294 replies to this topic

[amor de cosmos]

‘Very good year’ for Greater Victoria Harbour Authority
Jeff Bell / Times Colonist
August 15, 2013

Things are shipshape for the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, says president and CEO Curtis Grad.

“It was a very good year for us,” Grad said Thursday, in advance of the GVHA’s annual general meeting. “If you take the entire trend line starting in 2002, our first year of operation, we started at just under $2 million in revenue in 2002-03 and every year, year over year, we’ve continued to grow.”

Financial statements released Thursday showed $8.3 million in revenue for 2012-13, an increase of 11 per cent over the previous year.

Highlights of the past year include a record cruise-ship season that brought 224 vessels and 503,675 passengers to the city. Grad also touted the installation of a handrail at the Ogden Point breakwater — a move that at first generated controversy — and progress in development of the Steamship Terminal near the legislature.

Grad said the terminal’s Robert Bateman Centre is “a strong cultural attraction,” and he is looking forward to the Steamship Grill and Taphouse opening in November or December.

http://www.timescolo...hority-1.590576

[Mike K.]

I'm hearing from the business community that far too many cruise ship passengers are remaining on vessels and choosing not to venture into Victoria, part of the reason being the incredibly off-putting look of Ogden Point.

The time has come for the GVHA to step up their game and develop a world class facility. The sooner we can get shovels in the ground the better.

[jonny]

I'm hearing from the business community that far too many cruise ship passengers are remaining on vessels and choosing not to venture into Victoria, part of the reason being the incredibly off-putting look of Ogden Point.

The time has come for the GVHA to step up their game and develop a world class facility. The sooner we can get shovels in the ground the better.

Although I bet upgrading Ogden Point to "world class" standards would require somewhere in the neighbourhood of $25-50M in upland improvements, yeah I generally agree that if cruise ships are going to be a big focus of tourism in Victoria that we need to provide passengers with a better facility. I think if you were an American who knew nothing of Victoria, you'd think you were in a second rate country if you judged the place by the appearance of the Ogden Point terminal.

By the way, what is actually inside that big warehouse looking building at Ogden Point?

[VicHockeyFan]

I'm not so sure. Maybe the passengers don't want to get in buses, herded in like cattle. I'm not sure how to fix this, but it's not by making more tourist shops right at the dock.

[Greg]

I'm not so sure. Maybe the passengers don't want to get in buses, herded in like cattle. I'm not sure how to fix this, but it's not by making more tourist shops right at the dock.

A quaint little street car that ran regularly from Ogden Point to downtown, and was positioned as part of the experience, would solve a multitude of competing issues, including some of the more legitimate complaints from the James Bay folks.

[tedward]

Well a guess it was "good" year except for the hostile and belligerent board meeting a few months back where speaker after speaker gave them hell for some stupid decisions and offensive attitude towards us peons.

But then why would a reporter bother to check the background when they can just recycle a press release?

[Hotel Mike]

A quaint little street car that ran regularly from Ogden Point to downtown, and was positioned as part of the experience, would solve a multitude of competing issues, including some of the more legitimate complaints from the James Bay folks.

Do you remember the so-called Victoria Accord the NDP government talked about at the beginning of the 90s? They wasted lots of time yakking about the Y lot with public amenities, new art gallery etc. and look what we have now. Restoration of the old street car from Ogden Point to downtown was part of that plan. Why isn't our NDP mayor carrying this out?

[HB]

I'm not so sure. Maybe the passengers don't want to get in buses, herded in like cattle. I'm not sure how to fix this, but it's not by making more tourist shops right at the dock.

The Victoria Harbour Authority is gouging the tourists with those Transit shuttle buses.

The are hearded like cattle to a line up where they need to hand ove $10 per person (adult) for a round trip bus ride to Government at Fort .
They are handed a ticket and must have their hand stamped for reboarding.

Taking a a cab on the other hand costs about $9 to go to the innner harbour and that is for 5 people usually.

In Juneau Alaska shuttles into town are FREE..


The tourists from the cruise ships are heavily subsidising the shuttle buses.

After paying BC Transit for the rental of the buses, Wilsons transportation for the drivers and for the Harbour Authority employees who hand out tickets and quickly scoop up the cash.... their wages they are still making a profit.

Someone should be advertising how Victoria is ripping off tourists ... they should be advertising it on site that cruise ship tourists visit.




Here is another tidbit of info that is more than just a rumour.

The Victoria Airport Authority is not renewing the contract with AKAL airporter bus whose contract is up in October.
The airport Authority is disgusted with the crappy beat up airporter buses and the questionable operators with no dress code.
It is an embarassment because so much money has been spent making YYJ look modern and up to date etc then when the visitor gets outside they get onto a shuttle bus that looks like it was just driven from a junk yard and the drivers look like they just got off work at the same junk yard the bus came from.

Requests have been put out and some bus companies are currently putting together proposals including CVS and Wilsons.

I believe that a requirement will be for brand new equipment to be used.

[LJ]

I think a dedicated tram service to/from the inner harbour at a $1 a ride would be more than fair and would encourage more people to make the jaunt. Once they saw how close the city really was they would probably walk back anyway.

I don't really think you want anything at Ogden point except for a big customs house, you want the people to come into town.

As far a Ogden point being inhospitable by world standards it's OK.

I have been to quite a few ports and with the exception of Vancouver most of them are much farther away from town and in industrial areas.

Hint, if you ever go to Rome you have a choice of taking a bus for $40 or catching a train.

Pay the $40.

[G-Man]

I would really like to see some stretch of Dallas road redeveloped into a bit a shopping area with some shops restaurants and bars. It could so easily be like the White Rock strip.

https://www.google.c...-yO6g!2e0&fid=5

[HB]

The next Largest infastructure in the City that needs to be fixed or rebuilt at a huge cost after the bridge is the wall on Dallas rd . It is close to 1km long and starts at the break water. This wall is about 100 years old and has finished its lifespan. It is in need of immediate repair and the city knows this.The cost will be huge.
The city knows it is a liability and is at risk of falling. However there are other things which are a higher priority such as the JSB.
The wall gets inspected regularily.
All they have been doing is repainting it every few years and adding some metal braces to keep it together.

In a few years or decades when the city starts work repairing it maybe that would be a good time to suggest making a larger seawall with businesses out there but good luck with that one. The homeowners there along Dallas rd will proabbaly have a panic attacks at the thoiught of businesses along there.

[vicernie]

readers of this post might be interested in a series of speakers which the Harbourside Rotary Club has lined up to discuss the future of the Harbour beginning with mayor Fortin. guests are welcome to attend.

Victoria’s Harbour: Meeting the challenge of making it work

Join Harbourside Rotary Club in an ongoing community dialogue about how to make Victoria’s vibrant downtown harbour a successful work, play and commercial environment. The 7-part speaker series will include a mix of community, industry and business leaders sharing their unique perspectives and visions for the harbour’s future.

Vision

Sep 11, 2013
Dean Fortin
Mayor of Victoria since November 2008


History

Oct 9, 2013
John Adams
Local historian with a thriving walking-tours business


Transportation

Nov 13, 2013
Darrell Bryan
General Manager of the Victoria Clipper


Tourism

Dec 11, 2013
Dave Cowan
Chair of Tourism Victoria and General Manager of Butchart Gardens


Governance

Jan 15, 2014
Curtis Grad
CEO of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority


Development

Feb 12, 2014
Ian Maxwell
President and CEO of Ralmax Group


Opportunities

Mar 12, 2014
Libby Seifel
Urban land economist and certified city planner from San Francisco

COST:
$17 per person per event. Price includes buffet breakfast.

LOCATION:
Union Club, 805 Gordon Street, Victoria, B.C.

FORMAT / TIME:
The speakers will present for 20 minutes as part of the regular Harbourside Victoria Rotary Club Wednesday morning breakfast meeting. Networking starts at 6:30 a.m. Breakfast and program starts at 7:00 a.m.

[sebberry]

I would really like to see some stretch of Dallas road redeveloped into a bit a shopping area with some shops restaurants and bars. It could so easily be like the White Rock strip.

I always thought some sort of pier would be well used by the community. Perhaps nothing as grand as the Brighton Pier but you could have smaller vendors there, a fish and chips shop, a lounge, etc...

[D.L.]

A few food trucks parked along Dallas Rd in the summer would be neat

[VicHockeyFan]

^^^ another year of talking. Nobody has money and nobody wants to take the lead to do anything. Wake me in 2025. Curtis Grad was on the radio the other day talking about how screwy the waterfront properties ownership is. But he never indicated there was any interest in simplifying it. To many want to protect their own assetts.

[sebberry]

By the way, what is actually inside that big warehouse looking building at Ogden Point?

Cable ship spooling equipment and cable storage. For laying underwater cables.

[HB]

The also keep a lot of equipment that Westrn Stevedoring owns such as trucks fork lifts ropes and other longshoremen items

In the off season many buses are kept in there too.

There are boats in there and last year there was a boat manufacturer in there building boats.

The building is absolutely massive when you are inside. It is divided into many areas.

I have seen containers in there and there are large wooden storarge crates in there as well.

[amor de cosmos]

The next Largest infastructure in the City that needs to be fixed or rebuilt at a huge cost after the bridge is the wall on Dallas rd . It is close to 1km long and starts at the break water. This wall is about 100 years old and has finished its lifespan. It is in need of immediate repair and the city knows this.The cost will be huge.
The city knows it is a liability and is at risk of falling. However there are other things which are a higher priority such as the JSB.
The wall gets inspected regularily.
All they have been doing is repainting it every few years and adding some metal braces to keep it together.

In a few years or decades when the city starts work repairing it maybe that would be a good time to suggest making a larger seawall with businesses out there but good luck with that one. The homeowners there along Dallas rd will proabbaly have a panic attacks at the thoiught of businesses along there.

I wonder if fisheries & oceans, or transport canada could pitch in. there's also an extension of the building canada fund that was in a recent budget. on a related note

Ignoring the further protestations of business owners and citizens in 1915 the city council still “objected to spending any money on a rotten bridge.” That November, the federal government stated that a 70-foot passage way had to be made in the bridge. Though the harbour committee urged for immediate repairs to be made, Victoria City Council continued to staunchly oppose doing any thing to the bridge. The battle continued.

In October 1919, Victoria City Council was indicted in the Supreme Court of Canada for not rebuilding the bridge and maintaining it as a “common nuisance.” Council immediately undertook to “take such actions as may be necessary in the premises to contest the matter.”

quoted here
http://victoriahisto...ock-bay-bridge/

& that's why we have no bridge over rock bay anymore

[amor de cosmos]

Greater Victoria Harbour Authority could land harbour airport
By Daniel Palmer - Victoria News
Published: August 30, 2013 2:00 PM
Updated: August 30, 2013 2:22 PM

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority is entering into exploratory talks with Transport Canada to take control of the Inner Harbour airport.

Transport Canada announced in July it was considering divesting authority of the Victoria Harbour Water Airport, one of only 18 airports and the only water aerodrome in Canada still under direct federal ownership.

http://www.vicnews.c.../221850181.html

[VicHockeyFan]

“We’re going into these discussions cautiously, with our eyes wide open,” said Curtis Grad, GVHA’s president and CEO. “Management of the water airport is a complex task, with significant responsibilities and material operating costs attached to it.”

What are all the costs?