MicCHEK

Deep in the Victoria archives sits a 1944 proposal that would have drastically changed the look and feel of the capital city's inner harbour. If passed the Fairmont Empress wouldn't have a view of the water, Government Street wouldn't be the focus, and the city would have one, great "Boulevard Memoriale". In this episode we chat with a local architect and urban designer on the merits of the plan a...

Who better to give us their ten Valentine's Day recommendations than the co-owner of one of the most popular spots on February 14th. In this episode we sit down with former Victoria Councillor Shellie Gudgeon of Il Terrazzo to get her ten recommendations on where to go and what to do with your special loved one. Also in this episode, Joe talks about his visit to Port Alberni and a historic German...

We're nine months out and the race for the mayor's chair in Saanich and Victoria is already heating up. In this episode we take a look at what's on the line for voters, who's in and who might be on the ballot, plus we look back on how the City of Victoria has changed over the last eight years with Lisa Helps at the helm.

Gong hei fat choy! This week Victoria restaurateur and friend of MicCHEK, Jason Chan of The Village/Ghost Ramen gives us his top 10 picks to visit within North America's second-oldest Chinatown. Restaurants, drinks, kitchenware... It's all here! (5:31) Later on in this episode (35:40) in our Order Up Spotlight we visit Island Nut Roastery to hear the latest in all things peanut butter.

In this episode we chat with the founder of CRAFT Beer Market to learn what's in store when the former Canoe Brewpub reopens under a new name this summer. Bocce anyone?

We're looking for the best of the best in Tofino, and not the places everyone's heard of. We want to hear from locals about where they eat and what they do for fun. In this episode, we've lined up three locals to give us their favourite beach, restaurant, quick bite (like a coffee shop), activity, and miscellaneous pick for the best their community has to offer. Also in this episode (34:40), a loo...

In the last few months, there have been multiple collisions between pedestrians and vehicles on Greater Victoria streets. As a result, local governments are currently exploring ways to protect the most vulnerable road users. In this episode, we asked two of the region's most vocal advocates for cycling and walking to come on and discuss possible solutions to making the Capital Regional district sa...

Time to bring in the experts. In this roundtable, we asked the team behind Zambri's and Big Wheel Burger to lay out what THEY think are the Top 10 restaurants in the capital city. They've turned their restaurants into staples in Victoria and know the chefs and staff at some of the finest restaurants in the region, so they understand quality food. After a brief history of Zambri's we dive into thei...

It's one of the biggest misconceptions when homeowners receive their property assessments in the mail. This year many islanders saw a whopping increase in their assessment rate and some immediately feared their property tax would jump as well. In this episode we chat with a BC Mayor who has taken on the somewhat complicated task of clarifying the difference between property assessments and propert...

Who makes the best potato chip on planet earth? And should tortilla chips, corn chips, sweet potato chips be included in the discussion? These are the questions we set out to answer in our first ROUNDTABLE of 2022. With the help of an employee from Hardbite, BC's major chip company we put forth our list of the Top 20 chips (ROUNDTABLE starts at the 6:20 mark). Also in this episode, a new feature t...

Vancouver Island is home base for many of Canada's national athletic teams, including the home of many of the country's top climbers. Tosh Sherkat moved to Victoria from Nelson to go to school and pursue his dream of climbing for the national team. Recently though, he decided to leave the team over an ethical dilemma involving the climate crisis and Canada's history of Indigenous oppression. He jo...

We're back! After a longer than expected December break Joe and Kyle return with their first episode of 2022. In this episode Joe shares his experience testing positive for Covid-19. The two also put a bow on 2021 with the first MicCHEK CHEKie Awards handed out to the best island restaurants of the past year. Listen as some familiar ROUNDTABLE guests return with their CHEKie picks. [CHEKie Awards...

The City of Victoria is in the process of overhauling its noise bylaw. The bylaw hasn't really been touched in nearly two decades but council hasn't decided what will change. Should gas-powered leaf blowers be banned? Should the beeping noise large city vehicles make when they back up be eliminated? Should bylaw officers work later and on weekends to crack down on partiers making a racket in the e...

The most wonderful time of the year, eh? Not so fast. Look, we love December and the holiday season but we can’t gloss over all of the added stress we all feel this time of year. In this episode we’ve asked some of the nicest humans we know to put their joy to the side for a moment, and help us compile a list of the Top 20 things that really grind our gears during the holiday season. Happy Holiday...

Another Roundtable where we bring in the experts! Jeff and Eden made it their mission to eat at every food truck in Victoria, and we tap into that experience this week. We pick the 15 best food trucks in the Greater Victoria region, and there are some real hidden gems in this list. As an extra bonus we also hear from Jeff & Eden's band, West My Friend. Lastly, we've got a few clips with the owners...

Beloved Victoria radio host by day, earthquake expert by night (or whenever he finds some spare time). In this episode we sit down with the CBC's Gregor Craigie to talk about the big one. When will it hit? How much damage will it do to Victoria? And what can we do to prepare?

Where's the best place to go for vegan food in Greater Victoria? That's the question we're tackling in this episode. For answers we've invited back three members of the Vancouver Island Vegan Association to help us make a list of 20 great vegan options in the capital region (First pick starts at 9:23).

In this episode we sit down with Victoria Indigenous author Wendy Proverbs to discuss her new book, "Aggie and Mudgy: The Journey of Two Kaska Dena Children". The true story details the long and frightening journey her mother and aunt were forced to take after being torn from their community and placed in a residential school in central BC.

Tired of watching the same Christmas films every holiday season? You've come to the right place. In this episode we've lined up a panel of film critics to discuss their top Christmas films. Listen as we compile a list of 20 holiday films we think you'll enjoy.

Pretty simple question, but the answer is a bit more complicated. In this episode we chat with an award-winning structural engineer in Victoria to discuss why the capital city isn’t making better use of its rooftops.

In this episode we sit down with three local beer aficionados to hear their picks for best brew on Vancouver Island. Listen as we discuss breweries in Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Qualicum Bay, Chemainus and all over the capital region and narrow down a list of the top 20 beers on Vancouver Island.

A year out and we already have a mayoral race brewing in Saanich. Next fall current Mayor Fred Haynes will square off against former three-term Saanich councillor, Dean Murdock. After stepping away from politics Murdock says he now wants the mayor's seat. In this wide-ranging chat we discuss the state of Saanich, some of Murdock's plans for change, and why he wants to get back into municipal polit...

You can't live on Vancouver Island and not spend a little time talking about trees. They're everywhere and they're beautiful. But do you know the difference between a Douglas Fir and a Sitka Spruce? If you were looking at a Western Hemlock and a Western Red Cedar could you tell them apart? In this episode, we've compiled a couple of arborists to discuss 20 of our favourite trees on Vancouver Islan...

They loved her so much, they named a pub after her. In this episode we learn a bit more about the namesake of UVic's campus pub, beloved janitor Felicita Gomez. We also learn that for decades most people have been mispronouncing her name. We sit down with Felicita's grandson to set the record straight about this incredible woman who touched so many lives.

Who has the best logo on Vancouver Island? And we're not talking about sports teams, we're talking about the best logo of all the businesses on the island. In this episode, two actual logo and branding experts join the podcast to help us create our list of the Top 20 local logos.