Wolf Depner

  • 157 Stories | 
  • Page 1 of 8
Tyson Elder, operations manager for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank, said the situation is getting desperate in face of food shortages and growing demand as inflation has cut into the budgets of more and more people. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Desperate for food: Food banks in dire need as demand surges across B.C., Canada

Skyrocketing housing prices, inflation forcing more people to access food bank services

Tyson Elder, operations manager for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank, said the situation is getting desperate in face of food shortages and growing demand as inflation has cut into the budgets of more and more people. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Greater Victoria has the highest proportion of trans and non-binary folks in Canada, home to about one million people who self-identify as LGBTQ2+. Shown is the crowd from the 2018 Victoria Pride parade. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Pride Society)

LGBTQ2+ community of 1 million in Canada continue to face serious obstacles

LGBTQ2+ community in Canada three times more likely to report being assaulted in 2018

Greater Victoria has the highest proportion of trans and non-binary folks in Canada, home to about one million people who self-identify as LGBTQ2+. Shown is the crowd from the 2018 Victoria Pride parade. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Pride Society)
BC Ferries hopes to introduce B.C. wine, craft beer, ciders and other alcoholic beverages to the menu in Coastal Cafes on vessels sailing on its major routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland. (Black Press Media file photo)

Alcohol could be coming to cafes on major BC Ferries routes by end of year

Corporation hopes to add service by summer’s end; has received approval in principle

BC Ferries hopes to introduce B.C. wine, craft beer, ciders and other alcoholic beverages to the menu in Coastal Cafes on vessels sailing on its major routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland. (Black Press Media file photo)
Passengers with their luggage wait outside the arrivals area at Victoria International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. The airport was closed to commercial traffic for several hours after an RCMP bomb squad was called. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

UPDATE: Greater Victoria man faces mischief charges after attempting to fly with hand grenades

Police still investigating after decommissioned devices cause closure of Victoria airport

Passengers with their luggage wait outside the arrivals area at Victoria International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. The airport was closed to commercial traffic for several hours after an RCMP bomb squad was called. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic) This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic)

VIDEO: B.C. mom saves pet goose from eagle while breastfeeding 4-month-old daughter

Video clip of incident goes viral, confirms multi-tasking abilities of moms

This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic) This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic)
Calculations by Canadian demographer show Victoria CMA had a fertility rate of 0.95 in 2020, the lowest in all of Canada. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

B.C. delivering some of the lowest fertility rates in Canada

Eastern Fraser Valley bucks B.C. trend with Chilliwack recording country’s highest fertility rates

Calculations by Canadian demographer show Victoria CMA had a fertility rate of 0.95 in 2020, the lowest in all of Canada. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Premier John Horgan as seen during Question Period on April 25, 2022. (Screenshot/Hansard)

‘Fuddle duddle’: Horgan adds to a litany of unparliamentary words in Canada

B.C. premier apologizes after using f-word in the chamber April 25

Premier John Horgan as seen during Question Period on April 25, 2022. (Screenshot/Hansard)
Ryan Cootes, Erin Bremner-Mitchell, Bill Collins and Mike Williamson of Cascadia Seaweed Corporation are here seen holding up seaweed grown in Barkley Sound in July 2020. The company will receive up to $533,475 to determine the potential of three types of seaweed as an alternative feedstock for cattle. (Cascadia Seaweed Corporation/Submitted)

B.C. company chewing on the possibilities of seaweed as cattle feed

Vancouver Island’s Cascadia Seaweed will receive up to $533,475 from federal government

Ryan Cootes, Erin Bremner-Mitchell, Bill Collins and Mike Williamson of Cascadia Seaweed Corporation are here seen holding up seaweed grown in Barkley Sound in July 2020. The company will receive up to $533,475 to determine the potential of three types of seaweed as an alternative feedstock for cattle. (Cascadia Seaweed Corporation/Submitted)
Green Party of Canada interim leader Amita Kuttner says despite leadership problems in the past, the party’s membership is strong. (CPAC/Amita Kuttner/Twitter)

Federal Green interim leader tours B.C., hopes to help party recover after turmoil

Amita Kuttner is the first person of East Asian descent, first trans person to lead a federal party

Green Party of Canada interim leader Amita Kuttner says despite leadership problems in the past, the party’s membership is strong. (CPAC/Amita Kuttner/Twitter)
Saanich–Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May is repeating calls for the federal government to seize a North Saanich property linked to a Russian oligarch. The estate, located at the end of Towner Road, previously hosted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)

Elizabeth May calls for seizure of B.C. property used by Harry and Meghan

Former Green leader says Russian oligarch may still be benefitting from Vancouver Island estate

Saanich–Gulf Islands MP Elizabeth May is repeating calls for the federal government to seize a North Saanich property linked to a Russian oligarch. The estate, located at the end of Towner Road, previously hosted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
Sidney/North Saanich RCMP says the fire-related death of a man early Saturday morning is not suspicious, but the investigation is ongoing. (Black Press Media file photo)

UPDATE: Man in his early 70s dies in Greater Victoria fire

Fire is not considered suspicious, investigation ongoing

Sidney/North Saanich RCMP says the fire-related death of a man early Saturday morning is not suspicious, but the investigation is ongoing. (Black Press Media file photo)
North Saanich Coun. Patricia Pearson, here seen with daughter Emma Pearson, husband Aaron Pearson and son Addysen, hopes that her decision to take a parental level will inspire further changes to help reconcile personal lives with public service. (Krystle Schofield/Submitted)

B.C. councillor hopes her parental leave sets trends, removes barriers

North Saanich councillor taking three-month family leave after adopting infant son

North Saanich Coun. Patricia Pearson, here seen with daughter Emma Pearson, husband Aaron Pearson and son Addysen, hopes that her decision to take a parental level will inspire further changes to help reconcile personal lives with public service. (Krystle Schofield/Submitted)
A woman holds a dog while crossing the Irpin River on an improvised path under a bridge as people flee the town of Irpin, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

B.C. author in western Ukraine says potential for greater conflict very real

Ukrainians appreciate international support, lament lack of physical military aid

A woman holds a dog while crossing the Irpin River on an improvised path under a bridge as people flee the town of Irpin, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Central Saanich council will request that the Farm Industry Review Board permit growers to immediately raise their prices to reflect the current cost of production, in the face of past and current inflationary pressures including the war in Ukraine. (Black Press Media file photo)

B.C. chicken farmers plead for permission to raise prices as inflation pecks at profits

Costs steadily increasing, but producers unable to increase price of chicken meat and eggs

Central Saanich council will request that the Farm Industry Review Board permit growers to immediately raise their prices to reflect the current cost of production, in the face of past and current inflationary pressures including the war in Ukraine. (Black Press Media file photo)
Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations have seen some of the highest job vacancy increases in Canada between 2019 and 2021. (Black Press Media file photo)

5 of the 10 jobs with highest vacancy rates in Canada pay less than $20/hour

Nurses, cooks, construction workers among those with highest jump in job openings

Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations have seen some of the highest job vacancy increases in Canada between 2019 and 2021. (Black Press Media file photo)
While Greater Victoria residents showed their support for Black Lives Matter in 2020, new figures show the number of police-reported hate crimes in the metropolitan area rose by 97 per cent in 2020 over the previous year. (Black Press Media file photo).

B.C. leads country in hate crimes as Canada hits highest reported totals ever

Police-reported hate crimes per capita rose by nearly 200 cases in 2020

While Greater Victoria residents showed their support for Black Lives Matter in 2020, new figures show the number of police-reported hate crimes in the metropolitan area rose by 97 per cent in 2020 over the previous year. (Black Press Media file photo).
Standing near the BC Ferries terminal in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island, Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen largely questions proposed changes to legislation governing B.C. Ferries, but also finds some positives. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Government accountability for BC Ferries must be maintained, BC Green MLA says

Adam Olsen says oversight board has power to issue directives, but also to point fingers

Standing near the BC Ferries terminal in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island, Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen largely questions proposed changes to legislation governing B.C. Ferries, but also finds some positives. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Michael Bociurkiw, photographed last fall in Sidney, is currently in western Ukraine, where the situation is getting more tense as that country continues to weather Russian attacks. (Black Press Media file photo)

B.C.-based author feels increasingly under siege in Ukrainian city of Lviv

Global affairs analyst and author Michael Bociurkiw has been in Ukraine almost a month

Michael Bociurkiw, photographed last fall in Sidney, is currently in western Ukraine, where the situation is getting more tense as that country continues to weather Russian attacks. (Black Press Media file photo)
Spirits, along with ciders and coolers, are starting to gain market share on beer and wine among Canadian drinkers of alcohol. (Black Press Media file photo)

Adult Canadians put back almost 10 alcoholic drinks a week in 2020-21

Statistics Canada figures show largest increase in alcohol spending in a decade

Spirits, along with ciders and coolers, are starting to gain market share on beer and wine among Canadian drinkers of alcohol. (Black Press Media file photo)
Under current CO2 budget scenarios, Canada would have to reach net-zero emissions by 2024 or 2026 if it wants to limit the future rise in temperature to 1.8 C. It has no way of reaching the 1.5 C goal. (showyourbudgets.org chart)

Watchdog says emissions mean Canada can no longer reach its 1.5 C climate goal

US blew its carbon budget in 2021 while other G7 countries have only years left to reach goals

Under current CO2 budget scenarios, Canada would have to reach net-zero emissions by 2024 or 2026 if it wants to limit the future rise in temperature to 1.8 C. It has no way of reaching the 1.5 C goal. (showyourbudgets.org chart)