Provincial

Trans Day of Visibility Rally at legislature calls for action, not just awareness

Members of Victoria’s queer community gathered on the lawn of the B.C. legislature on Tuesday, March 31, for a Trans Day of Visibility Rally. The rally blended celebration with protest,…

BC invests $1.9M in UVic for quantum computing research and breakthroughs

Funding will support energy-efficient computing infrastructure for quantum physics research at UVic, led by Dr. Thomas Baker, a UVic professor and Canada Research Chair.

New gender-based violence policies at federal and provincial levels main focuses are judicial responses, prevention

“Survivors’ needs are not uniform. Many prioritize safety, stability, housing, financial security, access to culturally responsive supports, and healing over prosecution or punishment. A justice framework that centres only on…

Proposed suspension of arts and other programs at North Island College draws community pushback

The proposal is only the latest instance of a trend facing many postsecondary institutions in B.C., and particularly on the island, and comes in the midst of a turbulent period…

‘It was set up to fail’ B.C.’s drug decriminalization pilot program will not be renewed, health minister says

The three-year long exemption was launched to make it easier for drug users to reach out without fear of stigma, but Osborne said “it has not delivered the results [they]…

B.C. Supreme Court hears challenge to faith-based hospital denying MAID and other essential care

A four-week case began on Jan. 19 in the B.C. Supreme Court, challenging the right of publicly-funded hospitals to practice faith-based care.

Student societies oppose post-secondary system review, as B.C. government says more funding ‘not practical’

The B.C. government says public post-secondary institutions are facing fiscal challenges due to federal reductions in study permits for international students, declining domestic student enrolment, and global inflation, but says…

AccessBC calls for improved pain management policy for IUD insertions

Although the universal contraception policy successfully increased access to prescription contraception, leading to significant growth in IUD usage, many patients continue to face preventable and sometimes severe pain because adequate…

Indigenous speakers and hundreds of gatherers oppose unsanctioned OneBC event on UVic campus

The Saanich Police Department told the Martlet in a statement that officers arrested one individual under the Trespass Act. Saanich PD did not provide their name, but both Brodie and…