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#81 On the Level

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Posted 24 November 2020 - 01:25 PM

I'm going all out for Christmas this year.  The way I see it, if everyone in the CRD isn't able to tell when I have turned on the display, then I have failed.  With any luck, might have some aircraft get confused and try to land at my place instead of the airport.  None of those 737 MAX things though....that's not safe.


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#82 AllseeingEye

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Posted 24 November 2020 - 01:32 PM

I'm going all out for Christmas this year.  The way I see it, if everyone in the CRD isn't able to tell when I have turned on the display, then I have failed.  With any luck, might have some aircraft get confused and try to land at my place instead of the airport.  None of those 737 MAX things though....that's not safe.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=e2I-_tIDV-4


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#83 todd

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Posted 24 November 2020 - 01:47 PM

https://youtu.be/P93Fi0bQaI4 Last year tripped over some sandbags trying to bring in the inflatable Santa it was still partially inflated so absorbed most of the impact but some injuries.

Edited by todd, 24 November 2020 - 02:12 PM.

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#84 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 13 January 2021 - 07:01 AM

Butchart Gardens to close for two weeks

 

Butchart, which has managed to keep 225 of its employees working through the pandemic, is one of the major tourism companies unable to access provincial government relief.

 

While the province has offered $150 million in aid to the industry, it left some of the biggest players — including ­Harbour Air, Wilson’s Transportation, hotels, whale watching companies and attractions such as Butchart — unable to get help as they employ more than the province’s cutoff of 149 ­employees.

 

 

https://www.timescol...eeks-1.24266495



#85 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 02:48 PM

this is great.  now tourists can walk to butchart gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

Central Saanich Mayor Windsor said a pathway to Butchart Gardens with a stated cost of $322,800 will help boost the local economy and active forms of transportation.

 

“Butchart Gardens plays an incredibly important role in community as employing residents, providing a historical attraction and a major draw for tourists to Central Saanich, and I’m thrilled this project will help make the Gardens more accessible for those using active transportation,” he said.

 

https://www.vicnews....tchart-gardens/


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 February 2021 - 02:48 PM.


#86 spanky123

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 03:26 PM

$322K for a 450m path along the side of the road. What does that cover, about 20 houses? Since there is nowhere to park within 2km of the gardens (other than at BG itself) I don't see the path doing much!

 

Doesn't matter though, free money right?


Edited by spanky123, 28 February 2021 - 03:27 PM.


#87 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 03:31 PM

i think it's actually only about 12 houses.

 

 

there are probably better ways to spend that kind of money.

 

but what can you do.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 February 2021 - 03:33 PM.


#88 Spy Black

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:14 PM

The Municipality of Central Saanich is quite aware of the non-stop vehicle and pedestrian activity on Benvenuto Ave, especially during the long tourist season.

Benvenuto is quite narrow, and walking on it is somewhat precarious what with no sidewalks of any kind to be found.

 

Additionally, and alluded to in the article, with over 300 workers, most of the Gardens employees arrive at work via bus, or after being dropped off on Wallace. 

It's only managers and the most senior employees that benefit from on-site parking ... the guy who serves you your hot dog has to walk down Benvenuto (along with a couple of hundred other employees) ... thus the new path.



#89 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:17 PM

who drops them off on wallace?  their partner/parent?

 

i don't know.  it's had no sidewalk for 110 years.  

 

i might rather see a sidewalk on mt. newton from the highway to east saanich.  that stretch is at least 5x busier and a fairly significant population from the east side of the highway walks it to go grocery shopping. and there is a hospital there.  plus at least one pedestrian recenty died there.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 February 2021 - 06:25 PM.


#90 Nparker

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:33 PM

I'll admit it's been a number of years since I made regular treks to Central Saanich (I grew up in Brentwood Bay), but at least in the summer months the #75 bus used to make scheduled stops inside the Butchart Gardens.



#91 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:35 PM

I'll admit it's been a number of years since I made regular treks to Central Saanich (I grew up in Brentwood Bay), but at least in the summer months the #75 bus used to make scheduled stops inside the Butchart Gardens.

 

it still does but the local collector bus only goes down wallace.



#92 Spy Black

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:45 PM

i don't know.  it's had no sidewalk for 110 years.  

 

 

Progress I guess!

 

One can presume (quite safely) that the Muni of Central Saanich has done a lot more research on the subject matter than a few internet pundits have ... and that a pedestrian walkway down Benvenuto is an appropriate improvement to undertake for the area in 2021.



#93 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:47 PM

One can presume (quite safely) that the Muni of Central Saanich has done a lot more research on the subject matter than a few internet pundits have ... and that a pedestrian walkway down Benvenuto is an appropriate improvement to undertake for the area in 2021.

 

doubt it.

 

it's a political decision like most.  if it had more reason behind it there would have been public consultation.

 

in the 2020 paper:

 

Central Saanich Active Transportaiton Plan

 

the benvenuto lack of sidewalk sidewalk is never mentioned.  nor is that portion of the street.

 

but they talk about the mt. newton issues.

 

a 2002 delcan study:

 

https://ehq-producti...62b4fe384db9d71

 

talked extensively about mt. newton issues plus another dozen areas of concern in central saanich but never mentioned any issues at benvenuto.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 February 2021 - 07:01 PM.


#94 Spy Black

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:51 PM

Perhaps doing something positive for your municipalities largest employer is considered making positive political hay?

 

Compared to what's going on in the COV, Central Saanich and their Benvenuto pathway seems a pretty solid project.


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#95 max.bravo

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 06:55 PM

This is actually a pretty worthwhile improvement - esp since it’s entirely provincial grant $.

with electric bikes becoming popular among baby boomers, there will be an increased number of ebikes heading to butcharts. Benvenuto is narrow even for a car, let alone peds or cyclists. Great improvement.
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#96 Rob Randall

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 07:01 PM

I was in Europe and there was this little narrow concrete road that was cracked and bumpy and I learned it was one of the last remaining Nazi roads built using slave labour and I remember thinking my God, it's exactly like the road to Butchart.


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#97 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 28 February 2021 - 07:03 PM

Perhaps doing something positive for your municipalities largest employer is considered making positive political hay?

 

probably.  



#98 Mike K.

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Posted 01 March 2021 - 08:53 AM

Do not forget this is the same municipality that celebrated the closure of West Corp's call centre along Keating X. The mayor famously (infamously?) declared it a win for the municipality because it would reduce vehicle traffic.

 

The lack of a sidewalk to a hospital along the primary east-west connector from Highway 17 to the Saanichton retail hub should be an ultra priority infrastructure project. Instead they decide on a path to Butchart Gardens.


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#99 spanky123

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Posted 01 March 2021 - 11:16 AM

Additionally, and alluded to in the article, with over 300 workers, most of the Gardens employees arrive at work via bus, or after being dropped off on Wallace. 

It's only managers and the most senior employees that benefit from on-site parking ... the guy who serves you your hot dog has to walk down Benvenuto (along with a couple of hundred other employees) ... thus the new path.

 

Sorry but staff have free parking on-site at Butchart and the bus goes right to the front gate. Nobody is walking from Wallace unless they choose to.



#100 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 01 March 2021 - 11:22 AM

doesn't saan pen hospital have 300 workers?

 

mirroring what butchart's staff go through don't the friends/spouses and family of saan pen workers drop the worker at the highway for them to walk in?



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