Local News

The sound of Christmas carols is making way for the buzzing of tree chippers as charities and other non-profit organizations accept donations to dispose of Christmas trees.

Saanich police are warning drivers to slow down on icy roads this morning. Police have received numurous complaints about road conditions, particularly on West Saanich Road, and are on scene in that area for a minor single-vehicle crash.

Vancouver Island might hold the world’s biggest maple leaves, whether or not the Guinness World Records confirms it. In November, Victoria’s Marilyn deHaan found a maple leaf in her backyard that was 60.

Victoria police are looking for witnesses to a stabbing on New Year’s Eve, as the victim refuses to identify or describe his attacker. The 19-year-old arrived at the front counter of the Salvation Army on Johnson Street about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

There were no homicides in Greater Victoria in 2013, the first time that’s happened in more than a decade.

The new year is ringing in greener in both Saanich and Oak Bay as each municipality marks milestones in garbage collection.

Soprano’s Bar, Victoria’s only karaoke joint, has closed its doors for good, going out with a bang on New Year’s Eve. A message posted on the bar’s Facebook page on Dec. 31 served as the official announcement: “It’s the end of a 13.5 year era.

Hundreds and hundreds of people attended the annual Polar Bear swim in Campbell River at Saratoga Beach Wednesday. The annual event is put on by the Fisherman's Lodge and Al Thompson Jr. was thrilled with the turn out.

More than 150 people started 2014 with a swim in the Alberni Inlet. With an estimated 500 spectators lining the shores of Canal Beach, eager polar bear swim participants raced into the water at noon on New Year's Day.

Most owners of single-family and strata-titled homes in Greater Victoria will see their property assessments slide by two to five per cent this year. It follows a similar drop of between two and six per cent in assessments the previous year.