I just had dinner at Hanks* A Restaurant for the second time, and I don't get how it's not more popular?

Last time we went, we way over-ordered, had a little bit of everything and it was all AMAZING! One of the best meals I've had in Victoria in almost 7 years of living here. The food is unapologetically rich, but it's excellent! I also feel like for the portions and the quality, the price is pretty good.

The first time we went, it was the day before brewery and the beast so we kinda chalked it up as just an off night, and while it was a bit busier tonight, I thought for sure it would be impossible to get a last minute table, but the place was still half empty or more the whole time we were there.

TL;DR awesome food, cool atmosphere and music, friendly staff, menu changes frequently but it seems like there are some solid staples. Why is this not more popular? I feel like it should have been hard to get a last minute reservation on a Friday night?

It's voting day in Victoria! Make sure you have a plan to vote today and please reach out to people you know and MAKE SURE YOUR FRIENDS ARE VOTING TOO.

Voter turnout for municipal elections is shockingly low (37.98% in 2022), even though the decisions made by mayor and council have such a direct impact on our daily lives and your vote is so much more impactful at the local level than in provincial or federal elections.

With two different elections happening at the same time, it can be hard to parse through dozens of different platforms. I've put together a list of endorsements, surveys and resources from organizations that have done the hard work for us.

ENDORSEMENTS AND SCORECARDS:

LIVABLE CRD (this is maybe the biggest one - a coalition of 13 progressive organizations that put together scorecards grading candidates on housing, climate, transit, arts, health care and more):
https://livablecrd.ca/scorecard/?muni=victoria

Candidates who scored straight A's:
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Matt Dell
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Susan Kim
-Krista Loughton
-Jack Sandor
-Dave Thompson

A's and B's:
-Marianne Alto (mayor)
-Bella Lee

VICTORIA LABOUR COUNCIL:
https://victorialabour.ca/2026-municipal-endorsements/

-Marianne Alto (mayor)
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Matt Dell
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Susan Kim
-Bella Lee
-Krista Loughton
-Jack Sandor
-Dave Thompson

BCGEU:
https://elections.bcgeu.ca/municipal_elections
-Marianne Alto (mayor)
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Matt Dell
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Susan Kim
-Bella Lee
-Krista Loughton
-Jack Sandor
-Dave Thompson

UNITE HERE LOCAL 40:
https://www.uniteherelocal40.org/2026/10/local-40-endorsements-for-greater-victoria-area-municipal-council-races/
-Marianne Alto (mayor)
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Matt Dell
-Shona Dion
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Susan Kim
-Bella Lee
-Krista Loughton
-Jack Sandor
-Dave Thompson

VICTORIA TRANSIT RIDERS' UNION:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1650641093452495
-Shona Dion
-Susan Kim
-Peter Rose Gibbs

VOTE 4 TOMORROW (climate organization):
https://vote4tomorrow.ca/election-2026/victoria/#candidates

Perfect scores:
-Bruce McGuigan (mayor)
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Herb Collins
-Matt Dell
-Shona Dion
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Martin Girard
-James Harasymow
-Jason Heit
-Susan Kim
-Bella Lee
-Jack Sandor
-Dave Thompson

Apartheid-Free Communities:
https://votepalestinevic.squarespace.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio
Council candidates who have committed:
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Matt Dell
-Shona Dion
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Martin Girard
-Susan Kim
-Bella Lee
-Jack Sandor

DOCTORS FOR SAFER DRUG POLICY:
Mayor: https://www.instagram.com/p/DeCrcpomFtX/?img_index=1
Council: https://www.instagram.com/p/DeCrF0imJIe/?img_index=1

Top marks:
-Peter Rose Gibbs (A+)
-Susan Kim (A+)
-Jack Sandor (A+)
-Jeremy Caradonna (A)
-Matt Dell (A)
-Krista Loughton (B+)
-Marianne Alto (B, mayor)
-Bella Lee (B)
-Dave Thompson (B)

Lamp Post Media (arts and events):
https://www.instagram.com/p/DefCofXg37r/
-Marianne Alto (mayor)
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Matt Dell
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Susan Kim
-Bella Lee
-Krista Loughton
-Jack Sandor
-Dave Thompson

Victori'Us Arts YYJ:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122142107595177204&set=pb.61585316131666.-2207520000&locale=ko_KR

-Bruce McGuigan (mayor)
-Jeremy Caradonna
-Matt Dell
-Peter Rose Gibbs
-Susan Kim
-Krista Loughton
-Jack Sandor
-Dave Thompson

Feel free to share any other information or organizations' endorsements that you think I missed.

VOTING INFO:

Voting is open Saturday from 8am to 8pm. For info on where and how to vote, check the city's official election info page:
https://www.victoria.ca/city-government/elections

Happy voting!

And I cannot stress this enough: please reach out to anyone you know and remind them to vote. Given that 62% of eligible voters didn't vote in the last election, odds are they haven't!

'Future Saanich Voter' doesn't make sense. I'm old enough to vote. ... But that's Saanich for you in a sticker. It doesn't have to make sense.

I printed page 2 of the PDF and then crossed out the ones I didn't like as I went through the rest of the PDF on screen.

So many people don't care about democracy, so they think that their vote won't count.

Mayor Dean Murdock won by just a few votes, and that happens all the time.

I think my vote counts for at least 5 people who didn't vote.

I think that if you don't like any candidates, you can choose 'none of the above' in the form of spoiling the ballot, because they too counted, which is better than not voting. The 'I didn't Vote' party is much larger and could sway the vote in any direction.

I didn't like how there isn't a list of candidates for the CRD board on this same PDF as well as school trustees and the question of whether Saanich should join Victoria. It would have been nice to know this information beforehand. At least some of the names for the CRD board were already on the list of Council candidates.

But I did like how there are the good photos, contact details and candidates statements available. Much better than it used to be with just names listed and you needed to Do yOuR resEArCH.

Voting is until 8pm today.

Hey everyone, my name is Landon. I'm 41 years old & I'm from Regina.

I just arrived on October 15th with intent to make Victoria my winter stay (I'm fed up with the snow! Bring on the rain).

So far I'm liking the experience; lots to explore & people here are so nice.

I'm staying in the Fernwood area & already established lodging, shower/toilet facilities, fresh drinking water, & internet connection. I'm still on the hunt for laundry & proper cooking facilities though.

Anyone (adults - of course) want to meet up in person & hang out? I'm kind of semi-retired already & have lots of free time. I've tried making friends on apps, but they seem to be low-activity for whatever reason.

- I love to cook meals using rice, veggies, & chicken.

- I stay active by actively boxing (I just joined a local gym today).

- I also have interest in sailing (I've never tried & would love to learn!)

- I have a folding ebike & love to ride on dry days.

Feel free to reply & direct message me. I'm excited to make Victoria my winter stay!

TLDR: middle aged Regina guy looking to make real in-person connections & friendships in the city!

Looking for a friend (me, with a suddenly intense craving)

What are people doing for Halloween this year?? I’ve tried to look it up but it’s always pumpkin patches or haunted houses or tours and things like that. What are some things happening around the city that night for adults? Pub crawls, parties, etc?? TIA!

Hi!

For the past couple of months I've been offering free photoshoots for people looking to upgrade their dating profile. For this latest round, I scheduled ten photoshoots spread over a weekend, which made this my largest session yet!

There was a pretty even split between guys and girls this time, which was cool. This project started out more aimed at guys (we need the help), but it's always been open to everyone and I was happy to have a more diverse group.

If you'd like to be included in the next round, please send me a DM.

Now, look at all these cuties!

To the woman who decided it was appropriate to call my partner a homophobic slur and then proceed to verbally attack him while he was simply trying to get to work: You can go straight to hell.

My partner is one of the kindest, most gentle people you could ever meet. He wouldn't say shit if his mouth was full of it. I, on the other hand, have absolutely no problem confronting narrow-minded, hateful people like you.

I can assure you that had I been sitting on that bus this morning, you would have had a VERY different interaction.

What gives you the right to verbally abuse a complete stranger who is doing nothing more than commuting to work? What exactly did you hope to accomplish? Did making someone else feel small somehow make you feel bigger?

It costs absolutely nothing to be kind. And if kindness is beyond your capabilities, keeping your damn mouth shut is completely free too.

But you know what makes me almost as angry as your disgusting behaviour?

The fact that this happened on a packed bus, and not a single person said anything.

Not one person thought to speak up. Not one person thought to let him know that what was happening wasn't okay.

I understand that confrontation can be uncomfortable. I understand that people worry about their own safety. But imagine how uncomfortable it is to be the person sitting there, being publicly humiliated and attacked for who they are, while everyone around them pretends not to notice.

We talk a lot about Victoria being an inclusive, welcoming community. But that means absolutely nothing if we're only willing to stand against hatred when it's convenient or comfortable.

To the woman on that bus: My partner didn't deserve your abuse. Nobody does. And the next person you decide to unleash your hatred on might not be quite so willing to sit quietly and take it.

And to everyone else: You don't have to be loud, confrontational, or put yourself in danger to make a difference. Sometimes simply asking someone, "Are you okay?" is enough to remind them they're not alone.

Do better, Victoria. We can, and we should.

Lots of smoke.

comes after confusion earlier in the day

Any suggestions for a person or company to install a kitchen sink? I got an insane quote for 3k (just installation not buying the sink) from under the seat. Looking for something way more reasonable. Thank you!

Complete blackout out here. No street lights or power all along the block. Nothing on BC Hydro’s website and their phone line is useless. Anyone have any info or smartass comments?

sorry i dont have any cats, but i got this pic i just finished taking from my back yard. The sky gods have been kind with clear skies this week.

this is NGC 7635 -- the Bubble Nebula in Cassiopeia. roughly 24 hours of integration across three narrowband filters in the Foraxx palette (Ha → green, OIII → blue, SII → red). the bubble itself is a sphere of ionized gas 10 ly across, carved by the stellar wind from a Wolf-Rayet star that will go supernova within the next 10-20 million years.

three objects in a single frame:

• the Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) at center-left

• M52 / the Salt and Pepper Cluster in the upper left

• NGC 7538 / the Northern Lagoon Nebula on the right edge

Look up. the view is always better.

note: this image has been scaled down to fit Reddit. the original is 8093 x 5529 pixels at 32-bit depth, and you can zoom in forever.. wish reddit supported FITS images.

Even the seals are like a dog in a sunbeam with this mild dry October.

I’m interested in adding a cat to our family. Id like to find one that is needing to be re-homed first, before going to SPCA or through itty bitty kitty committee.

I know FB marketplace doesn’t allow animal listings, and people don’t use kijiji here (Edmonton has lots of cats for rehoming on kijij).

does anyone have a line on a cat that needs a new home? ideally one that is affectionate and chill as I have a toddler. thanks in advance.

Firetrucks and cops have both lanes southbound closed due to a traffic accident - take Colwood/View Royal to get downtown. Car is demolished, looks like it may be closed awhile.

Be safe out there!

interesting...

This story is WAY wilder than is covered in this [Van Sun article](https://vancouversun.com/news/judge-dismisses-bc-ndp-challenge-green-candidate-yaletown). 

In the article, it shows that the Green had duplicate signatures with the Centre and Conservative candidates, and had business addresses and fake addresses listed as where these people lived, but according to the court documents, it looks like 70 of 84 were either made up, or just random people from around the province, and Samarakoone gave the excuse of food poisoning as to why there ended up being 70 fake people on his forms. Someone went to the fake addresses and one of them was a pit of rocks and the other was in False Creek (like in the actual creek).

The signatures on all of these duplicate people are different on each form. On Samarakoone’s it looks like the same person did all of them, Same on Dovgal’s (the Conservative). One of the duplicates (Chad Decker) even showed up four times even though there were only three packages. He signed the Green’s twice!

What’s even weirder is the links between Sam Chandola and the Greens and Conservatives. 8 of the people on the Greens and Conservatives forms (but not on Chandola’s) link back to addresses owned by Chandola, and apparently someone went to one of them and knocked on the door, and it was an air BnB.

On Dovgal’s (the Conservative) and Samarakoone’s nomination packages Jaimi Zammit and Brian De Boer is written as living at one address in the riding, but on the electors list Jaimi Zammit resides at a property in Chilliwack which is owned by Sam Chandola in his nomination application.

So it looks like all three parties (Greens, Conservatives, and Centre) shared phony people and signatures on their nomination forms. In a lot of cases, these fake residents appear in the exact same order across multiple nomination packages. So it looks like the Centre BC was making these people and addresses up and giving them to the Greens and Conservatives.

And there is waaay more in the actual court documents. It’s crazy they got away with this.

DOCS HERE: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1okloU1SLm8hAueQXQ65QByyXq15zFdhS?usp=sharing\](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1okloU1SLm8hAueQXQ65QByyXq15zFdhS?usp=sharing)

I know you don't need it to vote, but it just makes the whole process quicker than with just having 2 pieces of ID. I got the municipal election voter cards a week ahead of the first advanced voting day, but yet to get the provincial voting card even though the first advanced voting day is over. Just wondering if anyone else hasn't got their card.