u/CartoonistOk3507

Nothing against the one hired personally, but this is another role filled externally. Leadership is no longer life long public servants. Discouraging to see how many private sector people have swooped into tech leadership roles here.

So many beautiful small businesses in Vic have shut down and it’s been genuinely sad to watch. Those empty windows represent someone’s dream, years of hard work, and a piece of the community that can’t be replaced by another chain.

These were places where we met with loved ones, celebrated milestones, and gave neighbourhoods their own personalities. These local businesses were/are also always the first to step up when the community needs them during difficult times. They help because this is their home too.

I find we’re losing so much of our identity as a city because small businesses are not able to keep up with costs. This problem obviously isn’t specific to Vic, but small locally owned places have always been what made communities feel unique.

I miss when supporting local wasn’t considered a luxury.

1 bedrooms have dropped 0.5% month over month.

https://rentals.ca/national-rent-report

West Shore RCMP are asking the public to help locate a missing girl last seen on Tuesday.

Police are searching for 12-year-old Makara Bloom who was last seen walking in the High Street area of View Royal around 4:30 p.m.

BCGEU email:

Dear BCGEU members, 

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that our former president, Stephanie Smith, passed away Monday night.  

Stephanie made history in 2014 as the first woman elected president of our union in its more than 100 year history, a role she held until 2024. She led with warmth, determination and an unwavering belief in the power of working people standing together. 
An early childhood educator by training, Stephanie began her working life caring for children, and she never stopped fighting for them. Throughout her career she was a tireless advocate for affordable, accessible, quality child care. It is work that improved the lives of families, children and child care workers across British Columbia and beyond. 
Stephanie’s life work is a steward’s story.  She was an activist to her core who came up through our union from the ground floor. She was also a leader in advancing Reconciliation, strengthening our union's relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities, and helping embed that commitment in the work we do. 

Above all, Stephanie believed our union belongs to its members. She spent her life proving that when we stand together, we can win real change. Her legacy lives on in every member she inspired, every worker she fought for, and the stronger union she helped build. 

Share a memory 
If she touched your life, or if you simply wish to pay your respects, we invite you to share a few words, a photo or a video message by emailing communications@bcgeu.ca Your contributions will be compiled into a keepsake to share with her family. 

Details of tributes to Stephanie will be shared when they are available. In lieu of flowers, Stephanie’s family and friends invite you to make a donation to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, $10 a day child care campaign, or Canadian Blood Services. 
On behalf of our entire union, we extend our deepest condolences to Stephanie's family, friends and all who knew her. 

In solidarity and sorrow, 
Paul Finch, BCGEU President and Maria Middlemiss, BCGEU Treasurer 

9 out of 10 of these requests were to cover basic staffing levels.

Per internal email from BCNU.

“The use of a CCTV camera will help us monitor the Strawberry Festival responsibly and support a timely response if needed,” said Deputy Chief Damian Kowalewich. “We want everyone to feel safe and relaxed while enjoying everything the festival has to offer.”

If this does in fact lead us to stronger provincial revenues over the next couple of years, hopefully that improves our gov’s fiscal position by the time our next BCGEU contract is negotiated (2028).

Ideally, that would mean less pressure around bargaining, fairer wage discussions, and hiring freeze lifts.

Hopefully this is the light at the end of the tunnel after a difficult 7 years🤞

^

Some of them are titled: Balance not Burnout, Effective Stress Management, Staying Optimistic, Creating a Resilient Mindset, Calming the Anxious Mind!

Reading these titles almost sounds like an accidental commentary on the current state of our workplace.

To be fair these kinds of things can genuinely be helpful to some, but cant help but to chuckle at the irony. It sounds like the solution being offered is to help employees become better at coping with their own stress, rather than addressing the factors contributing to that stress in the first place.

Probably higher in Victoria due to our higher fuel costs?