The Victoria Transit Commission and B.C. Transit are inviting the community to get in the spirit of giving by helping them Stuff the Bus in support of the Mustard Seed Food Bank and the Salvation Army’s Stan Hagen Centre for Families.
People are encouraged to stuff the bus with donations of cash, new unwrapped toys, clothing or non-perishable food items.
Donations will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14 at Save-on-Foods in Tillicum Centre.
Be on the lookout for the red-nosed Santa Bus in the Victoria Regional Transit system Friday and Saturday.
Santa and his helpers will be handing out candy canes and free rides to everyone who hops onboard (various routes in the region).
Buses will operate regular service on Christmas Eve, Sunday Service on Christmas Day, Saturday service (no late-night service) on Boxing Day.
For more information, go to bctransit.com/victoria.
Memorial to honour Second World War hero
You can help the B.C. Aviation Museum with the cost of a memorial monument due to be erected to honour Lieut. Robert (Hammy) Hampton Gray, VC, DSC.
He was the only B.C. pilot — and last Canadian — to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
The memorial will grace the entrance to the museum at the Victoria International Airport. It is made possible thanks to a grant from the Naval Association of Canada Endowment Fund. Public subscriptions are welcome.
Gray was born in Trail and enrolled in the Royal Canadian Navy volunteer reserve at the outbreak of the war.
He served on aircraft carriers in several theatres of war. He was mentioned in dispatches for his attack on the German battleship Tirpitz in 1944, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for aiding in sinking a Japanese destroyer near Tokyo in 1945.
He was just 27 when he was shot down on Aug. 9, 1945, during an attack on Japanese ships in Onagawa Bay, one of the last Canadians to die in the Second World War.
He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross: “For great valour in leading an attack on a Japanese destroyer in Onagawa Wan, in the face of fire from shore batteries and a heavy concentration of fire from some five warships, Lieut. Gray pressed home his attack, flying very low in order to ensure success, and although he was hit and his aircraft was in flames, he obtained at least one direct hit, sinking the destroyer. Lieut. Gray has consistently shown a brilliant fighting spirit and most inspiring leadership.”
The Japanese government installed a memorial to Lieut. Gray overlooking the bay where his remains lie 30 years ago. It is the only monument to a former enemy ever erected in Japan.
The memorial at the B.C. Aviation Museum is to be dedicated on Aug. 9, 2020, just short of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
The project team is accepting tax-deductible donations. Cheques with the memo Lieut. Gray Fund can be sent to the Naval Association of Canada Endowment Fund, Box 42025, Victoria, B.C. V8R 6T4, or donate online at canadahelps.org (search Naval Association).
Retailer matches donations for local cardiac care
Canadian Tire has launched its Fix-A-Heart campaign to support and equip the Heart Health team at Royal Jubilee Hospital, now until Dec. 24.
This is the 17th year of the annual campaign, which sees customers donate at the till at the Hillside, View Royal, Royal Oak, North Saanich and Langford stores, as well as the Gordon Head automotive centre.
The stores will match customer donations up to $20,000.
“We love to partner with the Victoria Hospitals Foundation every year to support cardiac care at Royal Jubilee Hospital,” said Kim Reynhoudt, associate dealer for Canadian Tire View Royal. “For the past 16 years now, our generous customers have helped purchase important pieces of cardiac care equipment for our community, including vital signs monitors last year. With this year’s Fix-A-Heart campaign, and with two new stores joining our campaign, we strive to take another big step toward our ultimate goal of raising one million dollars for cardiac care on Vancouver Island.”
This year, donations from the campaign will go toward the funding of large volume infusion pumps for Royal Jubilee Hospital’s Cardiovascular Unit, Coronary Care Unit and Electrophysiology Lab.
Since 2003, the Fix-A-Heart campaign has raised more than $840,000 for cardiac care on Vancouver Island. Their ultimate goal is to reach $1 million.
To learn more about cardiac care needs and the Heart Health program, go to victoriahf.ca/cardiac-care.
Society needs your help at Sidney beach cleanup
The Peninsula Streams Society is looking for volunteers to help at a beach cleanup at Tsehum Harbour, Sidney on Saturday.
Many local beaches are suffering from being a little too well-loved and unfortunately have debris of various kinds, including plastics, paper, glass, cans and Styrofoam.
Volunteers will be provided with gloves and equipment — but please feel free to bring your own.
Bring a reusable water bottle for free warm refreshments after the event.
This is a family-friendly event, with Santa making an appearance at this Christmas-themed cleanup.
Interested in learning a new scientific skill? Peninsula Streams Society members will demonstrate how to sample for forage fish.
The cleanup event runs 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 14 at Resthaven Park, Sidney (look for a sandwich board sign). For more information, go to peninsulastreams.ca.
Railcar food drive today at the Roundhouse
Help feed Victoria’s homeless at Fill the Railcar, today at the Roundhouse at Bayview Place.
The food drive is part of the 2nd Annual Nomad Holiday Market in support of the Victoria Cool Aid Society.
Last year it was filled with over 900 kilograms of food.
“Last year we had many people from local communities drop off food and then go shopping at the locally made, handcrafted artisan market, held inside the Historic Roundhouse,” said market organizer Joseph Gonyeau. “Galey Farms graciously dropped off two pallets of potatoes. This was a big help, but we really need everyone to add what they can. If we all do a little, it adds up to be a lot.”
You can fill the Canadian Pacific Rail boxcar between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. today at the Roundhouse at Bayview Place, 253 Esquimalt Rd. For more information, go to Facebook.
Peers launching holiday drive to help sex workers
Help out or learn more about the sex trade as Peers Victoria launches its holiday drive with two campaigns and a lunch-hour educational panel discussion on sex work, Monday at the Kwench Culture Club.
Peers Victoria is run for and by sex workers. It provides support, night outreach, drop-in services, harm-reduction supplies, education and employment programs, meals and much more to current and former sex workers. It has been in operation since 1995.
They are looking for donations for their Holiday Gift Bag Drive, which provides snack packs, warm clothes packs or sleepwear packs to the Peers community.
They are also trying to raise $8,000 for a budget shortfall for their Night Outreach program. The Peers Night Outreach van runs seven nights a week taking food, warm drinks, clothing, support, care and harm reduction to the Victoria Stroll (an area frequented by sex-trade workers).
The connection with the street working community provides sustenance and helps people know that not only do they matter, they also have someone to talk to and see every day.
People are also invited to Fancy a Nooner? Sexwork 101, a lunch-hour panel discussion exploring sex work, stigma and the law.
Participants are invited to ask any racy or just curious questions.
The workshop runs noon to 1 p.m. Monday at the Kwench Culture Club, 2031 Store St.
Drop off bags for the Holiday Gift Bag Drive between 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Thursday (by Dec. 19) at Peers Victoria, #1-744 Fairview Rd.
To donate, call 250-388-5325 or email admin@peers.bc.ca. For more information, go to safersexwork.ca.
Help middle school band get to competition
Music students from Journey Middle School in Sooke are appealing to the public to help them so that they can compete in MusicFest Canada, the biggest educational music festival in North America.
The small community school’s band, along with School District 62 strings, has received five invitations to the national competition — an opportunity that comes only once every four to six years in western Canada.
The opportunity to compete at a national level is an invaluable experience for the students.
Donations will help pay for travel costs to Calgary for students, their instruments and chaperones.
You can hear them play two times this week — at a Christmas concert that starts at 7 p.m. Monday at the school, or noon on Friday at the legislature.
To see a promotional video, go to https://bit.ly/2Pk47Xw.
For more information on MusicFest, go to musicfest.ca.
To help, go to gofundme.com/f/journey-middle-school-band-trip-to-nationals.
Children and youth the focus of hospice series
The Victoria Hospice has just launched a three-part Child and Youth Grief podcast series.
In the series, Allyson Whiteman, child and youth bereavement counsellor for the hospice, explains how children and youth grieve at each developmental stage. The podcast suggests methods for parents to foster resiliency within families.
The message is that no matter your age, it can be helpful to express your grief.
“If you are old enough to love, you are old enough to grieve,” she said.
Whiteman says even babies and young toddlers experience grief.
“That’s the age group that can be very easily dismissed unintentionally. Some parents may think they are too young, they wouldn’t understand, or they wouldn’t be able to let us know. In actual fact, there are lots of ways they can let us know.”
The three podcasts contain more than one and a half hours of educational content.
Victoria Hospice offers compassionate support, with volunteer calls and visits, professional counselling, grief support groups, memorial events and information about grief. They operate in Victoria and the West Shore.
For more information on the podcasts, go to victoriahospice.org/podcasts.
