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[
"Colin Gall"
] | 2016-08-26T13:14:03 | null | null | Get out and take in a variety of local sports this weekend | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F389885891.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/91985oakbayUvicolympics2.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | UVic Vikes back in action | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | University of Victoria assistant coach Hilary Stellingwerff, shown here at the 2016 Canadian championships on July 10 in Edmonton, won a bronze in the 1,500 metre Olympic trials. She also competed at the 2012 summer Olympics in London.
This week brings the return of sports action to the University of Victoria, with the men’s basketball team playing the Charlotte 49ers at CARSA (Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities). Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15.
On Friday, Aug. 19 the men’s soccer team hosts Langara at Centennial Stadium at 8 p.m. The UVic women’s soccer team also debuts this week, hosting Peninsula on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 3 p.m. and Langara on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 12 p.m. Both games will be played at Centennial Stadium.
Following last week’s Victoria International Six‑a‑Side Cricket Festival at Windsor and Beacon Hill parks, Sunday, Aug. 14 brings a return to league action, with Oak Bay Cricket hosting the Alcos at Windsor Park at 12 p.m.
Bays United hosts a camp for young soccer enthusiasts, running from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 15 to 19 at Willows school fields. For details and registration, visit baysunited.ca.
Local field hockey players registered with Field Hockey BC can take advantage of two drop-in programs at the UVic turf.
Tuesday sessions hosted by the Sailors Field Hockey Club include mixed seven-aside games for men and women (min. age 14) through Aug. 30 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The fee is $5/session; email leeronnie19@gmail.com for more details.
The Rebels Field Hockey Club hosts mixed Thursday night games for men, women and kids through Aug. 25. Sessions run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and cost $5/session. Email rebelsfieldhockey@gmail.com for more details.
After securing a first-place finish in the Western Lacrosse League, the Victoria Shamrocks return home to the Q Centre Friday, Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. in what could be the final game of Round 1 of playoffs. If needed, the next home games versus the Burnaby Lakers are Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 7:45 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m.
Shamrocks fans interested in becoming new season ticket holders next year can hold their seat in the playoffs with a $75 deposit towards their 2017 season tickets. Contact the team store at 250-478-7625 or visit victoriashamrocks.com for details.
With a best-ever regular season, the Victoria Harbourcats also embarked on playoffs this week (results unavailable at press time), with possible home games scheduled Aug. 15 and 16 at 6:35 p.m. For more information and game details visit harbourcats.com.
With the Olympics underway come cheer on the athletes at the Bear Mountain Fan Zone. Olympic coverage continues through Aug. 21. Learn more at bearmountain.ca
In local football, the Westshore Rebels are on the road this week, playing in Kamloops Aug. 13 and Chilliwack Aug. 20. The Rebels return home to host Chilliwack on Aug. 27.
Woman2Warrior, Victoria’s only women’s charity 5K obstacle adventure race, is coming up Aug. 28 at West Shore Parks & Recreation. Tackle more than a dozen obstacles designed to challenge strength, agility, balance and endurance. Register at victoria.woman2warrior.ca.
Racing fans can head to Western Speedway for the P&R Western Star Daffodil Cup Weekend this Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13. Take in NSRA winged sprint cars, Richlock Rentals sprint cars, Old Timers Racing Association, and dwarf cars.
On Wednesday, Aug. 17, the speedway hosts the Marlin Motors Hornet Series. For tickets and information visit westernspeedway.net.
Colin Gall is a local athlete and Grade 12 student at Mt. Douglas Secondary. Send your coming sports events to jocktalk@telus.net. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/389885891.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/f7ca5df245522bfb100731c6558990b85386ae8427be1ecc54d17e8b1590b4fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:47 | null | null | 'Monument' preferred to denote First Nations burial site markings | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F390970251.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Monumental installations | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Two hours yields monumental trek, Oak Bay News, Aug. 3
Delighted to read your informative article about Oak Bay’s First Nations Monuments. The monuments are indeed a vital window into this area’s First Nations heritage.
Please note the preferred usage of “monument” vs. “cairn” to describe the installations, with the latter term generally used by First Nations to denote burial site markings.
Mike Stacey
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/390970251.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/d178fedcc06e98e0cb9bc7620356a9cd5f464c2eb4d4f3e6a2a0092eb779f8d7.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:23 | null | null | B.C. stands in the way of Justin Trudeau government's plan to hike Canada Pension Plan contributions, but likely not for long | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F389123291.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/82199BCLN2007Bateman-Jordan13-2.4.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Business pushing back on CPP expansion | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Jordan Bateman, Canadian Taxpayers' Federation
The B.C. government is hearing objections from businesses and individuals faced with increasing Canada Pension Plan contributions in the coming years, and is the last province needed to ratify the increase.
Instead of joining other provinces in meeting the federal government's July deadline to adopt the change, the B.C. government launched a consultation phase expected to run through August. And they are getting push-back on a plan that would increase payroll deductions and employer contributions starting in 2019.
Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, said he's receiving hundreds of responses to his call to supporters to make their views known to the B.C. government. Most concerned are employers who would pay higher contributions for each of their employees.
Employer and employee contributions are to go up from the current 4.95 per cent of earnings to 5.95 per cent by 2023. For each employee earning $54,900, the employer contribution goes up $7 to $8 per month in each of the first five years of the phase-in.
"Obviously, lots of people are concerned about having to pay more," Bateman said. "But the interesting ones are the small business owners who talk about just how close to the edge they are financially."
B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong joined other provinces in agreeing in principle to the expansion in June. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau said he is concerned about the decline in workplace pension plans and wants the CPP to move from replacing one quarter of employment income to one third by 2025.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed its members nation-wide when the CPP plan was announced, and more than 80 per cent wanted consultation and a delay of implementation. Morneau has indicated he plans to table legislation this fall.
B.C.'s refusal to sign on could derail the federal plan, but it shows little intention of doing so.
"British Columbia is committed to engaging with stakeholders in advance of ratifying the agreement in principle," said the statement from de Jong's office announcing the consultation.
The province's consultation website and feedback address can be found here. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/389123291.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/baccb952389f53fd68accade2be833b67ccc374eba0e2b4a60dd66600902c5ae.json |
[
"Travis Paterson"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:50 | null | null | Max Gallant is currently in Germany for the U21 World Laser Championships | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F389537301.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/25264oakbayOBRVYCSailorMaxGallantPAug1016.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | RVYC sailor is Tokyo dreaming | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Max Gallant, who sails with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, has been named to the national U21 team.
While the Olympic Games are underway in Rio de Janeiro, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s Max Gallant is looking all the way ahead to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Gallant, 20, is actually in Kiel, Germany this week for the U21 World Laser Championships, Aug. 9 to16. It’s the latest leg of an Olympic campaign for the kid from a Blenkinsop Valley farm.
In May, Gallant was named to Canada’s national development team and just recently, he finished third overall at the North American Laser Championships in Oregon. The only men ahead of him were on the cusp of going to the Rio Olympics with Team U.S.A.
“It’s pretty tight in the current laser fleet to see who’s the best right now, there’s about 20 people who rotate through the top-10.”
Gallant launches his laser from the Royal Victoria Yacht Club where he is coached by Eric Van Der Pol and where he’s already sailed to great success. In addition to time on the water Gallant is in the gym at the Pacific Institute for Sports Excellence two to three times a week and on a road bike two to three times a week. It’s all with the goal of representing Canada in Tokyo.
His training is year-round.
“We’re lucky here because we get a good breeze in Victoria, and we get lots of varied conditions so it’s a good training spot,” he said.
Gallant actually competed at the 2013 U21 World Championships in Hungary as a 17-year-old when he graduated from St. Michaels University School. He missed the last two as he was focused on senior-level races, where he’s also had success, though he fell ill at the senior Laser World Championships in May, a meet he’s put behind him.
“It’s mostly about building a good race schedule for the season,” Gallant said. “Sailing is all about time on the water, and the different situations you experience.”
For results visit sailing.laserinternational.org. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/389537301.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/ec1ddf38d9107438b2dd57874f98e21b3c499a1ab31d6519bf3059978804b793.json |
[
"Colin Gall"
] | 2016-08-26T13:14:11 | null | null | Check out what's happing this week in local sports | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F389348521.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/92140oakbayCrickettourney.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Jock Talk: Local cricketers welcome international competition | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | The Valley Vikings, from Adelaide, Australia, take on the Pigeon Mountain Blue, from Auckland, New Zealand, at Windsor Park Saturday morning. The Victoria International Six‑a‑Side Cricket Festival opens playoffs today (Friday).
After a week of competition at Windsor and Beacon Hill parks, the Victoria and District Cricket Association hosts playoffs for the Victoria International Six‑a‑Side Cricket Festival this weekend. Beginning Friday, Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Beacon Hill Park hosts playoff-round cricket before Saturday, Aug. 6 brings the semi-finals and finals of Trophy, Plate and Spoon competitions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to local teams Sticky Wicket and Colts International, the tourney has welcomed British Caledonian from West Sussex, England; Dapto Cricket Club, from Wollongong, Australia; Dallas County Cricket Club from Dallas, Texas; Islanders, from Canada and Australia; Wanderers, International; Pigeon Mountain Black and Pigeon Mountain Blue, from Auckland, New Zealand; and Valley Vikings, from Adelaide, Australia. For details visit vdca.ca.
After finishing fourth in the Bantam AAA season, the Carnarvon-based Victoria Bantam Black Eagles are competing in provincial championships this weekend in Nanaimo. For fans wanting to head over the Malahat to cheer on the team, the Black Eagles follow their opening game against Vancouver Minor by facing Tri Cities at 2:30 p.m. today (Friday, Aug. 5) and Abbootsford tomorrow at noon. Both games are at Nanaimo’s Serauxmen field. Playoffs begin at 10 a.m. Sunday. For a schedule of game times, visit bcminorbaseball.org.
Get ready for lacrosse playoffs with the Victoria Shamrocks’ final regular season home game tonight (Friday, Aug. 5) when the ‘Rocks host the Nanaimo Timbermen at the Q Centre at 7:45 p.m. The fan appreciation night celebration includes a tailgate barbecue and prizes, and the first 300 fans will receive White Spot burgers by donation. The Shamrocks then finish their regular season on the road Saturday, visiting the Coquitlam Adanacs.
With the Shamrocks clinching a playoff spot to battle for the Mann Cup, tickets are now on sale for the semi-final round. Home games take place on Tuesday, Aug. 9 and on Friday, Aug. 12. Fans interested in becoming new season ticket holders next year can hold their seat in the playoffs with a $75 deposit towards their 2017 season tickets. Contact the team store at 250-478-7625 or visit victoriashamrocks.com for details.
After a long roadtrip, the Victoria Harbourcats return home Friday, Aug. 5 to start the weekend’s three-game series against the Yakima Valley Pippins. The ‘Cats hit the Royal Athletic Park turf at 6:35 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 6, before Sunday’s afternoon game, when the first pitch goes at 1 p.m.
The Harbourcats then start their playoff run on the road on Tuesday, Aug. 9, returning home for Game 2 at Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 6:35 p.m. at Royal Athletic Park. If needed, Game 3 will take place at Royal Athletic Park on Wednesday, Aug. 11.
Soccer players from throughout the region visit Juan de Fuca Sports Fields this Friday, Aug. 5 to Sunday, Aug. 7 for the Turf Burn soccer tournament. Featuring a recreational co-ed division, open co-ed division and the men’s over 30 division, proceeds support Saanich Fusion Football Club and the Victoria Firefighters Charitable Foundation. For details visit westcoastrec.ca.
Colin Gall is a local athlete and Grade 12 student at Mt. Douglas Secondary. Send your coming sports events to jocktalk@telus.net. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/389348521.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/72f78f4053f8f001f724c1be2255c486f59b0a459789eeb5be54d1d4dc2f56b1.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:26 | null | null | Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391773061.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/2045BCLN2007Schoolstudentblurwide-BJ7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. school enrolment up for second year | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391773061.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/2f0d5c646f392446de049d81a30860e8383f44f88883ee6a0caf746bcc538cca.json |
[
"Travis Paterson"
] | 2016-08-30T00:51:03 | null | null | Single site treatment will hurt, says Mayor Richard Atwell | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391662451.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Saanich mayor supports Colwood sewage proposal | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | One day after Rock Bay and McLoughlin Point were shortlisted as sewage treatment sites, Saanich’s Mayor Richard Atwell spoke out in favour of better, cheaper sewage options.
If the province-appointed Core Area Wastewater Treatment project board is moving forward with a single (or double) sewage treatment site, it will overspend on what is soon becoming obsolete technology, he said.
Atwell attended the Aug. 25 presentation by the newly formed Colwood Technical Team to the Core Area Wastewater Treatment project board.
The CTT presentation proposes each municipality could build its own plant, or plants.
Each plant would deliver tertiary treatment that recovers heat and electricity from the sludge’s incineration process. In the end there is a 10 per cent ash remnant instead of 50 per cent biosolid, Atwell said.
“What the CTT is proposing is how every municipality should be treating their sewage,” Atwell said. “The sewage treatment cost (CTT) is proposing would be $34 per tax payer, $50 per head in Langford, whereas the current model will be more than $500 for Saanich taxpayers,” Atwell said.
Smaller plants also provide an added ability to use the water constructively, watering fields or using it to flush toilets, such as Dockside Green, whereas one or two regional plants are restricted by the amount of water, forced to send it out to sea, Atwell added.
At this time, the Aug. 24 report put forward by the project board is based on the same proposal that suggested McLoughlin Point several years ago. It provides secondary treatment and is estimated to cost between $750 million and $1.1 billion, whereas applying the CTT proposal across the region could be as low as $350 million, Atwell said.
It suggests three potential options for the facility: a single plant at Rock Bay in Victoria, a single plant at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt, or two plants; one at Rock Bay and one at McLoughlin Point. The board’s final report will forward its recommendations on Sept. 7. The Capital Regional District board will then decide which option to move forward with.
If Rock Bay is used, either on its own or in tandem with McLoughlin Point, it will require hundreds of millions of dollars of piping infrastructure to get the sewage there.
Plus, it has no outfall, which will mean Cook Street or another artery that runs to the ocean will be ripped open for up to a year, so install new pipes so the effluent can be pumped out to sea from Dallas Road, Atwell said.
What the CTT ultimately amounts to can be summed up in a computer analogy, Atwell said.
It’s like using one mainframe to store all computer data. That was once the model, extremely expensive with all terminals connected to the mainframe by big, slow cables. Then came the personal computer that stores all its data locally.
Local plants would avoid the Rock Bay/McLoughlin plan to pump sludge 18 kilometres up to Hartland, and then pump the wastewater back down to outfalls.
“The CTT is a proposal that’s been third-party, peer reviewed,” Atwell said.
“I don’t know how the project board can ignore the work coming out of the CTT, it’s ground-breaking, socially acceptable, environmentally beneficial, financially beneficial.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391662451.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/a7100b80841a79776533d6785b1daa7d556e75990e77633dcf70eb8fde7d3110.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:50:08 | null | null | New play looks at the fascinating life of local settler Jack Irvine | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F391664871.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/50286oakbayjackirvinefringefestival-1.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Fringe Fest tale breathes life into local history | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Oak Bay’s Ben Clinton-Baker, right, and Vanya Verenitch, pictured at the former home of Jack Irvine, each portray the early settler in Tongues in Trees, as part of the Victoria Fringe Festival. Clinton-Baker said he hopes to introduce more people to Vancouver Island’s history through the onstage performance, which features him playing several characters from Irvine’s lengthy memoir.
Jacob Zinn
Black Press
If you’re a local history buff, you’ve likely heard of Jack Irvine, but if you haven’t, an Oak Bay historian can tell you all about him through a new production at the Victoria Fringe Festival.
Ben Clinton-Baker is starring in Tongues in Trees: The Reminiscences of Long Gun Jack Irvine, chronicling the early Vancouver Island settler and the mark he left in nearby Saanich. It’s almost a one-man show, with Clinton-Baker portraying Irvine and several real-life characters he met in the area, based on Irvine’s lengthy memoir.
“Right from the start, there was something about this memoir that really struck me,” said Clinton-Baker. “It was like he was narrating it – he’s very present in this memoir. He conjures these very vivid scenes and it’s very rich with material of different characters he met.
“I spoke with Caroline Duncan at the Saanich Archives and she said, ‘You should try doing some historical theatre.’ I said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a shot.’”
Irvine’s family immigrated to the Island in 1851, arriving on a ship from the Hudson Bay Company. His father bought a 100-acre parcel of land called Rosebank Farm in Gordon Head, and later expanded to own 300 acres around where Shelbourne Street and McKenzie Avenue are today.
“Jack grew up in this area,” said Clinton-Baker. “He worked on the farm in his very earlier years, doing various chores and taking shipments to town and bringing provisions from town.”
While this is Clinton-Baker’s first time putting together a stage production, he said Irvine gave him a lot to work with through his written accounts of life in the mid to late 1800s and early 1900s.
“He was very down-to-earth and kind of a simple guy, but he loved to spin a good yarn,” he said. “I think that’s one of the real treasures of his legacy, these stories that he wrote down in his memoir.
“This was something new for me. I’ve never really been involved in theatre, but I do love storytelling – sharing the story and trying to make history more accessible and interesting and fun.”
The characters in Clinton-Baker’s production are pulled directly from the page, including a man who paddled around the Inner Harbour looking for scraps of metal and bottles, and a bushman who lived in the forests of Mount Douglas, trying to escape his stifling, aristocratic background.
“I focused in on a few stories from his memoir,” said Clinton-Baker. “There are three different people I’m (portraying) in addition to Jack, and they’re mostly people who had an impression of him.”
Joining him onstage is Vanya Verenitch, 12, who plays a younger version of Irvine, with the play running as a series of vignettes alternating between Irvine’s childhood and adult life.
“It’s been fun working on it and reading about the history of Victoria,” Verenitch said of his role. “He’s a very interesting character. He seems very adventurous and out in nature, down-to-earth. It seems like he really enjoys life.”
Through his performance, Clinton-Baker hopes to share his fascination with people who might not otherwise have heard of Jack Irvine, and to get them thinking about how Irvine’s work impacted Greater Victoria as we currently see it.
“To me, history is something that’s very much alive, and if you scratch the surface a little bit, that can be a portal into the past within the present,” he said. “I hope people will really think about the history of our area as something that’s very much alive and present with us today.”
Catch Tongues in Trees at the Metro Studio Theatre, 1411 Quadra St., tonight, Aug. 31 at 7:45 p.m., Sept. 1 at 10 p.m., Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. and Sept. 4 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available through the Intrepid Theatre box office, #2 – 1609 Blanshard St., by phone at 250-590-6291 or online at ticketrocket.co. For information, visit intrepidtheatre.com/festivals/fringe-festival. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/391664871.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/aa89fd5c5a09d47197453ffec71f954b21627f95ef84b2a3c49e2b435d2bebe0.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:51:28 | null | null | Workers could take job action as early as Thursday -- right before the Labour Day long weekend. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391776381.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/3630vicnewsEmpressWikipedia.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Empress Hotel workers give 72-hour strike notice | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Unionized workers at the Empress Hotel gave 72-hour notice of job action on Tuesday morning, right before the Labour Day long weekend.
The earliest a strike could begin is Thursday morning if a deal cannot be reached.
“The ‘new’ Empress has a dirty secret: the renovations have led to harm and stress on the people who work there,” Stu Shields with Unifor said in a statement.
He said staff are being forced to work overtime because they aren’t enough people on shift. Some have worked 60 days straight.
The hotel announced its renovation plans earlier this year, including in the popular Bengal Lounge.
“The renovations are incomplete if the staffing levels remain stuck in the past,” Shields said.
Uniform Local 4276 represents nearly 500 workers at the Empress, including those in housekeeping, groundskeeping, serving, engineering and guest relations.
More to come. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391776381.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/a02544ecd8c931e741d01ba4207d2122487111af8d2bd39672516b6c2bdf46ed.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:54:29 | null | null | Island Savings aims to provide the equivalent of 650,000 meals to Island children and families over three years | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390970811.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/7154oakbayOBIslandSavingsTheFullCupboard-JubileebranchPAug2416.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Island Savings aids hungry families | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Island Savings’ Jubilee branch staff Kyle Ilett, JP Celiz, Lyn Stewart and branch manager Bobby Schafer promote The Full Cupboard, an initiative to provide 650,000 meals to Island children and families over the next three years.
Oak Bay can help the Jubilee branch of Island Savings aid local families struggling with the added expense of back to school.
The Island Savings division of First West Credit Union has set a goal to provide the equivalent of 650,000 meals to Island children and families over the next three years.
Through a combination of food, funds and awareness-raising activities, The Full Cupboard is a new community investment program from Island Savings that aims to reduce hunger across the Islands. The campaign launches with an initial $8,800 raised through employee and member donations this summer. Every dollar goes to 11 food banks in the neighbourhoods Island Savings serves.
“Summer break is often the toughest part of the year for families,” says Allan Lingwood, from Vicotria’s Mustard Seed. “School-based meal programs end, parents have to address additional childcare needs and then stress over preparations for their children going back-to-school. The Mustard Seed sees up to a 25 per cent increase in both food bank use and family hamper distribution as parents face competing priorities leading into September.”
Financial donations to The Full Cupboard can be made in any Island Savings branch or online atislandsavings.ca/thefullcupboard. Island Savings will also donate $1 for every share The Full Cupboard video receives from the organization’s Facebook page before Sept.1. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390970811.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/533d4f678607bdd5e3b573ef7b9ce01d7a26445e227cad5e3e36e7dd5448d158.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:14:13 | null | null | 16 of the 19 local athletes heading to Rio have competed, coached or contributed to a UVic Vikes varsity program | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F389348421.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/91985oakbayUvicolympics2.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Vikes embark on the road to Rio | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | University of Victoria assistant coach Hilary Stellingwerff, shown here at the 2016 Canadian championships on July 10 in Edmonton, won a bronze in the 1,500 metre Olympic trials. She also competed at the 2012 summer Olympics in London.
A Viking invasion is preparing to head to the 2016 Olympic Summer Games Aug. 5 to 21 in Rio de Janeiro.
Sixteen of the 19 local athletes making the trip have competed, coached or contributed to a University of Victoria Vikes varsity program. The other three are members of the greater university community.
Clint Hamilton, director of Vikes Athletics and Recreation, said UVic has a proud history of contributing to Olympic success at many levels.
“We are extremely proud of this tradition,” he said. “We understand the commitment needed to represent one’s country on this international stage and wish all in the Canadian contingent every success in Rio.”
Two-time Olympic medalist swimmer Ryan Cochrane, who will serve as co-captain of the Canadian team, will be joined by UVic alumni Hilary Caldwell, Stephanie Horner and Richard Weinberger. Weinberger won an Olympic bronze medal in the 10-kilometre open water marathon in London in 2012.
Current Vike Brenden Bissett will team up with former Vikes Keegan Pereira and Matthew Sarmento on the men’s field hockey team, which completed a four-game sweep of the U.S. squad recently.
Former Vikes basketball player Janet McLachlan, the 2011 wheelchair Basketball Canada Female Athlete of the Year, will compete in her third Paralympic Games.
Meghan Montgomery, a veteran of two Paralympic Games where she earned a sixth-place finish in Beijing and finished seventh in London, will compete as part of the LTA4+ boat team.
Kai Langerfeld, Nicolas Pratt, Lindsay Jennerich and Antje von Sedulity will represent the Vikes rowing program in Rio.
Former Vikes rowing coach Al Morrow will serve as director of the men’s lightweight program, and UVic alumnus Adam Parfitt will handle duties as team manager.
Hillary Stellingwerff, who also competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, earned a bronze in the 1,500-metre race at the Canadian Olympics trials in July to qualify for this year’s Olympics. She is an assistant coach with the varsity cross country and track and field programs.
On the heels of her induction into the Basketball B.C. Hall of Fame as a member of the 1981-82 Vikettes basketball team, Shawnee Harle will head to Rio as lead assistant with the women’s basketball team.
Harley was a member of two Canadian championship teams and the only Canadian coach to earn a level 5 National Coaching Certification Program certificate.
Two-time world champion Catharine Pendrel and her coach Dan Proulx, who met at UVic, will be part of the Canadian Mountain Bike team. Pendrel won gold at the 2007 Pan Am Games and finished fourth at the Beijing Olympics.
UVic swimmer Chris Hindmarch-Watson will travel to Brazil to work as an English language swimming announcer, while Ulf Schutze, a professor of second language acquisition at UVic, will serve as a technical advisor for the triathlon team. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/389348421.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/2a081399aebf3a7154ab4ff59b8f048398a6561ced82255087273ab87b6372ae.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:19 | null | null | Whether it's home screenings or community viewing parties, much of Canada will be tuning in for iconic rock band's final bow | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390688221.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/56997CPT122356039.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Televised Tragically Hip show an 'unprecedented event:' CBC | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | TORONTO – Few Canadian television events qualify as a momentous occasion for the nation, but Saturday's Tragically Hip concert promises to be special.
It seems like much of the country will be tuned into CBC's live broadcast of "The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration" from Kingston, Ont., when factoring in home screenings and community viewing parties.
Yet how many people will watch is anybody's guess at this point.
"This is an unprecedented event for us," said Jennifer Dettman, CBC's executive director of unscripted content.
The sentiment is true on many levels, she adds.
The last stop on the Hip's "Man Machine Poem" tour is widely expected to be their final performance, as lead singer Gord Downie is facing terminal brain cancer. After tickets to the tour sold out within minutes, fans launched a campaign urging the CBC to carry the band's Kingston show as a live TV event.
Dettman wouldn't speak to the contract negotiations that led to the Hip agreeing to the broadcast.
"CBC made both a competitive and financially responsible offer to acquire the broadcast rights, and we're thrilled to be able to offer this national celebration to as many Canadians as possible," she said.
The concert won't just be on the main CBC network, it will also be broadcast through various other platforms such as CBC Radio One, the CBC website and its YouTube and Facebook channels.
With so many viewing options, that will make it tough to capture how many eyes and ears are focused on the Hip this Saturday.
That's where ratings agency Numeris comes in. The Toronto-based company tracks viewership figures by using meters and viewing diaries prepared by a panel of Canadians representative of the population.
Their data shows that most huge audience draws are typically live programming, led by major sporting events.
The Super Bowl is the biggest TV event nearly every year — drawing about six million to eight million viewers in recent years — while a handful of other annual celebrations like the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and Grammys are perennial favourites too.
The gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is considered to be the most-watched broadcast ever in Canada. It drew 16.6 million viewers, according to data from Numeris, about double the number of people who tune into most Super Bowls.
Those kinds of numbers will be hard to beat, even for a rock band with as much Canadian clout as the Hip.
Numeris spokesman Tom Jenks wouldn't guess how many viewers will tune into the CBC broadcast, but acknowledges it'll probably be a pretty big number.
The agency said it will be counting every public screening — from restaurants to movie theatres to community viewing parties — and each person streaming the concert on their phone. Viewers who playback the show on their DVRs within seven days will also be included in the final numbers.
"Our system captures all viewing," Jenks said.
Potentially driving those numbers higher is the decision make the Hip's concert a one-time broadcast, with no encore presentation and no availability on on-demand platforms.
"Our goal was to bring the experience of this live concert to Canadians in that moment," Dettman said.
"I'm sure the band will figure out what they will want to do with the concert afterwards."
She said the goal is to give all Canadians the same "crescendo" feeling that will ripple through the arena in Kingston.
"Our goal is to bring the experience ... to as many Canadians as we can," she said.
"The idea that we're all together experiencing this moment at the same time is really special."
Follow @dfriend on Twitter.
David Friend, The Canadian Press | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390688221.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/b24a9a98ea872d5ee29d1b123e844f4c3833fb8ec60a2a6427a2449762e6a8c5.json |
[
"Kendra Wong"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:31 | null | null | Dragon Boat Festival brings paddlers to the Inner Harbour Aug. 12 to 14. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F389885441.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/75754oakbayVN-DragonBoatfestivalPAug1216.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Dragon boaters fill Inner Harbour | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | The Snappin’ Dragons will be among the roughly 80 teams competing in the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival.
Katy Milne admits that when she hopped into a dragon boat for her first session, she didn’t want to get back in after.
In 2001, Milne and a co-worker saw information on novice dragon boating and decided to check it out.
She quickly discovered it wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.
“It’s not natural movement. It seems like a simple thing, but there are a lot of intricacies to how you move and how to make the boat move effectively and especially trying to co-ordinate that with 20 other people is quite a challenging thing,” Milne said.
Instead of dropping out, Milne volunteered to be captain. Her love for the sport quickly grew and several years later she became the team’s head coach.
For the past 15 years, Milne has been coaching and paddling with two dragon boat teams, the Snappin’ Dragons, a women’s boat, and the mixed Paddlers of the Fifth Moon, spending about six hours a week on the water between April and August.
“I’ve met some fantastic people throughout both my teams and the other teams as well. There’s a lot of camaraderie within dragon boating,” said the 38-year-old, noting the very inclusive sport welcomes everybody from breast cancer survivors to seniors to youth.
“They’re all out for different reasons. I think it’s pretty cool that you can have that range of people in one sport.”
Milne is one of dozens of local paddlers competing in the 22nd annual Victoria Dragon Boat Festival this weekend. The three-day festival brings together more than 80 teams from Vancouver, the Island, the Mainland, Alberta, and the U.S., plus thousands of spectators to the city’s Inner Harbour starting today.
The festival also raises money for the B.C. Cancer Foundation. It’s a cause close to Milne’s heart as she’s a cancer researcher at the Deeley Research Centre in Victoria. Renovations recently finished on a multi-million-dollar immunotherapy lab and researchers are gearing up to do clinical trials on patients.
“For me it’s special because I can actually see where the money goes. The pledge drive from the paddlers is helping support that. I’ve had a few paddlers in and around the lab to see where the money has gone and I think they’re all quite excited about that,” said Milne, adding her two teams have raised roughly $21,000 for the foundation.
The Victoria Dragon Boat Festival runs Aug. 12 to 14. Visit victoriadragonboat.com. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/389885441.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/9d01ac6f25ad9a28fa751c2541524cac0c51414698f57386fbf9ddf2e211c7a6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:36 | null | null | Data is needed to address community's rental needs | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F389536551.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Opinion: MLA Report with Andrew Weaver | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Skyrocketing real estate markets across the Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island are dragging the rental market with them.
Frances Bula recently wrote in The Globe and Mail, “as people are shut out of the housing market, more people have no choice but to remain as renters who are competing for a limited supply of housing in a system that has treated renters like second-class citizens for decades.” She’s right, and for people who are young, non-white, have mental health issues, unemployed, recent immigrants, poor, disabled, or have pets, finding a safe, affordable home can seem nearly impossible in markets with vacancy rates around 0.6 per cent like Victoria.
With constrained real estate mobility, people have little choice but to stay in suites that would have previously been viewed as shorter-term student rentals and I am getting increasingly concerned about where the young people in my riding are going to live this coming school year. A representative from Camosun College told us he too is very worried about the situation and described it as a complete crisis with some students living in cars and others forced into over-crowed, expensive shared suites.
We so desperately need more designated long-term rental units in B.C. Spaces that people can make their home, places that welcome children and pets and have some outdoor space. Homes for people who will rent for large portions of their life, either by necessity or choice.
Co-operative housing arrangements are another promising avenue to bridge the gap between the rental and homeownership markets. They provide shareholders with a long-term, sustainable home and create diverse communities, supporting multi-generational residents of varying income levels.
Unfortunately, few co-operative housing developments have been built in B.C. since the 1990s when the federal government released its social housing responsibility to the province and existing units have multi-year waitlists. Given our current housing crisis, and the province’s new Housing Priority Initiatives Fund, I think the B.C. Liberals, in conjunction with municipalities and the federal government, need to step in to help housing co-operatives with land acquisition and planning costs.
Each level of government has various tools available to them that they can use to tackle the housing crisis from different angles. To guide these initiatives we need, and have needed for years, more comprehensive data about the trends impacting our housing market. The information about buyer nationality that the province began collecting this June is a start, but making major policy decisions based on five weeks of data – as the B.C. Liberals did with Bill 28 – is far from ideal.
Knowing that we are going to be faced with challenging housing decisions for years to come, we need to start collecting more data now so we can design informed policy for the future. Determining who is purchasing homes, and how many, in BC would allow the government to identify the flow of foreign investments, the role corporations are playing, and whether we are seeing speculation in our market coming from other regions in Canada. Tracking house flipping (when investors buy a house to quickly resell it at higher price) is an important aspect of understanding an over-inflated market. Imposing a sales tax on homes sold within one or two years of purchase could be an effective way of curbing house flipping but, again, it is a policy that should be founded in comprehensive data.
Studying the impact of Airbnbs, I suspect, would shed a lot of light on changes happening in the rental market. Airbnb has already said it’s open to some restrictions tailored to tight rental markets, including banning hosts from using the popular online platform to run a business renting out multiple units, but governments (municipal and provincial) will need solid data to move forward with such policies.
Long-term and ongoing data collection is vital to the future of homes in B.C. – the sooner we start the better.
Andrew Weaver is MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and the BC Green Party leader. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/389536551.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/5711a749e447b6fef1d61e8209bf1058712a894cc93cdbb64d87f3aa1433ee95.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:57:35 | null | null | Oak Bay community walk meets at Harling Point by the historic Chinese Cemetery | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390246031.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Embrace the night on Wednesday walk | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Embrace the Night with an Oak Bay community walk tonight (Wednesday, Aug. 17.) at 7 p.m.
Beginning and ending at Harling Point by the historic Chinese Cemetery at the foot of Crescent Road, the moon will rise shortly after walkers’ return to Harling Point.
The area is steeped in history and also shelters a rare and endangered remnant ecosystem. Organizers are collecting interesting tidbits to share with walkers and if the tides permit, they can walk the beach or climb up to the Trafalgar Park lookout.
An age- and family-friendly initiative of Community Association of Oak Bay, the walk happens rain or shine.
For more details, visit caob.ca. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390246031.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/d3d34e333cab24e5db95109d3847ff4fb4b8cae385cfcced08701a263e40b404.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-27T16:48:33 | null | null | Sausage Fest supports new playground at Willows elementary | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391320791.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/59922oakbayOBSausageFestPAug2416.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Butchers, brewery salute firefighters’ fundraiser | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | From left, Jon Grady, meat manager at Red Barn Market on Oak Bay Avenue, Slaters Meats’ Geoff Martin, the Village Butcher’s Michael Windle, and the Whole Beast’s Cory Pelan, with Oak Bay firefighter Jason Hodge, centre, executive director of the Oak Bay Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation. The group is getting ready for Sausage Fest Sept. 17 at Willows Park, in support of a new playground at Willows elementary. See story page 5.
While Oktoberfest is a fall staple in many communities, Oak Bay firefighters are banking on a sausage-and-beer salute to summer to raise funds for a local school.
The Oak Bay Firefighters Charitable Foundation hosts Sausage Fest Saturday, Sept. 17 at Willows Park.
The tasty fundraiser runs from 1 to 8:30 p.m. and features sausages from four Oak Bay-area butchers – Village Butcher, The Whole Beast, Slaters Meats and Red Barn Market – served on a fresh bun supplied by Cobs Bread.
Refreshments to wash everything down come from Lighthouse Brewery.
The family-friendly event will also include few bouncy castles, plus a dunk tank, face painting, live music and more. Admission is by donation, with 90 per cent of the total profits going to Willows elementary school for a new playground.
The remaining 10 per cent will be split between Prostate Cancer Canada and the Oak Bay Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation for its various other community projects, says Oak Bay firefighter Jason Hodge, executive director of the charitable foundation.
The commitment to Willows follows previous donations to both Oak Bay High and Monterey Middle School, Hodge says.
With a new playground costing between $70,000 and $100,000, the foundation hopes to raise a significant sum for the school, attended by children of several local firefighters.
“Oak Bay Fire Department always tries to give back to the community of Oak Bay,” Hodge says.
Bronwen Sharpe, chair of the Willows Parent Advisory Committee, says the schools is “thrilled and honoured” about the support from the firefighters, noting “it has long been a wish for the school to have some new playground equipment.”
Coming into the role of PAC chair last year, “I was very surprised at how expensive playground equipment is,” she says.
“Living in Oak Bay and recognizing how the different communities in Oak Bay help each other...it just makes us all feel like we’re living in Pleasantville,” Sharpe says. “I’m so glad Oak Bay council approved an event like this.”
The PAC, which has set money aside for several years for a new Grade 4/5 playground on the Cadboro Bay Road side of the school, has a committee of parents looking into the different options to replace the current wood and tire structure.
When some options are available, parents will vote on their favourite, Sharpe says.
Once funds are available, a variety of other approvals still need to happen before installation, so a firm timeline has not been set, Sharpe says.
“I would love to see this time next year the children are coming to school with a new playground there.”
While plans for Sausage Fest organizers are coming together, Hodge is still scouting for musical entertainment – email oakbayfirefighters-charitable@gmail.com for details.
For more information, visit oabayfirefighters.com. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/391320791.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/16ab86dfb819562089ca6320abded0faeae813a3a29c9959e09abbe10cc86279.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:53 | null | null | Gold mine near Prince Rupert shut down last summer for permit violations, owners charged for failing to report spill | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F390008831.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/31694BCLN2007minebanksislandgold7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Banks Island miners face 18 pollution charges | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Two men and a mining company in receivership have been charged with 18 pollution infractions related to their shut-down gold mine on an island near Prince Rupert.
Benjamin Mossman and Dirk Meckert are scheduled to appear in Prince Rupert provincial court Sept. 7. Also charged is Banks Island Gold Ltd., which went into receivership after being shut down last year for provincial permit violations.
The Yellow Giant mine was ordered shut down by the Ministry of Environment in July 2015 after a tailings spill was reported on a tip. There is one charge of failing to report a spill of a polluting substance, and the other 17 charges are for failing to comply with permits.
North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice raised the issue in the legislature this spring, after receiving a letter from the Gitxaala First Nation referring to two separate tailings spills. Rice said the ministry did not inspect the operation for 15 months, until receiving a complaint.
NDP mining critic Norm Macdonald told the legislature a worker at the mine "became fed up, put his job on the line, sent the ministry and me a tip and pictures that documented what was going on there."
Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett said the mine was shut down when the situation was brought to its attention. The mine's 90 employees lost their jobs.
The province has a $420,000 security bond from the mining company, to provide ongoing monitoring. In March the mines ministry and Banks Island Gold removed explosives from the mine site and in May ministry technical staff assessed the hazardous materials on site.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service, which recommended the charges, would not comment on the current condition of the Banks Island site, because it is evidence for the prosecution. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/390008831.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/2fd2a6dd1c2d0af1a58dddd6aaf3cc8d62c9909fb7edc3108d3d192617885a71.json |
[
"Staff Writer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:55:24 | null | null | Photographers from across the province competed in amateur competition | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391187111.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/2985abbotsfordAmateurphotographjers.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Voting open for People's Choice Amateur Photography Competition | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Cameras were the focus as 70 photographers from across B.C., including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Kelowna and Nelson, competed in the fourth annual Next Generation BC Amateur Photographer of the Year Contest at the recent Abbotsford International Airshow.
Sponsored by London Drugs and Black Press Media, the contest took place Aug. 12-14, as participants captured their best air, crowd, static, and wildcard shots.
Photographers experienced close-up action at the airshow including Friday's twilight show, and earned the "hot-side" tour at the airshow where they shot exclusive aircraft including the F-35, CF-18, FA-18, Breitling Jet Team, the Snowbirds and more for a chance to win the title of B.C.'s next Amateur Photographer title.
Awarding categories also include The Best in-air photograph ($750 grand prize), The Best ground/static scene photograph ($500 prize),The Best crowd scene photograph ($250 prize ), The Best video submission ($500 prize) all courtesy of London Drugs and honorary acknowledgement for Best Wildcard entry.
For the People's Choice Award Winner, the time has arrived for the public to vote on their favourite photo and be entered for a chance to win BC Lions game tickets.
For voting and contest information, click here. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/391187111.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/fadc221e481b6e8c0f963d7c9b1cecc3c2c3ce25a5341ba2a444f39b8d8e11fc.json |
[
"John Arendt"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:06 | null | null | B.C. Day, on Monday, Aug. 1, is an opportunity to celebrate this spectacular province. See how well you know British Columbia. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F388492001.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/60468summerlandimage.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. DAY TRIVIA QUIZ: How much do you know about British Columbia? | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | B.C. Day, on Monday, Aug. 1, is an opportunity to celebrate this spectacular province. See how well you know British Columbia. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/388492001.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/62893d8dad953bc6c7a66436b412474634a5d71fb0afce5f6e9296c4476ae059.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-29T22:50:58 | null | null | Smoking materials remain among the main risks for sparking a wildfire in dry conditions, but vigilance in all areas is essential | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391662151.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/49227oakbayOBFirefighters-RobKivellMugPOct0715.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Firefighters urge caution in continuing dry conditions | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Capt. Rob Kivell
With hot, dry weather continuing, local firefighters urge caution with any potential fire ignition sources.
“We’ve had extremely hot and dry weather and it looks like it’s going to continue,” says Capt. Rob Kivell, Oak Bay’s fire prevention officer.
“Right now the coastal region of B.C. is rated as extreme,” Kivell says. That rating means “extremely dry forest fuels and the fire risk is very serious. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts,” he notes.
Firefighters responded earlier this month to a smouldering fire that could have quickly become more serious.
“Uplands and Walbran parks are very dry and we had a couple of small, smouldering fires there,” he says, noting “typically a grass fire will double in size every 30 seconds.”
One of the biggest fire risks remains carelessly discarded smoking materials, he says, urging people to be vigilant with how they use and dispose of cigarettes and related materials.
Beyond cigarettes and matches, those using parks and public spaces should remove all garbage, be cautious with glass, which can magnify the sun’s rays to spark fire, and take extra care with barbecues and similar gear.
Avoid parking vehicles in grassy areas where a hot undercarriage can ignite a fire. “Be very careful of where you park your vehicle during hot, dry conditions.”
Tools that generate heat or sparks should also be used with caution.
“Using any type of equipment that can give off sparks or has radiant heat to it can have risk,” Kivell says, recommending people let tools cool before placing them near potentially combustible material or grass.
“Just be vigilant with all ignition sources,” Kivell says.
Being prepared for the possibility of fire, especially for those living adjacent to parks or other at risk areas, can also prevent a more serious situation.
“Always have a hose nearby and have it ready to use,” Kivell says.
And if you do notice any signs of smoke or fire, don’t wait to call firefighters.
“Phone 911 right away if you spot a fire,” Kivell says.
“The sooner we get there the more likely we are to contain it.”
editor@oakbaynews.com | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391662151.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/8a3b68c8788fad7cd8e9805e18de353e66fc82e363a3ad03aa5793ff367bb118.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:49:33 | null | null | Volunteers to ask seniors about staff, food, privacy, medications and other conditions in residential care | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F391445481.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/18269BCLN2007Nursinghomeflickr7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Senior home survey seeks volunteers | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | B.C. has 300 seniors' care facilities, and residents and their loved ones are to be surveyed on conditions.
More than 250 volunteers have signed up to compile a survey of seniors in residential care, and B.C.'s Seniors Advocate is looking for more.
The 27,000 seniors living in 300 residential care facilities around the province are being asked about their experience with care home staff, the quality of food, privacy, medications and other conditions.
It's the first comprehensive survey done in B.C., to measure resident satisfaction and provide a "roadmap" for improvements, said Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie.
Interviews will be conducted in person by trained volunteers, and a matching mail-out survey will be sent to each resident's most frequent visitor.
The project is seeking volunteers with a range of professional backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. To apply as a volunteer, visit www.surveybcseniors.org or call the Office of the Seniors Advocate at 1-877-952-3181. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/391445481.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/65346dd179b8f64de963c06f1e31206c871971f5393cc842da147713fc09e114.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:39 | null | null | UVic venue has a stellar series of concerts and performances scheduled | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390971351.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Farquhar offers diverse entertainment line-up | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Jacob Zinn
Black Press
A legendary rock drummer, a Scottish comedian and a troop of Chinese acrobats walk into Farquhar Auditorium – and make up one heck of an entertainment lineup.
The fall and winter seasons at Farquhar are no joke. The University of Victoria venue has a stellar series of concerts and performances scheduled over the coming months, including the newly announced Mick Fleetwood Blues Band (yes, that Mick Fleetwood) on Oct. 2.
The Fleetwood Mac co-founder and stickman will bring some British blues to the Island, alongside the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame group’s late ’80s/early ’90s vocalist and guitarist Rick Vito, rounding out his 13-date fall tour at UVic. Expect a solid set of original blues rock numbers and some Mac hits and deep cuts.
Farquhar will also get a double dose of laughter this fall, with Tacoma stand-up comic Jo Koy (best known for his 100-plus appearances on Chelsea Lately) on Sept. 30 and a two-night stint with Just for Laughs favourite Danny Bhoy on Oct. 25 and 26, bringing some Scottish storytelling to the auditorium.
The fall and winter lineups also promise some cultural performances, including the critically acclaimed Shanghai Acrobats on Sept. 3 and 4, and Indian singer/songwriter Kiran Ahluwalia, a modern purveyor of the great vocal traditions of India and Pakistan, on Feb. 26, 2017.
Of course, there’s also a great variety of children’s entertainment at Farquhar this season, starting with Cicada and the Ant on Oct. 23. The Aesop’s Fable is being retold by the Sursaut Dance Company through a choreographic work enjoyable for young and old.
Then, on Dec. 4, award-winning children’s musician Will Stroet of CBC’s Will Jams brings his educational and entertaining, high-energy show to UVic for an exciting 11 a.m. show.
Lastly on the kids’ docket, Axis Theatre presents Hamelin: A New Fable at Farquhar on Jan. 15, 2017, retelling the comedic, heart-tugging musical story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The show features a cast of five professional actors and musicians using masks and puppets to tell the delightful tale.
January also brings some talented musicians to the university venue, including Montreal’s Remi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble on Jan. 21.
Accompanying Bolduc on the tour will be guest pianist Francois Bourassa, as well as his standard rhythm section, bassist Fraser Hollins and drummer Dave Laing.
Seventeen years strong, the International Guitar Night also returns to UVic on Jan. 29, highlighting the diversity of acoustic guitar. The show features IGN founder Brian Gore, Italian contemporary guitarist Luca Stricagnoli, Brazilian composer/performer Chrystian Dozza and India’s groundbreaking slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya.
Finally, Doug Cox brings Starman: Acoustic Bowie to Farquhar on Feb. 8, a posthumous tribute to the influential English rock star. Cox will be joined by Juno award-winning singer/songwriter Helen Austin, Wide Mouth Mason’s Shaun Verreault, longtime collaborator Sam Hurrie, Spirit of the West’s Linda McRae, Locarno percussionist Robin Layne and Canadian bassist extraordinaire Rick May.
The auditorium is going to be jam-packed this season, with more events sure to be announced.
For tickets or more information, visit tickets.uvic.ca. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390971351.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/39dc1c7143f906404f5f244a8286ce98be847c919fe1046913df331d74229228.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-28T22:50:41 | null | null | Talks continue, with rotating overtime ban set to begin Monday if no agreement by midnight Sunday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391545211.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/68221BCLN200782072cranbrookdailyCPweb.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | OTTAWA – Contract talks continue between Canada Post and its largest union, but neither side is hinting as to whether any progress has been made.
A federally appointed mediator has been meeting with the two sides since Friday to try to reach a deal.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says if there is no deal by midnight, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refusing to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
CUPW served 72 hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.
The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.
A CUPW news release says the initial job action will cause little disruption to Canada Post customers and that its members will still be delivering mail every day.
The Canadian Press | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391545211.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/394369fd6c824dd17e60ab441df9e54597f3819609b6a1ec1fa73581591c1989.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T12:52:58 | null | null | Sponsorships will help bring a grand concert piano to the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre at Oak Bay High | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390243181.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/68802oakbayOBPianofundraiserPAug1716copy.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Theatre seat sale key to piano campaign | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Help bring the sweet sound of a concert grand piano to the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre at Oak Bay High by having your name memorialized on one of the seats.
The Greater Victoria School District is allowing the volunteer group fundraising for a grand piano for the new theatre to accept up to 100 theatre seat sponsorships.
“We want a piano equal to the room, for the community and for the students,” says volunteer promoter Joseph Blake, commending the calibre of the theatre that this year alone welcomed a host of top musicians across the genres.
Theatre seats are available first-come, first-served, and seat sponsorships will receive a charitable tax receipt. Donors may elect a single-seat sponsorship payment of $450 or six equal monthly payments of $75.
Donor-recognition plaques will be attached to all sponsored theatre seats.
Blake’s wife has already purchased him a seat, and he’s planning a reciprocal gift. “Music gives me so much; this is a wonderful opportunity for me to give back to a music community I love,” he says.
Beyond the seat sale, Blake and the other volunteers are planning concert furndraiser Sept. 11.
“We’ve been planning our big, benefit concert to launch the Keys to Our Success campaign,” says Blake, who has lined up seven local pianists to perform on a nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano loaned by Tom Lee Music for the event.
Pianorama features Louise Rose, Toni Blodgett, Arthur Rowe, Karel Roessingh, Julia Zhu, Brent Jarvis and Jan Stirling, all donating their time and talent. Each will showcase a different genre of music they’re passionate about, from ragtime and gospel to jazz and classical.
“Pianorama is the real launch and it’s going to be a truly amazing event,” Blake says, thanking the participating performers. They’re giving, amazing people – every person I asked said ‘yes.’”
Theatre namesake Dave Dunnet will also speak at the event about the importance of the planned-for piano, Blake says.
“We are really thrilled to present this celebration of piano and community and the opportunity to accept theatre seat sponsorships in the beautiful, new theatre is a huge aid to our effort to raise $100,000 for a piano that is equal to the $4-million theatre complex,” Blake says.
“It’s an important new venue for the whole community, and it deserves a world-class piano.”
Pianorama takes place at the Dave Dunnet Community Theatre at Oak Bay High on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. Advance tickets are for sale at Oak Bay Rec Centre and ScotiaBank Oak Bay.
Individuals, groups, organizations and corporations may support Keys to Our Success and Oak Bay Piano Fund by donating online at CanadaHelps.org or by delivering payment (cash or cheque) to Oak Bay Rotary Foundation at #210-2187 Oak Bay Ave.
For details call 250-595-1500. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390243181.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/451d721bca527cf27c4fb2f6ca8512fec24bfd7a3b97b0c73711a93873ab98d3.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:52 | null | null | Campus security alerted to break and enter at childcare facility | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391075401.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Saanich police arrest man during break and enter at University of Victoria | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Police recommend charges of three counts of break and enter, one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and one count of uttering threats after an arrest at the University of Victoria Saturday.
Campus security at UVic responded to an intrusion alarm at their unoccupied Child Care Facility, around 1 p.m. on Aug. 20. Once at the building UVic Campus Security located a suspect inside, called Saanich Police and confronted the suspect who threatened the security officers and fled. Saanich police patrol officers arrived and located a suspect hiding in nearby bushes.
“Saanich Police and the University of Victoria have an exceptional working relationship,” said A/Sgt. Jereme Leslie, Saanich Police Department. “This is an excellent example of UVic Campus Security being extra vigilant in order to reduce crime and ensure safety for their students, faculty and staff. We appreciate their assistance in capturing this prolific offender.”
Police arrested a 28-year-old Greater Victoria man who is known to police. The Saanich Police Forensic Identification Section was able to connect forensic evidence from two other break and enters on May 16 and Aug. 17 to this suspect. Both occurred to a business in the 2400 block of Arbutus Road.
More charges may be recommended after Investigators review further evidence seized during the arrest. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391075401.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/4a6375a94c56a0ebab1760eca12586a4884492fc4b8a9d7661a6a0c0e560a482.json |
[
"Colin Gall"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:28 | null | null | Read what's happing in local sports action this week | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F391321931.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/60506oakbayGallColinJockTalk.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Vikes women see soccer action Friday at Centennial | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Colin Gall
The University of Victoria Vikes women’s soccer team hits the pitch today (Friday, Aug. 26), hosting the Western Washington University Vikings at 4 p.m. at Centennial Stadium. UVic’s men’s squad is on the road taking on UBC Okanagan Aug. 27 and Thompson River Sunday, Aug. 28.
In rowing, UVic’s men and women are gearing up for the FISU World University Championship, competing in Poznan, Poland Sept. 2 to 4. Visit fisu.net for live updates.
Cricket returns this week with the Incogs playing the Colts at St. Michaels University School Saturday, Aug. 27 at 12 p.m. Coming up Saturday, Sept. 3, Oak Bay plays the Islanders at Beacon Hill park at 12 p.m., before the final game of the regular season Sunday, Sept. 4 when the Incogs play the Alcos at 12 p.m. at SMUS.
Victoria Eagles Baseball Club’s Instructional Fall Ball opens Sept. 6. The program, running eight weeks to Oct. 28, is open to all players born between 1998 and 2004, no matter where they played in 2016 or where they intend to play in 2017. Visit victoriaeagles.com for details and registration information.
Victoria Minor Hockey Association, Oak Bay’s home association, and Saanich Minor Hockey Association host a combined swap and shop for gently used sports equipment on Friday, Aug. 26. Head to the Pearkes Rec Centre Fieldhouse from 5 to 7 p.m. to participate in the fundraiser event for Tour de Rock. Tables to sell equipment are available for a $5 donation for Tour de Rock. Email SpecialEventsDirector@saanichminorhockey.com to reserve a table.
The Victoria Cougars get ready for the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey Season with two pre-season games at Archie Browning Sports Centre. The Cougs hit the ice against the Kerry Park Islanders Monday, Aug. 29 before welciming the Nanaimo Buccaneers Thursday, Sept. 1. Both games start at 7 p.m.
Woman2Warrior, the women’s 5k obstacle adventure race, hits the track, trails and grass at West Shore Parks & Recreation this Sunday, Aug. 28. Tackle more than a dozen obstacles designed to challenge strength, agility, balance and endurance. Event-day registration is available; visit victoria.woman2warrior.ca for details.
See the Vanier Cup-winning University of British Columbia Thunderbirds take on the University of Manitoba Bisons today (Friday, Aug. 26) at Westhills Stadium. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with kick-off at 7 p.m. All proceeds benefit Greater Victoria Minor Football, Westshore Rebels and the UBC Football Island Scholarship Fund. Visit vithunderbowl.com for tickets.
Lacrosse action continues as the Victoria Shamrocks advance to Round 2 Western Lacrosse League playoffs. Play opened at home on Wednesday, and following Game 2 on the road, Game 3 comes to the Q Centre Sunday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. If necessary, Game 5 will be played Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7:45 p.m. at the Q Centre and Game 7 Sunday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. at the Q.
Colin Gall is a local athlete and Grade 12 student at Mt. Douglas Secondary. Send your coming sports events to jocktalk@telus.net. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/391321931.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/7a626e8394c632738fdd0e4e683d586536a778141bf7ea7333ee478f07c62886.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:54:56 | null | null | Glimpse some the region's finest homes during the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria House Tour Sunday, Sept.11 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390969741.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | AGGV house tour tickets on sale | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | A mix of renovations and new builds, the owners of six custom homes are throwing open their doors for the annual Art Gallery of Greater Victoria House Tour Sunday, Sept.11.
Presented by the Gallery Associates and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria since 1952, the tour features an artist at each home and custom designs from talented floral artists.
“The theme of the year is renewal of lifestyles and neighbourhoods through our homes,” says event chair Bill Huzar of the Gallery Associates. “The owners of these homes really considered the way they wanted to live when they designed these spaces, and they embraced the ideas of neighbourhoods, renewal and sustainability.”
The homes, in Victoria, Esquimalt and south Oak Bay, were each designed to elevate the homeowners’ lifestyles, such as a low-maintenance float home and an indoor-outdoor cottage.
The tour runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept.11 and features unique homes with inspiring gardens, art and furniture, with all funds raised supporting the AGGV.
Tickets are $35 and on sale on Aug. 20 at aggv.ca/events or in person at the AGGV, all Brown’s the Florist, Dig This and GardenWorks locations, Eclectic Gallery in Oak Bay, The Gallery at Mattick’s Farm and Munro’s Books. Tickets purchased online need to be picked up at the gallery prior to the tour date.
For details, visit aggv.ca/housetour2016 or call 250-384-4171. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390969741.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/7cb2a695e86eda78c7dd5f335d69f15be9f0505306d1eadd78c8604e31e47d40.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:02 | null | null | Asian demand for B.C. wood products peaked in 2013, analyst says China sales on pace for 50 per cent drop | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F391328001.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/63096BCLN2007thomsonchinaosb7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Lumber exports shift to U.S. as China sales slump | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Wood products exports from Canada to Asia were down 18 per cent in the first six months of 2016, with the biggest decline being softwood lumber from B.C. to China, according to the Seattle-based Wood Resources International.
Lumber sales to China are on pace to drop by 50 per cent this year compared to 2014, as B.C. lumber producers direct their sales to a healthy U.S. lumber market, according to customs data tracked for the Wood Resources Quarterly (www.woodprices.com).
The latest edition notes that by value, 75 per cent of B.C.'s exports to Asia in 2015 and 2016 are in the form of lumber, while 77 per cent of exports from Washington and Oregon are logs.
Asian demand reached a record high in 2013, with China passing Japan as the largest importer of North American wood products in 2011. The B.C. and federal governments promote wood construction in China and Japan, and B.C.'s forest minister is required to conduct an annual trade mission to China, Japan and other Asian countries.
The shift in demand provides extra urgency for talks to renew the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement that expired last year. B.C. sales are booming without the export cap that both Ottawa and Washington have agreed will be required. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/391328001.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/b463236baf62430e0d2611608ef8da893edc7a6390b7125286704bdcc24b321c.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:33 | null | null | Reward offered for pertinent information following multiple injured raccoons | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391320201.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/59531oakbayOBracoonsscreenshotPAug1916.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Raccoon injuries plague Oak Bay neighbourhood | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | A pair of images on the website showing a racoon photographed in May missing a paw and another spotted this month missing its other front paw.
Concern continues after another raccoon was spotted missing its paw in Oak Bay.
One resident reported injured raccoons in the spring and started a small neighbourhood poster campaign that quickly grew to include the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals.
http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/381676931.html
Seeing a reduction in raccoon population and a series of injured animals, the resident contacted Oak Bay police, BCSPCA Wild ARC in Metchosin and the BC Conservation Service and posted signs in the Haultain Street and Kings Road area.
“Nobody has come forward (with information) yet and at the time things looked like they were starting to slow down,” said Adrian Nelson, director of communications for the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals.
“Just this morning I got a new email that there is another injured raccoon.”
Oak Bay resident Marla Berchard and her husband Henry spotted the latest amputee in mid-August.
“A mother with four very small babies … she’s lost a lot of her left front paw so it’s really difficult for her to manoeuvre,” Marla said. “It’s really sad to see and it’s a concern for her babies’ survival.”
The couple canvassed the neighbourhood with Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals pamphlets and other information.
The Vancouver-based organization deals with wildlife issues across the nation, and trap injuries aren’t new.
It’s currently dealing with a similar case in Lumby, B.C. where a cat came home with injuries believed to be from a hold trap, Nelson said.
“We hope that we bring awareness to the community that raccoons are here to stay. They’re ubiquitous, they’re everywhere and they fit in with the urban landscape. They’re part of it and we need to learn to live with them,” Henry said.
“Really we hope people are vigilant against cruelty.”
The campaign includes a website seeking information and eventually a reward that grew consistently to today’s $4,500 offered for information that leads to apprehension and conviction of a perpetrator.
“The reward is now $4,500 which is basically made up of compassionate citizens,” Marla said.
“We’re just hoping some money is enough of an incentive to come forward,” Nelson said.
“The biggest concern for us is this is somebody that’s taking nuisance wildlife into their own hands … there are a lot of other ways of dealing with raccoons and skunks and other small mammals and we’d really urge them to look at some of those alternatives.”
The Berchards got involved with the Urban Wildlide Stewardship Society this summer, an organization primarily concerned with deer in Greater Victoria.
“I think they want to expand to include raccoons,” Marla said.
Working with that group and Nelson’s organization, they may approach council in the fall with suggestions on wildlife bylaws in general, and raccoons specifically.
While it’s not illegal to trap humanely, even that could be avoided during nursing and mothering season, Henry said.
“The population has just been decimated here,” said Marla.
With a treed yard and high fence that appears to be a raccoon thoroughfare, the Berchards note the injured animals.
“As far as we can tell this is about the fifth one that is missing a paw. We can tell because they have different levels of paw removal and different (appendages),” Henry said.
“There were more raccoons in the neighbourhood, they do seem to disappear. Somebody is trapping them for sure, what type of device they’re using we don’t know. We’re concerned about that.”
His hope is that residents come to respect the intelligent creatures.
“Our concern is really for the welfare of the animals,” Henry said. “Most people are appalled when they hear about the situation. Most people are animal supporting and loving of the animals.”
Visit savetheraccoons.weebly.com for more information and photos.
Police ask anyone with information to contact the Oak Bay Police Department 250-592-2424 or Crime Stoppers, 1-800-222-8477. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391320201.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/bddf6d7d72bd729987fc5457aea2d99a199fd5d638ac3a7b5801a53c020ae260.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:51 | null | null | Youngsters shouldn't be encouraged to read with potato chips as a reward | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F390511711.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Encourage reading with healthy options | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Snacks an added incentive for teen summer reading, Oak Bay News July 27.
Instead of offering young readers a bag of chips why isn’t the library offering them something more healthy?
William Jesse
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/390511711.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/47ca080f9190dfec26369d1b5430815c244604b7bc5479babed67813402e553e.json |
[
"Don Denton"
] | 2016-08-29T22:52:36 | null | null | The Victoria Royals held the first day of their main training camp for the 2016-17 Western Hockey League season | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F391660721.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/48795vicnewsVN-VictoriaRoyalsCamp20161online.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Victoria Royals back on the ice for training camp | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | It may be sunny and hot outside but the ice is in and hockey is back.
The Victoria Royals held the first day of their main training camp for the 2016-17 season this morning at the Save On Foods Memorial Centre.
Head coach Dave Lowry and his staff were running drills on the ice through the morning. Familiar faces on the ice for the first session included goalie Griffen Outhouse and Jack Walker.
The Royals' first pre-season game will be September 2 in Kamloops against the Blazers with their first home pre-season game September 10 against the Vancouver Giants.
They kick off their season at home Friday, September 23 against the Prince George Cougars. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/391660721.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/db3a42ae8911469071431ee1320abb93ee8202a312a4bc662261a1be19ba20cb.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:53 | null | null | Exhibition of sculptures continues at the Oak Bay gallery through Aug. 31 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390971881.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/7892oakbayAvenueGallery-NicolaPrinsen-BunnyHop.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Avenue Gallery hosts Prinsen’s animal bronzes | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Bunny Hop, by Nicola Prinsen, is at Avenue Gallery
Oak Bay’s Avenue Gallery opens an exhibition of bronze sculpture by Nicola Prinsen today (Wednesday, Aug. 24).
Pushing the boundaries through distortion and exaggeration, the result is a fusion of personality and simplicity. Prinsen’s goal is to simplify but never leave any doubt as to the identity of the particular animal.
A tension and serenity is veiled in humour, yet the longer one looks the more one realizes that the artist herself is serious, the gallery notes.
The exhibition continues to Aug. 31. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390971881.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/2aafda094b48dee631ca6cf3d3fb5b469646edc1ffeb3f44ecd302115c61e743.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:13:59 | null | null | Young baseball player returns home with amazing memories from historic trip | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F389125891.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/83992oakbayOBbaseballnationalsPJuly2916.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | National losses add up to exciting adventure | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Tyler Commandeur and Jaxson Smith-Peterson of Beacon Hill Little League hold the B.C. flag right before opening ceremonies at Trico Field in Calgary.
Pressure, excitement and team bonding form standout moments for Oak Bay youth Tyler Commandeur after his baseball team’s historic trip to nationals. Despite losing all games.
“You have fun but then there are times you have to be serious and try your hardest,” Tyler said. “It was very high-level baseball for kids our age, which was neat to experience.”
The Greater Victoria (District 7) Intermediate baseball team earned a berth at nationals after winning provincials in Langley. Officials say it’s the first time since the late 1990s that a Little League team from the Island has gone to nationals.
“It was really exciting because it’s the first time I’ve ever gone to a tournament like that and it’s the first time a Victoria team has made it since Michael Saunders played,” said Tyler, who plays during the regular season with Beacon Hill Little League.
The Victoria team fell 17-5 to the Fish Creek Cardinals of Calgary in the first game.
The second day Lethbridge dominated 24-1 but the third day they came up with a narrow 9-8 loss to another Calgary Team Rocky Mountain Red Sox.
After a day off, the Victoria team finished round robin play and the tournament with a 13-3 loss to Ontario’s Oakville Whitecaps.
Lethbridge Giants went on to defeat Rocky Mountain Red Sox 15-0 to take first place.
“It was very exciting and a lot of fun, but also different than what I expected,” Tyler said. “There’s a lot of pressure on your games.”
Tyler, 12, and his peers were among the youngest players in a level where players can range from 12 to 14.
“My coaches and parents said I played quite well,” said the outfielder. “I made some good plays in the outfield and had some good at bats. Personally I did fairly well I think.”
He’s quick to point out, despite the losses, the Victoria team wasn’t weak.
“We played fairly well,” Tyler said, adding the players had a mere three weeks to bond and build as a team. The other teams, at both provincials and nationals, are already established.
“Lethbridge, they’re an academy … they practice every single day,” he said. “Some of the teams were just better than us, skill wise, like Lethbridge and Ontario.”
The players came home with white cowboy hats after a traditional Calgary “white hat ceremony” to open the tournament.
The team members from all over Greater Victoria bonded over dinners out and sightseeing while in Calgary – even hanging out with kids on the other teams at times.
“On the field we’re kind of enemies but off the field we’re buddies,” Tyler said.
“It’s an experience that you remember forever. On and off the field it was fun.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/389125891.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/9388ac4f64b0c4dd4ef9b488a5c37b6b2dacc8242ebfae4df8ff91fba8506509.json |
[
"Christin Geall"
] | 2016-08-26T13:07:53 | null | null | Singing the praises of tall plants for the urban garden | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F385599381.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/94005oakbayOBGardenColumnCephalariagiganteaPJuly0116.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Aiming high in the garden | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Cephalaria gigantea
What is it about summer meadows? About lying on one’s back watching the waving of grasses, the sway of flowers, lithe stems bending on a breeze?
Perhaps it’s ancestral, staring up at the sky though plants, as if we are called back to the savannahs where we first stood upright as a species, moved from four legs to two, collected seeds and later sowed them…
I’m here to sing the praises of tall plants. Plants that might screen a neighbour, dwarf us, and put us in our place. I’ll start with some of my favourites:
Cephalaria gigantea, a towering perennial, achieves 10 feet in one season and has disk-shaped pale yellow flowers on long clean stems. Simple to grow and deer-proof, it slowly spreads to a nice clump. Start off with a triangle of three.
Ammi magus: This is an annual that is too late to grow this year, but it’s a relative of Queen Anne’s lace, shooting up to seven feet in a season. It’s from a category of plants called Umbellifers which look like upturned umbrellas, and bear their tiny flowers on a flat ‘head’. Architectural, simple to grow, their range includes the Angelicas (to six feet) and the Ferulas, relatives of fennel. All grow almost too well in our climate, self-seeding easily.
For privacy, I grow the grass Molina caerulea ‘Karl Foerester’ as a summer screen, it’s purple-tinged flower heads reaching about five feet. Behind this, I grow Eupatorium purpureum (Joe Pye Weed) which is partial to damp soil and tolerates clay. Mine reach over seven feet, bearing dusty rose blooms in late summer, but they also provide a great show with dark stems and bright green foliage throughout the summer. Standing in the middle of what is my front yard surrounded by such giants makes me feel wonderfully small and secret, as if being enclosed in a tiny garden room, deep in green.
I also use Maclaeya cordata with the Eupatorium, which is similarly deer-resistant. It rises to six or seven feet, has lovely grey green leaves and easily paired blooms of apricot/buff.
For serious impact, try growing Echium pininana.
In the 1600 block of Foul Bay Bay Road a set of these towering Dr. Seuss-like ‘rockets’ blasted up in the front yard of a bungalow this spring. Native to the Canary Islands, these giants like warm conditions, but I’ve seen them growing in Scotland and I’m guessing our now mild winters mean they are worth a try.
If you like yellow, there are a number of tall perennials to choose from, inlcuding the Rudbeckias (‘Herbstonne’ is common here), Inula (the herb Elcampane) and the genus Helianthus, to which sunflowers belong. I grow the rather odd Helianthus salicifolius which snakes upwards to ten feet and the tidy Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ which bears a profusion of pale yellow flowers from July through September.
There are so many more wonderful monsters to mention, but I’ll have to stop here. (An excellent book on this topic is Tall Perennials: Larger Than Life Plants for Gardens of All Sizes by Roger Turner.)
I’ve never regretted planting one of my tall perennials (the Macleaya can be invasive, but only slowly so), so resist the urge to go small in a small space – you’ll be staring at the ground. Aim high. Rather than confining a view, tall plants frame one, drawing your eye up into space.
Christin Geall is an avid Oak Bay gardener and a creative non-fiction writing instructor at the University of Victoria. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/385599381.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/d7b8521fda648805b71a132c0d2c8253a6f9f0b5d0de4db04001a4d397fa59fd.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:59 | null | null | Vehicle traffic up 5% with no net fare increase and discounts offered for vehicles pulling boats and travel trailers | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F391094851.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/59772BCLN2007ferrySpiritofBC7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | More discounts coming as BC Ferries traffic rises | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | BC Ferries sailings have been busier this year, thanks in part to strong tourist traffic and no net fare increase.
BC Ferries plans to continue its campaign of price promotions this fall and next spring in an effort to maintain increased passenger and vehicle traffic.
First-quarter results for the Crown corporation show passenger traffic up 2.5 per cent and vehicle loads up 5.1 per cent for the three months ended June 30, compared with the same period in 2015.
Buoyed by a strong tourist year for B.C. and no net fare increase, BC Ferries carried 5.3 million passengers and 2.1 million vehicles in April, May and June. The 1.9 per cent average fare hike was erased by a reduced fuel surcharge due to long-term contracts for cheaper diesel fuel.
Helped by reduced operating costs and higher retail sales from terminals and on-board gift shops, net earnings were $27 million for the quarter, up from $18.8 million in the same period last year. Revenues were up 4.9 per cent to $219 million, while costs for the quarter went up 1.5 per cent to $178.6 million.
BC Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan released the first-quarter results at the corporation's annual meeting in Victoria, where he also announced that unspecified pricing promotions will be offered this fall and next spring. This year BC Ferries has been offering discounts on over-length vehicles pulling boats or travel trailers.
Corrigan also announced he will be stepping down as CEO at the end of the fiscal year next March. He was promoted in 2012 to replace former CEO David Hahn, and presided over a controversial service review that saw sailings reduced on money-losing routes.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone praised Corrigan for reducing operating costs and embracing new technology, including three new medium-sized ferries using liquefied natural gas fuel that have been built in Poland.
LNG retrofits are also scheduled for the Spirit of B.C. and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, the workhorses of the main Tswassen-to-Vancouver Island route.
Corrigan's term also saw the first cable ferry in the BC Ferries fleet, the Baynes Sound Connector to Denman Island. Stone said the cable ferry cut fuel costs by half. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/391094851.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/33e70f8db2b1eb3d18137c519cc7c70cb73d664c5960cd31938a05f6b60fea43.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:51 | null | null | A variety of factors have combined to create rental crisis | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F391321151.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Causes are many for rental crisis | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Rental housing crisis roots reach back decades, Oak Bay News, Your View, Aug. 19.
This letter has many good points but left out other important events.
In 1981, Liberal Finance Minister Allan MacEachen brought in a budget that eliminated economic incentives or tax write-offs that encouraged developers to build rental apartments. It then was no longer viable so construction stopped. Many developers involved in this business went bankrupt. Along with the Federal Liberals National Energy Program, a recession was created, especially in western Canada. High interest rates of course added to this.
Rental property is also taxed less favourably than hotels. CRA classifies rentals as a passive not active business which discourages construction. Another factor are rent controls brought in by the NDP government in B.C. Landlords income is regulated but expenses go up every year without any limit.
Sylvia Mitbrodt
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/391321151.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/5f2c458043f43b581f3a23a4c61faecf764fd659855328eefbd7d7808a411763.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:24 | null | null | Mayor says those who ‘go it alone’ may increase costs for neighbouring jurisdictions | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F390969661.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/75560oakbayNilsJensen2012PNov30.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Cracks in municipal co-operation disturbing: Jensen | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen
Tim Collins
News contributor
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen is concerned about cracks appearing in longstanding co-operation between some Greater Victoria municipalities.
“The co-operation for fire safety is a prime example. We had a mutual aid system that worked well for 30 years, and suddenly their new fire chief (Victoria Chief Paul Bruce) comes in and everything is open to renegotiation. And the most frustrating thing is that the system worked for everyone’s benefit, and now it’s all open again,” Jensen said.
Jensen said Bruce recently entered into separate negotiations with the union representing Victoria’s firefighters (International Association of Fire Fighters, Local No. 730). Those negotiations resulted in a deal that Jensen said may have the effect of whipsawing up the wages for all the other municipalities in Greater Victoria.
Part of the problem arises from the fact that, in mid-June of this year, Victoria moved to withdraw from the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association (GVLRA). That association until recently represented the bulk of the municipalities in Greater Victoria, and presented the various municipal unions with one unified collective bargaining agency, allowing for a stronger bargaining position for those municipalities.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said it was Victoria’s feeling that the GVLRA had been a good option for Victoria when it was formed in 1976 but that Victoria’s Human Relations Department had, in recent years, handled many of the services once provided by the GVLRA.
“It was just time for us to go it alone,” Helps said.
It’s a move Jensen maintained will put other municipalities in a difficult situation.
“Of course, when we go to negotiate, the union will hold up the agreement with Victoria as a starting point and we’re left negotiating from a position that we had no part in establishing in the first place,” said Jensen.
Helps vehemently denies the assertion that Victoria’s actions will result in a whipsawing of labour agreements.
“This is not something that we did without careful consideration. We hired a consultant and, based on the report we received, this was the best course of action for everyone concerned,” said Helps.
Jensen is also concerned about the new 911 call centre being considered for Greater Victoria. Although 911 calls are currently integrated for police services, some question exists as to whether calls for fire services will be handled by the one central location. While most municipalities have signed on to the centre, Langford and Victoria have not yet agreed to be a part of the centralized system.
“It’s a CRD responsibility to construct the building to house these services, and because we can’t get these municipalities, particularly Victoria, to commit to the integrated system for fire, they (the CRD) don’t even know how big the building has to be,” said Jensen.
Helps takes issue with the concern.
“We are on board to join in the fire services agreement and the 911 co-ordinated service. As recently as yesterday I was having those discussions and we are definitely going to be on board. We just haven’t formally agreed to it as yet,” Helps said.
Jensen maintained, however, that although these issues may not seem significant in and of themselves, they point to a disturbing trend for some municipalities, particularly Victoria, to want to “go it alone.”
Not a proponent of the amalgamation of Greater Victoria municipalities, Jensen acknowledged that it only makes sense for the municipalities to work together, particularly in the provision of services that cross municipal boundaries.
“I believe in service integration,” said Jensen.
“We’re all stronger if we work together. We can keep down costs and provide a better level of service to all residents of Greater Victoria. But when municipalities start opting out and going their own way, it unravels decades of co-operation.”
Editor's note: This is an updated version of a previously posted story. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/390969661.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/4a01aa78fcf0b15f3015d63d1a795f1b44a9ebae4df8e75c162c4df8eda0734c.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:12:08 | null | null | Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett's position boils down to blaming racist, indifferent cops | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F389749591.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/20136BCLN2007Bennett-Carolynswear-in7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: Missing women inquiry pre-determined | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Toronto MP Carolyn Bennett is sworn in as Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, November 2015.
The federal government’s National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is preparing to get underway in September.
With five commissioners led by B.C. judge Marion Buller and a budget that has swelled by a third to $54 million before it even starts, this inquiry has one big advantage over all the previous studies of Canada’s intractable problems of poverty and violence in aboriginal communities.
In this case, the politicians all agree what the outcome is going to be. They’ve been saying so for months, since the Justin Trudeau government got elected on this and other passionate, if questionable, promises.
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, a member of the We Wai Kai Nation on the B.C. coast, a former Crown prosecutor and chair of the B.C. Treaty Commission, announced the terms of reference last week. She stressed that the inquiry will not attempt to retry cold cases, but to examine the “root causes” of the high numbers of missing and murdered women.
Next up was Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, who has no doubt at all what those “root causes” are: racism, sexism and the lingering effects of colonialism. Bennett has been meeting steadily with grieving families since being appointed, and now accepts that racist, indifferent cops are the main “root cause.”
Bennett explained this conclusion from New York in April, while attending a “Women of the World” summit. It’s an “uneven application of justice,” she told The Globe and Mail, a phrase we’ll hear again and again.
“You end up with people who have been told it’s an overdose, or a suicide or an accident,” Bennett said.
RCMP have reported close to 1,200 unsolved cases of murdered or missing indigenous women since 1980, a figure that Bennett scoffs at. What’s her evidence? She’s talked to families, and knows it’s “way more” than that.
One of the previous inquiries was by a United Nations official, James Anaya, in 2014. He noted the alarming statistics of education outcome and violent offences against women, and referred to 660 cases documented by the Native Women’s Association of Canada. He also described being besieged by demands for a national inquiry, as he went through the stacks of studies that have already been done.
“Since 1996,” Anaya wrote in his UN report, “there have been at least 29 official inquiries and reports dealing with aspects of this issue, which have resulted in over 500 recommendations for action.”
As the latest inquiry was being launched, Perry Bellegarde, the current Assembly of First Nations national chief, recited Bennett’s speaking points about the conclusions it will reach.
Bellegarde told CTV the problem is vastly under-reported because “…oh, it’s an accidental death. Oh, it’s a suicide.” Then he called for more money for housing and other programs via the failed Indian Act system.
There are several glaring factors that apparently will not be discussed, because they fall outside the politically correct boundaries of this pre-determined narrative.
One is the even more alarming number of aboriginal men and boys who are victims of violent crime.
Another is the rate of domestic abuse reported by indigenous women, which Statistics Canada estimated this year at about 10 per cent of their population. That’s three times the national average, but it was not mentioned amid the demands for justice at the inquiry.
Another key issue that is forbidden from discussion is the social and economic viability of remote communities. Some of them haven’t been able to maintain clean water and safe housing, much less education and employment, despite billions in spending every year.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/389749591.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/6196a0fe61372a4cae10b9751feb39b93ffaceebd332bb8435fc9bbcbc26973a.json |
[
"Christin Geall"
] | 2016-08-26T13:07:24 | null | null | Understanding how plant breeding is reflected in plant names | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F389125761.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | True to type | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Remember Mendel’s peas? The wrinkled and the smooth? In the1850s Mendel planted peas in a monastery garden. He cross-fertilized them and painstakingly recorded the results, unlocking the secrets of heredity and opening the door to modern genetics.
Mendel’s work is still relevant to hobby gardeners today. And even if you don’t fancy creating your own variety of plant, understanding what’s in name can be helpful to the home gardener.
We’re going to get technical here, so if you’re looking for a quick takeaway: the closer to the original species, the truer a plant will be to type.
Let’s imagine a sample tag from a garden centre that reads: Dianthus barbatus ‘Sooty.’ The first name is the genus, the second the species, and the third epithet, the cultivar.
By contrast, the common name for Dianthus uses no Latin binomial (the two-part genus/species name) and would simply be: Sweet William. But you’d still need to know what kind of Sweet William you have before you because the plant comes in a wide range of varieties (and species) and subsequently colours. Hence the need for the species and cultivar name, the latter presented in single quotes; ‘Sooty.’ What you can read into this is that from D. barbatus a form was selected for certain attributes – in this case deep plummy blooms and dark foliage.
Got it? So far we’ve covered three types of names: common, binomial and cultivar.
Cultivar names also appear without a species name, for example Geum ‘Scarlet Tempest.’ In this case, it’s wise just to think about the meaning of the word cultivar which comes from the two words ‘cultivated’ and ‘variety.’ A cultivar does not appear in the wild. For example, this Geum was bred by Elizabeth MacGregor in 2012 from parentage of G. ‘Beech House Apricot’ x G. chiloense ‘Red Dragon’), telling us that wild ancestors are distant indeed.
Confused yet? We can go further! What does it mean when you see a number listed next to a plant name?
Frankly, this question led me to write this column. I have a small specialty cut flower business so I tend to look for new varieties. This morning I was flipping through a trade publication and came across this: Eustoma grandiflora F1, Rosanne 1.
Eustoma is also known as Lisianthus and is a great plant, but tough to grow in our cool summers, hailing as it does from the central U.S. The wild form is pretty, but the cultivated varieties are taller, more floriferous and hold long in the vase, so a tremendous amount of breeding has gone into the creation of new colours and flower types.
An F1 hybrid is the result of crossing two pure lines to achieve a desired result (in this case, a pinky brown). It may have taken a breeder seven or more years to breed a pure line before crossing but once done, those plants will produce seeds embodying the desired traits. These seeds are the F1 generation and if they themselves were planted and matured to seed their offspring wouldn’t necessarily have the same traits. As Mendel found: Only the first generation crossed from pure lines will. Hence, these seeds are often more expensive. As for the 1 listed with the ‘Rosanne’ – as far as I can tell (given no one called me back from the seed company in California) it refers to the group of Lisianthus which have standard double flowers.
Kind of makes you appreciate the wildflowers, huh?
Christin Geall is an avid Oak Bay gardener and creative non-fiction writing instructor at the University of Victoria. Email cultivatedbychristin.com. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/389125761.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/69db4f599c2a56f97eeb3b1eabd54cf24b9a747d1fa0ce90b9abf92b2c81cb64.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:57 | null | null | Lucrative strata market makes it a challenge to encourage new rental suites | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F390511801.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Rental housing crisis roots reach back decades | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Rental market out of reach for many, Oak Bay News, Aug. 12.
Friday’s article about the shortage of rental apartments was excellent and timely. This critical problem is B.C.-wide, so it begs a follow-up to explain the causes and solutions. Here are the basics:
Prior to the BC Strata Title Act of 1966 (the first in Canada) there were no condo buildings, so the only way to own an apartment or townhouse home was via a co-op or corporation.
The innovation of strata titles was to extend the Canadian dream of home ownership to include apartments – a very good thing, at least for the first decade, until unexpected consequences arose.
Condo building projects were easier to finance than rentals, and the profits are much higher from selling a building in parts rather than a whole, so by the mid ‘70s rental construction had ceased. In the overheated market prior to the great condo crash of ‘81, condo flippers were even leaving condos empty.
By the mid ‘80s developers were converting/replacing existing rental buildings into condos. By the late ‘90s there was such a shortage of rentals that local governments turned a blind eye to the building of thousands of (illegal and not-to-code) secondary/basement suites, and even placed moratoriums on the approval of strata titles for existing rental buildings. Both were temporary band-aid solutions but they continue to this day.
In this century British Columbians have learned the hard way that even in a home-owning economy, you still need a supply of modern, spacious rentals to allow mobility within the economy.
There are times in everyone’s life when it is silly to own and better to rent, such as: trial moves to find work, temporary job transfers, newlyweds, newly divorced, students, sun-birds, migrants, widowers and pensioners with failing health.
Unfortunately, since 1980 there has been a net loss of rental buildings and many of the remaining rental buildings are tired three-storey walk-ups built in the 1950s and ‘60s.
Condos were a good innovation but the consequence of their profitability has been the un-balancing of the entire housing market.
For instance, because ageing pensioners have no suitable modern rentals to move into, they remain in their family-sized houses, thus those houses are not available for raising young families.
The Greater Vancouver Regional District published a risk analysis of this very problem in 2012, so all B.C. politicians and town planners know the solution.
Until a new supply of modern rental buildings has re-balanced the housing market they must extend existing moratoriums to suspend all new strata titles, and persuade developers to build rental buildings instead.
Stephen Bowker
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/390511801.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/f06efa8791f831f072e0ac79dd65a30aa02d4f847df88d534b71b94dd243f20f.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:36 | null | null | Effects of colonialism experienced daily by First Nations | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F390244321.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Column shows ignorance of missing women issue | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Missing women inquiry pre-determined, Oak Bay News, BC Views, Aug. 10
Why Black Press continues to publish Tom Fletcher’s incoherent snark is beyond me. I guess it sells papers. Normally I just let it slide, but he’s sunk to a new low that merits some comment.
Fletcher’s sneering dismissal of “racism, sexism, and the lingering effects of colonialism” as “political correctness” only exposes the fact that he doesn’t know what any of these words actually mean.
Racism and sexism are real, and harshly experienced daily by First Nations people in this country. The effects of colonialism can only be described as “lingering” by someone truly ignorant of the multi-generational impacts of Canadian settler policies.
The suicide, homicide, and overdose deaths mentioned in Fletcher’s column are direct consequences of these “lingering” effects. As for political correctness, it’s clear that this is simply Fletcher’s go-to phrase for patterns of critique that make him uncomfortable. His use of the phrase has nothing to do with its real resonance as a sign of ridiculous over-sensitivity to the everyday irritations of social life.
Just because he doesn’t like the idea that “racism, sexism and … colonialism” are indeed “root causes” of the crisis of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls doesn’t mean that isn’t the case. The facts, thankfully, don’t care what Fletcher likes or doesn’t like.
The incoherence in Fletcher’s thinking would require a book to elaborate sufficiently. But we can be happy in one bit of knowledge: if it makes Fletcher uncomfortable, then it’s likely a good thing, even if it doesn’t sell so many papers.
Stephen Ross
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/390244321.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/ac8328a98cfd9959a219234cf62ea1a23a1ad6ee7685559ad58211db6b363dd5.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T12:52:29 | null | null | Take a Seat fundraiser supports Habitat for Humanity | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390246301.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/70467oakbayOBHabitatfundraiserMilesLowrychair2PAug1216.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Old Oak Bay High chairs receive artistic treatment | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Artist Miles Lowry’s painted chair, entitled This is Not a Chair, is part of Habitat for Humanity’s Take a Seat fundraiser.
Generations of seats took a seat on the wooden chairs that populated the old Oak Bay High.
Today those same seats are re-imagined as artistic canvases for a Habitat for Humanity Victoria fundraiser.
The local non-profit organization invited 33 local artists to transform, re-envision or paint a chair donated during the recent Oak Bay High School renovation, says Yolanda Meijer, Habitat for Humanity Victoria executive director.
“I am blown away – we have an original Robert Bateman painting on a chair,” Meijer says.
From Jamie Joslin’s Marilyn Monroe-inspired creation Diamonds are a girl’s best friend to Irma Soltonovich’s Prairie Sunset, the chairs are each unique pieces of art, created in a variety of different styles.
Updating last year’s inaugural event that coincided with the opening of the new ReStore on Oak Street, this year’s event also includes a “People’s Choice” component where the community can vote for their favourite creation by donation, in addition to bidding on their favourites in hopes of taking them home.
“Everyone has their own favourite,” Meijer says, noting “the artists have gone through a tremendous amount of work. I think people have just put their hearts and souls into this.”
The chairs came to Habitat through Habitat ReStore, which sells donated new and used decor and construction materials in support of the organization’s work.
“Always on the lookout for donated product, we often work with hotels or other corporate organizations to obtain large donations when they are moving or renovating,” Meijer says. When Oak Bay High’s planned garage sale didn’t go ahead, “we took as many donations as we could including the chairs.”
Among the 30 creations are Oak Bay artist Miles Lowry’s chair, created from mulberry paper and pigment on wood and titled This is not a chair, after a painting from the French surrealist Rene Magritte and his famous painting The Treachery of Images (This is not a pipe).
“When I received the chair I had it in my studio for a while just as a chair.,” Lowry says. “Guests would sit on it nonchalantly and the cat would sleep on it while I worked on other things. One day I said to myself, ‘This is not a chair, it is an artwork.’ So I started looking at it as a sculpture, as a piece of wood, a construction, anything but a chair.
“Finally I decided to honor the tree that made the chair possible and covered the wood in a fine layer of painted mulberry paper that was a study of a forest painted with Japanese brushes. The chair in this careful process became a forest,” says Lowry, who works a variety of media, including paint, sculpture, text-based artworks, film, dance and theatre.
“Next, I took a solid piece of wood and fashioned a book out of it. A book of course is also made of trees. I balanced the ‘book’ on the underside rungs of the ‘chair.’ The final image brought me to a quiet place, a place to read a favourite book among the trees. A place to remember the trees that became the chair and the book.”
The chairs, which will be displayed at Mayfair Shopping Centre through Aug. 26, will be auctioned through sealed bid, with 100 per cent of proceeds helping build homes for local families living in need of a safe and decent place to live.
The organization recently finished a townhouse development off McKenzie Avenue in Saanich, and is currently on the lookout for land for its next project. “This fundraiser will get us that much closer,” Meijer says.
Learn more and place your bids at habitatvictoria.com/take-a-seat-for-habitat.html.
See more of Miles Lowry’s work at mileslowry.ca. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390246301.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/1732ce85b555d5c361d6c2dca373f6e315f79d913f92cebd290bde8526e5f049.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:02 | null | null | Humane alternatives exist to address nuisance animals | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F391320911.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | No excuse for cruelty in wildlife interactions | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | No doubt it is frustrating for some residents to wake up to garbage strewn about their driveway by local raccoons, or to find their lawn dug up by the creatures as they hunt for a snack.
It’s a similar story to local drivers, gardeners and others frustrated by voracious deer.
But frustration that leads individuals to take matters into their own hands, using methods that lead to unnecessary animal injury and maiming is unacceptable.
Just what’s causing raccoons in the Haultain and Kings Road area to lose front paws is unknown at this time, but some residents are worried someone in the area is using a trap that may be causing injury.
Back in May, when the issue first came to the attention of local residents and authorities, Oak Bay police Deputy Chief Kent Thom noted that the possibility of leg traps – whose use has not yet been verified – “gives us a lot of concern because pets and young children run the risk of being hurt and injured with these traps.”
Other possibilities for the raccoon injuries include a kania trap, a lethal squirrel trap that can cause damage to larger animals when not properly used, suggested Conservation Officer Peter Pauwels.
Homeowners have a right to protect their properties from nuisance animals – hopefully after first taking basic steps to prevent unwarranted intrusion, like securing their garbage – but not in a way that causes undue pain and suffering.
Live traps exist, as do companies that will use them effectively and safely, Pauwels noted, echoing Thom that “if these things are not used properly it isn’t just raccoons that could get caught, it could be other animals as well.”
Common sense, and a little humanity can go a long way. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/391320911.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/c00edbc6ab2f991f449447f8eb47184cc968c421649aa77b6f4aebef5862e456.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:15 | null | null | Minister encourages readers to visit http://ow.ly/2T8830240Jv for the facts on our camping reservation system. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F387334281.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: No special preference given for campsites says minister | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: MLA report July 13, Opinion Oak Bay News
In his column Andrew Weaver knowingly perpetuates misinformation about travel companies, which I would like to correct for your readers.
Commercial operators including tour companies make less than one per cent of the
bookings on the Discover BC camping reservation system. For the most part these companies book short stays of two days or less, with the majority occurring Sunday through Thursday. These bookings are also often in more remote areas of the province where demand for campsites is not a challenge.
The vast majority of people camping in our provincial parks are from British Columbia. Roughly three-quarters of all reservations are made by British Columbians.
Everyone is given access to the reservable campsite inventory at the same time. No one, including commercial operators, is given preferential treatment to reserve campsites and the system does not allow block campsite reservations.
I certainly understand the frustration people feel when they’re unable to secure a campsite in the more popular parks. We’re committed to increasing the number of campsites, and as well we always look at the reservation system to ensure it is fair for all.
And while I agree with Mr. Weaver that a broader conversation with British Columbians about our parks should and will happen, it is important that conversation be based on facts.
I encourage readers to visit http://ow.ly/2T8830240Jv for the facts on our camping reservation system.
Mary Polak
Minister of Environment | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/387334281.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/c63d82b1be3c44c4d8c7dbd9df31ed32ad4b23ccb9b925e460060e15bb178155.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:31 | null | null | Collector plates will be available next year for modified as well as stock cars made between 1958 and 1974 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F389536851.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/25111BCLN2007Chevrolet_Camaro1969-wikim7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Collector program expanding to 'muscle cars' | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Modified versions of the 1969 Camaro SS and other popular vehicles will soon be eligible for B.C. collector plates, allowing occasional use for parades and car shows.
The B.C. government is expanding its collector vehicle licence system to include eligible modified cars made between 1958 and 1974, to capture the popular "muscle car" era of the 1960s.
The ICBC collector plate program gives car enthusiasts a lower-cost licence plate that allows occasional use for parades and classic car shows. ICBC plans to take applications starting in 2017 for eligible modified vehicles up to 1974, and replica cars resembling North American production cars from 1942 and earlier.
With strict rules that the cars must be in "collectible condition," changes will take in modified popular cars from the Dodge Duster to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, as well as replicas of the popular Ford "deuce coupe" from the 1930s.
Premier Christy Clark announced a break for older cars this spring, allowing vehicles from 1940 or earlier and their replicas to run without fenders or mud flaps when the highway is dry and paved.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said the collector car industry is significant for B.C., with registered collector vehicles having doubled to 26,000 in the past 10 years.
"We want to see this specialty vehicle program remain viable, preserve vehicle history and evolve with the times," Stone said. "That's why we are opening up the opportunity to owners of specialty cars within the 'muscle car' era."
Currently, the standard collector plate is available to cars 25 years or older, as well as discontinued or limited production vehicles 15 years or older. It requires a stock engine with no performance enhancements, no rust, dents or "significant wear and tear" of the interior.
Modified vehicles from 1958 or older are currently eligible for collector plates, if they retain the shell of the original body but have parts replaced or modified in the chassis, engine, suspension, steering or brakes.
Owners have to apply for a collector or modified collector plate, with purchase and parts bills, photos and inspection reports.
Applications for collector and modified collector programs are available on ICBC's website, www.icbc.com, and can be dropped off at Autoplan brokers. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/389536851.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/380344146922566cb31f5e9718ed9abd171d0b13ebb13027f6161393fa843e32.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:45 | null | null | Oak Bay Lawn Bowling Club's Ballinger, Scharien pair win Sage Green Tourney | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fsports%2F389897311.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Pairs take to Oak Bay greens for Sage tourney | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Mixed pairs took to the Oak Bay Lawn Bowling Club greens Sunday for the Sage Green Tournament Aug. 6.
The duo of Henriette Ballinger and Tom Scharien placed first, followed by Jennifer Letkeman and David Sinclair in second place.
Finishing in third place was the team of Rod Armitage and Anne Paynem while John Cossom and Lizzie Fraikin finished the tournament in fourth place. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/sports/389897311.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/e942c5f9060492a3a8c2a42e74d045592b3a0771283b2c98a75b077974c86f76.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:05:42 | null | null | Saturday concert brings Baroque music to Oak Bay church | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F389536821.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/25092oakbayAERavenBaroque.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Raven Baroque closes season at St. Mary’s | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Raven Baroque Orchestra closes its 2016 summer season with a concert Saturday at St. Mary’s Church.
Raven Baroque closes its summer of Baroque celebrations Saturday, Aug. 13, at Oak Bay’s St. Mary’s Anglican Church.
University of B.C. masters candidate in piano and composition Shane Beech will play Michel Corrette’s 5th piano concerto. Hollas Longton, doctoral candidate in composition at Cork, Ireland, is soloist in an Albinoni violin concerto. Lana Betts performs flute works by Pergolesi, Gluck, Montiverdi and a Telemann double concerto with Bill Perriam on violin. Vivaldi’s double cello concerto, Telemann’s double viola concerto and Telemann’s triple violin concerto and a Johann Fux work, Turcaria, complete the concert, featuring musicians in period costumes.
Tickets are $20 general admission, and are available at Ivy’s Books, or at the door. Concert time is 7:30 p.m.
editor@oakbaynews.com | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/389536821.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/107eee53e90f617f5554d50db5be74a049e1d9b1946430138363581a6cd8a7d7.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:36 | null | null | Stunt man and actor Jason Bell climbs aboard the starship Enterprise in this summer’s Star Trek blockbuster. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390245901.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/70381oakbayOBJasonBellHeadshot2PAug1716.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Big screen thrills capture Oak Bay grad | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | See Oak Bay-raised stunt man and actor Jason Bell in the new Star Trek movie, in theatres now.
While Jason Bell’s sci-fi inclinations leaned more to Star Wars than Star Trek as a kid growing up in Oak Bay, wearing the famed red shirt aboard the bridge of the Enterprise in the summer blockbuster Star Trek Beyond was a huge thrill.
The stunt man and actor appears as Captain James T. Kirk’s right-hand man and first security officer in the famed franchise.
“It was pretty amazing to do the fitting for the iconic red shirt, let alone set foot on the Enterprise. It was very surreal my first day on set. The whole cast was hanging out and joking around and here I am containing my inner giddiness,” Bell says.
“It was a very humbling and exciting experience for me to be a small part of that massive universe, knowing that this franchise has been such a huge part of people’s lives around the world for decades.”
Growing up in Oak Bay, Bell attended Monterey elementary and Oak Bay High and was active in karate, ice hockey and soccer. Aspiring for a time to play soccer professionally, “I never thought about being involved in film until much later,” he says.
Even as an adult, his path to the big screen was anything but straight.
Post-secondary studies included immersing himself in Spanish language and culture while at college in Mexico City. He also earned a diploma in business and tourism, followed by work at the Fairmont Empress and airmont Vancouver, in addition to time as an activities director in South Carolina.
“I did have a blast with those jobs but eventually I knew I would move on,” he says.
Bell also served an eight-month tour in Afghanistan as a communications specialist with his reserve unit. Venturing overseas a month before his unit, “I did everything from TOC (tactical operation command) duties, guard duty and mounted patrols through Kandahar City. I’m glad things happened the way they did because I got exposed to a wide array of experiences over there.”
He calls on his military background in his film work. “Most of the time we have guns on set and knowing how to handle them safely is a big plus. During my time on Godzilla, I was in a group of six guys and the military adviser asked if anyone had a military background. All the boys pointed at me, so from that point on I was the guy that would assist the guys when we needed to do something ‘tactical.’”
Based in Vancouver, Bell’s television credits include Smallville, Supernatural, Fear the Walking Dead, The Killing and Once Upon A Time. Most recently Bell can been seen on CW’s Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash. His Muay Thai, parkour and martial arts skills have also landed him work in action films The A-Team, Man of Steel, X- Men: Days of Future Past and Deadpool.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have been in some pretty cool movies, but I think my most memorable one was working as ‘Trask’s Guard’ in X-Men: Days of Future Past. I got to work closely with Jennifer Lawrence and had a pretty cool fight scene with her character, Mystique. I had a great time on that set in Montreal and I thought the movie turned out amazing.
“Fear the Walking Dead was also just one of those jobs you show up to and you know it’s going to be a riot. I was one of the ‘stunt zombies’ and I actually had to audition as they were very specific on the movement. I ended up being part of this massive scene where we swarm an army base and all hell breaks loose. I was sad to see the show move production to Mexico.”
And on his theatrical bucket list?
“Star Wars. Most definitely Star Wars. I’d literally take any role in one of those movies. There’s still hope!”
Purely a stunt guy when he started in the business – “someone who gets knocked around or even doubles the actor” – Bell is flexing his acting chops more and more. “I do get thrown into roles or audition for roles that call for me to throw out a line or two ... I’ve put more time and focus on my stunt career but am now slowly getting more into the acting side,” he says.
His Oak Bay roots help keep him grounded, says Bell, who hadn’t considered a film career while growing up on the corner of Victoria and Granite.
With his parents still living in the area, “I try to visit as much as I can as I definitely miss my buddies and all the nostalgic memories that go with the place,” Bell says.
“I’ve travelled all over Canada for work and am now pushing to work stateside. Having Victoria as my home always gives me the feeling of having a safe haven. A place where you can turn the phone off, hit up Willows Beach and go grab a burger at The Galley,” he says.
“I couldn’t ask for a cooler job, so I’m going to continue this ride and gain as much experience as I can along the way,” Bell says.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get into producing and writing one day. There is a physical shelf-life for doing stunts, so it’s always good to look to the future for other endeavours I’d like to invest my time in.”
He encourages others with similar interests to pursue their passions.
“For any aspiring actors or stunt folk, even if you’re coming from a small-ish place like Victoria, there’s tons of opportunity out there so don’t feel limited on what you think you can achieve.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390245901.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/2466ae1c538c881ea0881af7f71d7be10820718e5ca54d944a5eab215b241267.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:28 | null | null | While the store remains open during renovations, Fairway's deli will close for three weeks to allow for improvements | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F390971491.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/7691oakbayOBFairwayMarketRenoPAug2416.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Fairway reno brings updates and more deli variety | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Robert Jay, Fairway Market’s vice-president of operations and project manager for the Oak Bay store’s renovations, and Oak Bay deli manager Cheslea Taylor visit the deli area, which will see significant new offerings once renovations are complete.
Fairway Market shoppers may have noticed a few changes taking shape at the Oak Bay Avenue store, and can look forward to more to come.
Updates so far include a switch to brighter, more efficient LED lights and aesthetic improvements like new flooring, says project manager Robert Jay, Fairway’s vice-president of operations and management information systems.
“Fairway has been looking at our stores and looking at upgrading our stores, starting with the oldest,” Jay says.
The Oak Bay store, which employs about 60 people in Athlone Court, has been in the Fairway family since around the mid-1990s but was a grocery store long before that. Its reno comes on the heels of a six-month upgrade of the Shelbourne Street store.
“We’re trying to keep the store open as much as possible – that’s why the renovation is taking a little longer,” Jay says.
The one area that will close briefly so it can see significant improvements is the deli.
An opportunity to take over additional space in Athlone Court will provide more refrigeration options, allowing the store to offer a variety of new hot and cold items, from sushi and salads to new “grab-and-go” meals customers are looking for, Jay says. “That’s going to be a major change.”
Deli staff are looking forward to the updates.
“It’s a lot more space, more efficient and we’re going to have a lot more things available,” says deli manager Chelsea Taylor.
The deli is expected to close for about three weeks, but a firm timeline hasn’t been established.
Staff will be distributed to other departments during the closure.
The company is also reviewing its product offerings in each location to see what is working well and what might be needed.
“We’re always open to suggestions – people can approach any of the departments and if we can bring it in, we will,” Jay says. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/390971491.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/3c28fd7962100bf032cff2f54cce44799845d2bf4ef22b95c7c9f8c59029dd48.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:56 | null | null | Grants-in-lieu of taxes for university property inadequate | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F390970081.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Editorial: Province needs to pony up for UVic land taxes | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Thirteen years ago, in 2003, the District of Oak Bay received more than $72,000 in grants-in-lieu of taxes from the province for the University of Victoria.
This year, the district received just $55,000.
This despite increased costs and inflation, not to mention considerable growth on campus.
Coun. Tom Croft notes that the federal act that guides grants-in-lieu at that level is “based on the principle of fairness respecting both the taxing authorities and the federal government and are equitable in comparison to those made by other property owners.”
So while the province has reduced the already limited funds it provides to Saanich and Oak Bay for UVic, Esquimalt received about $12 million from the federal government for the naval base.
The result is that the university through the province, pays less in property tax than some individual property owners.
Property taxes – or in this case, grants-in-lieu of taxes – pay for myriad services, from water, sewer and roads to recreation, firefighting and policing.
A growing campus means increasing use of those services and the province needs to pony up for those costs. To expect the taxpayers of Oak Bay and Saanich to absorb those increases is unacceptable.
Oak Bay, through Coun. Hazel Braithwaite, will bring a resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities in September asking the province to revisit the issue. The bid builds on two similar UBCM motions from 2008 and 2011. Both times the province committed to reviewing the pay model but nothing came of it.
As municipalities across B.C. – including Oak Bay – face greater pressure to keep a line on expenses and taxes, the time has long past for the province to pay its share for the services it uses. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/390970081.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/db3c44a23b921761b8e0860965784720ee63c5d41a0241f8253ea05ff2962e0a.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:06 | null | null | Daniel Edler creates 49 Below ice cream in a small kitchen off Oak Bay Avenue | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F389124661.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/83168oakbayOB49belowicecream.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | UVic grad brings #icecreamtoyourdoor in #yyj | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Daniel Edler, founder of 49 Below artisan ice cream, delivers monthly pints – in flavours such as rhubarb and strawberry with cracked pepper and Vietnamese coffee – by subscription.
Home and travel inspire flavours concocted by Daniel Edler in a small kitchen off Oak Bay Avenue.
He hopes his artisan ice cream, delivered to the door, offers customers an opportunity to slip out of their flavour comfort zone.
“I’ve always liked playing with flavours,” Edler said. “Some you will like, some you will love, some you will like less. But you’ll try new things.”
Edler started making ice cream in his 20s when his parents gave him a household ice cream maker for Christmas. With a technology day job, it offers an outlet for his creativity.
When he and wife Erin welcomed their first child 18 months ago, it brought on the traditional questions and thoughts of entering a next phase in life. He started playing around with artisan ice cream bringing it to gatherings and sharing with co workers.
“People were interested. So I knew I had something that would work,” he said.
With the day job paying the bills and no money tree in the back yard, a traditional storefront seemed unmanageable for now.
“I decided I would do something I could manage by myself in a small space,” he said.
Enter local, by subscription, ice cream. It’s about local ingredients and small batches with ingredients patrons recognize. He started in June with 20 subscribers who purchase delivered pints each month.
“I know how much I need,” he said. “I can grow organically.”
Subscribers get one pint of a flavour, inspired by tradition, and one rooted in local flavours. A month might include chocolate cinnamon crunch and mint chocolate chip.
“A lot of these are inspired by flavours I liked as a kid or travel,” he said. For example, time spent in Vietnam during a post-grad trip with dad inspired the popular Vietnamese Coffee flavour. The pints also come with a tale behind the flavour.
He describes the incentive behind that flavour: Summer 2006, scooters whizz by as I attempt to cross the street. The noise is deafening. It’s muggy and I have been walking the streets of Ho Chi Minh City all day. I just finished dinner and am making my way to the ca fe next to my hostel. It was my last night in the city and I was going to get one more Iced Vietnamese Coffee. It’s the perfect combination of dark coffee and sweetened condensed milk. This strong, sweet drink made a lasting impression on me and was one of the first flavours we played with at 49 Below.
49 Below currently delivers in Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay. The flavours are also available wholesale at Branch Coffee Co. in Fairfield.
Visit 49below.ca to learn more about the subscription service.
Did you know?
• The 49 Below Mascot is an octopus:
• Edler got his BSc in biology from UVic and spent a good chunk of time studying the majestic creatures.
• The Giant Pacific octopus, or Enteroctopus dofleini calls our waters home.
• He and Erin were married at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea alongside a very active Enteroctopus dofleini | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/389124661.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/52cf49fe2eb9899a40ef0e99e103de5b2fac0d5bf333b34360fd0d1e070ac8f5.json |
[
"Jennifer Blyth"
] | 2016-08-26T12:50:56 | null | null | Community furor over missing sculpture just a misunderstanding | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390510931.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/77943oakbayRiteofSpring.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Hare-raising tale has a happy ending | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | When one of the sculptures in David Hunwick’s Rite of Spring mysteriously went missing last week, the community responded quickly with calls for its return. Turns out the hare was just out for repair after the artist learned of a mishap with one of its paws. Hunwick learned of the uproar Sunday while at the Bowker Creek Brush Up (below).
Like any good story involving a child and a rabbit, this hare-raising tale comes with a happy ending.
Local social media exploded last week with news that one of the hares from David Hunwick’s Rite of Spring sculpture, one of 13 art pieces mounted around the district for this year’s ArtsAlive program, was missing.
A local business owner also reported the “theft” to Oak Bay police.
The mystery of the missing hare was solved Sunday during the Bowker Creek Brush Up when Coun. Hazel Braithwaite chatted with the artist.
Turns out, Hunwick removed the piece of the sculpture for a minor repair. The hare was only gone for about a day, but long enough to create the local uproar.
“I had no idea about the response,” he said Sunday at the event.
A five-year-old boy was admiring the sculpture when a paw accidentally broke, Hunwick said.
“The mother called me to say how devastated she and her son were.”
They brought the artist the broken paw in a little box, wrapped in tissue, and he popped down to the sculpture, installed on Cadboro Bay Road near Pure Vanilla, and removed the hare for repair.
“I was so impressed he had the courage to come forward, it was amazing,” Hunwick said.
“We shook hands and I asked if he could think of a name for the hare.”
While Hunwick was still waiting at press time to learn the name the boy chose for the repaired hare, six others frolicking around the sculpture also need names, and the artist invites the community to email suggestions to info@thesculpturestudio.net.
Despite the misunderstanding, the community’s response to the incident was heartening.
“It restores faith in the community,” Hunwick said. “The upside of this is I have a whole community watch.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390510931.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/8c50f493608ee3ab8ce0914610ec4b3d96f5c93f1007fe489d8f259990d309d1.json |
[
"Christin Geall"
] | 2016-08-26T13:07:39 | null | null | Come August, rubies, reds and crimsons are the stars of the garden border and vase | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F390511221.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/78053oakbayGardencolumn-redarrangementcopy.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Oak Bay News | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | An arrangement of reds and greens – complementary colours – shows a range of reds: oranges, crimsons, scarlets, burgundies and plums. Plants include Crocosmia ‘Lucifer,’ Pelargonium quercifolium ‘Chocolate-Mint,’ Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Knight,’ Geranium, Astilbe, Molucella, Sanguisorba, Pittosporum ‘James Stirling,’ Helenium, Echibeckia, sweet peas and Zinnia ‘State Fair.’
Feeling a little hot under the collar? Seeing red? Rather be dead than red?
Clichés aside, it is a warm month in the garden – not solely in temperature but also colour. The harvest is nearing, colours deepening, berries ripening and oranges, rubies, reds and crimsons are now the stars of the border and vase.
Red is a tricky colour for some gardeners – garish? gawdy? – so many reserve it for the “hot border,” a side show to the main event of more conservative cool tones. But red is historically the colour of royalty, opulence, and majesty. Given we are in August, which itself means “grandeur; inspiring reverence” I thought it time to give red its due.
But what really is red? I have only one true red in the garden right now: an heirloom ‘Red Spider’ zinnia that neither leans orange nor purple. Almost all my other reds illicit descriptives: carmine, firecracker, vermillion, cerise…
Why is red so complicated? First of all: we can’t easily see it. No, I don’t mean the colour blind (who are predominantly male), I mean all of us. From a distance red disappears. As Nori and Sandra Pope write in their exceptional gardening book Colour by Design, “at one yard red sings; at three yards, it is still pretty sonorous; at fifty, it is hard to differentiate from dark green shadows.”
Red absorbs most light. And for men (who interestingly have more rods in their eyes than women and thus cannot see subtleties of colour as well women but have a better vision in low light and better depth perception), the qualities of red at a distance can be very hard to discern. So rule one: keep red close.
Think of it this way; we all want to be warmed by a fire.
Rule two: it’s more interesting to play across a colour range than it is to juxtapose red with other colours. Picture this: blue Aegeratum, red zinnias, yellow cannas. All primaries, so a punchy combo for sure, but sounds like a traffic island planting, right?
In a home garden, planting across a colour range is more evocative. You might work oranges into scarlet, scarlet to crimsons and crimsons into plums, exploring different tones and shades. I make a lot of bouquets and find the same strategies apply: harmonious designs are often monochromatic. This doesn’t mean simplistic – far from it – rather a range is expressed, so your eye doesn’t jump from colour to colour and instead absorbs colour, shape and texture together – the subtleties of design.
Try incorporating burgundy and coppery foliage to create harmony when using red. For example, the popular dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandalff’ has both darkened leaves and scarlet blooms and the Dianthus barbatus nigrescens group combines rich red blooms with dark foliage. I use the scented geranium Pelargonium quercifolium ‘Chocolate-Mint’ in bold floral designs given it has velvety leaves with a nice “bruising” of purply-brown in the centre of the leaves.
Green is directly across the colour wheel from red which means they are technically complementary colours and thus create vibrancy when used together. But be cautioned: they are opposites.
Seek resonance of foliage and flower by leaning into deeper tones or muted surfaces. ‘Blumex’ and ‘Rococo’ parrot tulips exemplify this idea perfectly: matte sage green leaves, saturated reds, touches of burgundy and orange all bundled into one perfect plant.
P.S. Order them now.
Christin Geall is an avid Oak Bay gardener and a creative non-fiction writing instructor with the University of Victoria.
cultivatedbychristin.com | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/390511221.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/5e44bf0d1e887629b73464b50d2c26309a5e8497313f44826637761ed384d1df.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-26T13:09:51 | null | null | Notice means delivery could be cancelled as early as Monday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391302051.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/68221BCLN200782072cranbrookdailyCPweb.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Postal union issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused special mediator | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | The union representing most workers at Canada Post has issued a 72-hour notice of job action as it tries to bargain a collective agreement with the Crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the notice spells out what actions it is planning, but stops short of a full-blown walkout.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says Canada Post forced the labour disruption by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations with the help of a special mediator.
But a spokesman for the agency says that's not the case.
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
The two sides have been in negotiations for more than nine months but are far apart on key issues including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan.
The Canadian Press | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391302051.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/223a9a58c5ddab3a579874eeeb66d4f38322288f2caf23e5e56d503333a77660.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T12:59:46 | null | null | No permit required for weddings, festivals on farms if fewer than 150 people attend, says Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F388995481.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/15664BCLN2007farmWeddingCarriagewikim7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Brides, bands allowed back on farmland | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Almost a year after B.C. farm weddings were banned due to a crackdown on agricultural land use rules, the B.C. government has clarified what commercial activities are allowed on farmland.
Farmers can host up to 10 commercial weddings, concerts or non-agricultural events per year without a permit from the Agricultural Land Commission. Farmers can take payment to host a wedding or other event as long as no more than 150 guests attend and a list of conditions are met, according to regulations that took effect Tuesday.
To qualify, event hosts must provide all parking on the farm rather than along roads, with no permanent parking lots or structures, and the event must end in less than 24 hours. For more than 10 events a year or exceeding 150 guests, properties with farm tax status must apply to the ALC for a permit.
The new regulation also clarifies ALC policies to allow, with no permit, farm tours and demonstrations, hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin patch tours, harvest and Christmas fairs and special occasion events to promote farm products.
Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick said the regulation requiring farms to generate at least 50 per cent of its revenue from farm products is also scrapped, after consultation in the past year suggested the new rules instead.
The crackdown on farm weddings came last fall, when the ALC issued stop-work orders to B.C. farms including the Fraser Valley, Kelowna and Vancouver Island.
The restriction came after the province expanded farm uses to allow breweries and distilleries to operate on protected farmland with the same rules used to permit wineries. The rules allowed for processing of farm crops into products such as juice or jam for commercial sale. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/388995481.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/171240ee1afb48d9c7d0fa9d204824ffa382caefa89ae4b59ad046a59e788c06.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-29T18:50:56 | null | null | Province has alternatives if Canada Post employees begin strike action | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391636531.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/40679BCLN2007CanadaPostMailboxwikim7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | B.C. prepares for possible postal disruption | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | The B.C. government's plan B for income assistance cheques and other time-sensitive documents could be re-activated as the long-running Canada Post labour dispute reaches another deadline.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is in a legal position to strike as of Monday, but postponed threatened rotating strike action after weekend talks with a federal mediator. Its initial action would be an overtime ban rather than a full-scale walkout that would disrupt mail delivery.
Canada Post served lockout notice in July, with the two sides far apart on issues including pension changes for future employees and pay for rural carriers.
Income assistance, rent subsidy and other B.C. government payments are not affected if they are direct deposit. For mailed cheques and information, updates on possible postal strike effects to the Ministry of Social Development will be available as necessary at this website or at 1-866-866-0800.
Phone and online contacts are set up for questions about affected provincial departments:
• Ministry of Advanced Education and StudentAidBC online here.
• Ministry of Children and Family Development 1-877-387-7027
• Medical Services Plan payments online here or 1-877-405-4909
• ICBC inquiries 1-800-663-3051
• Family Maintenance and Enforcement program 604-660-2528
• Public Guardian and Trustee online here or 604-660-4444
• Vital Statistics 1-888-876-1633
• WorkSafe BC online here or 1-888-967-5377 | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391636531.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/ecd291887e9f0d1cedfd4e43f75360d1938127c2253a27491a4a30ff3896d1fb.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:36 | null | null | Representative of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation says it doesn't support efforts to stop oil and gas development | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F388602211.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/64474BCLN2007DonnyWesleyjrLelu7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | LETTER: U.S. foundations protecting salmon | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: Tree spikers cling to Lelu Island (B.C. Views, July 20).
Tom Fletcher seems to believe protecting salmon is not only bad, but dishonest. He suggests it’s an effort to cover up an international plot to kill B.C.’s oil and gas opportunities and Alberta’s oilsands.
His column falsely asserts that, along with other groups, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has “poured money into anti-LNG campaigns in B.C., as they funded opposition to oilsands development before them. Indeed, the record suggests the long project to establish what environmental front groups named the Great Bear Rainforest was a strategy to stop hydrocarbon exports from western Canada, even as U.S. sources ramped up production.”
The foundation’s Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative supports groups working to ensure that all factors – social, environmental and economic – are fairly respected in development decisions. It does not fund efforts to stop oil and gas development.
Salmon support a huge economy that provides jobs, social and cultural benefits. And, in British Columbia, unlike many other parts of North America, we still have a chance to keep most salmon watersheds intact. This is why the foundation supports the efforts of communities to protect these fish. This means ensuring that scientific evidence is fully addressed in project development, including siting decisions.
We are proud supporters of the Great Bear Rainforest, not because we are “anti” anything else, but because this is a unique region. Like the Amazon and the Great Barrier Reef, it is recognized by experts around the globe as one of the planet’s most important and unique natural wonders.
It is a region that deserved to be protected on its own merits – a fact so clear that federal, provincial and First Nation governments came together with industry and environmental groups to ensure it would be. To portray this impressive collaboration as an anti-oil and gas does a disservice to the broad array of Canadians and First Nations that prioritized its preservation.
The Moore Foundation supported this as part of our commitment to assist groups that seek to protect wild salmon habitats along the West Coast. People, issues, organizations and funds cross the Canada-U.S. border all the time. There isn’t anything unusual about Canadian environmental groups requesting and receiving donations from international foundations that share the same environmental goals.
Ivan Thompson, B.C. Program Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Vancouver | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/388602211.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/7949e9acfb724f638c1545ecbdb8cbf16cc1b2cac5a10b9d3095b3f4deea8e83.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:19 | null | null | Current rental crisis alarming as students return to college, university | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F391321481.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/60274oakbayWeaver-pullout.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Column: Rental crisis needs attention now | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Andrew Weaver
When I analyzed the rental market in my riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head, in the Greater Victoria area, I wasn’t surprised by how bad it has gotten. I know the rental availability rate is at 0.6 per cent in Victoria, I have spoken to residents desperately trying to find an affordable home, I have watched skyrocketing housing prices drag the rental market with them, I have heard about homeless UVic and Camosun students sleeping in cars.
I wasn’t surprised as I looked through the rental listings online, but I was very angry.
For several years now I have been raising housing issues in the legislature. The government has responded dismissively, refusing to acknowledge the housing crisis that loomed before us. Now, fresh into an election year, protecting the dream of homeownership has apparently become their motto. They are throwing hastily put together, Vancouver-centric Band-Aid policies at a housing emergency that is reverberating through the entire province.
The B.C. government has failed to protect a fundamental right for British Columbians and with the start of the school year fast approaching, I am getting increasingly concerned about where the university and college students in our riding will live.
The University of Victoria alone enrolls more than 21,000 students. Many UVic and Camosun students will live in residence or with family – UVic has 2,300 residence beds and 180 family housing units – but many others will need to find somewhere to rent for the year. On Aug. 9 my office went through every Oak Bay and Gordon Head rental listing on Craigslist. There were only 106 and they ranged from $700 per month for a one-bedroom basement suite to $10,000 for a six-bedroom house.
Of the 106 listings, 29 fit my vaguely affordable cutoff of less than $1,000 monthly per person. Most of them were multiple bedroom suites that would have to be split between roommates. The $2,700 three-bedroom unit, for example, could be shared at $900 per occupant. Not exactly cheap for a student without an income, but more attainable than the $1,500 being charged for a 450-square-foot basement suite. With so few listings, I worry student renters will be chosen last when bidding against professionals or families. I had a staff member contact a few of the listings I thought would be suitable for roommates to ask if they would rent to a group of students and none replied.
For individuals or couples hoping to find a one-bedroom suite for under $1,000 in my riding, on the day I checked, seven were listed.
Some welcomed higher bids and many apologized for not being able to respond to every inquiry, citing an overwhelming number of applications. But frustrations with the rental market should not be deflected onto landlords, they too are trying to manage costs in an unhinged housing market.
Frustration, anger and outrage about housing in B.C. needs to land squarely with the B.C. government for actively neglecting this issue until it became a crisis. As Frances Bula wrote in The Globe and Mail, the housing market has long treated renters like second-class citizens and the current housing shortage is further excluding people who are young, non-white, have mental health issues, are unemployed, recent immigrants, poor, disabled, or have pets.
Our government needs to move beyond their dream of homeownership talking point. The rental market crisis in British Columbia is in desperate need of attention. We need policies that work to get people into safe, affordable homes – like those I have repeatedly outlined for the government – and we need it to start now so that come September students won’t be left sleeping on library benches.
Andrew Weaver is the MLA for Oak Bau-Gordon Head and leader of the B.C. Green Party. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/391321481.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/371669db5309ff2820ab9b657915f1b8419123dbdf3e0325d69158e7bf9b171b.json |
[
"Staff Writer"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:55 | null | null | In honour of Canada's 149th birthday, we have compiled some Canadian trivia questions. How many can you answer? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F384892721.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/17474summerlandCanadaflag.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | CANADA DAY QUIZ: How well do you know Canadian trivia? | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | null | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/384892721.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/abe8733fa6e6e153bdda5726983857ce2bf0438b45318ceb4f2146a360f0f37e.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-29T16:49:31 | null | null | Back to school brings renewed focus on safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391321681.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/60376oakbayLueder-Const.MarkusschoolliaisonofficerPAug2616.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Slow down for school zones, remind police | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Const. Markus Lueder
White lines painted in the road, won’t save you but common sense and paying attention can, says Const. Markus Lueder.
The school liaison officer with Oak Bay police reminds drivers, students and parents to “pay attention, dial in” when driving or walking the roads this school season.
As school liaison officer, his is the car drivers and pedestrians will see positioned adjacent to school zones this school season. He does that primarily to remind drivers to pay attention when behind the wheel, especially outside Glenlyon Norfolk School, École Willows Elementary and Oak Bay High.
“Those are the busy streets,” Lueder said.
Speed and phones continue to plague those policing school speed zones – 30 km/h strips that go into effect Sept. 6. They’re also among the most dangerous habits.
“Pay attention, you’re driving a phenomenal amount of weight down the road that will not stop on a dime,” he said, adding drivers should consider road conditions including weather and visibility. “At 45 km/h in a school zone you’re 50 per cent over the speed limit.”
It’s not unusual for him to flag down a car for that potential ticket that starts at $196 in a school zone, just to hear the driver was zoned out.
“You’ve got to zone in,” he said. “Pay attention, dial in.”
Distracted driving, phones in particular, continue to be a problem on roads, even in school zones.
“It’s a $500 phone call, make sure it’s worth it,” Lueder said. The minimum fine jumped last spring from $167 to $368 dollars plus four demerit points at $175 – a total of $543.
“(The roadway) is where the top danger is,” he said. “You will not mean to, you’re just preoccupied or just going too fast.”
Lueder is firm and repetitive asking drivers to pay attention. Perhaps because he’s a father; a police officer tasked with facing the aftermath of tragedy; or because he witnessed that horrific moment of inattention as a teen.
One of his most vivid memories goes back to Grade 9. A driver hit a girl in front of his White Rock school.
“She went flying in the air like a rag doll … that’s traumatic,” he said. “Her eyes got huge a split second before the car hit her.”
He’s confident she survived, but just as certain her legs were broken.
“I get to be the guy called to that, and I get to be the guy to tell the parents,” he said. “I don’t want that part of my job.”
Lueder also reiterates common police warnings that go along with the new Pokémon Go game played on a smart phone – akin to the texting while walking warning – pay attention to your surroundings.
“When a person is in a crosswalk they have the right of way, but you will lose,” Lueder said. “Stripes painted on the road won’t save your life.”
Similarly, walking, jogging or cycling at any age with earbuds hampering your senses is simply stupid, he says.
“You just have to be able to hear,” he said. “Have one (bud) in and one out so you can hear a car coming; you can hear a car horn.”
Remind youngsters who walk to school without adult supervision not to take shortcuts or secret trails. “Set out a route with young kids where they’re going to walk to school,” he said. “If they can, go with a friend, especially younger kids.”
And the price of a ticket for riding a bike with no helmet is roughly the price of a helmet $34. So wear one, he said. “We’re not here to be punitive,” he said. “We’re here to make the roads safer.”
cvanreeuwyk@oakbaynews.com | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/391321681.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/e5f434f591d42bdb9acd8426d26add072f85326c8b540ea7b4dad3f82e121b45.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:50 | null | null | Consider the feedback you'd like to offer the coming resident satisfaction survey | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F389536471.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Opinion: Oak Bay residents: How satisfied are you? | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Oak Bay is preparing to embark on a survey of the community to learn how it’s doing in the eyes of residents.
The district has posted a request for proposals for a citizen survey exploring residents’ priorities and how they perceive the services they receive from the district.
Warren Jones, director of corporate services for Oak Bay, says that for many communities, a survey provides a foundation for the strategic planning process.
The result is a final report “fleshing out the silent majority in the community ... That would put information at your fingertips about what people think in the community.”
In addition to the opportunity for residents to reflect on the services they receive, they will also be able to provide feedback about the district’s priorities and initiatives.
While the logistics of the survey are still being determined – councillors Michelle Kirby and Kevin Murdoch expressed concerns about the efficacy of phone surveys in reaching everyone, for example – we look forward to learning more about what residents are pleased with and what needs more work.
Many Oak Bay residents are keen to share their thoughts about what they see as the “good” and the “needs work” of their community, both on these pages and directly with municipal council and staff. However many others have thoughts and opinions we may not hear as often.
As Coun. Tom Croft notes, the survey is “a great opportunity for us to keep our community informed and get informed ourselves.”
So between now and fall, take a few minutes to consider just what is working well in Oak Bay and what could use a little attention.
Your opinions may well have a significant impact on your community for years to come. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/389536471.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/54bc5f47c5f01d10cae264810d91e217764312fd2b5c5984ac4af339a54ae0d4.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-31T00:51:27 | null | null | Two sides avert job action that has loomed for months | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391803281.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/18051BCLN2007Canada_Post_TruckWikimediaCommons.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Canada Post, postal union reach tentative deals | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.
In a statement, Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says the agreements were reached "voluntarily," but provides no other details about the deals themselves.
The issue of differences in paycheques for rural mail carriers — most of whom are women — and urban letter carriers had been at the forefront of protracted contract talks between the two sides.
The negotiations were extended twice since the weekend, when a deadline expired on a 72-hour job action notice issued last Thursday by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The two sides were in talks nearly around the clock at the request of a special mediator appointed Friday by Mihychuk.
Canada Post described the tentative agreements as short-term. It said they are for two years and that four-year contracts were typically negotiated in the past.
"The agreements will avert a work disruption, bringing much-needed certainty in the postal system for our employees and customers," said Canada Post in a statement. "Canadians can now use the postal system with confidence."
The tentative agreements, however, still must be ratified by the members.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is Canada Post's largest union, representing more than 50,000 postal workers
The Canadian Press | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391803281.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/ac319a343d9a1fb4587332fbf007aabb9a546c324646fee99f66049beeea0c83.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:14 | null | null | In a report released by the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project board today, it gives three potential options for the facility. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391226851.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Rock Bay, McLoughlin Point shortlisted as sewage treatment sites | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | The board responsible for identifying potential sites for a sewage treatment plant to serve Greater Victoria has short-listed Rock Bay and McLoughlin Point.
A report released by the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project board Wednesday afternoon gives three potential options for the facility: a single plant at Rock Bay in Victoria, a single plant at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt, or two plants; one at Rock Bay and one at McLoughlin Point.
The estimated cost is between $750 million and $1.1 billion.
The board's final report, including the recommended option, will be complete by Sept. 7. It will be up to the Capital Regional District board to decide which option to move forward with in the end.
The CRD must make a final decision on where the treatment plant will go by Sept. 30 or risk losing millions of dollars in funding.
Read the report below. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391226851.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/ff04159ca4b13047454d16431a88b9779418d0a2fcfa768c2e8eabe9875ee878.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:20 | null | null | Political leaders must support residents efforts in gardens | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F391320981.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/60050oakbayLetter-RickLeedeerdamagedallotments.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Allotment garden decimated by deer | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Deer damage at the Oak Bay allotment gardens.
In the May 11 edition, the Oak Bay News thoughtfully carried an article entitled “Residents’ desire to grow outpaces places.” That article went to some effort to extol the virtues of allotment gardening in Oak Bay: locally grown food; a relaxing endeavour, organic gardens, a place for people in condos who otherwise wouldn’t be able to garden, a real health benefit as pointed out by Coun. Hazel Braithwaite, a place to introduce and share gardening with our coming generations and school children.
This doesn’t come without effort and all allotment holders, like all gardeners, have worked hard and take pride in their accomplishments. We enjoy sharing with one another and the public who come by and who delight in and admire our collective and individual endeavours.
Of course, effort is accompanied by our own expense to fence our respective allotments. The municipality leases land to us and provides water. My fence, for example, is seven feet high, comprised of steel and wooden posts with plastic mesh. It is not flimsy by any measure.
For five years I’ve kept it in good repair and until the last few days it has kept the ungulates to the central path. The deer are unimpeded and free to forage around the allotments, in Bowker Creek and Firemen’s Park as well as in unfenced neighbours’ yards. We have co-existed until now.
All the benefits of gardening enumerated above are now at risk thanks to increasingly aggressive deer. These deer, which are not accompanied by fawns, are now deliberately pushing under and through the fences. Personally, I have shooed grown deer from my neighbour’s allotment only to discover that they had raided my patch too. My neighbours have sent me emails to say that they shooed deer out of my patch while I was out of town. These deer are not discouraged easily.
Our recent crops of beetroots, broad beans, pole and runner beans, and chard have been decimated. Our neighbours have even had their rhubarb consumed. There are at least three allotments which have been affected and it is only a matter of time before others are too. Now, in addition to losing our crops for the year, we will have to go to the expense and considerable effort to fortify our allotment.
If one considers the number of gardens throughout Oak Bay that have been damaged and whose owners have had the expense of installing fencing and replacing lost plants, the total cost must be substantial. Residential gardens and allotments are as much part of the fabric of Oak Bay as the Urban Forest. They contribute to Oak Bay’s character and make it unique. It’s good for the tourism business. It’s time our political leaders recognized this and actually did something....anything but nothing.
Gardeners throughout Oak Bay have taken it on the chin so to speak, without recourse. This is a healthy, quiet and productive community activity which needs to be encouraged to keep our community attractive and enjoyable.
This cannot be a one-sided effort. Our political leaders cannot ask residents to watch out for, take precautions to accommodate and to avoid deer and their offspring while ignoring residents’ legitimate gardening activities. Gardeners need protection too.
Rick Lee
Oak Bay | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/391320981.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/e43574981d913aae24bc75d3442770c59306cb2f78bd38aa6aeb8cdbb3db0512.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:04 | null | null | Thefts, driving incidents top week's police incidents | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fnews%2F391320431.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Police news in brief | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Hedge wedge draws police attention
A driver faces a 90-day driving prohibition after lodging a vehicle into a park hedge in south Oak Bay Aug. 20.
Police responded and had to help the driver out of the vehicle as the doors would not open. The investigating officer detected liquor on the driver’s breath. After investigation, police impounded the vehicle for 30 days and issued the driver a 90-day driving prohibition.
Tools taken from sites
Police are investigating after a number of tools were reported stolen from a construction site in north Oak Bay Aug. 15.
On Aug. 18 police responded to a break-in at a detached garage, under construction, in central Oak Bay. Two bicycles and tools were taken.
Driver OK after hitting wall
A vehicle and building suffered damage, but the driver was uninjured after driving into the side of a building in central Oak Bay Aug. 15. After investigation, police are not recommending charges or fines.
Limb drop hits tourists
No injuries were reported Aug. 18 after a large branch from an oak tree broke off and landed on a rental vehicle being driven by tourists in south Oak Bay.
U-turns illegal on The Ave.
Oak Bay police remind drivers in our community that it is both illegal and dangerous to make a u-turn in a business district. The department offers Oak Bay Avenue as a prime example. The penalty for an illegal u-turn is a $121 fine and two demerit points.
Fake bills still appearing
Oak Bay police department received six reports of counterfeit currency being passed in the municipality over the past month. The denominations are Canadian $50 and $100 bills discoverd at a variety of businesses. On close inspection the bills are obviously not real so the OBPD advise businesses to refresh staff counterfeit detection training.
Police ask anyone with information on these or other crimes to call Oak Bay Police at 250-592-2424 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/news/391320431.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/f1d00beb5e2e3162aa35608cda9eb5e150872db5ef07213decee3fc2e442826f.json |
[
"Canadian Press"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:17 | null | null | Tragically Hip kick off tour's final show with fan favourites | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F390816951.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Downie calls out to Trudeau during Tragically Hip's final show of tour | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | KINGSTON, Ont. — The Tragically Hip mixed fan favourites, newer songs and some politics on Saturday night during the final show of their "Man Machine Poem" tour.
Lead singer Gord Downie, who started the show wearing a metallic silver suit and hat with a "Jaws" T-shirt underneath, hugged and kissed his bandmates before they stepped on stage at the K-Rock Centre in the group's hometown of Kingston, Ont.
Minutes earlier, as the raucous sold-out crowd waited for the band to emerge, an impromptu rendition of O Canada broke out and a banner reading "Thank You Prime Minister Downie!" was passed around the arena.
The band immediately gave fans what they wanted to hear, starting their set with four straight hits from the classic album "Fully Completely:" opener "50 Mission Cap," followed by "Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)," "Wheat Kings" and "At the Hundredth Meridian."
The Hip then segued into their latest album "Man Machine Poem," with four tracks including the single "In a World Possessed by the Human Mind."
Before "Machine," Downie launched into one of his trademark onstage rants, calling out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in the crowd for the show. Trudeau's official photographer tweeted a photo of the prime minister and Downie embracing before the concert.
"Well, you know, prime minister Trudeau's got me, his work with First Nations. He's got everybody. He's going to take us where we need to go," Downie said from the stage.
"It's going to take us 100 years to figure out what the hell went on up there," he continued, "but it isn't cool and everybody knows that. It's really, really bad, but we're going to figure it out, you're going to figure it out."
Many anticipate this will be the band's final tour, given the recent news that Downie is battling terminal brain cancer.
Before performing the "Road Apples" song "Fiddler's Green," Downie seemed to reference the outpouring of support from fans in the wake of his diagnosis.
"Thank you, people, for keeping me pushing and keeping me pushing," he said, which prompted a "Gordie!" chant from the audience.
After playing 21 songs, Downie and his fellow bandmates — guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay — embraced and prepared to retire for a pre-encore break. Downie was left alone on stage to take in the roaring ovation.
After returning for a few more songs, Downie again spoke about his fondness for Trudeau.
"Thank you to the prime minister for coming to our show, it really means a lot to all of us," he said.
"We're in good hands, folks, real good hands. He cares about the people way up North, that we were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word of what's going on up there. And what's going on up there ain't good. It's maybe worse than it's ever been, so it's not on the improve. (But) we're going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help.
"Thank you everybody. Thanks for listening to that. Thanks for listening, period. Have a nice life."
David Friend, The Canadian Press | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/390816951.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/262a729cc657764637d95b01c9df0b7ea0b6cb7090bf074ed7506d422be6bb3c.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:08 | null | null | Community container takes centre stage in emergency planning portion of block party | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F390511391.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/78181oakbayOBblockpartyfelixPAug1916.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Party primes block for recovery | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Oak Bay’s tradition to have a fire crew attend each Oak Bay block party adds an element of safety planning for the community.
In a rare case these days, though it was at one time frequent, a member of the Oak Bay Emergency Program attends the neighbourhood party. Last weekend program manager Eileen Grant showed up alongside those fire crews to the fourth annual Rosario Street block party.
“For a long time we participated and let people know we were available,” Grant said.
While it worked well for a while, the shine began to fade as did the commitment and the emergency program sought to determine everyone’s best use of time.
“When the chief (Dave Cockle) became chief he just said we’re going to all of them,” Grant said. “He and I put our heads together to see how best we could make this work.” Cockle also serves as Oak Bay’s emergency program co-ordinator.
The fire crew on duty visits at some point during a block party – dependent on work load – driving the impressive engine and bearing important emergency program information compiled by Grant.
“What they do for me is at the beginning of the season I put together a whole lot of packages for emergency preparedness,” she said, noting nobody generally wants to listen to too much talk during a party.
They did take home 125 packages last year. “This year we’re on target.”
When organizer Chris Ash called and asked if Grant would attend last Saturday’s party, perhaps talk a little, the two women decided to play it by ear, see if the neighbourhood was receptive to some verbal info.
It turned out that the shift in emergency planning meshed nicely with a plan that community has for a neighbourhood container.
“I started to talk about how we’re talking more and more about recovery,” Grant said. “If you put food in and all the usual, somebody has to monitor that … It could be your cleanup. You put some brooms and some shovels and tools. If (a disaster) hits there will be a need for hammers and screwdrivers and work gloves.”
It was the fourth block party for the south Oak Bay neighbourhood, according to Ash.
“This is probably our biggest one yet, we had maybe 50 or 55 people,” she said, counting four or five new families in the neighbourhood. “It was a nice way for them to get to know the neighbourhood.”
While discussing a way to make the fourth party different, alongside the traditional fire truck and pinatas for the kids, organizers decided to spark conversation of a community project by inviting Grant.
“Our neighbourhood is thinking of getting one of the small containers and putting it in a neighbour’s yard, a neighbourhood container,” Ash said.
Grant may have also sussed out some community gigs for fall and winter – OBEP makes presentations to small groups and organizations as well.
“I met some people, maybe found a couple of volunteers,” she said. “It was a very successful for me, for the program, and everybody seemed quite happy.”
“We discovered a lot of people in the neighbourhood don’t even have an emergency kit,” Ash said. “It was a good way to make people think about being prepared. The message really got out there.”
Visit oakbay.ca/public-safety/emergency-program for details on the program. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/390511391.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/62a3defec99717cde5f5522af238665d3e8b08000345ce328e0348c6f89ba5b6.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:18 | null | null | Community artists group behind Bowker Brush Up, studio tours shows in Athlone Court | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fentertainment%2F389883631.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/75074oakbayOBNewsgalleryPJuly2716.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Oak Bay News renews local artist showcase | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Oak Bay Community Artists Society’s Ilka Bauer hangs a new show at the Oak Bay News office in Athlone Court.
Imke Pearson is among the original studio tour artists.
She and her artist neighbour opened their Oak Bay doors in the mid-1980s, well before they were the trend. She would show her stained glass, he his painted furniture.
“People would line up because it was so unusual,” she said. “It was fun.”
The small event would foreshadow the future; Pearson was among the five original core members of the Oak Bay Community Artists Society that pushed for the first official studio tour in April 1999 that included nine studios.
“We only had one a year at that point,” Pearson said.
Now there are two a year organized by Recreation Oak Bay, showcasing scores of artists around the community.
In 2002, with the suggestion by Nicolas Tuelly, a former curator of the Greater Victoria Art Gallery, they achieved official status as the Oak Bay Community Artists Society.
“That got us going as a bigger art group and now it’s quite large,” Pearson said.
There are now 36 members, 12 with art gracing the walls of the Oak Bay News this summer. They also organize the original Bowker Creek Brush Up slated for Aug. 14 this year.
Pearson was an original organizer of that event as well.
“We laid the foundation. We persuaded artists, ‘Yes, you can paint while people watch you,’” she said.
Once the artist got started, nerves dissipated, she added. “The only fly in the ointment was we were not allowed to sell (our work).”
The success of that first Brush Up led to a second marking Oak Bay’s centennial year in 2006 when the artists were permitted to sell their creations.
In addition to the annual Bowker Creek event, studio tours, and the current Oak Bay News display, the society also displays artists’ works at Oak Bay municipal hall and Oak Bay High School.
OBCAS work is on display at the Oak Bay News, 207A-2187 Oak Bay Ave. (Athlone Court). Visit weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/entertainment/389883631.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/cbb3f7a3e2e2b19584f5d2ead17fa891af30786bb29f27a18c983dd2577746cd.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:06 | null | null | New lights can prove challenging for drivers and others | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2F388489251.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Letter: Un-filtered LED lights pose problem | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Re: South Oak Bay bathed in LED, Oak Bay News, July 13
I agree the new LED street light replacement is a more efficient use of power, but it causes potential hazards for drivers and citizens of Oak Bay and its visitors.
I have worked with LED technology on a daily basis since the technology became mainstream. What I and my colleagues have discovered, especially with architectural and theatrical and film LED lighting, is they are “pixelly” and have hot spots in the beam.
To reduce discomfort and gain equal distribution of light we use a diffuser or filter. Currently the street lights Oak Bay is installing have no filter, causing much discomfort to drivers and citizens, especially ones who wear prescription glasses.
My professional opinion is these LED street lights are dangerous to drivers and will increase accidents in Oak Bay if no diffuser is installed on every street light, especially on residential streets which have large obstructions, like trees.
I have been working with this LED technology for the past 10 years and I always use a filter to soften the light to prevent pixelation to the naked eye and reduce the harshness of the beam.
All modern installations of LED lights use some form of diffusion. I installed the Oak Bay High Theatre’s new LED stage lighting system and used diffusion in every fixture without affecting the fixture’s intensity.
This is a change that needs to happen for the safety of the citizens of Oak Bay.
Kendra Martin
Victoria | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/letters/388489251.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/0b89eafdd68bec9eef4250762fb756d416f67492fce6112add723dc92d680080.json |
[
"Barbara Julian"
] | 2016-08-30T16:49:45 | null | null | Suburban Wild columnist explores the humble garter snake | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fcommunity%2F391664551.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Invisible tenants: garden offers home to ‘imported’ garter snakes | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | A few years ago our family camped on a Gulf Island which harboured what seemed a million garter snakes in the undergrowth. When it came time to go home, one member of the family (you can be sure it wasn’t an adult one) decided to smuggle out a few of the snakes. Only after arriving home did I realize that I’d been driving a cargo of socks filled with writhing reptiles.
Once home, my son put the snakes into a box which seemed secure, but wasn’t. Houdini-like, they escaped one by one, and that was the end of that -- or so we supposed. Years later a guest standing in the driveway called us out to view a snake he’d spotted in the rockery, which was covered by a protective blanket of juniper. They had been there all along (or their descendants had), our garden their Eden.
The indigenous common garter snake is a shy and harmless creature. It hibernates in dens over winter and emerges in spring, mating immediately. Males compete for access to females as they leave the den, and a writhing ball might form of males surrounding one female in the middle. Here’s where our sense of repugnance kicks in: even those who can tolerate an individual snake recoil from a writhing ball of them.
A pregnant female might produce between five and dozens of babies, which are born small but fully-formed. They like to live in marshy areas or near streams (you can sometimes glimpse them around Bowker Creek), and feed on toads, tadpoles, even small mammals and birds. In our garden they probably existed on insects and slugs. Since they need water, they will only be present in the well-watered garden, which means that watering restrictions severely reduce their urban habitat.
A fascinating fact about snakes is that they descended from limbed ancestors, and still possess four vestigial feet inside their bodies. Slithering must have been an adaptation to conditions which provided a niche for those who could pour long sleek bodies into and around soil, rock and roots. This ability to disappear serves garter snakes well, as a crow will snatch one up if it gets a chance, dangling the snake from its beak in mid-air.
The sinuously serpentine movements of snakes, whether darting or flowing, seem aesthetic to some, but most people feel some degree of aversion. What is it that repels us, to the extent that snakes even became the star villain in the founding myth of the Judaeo-Christian religion?
In other traditions, of course, snakes represent the Great Mother Goddess, both for their graceful silent ubiquity and their ability to shed their skins, thus “dying” and being re-born.
Resurrection magic aside though, snakes inspire a sense of fear which extends even to our primate cousins. Monkeys and chimpanzees panic at the sight of a snake, although as with us if they become habituated to them, in a zoo for example, the fear response lessens.
Clearly, kids are less phobic than adults. When we rediscovered the snakes that had been imported into our garden it was pleasing to realize they had been there all along -- silent and contented -- but I was also glad that they had stayed discreetly out of sight.
Barbara Julian is a local writer and nature enthusiast. She writes monthly about the many fascinating creatures making their homes in and around Oak Bay. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/community/391664551.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/562e0c9135328631a8e4a51534e7db874da2fa7558ac1d77831b60a5eb093099.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:41 | null | null | If you're not sure if something is a scam, ask the BBB | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F390244091.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Editorial: Loan scam hits close to home | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | An Oak Bay address was recently used by a loan scammer who managed to fleece a victim for $7,000.
The fake loan company set up a website with an Oak Bay address and pretended to offer online loans. After the consumer paid the requested fees, the website disappeared and the phone was disconnected, as is typical in these kinds of scams.
“The big red flag here is this $7,000 was for legal fees, administration fees, up-front costs to secure the loan, paperwork,” notes BBB-Vancouver Island Executive Director Rosalind Scott. “Reputable financial lenders do not charge any of that, costs are built into the loan.”
While the Oak Bay address may be a new twist in this particular case, the scam – and many others like it – are nothing new.
Each year, the Better Business Bureau releases its top 10 scams of the year, but typically, they’re just new twists on age-old favourites of those keen to make a quick buck from the unsuspecting.
While the specifics of the consumer in this case are not known, it’s really of no consequence: scams happen to people of all ages and socioeconomic levels. As we become savvy to one scam, another slightly altered version pops up in its place.
In terms of online lenders, thoroughly research a company before providing any information, Scott advises. Make sure it’s a legitimate, reputable online lender, and try to find a physical, brick-and-mortar location.
Beyond fleecing consumers of cash directly, some fake companies appear to be online lenders but are actually collecting people’s personal information to sell.
And as with any contract, get every detail of the loan agreement in writing and read the fine print. Reluctance to provide a detailed copy of an agreement is yet another red flag.
The bottom line for consumers of all ages, backgrounds and financial means: If you’re not sure, ask, Scott emphasizes. “This is what we are here for. ...We have that information and if we don’t have it we will investigate so that we do have it. We can help people not to lose $7,000.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/390244091.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/e1e0b8579c1928a9d1b69f64da7e6c1e5918525c923d9800fcb7ae020c67abd8.json |
[
"Barbara Julian"
] | 2016-08-26T13:08:19 | null | null | Dragonflies and ladybugs have captured many an imagination with their colourful characteristics | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F384185831.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/64559oakbayJulian-Barbara.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Suburban Wild: Of dragons and ladies | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Barbara Julian
The flying dragon is perhaps everyone’s favourite insect. Big enough to be easily seen and bright as a flying jewel, the dragonfly, member of the order Odonata (“tooth-jawed”), largely escapes the insect “ick-factor.” As larvae, dragonflies are as small, brown and dull as any uncelebrated bug, but as adults they transform into what Alfred Lord Tennyson called “a living flash of light.”
Their names alone are poetry -- Sedge sprite, Swift forktail, Blue dasher, Zigzag darner -- and their ancestors, pre-dating birds, were the first creatures ever to take to sky from earth, some 320 million years ago. In those days everything was gigantic, ferns as broad as hillsides, horsetails tall as trees, and dragonflies two and a half feet long. Imagine that now, as you watch them flitting around our local lakes.
“Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny”: the individual life cycle re-enacts the evolution of a species. Before becoming adults, dragonfly larvae are aquatic mud-dwellers that breathe through gills which also act as fins for swimming. Maturing, they leave water for air and grow wings, just as wings evolved in their ancestors after the gills and fins.
Dragon-like predators, the adults grab small flying insects out of the air and transfer them to crunching jaws while shooting forwards, backwards and sideways using two sets of independently moving wings. They mate head to tail in a circular formation, and the male organ has a special talent: it not only deposits sperm into the female’s abdomen but can also pull other males’ sperm out. The females deposit the eggs in water, mud or onto plants, her mating partner sometimes dive-bombing other males who might try to interfere. There’s more going on with these living flashes of light than a casual observer might realize.
There are 88 species of dragonfly in B.C. and the Yukon, more of the lyrical names including Grappletail, Western pondhawk, Sinuous snaketail and Red-waisted whiteface. A good place to find some in Oak Bay is the pond at the head of Bowker Creek at UVic.
The other insect most likely to escape people’s “ugh” reaction is the ladybird beetle. There is something endearing about its round, red, black-spotted body, so beloved of children’s book illustrators. It performs a useful service, for according to Tracey Stewart in Do Unto Animals (2015), one ladybug can eat up to 5,000 aphids in an afternoon. That is why local parks departments import them for non-chemical aphid control, although some ecologists consider this a mistake. The wild-caught commercial aphid-destroyers are a species originally imported from Asia which have out-competed the 450 native species, and in some places become a crop-harming pest themselves.
They do have the handy habit of laying their eggs among aphids however, which the hatching larvae immediately start devouring. They also need pollen, so anyone with aphids can attract ladybugs by planting geraniums and umbrella-shaped herbs. They like dandelion pollen too, however, so presumably help spread that pest even as they control the aphid. As always, relationships among the plants and animals around us are intricate.
Ladybugs have a handy ability some humans might envy. They eject a poisonous liquid from their knee joints when anything tries to molest them. These would usually be birds or spiders, not humans, because although they over-winter in people’s houses, instead of being squashed or evicted like a spider they are often considered a sign of good luck and left unharmed. It’s amazing what an advantage a cheerfully spotted red thorax can be, if it causes people to coddle you in a nest box and paint your portrait instead of squashing you under their heels.
Barbara Julian is a local writer and nature enthusiast. She writes here once a month about the wildlife in and around Oak Bay. | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/384185831.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/43be53cddbb180010250c9069dc0bbe11e4237a1c0ae0503b413c730dbc214e1.json |
[
"Christine Van Reeuwyk"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:29 | null | null | Knitting, pop-up galleries mark evenings on The Ave | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fbusiness%2F388489091.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/6286oakbayOBHide-SeekJesseandJaime.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | Hide+Seek serves more than coffee | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Jesse and Jaime Owens aim to make Oak Bay Avenue Hide + Seek Coffee like welcoming guests into their home.
Intimate and welcoming are the goals for café owners Jesse and Jamie Owens.
Hide + Seek Coffee opened eight months ago and seems to slide right into the coffee shop scene on The Avenue.
“It seems people have space in their hearts for another café (in Oak Bay),” Jaime said.
A turntable behind the counter surprises some first-time customers. Not always in use, it does have quite the selection of music.
“I’ve been collecting a long time,” Jesse said. He designed the cabinets to hold the alphabetized vinyl.
“We’re both big music fans and wanted a place to listen to our music all day,” Jesse said.
It’s just one way the couple showcases a little of who they are in their business.
“We wanted a space people felt welcome and unpretentious as possible,” Jamie said.
“We wanted it to look … well basically this is our dream house,” she said with a laugh. “When you put your personality and feel and love into a space it’s going to be welcoming.”
According to knitting instructor Patricia Hart of Woolings, they’ve achieved that goal. Hart teaches knitting courses at Monterey centre, Button and Needlework Boutique in Victoria and now Hide + Seek some evenings.
“We got to talking and thought it would be nice to carry classes through the summer,” Hart said.
“It’s a really beautiful space and has a really, really lovely energy about it,” Hart said. “I think everybody feels very welcome. There’s a very welcoming atmosphere about it.”
The couple inadvertently scheduled themselves to work Wednesdays that weren’t street market nights and figured, with a babysitter in place, why not fill the slots? They wanted to add events to serve the community, including after-hours pop-up galleries and knitting sessions.
“We have the ability, because we’re owners, to come in and do things in the evening,” Jamie said. “It’s nice to provide something for people in a space that’s a little different.”
The first pop-up gallery included artists sourced from the community and turned out to be a hit evening at the shop. “There were a lot of people, and a lot of vendors said they had a great time,” Jamie said.
“It all came together. It was so well received,” Jesse added. “It was completely full the whole time.”
They plan to hold another the first Wednesday of August.
Hide + Seek staffers serve to the table for those sticking around for a little coffee and music and the single-serve, drip coffee has its own tale.
Jesse learned the trade at Caffé Fantastico in Victoria and opted for a “fresh sheet,” a rotating roster of local roaster coffees.
“It’s shocking how many local roasters there are,” Jesse said. His preferred method of selection is to simply ask the roasters themselves: what are you proud of today? “It allows people to showcase what they’re most excited about and it’s fun for us.”
Most baking is done in the small kitchen in the back, the exception being Empire Donuts delivered regularly. In the works since opening, they now boast house-made syrups, jams and almond milk.
“That was a goal from when we opened,” Jesse said. “It’s nice to be able to control the quality.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/business/388489091.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/e2a64e69ea93a4c72ee98d0ad778b596306691af2dca5b837aacf8bc77232d3e.json |
[
"Tom Fletcher"
] | 2016-08-26T13:11:11 | null | null | Premier Christy Clark has pulled out the duct tape to fix up rural schools, school buses and the minimum wage | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Fopinion%2F390325601.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/3565BCLN2007ClarkOakesruralschools7web.jpg?t=12345? | en | null | BC VIEWS: Premier Red Green’s fast fixes | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | A totally spontaneous expression of gratitude breaks out for Premier Christy Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes at the Quesnel rodeo after a rural school fund was announced in June.
Comedian Steve Smith, better known as Red Green, is touring B.C. in September, reprising his popular TV series in which he fixes every conceivable problem with duct tape.
Green’s “I’m Not Old I’m Ripe” tour hits Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Surrey, Vernon, Kelowna and Prince George.
His formula for deploying the handyman’s secret weapon has proven so popular that Premier Christy Clark may have been inspired. She’s had quite a flurry of hasty repairs in the last few months. Here’s a recap.
The B.C. minimum wage was starting to lag behind other provinces, even after the overhaul it received in 2015, where annual increases are tied to inflation.
Like Red’s truck tires, there has been a lack of inflation, and a surge of government spending back east leaving B.C. in the dust. B.C.’s wage rose 20 cents last year and was set to go up by another whole dime this fall.
There was that familiar ripping sound in May as Clark and Jobs Minister Shirley Bond announced the September increase will be patched up to 40 cents, with another 40-cent increase next fall. Two wraps should hold it until after the election.
Remember the episode where Red taped two old Hyundai Ponies side by side to make a handyman’s Hummer? The school system has seen that kind of work in recent months.
The first roll was applied by Education Minister Mike Bernier when he announced in March that the ministry’s “fix-it fund” was going from $35 million to $40 million. Then in mid-May, he announced 80 successful projects. The “fix-it fund” had fattened to $45 million, and Bernier was just getting his sleeves rolled up.
Hey school districts, remember the $25 million in “administrative savings” the ministry demanded for the second year in a row? Now that you’ve squeezed that from your budgets, Bernier’s good news at the end of May was that the government’s giving it back to use for “front line services for students.”
One of those services could be “maintaining schools despite falling enrolment in certain regions,” Bernier announced May 31, foreshadowing the next layer of repairs.
Sure enough, a “rural schools fund” was rolled out on June 15. Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes made the announcement in Quesnel, where Kersley and Parkland elementary schools were going to close.
Also eligible for a special fund was Okanagan-Similkameen, where Osoyoos high school students were going to be bused a half hour to Oliver. This is hardly unusual in rural schooling around B.C., but these are swing ridings, you see.
Kootenay Lake district declined the opportunity to keep Yahk elementary open, with an anticipated fall enrolment of zero students. This all comes during the annual ritual combat between the ministry and Vancouver school board over keeping half-empty schools open.
Bernier had one more roll in his overalls. School bus service, one of those things jettisoned or saddled with hundreds of dollars in fees per student as districts scraped up those “administrative savings,” was selectively saved with another $15 million fund announced last week.
There have been a few other country fixes. They’re not going to ban weddings on farms any more, for instance.
That old jalopy in the back yard you’ve been trying to soup up and get back on the road? Soon you can get a collector plate for that thing, which is perfect if you can only get it running once or twice a year.
To paraphrase Red, if the voters don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc | http://www.oakbaynews.com/opinion/390325601.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/b9e56489f671667fbfbe1ce5413d52d9e1fb8c04f14f145d5a4fc14c5b1afde1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:08 | null | null | Low availability, high prices pose daunting rental situation in Oak Bay | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakbaynews.com%2Flifestyles%2F389882261.html.json | http://media.bclocalnews.com/images/BlackNewsMedia-CLR.png?t=12345? | en | null | Rental market out of reach for many | null | null | www.oakbaynews.com | Tim Collins
News contributor
In a rental market described by Kaye Melliship of the Victoria Housing Society as “hot and unfriendly,” people hoping to find rental accommodation in Oak Bay may find themselves out of luck.
While the vacancy rate in Greater Victoria is approaching the zero mark, the truth in most parts of the region is that rental accommodations can still be found.
Not that it’s an easy process. The low vacancy rate has created a “sellers market,” said Dean Fortin, of the Pacifica Housing Advisory Association.
Anecdotal reports from individuals who have placed ads on sites like Used Victoria make repeated references to “cattle call” showings where prospective tenants arrive at a property only to find a host of other prospective tenants have also been invited to view the potential rental.
In Oak Bay, the very low availability of rental accommodations makes the situation extremely daunting.
Ted Ryerson and his partner have been searching for a home for two months. He said his own experiences have been very frustrating.
“I’ll give you one example. We saw an ad for an apartment on Oak Bay Avenue and made an appointment to see it. We had to wait for over an hour for our turn to view the apartment…they were only showing it to three groups at a time and there were about 20 of us waiting,” he said.
“When it finally came time for our turn, my wife and I were told the property had been rented.”
“We wanted to live in Oak Bay because it’s where my wife grew up and we love the neighbourhood, but we’re going to have to look somewhere else.”
According to Mayor Nils Jensen, it’s not a situation with any easy solutions.
“The last large project we had, I guess, was the Clive back in 2015. That filled up almost immediately and there haven’t been any new applications for large apartment developments since that time,” said Jensen, adding part of the problem is the availability of vacant land to accommodate a new apartment complex.
“There’s just no large undeveloped pieces of land available. Any new units coming on stream now are really going to come from the renovation of existing properties,” said Jensen. “But we are trying to encourage developers to consider other options at the same time.”
One strategy is for businesses to consider adding suites to their business properties as part of any major renovation.
The concept involves housing businesses at the street level and converting other levels of the building to apartment housing.
“It’s a concept we’re encouraging,” said Jensen.
Another option for individuals seeking rental accommodation in Oak Bay may involve the rental of a detached home or a portion of a home that has been converted to a revenue space by the owner. But those rentals don’t tend to come cheaply.
A scan of rental properties in that category revealed several potential rental homes priced in the $2,500 to $4,500 per month range.
“There’s no way we could afford a place at that kind of rent,” said Ryerson.
“We’ve pretty much given up looking in Oak Bay now, and are considering our options in other parts of the city.”
For Jensen, the rental situation is troubling, but not one with any easy solutions.
“It’s a tight market right across Greater Victoria, and the reality is that the nature of our Oak Bay neighbourhoods don’t lend themselves to a massive increase in affordable rental housing,” said Jensen.
“But we’re always open to improvements and if someone has an initiative to increase housing availability, we’re going to listen.” | http://www.oakbaynews.com/lifestyles/389882261.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.oakbaynews.com/374ede3ad6783b908f9b2241be378dfd9420fd312eb3e45415f66643030b3aa5.json |
[
"Standard Sport"
] | 2016-08-28T14:50:17 | null | 2016-07-10T00:00:00 | This is where things get really interesting. With the summer transfer window slamming shut on Wednesday night, Premier League clubs have just three more days to complete their spending or else face months of wrath from irate fans. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Farsenal-still-want-antoine-griezmann-despite-arsene-wenger-snub-as-chelseas-james-rodriguez-chase-a3331381.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/07/10/17/griezmanniceland.jpg | en | null | Transfer news and gossip: Arsenal still want Antoine Griezmann despite Arsene Wenger snub as Chelsea's James Rodriguez chase goes to the wire | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | This is where things get really interesting. With the summer transfer window slamming shut on Wednesday night, Premier League clubs have just three more days to complete their spending or else face months of wrath from irate fans.
While Arsene Wenger denies that he is in 'panic buy' mode with the imminent £52million double deal for Deportivo striker Lucas Perez and Valencia's Shkodran Mustafi, you'd be a fool to think that the Gunners' fan base hasn't made an impact on Wenger's spending plans in recent weeks.
While Tottenham have made two smart signings in the form of Victor Wanyama and Vincent Janssen, it seems there is still plenty of room in Mauricio Pochettino's squad for new arrivals.
And despite a perfect Premier League record so far this season, there's no doubt that Antonio Conte is still seeking to strengthen the weak link in his Chelsea side - the defence.
But what rumours are circulating today? Here’s the pick of today’s transfer gossip…
According to The Sun, Arsene Wenger's priority target this summer was Antoine Griezmann. The Arsenal boss reportedly held talks with the France international during euro 2016, but the striker - who netted six goals at the tournament - informed the coach that he is settled with Atletico Madrid in Spanish capital.
But fear not, Arsenal fans - the Gunners are reportedly 'still interested' in the forward despite acknowledging that no deal is possible this summer.
Over to north London rivals Tottenham - Daniel Levy's approach has won few fans at Crystal Palace in the pursuit of Wilfried Zaha, but Spurs could be thinking a little grander for their next target - Real Madrid playmaker Isco.
The Spanish international is reportedly frustrated with a lack of playing time under Zinedine Zidane, and Real have seemingly decided that in a straight shootout between keeping either Isco or James Rodriguez, the Colombia international wins out.
The Mirror reports that Isco's availability could lead to a loan offer from Spurs, though Levy would have to battle a number of interested parties to land the 25-year-old.
And speaking of James Rodriguez... the Mirror reports that while Real blocked a potential exit to Chelsea, Los Blancos may still decide to move on the Colombian should Antonio Conte's side decide to put in a substantial offer before the window shuts.
That would appear to be in the region of £60m though, so Conte may have to move on a couple of players to make room and money available.
Pep Guardiola's £47.5m acquisition of John Stones has left Eliaquim Mangala's Manchester City future up in the air, but Spurs could be a surprise escape route for the centre-back.
According to L'Equipe, Pochettino is keen on the 25-year-old as competition for first-choice pairing Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, with a loan deal the most likely outcome.
Despite signing Christian Benteke for a club-record £27m, Crystal Palace are still on the search for more forwards given their slow start to the new season.
France Football reports that FC Lorient's 24-year-old forward Abdul Majeed Waris is a £12m target, with the Ghanaian a relatively inexpensive target given the prices mooted for some strikers.
And last but not least, Calum Chambers could be on his way out of Arsenal this summer given the emergence of Rob Holding coupled with the impending arrival of Mustafi.
It seems that there will be little to no first-team game time for the English defender at the Gunners this term, and the Mirror reports that Roma, Hull, Middlesbrough and Valencia (Mustafi's current club) are all interested in loan deals. | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-still-want-antoine-griezmann-despite-arsene-wenger-snub-as-chelseas-james-rodriguez-chase-a3331381.html | en | 2016-07-10T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/37a59413b43b4c94db6318158eb911f0e3d347a4fef7f7fcbb6d8a7be409e02d.json |
[
"Ben Travis"
] | 2016-08-30T08:50:53 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | After last year’s disappointing series, the return of the X Factor was under pressure to deliver big numbers. But it seems Simon Cowell’s efforts to bring a classic judging line-up back to the singing competition hasn’t drawn in a larger audience. In fact, the viewing figures for the 2016 launch are a million down on 2015. The first episode, broadcast on Saturday August 27, pulled in an average of 6.8 million viewers, compared to an average of 7.65 million last year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fstayingin%2Ftvfilm%2Fthe-x-factor-2016-launch-suffers-lowest-ratings-in-ten-years-despite-the-return-of-classic-judges-a3332046.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/26/10/x-factor-main.jpg | en | null | The X Factor 2016 launch suffers lowest ratings in ten years - despite the return of classic judges | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | After last year’s disappointing series, the return of the X Factor was under pressure to deliver big numbers.
But it seems Simon Cowell’s efforts to bring a classic judging line-up back to the singing competition hasn’t drawn in a larger audience.
In fact, the viewing figures for the 2016 launch are a million down on 2015.
The first episode, broadcast on Saturday August 27, pulled in an average of 6.8 million viewers, compared to an average of 7.65 million last year.
The 6.8 million average is the lowest opening for the show since 2005, when 6.6 million watched the talent competition.
With last year’s series bringing several changes, including new judges Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw, the latest run has brought back presenter Dermot O’Leary, and a classic line-up including Louis Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne.
The X Factor 2016: judges and presenters
7 show all The X Factor 2016: judges and presenters
1/7 They're back It's a classic judging line-up for this year's X Factor Thames / Syco Entertainment
2/7 Simon Cowell The head honcho is still in charge Thames / Syco Entertainment
3/7 Sharon Osbourne Sharon is back for the first time since 2013 Thames / Syco Entertainment
4/7 Nicole Scherzinger Nicole was last on the panel in 2013 Thames / Syco Entertainment
5/7 Louis Walsh 2015 was the only time Louis wasn't a judge on the show Thames / Syco Entertainment
6/7 Dermot O'Leary The presenter is back after a year off Thames / Syco Entertainment
7/7 Rylan Clark-Neal and Matt Edmondson The all-new live Xtra Factor has new hosts in Rylan and Matt Thames / Syco Entertainment
The latest run also brought the return of the ‘room’ auditions.
“Simon will be disappointed as the show was really good,” a source told The Sun.
The X Factor returns: "The show wasn't really good last year", says Louis Walsh
“Numbers will rise once catch-up and other services are added on. But it’s not what everyone felt it deserved.”
Sunday’s second episode saw a further drop to 6.3 million viewers – 200,000 down from 2015’s episode two figures.
The series continues on Saturday night on ITV. | http://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/the-x-factor-2016-launch-suffers-lowest-ratings-in-ten-years-despite-the-return-of-classic-judges-a3332046.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/ad4959d8e0cae6afb046c5a2b363d2f691c930ee3519cffcc70ef6398794ffaf.json |
[
"Joe Murphy"
] | 2016-08-30T10:50:55 | null | 2016-06-24T00:00:00 | Most of London’s 73 MPs are facing bitter selection battles because of a carve-up of constituency boundaries, new analysis reveals. More than 60 will see their seats change shape and many will be tipped into contests against neighbouring MPs for the right to stand again, according to Rob Hayward, the elections expert and Tory peer. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fboundary-review-will-force-mps-to-fight-for-seats-in-bitter-selection-battles-a3332231.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/06/24/06/referendumeu16j.jpg | en | null | Boundary review ‘will force MPs to fight for seats’ in bitter selection battles | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Most of London’s 73 MPs are facing bitter selection battles because of a carve-up of constituency boundaries, new analysis reveals.
More than 60 will see their seats change shape and many will be tipped into contests against neighbouring MPs for the right to stand again, according to Rob Hayward, the elections expert and Tory peer.
He forecast that Labour would lose up to 30 seats nationwide in changes by the Boundary Commissions for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which aim to equalise the size of constituencies. They are due to publish their proposals next month.
However, Lord Hayward said the outcome in London was unpredictable because of the complexity of the patchwork of ancient communities and borough boundaries. He said there could be fewer Labour or fewer Conservative seats, depending on how different areas were treated.
“The problem for them is London’s historic communities that have been interlinked for so long, it is very difficult to decide which should take precedence,” he said. “It depends on very fine decisions about what constitutes a community. You can come up with so many options for London that it is extremely difficult to predict what the overall effects would be.”
Existing boundaries date back to 2000 and Tories have criticised inner-city Labour seats which tend to have smaller populations than average.
Lord Hayward said 11 London seats were likely to stay largely unchanged: three Bromley constituencies, plus Kingston, Richmond, and Twickenham, two seats in Tower Hamlets; Upminster and Romford, with slight changes, and Sutton & Cheam, with the addition of an extra ward.
Senior Conservative sources say Theresa May is determined to go ahead with the boundaries review and to stick to David Cameron’s plan to slash the number of MPs from 650 to 600.
Nationally, Lord Hayward estimated that 200 Labour seats would be changed. Labour says 150,000 voters have vanished from the electoral roll, increasing the risk of unfair decisions. | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/boundary-review-will-force-mps-to-fight-for-seats-in-bitter-selection-battles-a3332231.html | en | 2016-06-24T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/9b8ed42238b7f92273acd0fa16742e96816e70a16b421b9811d54e476ae2ade9.json |
[
"Paul Newman"
] | 2016-08-31T12:51:42 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Bernard Tomic could face disciplinary action after making crude comments to a heckler during his 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 defeat by Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur here at the US Open last night. On-court microphones picked up the comments by the controversial Australian, who said afterwards that a spectator had been baiting him with “negative stuff” throughout the first set. “There was some stuff in the background as I was playing balls and returning,” Tomic said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ftennis%2Fbernard-tomic-facing-fine-for-crude-outburst-to-fan-at-us-open-2016-a3333421.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/31/12/tomicoutburst3108.jpg | en | null | Bernard Tomic facing fine for crude outburst to fan at US Open 2016 | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Bernard Tomic could face disciplinary action after making crude comments to a heckler during his 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 defeat by Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur here at the US Open last night.
On-court microphones picked up the comments by the controversial Australian, who said afterwards that a spectator had been baiting him with “negative stuff” throughout the first set. “There was some stuff in the background as I was playing balls and returning,” Tomic said.
The world No19 was heard to tell the heckler to “s**k my b***s”. Tomic added: “I will give you some money to make you feel good.”
Tomic, whose career has been strewn with controversial incidents, was asked what had happened by the umpire, Cedric Mourier, who suggested that the player should not have taken the matter into his own hands.
Bernard Tomic has apologised for a vulgar sledge directed at a @USOpen spectator. https://t.co/lAgvJIiASa #7News https://t.co/nTnAyeH8y3 — 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) August 31, 2016
“I apologise if anyone around heard it but I directed it specifically to him,” Tomic said. “Sometimes the crowd need to be respectful.”
Tomic is likely to be fined for his outburst.
US Open Tennis 2016 - In pictures
23 show all US Open Tennis 2016 - In pictures
1/23 Andy Murray celebrates defeating Lukas Rosol Andy Lyons/Getty Images
2/23 Naomi Broady hits a return to Laura Robson Peter Foley/EPA
3/23 Daniel Evans on court with Rajeev Ram Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
4/23 Laura Robson on the run vs Naomi Broady Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
5/23 Juan Martin del Potro shines brright playing Diego Schwartzman Elsa/Getty Images
6/23 Serena Williams in actin against Ekaterina Makarova Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
7/23 Nick Kyrgios is tended to by the trainer against Aljaz Bedene Andy Lyons/Getty Images
8/23 Ana Ivanovic returns a shot to Denisa Allertova Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
9/23 Alexander Zverev serves to Daniel Brands Andres Kudacki/AP
10/23 Venus Williams reaches out for a volley against Kateryna Kozlova Frank Franklin II/AP
11/23 Great Britain's Kyle Edmund KO's France's Richard Gasquet Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images
12/23 Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates after defeating Bernard Tomic of Australia in his first round Men's Singles match Andy Lyons/Getty Images
13/23 Madison Keys tries to kick a tennis ball during her match against Alison Riske in the first round of the US Open Darron Cummings/AP
14/23 Serbia's Novak Djokovichits a return to Poland's Jerzy Janowicz Andrew Gombert/EPA
15/23 Great Britain's Johanna Konta returns a shot to Bethanie Mattek-Sands Al Bello/Getty Images
16/23 USA's Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US hits a return to Johanna Konta John G Mabanglo/EPA
17/23 Andy Murray hits a shot during a practice session Chris Trotman/Getty Images
18/23 An official stands waiting for a fallen display board to be fixed inside Court 17 Seth Wenig/AP
19/23 Spotlights dance around Arthur Ashe Stadium during the opening ceremony for the US Open Alex Brandon/AP
20/23 Croatia's Marin Cilic returns a shot to Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva Seth Wenig/AP
21/23 Puerto Rico's Monica Puig hits a return to China's Saisai Zheng Jason Szenes/EPA
22/23 Spain's Rafael Nadareacts after defeating Denis Istomin Alex Brandon/AP
23/23 Polona Hercog of Slovenia hits the ball against Angelique Kerber of Germany during their 2016 US Open Women's Singles match Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/tennis/bernard-tomic-facing-fine-for-crude-outburst-to-fan-at-us-open-2016-a3333421.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/6bf8e0ec3645bb5831c01395cb22babc9c9ef4b7cb3acd803d8068b6de10dbc4.json |
[
"Graham Scott Autocar"
] | 2016-08-30T14:51:21 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | This definitely isn’t about getting bangs for your buck, but if you’re looking for masses of room for your money, then it should be worth a peruse. The Optima saloon hasn’t really done the business in Europe, so can this estate, which is Europe-only, crack the market better? Certainly there are some encouraging signs. To start at the most shallow end, it looks good and, although such things are subjective, we reckon it’s a handsome vehicle so there’s some instant attraction there. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Flifestyle%2Fmotors%2Froad-test-kia-optima-sportswagon-a3332541.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/30/14/kia-sportwagon-211.jpg | en | null | Road test: Kia Optima Sportswagon | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | This definitely isn’t about getting bangs for your buck, but if you’re looking for masses of room for your money, then it should be worth a peruse. The Optima saloon hasn’t really done the business in Europe, so can this estate, which is Europe-only, crack the market better?
Certainly there are some encouraging signs. To start at the most shallow end, it looks good and, although such things are subjective, we reckon it’s a handsome vehicle so there’s some instant attraction there.
So, handsome and with a lot of vacant space inside. Sounds perfect. Actually it’s reasonably huge inside, with more luggage space than a Ford Mondeo wagon. There’s lots of room for passengers and, with the rear seats down, there is 1686 litres of stowage area, enough for a Hampton Court garden show shrubbery.
Some of that space is filled with a full array of standard kit. The Kia comes in trims 1, 2 or 3 and you get stuff like sat nav from 2 upwards. The top spec, the GT-Line S, gets buckets of the stuff including heated and cooled front seats. The downer is that the cabin feels fairly utilitarian in terms of colourways, design and materials, but it should prove durable.
Handling is pretty good, with a ride that’s perhaps a touch on the firm side but it means there’s little body roll to upset the passengers. Steering too isn’t bad at all, so overall this estate has better driving dynamics than the saloon.
What have we got so far? A handsome, sensibly priced car with tons of room for people and cargo, with a hard-wearing cabin filled with kit, and which handles decently. If that isn’t the perfect recipe so far for minicab drivers and those forced to go long distance with cargo then call us the knights who go Ni. There’s only one more thing that could make us the knights who go ekki-ekki-ekki-pitang-zoom-boing, and that’s a reliable, frugal engine.
And it’s got one of those. Which is a bit of a bore as it’s a mildly revamped version of the older 1.7 CRDi diesel. It’s more refined than it used to be but your ears will be in no doubt that you have a diesel engine up front when you put your foot down even reasonably hard.
Kia claims fuel consumption of 64.2mpg and 113g/km so in terms of CO2 you’re not getting many breaks from the taxman.
So this probably makes more sense for fleet buyers than the private buyer, although everyone is going to like the generous and lengthy warranty. Whoever is buying, though, this represents a really honest and attractive version of a hard-working estate car. We’d keep the trim levels down as paying over £30,000 for the GT-Line S isn’t good value, while the £22,295 for the entry vehicle definitely is.
KEY STATS - Kia Optima Sportswagon
Price £22,295-£30,595
Engine 4 cyls, 1685cc, diesel
Power 139bhp at 4000rpm
Gearbox 6-spd manual
Kerb weight 1620kg
0-60mph 9.8sec
Top speed 124mph
Economy 64.2mpg (combined)
CO2 rating/tax band 113g/km, 19% | http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/motors/road-test-kia-optima-sportswagon-a3332541.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/2caf52a6ecf76998986cb060cccd44f10353096855e32ff8b197a8e7e79fbc43.json |
[
"Victoria Stewart"
] | 2016-08-30T12:51:33 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | A stimulating alcoholic drink served before food. A palate cleanser, if you like. This is what Alex Kammerling, maker of the ginseng spirit Kamm & Sons, describes as an aperitif. But that makes it sound straightforward, because strictly speaking the aperitif can be anything from a gin and tonic, to a glass of champagne or a Negroni cocktail. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Flifestyle%2Ffoodanddrink%2Fmade-in-london-kamm-sons-founded-by-alex-kammerling-a3332296.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/30/11/alex-k-portrait-.jpg | en | null | Made in London: Kamm & Sons, founded by Alex Kammerling | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | 1/50 Oskar's Bar at Dabbous 39 Whitfield St, WIT 2SF, dabbous.co.uk
The website is pitch black, the bar itself is underlit, but the drinks are a radiant, white ray of beaming perfect light: heavenly. That’s a terrible pun, but they’re big on terrible puns, with drinks including Rye rye rye Delilah, Tequila Mockingbird and Whiskey business.
It’s a touch masculine – lots of dark leather – but you’ll get over that after the first serve, and hey, calling it industrial chic softens the blow. Given plenty of second-rate bars push £12 for gin with dead flowers, drinks here at around a tenner offer terrific value. Oskar Kinberg has built a menu doing different things: ingredients include gin washed with extra virgin olive oil, wild nettles, red wine reductions and shiso. But the results work: these aren’t odd blends for the sake of it, they’re balanced, nuanced, thought through. They’ve some seriously top shelf spirits, too.
2/50 Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, rosewoodhotels.com/london
The Rosewood is doubly wonderful for drinkers, as they’ve two fine spots. In the modern Dining Room, sit at the gin bar, which outstocks anywhere else in London, with more than 400 gins and 27 tonics. Trying to choose is impossible, but what a lovely impossibility to have. The bar staff clearly had one hell of a tasting session as they know the list perfectly. Across the way is Scarfes Bar, a brilliant, brilliant bar gladly shaken free from all the stuffiness usually found in hotel bars. The drinks are stunning, they’ve often live music, it gets wonderfully busy and crackles with laughter, and the manager, Giovanni Spezziga, is a man who will treat you better than your own family does. Go a little later and it’s busier, people drink more, everything is better.
3/50 White Lyan 153-155 Hoxton St, N1 6PJ, whitelyan.com
White Lyan looked at other bars, shrugged its shoulders and said: “to hell with it”. No ice, no fruit and, er, no spirits – at least, not that you’ll spot on the shelves. Oh, they don’t really do shelves, either. Everything here lives in a fridge, and is premixed, but not like in that terrible bar you’ve been trying to forget since uni. It’s done deftly, with a touch of science, as cool and clear as its black and white New-York-in-the-80s decor. There’s no chance for going off menu, but little need to: drinks are largely marvellous, bolstered by Mr Lyan’s own refined and remixed spirits.
Their take on classic cocktails are excellent, but be brave and work from the Heaps Mad Shit menu. Odder; better. They've also their own wines, a cider, and a very decent lager.
If you’re nearer Blackfriars, head to its sister bar, Dandelyan.
4/50 Andrew Edmunds 46 Lexington St, W1F 0LP, andrewedmunds.com
Perhaps better than it’s ever been, Andrew Edmunds recently won The Good Drinking prize in our Restaurant Awards, and for good reason. It’s a small spot, cramped to the point that coming here on a first date feels like you’re being very forward indeed , with the best tables upstairs and not much to look at – just settle for being distracted by someone beautiful. The food, French-ish/English-ish, is fine, but its the wine that's extraordinary. And you’re here for wine: forget cocktails, they have. What a list, and so quietly marked up that you’re getting a steal with almost every bottle – indeed, the more expensive the better the deal. Having been going 30 years, those who knew old Soho say it’s one of the last bastion of such things. Drink too much gorgeous wine and come back often.
5/50 The Connaught Bar Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL, the-connaught.co.uk
A bar for the impossibly beautiful, a bar of high heels and glimmering lights, of perfume and leather. Aside from oddly thumping music, the Connaught is wonderfully detached from the world – a place of its own, cosy and winter warm when it needs to be, light and summer when desired. The drinks, naturally pricey, are well put together and while classic in tone, come with crackles of theatre: washes in perfume bottles, branches as garnishes, smoke, the lot. Still, the martini trolley is what they’re famed for, so it’s only right to indulge. Afterward, head to the Champagne Room: sadly the law stops it being the cigar haven it once was, but it's still gorgeous: romantic and charming with its fireplace, dramatic with its glass ceiling and sculpture swan diving. Treat yourself to the Ruinart blanc de blanc. Damned good olives, too.
6/50 Bar Américain 20 Sherwood St, W1F 7ED, brasseriezedel.com
As the name suggests, this is a classic American bar, and done near perfectly. One can become very fond of Bar Américain and very quickly: passing through Piccadilly Circus, it acts as a magnet – a quick negroni becomes a temptation impossible to resist. It’s a very beautiful place, calling to mind grand Parisian hotels of the 20s and 30s, bottles winking from the bar, staff floating through with their finery and litres of charm. You’re here to drink the classics: they’ve a killer Clover Club and a straight-down-the-line Manhattan. But ask: the bartenders know their stuff and bring their A-game to any challenge – tell them what you like, and they’ll bring you something new. They often have specials on, as well. Top marks for the attentive staff, bringing plenty of water and bowl after bowl of popcorn – both essential after a few here.
7/50 Milk & Honey 61 Poland St, W1F 7NU, mlkhny.com
You know a bar is good when local bartenders love it, and Milk & Honey has long been a Soho favourite for those in the know. Hidden in plain sight this terrific bar has been doing its thing for just shy of 15 years. The talent hasn’t diminished, and neither has the care put into the drinks. Cocktails are strong and proper and happily, they're updating the list soon to freshen things up. At around £10 a drink, M&H is also a bargain for central London, and the quality outstrips the price. It functions as a members bar, but non-members can book up until 11pm – though going earlier in the week means you’re more likely to score a table. Milk & Honey is civilised, without the crushing formality. Next door is the Blind Pig, another top 'hidden' spot.
8/50 Oriole Smithfield Markets, E Poultry Ave, EC1A 9LH, oriolebar.com
The team behind Nightjar took their winning formula, gave it a bit of a shake up and created Oriole. They’ve live music throughout the week – from Wednesday to Saturday, there’s a charge per person, so watch out for that – which gives any night here a bit of zip. This is a strictly seated spot, so be sure to book: once inside, it’s a whirlwind tour of the world, with fine details from across the globe, both in the styling and the drinks… and so much cheaper than booking a holiday. Drinks are excellent, whether you’re into New Orleans style classics or something from the depths of Asia: explore the menu (split into Old World, New World and The Orient) and expect something unusual and faintly brilliant, with a touch of the Tiki. Put it this way: Oriole is ideal whether you prefer drinking from a crystal tumbler, a teacup or, er, a silver crocodile.
9/50 Mark's Bar HIX Soho, 66- 70 Brewer St, W1F 9UP, hixrestaurants.co.uk
The bad: you might not get in. If it’s busy, they don’t squeeze people into this basement, so either be there early, or bamboozle them with charm, or dazzle them with your brilliant wit. We’re kidding: just take someone hot. The good: pretty much everything else. Naturally, the bar snacks are distractingly tasty, but the drinks list is excellent, and unusual too, with a few historical recipes brought back to life. Attention to detail is everything here, so if you’re not sharing one of the big old Chesterfields, head to the bar and sit and watch – there’s something about it that’s like seeing a cardmaster turn tricks. And have a Hix Fix, just to say you have.
10/50 Piano Works 113-117 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3BX, pianoworks.bar
Full credit to this fun Farringdon spot: they’ve worked hard to make the place better and better since opening, which is pretty good going for what was already a decent spot to begin with. The Piano Works sounds like a quiet jazz bar but instead is a hell-raising house of sound, splendidly raucous, where a house band take requests and belt out your favourite songs. The more you get involved, the more fun it is, and the place heats up the later it gets. Wine starts at £16, house cocktails are £8, but they've tons of terrific deals during the week – including cocktails for a fiver (!!) Drink lots, dance lots and leave in the early hours with someone you shouldn’t do. That’s what we did.
11/50 Artesian 1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA, artesian-bar.co.uk
Artesian won its accolades for its team, Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, who ran the place for eight years and earned its reputation as the best bar in the world. They’ve sadly departed, but have left the place in capable hands, and the feel is much the same as it ever was, which is chic, glamorous, and not taking itself too seriously. While the beautiful and the rich rub shoulders, the bartenders are mixing up excellent but often slightly silly drinks – but it’s their mischievousness that makes them so winning. Seriously impressive.
12/50 Les Compagnie Des Vins Surnaturels 8-10 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP, cvssevendials.com
Call it CVS and your night becomes considerably easier to pronounce. Sat in Neil’s Yard, it is one of London’s finest wine bars. Thoroughly French, of course: New World wines barely get a sideways glance, while even Italy’s finest is only begrudgingly given a little space on the considerable menu. This doesn't mean there is a lack of choice – to the contrary, it is almost overwhelming, though they have a short by-the-glass list, and the charming staff are both well informed and passionate about what to have. In the summer, sit outdoors, in the winter, cosy up by the bar. Wherever you are, try the mystery wine; if you guess it, you’ll win a bottle. Have food – small plates made to share, and terrifically good – and drink plenty, so the bill doesn’t hit as hard.
13/50 The Shrub & Shutter 336 Coldharbour Ln, SW9 8QH, theshrubandshutter.com
This Brixton bar felt new in the area, taking a little of east London and bringing it down south. They’ve a pleasingly patchwork approach to decor: there are jars and bottles and shakers everywhere, which gives the place a kitchen feel. The cocktails, lovely to drink on their own, are made better with the food, which is designed to match what you’re drinking. The pairings initially sound a little gimmicky – crayfish with vodka, venison on the side of ‘The Deerhunter’ (an old fashioned, basically) – but they work, so drop that sceptical streak for a moment. It gets busy, so book up, get in early, and stay late. They’ve a license until 3am, so it’d be rude not to.
14/50 Sky Pod at the Sky Garden 1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AF, skygarden.london
The truth of it is, you come for the view, but good God it's a great view, and 360-degrees at that. Up 35 floors, if you can think of a London icon, you can probably see it. When the weather's good, get outside for some fresh air. With completely free entry and minimal security fuss, it’s worth making a reservation, though if you’re ok to queue, they’ll have you in. Cocktails aren’t torturously expensive, at around £11.50, and are very enjoyable – the cognac-chocolate-caramel-port mix that is Black and Gold is particularly good– so it doesn't feel like they're relying on the sights.
There’s a sense of special occasion, and all the more so with live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. They’re hoping for jazz on Wednesdays, too. If you’re tempted to eat, Fenchurch and the Darwin Brasserie are well worth trying – Fenchurch is particularly good for veggies.
15/50 Hawksmoor, Spitalfields 157A Commercial St, E1 6BJ, thehawksmoor.com
It’s hardly surprising the bar snacks are a highlight here – have the oxcheek nuggets with a side of chips, then call the waiter over to order them over again – given how good the steak upstairs is. The drinks and setting, though, match them pound for pound. The old tube tiles on the walls, the beautiful parquet floor, the copper tops and silvery black ceiling make the large space a place to settle in for the night no matter your seat, while the cocktails come with oodles of thought in each one: the new menu has homemade bitters, shrubs and syrups, and it’s bloody obvious everyone behind the bar is more than a little nerdy about building drinks. Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew is the classic, so have it, but follow up with the Shadow Boxer, a mix of scotch, sherry and Fernet-Branca. Odd, oddly delicious. It’s also a cracking place to sit for a bottle of wine.
16/50 The Gilbert Scott St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, NW1 2AR, thegilbertscott.co.uk
Given the golden hue here, where luxury hangs in the air like perfume, it’s remarkable that wine starts at as little as £5 a glass. Wine is its strong point, and likeable head sommelier Joris Beijn is a man worth knowing: he is passionate about his list, knowledgeable and accommodating. The bar is flexible, in that it is by turns ideal for a date, or a catch up with old friends, or a pre/post dinner drinks. The room is a stunner: high painted ceilings, dramatic red walls, great big bells as art, marble bar top and crystal glasses catching the light. Cocktails come in at around £14, and err on the light side: lots of gin and floral concoctions. The restaurant, next door, isn’t to be missed, either, just be prepared to get an Uber home: invariably, you’ll stretch and tease out the evening to stay just a little longer.
17/50 Gerry's Club 52 Dean Street, W1D 5BJ, gerrysclub.com
A word of warning: this is technically a member's club, but you'll probably be fine if you flirt enough – and don't ask for Gerry, he's long since passed. Michael looks after this place now. We've only been once – very late, very drunk and with very good friends. Most old-school Soho drinking dens are dead, but this hub of actors and writers is what remains of 'Old Soho'. If you're boring, steer clear: it is a place to drink wine and beer and tell stories, to laugh uproariously and to give yourself a monumental hangover in a faintly discreet way.
18/50 68 and Boston 4-5 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DD, 68andboston.com
Boston, the bar upstairs, looks like glamorous train carriage from the golden age of cocktails but plays it a little bit safe. Wine bar 68, downstairs, is the real gem, with a wonderful way of pricing: every bottle on the list is £20, so choose what you like, not what you can afford. Better yet, if you don't fancy a bottle, they're served by the carafe (£14) or glass (£5.50). Wines are well picked and Denise Medrano, wine blogger and lover found behind the bar, is always working to update the list – so go back to try something new. You’ll probably end up getting drunk here: the pull of another bottle at just £20 is monumentally hard to resist, but hey, that’s what Soho is for. If you fancy drinking something more upscale, ask – they’ve a few ‘hidden’ wines kept hidden away for those in the know. That’s you, now.
19/50 The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion 25-27 Brewer St, W1F 0RR, elcamion.co.uk
Forget house infusions and drinks that take half an hour to make: sometimes a good night needs tequila and dancing. The Pink Chihuahua is built for it: they’re providing the tequila – more than 300 different types of it, in fact – you’re there to drink it down and dance it up. They’ve all sorts of twists on Margaritas and Daiquiris, and, given you’re downstairs from Mexican restaurant El Camion, plenty of bar food to indulge in too. Lots of fun, and if you’re feeling more in the mood just to sit back and sip something slowly, ask about their choice of Mezcal. There's real talent here, but fun too.
20/50 The Gibson 44 Old St, EC1V 9AQ, thegibsonbar.london
Given the dearth of decent cocktails in Farringdon, the tiny Gibson is a God-send. It’s a parlour pitched somewhere between Edwardian and Art Deco, and drinks aren’t simply poured here, they’re tended to, built, thought about, adored. All unsurprising, really, given the team learnt their trade at the likes of Nightjar and The Connaught.
This place is doing more creatively to push bartending forward than any bar that's opened up in a while, so ask the team for recommendations and you’ll be presented with something magic. You’ll need to ask, actually, as the menu is a novel and there’s the risk of wasting the evening reading instead of drinking, and that simply wouldn’t do at all.
21/50 Peg+Patriot Patriot Square, E2 9NF, talentedmrfox.com
The Talented Mr Fox, Matt Whiley, offers is a nice blend of things here: while the menu takes a sophisticated trip around London, with each cocktail a column of flavour, some managing chameleonic taste all within the space of a sip, the actual bar is surprisingly spare and understated. The effect is such that while drinks are upmarket, one doesn’t feel obliged to sit demurely to enjoy them. Relax, have a few – you might want to, as the serves aren’t huge. It should be said that these cocktails are among London’s most interesting, rather than London’s best: they are talking points, oddities, they put flavours together in a way that isn’t available elsewhere. If you’re big on trying new things, different experiences, seeing what a cocktail can do, come, it’s a must. If it’s just something reliably delicious you fancy, elsewhere may be better.
22/50 Worship Street Whistling Shop 63 Worship St, EC2A 2DU, whistlingshop.com
One presumes the staff here have night vision, otherwise it’s a complete and utter mystery how they see customers, let alone their ingredients. Still, they must do, for the output is pretty much excellent through and through at this dark spot. It’s Victorian-inspired, which sounds tired and not a little tacky, but the gang from Purl have done it properly. Drinks are busy – lots of fusions, blends, gasses and pressure and all sorts – so it’s appropriate they come out of a lab. Still, all this engineering seems to be worth it, as the drinks slip down easily, the alcohol often hidden away. Make sure to take a seat in the Dram Shop, and pop in to the Gin Closet too, which operates as an honesty bar.
23/50 Kansas Smitty's 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH, kansassmittys.com
Below bar ‘Off Broadway’ – a long way off, it’s Mexican – sits this glorious den of jazz and juleps. It is a speakeasy for 2016: that is to say, it has none of the contrived mannerisms of bars which proclaim to be speakeasies, it just happens to actually be one: you’ll need to knock to get in, the music raves loud and hot, and the place is so crowded strangers become family after a drink or two. The house band, for which the place is named, have envy-inducing talent, and the bar has fairly recently overhauled its drinks list, and the results are good. You’ll be absorbed by the music, and stay afterwards to ride the buzz of the crowd.
24/50 GŎNG 52, Shangri-La Hotel, the Shard, SE1 9QU, .gong-shangri-la.com
Gong is in the Shard, so you’re there for the view alone. View it certainly does: at 52 floors up, it’s by far London’s highest spot to drink: consequently, sipping on a martini, one feels a little like a Bond villain pondering all that’s below. It’s not a huge bar, but that somewhat adds to the sense of exclusivity. Prices are, naturally, sky high: expect to pay at least £18. The drinks have plenty about them to compete with the view: presentation is everything. They’ve not skipped on the spirits making the mix, either: expect the likes of Zacapa 23 rum (heavenly stuff), Talisker scotch and Tanqueray 10 for the gin. All top drawer stuff. If this all sounds a bit intimidating, bear in mind they operate a no reservations policy, so you’ve as good a chance of getting in as anyone else.
25/50 Mr Fogg's Salon 58 St Martin's Lane, Theatreland, WC2N 4EA, mr-foggs.com
Downstairs is a pretty decent pub, busy from theatreland. Upstairs, the salon is quieter, but only a little. The walls are a glittering ballgown of 19th century curiosities, unsubtle nonsense winking away. Head to a chaise longues with a couple of friends or a date and take in something from each one of the five “acts” which split the menu. Drinks seem to smell especially good here, rich, relying heavily on the likes of rum, cognac and sherry. Gin lovers need not despair: they’ve a room with 300 different types next door. Come elegantly dressed.
26/50 The Beaufort bar and the American Bar at The Savoy The Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EU, fairmont.com
Glitz, glamour and lots of gold: both Savoy bars are wonderfully opulent. The world-famous American bar, recently revamped, is still up there as one of the best bars on our humble planet. The bartenders bible, Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book, was written here, and the cocktails served today remain as finely tuned as they ever were. Whereas as other bars try to recreate the glamour of such places, The Savoy needn’t pretend: everything is genuine. The palatial Beaufort is absurdly romantic, and drinks are extravagantly presented: it works for the most special of special occasions, and there’s something undeniably grand about sipping away in the same place Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway all did. If you’re planning a few drinks, either be rich or take someone rich – seriously.
27/50 Bar Termini 7 Old Compton St, W1D 5JE, bar-termini.com
Do Bar Termini right and you’ll love it: do it wrong, and you may be underwhelmed. Tony Conigliaro, cocktail chap par excellence, and coffee maestro Marco Arrigo have built a revolving-door of a place: don’t come here to linger. Expect a night of cocktails and you’ll leave disappointed: instead, love it in the day for the £1 espressos, and swing by in the evening for a negroni (£6). They’re small, but some of the best in the capital. One swishes in and out here, and that way, it adds a touch of Italian glamour to any evening.
28/50 Trisha's (New Evaristo Club) 57 Greek St, Soho, W1D 3DX
Drinks don’t make a bar, and thank goodness, as the stuff served at Trisha’s – named for its owner – is uniformly pretty awful: red and white wine you’d consider an insult if a friend served it at supper, prosecco wildly overpriced, terrible spirits ecetera ecetera. At more than 70, the club is Soho’s oldest, and while nobody who goes there can ever remember anything changing – it’s often quite hard to recall much about Trisha’s in crystal detail, as it happens – nothing needs to. The bad wine and expensive mixers and paint stripper spirits are all part of the point: it’s a glorious drinking den, and marvellous, marvellous fun. There are characters here: the last time we were in, we sat being scared witless by an old East End gangster who said he’s known the Krays. Tremendous. Long may this place live.
29/50 The Fumoir Claridge's, 49 Brook St, W1K 4HR, claridges.co.uk
The Fumoir will confuse you, as you’ll be torn between shouting about it and keeping it all to yourself. This plush purple and leather spot, deco decadence with a touch of welcome pomp, is hidden away behind a secret door at Claridge’s. Tiny and glitzy enough to feel like a Hollywood dressing room from the Golden Age, it’s little surprise the likes of Christina Hendricks adore it. For such a small place, they squeeze an awful lot in: plenty of wines, classic cocktails given a stern shake up, buckets of gin, a lovely choice of armagnac and a magnificent scotch list, gleaming with rarities.
30/50 69 Colebrooke Row 69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA, 69colebrookerow.com
Once known as ‘the bar with no name’, henceforth they shall be called ‘the bar with Bernard’s watch’, as there is no other explanation for the speed with which their finely mixed cocktails arrive. Another bar from Tony Conigliaro, it’s earned its reputation for turning out hit after hit: the drinks list is endlessly tempting. The piano is a nice touch; that is gets played a much nicer one, and make sure to order the Prairie Oyster – fun to drink, and one even for those who can’t eat seafood. Bear in mind it’s a small spot, so you’re close to your neighbours, and if you don’t like strong drinks where the booze kicks, this won’t be for you.
31/50 Happiness Forgets 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU, happinessforgets.com
Don’t expect frills and fuss or the rest of it here: Happiness Forgets is cocktail bar distilled down to its very essence, and done very well – their tag “High End Cocktails/Low End Rent” sums it up best. The bartenders are all top drawer, and their creations impeccable. Unsurprisingly, this Hoxton space has its regulars, so the crowd is always good. Tables can be booked, but half are always kept for walk-ins: try your luck, it’s worth it.
32/50 Dry Martini by Javier de las Muelas Meliá White House Hotel, Albany Street, NW1 3UP, melia.com
Come to this one to brag: Dry Martini is known as Barcelona’s best cocktail bar, and has been rated the fifth best bar in the world by the World’s 50 Best Bars panel. Renowned bartender Javier de las Muelas has bought over his concept to us lucky Londoners, and with it, finely mixed and classic cocktails. No prizes for guessing that the Dry Martini is the house special – if you don’t think you like them, here’s a place to change your mind – but bar manager Martin Siska, who used to run the Barcelona site and the bar in Brown’s Hotel, has plenty else on the list worth trying. With more than 80 gins on the list, you could easily lose a week here.
33/50 Gordon's 47 Villiers St, WC2N 6NE, gordonswinebar.com
Gordon’s seems to get more and more crowded with each passing day, but perhaps rightly so: the beloved Embankment institution is made for knocking back bottles of wine in. Eat a few cold bites and chat into a long, unwinding evening. The wine list is good enough, but you’re really here for the atmosphere: in summer, the terrace, buzzing, in winter, the caves indoors, crammed with noise, spilt wine, and joy.
34/50 Social bar at City Social 25 Old Broad St, EC2N 1HQ, citysociallondon.com
You’d think you’re at City Social, up 24 stories of Tower 42, to eat, but if you stop in the bar, there’s a good chance you won’t make it to your table. The drinks come as something of a surprise: they’re so much better than one expects from a restaurant bar, inventive, put together carefully but not staidly, retaining a sense of fun. And, crucially, damned tasty. It’s a dark room, and full of city types, but perfect for a few late night cocktails soaking up the view, which is really quite wonderful. Bloody pricey, but that’s part of it.
35/50 Ladies and Gentlemen 2 Highgate Rd, NW5 1NR, twitter.com
William Borrell’s bolthole transcends its gimmick (which, if you hadn’t guessed, is that it’s a converted public loo), with the help of some very handy bartenders, and its house-brewed gin, Highwayman, of which twelve bottles a day get distilled. Ladies & Gents manages well as a place for a quiet drink, or better yet, a place to quietly get roaringly drunk. Convenient indeed. The drinks are strong, very interesting, and there’s plenty of odd sods on the wall to keep your conversation up. It maintains a veneer of being somewhere faintly upmarket, but you’ll probably end up reading from one of the books scattered around or trying to dance to the live music. Perfect for a date that gets out of hand.
36/50 Bull In A China Shop 196 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6LG, bullinachinashop.london
Truth it, you’ll need to catch this place on a good night, as we’ve been in often enough to know it has its good nights and its ‘meh’ nights. But when the place is on, it’s really cooking, and easily one of the best bars in town. The cocktail list is short, but thought through, and care is taken in even the small things: they even make sure the water glasses are chilled. The chamomile and charcoal Old-Fashioned is a must, and any whisky lovers should get chatting to the bar staff, as they’ve bottles which aren’t available anywhere else in the capital.
37/50 Sager + Wilde Arch, 250 Paradise Row, E2 9LE, sagerandwilde.com
Wine lovers rejoice, wine bores look elsewhere. Sager + Wilde admirably keep things unpretentious: the exposed brickwork sets the tone: they’re keeping things low key. The specials list changes regularly, and always with interesting choices introduced. Some of the wines are exclusive to this place, so you’re all but guaranteed to try something new. Have a SHE + T (sherry with tonic, delicious), and absolutely do not leave without having the grilled cheese sandwich.
38/50 7 Tales at Sosharu 64 Turnmill St, EC1M 5RR, sosharulondon.com
Underneath Jason Atherton’s Sosharu is this sexy, seedy Japanese drinking den, where you’ll find the hazy, debauched glamour of Tokyo after dark. Unlike so many bars underneath restaurants, 7 Tales doesn’t feel like a holding pen, and drinks are precision made, with flavours leaning beyond the usual – think rice-washed gin, sake, infusions of sesame, snacks like tempura. Bar snacks are an irresistible must.
39/50 Callooh Callay 65 Rivington St, EC2A 3AY, calloohcallaybar.com
Eccentric doesn’t seem to quite cover it: enter the surreal world of Callooh Callay through an old Victorian wardrobe, catch sight of a throne and order punch out of a gramophone from a menu that’s more of a sticker book. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the bartenders really know their stuff, so for all the quirks, drinks are fundamentally pretty excellent. On the weekends, it’s a party bar, and DJs spin music to match: you’re here for a good time. Any detectives in your gang will find there are two extra rooms in Callooh Callay to explore – they’re hidden away, too, naturally. If you’re good, you might even get an invite upstairs to the Jub Jub Room, where the 10-long cocktail list changes every three weeks. Fans should also head to their new offering in Angel, Little Bat.
40/50 Dukes Bar Dukes Hotel, 35 St James's Pl, SW1A 1NY, dukeshotel.com
Duke’s is known for one reason: martinis. The St James’s hotel was a favourite haunt of James Bond author and (very) keen drinker, Ian Fleming, who supposedly came up with the ‘shaken, not stirred’ line here. Their martinis are exceptionally strong, and very large: there’s a reason they won’t serve you more than two. But look, break the mould: they’re a classic hotel bar, they serve a fine range of classic cocktails. There’s also a cognac and cigar garden, if you’re so inclined.
41/50 NOLA 1st Floor, 68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY, nola-london.com
It would be too easy to miss this place, so do your homework and saunter in: it’s must more attractive than sweatily asking anyone if they’ve seen the place. Drawing inspiration from the home of proper cocktails, New Orleans, the bar loves traditional drinks, builds them properly and serves them in a den of music and laughter. Unlike some places specialising in old school serves, NOLA is a place for fun: sure, it seems to say, you could have a quiet drink – but why would you want to? There’s a cracking cigar terrace too, small enough that everyone talks before heading back in for one hell of a Vieux Carré.
42/50 Call Me Mr Lucky 11 Southwark St, SE1 1RQ, twitter.com
All the ‘hidden’ bars at the Breakfast Clubs around the capital are popular, with perhaps The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town being the best known. Call Me Mr Lucky, on Southwark Street, happens to be our favourite. Once you’ve flirted with the staff – ask to get lucky – you’re taken through the restaurant’s kitchens to a lively bar decorated like some twisted take on a kids party. Have a go on the wheel of fortune, where you’ll really want to get lucky, and win a free shot, and then work your way through the cocktail list. Like any good-time bar worth its salt, this place is big on tequila, and the drinks are light-hearted fun, but – here we go getting lucky again – along with the quirks comes quality. By the of the evening, before you’re porured back onto the street, you’ll swear tequila is your new favourite drink, and you’ll be singing the party hits they play all the way home.
43/50 K Bar at The Kensington 109 - 113 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP, townhousekensington.com
K bar feels majestic – and there is no other word for it – because drinking here is a little like being in the captain’s quarters of the Titanic, albeit without the sinking feeling. There is glamour here: a kind of place to be seduced in. Cocktails wise, bar manager Ben Manchester is the man to ask for, but there’s a fine list to choose from. It avoids stuffiness, and just needs to be packed out to really get cooking.
44/50 Nightjar 129 City Rd, EC1V 1JB, barnightjar.com
Nightjar has fame which means writing about it is redundant: people think it marvellously good, and they’ve live music most of the week. It’s seating only and worth booking: just be sure not to cancel, or they’ll charge a steep £10 per person. They do the speakeasy theme, but well enough that it isn’t too tired yet, and have plenty of old school style on the list. Pick up a pack of cards from the bar on your way out.
45/50 Reverend J W Simpson 32 Goodge St, W1T 2QJ, revjwsimpson.com
Bourne and Hollingsworth run this rather lovely little bar, downstairs from a small doorway on Goodge St. Service is friendly and speedy, it's comfortable, and drinks more than hold their own – there's both obscure traditional mixes and modern serves made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Luckily, with good drinks come good people, and it's a loud, happy place.
46/50 Albertine 1 Wood Ln, W12 7DP, albertinewinebar.co.uk
Albertine hasn’t changed much since the day East Enders was commissioned there. A wine bar through and through, you’ll struggle to get anything else (though there are a couple of ales on the menu.) It’s a place with spirit, which draws a regular, devoted crowd. They sell everything they serve, and it’s well worth splashing out: the mark-up gets less and less as the bottles get more expensive, meaning you can get an absolute bargain at the top end of the list. It’s also the kind of wine bar you go to to overindulge.
47/50 First Aid Box 119 Dulwich Rd, SE24 0NG, firstaidbox2015.com
This place really is worth travelling to Herne Hill to, which must be saying something. The team behind Shrub & Shutter have thickly laid on the pharmacy theme here, with ‘cure-all’ drinks. It’s not an idea which sounds like it should work, and yet, how much better life would be if they were one of the emergency services. Expect ‘saline’ drips, syringes, and the likes of plastic lungs – their take on thirst aid – but rest assured, flavours aren’t medicinal in the slightest. At £8 - 10 a drink, it’s reasonable for London, and wonderful to see a bar really trying something new. Bravo. Media Wisdom Photography - Giles Christopher
48/50 Nam Long Le Shaker 159 Old Brompton Rd, SW5 0LJ, namlong.co.uk
It gained fame for its celebrity fans, which include Mick Jagger and Prince Harry, but Nam Long has held on longer than most A-list haunts: it’s been going 30 years, and recently was given an overhaul. It’s quite possibly the most Chelsea place imaginable – there are literally MIC cast members floating about – and its a go-to spot to drink far too much and party. The upstairs area is bright, airy, and well looked after by the excellent bartenders, while downstairs – "the Opium Den" – is as it sounds (though there was no opium available when we asked... ) The drinks upstairs were made with more care, but downstairs is more intimate, opulent, and better for a small groups. Some of those Chelsea types who go really are the very worst, and the drinks are outrageously expensive, but hey, it’s a laugh.
49/50 The Vault at Milroy's 3 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4NX, shop.milroys.co.uk
A bar through a bookcase: we’re sold. Better yet, it’s underneath one of Soho’s finest whisky shops – with stiff competition from The Vintage House – so if you’re taken with something downstairs, buy it on your way out. It’s a simple little bar and the service is decidedly so-so, but it’s usually pretty busy, they play good music and have an excellent range of spirits. The menu is changed regularly, but it’s a good place to cram into with friends or on a date. You mightn’t spend the entire night here, but for a couple of drinks on the way somewhere, or on the way back, it fits the bill perfectly. | http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/foodanddrink/made-in-london-kamm-sons-founded-by-alex-kammerling-a3332296.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/fad808c95b7126c3982daca86892851501f49e99486e11fdcbc60676b4175949.json |
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"Guy Lodge"
] | 2016-08-26T13:15:05 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Give War Dogs this much credit: it’s not a film that goes out of its way to be loved. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fgoingout%2Ffilm%2Fwar-dogs-film-review-lock-stock-and-two-stonking-dudebros-a3330266.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/26/10/war-dogs-review.jpg | en | null | War Dogs, film review: Lock, stock and two stonking dude-bros | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Give War Dogs this much credit: it’s not a film that goes out of its way to be loved.
If producers were aiming to make their sordid tale about callow, shallow young American arms traders more endearing to general audiences, they probably wouldn’t have cast Miles Teller and Jonah Hill — two capable actors not known for their charm-school qualifications — in the leading roles. And they certainly wouldn’t have handed the reins to Todd Phillips of The Hangover fame, a director whose brand very much hinges on lairy dude-bro entitlement. Make no mistake: War Dogs is a film that sets out to portray its true-life characters as dirty-handed douchebags, and succeeds fully in that task.
So why isn’t it better? Largely because, while acknowledging the gaping moral void in the story of David Packouz (Teller) and Efraim Diveroli (Hill) — two yeshiva schoolmates from Miami who became fast millionaires by illegally supplying weapons to the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan — Phillips’ semi-comic approach for much of the film is to shrug his shoulders and enjoy the boys’ antics regardless. “This isn’t about being pro-war... this is about being pro-money,” Diveroli offers as a slender ethical alibi, and War Dogs comes perilously close to sharing that grinning, disingenuously apolitical stance. Whether they’re dodging bullets while haplessly driving through Fallujah to deliver a truckful of Beretta guns to the troops, or smoking a fat joint before a critical meeting with top brass at the Department of Defence, the film can’t help gawping a bit at the coolness of it all, complicit in the pair’s out-of-their-depth roguishness.
The model here — down to the second-hand tics of Phillips’ first stab at “serious” direction, with its agitated editing and blindingly obvious soundtrack selections — is Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, a film itself not immune to charges of taking a little too much vicarious pleasure in its characters’ destructive misbehaviour. What’s missing, however, is the conviction of that film’s cynicism, not to mention the helter-skelter speed of its wit. Only as the foundations of Packouz and Diveroli’s dizzily built business empire begin to crumble, pitting them against each other, does the film rather huffily discern between right and wrong, oblivious to its own potential for vengeful, black-hearted irony. By bantering with the lads and slapping their wrists at the same, War Dogs is left with countless rounds of illicit ammo and no clear satirical target.
Cert 15, 114 mins
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Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout | http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/film/war-dogs-film-review-lock-stock-and-two-stonking-dudebros-a3330266.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/3e82c541cda574d1d6733b7a2fff1b6e34242250af50cb024f567ddcce7bafd5.json |
[
"Paul Newman"
] | 2016-08-30T10:51:33 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Two top British performers called the tune on the first night of competition here at the US Open. While Phil Collins belted out “Easy Lover” in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the tournament’s official opening ceremony, Johanna Konta knocked out an Olympic gold medallist on the adjacent 8,000 capacity Grandstand court. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ftennis%2Ffew-distractions-for-johanna-konta-as-confident-brit-heads-into-us-open-secondround-a3332101.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/30/10/johannakonta3008.jpg | en | null | US Open 2016: Johanna Konta confident Brit heads into second-round | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Two top British performers called the tune on the first night of competition here at the US Open.
While Phil Collins belted out “Easy Lover” in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the tournament’s official opening ceremony, Johanna Konta knocked out an Olympic gold medallist on the adjacent 8,000 capacity Grandstand court.
The 25-year-old Briton was disappointed to miss Collins’s performance but more than made up for it with an emphatic 6-3, 6-3 victory over the American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who won the mixed doubles gold alongside Jack Sock in Rio earlier this month.
Konta, the world No 14, triumphed in just 82 minutes to earn a second-round meeting with the 28-year-old Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, who was a Wimbledon semi-finalist six years ago but is now ranked No71 in the world.
Konta has good memories here from last year, when, as the world No97, she made her big Grand Slam breakthrough by winning three matches in qualifying and then reaching the fourth round.
Some players can be distracted by the constant noise around Flushing Meadows, but Konta revels in the hubbub.
“I love the energy of the place,” she said. “I was on Arthur Ashe Stadium last year and there was the sound of planes, trains, people talking. The atmosphere is very infectious.”
US Open Tennis 2016 - In pictures
12 show all US Open Tennis 2016 - In pictures
1/12 Great Britain's Kyle Edmund KO's France's Richard Gasquet Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images
2/12 Madison Keys tries to kick a tennis ball during her match against Alison Riske in the first round of the US Open Darron Cummings/AP
3/12 Serbia's Novak Djokovichits a return to Poland's Jerzy Janowicz Andrew Gombert/EPA
4/12 Great Britain's Johanna Konta returns a shot to Bethanie Mattek-Sands Al Bello/Getty Images
5/12 USA's Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US hits a return to Johanna Konta John G Mabanglo/EPA
6/12 Andy Murray hits a shot during a practice session Chris Trotman/Getty Images
7/12 An official stands waiting for a fallen display board to be fixed inside Court 17 Seth Wenig/AP
8/12 Spotlights dance around Arthur Ashe Stadium during the opening ceremony for the US Open Alex Brandon/AP
9/12 Croatia's Marin Cilic returns a shot to Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva Seth Wenig/AP
10/12 Puerto Rico's Monica Puig hits a return to China's Saisai Zheng Jason Szenes/EPA
11/12 Spain's Rafael Nadareacts after defeating Denis Istomin Alex Brandon/AP
12/12 Polona Hercog of Slovenia hits the ball against Angelique Kerber of Germany during their 2016 US Open Women's Singles match Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images
At least one more British woman will join Konta in the second round as a resurgent Laura Robson takes on Naomi Broady this evening, while Heather Watson will be the third British woman into the second round if she beats Richel Hogenkamp this afternoon. | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/tennis/few-distractions-for-johanna-konta-as-confident-brit-heads-into-us-open-secondround-a3332101.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/38a98bc2e5890a1203c34059ad46363bc3b3c4fbdeb178fbeb54418977207dea.json |
[
"James Benge"
] | 2016-08-31T14:51:24 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Alan Pardew has said that bringing Jack Wilshere to Crystal Palace would be “the icing on the cake” to what he believes has been a successful window at Selhurst Park. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fjack-wilshere-to-crystal-palace-alan-pardew-says-signing-arsenal-midfielder-would-be-the-icing-on-a3333631.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/31/15/jackwilshere3108.jpg | en | null | Arsenal transfer news: Alan Pardew says signing Jack Wilshere would be the ‘icing on the cake’ for Crystal Palace | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Alan Pardew has said that bringing Jack Wilshere to Crystal Palace would be “the icing on the cake” to what he believes has been a successful window at Selhurst Park.
Wilshere is a target for five Premier League clubs as well as Italian giants Roma and Juventus after he was made available for loan by Arsenal following his demotion from the England squad.
Palace had appeared to be favourites to bring in Wilshere earlier in the day but rumours of a move to the Eternal City have grown in recent hours, with Roma reportedly having agreed personal terms with the 25-year-old in the past hours.
Pardew made clear that he hoped to bring in Wilshere but he suggested that he believed his side could cope if they missed out in the scramble for his services.
“Jack is a player that became available yesterday and we thought it would be silly not to get involved in that,” the Crystal Palace manager told Sky. “Obviously there’s a lot of clubs who would like Jack and I guess we’re one of them.
“We’ve done so well in this window; it really would be the icing on the cake if we were to get him across the line. But we’ve got other targets that we’re pursuing today. We’re having a look at those just as much as we’re looking at Jack.
“But if we didn’t get anyone across the line I’d still be very pleased, the chairman and the board have done brilliantly to get the players we’ve got.”
Transfer Deadline Day: Seven possible final day moves
Palace smashed their transfer record earlier this month to bring in Belgian striker Christian Benteke from Liverpool for £27m and have since added Chelsea forward Loic Remy on loan. The strike duo join Steve Mandanda, James Tomkins, Andros Townsend as the new arrivals at Selhurst Park this summer. | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/jack-wilshere-to-crystal-palace-alan-pardew-says-signing-arsenal-midfielder-would-be-the-icing-on-a3333631.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/fbb86af1f899c174e533c72ce7b7cff9435a83ba5bf984f5ace3306abb3aabf5.json |
[
"Sam Long"
] | 2016-08-26T13:14:57 | null | 2016-08-10T00:00:00 | Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will make a late call on Mesut Ozil's fitness ahead of Saturday's trip to face Watford at Vicarage Road. The German featured in the latter stages of Euro 2016 and was handed an extended break by Wenger as a result. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Farsenal-injury-news-arsene-wenger-to-make-late-call-on-mesut-ozils-fitness-for-watford-clash-a3330081.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/10/18/mesutozil.jpg | en | null | Watford vs Arsenal team news: Arsene Wenger to make late call on Mesut Ozil's fitness | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will make a late call on Mesut Ozil's fitness ahead of Saturday's trip to face Watford at Vicarage Road.
The German featured in the latter stages of Euro 2016 and was handed an extended break by Wenger as a result.
But the midfielder's exploits at international level has left him short of fitness and Ozil was only fit enough for a cameo substitute appearance in last week's draw at Leicester.
Wenger expects to have a similar squad available when he takes on Walter Mazzarri's side but he is yet to decide on Ozil's participation.
"He's not far now," Wenger said of Ozil. "That's a decision I have to make in the next 24 hours.
"It will be a similar squad. Not everybody is up to speed completely.
"We still have some players who are a little bit behind," he added.
One of those is Olivier Giroud, who seems unlikely to lead the line against the Hornets, which could pave the way for Alexis Sanchez to continue in a central role up front.
"Giroud is still a little bit fractional behind physically," Wenger added.
Arsenal are languishing in 13th place in the table, having failed to win either of their opening two games this season, and require a positive result at Watford or risk losing early ground on their rivals. | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-injury-news-arsene-wenger-to-make-late-call-on-mesut-ozils-fitness-for-watford-clash-a3330081.html | en | 2016-08-10T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/745b709722a7b1ace57fa08a91b88d5f05281889d10f264715457468e0aafd2d.json |
[
"David Williams"
] | 2016-08-26T14:50:32 | null | 2015-06-17T00:00:00 | Recently switched to an alternatively fuelled vehicle (AFV) — or been tempted to? You’re not alone. New figures show that demand for AFVs remained “remarkably strong” last month, with 24.7 per cent more registrations compared with the same month in 2015. It’s good news for London, where we need to clean up our air. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Flifestyle%2Fmotors%2Flondon-leads-in-buying-eco-cars-a3330631.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/06/17/18/eco.jpg | en | null | London leads in buying eco cars | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Recently switched to an alternatively fuelled vehicle (AFV) — or been tempted to? You’re not alone. New figures show that demand for AFVs remained “remarkably strong” last month, with 24.7 per cent more registrations compared with the same month in 2015. It’s good news for London, where we need to clean up our air.
Now the data team behind a site for new car buyers has shed light on the UK locations home to the most environmentally conscious motorists — and the good news is that those in west London are more likely to buy low-emission “eco” cars such as electric or hybrid models than anywhere else in the country, closely followed by motorists in Oldham, Southall and north west London.
Carwow.co.uk analysed purchases made via the platform over the past three years to uncover trends linked to electric and hybrid cars. The team also polled 1,276 car owners from around the UK to find out more about attitudes towards environmentally friendly vehicles.
The number-crunchers found that, in west London, 3.13 per cent of the vehicles purchased were registered as hybrid or electric, showing that messages from the Government and car industry are (finally) getting through. It was the top place in the UK for AFV purchases. In third place was Southall, where 2.8 per cent were AFVs, with north west London in fourth with 2.75 per cent. East London (2.63 per cent), Harrow (2.61 per cent) and Ilford (2.5 per cent) also scored highly.
Narrowly missing out on the top 10 were Shrewsbury (2.45 per cent), Leeds (2.42 per cent) and Sunderland, where 2.4 per cent of all cars purchased via the carwow.co.uk website were revealed to be electric or hybrid.
Respondents were asked about their eco-friendly car opinions. Asked “does the idea of an eco-friendly car appeal to you?”, 79 per cent said yes. Asked what appealed to them most about an eco-friendly car, 59 per cent cited “cheaper running costs” as their primary concern, in addition to “positive impact on the environment”.
Sixty two per cent of respondents believed all cars on the roads would be electric or hybrid by 2025, while 14 per cent optimistically thought solar-powered cars would be prevalent on British roads within five years.
Asked about their perceptions of eco-friendly cars, it revealed how little people know about the AFV revolution. Some 24 per cent said they thought they were “ugly” (have they not seen the BMW i8 or latest electric Renaults and Nissans?) while 31 per cent thought they were “slow”, revealing seriously mistaken beliefs about the true power of electric and hybrid cars. A further 26 per cent of respondents said they believed eco-friendly cars were “unreliable”, which is certainly not the case — electric cars, for instance, have fewer moving parts than a conventional internal combustion car.
“There have been so many advances in the development of electric, hybrid and low emission cars, that the choice on the market is now vast,” said James Hind, founder of carwow.co.uk.
“I think people’s perceptions of eco-friendly vehicles need to change, because they aren’t accurate. Many alternatively fuelled vehicles not only look fantastic, but offer state-of-the-art technology and are as reliable as the next car, not to mention being nippy.
“It’s interesting to see that people are more taken with the idea of an eco-friendly car due to the lower running costs. Motorists are more bothered about the impact a car will have on their bank balance than the environment.”
He added: “London is leading the way when it comes to electric and hybrid car purchases.” Long may that continue.
@djrwilliams | http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/motors/london-leads-in-buying-eco-cars-a3330631.html | en | 2015-06-17T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/2d93d0ddc83e1f5636344caf790aed774ff2706932b448b82be9417b695484ca.json |
[
"Hatty Collier"
] | 2016-08-28T14:50:07 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | The Notting Hill Carnival got underway with an explosion of colour today as revellers took to the streets at sunrise for an early morning paint fight party. Partygoers threw a street party as part of an ancient tradition to mark the start of the festivities – hurling paint, mud, chocolate and powder - at each other while dancing to music just after 6am. The tradition - known as Jouvert - see performers enjoying the light-hearted fight to the sound of steel bands and African drummers. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flondon%2Fnotting-hill-carnival-2016-revellers-kick-off-festival-with-paint-fight-party-a3331431.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/28/15/nottinghill.jpg | en | null | Notting Hill Carnival 2016: Revellers kick off festival with paint fight party | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | The Notting Hill Carnival got underway with an explosion of colour today as revellers took to the streets at sunrise for an early morning paint fight party.
Partygoers threw a street party as part of an ancient tradition to mark the start of the festivities – hurling paint, mud, chocolate and powder - at each other while dancing to music just after 6am.
The tradition - known as Jouvert - see performers enjoying the light-hearted fight to the sound of steel bands and African drummers.
Its name is taken from the French "jour ouvert", or "open of the day", and marks the beginning of the festivities.
Revellers enjoy the carnival after joining a paint fight party in the early morning (Isabel Infantes/PA Wire)
Young performers later took to the streets in vivid costumes for the Children’s Day Parade.
Hundreds of thousands of revellers have descended upon the area for the annual carnival – which is the world's second biggest after Rio de Janeiro's.
Two million people will flock to the area for the festival in west London over the weekend.
Partygoers enjoy children's day at the festival (Isabel Infantes/PA Wire)
Today’s “family day” aimed at entertaining younger festival-goers is followed by the main parade tomorrow.
But ahead of the weekend, some residents demanded that organisers move the festival elsewhere as they boarded up their homes and prepared to leave London ahead of the street party.
Police have vowed to crackdown on crime at the festival including deploying officers with special skills for recognising the faces of offenders will be monitoring Notting Hill Carnival in a crackdown on crime.
The "super-recognisers" will be inside a CCTV control room seeking out both offenders committing crimes and anyone with bail conditions which ought to stop them from attending the event.
It is one of a number of measures the Met will be taking to ensure visitors from all over the country can stay safe and enjoy themselves during the carnival, which will be marking its 50th anniversary on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.
Over the last week, police have arrested 215 people they believe planned to use the carnival as a cover for committing crime or violence. More than 200 search warrants were also made. | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/notting-hill-carnival-2016-revellers-kick-off-festival-with-paint-fight-party-a3331431.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/0cfc985d49c0a8cde7b458f9581e3c49651d71e2754eaba803fe9a0e272e3f1b.json |
[
"Mark Mann-Bryans"
] | 2016-08-27T10:49:50 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino expects a battle against Liverpool on Saturday after Jurgen Klopp's side demolished Barcelona in pre-season. Spurs have taken four points from their opening two league games and face a tough test against Jurgen Klopp's Reds at White Hart Lane on Saturday lunchtime. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fmauricio-pochettino-expects-tough-tottenham-test-after-jurgen-klopps-fast-liverpool-destroyed-a3330991.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/24/16/tottenham-hotspur.jpg | en | null | Tottenham vs Liverpool: Mauricio Pochettino expects Spurs test after Jurgen Klopp's 'fast' Liverpool destroyed Barcelona | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino expects a battle against Liverpool on Saturday after Jurgen Klopp's side demolished Barcelona in pre-season.
Spurs have taken four points from their opening two league games and face a tough test against Jurgen Klopp's Reds at White Hart Lane on Saturday lunchtime.
Liverpool impressed in pre-season with a stunning 4-0 victory over Spanish giants Barcelona at Wembley earlier in August, and then beat Arsenal 4-3 on the opening day of the Premier League season at Emirates Stadium.
But Liverpool's form has been erratic since Klopp's arrival last October, and the Reds then fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Burnley last weekend.
Pochettino's side and Liverpool under Klopp have drawn many comparisons for their respective pressing games, but the Argentinian does not see them as the same tactics.
Asked about similarities between their approaches, Pochettino said: "I think in theory, yes, but they are a team that likes to play on the counter-attack.
"They are very comfortable playing deeper and running fast.
"You could see in the friendly game against Barcelona at Wembley.
In pictures: Tottenham in training at Wembley
11 show all In pictures: Tottenham in training at Wembley
1/11 Toby Alderweireld gets his head up and looks for a pass. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
2/11 Tottenham's players get to grips with the hallowed Wembley turf. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
3/11 Mauricio Pochettino barks out instructions to his players. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
4/11 Tottenham's first-team squad is put through their paces underneath the famous Wembley arch. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
5/11 Christian Eriksen skips past the challenge of Kevin Wimmer. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
6/11 Joshua Onomah looks to impress on the ball. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
7/11 Ryan Mason knocks the ball long in baking conditions at Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
8/11 Mauricio Pochettino has still got it. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
9/11 Tottenham's players take part in a running drill at Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
10/11 Eric Dier encourages his teammates. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
11/11 Time to cool down. The Spurs player have a well-deserved water break. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
"[It was] 4-0 for them, that they wait and when they recover the ball, players like [Adam] Lallana, [Divock] Origi, [Philippe] Coutinho, [Georginio] Wijnaldum, [Sadio] Mane - they are very fast.
"They like to play in this style. I think we are very different, but I don't know. Maybe in the end we are maybe the same." | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/mauricio-pochettino-expects-tough-tottenham-test-after-jurgen-klopps-fast-liverpool-destroyed-a3330991.html | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/99e23c81d1aa9ac60ca81b1178d2cce8ac7c0e839643473cef82e4c63c428485.json |
[
"Mark Chandler"
] | 2016-08-30T18:50:58 | null | 2016-03-03T00:00:00 | A Met Police officer has been jailed for four years after having sex with a child rape victim he met on dating app Tinder. Pc James Evans, 26, attached to Ealing borough, exchanged dozens of "sex talk" messages with the vulnerable 15-year-old schoolgirl on the app. She performed a sex act on him in his car, while he was driving her home from a session with child mental health services. Despite knowing she was under 16 and a rape victim, he later took her to his flat in Ruislip, where they engaged in full intercourse. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcrime%2Fealing-met-police-officer-jailed-after-having-sex-with-child-rape-victim-he-met-on-tinder-a3332756.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/03/03/17/scotlandyard.jpg | en | null | Ealing Met Police officer jailed after having sex with child rape victim he met on Tinder | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | A Met Police officer has been jailed for four years after having sex with a child rape victim he met on dating app Tinder.
Pc James Evans, 26, attached to Ealing borough, exchanged dozens of "sex talk" messages with the vulnerable 15-year-old schoolgirl on the app.
She performed a sex act on him in his car, while he was driving her home from a session with child mental health services.
Despite knowing she was under 16 and a rape victim, he later took her to his flat in Ruislip, where they engaged in full intercourse.
He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court today and will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
Judge Robin Johnson said: "Before any sexual activity you knew she was a vulnerable young girl. Nevertheless, you allowed your own desire to overcome your better judgement.
"The reason why Parliament and the public take this kind of offending so seriously is because the harm caused in these cases is incalculable."
He added: "You were a serving police officer and knew you were dealing with a young vulnerable girl - because of her previous sexual assault she was receiving mental health treatment at the time.
"Her victim impact statement makes for sad reading, and I have no doubt this episode has caused her serious psychological harm."
Evans and the girl "matched" on Tinder in January this year and engaged in sexual activity on three occasions during the same month.
He claims he did not notice the warning symbol on her profile page stating that she was under the age of 18.
Their messages on the social media site became "more and more explicit" and sex acts were described, Douglas Adams, prosecuting, said.
The victim initially lied about her age, claiming she was 16, but told Evans she was only 15 and still at school before they had any sexual contact and even told him she was taking exams.
The abuse has had a "severe" effect on her and she has been taken to hospital a number of times since the incident after taking an overdose of sleeping pills.
In a statement read to the court, she said: "I now know he took full advantage of my vulnerabilities.
"I told James I had been sexually assaulted the previous August and now I know he should have acted differently as a police officer."
Her mother reported the relationship to police after reading her daughter's diary and finding photographs of Evans in his police uniform.
Evans, now of Pontypridd, Wales, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child.
He initially denied having any sexual contact with the girl but later made full admissions to the offences.
"I know it was stupid - I had sex with her, knowing she was 15," Evans said during police interview.
Additional reporting by the Press Association. | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/ealing-met-police-officer-jailed-after-having-sex-with-child-rape-victim-he-met-on-tinder-a3332756.html | en | 2016-03-03T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/93dfa58d07498ac4df6ede935c503471480053fc61f017ab2b26c03403edc230.json |
[
"David Ellis"
] | 2016-08-30T10:51:58 | null | 2015-11-16T00:00:00 | Swedish flatpack giant IKEA is set to launch a DIY dining club in London, where guests will eat free of charge. From September 10 - 25, budding foodies who score a spot at the Shoreditch-based club will be able to prepare, cook and serve a meal for up to 20 of their friends, with all food, drink and even waiting staff provided by the retailer. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fgoingout%2Frestaurants%2Fikea-launch-diy-dining-club-in-london-where-guests-eat-completely-free-a3332066.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/11/16/10/Ikea-store.jpg | en | null | IKEA launches DIY dining club in London where guests eat for free | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Swedish flatpack giant IKEA is set to launch a DIY dining club in London, where guests will eat free of charge.
From September 10 - 25, budding foodies who score a spot at the Shoreditch-based club will be able to prepare, cook and serve a meal for up to 20 of their friends, with all food, drink and even waiting staff provided by the retailer.
A head chef will be on hand to supervise the kitchen – and, presumably, chip in with some of the cooking – which will be open from 10am until 10pm for lunch and supper, and additionally brunch on the weekends. There will also be a sous chef, a maître d and a team to help clean and wash up on hand.
Elsewhere, IKEA is also hosting ‘Food for Thought’ workshops, a series of master classes featuring the likes of Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber and food blogger Pixie Turner.
For more information and to book at slot at IKEA’s The Dining Club, visit ikea.co.uk.
Follow David Ellis on Twitter @dvh_ellis
Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout | http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/ikea-launch-diy-dining-club-in-london-where-guests-eat-completely-free-a3332066.html | en | 2015-11-16T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/26437a57e1a0e192d0ade928d0817a92e32e3a4be0efa2e119a5bc32536fd9aa.json |
[
"Tom Allnutt"
] | 2016-08-31T06:51:04 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Britain's Naomi Broady saluted her "northern grit" after beating Laura Robson at the US Open to record only her second ever grand slam victory. Robson was looking to extend an eight-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows, but her compatriot Broady came from behind to seal a gutsy 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 6-4 win. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ftennis%2Fus-open-2016-naomi-broady-fights-back-to-beat-fellow-brit-laura-robson-at-flushing-meadows-a3332926.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/31/07/naomobroady3108.jpg | en | null | US Open 2016: Naomi Broady beats fellow Brit Laura Robson at Flushing Meadows | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Britain's Naomi Broady saluted her "northern grit" after beating Laura Robson at the US Open to record only her second ever grand slam victory.
Robson was looking to extend an eight-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows, but her compatriot Broady came from behind to seal a gutsy 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 6-4 win.
The 26-year-old from Stockport will now face world number four Agnieszka Radwanska in round two, and said her progress was testament to her strength of character.
"I've played on the whole northern grit, Stockport, Manchester thing," Broady said.
"I don't know if that's whether I tend to fight well on the court. I definitely enjoy the competitive side of tennis - that's my favourite part of it. So yeah, that's definitely what got me through today."
After a nightmare two years of injury, Robson had enjoyed an encouraging run this summer, winning an ITF tournament in Pennsylvania before coming through three rounds of qualifying.
Her recent form, however, was little consolation.
"I'm feeling a lot of things right now but mostly disappointed," the 22-year-old said.
"I don't know what I expected to play like, but I thought I didn't impose myself enough in the rallies.
"She is tough to play against and she serves well, but I had a couple of chances and put myself in the right position and then took my foot off the pedal a little.
US Open Tennis 2016 - In pictures
12 show all US Open Tennis 2016 - In pictures
1/12 Great Britain's Kyle Edmund KO's France's Richard Gasquet Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images
2/12 Madison Keys tries to kick a tennis ball during her match against Alison Riske in the first round of the US Open Darron Cummings/AP
3/12 Serbia's Novak Djokovichits a return to Poland's Jerzy Janowicz Andrew Gombert/EPA
4/12 Great Britain's Johanna Konta returns a shot to Bethanie Mattek-Sands Al Bello/Getty Images
5/12 USA's Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US hits a return to Johanna Konta John G Mabanglo/EPA
6/12 Andy Murray hits a shot during a practice session Chris Trotman/Getty Images
7/12 An official stands waiting for a fallen display board to be fixed inside Court 17 Seth Wenig/AP
8/12 Spotlights dance around Arthur Ashe Stadium during the opening ceremony for the US Open Alex Brandon/AP
9/12 Croatia's Marin Cilic returns a shot to Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva Seth Wenig/AP
10/12 Puerto Rico's Monica Puig hits a return to China's Saisai Zheng Jason Szenes/EPA
11/12 Spain's Rafael Nadareacts after defeating Denis Istomin Alex Brandon/AP
12/12 Polona Hercog of Slovenia hits the ball against Angelique Kerber of Germany during their 2016 US Open Women's Singles match Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images
"It's really disappointing. I will get over it and probably think that overall this was a pretty good tournament but right now it sucks."
When Robson made her breakthrough run to the fourth round here in 2012, Broady was ranked 224th in the world and had just lost in the first round of qualifying to world number 231 Yifan Xu of China.
Four years on, there has been something of a role reversal, with Broady climbing to 82nd and Robson now looking to find form and fitness after dropping to 254th.
Spectators were treated to a contest of high quality on Court 13 but Broady's consistency, and perhaps superior stamina, ultimately proved decisive.
Despite coming from the same country, Robson and Broady have rarely crossed paths in their careers and there was a hint of irritation during an intensely competitive contest.
Broady regularly took drinks between points towards the end to ease an onset of cramp, while Robson repeatedly caught her ball toss as her serve began to go awry.
"I think I was just getting annoyed because she was doing the ball tosses a lot of times," Broady said.
"She certainly wasn't doing it intentionally but I just felt that it was taking a longer amount of time because she was throwing the ball up three times before serving.
"I think she was annoyed with me that I was taking my Gatorade between each point but I know the rule on that one is that if you're within time you can do that.
"I am sure she is upset to lose. I don't expect that she is going to smile at me at the net when she has just lost in three sets, so I'm sure she'll be fine tomorrow." | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/tennis/us-open-2016-naomi-broady-fights-back-to-beat-fellow-brit-laura-robson-at-flushing-meadows-a3332926.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/b9bad70aebc058b9592e19568afa8ff861132d9c72ba2873ca9952827dfdbc7d.json |
[
"Chloe Chaplain"
] | 2016-08-28T12:50:06 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | A London teenager has been charged with murder after a man was killed in a knife attack outside a a newsagent in Birmingham. Samuel Simret, 26, was stabbed to death outside RK Wines in Newtown on Tuesday. Now 19-year-old Alexander Habte from Highgate has been accused of murder and detained by West Midlands Police. Police investigating the attack said the victim was a local man and confirmed he had died from a single stab wound. Habte, of Conybere Street in north London is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcrime%2Flondon-teen-from-highgate-charged-with-murder-after-knife-attack-outside-offlicence-in-birmingham-a3331336.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/28/11/rkwines-birmingham.png | en | null | London teen from Highgate charged with murder after knife attack outside newsagent in Birmingham | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | A London teenager has been charged with murder after a man was killed in a knife attack outside a a newsagent in Birmingham.
Samuel Simret, 26, was stabbed to death outside RK Wines in Newtown on Tuesday.
Now 19-year-old Alexander Habte from Highgate has been accused of murder and detained by West Midlands Police.
Police investigating the attack said the victim was a local man and confirmed he had died from a single stab wound.
Habte, of Conybere Street in north London is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Detective Paul Joyce, said: “Clearly the decision to charge a man over the murder is a significant development − however we are still trying to piece together the circumstances that led up to the incident.
"I would urge anyone with information who has yet to contact police, or any witnesses, to call my team on the 101 number." | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/london-teen-from-highgate-charged-with-murder-after-knife-attack-outside-offlicence-in-birmingham-a3331336.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/e7afa5b1331e35488c91dc24d94cdb1d55d9411c3b81c68d27e20fba5c5f2864.json |
[
"Joanna Bourke"
] | 2016-08-26T13:14:13 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Roman Abramovich's dream of a new Chelsea stadium has come up against an unlikely opponent — bats. The football club’s planned £500 million stadium, to be built on the site of its Stamford Bridge ground, is awaiting approval from Hammersmith and Fulham council. But local planners have ordered the Blues — recently joined by the aptly named striker Michy Batshuayi — to explain how the proposals will protect nearby Brompton cemetery before they give the go-ahead. As well as being Grade I listed, the cemetery is also home to a wide variety of bats. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flondon%2Fchelseas-plan-for-new-stadium-runs-into-trouble-over-threat-to-bats-habitat-a3330141.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/26/09/chelsea.jpg | en | null | Chelsea's plan for new stadium runs into trouble... over threat to bats' habitat | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Roman Abramovich's dream of a new Chelsea stadium has come up against an unlikely opponent — bats.
The football club’s planned £500 million stadium, to be built on the site of its Stamford Bridge ground, is awaiting approval from Hammersmith and Fulham council.
But local planners have ordered the Blues — recently joined by the aptly named striker Michy Batshuayi — to explain how the proposals will protect nearby Brompton cemetery before they give the go-ahead. As well as being Grade I listed, the cemetery is also home to a wide variety of bats.
Hammersmith and Fulham council said Chelsea’s environmental statement was “inconclusive” about the impact of construction works on the cemetery’s catacombs, trade magazine Building has revealed.
Bat threat: Planners have ordered the wildlife be protected
In addition, it highlighted that “the Western Catacombs were identified as a potential hibernation roost” for the bats, and called for confirmation that “hibernation surveys” had been completed.
The council noted: “Little information is provided on the impacts of artificial lighting on bats and how this will be reduced by detailed lighting design.”
Habitat: Brompton cemetery (Alamy)
The cemetery is known for its wildlife and is a site for bat tours. Next month The Royal Parks, which manages the cemetery, will host the Brompton Bat Walk where visitors “will work with experts, using echo location to track and identify bats as night falls”.
A spokesman for the Bat Conservation Trust said: “Wildlife should be an integral part of any development process and planning authorities have a legal obligation to consider if bats are likely to be affected by a proposed development.”
Chelsea star: new signing Michy Batshuayi (Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
In a letter to Chelsea’s property planning agent Aecom, the council also said: “Confirmation is required regarding the effects of vibration during construction on the west walls and catacombs of Brompton cemetery.
"[There is a] lack of detail and certainty over the phasing and demolition and construction programme.”
The proposals have been drawn up by Tate Modern architects Herzog & de Meuron.
Chelsea declined to comment, but the council said: “As part of the normal planning procedures, we had requested some further information from the developers.
"That has now been submitted to us and once we have gone through all information provided, there will be a further round of public consultation.” | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/chelseas-plan-for-new-stadium-runs-into-trouble-over-threat-to-bats-habitat-a3330141.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/d8128014539636c104fbb96d09c588bfca3b45afd56835cf9671e36f25875468.json |
[
"Jennifer Ruby"
] | 2016-08-29T20:50:37 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Nothing feels more indulgent than a massage, but with the stress of busy city life it can sometimes feel like a necessity rather than an extravagance. While massages can be invigorating, intense or in some cases downright painful, there are those that take you away from the frenzy of modern life and send you floating back down Bond Street. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fbeauty%2Ftried-and-tested-aromatherapy-at-jo-hansford-a-masterclass-in-relaxation-a3331871.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/29/20/johansford.jpg | en | null | Tried and Tested: Aromatherapy at Jo Hansford - a masterclass in relaxation | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Nothing feels more indulgent than a massage, but with the stress of busy city life it can sometimes feel like a necessity rather than an extravagance.
While massages can be invigorating, intense or in some cases downright painful, there are those that take you away from the frenzy of modern life and send you floating back down Bond Street.
Aromatherapy certainly isn’t a new concept, but the power and influence of essential oils shouldn't be underestimated when done properly.
Dee Stanford is the UK’s leading aromatherapist and it’s easy to see why when welcomed into her treatment room at Jo Hansford on South Audley Street.
Rushing in late and hectic, I was immediately calmed by the peaceful ambience, the pre-massage chat feeling just as much a therapy session as it did a consultation.
After blurting out a rambling spiel about early mornings, late nights and no time for unwinding, Dee could immediately tell which oils were for me.
It’s this bespoke customer treatment that she knows how to do well, having trained with aromatherapy pioneer Micheline Arcier and worked with essential oils for 30 years.
Taking into account lifestyle and health concerns, Dee expertly hand blends mixtures of oils that are tailored to the individual.
The whir of hairdryers and chatter of stylists in the next room is forgotten moments after you lie down on the treatment bed.
The massage was full body, but concentrated on the knotted and tense areas of my back and neck, as well as my sometimes achy legs.
Just over an hour long, time seemed to fade away as I melted into the bed, with the massage itself seeming like one, long fluid movement.
While it’s sometimes easy to be painfully aware of every move a masseuse is making, Dee’s technique felt completely organic and natural, moving seamlessly from one part of the body to the next.
She sent me back off into the rush of central London feeling other-worldly, lighter and noticeably calmer.
Treatment: Aromatherapy full body massage
Cost: From £90 for one hour and 10 minutes
Where: Dee Sandford at Jo Hansford, 48 South Audley Street, W1K 2QB
How to book: Book online or ring 020 7495 7774 | http://www.standard.co.uk/beauty/tried-and-tested-aromatherapy-at-jo-hansford-a-masterclass-in-relaxation-a3331871.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/9d429902c4b3089bea9970fb33f761a630e2ced7868185b40096eaaf20e5dd0a.json |
[
"Vaishali Bhardwaj"
] | 2016-08-27T16:49:54 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Antonio Conte made it three wins out of three in the Premier League as Eden Hazard, Willian and Victor Moses struck to help Chelsea beat Burnley 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fchelsea-analysis-eden-hazard-and-willian-make-magic-while-ngolo-kante-provides-midfield-steel-in-a3331141.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/27/16/willian_goal_celebration_2.jpg | en | null | Chelsea 3 Burnley 0 analysis: Eden Hazard and Willian make magic while N'Golo Kante provides midfield steel in win | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Antonio Conte made it three wins out of three in the Premier League as Eden Hazard, Willian and Victor Moses struck to help Chelsea beat Burnley 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Chelsea were rampant in the opening 45 minutes as they threatened to overwhelm Burnley, with Hazard netting a wonderful solo goal to open the scoring in west London before Willian and Moses struck either side of half-time.
Standard Sport's Vaishali Bhardwaj assesses the key incidents from Stamford Bridge...
Hazard and Willian are magic
Last weekend against Liverpool, Burnley had just 19.4 per cent possession and, thanks to some resilient defensive work, managed to stun Jurgen Klopp's side and secure a 2-0 win.
It led to the general feeling that the best way to unlock the visitors' defence at Stamford Bridge would be a piece of individual magic, which Eden Hazard duly supplied when he picked up the ball in midfield, went on a fine run down the left, cut in and then fired Chelsea into the lead in the ninth minute.
(Getty Images)
That was added to by another individual bit of skill, this time by Willian, when the Brazilian latched onto Diego Costa's pass on the right, slowed down and then fired in a fine, low shot past Tom Heaton to double the home side's advantage.
Last season, Willian was relied upon too much, at times, to provide such crucial goals as Hazard struggled to deal with injuries and poor form.
But, this term, things seem to be much different at Chelsea. Hazard is back to his best and Willian's recovery from a minor calf issue allowed him to show against Burnley why he could well challenge the likes of Hazard to be one of the club's most important players.
To add, the pair's goals also demonstrate that if Chelsea need to unlock a stubborn defence with one or two moments of magic, they possess the players to be able to do just that.
Kante impresses again
Ever since the midfielder switched Leicester for Chelsea this summer, his style of play, holding midfield position along with the the fact he's French resulted in comparisons with former Blues star Claude Makelele.
Kante, though, insisted he wants to be known as his own man, and his importance in central midfield was highlighted against Burnley as the 25-year-old showed some intelligent play, tough tackling and a superb reading of the game to shield Chelsea's back four throughout the match.
He was outmuscled in some instances by Burnley's bigger players but, after such a showing, comparisons with Makalele are likely to continue.
Costa is still the main man
The striker was rested for Chelsea's EFL Cup second-round tie with Bristol Rovers, but was put back into Conte's starting line-up on Saturday after scoring both winners against West Ham and Watford.
Chelsea's summer signing Michy Batshuayi certainly did enough with his two goals against Rovers, to add to his strike against the Hornets last weekend, to start against Burnley but Conte's decision to stick with Costa was justified despite the Spain international failing to get on the scoresheet.
His movement, his aggressive style of play and his passion to fight until the end - as well as draw clever fouls from the opposition - handed Sean Dyche's side all manner of problems at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues may not have been able to sign another forward apart from Batshuayi this summer, but Costa looks like he is still the main man to lead the Blues' front line this season.
Clean sheet does not mask weak links
Burnley hardly troubled Chelsea's back line on Saturday apart from the opening stages of the game when the visitors found gaps in the Blues' defence and then saw Scott Arfield's effort later in the first half fly just wide.
However, despite keeping their first clean sheet of the season, Conte will still look at his defence as the weak link in his team.
Against more clinical and indeed tricky forwards, Chelsea's current defence may struggle and the issue for Conte is who he turns to should any of his defenders sustain an injury.
Ola Aina was handed his debut against Bristol Rovers as John Terry was rested but he suffered a minor injury, which he did recover from in time for the Burnley game. But had it been more serious then Conte would certainly have been worried.
AC Milan claimed this week that they rejected a "significant" offer from Chelsea for defender Alessio Romagnoli and even though Conte admitted on Friday that securing his first-choice targets hasn't been easy, he'll still be looking to bring in more cover at the back before the summer window closes next week. | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-analysis-eden-hazard-and-willian-make-magic-while-ngolo-kante-provides-midfield-steel-in-a3331141.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/e3e8cbb6027411786d66b1bc8bff84171898ef550ee38147595f2e5bcbc1772e.json |
[
"Chloe Chaplain"
] | 2016-08-28T14:50:11 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Actress Jenna Coleman "loved" playing a pregnant Queen Victoria in ITV’s lavish new drama about the young queen. During filming for the feature-length first episode, airing tonight at 9pm, the actress revealed she thoroughly enjoyed the task of "basically just walking around with a cushion strapped to me". Ms Coleman, 30, who has batted away rumours of her own royal romance with Prince Harry, plays the monarch from her coronation at 18 through to her marriage to Prince Albert, with whom the young queen had nine children. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcelebritynews%2Fvictoria-star-jenna-coleman-said-she-loved-playing-the-pregnant-young-queen-a3331401.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/23/10/victoria-itv-jenna-coleman.jpg | en | null | Victoria star Jenna Coleman said she 'loved' playing the pregnant young queen | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Actress Jenna Coleman "loved" playing a pregnant Queen Victoria in ITV’s lavish new drama about the young queen.
During filming for the feature-length first episode, airing tonight at 9pm, the actress revealed she thoroughly enjoyed the task of "basically just walking around with a cushion strapped to me".
Ms Coleman, 30, who has batted away rumours of her own royal romance with Prince Harry, plays the monarch from her coronation at 18 through to her marriage to Prince Albert, with whom the young queen had nine children.
The actress said of her fake bump: "I love it actually, I love it, because I get to play (Victoria) a little grouchier. She kind of doesn't enjoy pregnancy and I have a less tight corset, which is always nice."
Baby bump: Ms Coleman said she snjoyed playing a 'grouchier' version of the pregnant Queen (ITV)
Coleman's transformation also included wearing blue contact lens, which she said "weirded out" her mother when she saw them on set and left her perplexed friends saying: "I know something is different but I don't quite know what."
Despite some teething problems with lenses that were too thick for Coleman to wear, she said that during filming she grew to "hate being on set without them because it changes your face so much".
Coleman follows in a long line of actress to play the world-famous monarch, and Dame Judi Dench in particular provided inspiration for her.
Royal romance: The actress looked annoyed when she was asked about cosy photos of her and Prince Harry on Good Morning Britain (ITV)
She said: "Judi's Dench's Mrs Brown was great and The Young Victoria (starring Emily Blunt) as well. It's great to watch Victoria from where she begins at 18 to Judi Dench's Mrs Brown."
Costing a reported £1 million per episode, the opulent sets for the eight-part series - from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey where she was crowned - were in fact recreated in an old RAF hangar on the outskirts of Leeds. | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/celebritynews/victoria-star-jenna-coleman-said-she-loved-playing-the-pregnant-young-queen-a3331401.html | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/5fc26b95479788770605324991e1d8551981390f87a3b053cda2ead4c4e0576a.json |
[
"Ben Norum"
] | 2016-08-26T13:10:13 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Whipping up a seven-course tasting menu where each plate consists of many carefully paired components is no easy operation. Even less so when many of these individual components are themselves pickled, cured, dried or fermented on site as they are at Salon. Judging by the food you are served at this Brixton restaurant, you might expect that it was constructed by a team of chefs in a swish modern kitchen, kitted out with the latest technology and plenty of worksurface space. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fgoingout%2Frestaurants%2Fhow-do-you-make-a-sevencourse-meal-in-london-s-smallest-kitchen-a3330551.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/23/18/salon-brixton.jpg | en | null | How do you make a seven-course meal in London’s smallest kitchen? | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Whipping up a seven-course tasting menu where each plate consists of many carefully paired components is no easy operation.
Even less so when many of these individual components are themselves pickled, cured, dried or fermented on site as they are at Salon.
Judging by the food you are served at this Brixton restaurant, you might expect that it was constructed by a team of chefs in a swish modern kitchen, kitted out with the latest technology and plenty of worksurface space.
The reality is very different. And far more charming. Chef-owner Nicholas Balfe, who launched this 20-seat restaurant after leaving Vauxhall’s acclaimed Brunswick House where he was head chef, is a large proportion of the team, and the kitchen is but a square in the corner of the dining area.
Knowing this only serves to make the resulting dishes all the more impressive.
Watch our video above to hear Nicholas Balfe discuss the challenge of a small kitchen, and see Salon's intricate dishes from a new seven-course menu being created.
Follow Ben Norum on Twitter @BenNorum
Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout | http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/how-do-you-make-a-sevencourse-meal-in-london-s-smallest-kitchen-a3330551.html | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/7dbb7cbaeb0d114a76a2051fddda394f1f6623d393aa90cb6c33bfa22be5abee.json |
[
"Hatty Collier"
] | 2016-08-27T12:49:44 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | A bridge has collapsed on top of vehicles after it was struck by a lorry on a major motorway on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Motorists looked on in horror as the footbridge came crashing down on top of vehicles on the M20 in Kent this afternoon. Emergency services raced to the scene between junctions three and four after the structure collapsed shortly after midday. At least one person has being treated by the paramedics. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk%2Fm20-bridge-collapse-bridge-collapses-onto-vehicles-on-major-motorway-a3331036.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/27/12/m202.jpg | en | null | M20 bridge collapse: Motorway horror as bridge crashes down on top of vehicles in Kent | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | A bridge has collapsed on top of vehicles after it was struck by a lorry on a major motorway on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Motorists looked on in horror as the footbridge came crashing down on top of vehicles on the M20 in Kent this afternoon.
Emergency services raced to the scene between junctions three and four after the structure collapsed shortly after midday.
At least one person has being treated by the paramedics.
Traffic jam: Cars have been brought to a standstill on the M20
Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service were called to the crash at 12.07pm.
No one is believed to be trapped beneath the debris, police said.
Pictures and video posted on social media showed the structure collapsed across the carriageways near the junction with the M26, badly damaged lorries nearby and queues of traffic.
The bridge collapsed onto cars between junctions 3 and 4 (Twitter / @Tweet1MoreTime)
Motorists got out of the cars and were stood on the motorways as they watched the drama unfold.
Natasha Najm wrote on Twitter: "Bridge collapsed on #M20 - avoid if u r travelling #bankholidayweekend #roadclosure #accident."
Simon Kidby said: "Major incident on m20 bridge collapsed."
Major incident on m20 bridge collapsed pic.twitter.com/CNZWrq7kUF — Simon Kidby (@soliofelix) August 27, 2016
Taylor Cresswell said: "Stuck in standstill traffic queue on M20 - traffic now coming through towards London."
South East Coast Ambulance Service tweeted: "On scene of an RTC on the M20 j4 following bridge collapse. Currently dealing with one patient."
The motorways is closed in both directions and causing queues all the way back to London.
A lorry is reported to have struck the bridge shortly after midday (Twitter '/ Abi Fai Chang (@JeffChangx))
A Kent Police spokesman said: "It is believed a lorry collided with a pedestrian bridge which has collapsed onto the carriageway below.
"Officers are in attendance along with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and South East Coast Ambulance Service.
"No people are believed to be trapped in the debris, however one person is believed to have suffered injuries, not reported to be life threatening at this time."
Police are treating this as a major incident and the M20 has been closed in both directions to allow this incident to be dealt with. Traffic will be heavier than usual.
This page is being updated. | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/m20-bridge-collapse-bridge-collapses-onto-vehicles-on-major-motorway-a3331036.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/30f5c8a223b698547da76b0da87e9556542050954952572f44ad0cd7504e56d7.json |
[
"James Benge"
] | 2016-08-30T20:51:08 | null | 2016-08-14T00:00:00 | Deadline day seems likely to be dominated by departures at Arsenal after a late flurry of activity saw Arsene Wenger complete the most pressing pieces of business. Indeed Arsenal could claim to be London’s most successful club in the window so far. With mere hours left on the clock for their rivals they have identified and acquired players in the three areas they needed to strengthen, even if the new centre-back has not been formally announced. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Farsenal-transfer-news-done-deals-mean-arsene-wenger-can-trim-his-squad-on-deadline-day-a3332661.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/14/16/arsene_wenger.jpg | en | null | Arsenal transfer news: Done deals mean Arsene Wenger can trim his squad on deadline day | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Deadline day seems likely to be dominated by departures at Arsenal after a late flurry of activity saw Arsene Wenger complete the most pressing pieces of business.
Indeed Arsenal could claim to be London’s most successful club in the window so far. With mere hours left on the clock for their rivals they have identified and acquired players in the three areas they needed to strengthen, even if the new centre-back has not been formally announced.
That new centre-back will be Shkodran Mustafi, the third most expensive player in his position at £35million. A German World Cup winner, at just 24 years of age he could prove to be a key player for many years to come and provides a bridge between 30-year-old Laurent Koscielny and youngster Rob Holding.
The other signing in the closing days of the window, Lucas Perez, is not quite the same elite upgrade that Arsenal fans have demanded. But at £17m he represents a low cost risk in the current market, whilst still leaving Wenger free to splash the cash if a superstar forward becomes available.
Arsenal's highest transfer fees
10 show all Arsenal's highest transfer fees
1/10 Mesut Ozil - £42.5m 2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
2/10 Alexis Sanchez - £35m Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
3/10 Granit Xhaka - £34m Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
4/10 Jose Antonio Reyes - £17.4m
5/10 Lucas Perez - £17m Arsenal FC via Getty Images
6/10 Andrey Arshavin - £16.95m Getty
7/10 Santi Cazorla - £16.5m Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
8/10 Calum Chambers - £16m
9/10 Danny Welbeck - £16m
10/10 Sylvain Wiltord - £13m
Granit Xhaka, signed back in May, already appears to have swiftly settled whilst Holding has proven he is more than just one for the future in the opening three Premier League games.
Having completed their key signings Wenger is now free to trim his squad as required, and he is diubg si degree of ruthlessness. Joel Campbell has already been sent out on loan, Calum Chambers and Serge Gnabry seem set to follow and Jack Wilshere’s immediate future appears to be away from the Emirates.
After months of admonishment from his own supporters it may be a case of better late than never for Wenger, but that in itself could be an achievement in such a challenging market.
Watch our video at the top of this article to see what deadline day might have in store for Arsenal | http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-transfer-news-done-deals-mean-arsene-wenger-can-trim-his-squad-on-deadline-day-a3332661.html | en | 2016-08-14T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/d2529f3e93b47af1384cc8af470fcf962acf48adddd4cfdefa5f5ca28c91a6fb.json |
[
"Joe Murphy"
] | 2016-08-26T13:14:17 | null | 2015-11-13T00:00:00 | Growing cash deficits in London’s hospital trusts are revealed today amid pressure on health chiefs to merge hospitals and close smaller units around the capital. A new analysis said London’s five NHS areas are under growing financial strain and are planning closures that MPs fear will deprive communities of much-loved local units. NHS bosses throughout England are drawing up plans to close A&E departments and district hospitals amid a dire funding crisis, according to a study by campaign group 38 Degrees. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.standard.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Flondon-hospitals-could-merge-and-units-close-over-nhs-funding-crisis-a3330271.html.json | http://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/11/13/13/londonambulance1311a.jpg | en | null | London hospitals could merge and units close over NHS funding crisis | null | null | www.standard.co.uk | Growing cash deficits in London’s hospital trusts are revealed today amid pressure on health chiefs to merge hospitals and close smaller units around the capital.
A new analysis said London’s five NHS areas are under growing financial strain and are planning closures that MPs fear will deprive communities of much-loved local units.
NHS bosses throughout England are drawing up plans to close A&E departments and district hospitals amid a dire funding crisis, according to a study by campaign group 38 Degrees.
In London, where there have already been heated controversies over closures, an analysis of public plans reveals the pressures getting worse.
In North Central London, health and social care is projected to be £771 million short and the NHS area is proposing to “rationalise mental health inpatient services”.
Over in North East London, there is a projected £511 million shortfall and the plans speak of “transformations” without making clear what it would mean for patients.
The draft plan in North West London indicates “reducing demand for acute services by approximately 500 beds”. By 2021, it is projected to be £1 billion short of the funds it needs to maintain current care levels.
In South East London, a £1 billion shortfall is projected by 2021. In South West London, the shortfall is forecast to be £600 million.
Labour MP Steve Pound, who campaigned against Ealing Hospital being stripped of its children’s ward and other units, said the loss of such facilities was “heartbreaking” to local people.
“What these closures are doing is undermining confidence in the NHS which is so important and is actually crucial to feeling healthy,” he said.
“It causes real pain and distress when people have to travel longer distances for treatments or check-ups.”
A spokesman for NHS Improvement said: “It is an essential part of the planning process for local areas to identify which services could be unsafe, under-used or unsustainable.
“It is absolutely right that decisions on the future of health services are taken locally in consultation with the people who use those services. That planning process is still going on and no decisions have been taken.”
Nationally, experts say there is a looming £23 billion funding deficit. Some 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) — which aim to rationalise NHS hospitals into bigger more efficient units — are being drawn up.
Director at 38 Degrees Laura Townshend said: “These proposed cuts aren’t the fault of local NHS leaders. The health service is struggling to cope with growing black holes in NHS funding. These new revelations will be a test of Theresa May’s commitment to a fully funded National Health Service.”
The Department of Health said it had protected the NHS “by giving it an extra £10 billion to fund its own plan to transform services”.
A spokesman said: “Changes to local services will only go forward where they are designed by doctors and in the clear interests of local patients.” | http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-hospitals-could-merge-and-units-close-over-nhs-funding-crisis-a3330271.html | en | 2015-11-13T00:00:00 | www.standard.co.uk/b5217a7d12b8f1d78977f0c01fd0ecafa0efeb8f3217091dc2558e12a1ea1a18.json |
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