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Port Hardy Hospital emergency room closed for the weekend due to lack of staff

A hospital emergency department on the North Island will be closed all weekend because of limited staff availability, according to Island Health.

Port Hardy Hospital is seen in this photo from the Island Health website. (islandhealth.ca)

Woman arrested, drugs seized during police raid in Duncan, B.C.

Mounties in Duncan, B.C., have arrested a 44-year-old woman in connection with a drug-trafficking investigation. The RCMP executed a search warrant at a rural property in the 2700-block of Miller Road during the early-morning hours of Aug. 6.

Officers uncovered more than 19 ounces of controlled substances, including suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as approximately 1,600 prescription pills, the North Cowichan-Duncan RCMP said in a news release Friday. (RCMP)

Missing Victoria man found dead, police say

A 63-year-old Victoria man who was reported missing in the city's downtown core more than three weeks ago has been found dead. David Johnstone was reported missing on July 27 and investigators have been working to locate him ever since.

David Johnstone was reported missing on July 27, 2022. (VicPD)

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Search for Victoria man missing in Spain widens to neighbouring countries

The family of a Victoria man who has been missing in Spain for more than a month say they are broadening their search to neighbouring countries.

Missing man Scott Graham with daughter Kaiza Graham, who is now in Spain searching for her father. (Supplied)

'We can just be people again:' Inmates at Saanich jail carve totem pole as healing step

Behind the walls of a jail in Saanich, B.C., there are people working on a totem pole. Since last summer, some 70 inmates have chipped away at the pole at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre. It's a project they say gives them a moment to forget they're locked up.

The totem carving project at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre is shown. Aug. 18, 2022. (CTV News)

One of the world's largest sailing yachts arrives on Vancouver Island

One of the largest sailing yachts in the world cruised into a small Vancouver Island community this week, drawing a constant stream of onlookers to the Mill Bay Marina.

The M5 sailed into the Saanich Inlet marina on Sunday, with a floatplane housed on its rear deck. (CTV News)

Man convicted of killing Langford teen Kimberly Proctor denied parole

One of two men convicted of the shocking sexual assault and murder of a Langford, B.C., teen in 2010 has had his day parole application denied again.

Man trying to direct traffic at BC Ferries terminal removed by RCMP

A man who was trying to direct traffic at a BC Ferries terminal on Quadra Island, B.C., was asked to leave the area by police last week. Quadra Island RCMP say they were called to the ferry terminal by BC Ferries on Aug. 10 after the "self-appointed volunteer" began taking matters into his own hands.

'Really demanding': Vancouver Island teen training to become Formula One racer

She may only have her learner’s licence, but that hasn’t held a 16-year-old Comox Valley, B.C., teen back from working towards her goal of being a professional driver. Nicole Haverda got the green light on her desire to be a professional race car driver four years ago when her father took her to a Formula One race in Europe.

B.C. cannabis stores grapple with delivery stoppage as BCLDB workers go on strike

British Columbian cannabis stores are bracing for emptier shelves after a strike stopped the province's pot distribution centre from shipping out product.

Saanich will rename Mt. Douglas Park with historic First Nation name

The District of Saanich is changing the name of Mount Douglas Park to its historic First Nation name of PKOLS. Local Indigenous communities and the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (WLC) have long been calling for the name to be restored, and Saanich council agreed to the name restoration at a meeting Monday.

Esquimalt votes to end police agreement with Victoria

The Township of Esquimalt is looking to exit its agreement with Victoria and the Victoria Police Department, which sees the two communities sharing an amalgamated police force. Esquimalt and Victoria are currently under a 10-year agreement, which is up for renewal the end of this year. On Tuesday, Esquimalt announced it will not renew the agreement and will instead pursue a new policing model.

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Sale of Ottawa church to 'Freedom Convoy'-affiliated group falls through, but leader says deal is still on

The current purchase of a historic Ottawa church slated to become an 'embassy' for a group affiliated with the Freedom Convoy has fallen through, according to documents obtained by CTV News. But The United People of Canada director said it was his understanding the deal was still in place.

A person rides their bike past a decommissioned church, Thursday, August 18, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Ontario doctor alleged to have killed 4 people around same date in 2021: documents

Court documents allege an eastern Ontario doctor killed four people around the same date in 2021.

Plane fails to descend as pilots reportedly fell asleep during flight

Two pilots are believed to have fallen asleep and missed their landing during a flight from Sudan to Ethiopia on Monday, according to a report by commercial aviation news site Aviation Herald.

Michelle O'Bonsawin named as Canada's first Indigenous Supreme Court justice

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Ontario judge Michelle O'Bonsawin to the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday. She is the first Indigenous person chosen to sit on Canada's top court and the appointment is being celebrated as filling an important role at the highest level of the country's justice system.

Retailers sitting on 'mountains' of excess inventory in need of liquidation: expert

Consumer behaviour, a looming recession and the reactions of retailers to pandemic-driven supply chain issues are combining to drive a liquidation renaissance, according to one business advisor and retail futurist who spoke with CTVNews.ca.

Calgary man convicted in multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme sentenced to 10 years

A Calgary man who bilked his clients out of millions of dollars in a Ponzi scheme has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for what the judge called a deliberate and large-scale fraud.

Northern lights expected across Canada this weekend: NOAA

Canadians across the country have a shot at seeing the northern lights this weekend thanks to a series of solar flares and storms over the past few days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

There is now a simple solution to destroying 'forever chemicals': study

Scientists say they have developed a simple and cost-effective method for destroying a class of synthetic chemicals found in many consumer items and lasting in our water, soil and air for thousands of years when left alone.

Freedom Convoy-affiliated group refusing to leave Ottawa church after eviction notice

Members of a Freedom Convoy-affiliated group remain at an Ottawa church one day after the owner of the historic property moved to evict them over unpaid rent.

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'We haven't seen anything like that before': Vancouver Island goose tries to hatch eggs on iPhone

Despite struggling to hatch from her egg, and requiring hand-feeding to stay alive, the runt of this gaggle of geese is thriving in a remarkable way.

Tiny plopped down on a photo of eggs, seemingly trying to hatch them. (CTV News)

B.C. seniors keep love alive with romantic rides on wheelchair

Since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Peter Foran takes his wife Janice for romantic rides on his wheelchair. They travel along Vancouver's bike lanes and waterfront paths, with her sitting sideways across his lap.

Peter and Janice Foran recently moved from Victoria to Vancouver to be closer to their grown children.

Nanaimo lawn bowler throws creative curve, turns 'bowls' into art

Judy MacNeal has been hand-decorating used lawn bowling balls - called bowls - in her garage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Story of love and sacrifice connected to viral Ducknana statue

The surreal statues, which have duck heads attached to banana bodies, have inspired countless comments, store sell-outs, and a Ducknana meet and greet at a local park.

Victoria man transforms junk into acclaimed musical instruments

His collection of instruments (which he refers to as his kids and vows to never sell) includes a rotating drum, fabricating material from a failed “fast ferry project” and a percussive apparatus compiled from pieces of an amusement park ride.

'Pinch me, I’m dreaming': Edmonton couple's LEGO love story leads to jobs at toy company's headquarters

An Edmonton couple spent their first date building LEGO together. Now they're married and working as designers at the toy company's Denmark headquarters.