VICTORIA Provincial health officials identified eight new cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Island region Wednesday. The new cases were among 600 cases found across British Columbia over the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial total to 137,223 cases since the pandemic began. The eight new cases in the island region represent the first time the region’s daily case total has dipped into single digits in over two months. On March 8, eight new daily cases were recorded. It was the only other single-digit daily case count recorded in 2021. The Island Health region has now recorded 4,876 cases and 39 deaths since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The province reported almost 2.3 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., of which 115,295 were second doses. “It will soon be the case that everyone in B.C. will have access to book their appointments,” said Dix. “So what’s really important right now is that everybody, especially younger people, register.” Seventy per cent of people age 50 and older, and 62 per cent of people 40 and over, have had their first dose. “We’re making progress we’re 50 per cent plus but 50 per cent leaves 50 per cent, so we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Dix said.
VICTORIA Two historic farm buildings in Central Saanich are coming down, including a barn built over 130 years ago. Central Saanich council has approved the demolition of two barns and five other structures on the former Woodwynn Farms property located on West Saanich Road. One of the structures to come down is commonly referred to as the Woodwynn Farms Barn, and was built in 1887 by William Thomson. Another building, a historic hay barn, will be dismantled. Both are on the municipality’s heritage inventory list but do not have heritage designation. After an assessment was done in 2019 by the former owners of the property, BC Housing deemed the buildings to be structurally unsound and would require extensive repairs.
VICTORIA On Monday morning, a protest was held at the development site of a fast-tracked supportive housing development in Central Saanich. Beginning at 8 a.m., more than 30 people stood outside the construction site, located at 1909 Prosser Rd. Most protesters were holding signs and waving to honking cars. Residents in the area are concerned that the new building, located at the corner of Prosser and East Saanich roads, will be used to shelter several of Victoria’s downtown homeless who are suffering from mental health and addiction issues. According to BC Housing, approximately 39 permanent homes are being built with support services for people who are marginalized and experiencing homelessness at the development.