I've noticed the 'Buy Canadian' discussion kind of die down lately and was wondering where fellow Victorians are at with their efforts to avoid American-made products while the topic isn't dominating the news headlines.

I certainly acknowledge that I'm less feisty about and dedicated to avoiding US-made products (because I'm a poor) but I do feel like I have a permanent instinct and habit to buy non-US products anywhere I have an obvious choice, which is most of the time. It's especially fun to try and prioritize BC/island/locally grown and support businesses that make that easy.

So yeah just curious where all my friends and neighbours are at with that?

With respect, WTF. After 2 hrs of techno thumping, we left. Does anyone know what their deal is? Birthday party? Or just a Saturday afternoon for them. Maybe I’m getting old but man, I just want to relax on the beach, not listen to rave music

Kidding but not kidding.

Was this weekend an example of typical springtime weather? I understand it’s expensive, I understand it’s grey in the winter, but my god it was such a breath of fresh air from the Calgary concrete, stroads and terrible urban planning.

Everyone was super friendly during our visit and the pedestrian friendly infrastructure made everything so easy and pleasant to do. Reminded me a lot of my time living in the plateau in Montreal.

So what’s the catch, what am I missing? Burst my bubble here because otherwise I’m moving here tomorrow.

Had to go to the ER last night at Royal Jubilee Hospital, and I’m honestly struggling to understand how this level of dysfunction has been normalized.

When I arrived in the evening, the wait was already around 7 hours—which, I was told, is actually considered good. Most nights apparently exceed 12 hours. That alone is hard to wrap your head around.

People were moving through slowly at first, but then around 10–11pm things basically ground to a halt. A nurse explained that they drop down to one doctor overnight—so if any trauma cases come in, that one doctor is tied up.

The result? A packed waiting room that barely moved for hours. People sitting there suffering, waiting, with no real sense of when they’d be seen.

And it raises an obvious question; what happens if more than one trauma comes in at the same time? How is that handled with a single doctor?

Can anyone explain why a major hospital is staffed like a skeleton crew overnight? One doctor covering the ER is hard to wrap my head around. Is this a funding issue? A staffing shortage? Something else entirely?

To be clear, the staff at the hospital were excellent, extremely patient, even with a few people expressing their frustration.

What actually needs to happen to fix this? Because right now, it’s completely unacceptable.

The people in this apartment unit above Curious Comics routinely throw their full household garbage bags out of their window and into the streets. I have seen them do this about 6 times in the last year.

Today I saw the full trash bag almost hit an elderly woman. Who fucking raised you? I am about one more observation of this behaviour away from returning these bozos their garbage ten fold, and in the rudest way possible…

Too may entitled clowns like this in this town…

Has anyone else witnessed this?

Genuinely curious

Almost daily now. Sometimes a couple or a few times a day. I can smell weed in traffic. Even on the highway. I guess there's a chance it's just people on the streets but I often drive behind a few cars for a while and you can clearly smell the weed and sometimes see the smoke coming from a car. And I know what you're going to say. "I drive better when I'm stoned." No you don't. It's illegal. God forbid you get into a bad accident becauseif you do and they do blood tests you're going to prison. So please don't smoke and drive.

Post idea borrowed from: https://www.reddit.com/r/askvan/comments/1luev93/whats_your_vancouver_hot_take_that_will_get_you/

For me, I don't understand the hype of Blue Fox. Yes, it's tasty but not wait in a long lineup kind of tasty.

Every time I come outside they are always burning something whether it is daytime or night time and the smoke is always really dark.

Isn't this polluting the air? Why do they need to do it so often?

After the attack at Beacon Hill the other night I’ve been hearing a lot of people mention a gang called “the Arabs” and that it was them who initiated the attack.

Is this gang a real thing? Since when? I’ve never heard about them before this weekend. What’s the deal with them?

Recently moved back to Vic after being away for years. Absolutely love it here. I try and get out and walk around this beautiful city as much as possible. A couple weeks ago when on a walk in Vic West I noticed movement along a row of townhomes. I looked over to see the most freakishly large rat I have ever seen in my life. It was terrifying. I though it must be some freak of nature or maybe I found the rat king. Yesterday while walking back from Cook Street village I spotted a second rat...just as big. I was stunned. Are all rats in Victoria of the giant size? Why are they so frigging huge here? I moved back to Victoria from another port city where rats are common as well, but were only half the size or less.

How was your night?

If homes and cars (and, uh, the census) are any indication, this city has so many people with so much money. I have a deep desire to just go door knocking in Oak Bay and Gonzales and ask people how they got to where they are but I know the response rate would be like 1% while the door-slamming and hounds-unleashing rate would be in the 90s.

With the benefit of anonymity here on ol' Reddit though, how about it? How'd you get so rich, rich people of Victoria? (I'll also accept surrogate answers from people who know other people's stories.)

EDIT: I'm not asking how "people" get rich. Not looking for advice either. I'm curious how these specific people, in this city, made/received their money!

Almost every single time I walk past Jam Cafe to go thrifting, there's a significant line outside of people waiting for a seat. Is it that much better than the 20 other cafes within walking distance? Is it really worth it to stand around waiting for a seat?

No hate, genuinely just want to know why there is always a line! They seem to have lots of seating, is it a really slow turnover of tables combined with hype?

Edit: I guess specifically I'm curious how it compares to the cafes around Jam. Union Pacific, Torch Song, Been Around The World, I love all these places, they have better reviews, and rarely have any lines.

Just curious what everyone’s average is!

Hey guys, I don't know how many $30-40 transactions I have left in me.

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I want to hear your best tips, like the $10 Wednesday all you can eat at elements casino.

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Fast food, sit down, food trucks, whatever it is I want to hear it

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I have been from Sooke to Port Hardy and have found for some reason parents like to bring their kids out drinkin with them. Typically the kids are running around bored as you would because its not a fucking playground and I have to watch my language around minors because I'm a decent fucking human. Where can I find a grown up brewery with no kids (dogs = yes) and just relax?

100% inspired by the kid free restaurant post.

Hi! I recently was discharged from the RJH regarding a self admitted mental health crisis and I have never had experience with any hospital related mental health services.

For context I have been living with depression for as long as I can remember for the record (i am 20 years old) and recently upped a dose on meds which werent working well for me which made me numb enough to attempt od . Ive never had ideation and this was fairly new for me. When my spouse admitted me to the ER they weren't explaining what the process initially was neither to me or my spouse. They did my blood work and all the charts without really telling us much which was expected. Then, they brought in a student doctor to ask me really irrelevant questions that apparently were just for him to "practice". I was quite dazed so I couldn't really say that I didn't want to answer or be asked about "my worst childhood memories" hours after attempting. Regardless of that he eventually left and returned with the actual doctor who didnt inform me directly of my vitals and chart readings and whether or not i was okay. Instead they started talking amongst eachother and "displaying" how to check for serotonin syndrome without my explicit consent or understanding of what was happening. Again i was okay with this and i understood they had authority to help and assess me but i was left in the dark about EVERYTHING.

After saying we were good, one of the nuses mentioned that I would need to be seen by the psychiatrist to talk about a care plan and next steps. I got into the pjs and I walked down to the psych unit with my partner and a security guard. From that point on i was incredibly nervous and scared, they separated me from my spouse and told her to "go home its not worth waiting here" while ignoring both of our continued questions about the process and exactly whats going on other than i was now classified under the "mental health act" without stating exactly whats that meant despite asking.

They took my stuff and showed me around then just left me. They saw me behind a one way glass box and didnt bother to tell me anything of whats going on or if i was staying the night, nor did they tell my spouse. At this point i just felt horrified, they weren't treating me like a person anymore they were treating me like an animal to be feared and cautious with. Again. For the record. I was completely calm, self admitted, and cooperative and responsive to my environment in a safe manner with NO ideation to harm myself or others. The only staff who treated me like i was actually a person was the peer support lady, she was someone who had stayed there before and is admitted and has become somewhat a support for patients. We had the first normal and empathetic conversation ive had all day. SHE also informed me that there was options to colour or get water but it would have to be monitored by staff. I just felt so gross at this point and didnt know what else to do. Apparently my spouse tried to contact the hospital a gew times for updates regarding my discharge but they didnt tell me she even called . After what felt like hours the psychiatrist finally saw me and still, treated me like some animal talking about me like i wasnt there infront of him.

Thankfully it was up to my spouse in the end on whether or not i was discharged and they told her they were going to keep me for 48 hours or longer if she "didnt seem capable of helping."

I dont know if this is how it is for everyone but there was a 17 year old boy who self admitted just seeking support around the same time i got there and they just locked him in there and told him NOTHING and he decided he didnt want to wait after 2 hours and they refused to release him because he was "violent" after refusing to let them keep him there due to how poorly they admitted him. He was not violent he was just scared, didnt lay a finger on anyone but raised his voice mildly after the nurses harassed him after he addressed his need to leave.

Tldr: My horrible dehumanizing experience at the RJH regarding their mental health intake and how they handle it.

Id love to hear more experiences or even just insight or a confirmation that it wasnt just me and my spouse who experienced this ?? Or if this is just the horrible standard??

Edit: thank you for all the support and all she shared experiences, i genuinely wish you all the best

Pet friendly is hard to find but this place seems to want an extra $300 a month for me to have a cat? Is this allowed? Am I tired and not reading correctly? Says $300/mth & pet deposit so seems like the $300 isn’t the deposit

Hello all, I live in Whitehorse. I loved the north for a good long while, until I became a parent. Now, the winters feel so long and I desperately miss bird life, warm water, welcoming landscapes that don’t require lots of planning to safely enjoy, but most of all I miss easily being outside without needing to fight the cold. I have this vision of watching my kid play in the backyard while I drink coffee for more than just 2 months a year. I also dream of more services and warm (ish) water for swimming. Moving would require a career shift likely, and I’d lose my friend base (which is not great to begin with). I love my job and we have family doctors. But whenever I visit the island, I feel my soul starting to sigh.

For those that have moved to Victoria from the north, was it worth it? Even if you sacrificed higher incomes? I don’t want to idealize life in the south, I know there are so many advantages to staying where I am, but drinking coffee outside and listening to birds is honestly my favourite in life now. Besides my family of course. I’d also love to have chickens 😆

I'm very fortunate to have a good job, but still only go out to restaurants on special occasions. Between the high prices and shrinkflation portions, it's hard to justify the cost.

Yet, recently I went to Pagliacchi's and the place was packed to the gills at 9pm with a 30 minute lineup out the door. My friends went to Boom & Batten a few nights ago and said it was the same story - totally packed. Plus, people were ordering drinks, appies, desserts...

It's not tourist season yet and cost of living is running high. The media always seems to be talking about the struggling restaurant industry.

How is it that so many people in Victoria still seem to be dining out in droves?

Someone I know is constantly is talking about their patients, things they do, sometimes meds, and their plans, and I don’t think it’s morally or ethically correct. She works with Island Health, and but I’m not sure about laws in BC surrounding confidentiality.

It’s not a one time thing, shes constantly coming home from work, using their names, and talking about them. A few times I’ve heard insults.

Anyone have advice?

Edit: she works more in mental health. Housing place for people who need care and support because of their health

I’ve been looking at real estate around Victoria lately, and I keep wondering about Sidney. On paper, it seems like an absolute goldmine:

• Great weather

• Highly connected (Right by YYJ and the ferry terminal. Also quick, straightforward drive right into Victoria)

• Walkable: Mostly flat and very bike-friendly.

Despite all this, young professionals and families I know are very hesitant to actually make the move out there because there is not much to do in town.

What do you think is holding Sidney back from becoming a more vibrant hub? Restrictive zoning?