1571 replies to this topic

[Jacques Cadé]

Going to public hearing, 5-4 vote. Dubow, Isitt, Thornton-Joe, and Young opposed.

[Mike K.]

This really does belong to the public to decide, not a soon to be outgoing council.

 

The political sentiment is that rental housing is great and much needed, but this particular instance, in this particular location, and this particular type, and this particular style, are not quite the right sort of rental housing, is getting long in the tooth. Council knows the City is thousands of housing units in arrears, and yet four councillors still voted against sending this project forward.

[KdogK]

his is the project I am most excited about in the neighbourhood. Congratulations to Starlight!!

[DavidSchell]

Council knows the City is thousands of housing units in arrears, and yet four councillors still voted against sending this project forward.

 

They just don't seem to understand the compounding affect their policies are having on gumming up the housing problem.

 

People don't want to sell as there is nothing to rent and renters can't find anything to buy because people won't sell.

 

Do they seriously lack the type of foresight to not see what is right in front of their faces? 

[Nparker]

...Do they seriously lack the type of foresight to not see what is right in front of their faces? 

They are blinded by their ideology.

[Mike K.]

I hate to say it, but Victorians vote in councillors who are all about maintaining the status quo. People vote for the government they want.

[Nparker]

...Victorians vote in councillors who are all about maintaining the status quo. People vote for the government they want.

No one from the current council was voted in by me. They are most definitely NOT the government I want.

[Casual Kev]

I hate to say it, but Victorians vote in councillors who are all about maintaining the status quo. People vote for the government they want.

 

2018 had record-breaking turnout, yet it was only 45% of registered voters. In the 2020 byelection, only 17% even showed up. Hardly reflective of the will of the electorate as a whole.

 

Keeping up with elections and civic engagement at all three jurisdictional levels is very exhausting. Specially with partisan and ideologically-driven discourse becoming more dominant nowadays, which drives engagement at the federal level but makes municipal politics look irrelevant by comparison. 

[Mike K.]

It's also tricky in the CRD. You have people emotionally and financially engaged in issues pertaining to the City of Victoria, but they happen to live on the Saanich side of the border. No vote. And you also have a population of 60% renters in the City of Victoria, meaning there is more likelihood of housing movement, sometimes placing a person on the opposite side of the border and no longer connected to the politics they might be invested in. Again, no vote.

[G-Man]

There are solutions to this. But no one wants to do it.

[Barrrister]

The situation over the past few years has been just getting progressively worse.

I am sure all the prodeveloper guys manage to wear rose coloured glasses but the best they can say is that we hope it gets better somehow. 

 

I would not put my money into that area and I sure as hell would not want to live there. Take a nice stroll along Panadora one day but not at night.

[Mike K.]

There are solutions to this. But no one wants to do it.

 

It's not so much want, but fear, right? Everything was going good in terms of amalgamation, until 2018 happened. Then everyone got cold feet when Victoria politics morphed into federal, provincial and international advocacy that the electorate in other municipalities have no interest in.

[Nparker]

...Everything was going good in terms of amalgamation, until 2018 happened...

I am not sure this is entirely true. It seems like there has always been as much regional opposition to amalgamation as there has been support.

[Mike K.]

Don't forget that the prior election had a question on the ballot asking voters if they supported taking steps towards exploring a union, which had some drama as Frank Leonard had devised a bizarre ask that was confusing (he ultimately got voted out in that election). The electorate on both sides was supportive of exploring the idea, formally. Several years later mayor Haynes announced his municipality would be stepping back.

[grantpalin]

We all know how badly the region needs more rental housing. This project, while it's not going to satisfy everyone, does provide a good mix of location, rental housing, retail, and public amenities. It shouldn't be hard to approve.

[Nparker]

...It shouldn't be hard to approve.

You'd think that, wouldn't you? This one isn't getting approved without a fight.

[G-Man]

Don't forget that the prior election had a question on the ballot asking voters if they supported taking steps towards exploring a union, which had some drama as Frank Leonard had devised a bizarre ask that was confusing (he ultimately got voted out in that election). The electorate on both sides was supportive of exploring the idea, formally. Several years later mayor Haynes announced his municipality would be stepping back.

The thing is the larger the electorate the less opportunity for fringe candidates to win. I mean just Saanich would give that mini most of the power in a union. Anyways far off topic.

This area is fine. I walk through here almost every day. The issues of Pandora usually move North and West not this direction at all

[Nparker]

...The issues of Pandora usually move North and West not this direction at all

Sadly, that is true. 

[ventilatte]

So did the re-submitted version of this with the 32 story tower get approved? I lost track of which version it was on because it seemed like it changed a few times. 

 

If so, I assume that will be Victoria's new tallest tower? 

[Casual Kev]

The Duncan-Cowichan Valley referendum showed it doesn't matter what reports or committees say, people vote solely based on what they think they're gaining or losing from being part of a larger municipality. 

 

Is an Alberta-style annexation or a Mike Harris amalgamation the only way a united core could ever come to fruition? 

Edited by Casual Kev, 30 October 2021 - 12:32 AM.