Latest news with #Sooke
CTV News
10-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Lotto 6/49 prizes worth $5M, $1M won in B.C. Wednesday
Lotto 6/49 tickets are seen in a file image. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Richard Plume) Two major lottery prizes were won in B.C. on Wednesday night, on tickets bought online and in person. The lucky Lotto 6/49 ticket that scored the $5-million jackpot in the July 9 draw was purchased on the gaming website operated by the B.C. Lottery Corporation. A physical ticket purchased in the Vancouver Island community of Sooke also won the guaranteed $1-million Gold Ball Draw prize. That person will have to sign their ticket and take other steps to claim their prize, which are laid out on the BCLC website. 'Lottery winners have 52 weeks from the draw date printed on their ticket to come forward,' a BCLC spokesperson said, in an email. 'All tickets are valid for one year after the date of the draw.' No other details are available yet about either of the winners. The odds of winning the main Lotto 6/49 jackpot – which requires matching all six numbers drawn without using the bonus number – are approximately one in 14 million, according to the BCLC. The odds of winning a guaranteed prize of $1 million or more in the Gold Ball Draw depend on the number of tickets sold.
National Post
02-07-2025
- National Post
Jamie Sarkonak: Trudeau judge abuses Charter to free man busted with a loaded Glock
Article content The pill bottle, Khan testified, wasn't sitting under the radio in the front of the car — in fact, he claimed to have never seen it before. Article content The judge called BS: Khan's story was 'implausible' and 'internally inconsistent.' No phone video was filed as evidence in his defence, the beat-down story didn't make sense and no medical evidence supported the brutality allegations. Article content But on Khan's side was the Charter — and Justice Jugnauth's liberal reading of it. Article content To justify an arrest, an officer must have reasonable grounds to do so, supported by sufficient evidence that causes them to believe an offence has been committed. Article content The basis for Khan's arrest was the pill bottle, which the officer believed had been tampered with. And, fair enough. Canadian police seize bottles with scratched labels in busts all the time. In Sooke, B.C., in Grande Prairie, Alta., in Barrie, Ont., London, Ont., in Corner Brook, N.L. — to name a few cases. But it turned out the label in this case wasn't scratched (though it was weathered), and its lidless quality with plastic sticking out the top wasn't enough to satisfy the judge, who also thought the arresting officer didn't have the training or experience to identify a suspicious bottle. Article content The cocaine baggie, in the judge's view, was the only item that, if spotted, would have warranted a lawful arrest — but he didn't believe that the officer could have seen it inside the bottle from his angle. No reasonable grounds were secured, which meant that all evidence stemming from the arrest — the gun, the drugs — was obtained illegally. Article content This wasn't necessarily fatal to the case: judges have the option of allowing evidence borne from a Charter violation into trial if society's interest in the prosecution is great enough. Heck, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2010 that unlawfully beating a non-compliant intoxicated driver to the point of breaking his ribs and puncturing a lung isn't enough to get evidence tossed out. Article content However, Jugnauth found the police misconduct to be 'serious,' and the breach of Khan's rights to be on the extreme end of the state-intrusion spectrum. These factors were so heavy, in the judge's view, they outweighed the concealed loaded handgun that posed an objective danger to society — and, in particular, the officers, had the traffic stop gone another way. Article content Article content 'Unlawfully carrying a loaded handgun on one's person is an extremely serious offence that strikes at the heart of the community's sense of security…. Article content 'In my view, society's interest in bringing Mr. Khan to trial on the merits of this case strongly favours admitting the evidence. However, the strength of that pull is ameliorated to a degree by the importance of the public's interest in knowing that citizens' fundamental rights have meaning and the rule of law governs.' Article content And so, Jugnauth neutered the Crown's case and acquitted Khan. The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service has not yet decided whether to appeal. Article content It's not a major case, nor a bloody one, but it's a decent demonstration of just how hard it is to manage public safety in Canada: even if a person is caught with a loaded gun strapped to the chest with illegal drugs semi-visible below the dash, that's no guarantee they'll be held to account for it. Article content
CTV News
07-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Sooke celebrating its 25th birthday this weekend, though its history goes back a lot further
The District of Sooke is marking its 25th anniversary this weekend, but its history goes back much further than that. In 1864, gold was discovered in the waters where the Sooke River meets the Leech River. Almost overnight, an estimated 3,000 fortune-seekers poured into the area, which was soon given the name Leech Town. At the time, it had a greater population than Victoria. Within two years, that gold had dried-up and Leech Town was largely abandoned. Some would stick around the area, however, turning to industries such as farming, logging and fishing. That was the early beginnings of what would one day be called the District of Sooke. 'The town went through various incorporation votes and eventually incorporated in 1999,' said Maja Tait, the district's mayor. In December, Sooke turned 25 years old. It now has a population of roughly 16,000. 'I would say that we are growing substantially and continuing to grow; we have more than doubled in the time that we've been incorporated,' said Tait. There have been some growing pains along the way. Transportation is a challenge, with only one way in and out of the community along Highway 14. Three of the municipality's elementary schools are located on the highway, creating concerns for the safety of students. Many residents commute into the core of the capital region daily for work and appointments. Traffic delays are common, with backups during peak travel times stretching for kilometres. The mayor says the solution to those traffic woes needs to come from the province. In March 2023, the district approved the use of a parcel of land behind its library for the creation of a new urgent and primary health-care centre. Once built, it will provide a level of health care to the community that currently doesn't exist, while also taking pressure off of Highway 14 by keeping residents in the community for medical appointments. 'However, that proposal remains under review by the province,' said Tait. Sooke's motto is 'Where the Rainforest Meets the Sea.' The district's beauty is undeniable, making it an extremely attractive place to call home. The municipality has attracted a lot of first-time homebuyers as the cost of housing remains more affordable than surrounding municipalities on the South Island. 'Here in Sooke, we have a lot of volunteer organizations that do amazing events,' said the mayor. 'It's a wonderful place just to be.' Sooke's sense of community can't be overlooked, with many different community-organized events happening throughout the year. Looking forward, Sooke is planning for future growth and attempting to cash in on its strong summer tourism industry. 'We've made an application for a hotel tax to be implemented,' said the mayor. The municipality is also looking to increase its commercial retail space, which would not only allow for more residents to shop locally, but also increase the municipal tax base. On Saturday, Sooke will be holding a belated birthday party for itself at Woodside Farm. It's only 25 years old, officially, but it has come along way since gold was first discovered in the Leech River more than 160 years ago.
CTV News
06-06-2025
- CTV News
Langford man facing 10 charges in Sooke harassment investigation
A West Shore RCMP vehicle is seen in Sooke in this file photo. (CTV Vancouver Island) A Langford man is facing 10 charges after a Sooke RCMP investigation into criminal harassment and indecent communications. Online court records show Cole Jeffrey Petrie facing five counts of criminal harassment and five counts of making indecent communications. The offence dates are March 19, April 10, April 27, April 29 and June 2 of this year. All of the offences allegedly occurred in Sooke. Sooke RCMP said in a statement Friday that it had arrested Petrie after executing a search warrant at a home in Langford earlier this week. The 30-year-old was taken into custody at the home on Humpback Road without incident, police said. The search warrant was part of an investigation that began with a report about 'historic harassment via phone calls and over social media, including indecent communications from an individual over a period of several years,' according to the RCMP statement. 'Through the course of the investigation, police identified other female victims,' the statement reads. Mounties said the charges against Petrie involved four separate investigations with four different alleged victims. 'Investigators are seeking any other potential victims who may have been targeted by this individual,' said Cpl. Alex Bérubé, spokesperson for the B.C. RCMP, in the statement. Anyone with information to share is asked to contact Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241, police said. According to court records, Petrie is not in custody. He appeared in Nanaimo provincial court on Thursday and is scheduled to make his next appearance at Western Communities provincial court on July 10.
