1947 replies to this topic

[nagel]

Perhaps these are Garry Oaks? The bending over this region takes to protect those trees is insane.

I was using my chainsaw in my front yard in the middle of the day, and I guess my neighbour was pissed about the noise and called the cops on me.  The cops actually came, to make sure I wasn't cutting any of my Garry Oaks (I have about 30).  I started laughing when they said this because it was Sequoia and Willow from Gorge Vale Golf Course.  Amazed that cops bother to come out to protect trees.

[Nparker]

...Amazed that cops bother to come out to protect trees.

Would the response have been the same if you were a homeless camper cutting down trees in a local park?

[Mike K.]

Hey, on a serious note if you ever need anyone to assist you with that sort of stuff just let me know.

[nagel]

Hey, on a serious note if you ever need anyone to assist you with that sort of stuff just let me know.

You want to come chainsaw at my house?  It's a brand new Stihl that baby's all mine.

 

I've been collecting free wood over the past few months.  Got over 3 cords but most of it is unseasoned.  Discovered what a maul does.  Used to use an axe and that worked well enough.  First time I used a maul it was like I was a kid and it was Christmas morning.  So satisfying destroying rounds with it.

[shoeflack]

The province has teamed up with the feds to open a new $134 million community, culture, and recreation infrastructure fund.

 

Won't cover the whole cost of a new Crystal Pool, but the CoV should see some funding from this if they apply it towards Crystal as opposed to another facility.

 

https://www2.gov.bc....ture-recreation

[Nparker]

The province has teamed up with the feds to open a new $134 million community, culture, and recreation infrastructure fund...

Is that $134 million meant to be spread across all of BC? If so, what makes the CoV think it will get 40% of it or more?

[Mike K.]

You can bet they’ll be applying, and hopefully some funding does materialize.

But again, it was the province that spelled out a desire for the public to weigh in via referendum. No referendum, potentially no funding.

[shoeflack]

Is that $134 million meant to be spread across all of BC? If so, what makes the CoV think it will get 40% of it or more?

 

I don't think they are assuming they would, nor did I ever claim that.

 

You can bet they’ll be applying, and hopefully some funding does materialize.

But again, it was the province that spelled out a desire for the public to weigh in via referendum. No referendum, potentially no funding.

 

True, but new and improved recreation centres was at the top of the list in John Horgan's mandate letter to Selena Robinson, and I know the province isn't setting a referendum as a benchmark for each new centre in the province. It helps, but they aren't withholding funding from those municipalities who don't hold one.

[Nparker]

...the province isn't setting a referendum as a benchmark for each new centre in the province...they aren't withholding funding from those municipalities who don't hold one.

Unless provincial funding covers the majority of the cost then a referendum should be mandatory.

[Kungsberg]

Perhaps these are Garry Oaks? The bending over this region takes to protect those trees is insane.

Yes, except when it doesn't fit into the world view.

In the NW corner of Beacon Hill Park where the rocky/natural section is (opposite South Park school), there are lots of Garry Oaks and wildflowers.  It's clearly labeled that it's an environmentally sensitive area with no overnight camping (one of the few areas in the park that has that restriction) - so not just "leave by 9 AM" but no camping whatsoever at any time -  and there are always homeless tents in there, usually directly over the root zone. Often set up for days/weeks on end. 

[aastra]

 

Cut the tree down and the project will be 5 million dollars cheaper.

 

Better yet, come to terms with the fact that all of the mature trees in the park could be left as is and the new pool could be built somewhere (anywhere) else.

 

Seriously, just because the city wants to build a new pool doesn't mean the new pool has to go in right beside the old pool. It never should have meant that. And yet it did mean that.

[Nparker]

I agree with aastra. There has been exactly zero "thinking outside the box" when it comes to this project. With so many other changes in the city since the early 1970s (the era when the existing pool was built), why is the "stand alone pool in the park" the only concept that is being explored?

[spanky123]

Is that $134 million meant to be spread across all of BC? If so, what makes the CoV think it will get 40% of it or more?

 

The program guide states that a maximum of 10% of the fund ($14M) will be allocated to a project. The guide also states that the decision on which projects will be funded will happen in the summer of 2019 which is 2-3 months AFTER the $6M gas tax incentive expires.

[Nparker]

So even if the CoV were to get the maximum funding from this source, we are still tens of millions of dollars short of even the most conservative (sorry Ben) cost estimates.

[Bingo]

There's no necessary reason why a new aquatic centre needs to be at Central Park. 

 

Here it is again. Build a new pool on the sports field at Blanshard and Hillside with an attached parking facility.

Once the new pool is open, renovate the old pool into a casino or demolish it and build affordable housing on the site.

[shoeflack]

Here it is again. Build a new pool on the sports field at Blanshard and Hillside with an attached parking facility.

Once the new pool is open, renovate the old pool into a casino or demolish it and build affordable housing on the site.

 

Isn't that school district property, not CoV?

[Victoria Watcher]

Isn't that school district property, not CoV?

 

yes.  but surely a swap or purchase is doable.

[shoeflack]

yes.  but surely a swap or purchase is doable.

 

Oh, of course. Often though there is just added costs with a swap, and certainly with an outright purchase. This is an expensive project already, so to add in the cost of having to purchase a new property just pushes it higher and higher. So keeping it on existing CoV property makes some amount of sense. Then again, I've been a proponent of a joint YMCA/CoV facility since the beginning, and one that does not necessarily utilize Central Park.

[Jacques Cadé]

The program guide states that a maximum of 10% of the fund ($14M) will be allocated to a project. The guide also states that the decision on which projects will be funded will happen in the summer of 2019 which is 2-3 months AFTER the $6M gas tax incentive expires.

 

Good find. This sets up an interesting situation.

 

Page 11 of the granting Program Guide doesn't say that a maximum of 10% of the "first intake" pool of money ($135 million) will be allocated to any one project, but does suggest that anyone wanting more "phase" the project and apply again for the second intake (closer to the next provincial election). So say the City gets $13.5M in the first intake. It applies for a deadline extension for the $6M in gas-tax money, which it is likely to get -- but a condition of receiving that cash is that the City has all its other project funding in place.

 

$13.5M grant + $10M from reserves + $6M gas-tax + $1M Canadian Tire = $30.5M. That means the City will need to find $39M by early next year to secure the gas-tax money and meet the pool’s $69.4M budget.

 

Maybe half of that can be found in reserves. So here's my prediction: early in 2019 council will be asked to seek approval to borrow around $20M, especially since “public approval” of a project appears to improve chances of getting a federal-provincial grant. Whether the City tries to get that approval by referendum or "alternative approval process" (counter-petition) depends on who's sitting at the council table.

Edited by Jacques Cadé, 17 September 2018 - 05:24 PM.

[Nparker]

...Maybe half of that can be found in reserves...

And that would affect the funding for the new fire hall how? Just how big is this reserve fund?