Miller's mural, inspired by Portuguese colonial tile is displayed in Waddington Alley near Yates Street--but not for long. Photo © VibrantVictoria.ca

Pedestrians cutting between Yates and Johnson Streets may be doing a double-take as they see what appears to be an elaborate ceramic crest gracing the east-facing wall of the International Youth Hostel.

Actually, the three metre high blue and white mural is made entirely of sugar icing and was installed over the weekend by Saskatchewan-born and Montreal-based artist Shelley Miller.

Titled “Stained”, the outdoor installation is part of an art residency sponsored by Victoria’s Open Space gallery. The work will remain throughout the months of April and May until it is erased by the elements–or hungry pub-goers. Miller considers the gradual deterioration of the piece to be a major part of the exhibit as the vivid colours fade, streak and crumble, much like real architectural detailing would erode over generations.

It’s not always possible for Miller to work on a wall unmarred by graffiti. In one case, 2001’s Pipe Dreams, the artist meticulously piped frosting right over existing tags, outlining each anonymously spray-painted letter with tiny pastel peaks. Miller says the bemused vandals see Miller’s adornments as the work of a fellow urban artist and generally don’t mind that their graffiti has been defaced. VV

Keep up on the latest art news in town by following this thread on VibrantVictoria’s discussion forum.

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca.  All rights reserved.

Architect's model of the museum expansion rough massings of proposed buildings are made from white plastic. Photo © VibrantVictoria

The Royal British Columbia Museum’s expansion plan was presented to the City of Victoria’s Advisory Design Panel last week but the volunteer members were hard pressed to offer constructive criticism because the overall plan has yet to be fully fleshed out.

The proposed expansion surrounds the current exhibition building in this architect's model. Photo supplied.

As reported last year, the museum is on a long-term expansion plan with a move-in date of 2017. Museum Chair Pauline Rafferty says the existing museum and archival infrastructure is at a tipping point. For example, some of the Province’s collection of photographs and motion picture film is deteriorating due to lack of proper storage conditions.

Overall site plan for the museum complex. The intention is to create a special new zone to replace the current residential duplex zoning. Image supplied.

The Design Panel took great interest in the overall plan but found it difficult to move it forward without a rezoning in place or more information on the design parameters. The expansion is still in its embryonic stage, with only rough massing blocks representing the expansive office space planned for the site.

It was agreed that new planning information would be supplied for a special meeting to be held in a few days. VV

To discuss the Royal British Columbia Museum’s expansion plans on the VibrantVictoria discussion forum, click here.

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca.  All rights reserved.

If you think Rick Davies will sing his songs in Victoria this May, you're Bloody Well Right. If you think Roger Hodgson will make a surprise guest appearance, you're a Dreamer. Photo: Supertramp

Legendary English prog-rock group Supertramp will kick off the latest leg of their world tour with a stop at Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre May 31.

Led by co-founder Rick Davies, writer of Supertramp songs Goodbye Stranger and Crime of the Century, the nine-piece band will hit the stage without co-founder Roger Hodgson, the writer responsible for some of their biggest hits, including The Logical Song and Give a Little Bit.

Hodgson claims in an article posted on his website that when he split from the band in 1983 he had a gentlemen’s agreement with Davies in which Davies would retain the Supertramp name but Hodgson would keep the songs he wrote with the group. When the reformed Supertramp eventually began integrating Hodgson’s hits into their setlist, the singer with the distinctive tenor voice had no legal recourse.

Hodgson continues to tour solo and is in the midst of a virtual sell-out tour of smaller venues, including a March 3 gig at Richmond’s River Rock Casino.

A rumour circulated that Hodgson would also be beginning his Canadian tour with a Victoria concert but the event never happened, despite premature postings on various concert schedule websites.

A Royal Theatre box office worker said today that the March 2 Victoria concert announcement was not official and that tickets were never issued.

Tickets for Supertramp’s Save-On show start at $73.25 plus fees and are available at Selectyourtickets.com. VV

Get up to date with the latest news on concerts in Victoria by following this link to VibrantVictoria’s discussion forum.

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

Saanich Council likes evening jazz and karaoke but frowns on early morning boozing. Photo © VibrantVictoria

If you were planning on hoisting an Applebee’s Bahama Mama or Colada Swirl after midnight you may be in for a long wait.

At a Monday night meeting of Saanich Council’s Committee of the Whole, Councillors sent Applebee’s away empty handed after the McKenzie Avenue restaurant requested an extension of their liquor service until 1 a.m.

Located in the Tuscany Village development near Shelbourne Street, the restaurant is part of a large mixed-use development and is overlooked by dozens of residential condo units.

Councillors were wary of approving an extension without hearing the concerns of neighbours. The Committee of the Whole, chaired by Councillor Susan Brice, voted to decline the application and asked the applicant to canvas the opinions of residents before reapplying.

Councillor Paul Gerrard said a midnight cut-off time for alcohol sales was more than sufficient, saying that most businesses in the surrounding area, including Starbucks are shut by 11 p.m or earlier. Councillor Vicki Sanders was concerned an extended liquor service could be disruptive, citing the problems associated with the new McCrae’s restaurant on Shelbourne Street. Sanders said there have been issues with patrons of the popular eatery spilling out into the neighbourhood.

Saanich Planning staff recommended that Council turn down the request and they agreed, telling owner Chad Huff that they are welcome to reapply once they’ve done some community consultation.

Downtown Victoria has seen a rash of applications from restaurants hoping to cash in on the late night crowd wanting alcohol and a snack. Most applications have been granted despite concerns the restaurants are operating as de facto bars. VV

You can read more on Applebee’s and the rest of the Tuscany Village development by following the link to this thread on VibrantVictoria’s discussion forum.

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

The pub's name was inspired by a George Orwell article. Image supplied.

The Moon Under Water pub is concluding its grand opening week with a celebration Saturday, February 19.

Tomorrow, the Rock Bay pub owned and operated by Don, Ron and Bonnie Bradley will launch its fourth “main stay” brew, Tranquility IPA, which joins their three other beers: Moonlight Blonde Ale, Lunar Pale Ale and Blue Moon Best Bitter. This week they are featuring traditional English pub food paired with specially-brewed beers like brown ale and raspberry porter.

In August of 2010, Victoria city council awarded the Bradleys a coveted liquor primary license, allowing them to brew and serve alcohol on the premises. The pub opened its doors October 29 while the owners continued to make refinements to the pub’s interior, food menu and beer lineup. The pub closed for the first three weeks of this year as the Bradleys went on a brewery tour of Portland and Seattle and completed construction of a games room.

The pub appears to be holding its own through the traditionally challenging winter sales period despite skeptics who predicted the pub would struggle due to the rough location, absence of picturesque views, unique self-service model and the lack of high-definition televisions on every wall and pillar.

The Moon Under Water is at 350B Bay Street and is open Wednesday to Sunday. Monday and Tuesday are brewing days. VV

Keep up to date on the Moon Under Water pub here on VibrantVictoria’s discussion forum.

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

The Luongos and Crosbies of road hockey will be making their way to downtown Victoria. Creative Commons licensed photo by Flickr user thelastminute.

The classic game of the Canadian suburbs is coming to Downtown Victoria for two days this February, and there will be no chance of passing cars interrupting the action.

Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On! National Street Hockey Championship is an invitation/qualification event that will see six street hockey rinks built on Belleville Street in front of the Legislature. 66 winning teams from preliminary tournaments across Canada are competing for the Redwood Cup and the accompanying $20,000 cash prize for first place.

Billed as Canada’s largest sports festival, the competition is designed to bring male and female amateur players from differing age groups and skill levels together to celebrate hockey’s grassroots.

There is no charge for spectators wishing to view the event which will take place on Friday, February 11 and Saturday February 12, 2011. The tournament will be streamed online at cbc sports.ca and broadcast  live on CBC television’s Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada program, from noon to 6 p.m. on February 12. For more information, go to redwoodcup.com. VV

The Play On championship is discussed here on VibrantVictoria’s sports and outdoor recreation sub-forum.

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

Bridge architects answer questions from a small crowd at the Victoria Conference Centre. The bridge replacement project was one of the most controversial stories of 2010. File photo © by VibrantVictoria.ca.

2010 was a busy year in the capital region and we here at VibrantVictoria tried to cover as much of the action as possible. Here are some of the highlights from the last six months of the year:

(Click here for part I)

July

As summer heated up, public parking was covered, as was private parking lots later in the year. There was development news from Fan Tan Alley, Herald Street and Harris Green. An old Vic West warehouse, a derelict motel and a former Burnside Road thrift store all got a new lease on life. Sports news included a rare local appearance by the Whitecaps’ women’s team and the home opener of the Rebels football team. Debate over the fate of a proposed Inner Harbour marina continued to make waves, while it was smooth sailing over at the Uptown construction site.

August

The middle of the year brought news that Council wanted the Johnson Street Bridge gone. David Foster took his name off Saanich’s Cedar Hill arts centre. We were there when the Land Titles Agency prepared to move in to the Atrium. Victoria said hello to its newest liquor primary license–Rock Bay’s Moon Under Water pub. New office space coming on line meant a spike in vacancy rates. Victoria took a financial hit when abnormal August winds prevented two cruise ships from docking at Ogden Point. Later in the month we got our first look at Council’s controversial attempt at implementing a “no urban camping” bylaw.

A spectacular view of the city skyline is offered from the newly-opened Hudson condominium. File photo © by VibrantVictoria.ca.

September

On the first of the month we reported that Councillor Charlayne Thortnton-Joe lost the coveted Downtown portfolio. The move, which was not unexpected, came in the wake of a larger program of shake-ups at City Hall. Our story on Council’s decision to down-zone a proposed marina featured a fiesty former mayor and some pointed accusations. We celebrated the Hudson’s grand opening and hoped the building would soon find retail tenants. We broke the story of how a government funder got cold feet and withdrew support for the Hudson’s affordable housing component. Townline later announced the building would go ahead as market rental and that construction is supposed to start this year. No time to lose, because our population increased by over 2,000 people over the previous year.

October

The beginning of October brought a welcome addition to Harris Green–a new mixed-use office building. The public got a chance to check out a futuristic rapid-transit-style bus. The Northern Junk and Admiral’s Inn proposals received a critical look.  In art news, the Emily Carr statue was finally unveiled and prominent local sculptor Bob Wise died at 61. The bridge replacement project continued to make headlines, this time when the public got the chance to grill the architects.

November

Civic by-election news captured a lot of attention this month, with coverage of Barry Hobbis’ telephone town hall to an unfortunate error in a voting pamphlet produced by a cycling advocacy group. We also followed reports of voting irregularities throughout the city on election day. The oddest story of the month was an elaborate hoax perpetrated by an American news weekly. The paper claimed Steve Nash was retiring from basketball to run for mayor of Victoria. Nash and the Phoenix Suns were quick to debunk the phoney in-depth cover article. New development proposals included The Union in Chinatown and a recreational zip line near the Inner Harbour.

December

The weather got colder and wetter and the stories kept rolling in. Telus’ giant billboard continued to frustrate City officials who were only able to respond by giving out modest fines. We caught up with Bill Vander Zalm as he kicked off the Ida Chong recall campaign. A new vintage clothing store had a unique sales angle. Yet another attempt at developing a prime lot at Cook and Johnson streets was made. Toward year’s end we covered the Vic PD’s gruesome find and listed the hoops Santa had to jump through in order to visit the City of Gardens.

We here at VibrantVictoria enjoyed bringing you stories from around the region and we look forward to bringing you more news in 2011. Thanks for reading. VV

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

A Vic West warehouse will transform into a BMW dealership; one of the many stories we covered in the first half of 2010. Photo © VibrantVictoria.ca.

2010 was a busy year in the capital region and we here at VibrantVictoria tried to cover as much of the action as possible. Here are some of the highlights from the first six months of the year:

January

We started off the year with news of the delivery of the Johnson Street Bridge counter-petition. The controversial bridge replacement scheme would prove to be one of the hottest topics on VibrantVictoria’s discussion forum. A serious gas leak on the Point Ellice Bridge, was an event that served as a reminder of the vulnerability of our critical utilities infrastructure. There was optimism on Bear Mountain as word came that the on-hold Highlander condo might restart. The project remains stalled. Vibrant Victoria broke the story of a Downtown McDonald’s restaurant that tried to drive away loitering teens with a piercing sub-sonic whistle, later confirmed to be a Mosquito device.

February

The Greater Victoria Public Library’s plans to expand its services gave hope to those wanting a landmark downtown library, yet today those hopes seem more like an elusive fantasy. We saw the closure of a pioneer cocktail bar and the opening of two Downtown gay bars, while those staying at home could enjoy a new beer priced at just over a buck per can. In development news, Dave Chard and other builders showed that the market for new construction was getting stronger, while the Royal BC Museum’s long-term plan outlined a drastic revitalization of the area.

March

The plan to bring the Juno Awards to the capital region gained steam and moved a step closer to reality as the year ended. A public hearing was announced for the stalled Sawyer building but the project remains in limbo today. Hudson Walk was another project that promised to restart but failed to do so by year’s end. Victorians were delighted to see the wrappings come off the rehabilitated Hudson condo with its meticulously restored facade. Later in the month, video of a Vic PD officer’s use of force went viral, and Downtown’s wacky border gained attention.

April

We updated readers on the latest construction news, including the Hudson’s second phase. We broke the news of the pending closure of Harris Green’s St. Andrew’s Elementary School. The Northern Junk redevelopment and the proposed Moon Under Water pub also attracted attention.

May

We kicked off the month with a look at Emergency Preparedness Week and the disappearance of Downtown’s emergency triage kit. Madrona Farm’s purchase complemented earlier stories about other local farms working to reinvent themselves. The Sovereign had good news, the View/Fort condo had bad news and the Douglas StreetSuperstore was the latest entry in the pending start/still stalled category. We watched the anti-HST petition and subsequent recall initiative and the Seals’ home opener, not knowing it would be the baseball team’s last at Royal Athletic Park. We discovered a non-conforming Telus billboard and followed the media giant’s attempts to make it legal seven months later. An Old Town mural was planned according to the rules but it later got bogged down and was put on hold.

June

The Vic PD got a new look in June, including new patrol cars. The force is still in the process of phasing out the old Crown Victoria cars. Transportation news included a Victoria airliner’s close call over Washington State, late night bus service and BC Ferries’ financial results. The on again/off again award for this month goes to Concert Properties Yates Street condo (or office) project. Other development news took us to CFB Esquimalt, and Downtown. And of course, the Johnson Street Bridge process continued to make news.  VV

End of part I

Copyright © 2011 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

Victoria City Hall. Photo by Flickr user scazon licensed under Creative Commons.

Acting Mayor John Luton will swing open the doors of Victoria City Hall’s antechamber at 9 a.m. January 1 as the City hosts its annual New Year’s levee.

The hour-and-a-half-long event is an opportunity for citizens to meet informally with the mayor, councillors and neighbours over coffee and snacks.

The age-old event attracts a wide audience, including civic watchers, seniors, curious teens, media types and churlish homeless advocates.

This will be the second year in a row Victoria’s levee will be hosted by an acting mayor while Mayor Dean Fortin is away.

In Canada, the custom of New Year’s levees began long ago with fur traders paying respects to the local government representative or master of the fort.

Other regional levees include:

• 9:00 – 10:00 am HMCS MALAHAT
  Combined Messes Levee
  The Wardroom, 20 Huron Street
• 10:00 am – noon Government House
  1401 Rockland Avenue
  Their Honours Lt.-Gov. Steven L. Point and Mrs. Gwendolyn Point
• 10:00 – 11:00 am The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s)
  Combined Messes Levee
  Bay Street Armoury, 715 Bay Street
• 10:30 am – noon 11 Victoria Field Ambulance, 11 Service Battalion, and 12 Military Police Platoon
  Combined Messes Levee
  LGen Ashton Armoury, 724 Vanalman Avenue
• 1:00 – 2:00 pm The Corporation of the District of Oak Bay
  Monterey Senior Centre, 1442 Monterey Avenue
  His Worship Mayor Christopher Causton
• 1:00 – 2:30 pm Township of Esquimalt
  Municipal Hall Council Chambers, 1229 Esquimalt Road
  Her Worship Mayor Barbara Desjardins
• 1:00 – 2:30 pm District of Saanich
  Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue
  His Worship Mayor Frank Leonard

Read about New Years’ levees here on Vibrant Victoria’s discussion forum.

Copyright © 2010 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.

Approximate location of Santa's Workshop in relation to the Greater Victoria region. Image courtesy Google and the Santa NORAD tracker.

Santa Claus and his magical reindeer are due to arrive in Victoria in a few hours and officials from the City of Victoria are ready to welcome the jolly old elf to the capital city.

In fact, only a few routine pieces of paperwork need to be completed before Saint Nick can complete his task of bringing toys for the region’s boys and girls.

First off, permits from the City bylaw department allowing temporary exemptions from the performing animal bylaw need to be acquired so that Rudolph and company can legally work the skies. A special event permit application and an exemption from the City’s noise bylaw will be needed so Mr. Claus can “Ho, ho, ho” in residential areas. A short-term heritage alteration permit allows the sleigh to sit atop Victoria’s treasured heritage homes without fear of altering the roofline, even temporarily. Fortunately, as Santa’s sleigh normally carries no passengers, he may not need exemption from the City Sightseeing and Tours bylaw governing animal-drawn transport. Santa will also need flight clearance from Transport Canada and NavCanada and pre-registration with Border Services. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority will grant a temporary docking exemption so Santa’s sleigh can temporarily park alongside harbour floathomes.

Local, Provincial and Federal spokespeople say that if the file is fast-tracked, permission could be granted as early as March 2011.

All of us here at Vibrant Victoria thank you for reading and participating and we wish you a safe and vibrant 2011! VV

Copyright © 2010 by VibrantVictoria.ca. All rights reserved.