1493 replies to this topic

[dasmo]

Here is one built in the Netherlands for $2,500,000 EU. More than adequate for a community pool. https://www.slangenk...nd-voorthuizen/

 

Regent Park Aquatic Centre in TO cost $13,000,000 in 2012. https://www.mjma.ca/...-Aquatic-Centre

[Awaiting Juno]

How is it Alberni can build an aquatic centre for an estimated $68Million, but Victoria can't for 3 times the expense? For what is planned to be spent, maybe we should be expecting 2 pools not 1. 

 

Alberni is in BC so faces the same material and largely the same labour costs? The timeline, is today - so why the huge difference??

[Awaiting Juno]

Similarly, Delta is also planning a new Aquatic centre, and again the costs estimated ($120M to $130M) are a bit more than half of what Victoria has slated. 

 

I can't help but feel that this project is going off the deep end.

[Victoria Watcher]

In the 50m pool all ends are deep.

[Victoria Watcher]

A commentary by a Victoria city council member.

 

 

At the Jan. 23 council meeting, Coun. Jeremy Caradonna accused me of lying to the public.

I did not lie.

 

In order to clear my name, I put forward a council motion asking for an apology. As reported in this newspaper, Caradonna said “I am happy to apologize to Coun. Hammond for the overheated rhetoric of last week.”

 

However, it appears he wasn’t in any hurry.

 

At Thursday’s council meeting, when he had the chance to quickly put this to bed, he, along with councillors Dave Thompson, Susan Kim and Matt Dell, voted against putting my motion on the agenda.

 

If I don’t get a satisfactory apology, on the record, in that same chamber, I have legal options to address Caradonna’s defamatory language. In the meantime, it’s important to know exactly what I was accused of doing when, he claims, I “lied” to Victorians.

 

Apparently I “shamed” city staff by saying they were biased. Caradonna felt so strongly about this that he shrieked “shamed” four times at the Jan. 23 meeting.

 

I’m still having trouble understanding how I could have “shamed” our staff when they literally wrote in a slide presentation that their proposed advertisement about the Crystal Pool referendum could be “vulnerable to attack as biased.”

 

 

https://www.timescol...pology-10166448

 

 

 

 

I kid you not: I “shamed” our staff by pointing out something they pointed out to us in the first place.

 

Then, Caradonna said that my motion asking for balance was “fishy,” I was “trying to spike” the process and all this was “undermining the credibility of this government.”

There is more.

 

My words on a piece of paper would lead Victorians to be ­“confused,” “overwhelmed” and in such a state that they’d all “stay home”. Cardonna said “that means voter suppression.”

 

I had no idea my words could plunge our fair city into a state of lawlessness and chaos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the adults working for us?     

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 February 2025 - 11:01 PM.

[lanforod]

Those are the adults you (the CoV collectively) voted for.

 

 

ps. I ain't much happier with Saanich council, so I get the feeling!

[Harry]

Similarly, Delta is also planning a new Aquatic centre, and again the costs estimated ($120M to $130M) are a bit more than half of what Victoria has slated. 

 

I can't help but feel that this project is going off the deep end.

All this says to me is that there is much more added to the costs than we are told. I expect there are funds added for personal projects and things that would not be approved by the public if uncovered. This is going by this council and the last council that the mayor and the past and current cities city staff. I cant help but wonder if the mess with Caradonna has anything to do with this as well. Hes putting waaaay to much effort and getting way to upset over this mess. I will sit back and watch what unfolds. It should be noted that people in civic politics and stepped down for less than whats going on with Caradonna.

[Mike K.]

This Saturday we find out.

 

Is early voting data available to the City, or is that information caged until voting day?

[Awaiting Juno]

Yes to the pool in the North location - this is an everyone loses proposition. 

 

The existing pool will be gone, in its entirety, for years on end. Further exacerbating the shortage of pool space and time in the city.

 

We've voted yes to borrowing large sums of money (both formally, and informally from ourselves) - meaning there's little incentive for the government to go all out to mitigate the blow to tax payers before shovels hit the ground.

 

The tax hit to property owners and businesses is yet another straw on an already heavy burden.

 

Lastly: turnout in the 20 percent range, means  1 in 10 Victorian are pulling the strings that 9 in 10 pay for.

[lanforod]

Your last point is irrelevant. Not voting = silent agreement with the result. That's the way its always worked here and until/if/when we ever make voting mandatory, thats the way it will stay. Mandatory voting likely would have the same result anyway.

[Blair M.]

Lastly: turnout in the 20 percent range, means  1 in 10 Victorian are pulling the strings that 9 in 10 pay for.

The cause of 90% of what has been seriously ailing the City for the past couple of decades. 

As much as it pains the entire region to watch - there’s a very strong case to be made that notes the City of Victoria and it’s residents have got, and continue to get - exactly what it/they deserve, pretty much exactly what they voted (or not) for. 

[dasmo]

Your last point is irrelevant. Not voting = silent agreement with the result. That's the way it’s always worked here and until/if/when we ever make voting mandatory, thats the way it will stay. Mandatory voting likely would have the same result anyway.

No it doesn’t. In fact the AAP should have a minimum voting number to be valid. Then they might work hard to educate the public about it. Most are not even aware the notion exists so will not register a bus stop poster….

[dasmo]

That or change the recall legislation to have the same rules. You just need 51% of whoever votes! That and introduce municipal recall legislation.

[lanforod]

That or change the recall legislation to have the same rules. You just need 51% of whoever votes! That and introduce municipal recall legislation.

 

This I agree with, the playing field should be level.