1558 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Ask, and you shall receive!

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[Victoria Watcher]

Ah, the old stand by for content, death cap mushrooms.

 

Why not dig into the files for a killer bees article?

[Mike K.]

Extremely toxic death cap mushrooms have been observed in Greater Victoria in the fall and occasionally in the summer. These mushrooms are extremely poisonous to pets and people.

These little buggers really are not good.

Saanich yesterday:

Seeking Agricultural Reps to Join the Peninsula and Area Agricultural Commission (PAAC)

Esquimalt: Please be aware that Esquimalt Road will be especially busy over the coming weeks as several major projects are underway.

Oak Bay: District of Oak Bay hires new CAO

[Matt R.]

Ah, the old stand by for content, death cap mushrooms.

 

Why not dig into the files for a killer bees article?

 

"An Australian woman has been jailed for life, with no chance of release for at least 33 years, for murdering three relatives and trying to kill another with a toxic mushroom meal."

 

https://www.bbc.com/...es/c1jzr1d5xk9o

[Mike K.]

The Union of B.C. Municipalities is meeting in Victoria this week for its annual big meeting.

This is where a lot of political symmetry we see at the municipal level originates.

[Barrister]

It has really made things better. 

[lanforod]

The only political symmetry I want to see from that group right now is a commitment to keep property tax increase at or under inflation.

[Victoria Watcher]

Hah! As if. That’s a resolution nobody is going to put forward. As they all travel here, sleep and eat on the taxpayer dime this week.

Is there a single municipality in the province that has said “you know, this year we will just attend virtually”?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 September 2025 - 09:55 AM.

[Barrister]

Party time in Victoria. They should walk them down Pandoro after dark to get a real feel of their wonderful policies at work.

[Mike K.]

Yes, the bars are going to be chock full tonight and for the rest of the week. Great opportunities to site at a bar and listen to the conversations taking place.

[Mike K.]

Lots of grumbling surrounding the City and SOLID lately, including something related to SOLID’s North Park Street facility.

[Victoria Watcher]

Lots of grumbling surrounding the City and SOLID lately, including something related to SOLID’s North Park Street facility.

 

SOLID just got the warming centre contract.   And I'll bet it comes with some baseline dollar amount wether is activates or not.

[Mike K.]

Hmmm. I’ve heard of more than that. We shall see what shakes out.

Anyway, in Vancouver, council has rejected a plan to create a housing branch for the municipal government.

But I am hearing that there is interest in establishing one in Victoria. All we may need to solve all the crises is another government getting into the housing industry. The City has, after all, made several land and real-estate purchases in recent years.

[Victoria Watcher]

Hmmm. I’ve heard of more than that. We shall see what shakes out.

 

SOLID also just got $2M from the feds.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria council makes tough budget job even tougher

 

Victoria council added $973,000 to a budget that already requires more than $8.3 million in cuts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria city council made a difficult job even more challenging this week by adding $973,000 to a budget that already requires more than $8.3 million in cuts.

 

Council, during its first budget meeting Friday afternoon, returned seven of 18 programs, services and grants to the 2026 financial plan that had been cut from it by city staff based on direction from council last year.

 

Returning to the budget for 2026, at least for now, are the youth bus pass program, poet laureate and book prize funding, and money for the Growing in the City and My Great Neighbourhood programs, as well as the $242,000 grant for the South Island Prosperity Partnership.

 

Not returning to the budget at this point is $130,000 trimmed from the hanging flower baskets program.

 

That cut, supported by councillors Jeremy Caradonna, Matt Dell, Susan Kim, Dave Thompson, Krista Loughton and Stephen Hammond, will see the hanging basket program cut in half — only 600 of the usual 1,200 baskets will be hung around downtown in the summer.

 

Councillors Chris Coleman and Marg Gardiner, as well as Mayor Marianne Alto, supported restoring funding.

 

“This is one of those ones that makes absolutely no sense to invest in until you start taking it away,” said Coleman. “Then you will find a whole bunch of people who are going, ‘Why are you diminishing this one?’ I understand the need to pare the budget back, believe me, and it’s always painful, but this is one of those wonderful, iconic little pieces that people will come to the defence of.”

 

At one point, council considered returning 12 of the 18 items staff had initially cut, leading Coleman to point out that would put $2.5 million back into a budget that needs to be trimmed.

 

“This is the trauma that we face when we go through this exercise, none of these [cuts] are fun,” he said. “Recognize we’ve just put $2.5 million back into the budget, so if we don’t make some adjustments here, it’s going to be really painful when we get to Section B, because you’re going to have to take all that money back out, and more.”

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ougher-11465144

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 November 2025 - 03:08 AM.

[LJ]

Poet laureate and book prize funding is what they found important enough to restore? 

[mbjj]

Good lord, it really is Clown Council. 

[jrm]

Victoria council makes tough budget job even tougher

 

Victoria council added $973,000 to a budget that already requires more than $8.3 million in cuts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria city council made a difficult job even more challenging this week by adding $973,000 to a budget that already requires more than $8.3 million in cuts.

 

Council, during its first budget meeting Friday afternoon, returned seven of 18 programs, services and grants to the 2026 financial plan that had been cut from it by city staff based on direction from council last year.

 

Returning to the budget for 2026, at least for now, are the youth bus pass program, poet laureate and book prize funding, and money for the Growing in the City and My Great Neighbourhood programs, as well as the $242,000 grant for the South Island Prosperity Partnership.

 

Not returning to the budget at this point is $130,000 trimmed from the hanging flower baskets program.

 

That cut, supported by councillors Jeremy Caradonna, Matt Dell, Susan Kim, Dave Thompson, Krista Loughton and Stephen Hammond, will see the hanging basket program cut in half — only 600 of the usual 1,200 baskets will be hung around downtown in the summer.

 

Councillors Chris Coleman and Marg Gardiner, as well as Mayor Marianne Alto, supported restoring funding.

 

“This is one of those ones that makes absolutely no sense to invest in until you start taking it away,” said Coleman. “Then you will find a whole bunch of people who are going, ‘Why are you diminishing this one?’ I understand the need to pare the budget back, believe me, and it’s always painful, but this is one of those wonderful, iconic little pieces that people will come to the defence of.”

 

At one point, council considered returning 12 of the 18 items staff had initially cut, leading Coleman to point out that would put $2.5 million back into a budget that needs to be trimmed.

 

“This is the trauma that we face when we go through this exercise, none of these [cuts] are fun,” he said. “Recognize we’ve just put $2.5 million back into the budget, so if we don’t make some adjustments here, it’s going to be really painful when we get to Section B, because you’re going to have to take all that money back out, and more.”

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ougher-11465144

 

Victoria council makes tough budget job even tougher

 

Victoria council added $973,000 to a budget that already requires more than $8.3 million in cuts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria city council made a difficult job even more challenging this week by adding $973,000 to a budget that already requires more than $8.3 million in cuts.

 

Council, during its first budget meeting Friday afternoon, returned seven of 18 programs, services and grants to the 2026 financial plan that had been cut from it by city staff based on direction from council last year.

 

Returning to the budget for 2026, at least for now, are the youth bus pass program, poet laureate and book prize funding, and money for the Growing in the City and My Great Neighbourhood programs, as well as the $242,000 grant for the South Island Prosperity Partnership.

 

Not returning to the budget at this point is $130,000 trimmed from the hanging flower baskets program.

 

That cut, supported by councillors Jeremy Caradonna, Matt Dell, Susan Kim, Dave Thompson, Krista Loughton and Stephen Hammond, will see the hanging basket program cut in half — only 600 of the usual 1,200 baskets will be hung around downtown in the summer.

 

Councillors Chris Coleman and Marg Gardiner, as well as Mayor Marianne Alto, supported restoring funding.

 

“This is one of those ones that makes absolutely no sense to invest in until you start taking it away,” said Coleman. “Then you will find a whole bunch of people who are going, ‘Why are you diminishing this one?’ I understand the need to pare the budget back, believe me, and it’s always painful, but this is one of those wonderful, iconic little pieces that people will come to the defence of.”

 

At one point, council considered returning 12 of the 18 items staff had initially cut, leading Coleman to point out that would put $2.5 million back into a budget that needs to be trimmed.

 

“This is the trauma that we face when we go through this exercise, none of these [cuts] are fun,” he said. “Recognize we’ve just put $2.5 million back into the budget, so if we don’t make some adjustments here, it’s going to be really painful when we get to Section B, because you’re going to have to take all that money back out, and more.”

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...ougher-11465144

Why bother with hanging baskets when they can not even weed existing flower beds?  There is one at the corner of Cook and Maplewood that has not been weeded for 3 summers!!!  About 200 feet down the slope, there is a beautiful one in Saanich that is changed every season.  I guess because the one on Cook is not seen by tourists, they don't give a damn about it.  The City of Gardens is fast becoming the City of Weeds!

[Awaiting Juno]

6/9 on that Council have no clue about how to actually sharpen their pencils and focus on a budget that delivers for citizens. Most are too scared of pissing off their supporters - especially the bike lobby - that they can't do the heavy lifting. They know most aren't motivated or engaged enough to show up at the polls when it counts - so they focus on pleasing those who do at the expense of everyone else.

 

See a weedy planter? Maybe consider commando gardening. Really. 

 

The "My Great Community" funding is nice - but reality is that people don't want to spend money to have the city go and tear out whatever it is they did. They just want to be able to make improvements to their local neighbourhoods and most would do so absent receiving funding for it. Maybe identifying where the city can "get out of the way" of good things happening would be a far better use of resources. Want a dog fence? - Great, fundraise for it and expect the city to respect the community's desire to make it happen without expecting tax resources.

 

A lot less "taxpayer funding" of pet projects could go a long ways to a manageable budget and better engagement of the community. I'd much rather see the bike community work to engage their members to fundraise for their specific projects rather than expecting everyone to contribute to their niche. I'm fine with the city playing an organizing role, and even a delivery role - but the funding end? Should be far more user pay and far less on the backs of general tax payers for what are niche goods and services that benefit a relatively small subset of our community.

[Victoria Watcher]

Time to open an election thread!

 

 

 

 

 

 

At her lingerie shop on the 600-block of Fort Street, Melissa Cseszko’s been broken into, and had merchandise shoplifted, many times

She points out where people use drugs right outside her store’s door.

 

“They go on the stoop right there. But they go in this cove a lot. The crack smell kind of goes into our store,” Cseszko said.

 

She says she doesn’t see much in the way of change with the deployment of more police officers and bylaw enforcement officers.

So, she’s going to run for mayor.

 

“I want to make the streets accessible again. I want to make it safe again. I want to bring and make it desirable to come back downtown. I want to bring the heart back into the city,” Cseszko said.

 

Cseszko appears to be the first to step forward to challenge Mayor Alto in next fall’s election.

 

She says her platform will be focused on making downtown accessible and safe.

 

https://cheknews.ca/...-mayor-1291355/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 November 2025 - 02:38 AM.