Victoria statue of Captain Cook pulled down, thrown into harbour
Victoria -
Protesters pulled down a statue of Capt. James Cook and threw the pieces into Victoria’s Inner Harbour on Thursday night.
The statue of the British explorer, which stood in front of the Empress Hotel, was destroyed shortly after 8:30 p.m
In the statue’s place, protesters left behind several wooden red dresses to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The incident followed a gathering of anti-colonial activists as the B.C. legislature to coincide with Canada Day.
Victoria police are investigating the damage to the statue.
Investigators are asking for information and video of the incident.
“Safe, peaceful and lawful protests are permitted under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” police said in a statement Friday morning. “Property damage is not.”
Police said there are “several suspects in this incident,” and provided photos of two people they are trying to identify.
The statue is owned by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, which was already in discussions with the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations about the future of the monument, according to GVHA spokesperson Brian Cant.
“We stand in solidarity with the Esquimalt Nation and Songhees Nation,” said Cant on Friday. “The future of this space will be decided between our organization and the Esquimalt Nation and Songhees Nation, and we will communicate plans for it when the discussion is concluded.”
The GVHA’s First Nations Economic Development Committee is scheduled to meet on the issue later this month.
“We do not condone vandalism of public or private property and will support the Victoria Police Department in their investigation of this incident,” the GVHA spokesperson added.
Anyone with information or video of the statue's removal is asked to call Victoria police at 250-995-7654 or Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'No concessions' St-Onge says in $100M a year news deal with Google
The Canadian government has reached a deal with Google over the Online News Act that will see the tech giant pay $100 million annually to publishers, and continue to allow access to Canadian news content on its platform. This comes after Google had threatened to block news on its platform when the contentious new rules come into effect next month.
Here is what Canada's drug shortage situation looks like right now
Compared to the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Canada experienced an uptick in prescription drug shortages in 2022 that Health Canada says has continued throughout 2023.
opinion
opinion Don Martin: With Trudeau resignation fever rising, a Conservative nightmare appears
With speculation rising that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will follow his father's footsteps in the snow to a pre-election resignation, political columnist Don Martin focuses on one Liberal cabinet minister who's emerging as leadership material -- and who stands out as a fresh-faced contrast to the often 'angry and abrasive' leader of the Conservatives.
U.S. says alleged murder plotter was directed by India and mentioned B.C. killing
U.S. officials have charged an Indian national in a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on American soil – in a case they say is connected to the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
Manslaughter charges laid against man accused of trafficking gun to teen who killed Edmonton police officers
A 19-year-old man accused of trafficking a firearm to the 16-year-old boy who killed two Edmonton police officers has been charged with manslaughter.
'We wish we could've reached that kid earlier,' says online educator about boy's suicide after apparent sextortion
The chat may seem innocuous at first. The victims, often young men or boys, start communicating with someone posing as a young girl, typically on the popular social media platforms Instagram and Snapchat. But with sextortion, which occurs when people are blackmailed for money or sexual favours, 'sextorters' convince them to share a sexual photo or video.
opinion
opinion Five revelations from best-seller 'Endgame' that are sure to upset the Royal Family
Royal commentator Afua Hagan on five revelations in a new book that's sure to send shockwaves through the Royal Family's ranks.
Provinces are moving away from pap smears, but more infrastructure is needed
Some provinces are moving to HPV tests as the primary mode of cervical cancer screening, and others are close behind, an expert says.
Sask. man accused of sexually assaulting 3 boys arrested at daycare
An Assiniboia, Sask. man stands accused of sexually assaulting three boys under the age of 12 was arrested at a home-based daycare.
Vancouver
-
Airbnb renter whose grease fire set off sprinklers in Vancouver highrise can't be sued by insurer, court rules
An Edmonton man who accidentally started a grease fire while staying in an Airbnb in a downtown Vancouver condo, setting off the building's sprinklers, cannot be sued for damages by the strata corporation's insurer.
-
U.S. says alleged murder plotter was directed by India and mentioned B.C. killing
U.S. officials have charged an Indian national in a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on American soil – in a case they say is connected to the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
-
Climate activists to unveil 'massive' ice sculpture at B.C. legislature to coincide with COP28 summit
Climate activists in Victoria say they will deliver a "massive" ice sculpture to the B.C. legislature Thursday as part of a protest against the province's liquefied natural gas industry.
Edmonton
-
'Toxic and abusive': Former staffers accuse Jennifer Rice of bullying while councillor dodges questions
Rookie Edmonton city councillor Jennifer Rice is refusing to respond to allegations that she bullied, belittled and yelled at staff members; claims the mayor says are "deeply concerning" and worthy of investigation.
-
Manslaughter charges laid against man accused of trafficking gun to teen who killed Edmonton police officers
A 19-year-old man accused of trafficking a firearm to the 16-year-old boy who killed two Edmonton police officers has been charged with manslaughter.
-
Dow to begin construction of $11.5-billion carbon neutral project at Fort Saskatchewan site in 2024
Petrochemical giant Dow Chemical is going big in its decarbonization efforts at its site in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., with help from the provincial and federal governments.
Toronto
-
Woman in hospital with life-threatening injuries after being rescued from highrise fire in North York
A woman has life-threatening injuries after being pulled from a highrise fire in North York.
-
Police release 911 call about wrong way driver on Hwy. 407
Durham police have released a 911 audio recording that captured a frantic driver reporting a vehicle travelling the wrong way on Highway 407 over the weekend.
-
Toronto's most-listened to artist on Spotify was not Taylor Swift. Here's who it is for 2023
With Spotify’s long-awaited annual “Wrapped” campaign here, this is what Torontonians – and those across the Greater Toronto Area – were listening to the most.
Calgary
-
Alberta Health Services issues measles alert in Calgary
Alberta Health Services is warning the public about a lab-confirmed case of measles in the Calgary area, adding that the public may have been exposed.
-
Southern Alberta dog trainer featured in upcoming Disney documentary series
Calgary-area dog trainer Jennifer Fraser and her dog Daiquiri will be one of six teams featured in Disney's ' The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs'.
-
Get them while you can! Calgary Christmas tree vendors expect to sell out fast amid rising demand and falling supply
Calgarians looking for the perfect Christmas tree this holiday season might find it a little more difficult with increasing demand and falling supply.
Montreal
-
Quebec may backtrack on university tuition hikes, increase by 33% instead: report
Quebec seems ready to back down from its plan to double tuition prices for university students outside of the province in exchange for more ambitious francization programs at English-speaking universities.
-
EMSB cancels high school mid-year board exams with more strike days on the horizon
The province's largest English-language public school board says it is cancelling all high school mid-year board exams due to the ongoing public sector worker strike in Quebec.
-
Quebec college students may be in classes or exams over Christmas holiday: CEGEP president
College students in Quebec may be taking exams or even classes over the winter holidays, as administrators scramble to find ways to hold the required number of classes in a semester.
Atlantic
-
Halifax police investigating discovery of human remains in Armdale area
Police in Halifax say they are investigating after human remains were found in the Armdale area Tuesday.
-
Slow shelter: U.S.-made homeless structures still on hold in Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia civil servant overseeing delivery of 200 small heated shelters for the homeless is pointing to the need for community "buy in" and proper access to services such as washrooms before they are installed.
-
Halifax Transit services free this weekend
All Halifax Transit services are free this weekend.
Winnipeg
-
True North wants six month extension to decide on sale of Portage Place Mall
True North’s real estate wing is asking for a six-month extension on a plan to buy and redevelop Portage Place Mall.
-
'We need to address the violent crime in Manitoba': Province's homicide rate nearly triple national average
Grim new statistics show Manitoba once again has the highest homicide rate per capita in all of Canada.
-
Previously suspended Winnipeg school trustee resigns: board chair
A Manitoba school trustee previously suspended for social media posts targeting the LGBTQ2S+ community has tendered her resignation.
Kitchener
-
‘I don’t think it’s fair’: International students in Waterloo Region oppose 20-hour weekly work cap
International students in Waterloo Region are hoping the federal government reconsiders a decision to cap their work at 20 hours per week.
-
Fake CSIS agent allegedly defrauded dozens of women out $2 million
Police in Waterloo, Ont. have arrested a 49-year-old man they say posed as a CSIS agent and pursued romantic relationships with dozens of women, ultimately defrauding them out of more than $2 million.
-
'Let's be more proactive': Safety concerns over Weber St. crossing in Waterloo
Residents are raising concerns about a busy crossing on Weber St. in Waterloo.
Regina
-
Sask. will send women who need urgent breast cancer tests to Calgary
To address wait times, the provincial government announced they will be sending women who need urgent breast cancer tests to Calgary.
-
Pro-Palestinian rally at Regina railyard sees police response, arrests made
A pro-Palestinian protest in Regina sought to disrupt rail traffic in the city’s centre on Wednesday.
-
Regina Battery Depot fire deliberately set, fire department says
A fire that caused significant damages to the Regina Battery Depot was deliberately set, according to the city's fire department.
Barrie
-
Barrie hotel ends housing program, leaving many families in limbo
A Barrie hotel announced it would stop a housing program due to challenges and damage, leaving several families who called the hotel home for the past few years grappling with uncertainty about where to go.
-
Porch pirate swipes packages from Barrie home
Police in Barrie are looking to identify a man who they say helped himself to items delivered to a Parkside Drive home just after 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
-
Local OPP officer shares personal loss to raise awareness about mental health hotline
The government announced $156 million over three years for the new three-digit hotline, allowing people in crisis to dial 988 anywhere in Canada to be connected with trained responders.
Saskatoon
-
'We cannot keep spending': Saskatoon councillors say budget falls short of savings goals
After two days of discussing the 2024-2025 budget, some councillors are concerned about the lack of progress made.
-
Saskatoon MLA says government failed in consulting on new shelter
Saskatoon Centre NDP MLA Betty Nippi-Albright took aim at the government for what she sees as a lack of sufficient consultation about a new short-term shelter for people with severe addictions and other complex needs.
-
Saskatoon credit union branch to close due to 'increased threat' to safety
A Saskatoon credit union branch will close its doors next year due to safety concerns.
Northern Ontario
-
'No concessions' St-Onge says in $100M a year news deal with Google
The Canadian government has reached a deal with Google over the Online News Act that will see the tech giant pay $100 million annually to publishers, and continue to allow access to Canadian news content on its platform. This comes after Google had threatened to block news on its platform when the contentious new rules come into effect next month.
-
Sudbury senior killed in Hwy. 69 crash Tuesday
A 65-year-old from Greater Sudbury was killed in a single-vehicle crash just after midnight Tuesday on Highway 69.
-
North Bay’s top cop announces retirement, search on for replacement
After four years as top cop, North Bay Police Chief Scott Tod is retiring, the local police board announced Wednesday.
