55 replies to this topic

[aastra]

Why not move those stinky, noisy airplanes to the Sidney airport and have a fast shuttle to town...

Maybe because we already have an airport in Sidney? The whole point of the floatplanes is that they offer downtown-to-downtown convenience. Move them out of the city and you kill them, while also eliminating yet another unique aspect of life in Victoria.

I really like the way Esquimalt is always selected as the dumping ground for anything that bugs people. Don't like the Coho vehicle traffic on James Bay's streets? Move it to Esquimalt's streets! Don't like the floatplane sounds and smells in the inner harbour? Move them to Esquimalt's harbour! It's win-win! (Unless, of course, you happen to live in Esquimalt.)

You have to love this part:

In response to those who ask why did we move close to a busy air runway, we had no idea what it was like until we lived here for a while.

Well, now you know. So sell your condo. Oh, but you can't, because...

There are others who remain silent because they are afraid that the price of their home will decrease and make it tough to sell.

Give me a break.

I agree with the basic point about the fuel smell in the harbour, however.

[Baro]

I've lived here my whole life and my school is right by the float plane terminal, I walk along the harbour almost every day at lunch and I've never been bothered by a sight, sound, or smell as a result of the float planes. At the worst I stop to watch a landing and smile at how cool victoria can be despite its self.

[rjag]

As a famous politician once said "thats the smell of money!!!"

[Ms. B. Havin]

I was down there today, the wind turned and the smell from the fuel was revolting. The wind turned again, the smell went somewhere else. But it's bad when it hits, really bad.

[Baro]

is this something new? Are they doing something different with the fuel? In a maritime setting arn't the rules on fuel handling quite strict?

[Ms. B. Havin]

Not that I know of. It always stinks when you get a full whiff of it -- and the more planes there are, the more whiffs, I guess.

[aastra]

It's always been there, it just comes and goes as Ms. B. described. I rented a kayak a couple of summers ago and I remember really rushing through that stretch between the Johnson Street Bridge and the Songhees point because the fumes were overwhelming. It was a hot day. A similar wave of bad air came into the Canoe Brewpub one time when I was there. Last summer? I can't remember.

[Caramia]

Many people feel the condos are visual pollution, while the float planes are charming. This is the worst kind of selfishness, not only do they want to deprive Victorians of the enjoyment of watching the float planes come in and out of the harbour (a sight I loved as a child, and still do), and the convenience of Downtown to Downtown service, which is awesome, especially for those of us who don't have cars; not only do they threaten the jobs and livelyhood of those who work in and around the harbour and planes - but people like this are the reason why industry around areas like Rock Bay has lobbied against allowing a mixed use zoning. It is hard to convince those industries and their supporters that if residential use is allowed nearby it will not lead to their harbour access being threatened by the new residents.

Complainers like this think that because they buy a condo they should have the right to dictate what goes on around that condo. They give condominiums in general a bad name - and add to the tension between blue collar and white. They make it harder to propose more mixed use residential development, and harder to pass it through council. The shame of it is that if those property values were lowered in order to reflect the smells and sounds and sights of the working harbour, then they might be actually affordable for those of us who would love to live there, fuel smell and all.

[Nparker]

Excellent points all, Caramia. Ms. Matson sounds like a crackpot to me. I can't understand why anyone would want a lifeless harbour. I bet if polled, an equal number of people would say the reason they bought on the harbour was for its vibrancy and activity. By the way, how much time did she spend researching her new neighbourhood before she bought? As far as I know, it takes about 5 minutes spent near the inner harbour, at almost any given time, to know that this is not a park, but a real working waterfront. People like Ms. M. make me die a little inside, especially to think they have any influence on future development.

[Baro]

I absolutely don't buy their claims that they didn't notice the sea planes. It's pretty much non-stop during the day, and anyone seriously looking at buying a place will notice if they're there for more than 30 min. They either noticed and now feel entrenched and nit-picky enough to raise a fuss, or they were idiots who didn't do their home work.

It's not like the planes are landing at 2am. You guys have a condo most people would kill for, shut up about the planes.

[Holden West]

They bought knowing full well there was seaplane activity (heck it's been there for nearly a century). What they hoped for (call it naive or wishful thinking) was that traffic levels would remain steady or decrease as the years went by.

[Mike K.]

I live directly under the landing and takeoff zone for much of the harbour's seaplane activity. When the aircraft to take off facing east (under certain wind conditions) they'll turn directly over my place with their engines on full blast, which I admit is noisy, but it doesn't actually bother me enough to look up or shake my fist in anger.

In fact, a truck starting from a standstill at an intersection creates more noise and vibration than the seaplanes ever do.

[Galvanized]

That letter writer should move further up the gorge.


Speaking of the inner harbour, I walked by there today and saw that boat show going on and thought I'd check it out until I found out they wanted 10 bucks to get in! I thought that was kinda steep for a little show like that. I ended up walking around the causeway which happened to be at low tide and couldn't believe how many beer/mickey bottles were down there!

[gumgum]

Would it not make better business sense to make a show like that free?

[Mike K.]

I've moved the Songhees marina discussion into its own thread under core developments.

[Holden West]

I love this article from the TC archives. Victoria: dithering about the Harbour for 60 years™:

From 1944:
Saving the Causeway
Times Colonist
Published: Monday, June 16, 2008

There are disturbing reports from the City Hall that the lands and zoning committee has now recommended the sale of waterfront property between the Imperial Oil station and the Black Ball ferry docks for one dollar, for the purpose of constructing a $30,000 building there for welfare or other use.

We are not denying for a moment the need of the institution, but we say that that is not the place for it. If there is one site in town that should be preserved for major construction of a permanent and suitable character it is the northwest end of the Causeway area.
Permitting industrial use there in the first place was a mistake, as residents know. To the south is the massive pile of the British Columbia Legislative Buildings. To the east is the Empress Hotel, and the main harbour front.

On the north should be some edifice that would fit in with the character of that distinctive setting, and sufficiently large to round out the imposing harbour front for all time.

The Causeway is Victoria's front window. Perpetual care should be taken to see that nothing is done to spoil it for the future.

Daily Colonist, June 16, 1944

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

[G-Man]

Wow now that is depressing. Perhaps they meant parking lot?

[aastra]

Perpetual care should be taken to see that nothing is done to spoil it for the future.

If you do nothing then nobody can say you spoiled it, right?

[Caramia]

I was blinking in disbelief until I saw the date on that

[victorian fan]

I remember looking over The Causeway wall directly into the water.
I wasn't allowed walk down the steps to the water.
I did stink sometimes.