It was another year of big news stories, capped off by a historic federal election in October.
On Oct. 19, Justin Trudeau and his Liberals astonishingly went from being a third-place party to securing a majority after one of the longest campaigns in Canadian history.
And on Vancouver Island, there was no shortage of stories – some uplifting, some tragic – that made headlines in 2015.
They range from Victoria and Nanaimo’s pot dispensary dilemmas, to separate scandals involving Saanich’s mayor and Victoria’s police chief, to a deadly tragedy off the coast of Tofino that made international headlines.
Tragedy in Tofino
It was one of the worst nautical disasters in B.C.’s history.
Six people were killed after the whale-watching boat Leviathan II capsized off the coast of Tofino in October, including 5 British nationals and an Australian man.
Passengers said the boat capsized after being struck by a massive wave, tossing 27 people onboard in to the frigid ocean water.
But amid the terrifying ordeal – stories of bravery and courage – as members of the nearby Ahousaht First Nation were first on the scene in a water taxi and pulled the nearly frozen passengers out of the water.
Many credit the Ahousaht with saving numerous lives that day and say the disaster could have been much worse if not for their help.
A letter addressed to the communities of Tofino, Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht from the family of the deceased Australian summed it up: “Nobody is to blame. We lost our son, but we only lost his physical body. His spirit is here. And we gained a family, friends, a community. We will be back.”
A TSB investigation into the accident is still underway.
Atwell controversy
Not your typical “meet the press” conference.
Bombshell allegations about an extra-marital affair, spying at municipal hall, and potential police misconduct were all dropped by Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell just under two months into his term.
Atwell admitted to lying about an extramarital affair after he called 911 during an altercation with a campaign supporter’s fiancé.
Atwell also suggested his own police force was out to get him by leaking details of the altercation – and that officer pulled him over four times on groundless suspicions of drunk driving.
“I’m not perfect. I will make mistakes, but when I do I will own them,” he said at the time.
In that same Jan. 12 news conference, Atwell alleged his staff used a program called Spector 360 to log keystrokes and capture screenshots on his city hall computer, a claim that was later backed up by B.C.’s privacy commissioner.
But his official complaint to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner was dropped in June, with the OPCC finding it inadmissible under the Police Act.
Dispensary dilemma
Countless marijuana dispensaries sprung up across Vancouver Island this year, despite still being considered illegal by police.
B.C. municipalities all responded differently to the rising number of pot shops, but in Victoria and Nanaimo – it was a tale of two cities.
While Victoria Police have repeatedly said they won’t proactively shut down dispensaries, instead choosing to focus on organized crime and preventing sales to youth, Nanaimo RCMP took a much different approach.
At the beginning of December, members executed a massive raid on several dispensaries in that city – arresting employees and seizing product over alleged complaints that some stores were selling to youths.
But the raid didn’t take. Business owners rejected the RCMP’s allegations and some even reopened the day after the raids – with product.
The showdown illustrated the legal grey area that such stores have been operating in, especially after newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to legalize the drug during his time in office.
With no timeline in sight, though, cannabis-related crimes continue to tie up police and court resources – leaving some feeling like they’re in a legal limbo.
Elsner investigation
It began with an apology.
Victoria Police Chief Frank Elsner shocked residents when he announced he was “truly, truly sorry” for exchanging inappropriate messages on Twitter with the wife of a subordinate officer.
Soon after Elsner apologized, the union representing Victoria police officers called for him to be removed from his post after the "betrayal" of trust.
From there, more details and new allegations came to light: An OPCC report alleged that during an external investigation into the incident, the chief gave misleading information and also contacted a witness despite being told not to.
The same report blasted the police board for attempts to keep the investigation private, and disciplinary authority was stripped from board co-chairs Lisa Helps and Barb Desjardins, the mayors of Victoria and Esquimalt.
The RCMP will now lead an investigation into Elsner’s alleged misconduct, including new allegations of workplace harassment levied by four of his employees.
"The climate within the department appears to be in a state of tension and dissonance,” the OPCC report said.
Elsner has stepped aside and will be on paid leave while the investigation is underway.
Refugees arrive
The feel-good story of the year touched down on Vancouver Island just several weeks ago.
Nine-year-old Mouhmad Alnaddaf, his mother Faten Dekhan, 29, and her mother Aisha Jafar, 58 were the first of a new wave of Syrian refugees to call Canada home, thanks to the private sponsorship of a Cowichan Bay church.
Several years ago, Faten’s husband was killed in a bombing in their home country. She and her son and mother then escaped to Lebanon, where they waited years for a refugee placement from the United Nations.
After finally being accepted to Canada, the family made its long journey to Cowichan Bay – where they’re adapting to life on the Island.
“The first feeling [Faten] got was frightened. She was afraid,” a translator told CTV News. “After that…she felt safe, very safe. She is hoping she’ll be adopted into the culture here, and she is wishing the community of Canada will help her in her journey here.”
While Donald Trump calls for travel bans for all Muslims in the U.S., there is a decidedly different attitude up north – a recent poll showed about two-thirds of Canadians support the government’s pledge to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February.
It’s that kind of support that brought smiles to the faces of Faten and her family when they were greeted by well-wishers at the Victoria airport earlier this month.
Aisha Jafar, 58, Faten Dekhan, 29 and Mouhmad Alnaddaf, 9, arrive at Victoria International Airport. Dec. 7, 2015. (Mill Bay Baptist Fellowship)
