26028 replies to this topic

[On the Level]

The thing is CoV council's mismanagement does affect more than just Victoria. Downtown Victoria functions as "downtown" for the greater area. If we lose tourists to the area because of the mismanagement of downtown, then Butchart Gardens suffers as well. If it is perceived as unsafe to come downtown to the Royal Theater or the MacPherson playhouse, then opera supporters from Oak Bay lose out as well. The Victoria Royals draw fans from the greater area, as do other events at the arena, so if the Caledonia area is unappealing it affects people from the other municipalities. 

 

In my opinion (clearly the minority) the voters of the other municipalities should want to amalgamate so that they can contribute to better management of Downtown Victoria, an area that I believe is important to the larger metro area. 

 

It would be interesting to know how many in the CRD want to, or have a need to go downtown.  Younger demographics might be interested in the bar scene and certain pockets might be interested in theatre, but I suspect that the vast majority have no need or want to be downtown.  It is not as if the City is being run like a business and welcomes others. 

 

There is a shift to stay local, whether that be Sidney or the Westshore.  Downtown is very much becoming a gated community due to transportation and services that appeal to the locals at the expense of the outlying communities.  

[Greg]

Downtown is where the cruise ships, the Coho, the Clipper, and the float planes arrive and depart. Downtown is home to the Empress, and the Legislature, the two best known architectural landmarks in the area. Downtown is home to the arts scene, and has the most vibrant restaurant and bar scene in the greater area. Downtown is home to the arena, the WHL team, Fisherman's Wharf, the Royal BC Museum, the Conference Center. The number of residents downtown has been growing steadily, essentially as fast as new condos can be built. 

 

There are significant problems with how the City of Victoria is being managed. But I don't think it is reasonable to suggest that downtown is becoming irrelevant to the greater region.

[Mike K.]

That's right. No part of the CRD is irrelevant to the greater ecosystem. Downtown depends on Langford residents spending their money there. Langford residents depend on downtown for employment.

[Awaiting Juno]

It totally is.  CoV voters own this.  After witnessing the court tent city, they doubled down and set the stage to create a mess.  Other municipalities would be protesting but in the downtown core, it's been normalized.

 

 A good chunk of the reason why there hasn't been protest is that it's COVID and some actually do take the guidance to not gather in groups seriously and do not distinguish between protests and weddings  to determine whether or not gathering is appropriate.

[Victoria Watcher]

In Los Angeles, city officials grappling with an ongoing homelessness crisis have turned to an idea that for decades was politically unpopular and considered radical: a government-funded tent encampment.

 

Other cities, including San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa, Fla., have opened similar programs in recent years. But the high public cost of LA's first sanctioned campground — more than $2,600 per tent, per month — has advocates worried it will come at the expense of more permanent housing.

 

The campsite opened in late April on a fenced-in parking lot beside the 101 freeway in East Hollywood. The lot-turned-campground can accommodate up to about 70 tents in 12-by-12-foot spots marked by white squares painted on the asphalt.

 

 

 

https://www.npr.org/...s-and-questions

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 May 2021 - 01:47 PM.

[Barrrister]

While I live in Victoria I can understand why the other municipalities dont want to have anything to do with the **** show that has become downtown Victoria. With the province jumping on the bandwagon and spending tens of millions to ensure that Victoria's concentration of problems remains permanent it is far better for them to simply ignore downtown Victoria.  

[Greg]

While I live in Victoria I can understand why the other municipalities dont want to have anything to do with the **** show that has become downtown Victoria. With the province jumping on the bandwagon and spending tens of millions to ensure that Victoria's concentration of problems remains permanent it is far better for them to simply ignore downtown Victoria.  

 

In the short term perhaps, in the long term I'm not so sure.

[LJ]

That's right. No part of the CRD is irrelevant to the greater ecosystem. Downtown depends on Langford residents spending their money there. Langford residents depend on downtown for employment.

They are not getting any of mine.

[Barrrister]

I suspect that less and less people are depending on Victoria for their employment. 

 

Lot more jobs in the West Shore and Saanich in the last number of years.

[On the Level]

 

In Los Angeles, city officials grappling with an ongoing homelessness crisis have turned to an idea that for decades was politically unpopular and considered radical: a government-funded tent encampment.

 

Other cities, including San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa, Fla., have opened similar programs in recent years. But the high public cost of LA's first sanctioned campground — more than $2,600 per tent, per month — has advocates worried it will come at the expense of more permanent housing.

 

How can you spend $2,600 every month for a tent sitting on asphalt?  

 

How much have we spent on hotels for how many individuals?

[JimV]

 

 

The campsite opened in late April on a fenced-in parking lot beside the 101 freeway in East Hollywood. The lot-turned-campground can accommodate up to about 70 tents in 12-by-12-foot spots marked by white squares painted on the asphalt.

 

 

A good start!  Now they only have 50,000 more “homeless” to accommodate.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Texas Senate on Thursday approved a bill to ban homeless encampments throughout Texas — a response to the city of Austin lifting a similar local ban two years ago that was recently reinstated by voters.

 

House Bill 1925 would make camping in an unapproved public place a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500. The bill calls for law enforcement officers to redirect homeless people to available local resources — such as shelters or nonprofit groups — “before or at the time” they issue a citation.

 

The House approved the bill earlier this month. The Senate passed the bill, along with two amendments, Thursday and sent the bill back to the House, which can either accept the amendments and send it to the governor or send it to a conference committee to work out the chambers’ differences.

________________________

 

The law comes after 57% of Austin residents voted to reinstate the city’s ban earlier this month, two years after it was lifted by the city council, a move that critics say triggered the proliferation of tent cities throughout the city. Some 10,000 people are estimated to have experienced homelessness in the last year within the city.

 

https://www.texastri...an-legislature/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 May 2021 - 08:07 AM.

[A Girl is No one]

At least Austin understands the notion of induced demand. Let CA deal with it.

[Victoria Watcher]

Seattle Times:

 

Seattle slowly inches toward street sinks, but timeline remains fuzzy

 

Weeks after heated questioning from Seattle City Council members over the slow progress on a $100,000 street sink program to help homeless residents, Seattle Public Utilities announced this week that it had picked two organizations to split the work. But with compliance issues still unresolved, it's unclear when the city and its homeless population will see them.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 May 2021 - 04:58 PM.

[LJ]

^So I assume from that article that Seattle has accepted homelessness is going to be permanent. Perhaps we should send our "coalition to end homelessness" down there to show them how it is done.

[phx]

 Any ONE municipality shouldering this as Victoria has is not right, it's not fair, its ugly. 

 

It’s what the people of Victoria want.  

The mayor wants the city overrun with crackheads.  Most of the other councillors want it.  And people keep electing them.

 

If it’s not what you want, then do as sensible people do and leave.  You have a dozen other local municipalities to choose from.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps is proposing a prohibition on ­sheltering in Beacon Hill Park for at least two years to allow it to recover from the impact of months of all-day camping.

 

In a report going to Victoria council on Thursday, Helps and councillors Marianne Alto and Charlayne Thornton-Joe ­recommend adding Beacon Hill to a list of 23 parks where ­camping is prohibited for a two-year period to allow areas affected by 24/7 sheltering to be repaired.

 

https://www.timescol...hill-1.24324471

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 May 2021 - 05:04 AM.

[A Girl is No one]

Should be prohibited in all parks.
Set up a parking lot in one of those new hotels and people can camp there, with supervision.

[Awaiting Juno]

 

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps is proposing a prohibition on ­sheltering in Beacon Hill Park for at least two years to allow it to recover from the impact of months of all-day camping.

 

In a report going to Victoria council on Thursday, Helps and councillors Marianne Alto and Charlayne Thornton-Joe ­recommend adding Beacon Hill to a list of 23 parks where ­camping is prohibited for a two-year period to allow areas affected by 24/7 sheltering to be repaired.

 

https://www.timescol...hill-1.24324471

 

 

Maybe just maybe she's been told that this will be the likely result of the question asked of the court and wants to look like she's doing it on her own free accord.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps is proposing a prohibition on ­sheltering in Beacon Hill Park for at least two years to allow it to recover from the impact of months of all-day camping.

 

In a report going to Victoria council on Thursday, Helps and councillors Marianne Alto and Charlayne Thornton-Joe ­recommend adding Beacon Hill to a list of 23 parks where ­camping is prohibited for a two-year period to allow areas affected by 24/7 sheltering to be repaired.

 

https://www.timescol...hill-1.24324471

 

 

What a vile creature Lisa Helps is.

 

Camping should never have taken place in BHP.   It certainly didn't need to.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 May 2021 - 06:59 AM.