A new nude beach at Ogden Point? A ride-sharing service for beer drinkers? "Police" cats being enlisted by the RCMP?
If you fell for any of these stories, you might not have checked your calendar today.
There was no shortage of pranks pulled around Vancouver Island for April Fools' Day.
Here are just a few pieces of "fake news" that raised eyebrows today:
Breakwater in the buff
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority announced plans to set aside 150 metres of beach at the Ogden Point breakwater for a clothing-optional section called the "Breakwater Bares All Beach."
“We’re always looking for ways to animate Ogden Point, to invite Victorians to mingle with visitors, and to ensure that we provide much-desired community space,” said Ian Robertson, CEO of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, in a cheeky news release.
"I’m most excited to see the looks on the faces of the 700,000 cruise passengers who will call to Victoria this summer. They will be completely exposed to the best that Victorians have to offer.”
The authority also warned of water temperatures between seven and 10 degrees, but said it hoped public interest in the nude beach wouldn't "shrink."
Of course, the authority ended its email saying that the space would be approved before – you guessed it – noon on April Fools' Day.
Phillips Beer + Uber = Phuber
It may not be legal in B.C. yet, but Victoria-based Phillips Beer announced its new free ride-sharing service "Phuber" on Monday morning.
The rides were said to be provided by a guy named "Dave" in a bright purple car dubbed the "Electric Unicorn."
Craft beer lovers were given a number to call to book their ride, with a voicemail telling them: "If you're getting this message, I'm probably driving some craft beer-loving beauties around Vancouver."
'Igloo wing' at Laurel Point
A local hotel got into the April Fools' Day spirit as well by announcing a brand new "igloo wing."
Laurel Point tweeted that it was adding the wing to satisfy guests who keep asking for an authentic Canadian experience.
The tweet included a picture of a mound of snow with doors built into it, in front of the Inner Harbour hotel.
"Booking starts April 31," the hotel joked.
Claw enforcement
Forget police dogs. BC RCMP sent out a news release introducing a "new tool in law enforcement," a pilot project that would recruit cats into the force.
"A police cat can work for almost 15 minutes a day before getting bored," RCMP said about the new Police Cat Services.
The release was accompanied by a series of photos showing a Mountie with a cat wearing a police vest.
The mandate of police cat services? Cat burglary, financial fraud (catching tax 'cheetahs') and fur-ensics.
Local music website gets catnapped
Speaking of cats, a local music blog's website was hijacked in what it called an internet cat-astrophe.
Victoria Music Scene said it was "apawled" to find that "feral radiclaws hacked a hairball on our website replacing our homepage with cat videos and articles."
Upon visiting the website, viewers were greeted with the instantly recognizable sound of the "Meow Mix" jingle.
Band photos were swapped out for photos of tigers, the band Mother Mother became "Meowther Meowther," and the Capital Ballroom was referred to as the "Catpital YarnBallroom."
"Our engineers were able to neuter the situation by noon when things returned to normal," the website wrote.
