838 replies to this topic

[aastra]

Perceptions about perception:

 

 

Times-Colonist
May 23, 2024

Survey finds Victoria residents feel less safe downtown, day or night

"But what captures the media’s attention is when something negative happens. And that does tend to fuel part of the perception issue," he said. "Of course, there are challenges downtown, but I would say that there is still a bit of a disconnect between the reality of being downtown versus the perception."

 

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Times-Colonist
April 16, 2023

Victoria businesses walk a tightrope over perception of downtown

While businesses are hearing negative perceptions of downtown, they are also dealing with the day-to-day reality that it isn’t all doom and gloom.

Erin Boggs, partner in Robinson's Outdoor Store on Broad Street, added that while the store is doing really well they experience shoplifting several times a week and their frustration is growing.

While it’s a challenge, Boggs said they are still trying to find that delicate balance about raising their concerns and not wanting to scare people away from downtown.

“That’s why we’ve always remained really positive and not really spoken about it..."

 

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Times-Colonist
Jan 28, 2015

More than half of the survey respondents felt that crime had either decreased or stayed the same, which is in line with local and national trends that crime is steadily decreasing. At the same time, 62 per cent said they had been the victim of a crime in the past five years. Elsner said that doesn't reflect Victoria police's crime statistics and suggested some people might have the perception they have been victimized after a scary encounter.

 

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The Vancouver Sun
November 28, 1991

Beggars, teens scare shoppers from core

Profane street kids and persistent panhandlers are driving Victoria shoppers away from the downtown area and into suburban malls.

That's the finding of a recent survey of 699 Victoria-area shoppers commissioned by the Victoria Business Improvement Association...

...the survey showed only a third of respondents regularly shop downtown. More than half said they shop at one of Victoria's three out- lying malls - Hillside, Mayfair and Tillicum.

Respondents criticized downtown Victoria for lacking the cleanliness, convenience and free parking of the malls. They also expressed concern for their personal safety in the city core.

Eighty-eight per cent of respondents said increased police presence should be part of any downtown revitalization efforts.

Despite consumer fears, both LeGros and Victoria police Insp. Brian Hayes said few crimes are actually committed against shoppers walking on streets.

"Some groups of young people pose a perceived threat to older shoppers. They often block sidewalks and shout obscenities."

 

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Times-Colonist
February 9, 2003
 
Give our regards to Broad Street Series: The Red Zone
 
As Stuart Clarke touted the benefits of street revitalization, a greasy-haired young man with khaki pants and a weathered overcoat bolted from his store with $1,000 in merchandise. Clarke had been talking about how improvements to Broad Street had chased away some of the street people from around Robinson's Outdoor Store and neighbouring shops.
 
The police and city officials acknowledge problems with addiction and homelessness and have developed a downtown action plan that also involves health officials.
 
Most say Victoria has one of the safest downtowns in North America. Others say the street population problems are chasing away tourists and shoppers.
 
Still others suggest IT IS ALL ABOUT PERCEPTION.

 

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So is it true? Is our personal reality shaped by our perception re: choosing to be fearful about things or choosing not to be fearful about things? They sure do hammer this point for some reason.

Edited by aastra, 23 May 2024 - 12:07 PM.

[Nparker]

Each person's perception is their reality.

[todd]

Lots of people are too vain to wear glasses.

[Tony]

Perhaps the perception of the majority or the informand majority is close to a reality or the reality if one exists?

[AllseeingEye]

Not Victoria but a very interesting comparison with Halifax - size wise probably the closest equivalent in the country to this city - and attitudes there re: building height, as they look to complete their tallest building at 111.xx meters:

 

https://www.cbc.ca/p...video/9.6420521

 

NOTE this building BTW is on the north west arm of Halifax, right on their waterfront. Imagine the equivalent being built here on the harbour or especially Dallas Road. Retailers here would run out of pitchforks!

Edited by AllseeingEye, 18 June 2024 - 01:47 PM.

[Mike K.]

The tallest Harris Green tower is about that height.

[AllseeingEye]

Did you watch the video? That is a 32/33 floor building (depending how you look at it - as explained in the clip). There is no building that height in Harris Green. If the Starlight proposal actually proceeds as originally envisioned, then there will be.

[Mike K.]

No, it's not built yet, but that height is already approved in Victoria.

 

Kelowna has both cities beat.

[Nparker]

The tallest Harris Green tower is about that height.

No, it's not built yet, but that height is already approved in Victoria..

With each passing day the Harris Green project seems more "if" than "when".

[Mike K.]

Maybe it’ll come back at 45 storeys.

[aastra]

More aquatic centre drama from back in the day, when building a new Crystal Pool was the city government's top priority:
 

 

 

Daily Colonist
January 24, 1970

Pool Final: It's Best To Get On

Victoria city council agreed Friday that it was best to get on with building a good swimming pool in Central Park, and restored more than $52,000 in cuts from the contract.

Only Ald. Clyde Savage opposed the cost increase. The money voted by council was the major part of $96,099 in items trimmed before the contract was awarded in December.

Ald. Tom Christie complained that council had been "led down the garden path" as new figures were presented showing an estimated total cost of $1,749,179 for the project. It was $114,237 more than the last estimate earlier this month.

...council heard a letter of recommendation from Horace Dawson, principal of S.J. Willis junior high school. Mr. Dawson said the swim centre would be "a boon" to Victoria schools, and that its location was "virtually perfect."

Council designated land on Caledonia Avenue and Green Street as a parking lot for the swim centre.

Debate warmed as council moved to consideration of the increased spending estimate.

Ald. Savage rose to comment:

"In my opinion the whole aquatic complex has been a snow job from start to finish." He said council had been "railroaded."

He said he was unable to keep track of the pool's cost. He offered his own calculation of $2,249,000, apparently including the cost of land acquired for parking.

Ald. Savage suggested to council that it continue "the rape of Central Park" and convert the remaining land into a parking lot beside the swim centre. It would save the 1,000-foot walk from Caledonia and Green, he said.

The Caledonia-Green property should be made a park, he urged.

Edited by aastra, 03 January 2025 - 02:06 PM.

[aastra]

Back in the day it was a problem that lots of seniors didn't want to live in condos. Today it's a problem that lots of seniors want to live in condos.
 

 

 

Daily Colonist
February 4, 1970

Condominiums Home Solution For Elderly

Seniors citizens were urged Tuesday by Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Campbell to use modern concepts in housing instead of remaining in large, older homes that tie up their capital and leave them with increasing tax bills every year. (aastra says: aw, how nice of the government to show such concern)

...persons in the 65-to-70-year age bracket should examine the possibility of selling out their interest in older homes, put $5,000 down on a condominium home and finance the balance.

...such amenities as recreational facilities could be built into a condominium project. A registered nurse could be on hand, giving them "security they could understand in the kind of world we live in today." (aastra says: the kind of world we live in today is always a terribly troubling place, no matter which decade "today" happens to occupy.)

Edited by aastra, 03 January 2025 - 04:14 PM.

[aastra]

More about the 38-story tower proposed for Douglas and Herald, which I mentioned in the "Building Tall" thread:

 

 

Daily Colonist
February 4, 1970

Pollen Flays "Gap" On Buildings Plans

The press of Victoria was attacked Tuesday by freshman Victoria alderman Peter Pollen for allegedly failing to inform the public about the merits of highrise construction downtown.

"The news media should assist us in explaining what we are planning to do," said Ald. Pollen...

He spoke before a meeting of city council's public works committee, which had just read a citizen's letter protesting against a planned 330-foot tower at Douglas and Herald.

Miss Everest called the building "a monstrosity." "I cannot understand how anyone would try to turn our fair city into a second Montreal* or New York**, wrote Miss Everest, who lives in Saanich.

 *aastra says: I don't think we've heard that one before
 **aastra says: we've heard that one before many times, going all the way back to the 1910s

...Ald. Pollen... criticized an editorial in The Victoria Times and went on to a general criticism of the press.

He said there was communication failure between city hall and the press...

City council exercised a discretionary power Jan. 23 to allow the tower a maximum height of 330 feet...

Ald. Pollen said there was no intention of creating "a concrete jungle." He said it would be better to encourage tall, slim towers rather than squat blocks right to the property line.

Geoffrey Greenhalgh, director of the community development department, told the public works committee Tuesday that (the developer) Mr. Copp could have planned "a blocky sort of tower."

He could cover the entire site with a 75-foot-high building and the city would have nothing to say about it...

As things stand, only 18 percent of the tower site will be covered; the rest will be open space...

Ald. Pollen also criticized city council for an alleged lack of policy on downtown development.

"We don't know where we're going," he said. "We don't even know where we've been."

Edited by aastra, 03 January 2025 - 04:38 PM.

[Mike K.]

Aastra, please sit down, and have a donut.

Are we talking about the same Alderman Pollen, who later famously put a stop to highrise construction for a couple of generations, when he became mayor?

Ald. Pollen said there was no intention of creating "a concrete jungle." He said it would be better to encourage tall, slim towers rather than squat blocks right to the property line.

[Barrister]

Is this building condo or rental?

[aastra]

 

Are we talking about the same Alderman Pollen, who later famously put a stop to highrise construction for a couple of generations, when he became mayor?

 

It's a funny thing, isn't it? Where we started out, what we went through, and where we are today?

Heck, it's almost enough to make a person step back for a minute to do some genuinely sincere pondering about stuff.

 

In the immortal words of Mr. Pollen himself:

"We don't know where we're going, We don't even know where we've been."

[Mike K.]

Isn’t that a Picard quote?

[aastra]

Still more from the original Crystal Pool controversy:

 

 

Daily Colonist
July 4, 1970

In the Wrong Direction

As Victoria's population has risen in recent years, its park acreage has shrunk, the city parks administrator has informed a council committee. As a result, the ratio of parks to people has declined from 5.8 acres per thousand in 1966 to 4.8 acres in 1970.

While the shrinkage of property actually used as parks in this period may not have been great -- the taking of a large part of Central Park for the swimming pool centre being the one outstanding example -- it is nevertheless obvious that Victoria is heading in the wrong direction...

 

Seriously, when does park space ever disappear except for when some level of government snatches it? The gradual reduction of park space in BHP over the decades was all about running new roads through it or hijacking space for maintenance/administrative purposes, etc.

[Mike K.]

Sooke almost allowed the Lions to take a large chunk out of its main central park a few years ago, for a Lions facility of some kind. Here’s the site: https://maps.app.goo...ps.preview.copy

The AAP actually failed, and the mayor had to walk back the plans. To government, parkland is cherished until it’s not. Especially cohesive parkland. One minute cohesive parkland is crucial. The next, cutting off a sliver and getting some parkland elsewhere in exchange is a top priority.

I actually don’t mind utilizing parkland for better purposes, personally.