Every once in a while, frustrated ferry users bring up the idea of a “fixed link” - a bridge or tunnel that would permanently connect Vancouver Island to the rest of B.C. It happened this week when stormy weather led to nearly a hundred sailing cancellations just before Christmas. It also came up this summer, as discussions dragged on about the new ships that B.C. Ferries ordered from a shipyard in China. So this week, a repeat of our July 17 episode: do we need a bridge or tunnel? What it take to build one?

The provincial government is trying to get more housing built, and more quickly. But some local developers who are trying to build missing middle housing in Greater Victoria (ie duplex, triplexes, and townhouses), say they’re still facing roadblocks. Meanwhile, some local governments are ramping up their fights against the bill. CBC Victoria’s Rohit Joseph has been looking into it all, and joins us to share what he heard.

Leonard Sylvester, a 38-year-old Penelakut man, died in hospital last month -- less than three weeks after a routine medical procedure. Throughout his hospitalization, his wife Boedaya Sylvester says she was not properly communicated with, and she says they were treated differently because they’re Indigenous. In this episode we hear from Boedaya and from Island Health, which has promised to review what happened.

The community of Crofton got devastating news this week, with Domtar announcing it’s closing its mill there, putting 350 people out of work. In this episode we hear about why, and what’s next. We’ll also check in on a retraining program in Port Alberni, for laidoff mill workers there.

Downtown Victoria business owners say they’re seeing a positive impact, four months after the city launched the first phase of its community safety and wellbeing plan. City staff say they’ve completed 2 of their 11 priorities, with the other 9 underway. Folks on Pandora have mixed reviews. We take a look at it all in this week’s episode.

Want to learn more about the plan? Check out our episode from when it was first launched.

You can also read the whole thing on the city's website.

We know communities across the island region are struggling with housing. That challenge can be especially acute on smaller islands, with even more limited space: what are you supposed to do if you have a job, but nowhere to live? Or if you can’t hire people, because they can’t find housing? On Salt Spring Island, the Country Grocer has solved that problem by creating housing for its staff. CBC reporter Emily Fagan went to the island to learn more, and tells us about it on this week’s episode.

Wild deer are a common sight in greater Victoria, as we humans keep building our homes in their habitat - but the immuno-contraceptive experiment in Oak Bay seems to have worked at managing the population. On this episode we check in with one of the founders of the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society (UWSS), which came up with the plan to give birth control to urban deer. Kristy Kilpatrick also talks about how she’s seen attitudes towards deer change in the decade since UWSS started its work.

Even though it’s been three months since a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled that Quw’utsun Nation (Cowichan Tribes, Stz’uminus First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, Halalt First Nation and Lyackson First Nation) hold Aboriginal title over some land in Richmond - the news is still making headlines, especially on the mainland. That’s because the land includes some private property. But does the decision threaten private property rights in B.C.? An island leader explains why he doesn’t think so. 

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) has been trying to find a way to install shore power at Ogden Point, so that some of the cruise ships that stop there can plug in and use electricity - instead of relying on fossil fuels to keep the lights and other ship services going while the vessels are in port. But now, the GVHA has abandoned the plan. It says even with $31.5 million dollars promised by provincial and federal governments, it would need at least another $61 million dollars to do all the work needed - and it just doesn’t have the money. So what happens now?

There are unhoused people living in communities across Vancouver Island, but not every community has a place for them to go on nights when winter weather is so bad that it’s dangerous. The province provides funding for winter shelter, so why doesn’t everyone apply for it? Host Kathryn Marlow and CBC reporter Maryse Zeidler look at three areas with three different levels of support: Campbell River, Sidney, and the Cowichan Valley.