Bon Victoriage Season Two Coming Soon
Bon Victoriage! is a documentary video podcast series produced with the support of TELUS STORYHIVE. Season One premiered Spring 2025 on TELUS Optik TV Video on Demand channel 9, Stream+, and the Bon Victoriage YouTube Channel. Season Two premieres on April 14, 2026.
The show offers panoramic views of Victoria, narrated by an eclectic mix of locals as they travel around the city on a pedicab, rediscovering the place they call home alongside program presenter and driver Johnny Brenneman.
Half travel program, half interview podcast, Bon Victoriage! is funny, emotionally resonant, and informative; Seinfeld’s Comedians in a Car Getting Coffee meets Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, with a splash of Humans of New York. Though all ages will enjoy this show, our target audience member is aged 20-40, well-informed, socially conscious, and curious about different peoples and cultures.
Each episode emphasizes places that are important for the highlighted community, sometimes travelling along the same street as in a previous episode while seeing it through entirely new eyes. In perceiving a city from so many diverse perspectives, we gain a better sense of the broader community we share, while also learning more about communities of people among us whom we don't necessarily always see.
Season One
Learn more about the Victoria Chinatown Museum, DJ sLow, Tam Kung Temple, Wah Lai Yuen, Victoria Pedicab Company.
Episode 4: Drag and The Great Unknown (47:08)
Starring: Eddi Licious, Sean Guist, Henrietta Dubet
Camera: David Malysheff, Shane Battley
Secondary Pedicab: Russell Molnar
Victoria has become known as a bastion of progressive values, and nowhere is that more clear than in the ways proud 2SLGBTQIA+ representation has flourished, even while performance venues themselves are increasingly scarce. Eddi Licious, a legendary local drag king, takes us to some of their favourite spaces around the city, sharing personal anecdotes, breaking down gender stereotypes, and providing historical-and ancestral-context to the topic of drag.
Learn more about Eddi Licious, Sean Guist, Intrepid Theatre, Logan’s Pub (RIP), Henrietta Dubet, The Vicious Poodle.
Available to Stream now!
Learn more about Sarika Cullis-Suzuki, The Nature of Things, the Gorge Waterway, and the Plainfin Midshipman.
Available to Stream now!
Season Two
Episode 1: A Place at the Table (46:06)
Starring: Susan Simmons, “Blind” Marc Hlady, Noel Lonsdale, Dixon McGowan, Meliah Motchman, Maria Sharock
Camera: David Malysheff, Ryan Landa, Callum Jones, Graham Kolbeins, Jonathan Andre Culliton, James Alder Davis
Sound: Jonathan Brenneman, Melanie Wood
Secondary Pedicab: Julie Nicole French
Johnny takes an eye-opening journey around Victoria with some of the city’s most extraordinary residents, including a record-breaking open water swimmer with multiple sclerosis named Susan Simmons, an unsighted legendary punk rock musician called “Blind” Marc Hlady, and a team of paralympic swimmers called the Spirit Orcas.
Learn more about Susan Simmons,“Blind” Marc and the Isolated Earthlings,Dayglo Abortions, the Spirit Orcas,Victoria Pedicab Company.
Available to Stream April 14!
Episode 2: A quiet city with loud music (52:04)
Starring: Jason Lamb, Murray Acton, Matt Dell, Al Smith, Aldous Johnson, Josje Bee Kelly, Martin Major-Lamb, Sullivan Turner Wright
Camera: David Malysheff, Ryan Landa, Callum Jones, Graham Kolbeins
Sound: Jonathan Brenneman, Melanie Wood
Secondary Pedicab: Graeme Wray (Gun Street Ghouls)
Despite – or, arguably, even partially because of - not having all that many formal venues for shows, Victoria has a thriving and colourful punk rock scene, with many concerts taking place in community centres, city squares, and even people’s homes. Local author and radio host Jason Lamb (presenter of "the Punk Show" on the Zone 91-3) takes us around with local legends like Murray Acton from DGA, sharing stories about a DIY music scene that’s been going since the ’80s.
Learn more about The Punk Show on the Zone 91-3,NoMeansNo, Dayglo Abortions, All Your Ears Can Hear (book+CD), Kincaide, The Coda,Matt Dell, Nuh Uh! the Band, Little Fernwood.
Available to Stream April 21!
Episode 3: City of Politics (40:37)
Starring: Matt Dell, Will Greaves
Camera: David Malysheff, Ryan Landa, Tenney Glynn
Secondary Pedicab: Chris Hamel
From our legislative buildings to City Hall, all the way to Government House, Victoria serves as a political nerve centre for decision-makers. Matt Dell, city councillor, and Will Greaves, Victoria's newly-elected Federal MP, join Johnny for an expansive tour around the city to provide us a glimpse “underneath the hood.”
Learn more about Matt Dell, Will Greaves.
Available to Stream April 28!
Episode 4: Love is in the Hair (41:28)
Starring: Doug MacNeill, Brae Carnes, Hayley Barr
Camera: Graham Kolbeins, Jonathan Andre Culliton, James Alder Davis
Secondary Pedicab: Kevin Cherry
Barbershops and salons can serve multiple purposes: in addition to the haircut itself, they also act as safe spaces to experiment with one’s presentation and self-expression. This is particularly true for the broader 2SLGBTQIA+ community, for whom a haircut is often the first signifier of queer identity. This time round, Johnny joins local barber Doug Macneill and transgender hairdresser Brae Carnes on a tour of local Victorian queer-run businesses and community spaces... and gets a haircut too!
Learn more about Bishop’s Barbershop, Role-Play Hair Studio, Caffe Fantastico, Graham Kolbeins, Jonathan Andre Culliton.
Available to Stream May 5!
Episode 5: Let’s do the time warp again—Part 1 (41:03)
Starring: Charles Leitz, Teresa Ryback, Kathryn McAllister
Camera: David Malysheff, Graham Kolbeins, Tenney Glynn
Secondary Pedicab: Alan Thimot
An area in which Victoria has well and truly excelled is in the preservation of its historic architecture, from the cottage-like heritage homes of James Bay to the veritable castles you’ll find in areas like Fairfield. In this first of two parts, Johnny travels to Ross Bay Villa with Charles Leitz, a historian from Wentworth Villa, and Teresa Ryback, a tour guide from Carr House, discussing why Victoria looks the way it does today, and how those past decisions still influence its future.
Learn more about Wentworth Villa, Carr House, Ross Bay Villa.
Available to Stream May 12!
Episode 6: Let’s do the time warp again—Part 2 (39:32)
Starring: Charles Leitz, Teresa Ryback, Steve Barker, John Barton
Camera: David Malysheff, Graham Kolbeins, Tenney Glynn, Ryan Landa, Andrew Dodd Clippingdale
Secondary Pedicab: Alan Thimot
An area in which Victoria has well and truly excelled is in the preservation of its historic architecture, from the cottage-like heritage homes of James Bay to the veritable castles you’ll find in areas like Fairfield. In this second of two parts, Johnny travels to the Carr House with Charles from Wentworth Villa, and Teresa, a volunteer from Carr House. Along the way, they visit a quirky rock art garden, hear some poetry, and trace the life and death of the iconic Victorian painter Emily Carr.
Learn more about Wentworth Villa, Carr House, Ross Bay Villa, Maryam Barker’s Rock Art, Steve Barker’s musical compositions, Poet John Barton.
Available to Stream May 19!
Episode 7: City of Poetry—Part 1: Polygonics (42:52)
Starring: John Barton, Yvonne Blomer
Camera: David Malysheff, Ryan Landa, Tenney Glynn, Callum Jones, Jonathan Brenneman
Secondary Pedicab: Kieran Walsh
Victoria plays host to many local poets who don’t just live and work here, but also take inspiration from the location itself, placing the setting - and the issues and topics relevant to it - right at the centre of their works of poetry. Two poets Laureate for the City of Victoria (John Barton and Yvonne Blomer) take us around, discussing free verse, sonnets, iambic pentameter, and of course the historic sites that influenced them, in this first of two episodes about Victoria: City of Poetry.
Learn more about John Barton, Yvonne Blomer, Kyeren Regehr, The Keys I’m Missing (Poem), Planet Earth Poetry, the Victoria Festival of Authors.
Available to Stream May 26!
Episode 8: City of Poetry—Part 2: Persephone (43:04)
Starring: John Barton, Yvonne Blomer, Kyeren Regeher, Edward Westerhuis, Chris Coleman
Camera: David Malysheff, Ryan Landa, Tenney Glynn, Callum Jones, Jonathan Brenneman
Secondary Pedicab: Kieran Walsh
In this second of two parts, Johnny and two poets Laureate Emeritus (John Barton, Yvonne Blomer) travel in a pedicab around the city, reading and reciting poetry about the city, the times we live in, bats, and even the myth of Persephone. We also meet the current poet Laureate, Kyeren Regehr, and discuss the opportunities available for poets and writers in this creatively fruitful city. The episode culminates in an unveiling ceremony for a plaque honouring John's work, at coastal Dallas Road.
Learn more about John Barton, Yvonne Blomer, Kyeren Regehr, The Poet Laureate Podcast, Planet Earth Poetry, the Victoria Festival of Authors.
Available to Stream June 2!
The team behind the scenes
Bon Victoriage! is the brainchild of Jonathan Brenneman (Johnny). Prior to moving to Victoria in late 2021, Johnny worked for fifteen years as a radio host, travel journalist, podcaster, and radio play producer for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) in Vienna, Austria, working in both German and English contexts. He interviewed storytellers in 60+ countries, including labour activists in Bangladesh, Arctic explorers in Svalbard, conservationists in Borneo, and many more. He’s also interviewed politicians, award-winning authors, physicists, and other celebrities, even hosting a live Q&A with the acclaimed music producer Brian Eno in 2021. On-camera experience includes music videos, commercials, and documentaries.
David Malysheff, a principal of the Victoria-based production company Gamut Productions, has 35 years of television production experience in film and video formats. Recently honoured with a Leo Award for Best Cinematography for the documentary Listening to Orcas for CBC, David’s credits also include the Gemini-nominated Take Off, which won an Award of Excellence from the Children’s Broadcast Institute. He travelled the world for the TV series The Best Places to Kiss and Off the Map, both of which aired on the US Travel Channel and on Canada’s WTN. David also shot and directed the History Television documentary The Immortal Beaver with Harrison Ford.
An alumni of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Róisín Adams is an immensely prolific composer, pianist, bandleader and educator. In 2013, she founded the improvisatory instrumental jazz quartet Hildegard’s Ghost, with whom she performed a wide range of her own compositions, including This City—which has become the theme song of Bon Victoriage!
2026 EVENTS
March 28th, 2026
Oaklands Community Centre, 2827 Belmont Ave. Victoria, BC
Community screening for Episode 1,A Place at the Table. 6-10 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. Sliding scale, $5-30, no one turned away. All net door proceeds to Victoria Disability Resource Centre (VDRC).
Featuring:
live punk concert from Isolated Earthlings; Live DJ set by DJ Lightning & DJ Daddy Mack; Book signing and baked goods by Meliah Motchman; Roundtable Q&A with cast, crew, and Spirit Orcas.
Hosted by Journey by Johnny Media and Oaklands Community Centre.
PAST EVENTS
April 1st, 2025
Paul Phillips Hall, 1923 Fernwood Rd.
Victoria, BC
Community screening for Episode 1, We Came Here with Nothing. 7-11 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Sliding scale, $10-20 suggested donation, no one turned away. All net door proceeds go to Victoria Chinatown Museum Society, Yen Wo Society Community.
Featuring:
Live Q&A with Charlayne Thornton-Joe, Sam Low, Nora Butz.
Baked goods by Friends & Family Bake. Live Set by DJ sLow.
Hosted by Fernwood Community and Arts Association.
April 5th, 2025
The Vicious Poodle, 726 Johnson St.
Victoria, BC
Community screening for Episodes 3 & 4, The friend you don’t yet know and Drag and The Great Unknown. Doors at 6:30PM, show at 7PM
In support of Rainbow Railroad. No cover.
Featuring:
Live Q&A with Eddi Licious, Henrietta Dubet, Jimbo the Drag Clown and guests.
Live drag performances from episode guests.
Hosted by The Vicious Poodle.
May 1st, 2025
The Mint
Victoria, BC
Community screening for Episode 6,
Jazz and the Flow State. 6:30-10 p.m.
Sliding scale, $5-20 suggested donation.
Featuring:
Live performances from Wes Carroll, Kelby MacNayr, Rowan Farintosh, Nathan Shelby, and more. Live Set by DJ sLow. Live Q&A with episode guests.
Hosted by The Mint.
May 27th, 2025
Paul Phillips Hall, 1923 Fernwood Rd.
Victoria, BC
Community screening for Episode 8, The Journey Behind the Journey. 7-10 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Sliding scale, $10-20 suggested donation, no one turned away. All net door proceeds go to production for Bon Victoriage Season 2!
Hosted by Fernwood Community and Arts Association.
October 30th, 2025
Ministry of Casual Living, 750 Fairfield Rd
Victoria, BC
Community screening for Episode 7,
Those Who Never Leave. 5-8 p.m.
Showtimes 5pm / 6pm / 7pm
Free/By donation
Featuring:
popcorn! candy! unhealthy snacks!
Hosted by Ministry of Casual Living.
PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES
Organizations Facilitating Tourism & Regional Promotion
Traversing a city in an open air vehicle (with five camera coverage!) is a fantastic way to explore a city, and not only for episode guests. With each filmed episode, the program’s audience become better and better acquainted with the neighbourhoods, parks, streets, and alleys that make Victoria one of the central characters of Bon Victoriage! Fans who visit the city will be thrilled to see some of the places they saw on TV, in real life.
Local Businesses, Nonprofit Societies, Venues
Whether we’re highlighting a weekly jazz night, a nonprofit society benefiting the city’s unhoused population, a 2SLGBTQIA+ performance space and cultural venue, or a museum dedicated to the Chinese-Canadian families who’ve made Victoria home, with each episode we’ve aimed to bring exposure to the initiatives and organizations that provide spaces for local communities to meet, share ideas, and work together.
Storytellers
More than fifteen years working as a travel journalist has sharpened my instincts for how to bring out the best stories from the storytellers I meet. Starting in the preliminary conceptual stages, I help my guests map out a route that braids together the philosophical with the political, allowing space to develop the safety and intimacy usually found only with close friends.
Platforms
Bon Victoriage! has been made possible through the support of TELUS STORYHIVE; we also benefit from access to SH’s built-in audience via Optik TV, Stream+, and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel and other social media platforms. At the same time, Journey By Johnny retains the IP to Bon Victoriage! and the right to expand the program’s reach through agreements with other streamers and platforms seeking out local Canadian, community and/or travel-related content.
Passionate Donors
I am very proud of our work this season, and look forward to sharing it with as large of an audience as possible. I also wish to continue filming it—this funky little city is chock full of stories, and we’ve only just scratched the surface! There are multiple ways to support this program, including with equipment, expertise, and of course, you know, money.
If anything in this section speaks to you, scroll down just a little further….
I want you to get involved with this project!
Venues, donors, and platforms, oh my! Please get in touch using this contact form, and I’ll be sure to write you back shortly.