The Martlet

A short UVSS meeting on Oct. 5 sees four motions passed with limited discussion, notes Tuesday’s municipal election debate and “Stocktober” File photo by Belle White. A short UVSS board meeting on Oct. 5 elected a director to the UVic Convocation Committee, approved the draft agenda for the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), accepted the resignation of a board member, and approved the changes to the Ombudsperson Advisory Committee Terms of Reference.

On Oct. 17, residents in the City of Victoria and District of Saanich will be faced with a non-binding public opinion question on whether or not the two municipalities should merge Photo via the City of Victoria. On Oct. 17, voters in the District of Saanich and City of Victoria municipal elections will see a non-binding, public opinion question on whether the two municipalities should amalgamate (merge) on the ballot.

The 16th annual film week featured a ‘film conversation’ for the first time this year From Sept. 23 to 27, the Hispanic Film Society of Victoria hosted the 16th Latin American & Spanish Film Week at UVic’s Cinecenta. The Latin American & Spanish Film Week began in 2010 as a way to promote UVic’s Spanish, Latin American and Hispanic Studies courses, and has since grown into a community event.

This meeting clarified language in several academic policies, and saw the discontinuation of the Non-credit Certificate in General Studies UVic’s Senate kicked off the academic year with a quick meeting on Oct. 2 filled with housekeeping items and motions to clarify important academic standards and regulations. In her opening remarks, Acting President and Senate Chair Dr. Elizabeth Croft said the incoming cohort is 5 255 people, the “largest” in UVic’s history.

An interim facility will be located at the former YMCA on Broughton Street, with priority for swim lessons and clubs Illustration by Sabina Mendoza. On Sept. 25, Crystal Pool closed for the construction of a new Crystal Pool facility, currently slated to open in approximately five years. Crystal Pool has been a part of Victoria for 55 years, and discussions of rebuilding it have been ongoing for 20 years, according to Victoria City Councillor Matt Dell.

Would Canadian students be able to benefit from no tuition fees and visa-free exchanges? Photo via the European Union. Imagine being a student at UVic, and having the opportunity to go on exchange in Europe for one or two semesters. We can already do that via the International Centre for Students (ICS) — but what if we could go on exchange to any country in the European Union (EU) with reduced or no tuition and without needing a visa?

The one-time Community Housing Renewal Grant will be used to repair various long-standing community housing infrastructure Illustration by Sabina Mendoza. The City of Victoria has provided nearly $1 million in grant funding, split between seven different local housing organizations. The one-time Community Housing Renewal Grant is intended to help repair and replace old or outdated structural elements.

An average of 21 incidents of violence are reported daily in Victoria schools, but coming to a consensus on the best course of action is proving difficult Photo by Luisa Dela Cruz. In September, the Greater Victoria Teachers Association (GVTA) released a report on school violence, calling for urgent action from the Greater Victoria School District (SD61). As part of the report, the GVTA surveyed 165 respondents, representing 8 per cent of Victoria teachers.

The new production group will be putting on two actual-play TTRPG performances later on Oct. 15 and 16 Image courtesy of Once Upon a Dreadful Night. On Oct. 15 and 16, a new production group in Victoria, Once Upon a Dreadful Night (OUDN), will be putting on their inaugural improvised show, Dread Noir, an “actual play” of the game Dread.

Student lounges are loved by students and departments across UVic, although not every faculty has one. Forget the sterile, gray walls found across campus. This term, writing students have a new sanctuary — one born from a desire to build community, fight food insecurity, and give artists a vibrant, non-institutional space to collaborate. However, not all students across UVic’s many departments have equal access to such a space.