5 Most Popular Online Magazines in Victoria, BC

YAM Magazine

YAM Magazine, a prominent lifestyle publication, has been celebrating the unique personality and vitality of Victoria since its inception. With a focus on fashion, arts, culture, and local trends, YAM Magazine provides readers with engaging content that showcases the best of the city. The magazine offers both print and digital subscriptions, ensuring that readers can access its content through their preferred medium. One of the standout features of YAM Victoria Magazine is its dedication to reader engagement and community involvement. The publication regularly hosts events and collaborates with local businesses to create unique experiences for its audience.

Boulevard Magazine

Boulevard Magazine, published by Page One Publishing, is a lifestyle magazine that captures the essence of Victoria’s vibrant culture. With a content focus that spans lifestyle, arts, food, travel, and business, Boulevard Magazine offers a diverse range of articles and features that appeal to a wide audience. The magazine has a strong presence within Victoria’s Chinese community, providing targeted advertising opportunities for businesses looking to reach this demographic. Boulevard Magazine actively engages with its readers through community partnerships and events, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty among its audience.

Focus on Victoria (formerly FOCUS Magazine)

Focus on Victoria, previously known as FOCUS Magazine, has a rich history of providing independent journalism to the Victoria community. With a strong emphasis on local social, political, environmental, and health-related issues, Focus on Victoria maintains its commitment to delivering quality content that informs and engages readers. The magazine made a strategic shift to digital publishing, prioritizing environmental sustainability and accessibility. Focus Magazine Victoria encourages reader participation through comments, submissions, and community involvement initiatives. The publication offers digital subscriptions and maintains a selection of distribution locations for readers who prefer print copies.

How to save downtown

To revive downtown Victoria, the plan suggests mixed-use development, combining residential and commercial spaces. Despite tax adjustments, businesses still struggle with high rents and taxes. High vacancy rates emphasize the need for a vibrant community. Initiatives like the Cosmopolitan project could attract residents, supporting local businesses and easing tax burdens.

When voter suppression comes calling

A documentary and public forum in Victoria will expose the election fraud in Canada, focusing on voter suppression tactics in the 2011 federal election. Filmmaker Peter Smoczynski’s “Election Day in Canada: When Voter Suppression Comes Calling” reveals strategies like robocalling to manipulate voter behaviour. The film features interviews with politicians and journalists, highlighting the serious threat these tactics pose to democracy.

Hidden Surveillance

In Canada, local police and the RCMP have launched a major public traffic surveillance system using ALPR technology, raising privacy concerns due to inadequate oversight. The system scans thousands of license plates hourly, prompting worries about transparency, oversight, and civil liberties, with critics calling for public debate and clear regulatory guidelines.

Victoria’s sewage fiasco and the politics of contamination

The costly push for land-based sewage treatment in Victoria, begun in 2006, relied on debunked claims of seabed contamination and was influenced by a secret agreement between BC and Washington leaders. By sidestepping local voter consent and disregarding evidence of minimal environmental impact from current marine outfalls, it underscores questionable motives and undermines democratic decision-making, signalling a need for electoral action.

Will a flu shot keep you healthy?

The effectiveness of annual flu shots is debated, with research showing only a modest reduction in flu cases. Many health workers and the public are skeptical about the push for vaccinations, partly due to the influence of the pharmaceutical industry and the fact that the influenza virus doesn’t cause most flu-like illnesses. This raises questions about the evidence supporting widespread flu vaccination campaigns.

Will sewage treatment in Victoria benefit the environment?

Experts debate Victoria’s proposed $800M to $1B secondary sewage treatment, questioning its environmental benefits due to natural dilution in the ocean. Concerns include contamination and effectiveness of current treatment. Some advocate for advanced methods like biological nutrient removal, but research on their efficacy remains inconclusive. Thorough analysis and evaluation are crucial before implementing costly treatment plans.

Bulldozing burial grounds

In Victoria, Pioneer Square Cemetery’s respectful restoration contrasts with the contentious development of Grace Islet, a Coast Salish burial site. Despite First Nations’ opposition, a permit was issued for a luxury home there, exposing broader struggles in BC to protect indigenous burial grounds and highlighting the need for better heritage site protection mechanisms.

Fighting for the teacher’s attention

In Victoria, a dispute over support for students with special needs jeopardizes public education’s future, focusing on “class size and composition” concerns. Despite Bill 33’s 2006 introduction to address this by setting class size limits, challenges persist due to inadequate funding and support, prompting calls for transparency and action to ensure fair education for all.

The economics and ethics of trophy hunting

In BC, bear viewing is more lucrative than bear hunting, yet the government plans to expand hunting, sparking controversy over economics and ethics. Conservation efforts and First Nations opposition, particularly in the Great Bear Rainforest, highlight the tension between wildlife tourism and trophy hunting.

Meet your doctor’s generous friend

In the US, pharmaceutical companies faced hefty fines for unethical practices like bribing doctors, but in Canada, similar actions by drug reps have gone unpunished. Former reps from Victoria exposed how they influenced doctors with gifts and trips, sparking concerns about prescribing integrity. This underscores the necessity for stricter regulation and independent drug research in Canada.

Elderly woman still hiding from VIHA

82-year-old Mia, freed after an inquiry dismissed her hospitalization, is still pursued by the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). Despite receiving treatment for PTSD, VIHA insists on tracking her, prompting her family to leave town. Mia’s writing to cope with trauma is overshadowed by VIHA’s relentless pursuit, adding to her stress.