Victoria offering free meals, Government House picnic prize to support local restaurants
Local tourism and hospitality groups are coming together and offering free meals in Greater Victoria to help support the restaurant industry through the final stretch of the pandemic.
From June 8 to 30, people who visit a local restaurant on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays may find that someone has picked up their tab for them.
Members of six B.C. organizations will be scattered across restaurants in Greater Victoria paying for random customers meals throughout June.
The organizations involved include the City of Victoria, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Victoria Business Association, Destination Greater Victoria, the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association-Victoria Chapter, and Vancity.
At the same time, people who prefer to order take-out during the pandemic can enter to win a catered picnic lunch for two at the Government House in Victoria.
To enter the picnic contest, islanders need to tag their favourite restaurant and two friends on any Picnics and Patios social media post.
"There are so many great dining options in the core of our city," said Jeff Bray, executive director of the Downtown Victoria Business Association on Monday.
"We need to support these businesses at a time when many did not generate significant revenue in the past few months," he said.
The groups add that "a local celebrity" will also be visiting some restaurants and celebrating with winners if their tab is picked up by the tourism organizations.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.