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Report says infrastructure in Victoria is near collapse


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#1 AnonAnnie2

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 07:38 AM

YIKES! (and 20 mil per annum sounds like a deal! er, underestimate I mean)


Today's headline:


Report says infrastructure in Victoria is near collapse


............Presented to councillors last week, the report said Victoria's infrastructure is among the oldest of any city in Canada, some of it over a century old.

The report suggested it would cost $20.7 million a year extend the life of some elements of the infrastructure and replace what's broken, but noted the city has budgeted only $10.4 million for the task this year.


"We are trying to play catch-up with rehabilitation and get to the point where we can do proper maintenance and plan for replacement," said Mike Lai, an assistant director in the city's engineering department.


Each of five types of infrastructure was graded: civic facilities and buildings were deemed fair, as was the water system, while storm drains and sanitary sewers were both marked poor. Only roads received a good grade.
Even the Johnson Street Bridge, designed by Joseph Strauss, the same man who designed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, is identified as nearing the end of its service life. Opened in 1924, the bridge is one of only a handful of bascule bridges -- a type of movable bridge -- left in Canada. The bridge has a number of seismic issues, said Lai, adding the city is now awaiting an engineering report on the structure.
Neighbouring Saanich, where infrastructure is typically younger, is also facing high replacement costs.
Colin Doyle, director of engineering, said the municipality has many kilometres of storm sewers constructed from wooden boards. "Not surprisingly the wood has rotted out."

.......Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said he and his council are already looking at increasing the budget for infrastructure rehabilitation from $10.4 million to between $11 million and $12 million, which he agreed is a long way from the $20.7-million target in the engineering report.


....While storm drains and sanitary sewers got the worst grades of the city's infrastructure, the public might demand other elements be rehabilitated first, like water lines, which are graded fair, said John Sturdy, assistant director of underground utilities. After all, loss of household water can be a much more pressing issue than a flooding storm drain.

#2 amor de cosmos

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 09:01 AM

Shouldn't all that have been on the FCM's shovel-ready list?

#3 spanky123

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 09:28 AM

Would have been nice to know who authored the report.

#4 Holden West

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 01:52 PM

Would have been nice to know who authored the report.


The City Engineering Dept. I guess.

What I can`t figure out is how Victoria managed to build all this infrastructure in the first place so long ago with a tenth the population. Plus, I think the City also had responsibility for hospitals and schools so it seems a miracle we still don`t live in tents with mud streets.
"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

#5 Newlywednotnearlydead

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 02:09 PM

Nice to see the provincial government can spend around 2 billion dollars on 2010 Olympic projects at the same time Victoria has wooden storm sewers.

#6 victorian fan

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 02:19 PM

Shouldn't all that have been on the FCM's shovel-ready list?


On the Federation of Canadian Municipalities list of “shovel ready” municipal infrastructure projects, all I can see for Victoria is bus stop improvements.

http://www.fcm.ca//C...142009-4963.pdf

#7 Ms. B. Havin

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 06:57 PM

On the Federation of Canadian Municipalities list of “shovel ready” municipal infrastructure projects, all I can see for Victoria is bus stop improvements.

http://www.fcm.ca//C...142009-4963.pdf


Blehhh, I think I feel sick... I guess it's just another "I don't know whether to laugh or cry" moment, courtesy of our leadership... :-/
When you buy a game, you buy the rules. Play happens in the space between the rules.

#8 Newlywednotnearlydead

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 08:51 PM

Heckuva job, Deano.

#9 Holden West

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 09:15 PM

You'll recall that the tens of millions budgeted for the water pipes is not for replacement, but merely lining the ancient pipes with plastic in order to get a few more years out of 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 Holden West

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Posted 25 January 2009 - 10:06 PM

Infrastructure Wish List: City will look to Ottawa for help after paring down $450-million project list

By Keith Vass - Victoria News

Published: January 22, 2009 4:00 PM
Updated: January 22, 2009 5:20 PM

A growing list of city infrastructure projects that have sat unfunded for years would cost $450 million to fully address, according to a new estimate.

New costs are set to be added in coming months as engineers finalize studies of Victoria’s deteriorating assets, including rusty street lamps, dying trees and the rapidly aging Johnson Street bridge.

More than $150 million is needed just to take care of the city’s failing sewer, storm and water mains. Councillors heard Tuesday the city’s pipes – 80 per cent of which were laid before 1919 – are in the worst condition of all the city’s assets and breaks are becoming more common.

They also learned for the first time that the 1924-built Johnson Street bridge will cost $15 million to repair, plus ongoing maintenance costs, to last another 40 years. Replacing the structure would cost $30 million and last up to 100 years.

“It’s disheartening to hear about the deferred funding history,” said new city councillor and former Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Lynn Hunter, who suggested Ottawa is to blame for failing to fund cities in successive budgets.

“This is not unique to Victoria,” she said, referring to a Federation Canadian of Municipalities 2007 report that found $123 billion worth of unfunded civic infrastructure needs nationwide.

The $450-million total comes from a city submission to the FCM, not presented at Tuesday’s special council meeting.

With a major infrastructure grant program expected to be included in next week’s federal budget, decisions will have to be made which projects on the list will go forward for grant applications, said city spokesperson Katie Josephson.

Mayor Dean Fortin said the list can be divided into projects that must be done and “signature” items – such as a new public library, a new Crystal Pool and a harbour pathway – that are lower-priority.

“Those are on the ‘nice’ to-do list ... but the ‘must’ to-do list, we’re moving on those, we’ve committed $10 million a year to address our storm (sewers), our roads, our emergency equipment. Those are ones we have to do,” he said.

“If the federal government does come through, then we can do more in a quicker time, but we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our citizens. We can’t wait for years and years and wait for things to fall down and then blame the federal government for not (providing) funding.”

With a portion of debt soon to be retired, opportunities will exist to pay for some projects without increasing taxes, said acting city manager Mike McCliggott. Many of the debts about to be paid off carried interest rates of 12 per cent.

At current interest rates, the city could borrow $19 million for new capital projects this year without increasing the debt-servicing portion of its budget, McCliggott explained.

The city also has $57 million in reserve funds for infrastructure, police, parking, public buildings and parks acquisition.

Project sampler

• Centennial Square revitalization (new downtown library/parkade) : $80 million

• New civic pool: $58 million

• Stormwater mains: $58 million

• Sewage main rehab: $57 million

• Water mains: $39 million

• Repairs and upgrades to city hall: $17.5 million

• Fire hall #1 rehab/replacement: $15 million

• Bike lanes on Point Ellice bridge: $3 million

• Roads and sidewalks: $1.4 million

kvass@vicnews.com
"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

#11 spanky123

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Posted 26 January 2009 - 09:07 AM

I am sure that Victoria's NDP MP will have lots of success ensuring that Fed funds find their way here.

#12 Bernard

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Posted 26 January 2009 - 09:20 AM

Given that the Conservatives won one riding, lost one narrowly and came second in the third in this region, I would not be surprised if all of the local governments will be high on the political list for support for the government.

Having MPs from three parties in this region also helps us with getting government attention.

#13 amor de cosmos

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Posted 26 January 2009 - 11:33 AM

with $7 billion for infrastructure in tomorrow's budget hopefully some will come here...

#14 mat

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Posted 26 January 2009 - 09:16 PM

with $7 billion for infrastructure in tomorrow's budget hopefully some will come here...


$7 Bill total for all of Canada is nothing compared to what is actually required. The estimate for Ontario alone to get all infrastructure to simply adequate levels is $6 Bill, Quebec $4.5 Bill and on...

Federal handouts are mostly set to projects that can be directly identified with their (government of the time) input. That is why highways, airports, harbours tend to receive the money 1st - the best public impact. Don't count on sewage treatment for the CRD getting a boost (it's a political football now anyway), and within BC there are Olympic projects that will have far greater 'vision'.

Interesting to note that part of the 'leaked' budget was for social housing - that is interesting for Victoria.

#15 Holden West

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Posted 26 January 2009 - 09:24 PM

^Transportation infrastructure might be meaningful with regard to the Belleville terminal.
"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

#16 mat

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Posted 26 January 2009 - 09:33 PM

^Transportation infrastructure might be meaningful with regard to the Belleville terminal.


That I had not thought about - well posted.

#17 Holden West

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Posted 27 January 2009 - 09:06 AM

Read this billion-dollar infrastructure BC wish list. No mention of Victoria.
"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

#18 aastra

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Posted 27 January 2009 - 10:26 AM

Interesting list. So do we conclude that Victoria doesn't really have any serious infrastructure issues after all? Affordable housing appears on that list twice...once for Vancouver and once again for Greater Vancouver. Does that mean all is well in Victoria? No problems?

#19 Holden West

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Posted 27 January 2009 - 11:07 AM

Apparently "near collapse" means "no problem"
"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

#20 UrbanRail

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Posted 27 January 2009 - 10:10 PM

Hey no problem, while the province's infrastructure goes down the drain. (outside of Vancouver), we still have the Olympics to be proud of.
Actually Victori's serious infrastructure problems would be looked at if we all voted Liberal in the next provincial election, in other words since we mostly voted for NDP on the island, we will continue to be ignored.

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