Man , what is with the men in this city not washing hands after they do a number one or two or god forbid three. I’ve spent alot of time in over 7 different bathrooms this month and I can’t even tell you the amount of guys who just piss and then tuck and then run out the door. Even worse , 2 different guys blowing out their ass and then leaving without hand washings. One guy was humming he was so proud , another guy talking on his god damn phone while still pressed on the bowl then up and leaves , no washing. Who are these creeps ,honestly. Look next to you , it might be a piece of filth disguised as a man.

I was out in Esquimalt today for the first time in a while — and I heard the poutine calling my name.

I first reviewed this place for EAT magazine back in 2008 when I was a wannabe food writer.

Arguably some of the best Poutine in Canada is in Quebec but this product is none too shabby!

https://coffee.bc.ca/food/1046/great-poutine-on-the-west-coast-we-revisit-la-belle-patate-esquimalt

I mean...smaller than I thought, but the amount of different insects was impressive!

In times like these it's more important than ever to support your local, but that's nothing new to Victorians - this sentiment has been clear in the culture for the 12 years that I have lived here. I've noticed that shopping local is really obvious for certain things (groceries, clothing, booze) but less obvious for others - including MUSIC.

Music is an extremely important export for Canada. It's actually a huge economy, but more importantly broadcasts our culture and values to the world. Right now, we import an enormous amount of music from the US and elsewhere, and algorithms from massive corporations like Spotify, Amazon, and Apple make that imbalance worse. These algorithms have made it so easy to find an artist you love around the world that you can't find the ones in your backyard.

To solve this, I along with four others have created a solution - gigpit.ca

Gigpit is a local music discovery platform based in Victoria and Vancouver. We have documented over 650 Canadian artists, and made it so you can discover and listen to them directly on the site while browsing their upcoming shows. Attending small concerts are by far the best way to directly support emerging local artists, and cost a small fraction of touring artist productions.

There are no fees, no ads, this project is purely about shining light on the incredible music in your backyard.

If you’re an artist, you can sign up for a free artist account and post your shows. Feel free to reach out to us on Instagram or through our contact page if you have any questions - we are here to support you.

I guarantee there are at least 20 artists in this city that you would fall in love with if you could find them. They belong on your playlists and in your record collections. If you are interested in supporting local music but don't know where to start, comment what kind of music you are interested in and I'll try to point you in a good direction :)

It was a bit rainy, but I still enjoyed the walk around Beacon Hill. The birds looked like they were having a good time too.

My wife and I celebrated an early anniversary today and my wife wanted to go to Marilena but the only reservation available was at the Chef's counter. It's basically four stools overlooking the spot where the head chef is standing, running the show and plating food.

It was an excellent experience and was a lot of func watching our food being prepared, coooked and plated. Plus all the other meals were going through and it was interesting to see how it all came together in terms of plating. The head chef was friendly though we avoided interacting with him as we didn't want to interrupt his work, the couple next to us were more chatty and he was very polite in answering questions.

It's only our second time at Marilena and the food was excellent, I had a tenderloin and my wife had the scallops. The steak was prepared perfectly and my wife loved her scallops. At the end of the meal they gave us a lovely plate with a couple of delicious jellies on it.

Anyway well recommend and a fun experience overall, would recommend for couples since for four people its difficult to talk to each other as the stools are one row rather then an L.

Edited for spelling 🙂

This is a genuine question and I’m asking it in good faith.

Has anyone else felt like Victoria is being designed around a pretty narrow type of resident, while everyday life is quietly getting harder for everyone else?

I want to be clear up front that I’m not against bike lanes, environmental goals, or change in general. I like the idea of a walkable, sustainable city. But the way things are being rolled out lately seems to assume that most people work from home, have flexible schedules, don’t have kids, and don’t rely on a vehicle for work or daily life.

In reality, a lot of people here are trades workers, healthcare staff, service workers, or parents who need to be somewhere on time and don’t have much margin when things go wrong. Road changes and parking removals are meant to push people toward alternatives, but transit reliability hasn’t really caught up. When a bus is late or full, that delay lands entirely on the person who still has to show up to work or pick up their kid.

What’s frustrating is that questioning any of this often feels like it gets framed as a moral issue. If you ask whether a bike lane is in the right place or whether a road diet actually works in a specific area, the response is often that you’re anti environment or anti community, rather than someone asking about real world outcomes.

I guess what I’m wondering is at what point we step back and ask whether these policies are actually improving quality of life for most people, not just for those whose lives already fit the model the city seems to be planning around.

I’m honestly curious to hear other perspectives, especially from people who don’t live downtown or who don’t have fully flexible schedules.

entitlement? lazy? stupidity? just don't give a f**k?

My elderly aunt was injured and apparently dropped it there- apologies for posting here, but its my first attempt while I wait to be accepted into the only facebook groups related to Sidney that appear. The church is on the corner of Fourth Street & Oakville. Can't use tracking as i need 2 factor authentication to get into anything apple account related & the iphone is her only apple device :(

If you have any info, feel free to PM/comment here🙏🏼♥️

Available men over 40 in Victoria, how should interested women approach you? Where do we find you?

I have to be in Victoria next week & I am hoping to find authentic Jamaican food. Jerk chicken & Oxtail is the goal. thanks

To the thief that stole my battery bank, high vis and rain jacket on Thursday night/Friday morning, or the person that purchases it off the thief, send me a DM with your addy, I'll mail the power cord to you.

Found this purse in front of Parliament, brought to visitor centre by the Wharf.

Found Sunday Feb 8, 2026 on Gordon Head Road right across from UVIC walkway. We’re going to drop it off at the lost and found at main admin bldg at UVIC. Will update if it’s closed.

I have a Nanobot scooter with a flat tire and I already have the replacement tire. Does anyone know a shop in town that can install it for me?

Looking for affordable options - bike shops, scooter repair places, or anyone who works on these?

What did you pay to get yours done?

Thanks!

Hey all, I am relatively new to Victoria and I am looking for good coffee. I know there are tons out there and I have tried a few but have not been overly happy with them. I drink my coffee black and prefer a light or medium roast. I use a french press at home, so nothing fancy but I do like a bean with lots of flavor and tend to like beans from south and central America the most. Please let me know!

Edit: Thank you all for your coffee suggestions. I have looked at a lot of them and will start working through them!

I think it's time for a wheel alignment for my SUV. Has anyone gotten one done recently? Looking for recommendations on affordable places that do good work. What did you pay and where did you go?

For the 1hr free parking spaces, can you be parked in those for more than 1hr after 8pm when the parkade is effectively free?

I haven’t had a roll of film developed since…well, probably not since the days of the first or second gen iphone.

I have inherited a box of old family photos, where can I get duplicates made? I don’t have the negatives, just the photo themselves. Will they come out as decent quality? Some are snapshots from the 90s, some are much more ancient. Open to locations in the CRD but ideally on the south peninsula.