Jump to content

      



























Photo

Beacon Hill Park, and the friends there of.


  • Please log in to reply
225 replies to this topic

#1 Scaper

Scaper
  • Member
  • 1,262 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 12:05 AM

I found this old photo of Beacon Hill park on the internet. I was quite amazed when I saw this photo. Beacon hill park was created for the people of Victoria. Now we have these "friends of Beacon Hill park" trying to outlaw everything and anything that tries to happen in it. The latest thing that was attacked by these "friends of the park" was the watering can. Something that would be fun for children as the kids lost their pool in recent years.....and this list goes on.

Anyways I saw this photo and was quite delited by what I saw...Hmmm what would the "FRIENDS SAY TO THIS.....HORSE RACING IN BEACON HILL PARK????" ............... :shock:



#2 Scaper

Scaper
  • Member
  • 1,262 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 12:57 AM

Here is another one...remember how they said all the people who come down to the park will step on all the flowers and kill the native species plants etc.



#3 Rob Randall

Rob Randall
  • Member
  • 16,310 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 07:47 AM

Horse racing took place before "Hanging Judge" Begbie's 1883 decision on the very controversial debate over what constituted appropriate public use and enjoyment of the park. The proposed construction of an agriculture building sparked the lawsuit and soon a set of strict guidelines were set in place that are still more or less followed today.

The question is, how much weight should be give 18th Century guidelines in the 21st Century? If the old guidelines are truly outdated, what do we replace them with? Do we allow advertising? Paid concerts? Agricultural buildings? A hotel and casino?

Incidently, I had a great, great, great uncle, D.M. Eberts who was a public defender around that time and worked in Judge Begbie's court.

Great website, guys. Keep up the good work!

#4 gumgum

gumgum
  • Member
  • 7,069 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 06:48 PM

A freeway through the middle of the park was once proposed, I think in the sixties. Here's a comic that appeared in the paper in reaction to the news:
[url=http://imageshack.us:a0aa8][/url:a0aa8]

#5 Holden West

Holden West

    Va va voom!

  • Member
  • 9,058 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 07:20 PM

Bryant still cartoons for the T/C.

"fairly tall totem"...heh!

Look at the totem--it's made up of old Englishmen!
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#6 Scaper

Scaper
  • Member
  • 1,262 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 07:49 PM

where the heck would the freeway go to???

#7 gumgum

gumgum
  • Member
  • 7,069 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 08:25 PM

I think it was from Michigan to Quadra, or something like that. So just to the northern area.

#8 Scaper

Scaper
  • Member
  • 1,262 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 08:37 PM

That's rediculous!!! What would it serve??? hahhaha

#9 Holden West

Holden West

    Va va voom!

  • Member
  • 9,058 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 08:40 PM

Back then I suppose they thought James Bay would be wall-to-wall highrises like West End Vancouver so a highway would make perfect sense to them.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#10 Scaper

Scaper
  • Member
  • 1,262 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 08:42 PM

AAHHHH I see, that does make sense....and James Bay should have more highrises....this part of town should house the density.

#11 aastra

aastra
  • Member
  • 20,570 posts

Posted 04 September 2006 - 09:13 PM

Expressways don't make any sense at all unless great distances are involved. There's absolutely no reason anybody would need to zip out of (or into) James Bay at 90 kmh. Where the heck are you going that you need to get through the core of the city so quickly?

#12 gumgum

gumgum
  • Member
  • 7,069 posts

Posted 07 September 2006 - 07:57 PM

Although I believe the "Friends" do good work, I'm hardpressed to know who above them declared that they have the authority to decide where their proverbial boundaries begin and where they end.

Although we shoud be glad there was a body in the past to protect the park from silly sugguestions like a freeway slicing it in half, or however many other schemes were suggested, times have changed. It's gotten to the point where they stoop to saying no to a small statue in remberance of one of Canada's greatest hero (Fox), and bawk at the idea of a whimsical childrens fountain - not to mention trying to block Luminara, as well as that English car show; also don't forget forcing the 10k organizers to alter the route so the finish line doesn't end up in the park so people can actually enjoy it.
It just seems that somehwere along the lines, the "Friends" have forgotten who the park is for, and why there are such things as parks.

#13 Scaper

Scaper
  • Member
  • 1,262 posts

Posted 07 September 2006 - 11:33 PM

^ as far as doing good work I am not too sure of this. I don't know what Betty Gibbons relationship is with the friends, but I was at a council meeting last month where she spoke out about a native celbration in the park. She said it would be obvious that these natives would be barbequeing Salmon and that the stench of the Salmon would be detramental to the wild flowers and rare native plants in the park. Then she said that the park is to be enjoyed by the people and this Barbeque and celbration is not what the park is for....on and on and on.....it was quite hard not to laugh during the speach.

#14 Galvanized

Galvanized
  • Member
  • 1,196 posts

Posted 07 September 2006 - 11:37 PM

^ :smt043
Past President of Victoria's Flâneur Union Local 1862

#15 Scaper

Scaper
  • Member
  • 1,262 posts

Posted 07 September 2006 - 11:43 PM

I won't say who...but someone one else facing us was laughing too...then this person looked at me while trying to conceal their laughter.....which made me even loose it all that more.

I know other people on here witnessed this speach too....it was classic!!!

#16 Holden West

Holden West

    Va va voom!

  • Member
  • 9,058 posts

Posted 08 September 2006 - 07:58 AM

Council Meeting
July 27, 2006

"Betty Gibbens – First Nations community leadership invitation to Victoria to invite the Te-mexw Treaty Association to co-host a salmon barbecue for aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in Victoria.

She appreciates the opportunity to address Council this evening. There is a First Nations community leadership invitation to Victoria to invite the Te-mexw Treaty Association to co-host a salmon barbecue for aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in Victoria regarding social, economic, and environmental revitalisation in our community.

Beacon Hill Park is a beautiful park and it is there for enjoyment and recreation of everyone. Special event co-ordinators and attendees do not go there to enjoy the park, just the event. Special events deteriorate our park and it will only get worse in the coming years. We need to use Beacon Hill Park as a park and put special events somewhere else.

She is not against this event but we need to be concerned about Beacon Hill Park.

This event will be well advertised resulting in thousands of attendees. Also, Beacon Hill Park is one of two sites for this event. There are signs of wear and tear in the park. There are native and rare plants that need to be protected. If the barbecue is approved, there will be cooking odours and smoke that is not conducive to achieving a park environment. She is also concerned about the quantity of salmon that will be consumed. She appeals to the First Nations to contribute to the protection of Beacon Hill Park."

"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#17 gumgum

gumgum
  • Member
  • 7,069 posts

Posted 08 September 2006 - 09:06 AM

Oh my F*cking God. /\

#18 G-Man

G-Man

    Senior Case Officer

  • Moderator
  • 13,786 posts

Posted 08 September 2006 - 09:19 AM

She was the one that at the public hearing for the Aria said that the developer should build a garden for the blind.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com 

 

It has a whole new look!

 


#19 gumgum

gumgum
  • Member
  • 7,069 posts

Posted 08 September 2006 - 09:21 AM

Anyone know someone that works for Beacon Hill Park? I'd love to find out what their take is on the "Friends".

#20 FunkyMunky

FunkyMunky
  • Member
  • 416 posts

Posted 08 September 2006 - 11:09 AM

She was the one that at the public hearing for the Aria said that the developer should build a garden for the blind.

Oh, is that her? I was at the first public hearing for The Falls and a old lady got up and said the same thing.

I was amazed at the 'reality distortion field' that seemed to surround her. Lets see, you're a private property owner with a development worth 10s of millions of dollars and I think you should just make it into a park and hand it over to the public gratis. Yup, that seems both logical and plausible.

Her comments are in conflict with one another. Beacon Hill Park is..."there for enjoyment and recreation of everyone" but you can't use it because it contains "native and rare plants that need to be protected".

Perhaps her group should be called The Friends of Beacon Hill Diorama. And I thought it was the potato salad that people worried about at barbecues...

You're not quite at the end of this discussion topic!

Use the page links at the lower-left to go to the next page to read additional posts.
 



0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users