionary housing market, and other factors are leaving some rescue organizations “overrun” with abandoned cats and dogs.

A life diminished by the province’s care
Simon Stubbs has been stuck in hospital mental-health wards for years, enduring “trauma on trauma on trauma.” In this story, Tori Marlan continued her multi-year look at just how complex “complex care” can become for people in our community with unique, difficult cases.

NEWS

Greater Vic’s most borrowed books of 2023:
A prince, a local, & plenty of TV tie-ins

Royal’s memoir #1 across genres
Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, which set Guinness records as a nonfiction bestseller, is doing well at the Greater Victoria Public Library, too. In the annual year-end list, it’s the #1 most borrowed 2023 release at the local library’s 12 branches—a rare feat for non-fiction. 

The book may have gotten an extra boost among locals due to the UK prince’s connection to the Island. Four years ago, he stayed on the peninsula with wife Meghan Markle and their child, drawing in inquisitive locals and international press alike. The book mentions the Island stay as a “taste of freedom” that shifted the family’s priorities.

The library’s non-fiction top 10 also includes several other books by celebrities (such as Britney Spears, Michelle Obama, and the late Matthew Perry) and several on wellness (such as Atomic Habits and The Body Keeps the Score).

Local author’s murder-mystery takes a spot

Most notable over on the adult fiction list is local author Susan Ruby’s Mindful of Murder, which landed at #6 after being selected for the One Book, One Community promotional program in BC libraries.

In adult fiction, #1 was Lessons in Chemistry, one of several that library staff say were buoyed by TV adaptations. They also cite TikTok as a popularizer of several best-borrowers including dragon-riding fantasy romance The Fourth Wing.

For kids, #1 was Release the Hounds! and others in the Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce.

For teens, #1 was A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas, and #2 was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes—the Hunger Games prequel whose recent movie adaptation features Victoria musician Bella White on the soundtrack.

⭐️ Capital Picks

 🌝 This year’s best moon photos in local skies, by photographer Doug Clement.

🚍 Free rides today on BC Transit buses.

🐙🐙 Octopus wrestling: 2 rivals, and 16 arms, grapple in the waters near Nanoose Bay. [Video clip]

 🤝 Now hiring: Hospitality Territory Sales Manager at Ecolab.

🗞️ In Other News

Teen killed in lawnmower-truck crash identified
Multiple friends and relatives have posted tributes to Parker Amann, 14, of Cedar. Family friends are also collecting donations for the family. [CHEK]
Amann was killed near Nanaimo  on Thurs. when the mower he was riding failed to stop at the end of a hill and was struck by a pickup. RCMP say impairment was not a factor, but wet roads may have been.

$100k stolen from Oceanside resident in crypto scam
Investigators have attempted to track down the “Alex” who convinced the Island victim to part with the money, but say cryptocurrency-related scams are particularly hard to trace. [Nanaimo News Now]

2 BC kids died flu-related deaths in past 2 weeks
BC CDC says those are the only such deaths this season, but did not confirm what region(s) they were in.

🗓️ Things to do

🎸 Dance Dance Resolution: Our friends in Astrocolor will headline Capital Ballroom’s New Year's Eve festivities. Today. 8pm.

🥂 Speakeasy Soirée: Celebrate New Year’s Eve with a 1920s theme at Victoria International Marina. Today. 7pm-1:30am.

🎧 Three Room NYE: Ring in the new year with house music and techno at Hermann’s Upstairs. Today. 8pm-3am.

🪭 Masquerade New Year’s Eve Gala: Join this elegant black tie gala, hosted by ReWired at the Delta Ocean Point, to kick off 2024. Today. 6pm. 

🎷 New Year’s Evening with Chris Millington Band: Catch this final 2023 show at the Charlie White Theatre. Today. 5:30pm. 

🥘 Dinner and NYE Party at The Palms: Eat and be merry at this New Year’s Eve party. Today. 6pm. 

🎶 Cookeilidh at Craigdarroch Castle: See the Victoria-based Celtic band perform at the historic house. Today at 1pm. 

🥂 New Year’s Eve Party at Bard and Banker: Ring in the New Year at this popular spot. Get a complimentary glass of bubbly and party favours, tonight at 9:30pm. 

🎉 New Year’s Eve at Sticky Wicket: Join the festivities at Sticky, with DJs, confetti cannons and photo ops, tonight at 9pm.

🪩 More to do on NYE and NYD: From glow-sticked public discos to very old music in very old buildings to new-year group walks, we compiled a list yesterday of many of the things happening this holiday weekend.

🎆 Even more places to celebrate New Year’s Eve. [Tasting Victoria]

👀 In Case You Missed It

A year of rough waters for BC Ferries ends with more cancelled sailings and a lawsuit. [Capital Daily]

BC’s most unnecessary 911 calls of 2023: complaints about bad haircut, slow traffic lights, slow food, a lost nose ring, and a lost phone. [Ecomm]

Victoria 4 Edmonton 3: Royals take final hockey game of 2023 in OT.

That’s it!

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