Happy Valentine's Day, Westshore! I spent Valentine's eve with my sweet cat watching Colwood council. Ah, the glamorous life of municipal reporting. Besides the many interesting things on the agenda, my hat tip goes to Mayor Doug Kobayashi for his very dapper yellow bow tie and pocket square. Should we start a fashion review segment in The Westshore? LMK.
Reporter The Westshore
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TRANSPORTATION
E&N Railway’s ‘use it or lose it’ deadline is one month away
An E&N Railway bridge crossing the Nanaimo River. A glass plate photograph by Richard Maynard, circa 1890. (BC Archives)
One month from today, a timer will go off for the E&N Railway; its fate will finally be decided.
The railway between Courtenay and Victoria has been dormant for more than a decade, but chatter for and against plans to restore it got increasingly agitated after a 2020 court case started an 18-month timer that expires on March 14, 2023.
Advocates say train transportation would alleviate traffic congestion and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Others say it’s too expensive, and we should invest in more rapid buses instead. Many agree that the most valuable part of the whole thing is the land itself: a contiguous corridor between Victoria and Courtenay, with an arm from Nanaimo to Port Alberni.
The railway’s future is connected to its complicated history that started with the terms of agreement for BC to join Canada in 1871. One of those terms was that the federal government would secure a rail line through the province—a condition that took years to iron out but was eventually ratified in legislative agreements.
DEVELOPMENT
Colwood council votes down 142-unit apartment proposal
This artist's rendering of 595 Bezanton Way will remain a rendering after Colwood council rejected the 142-unit apartment proposal at first reading. (📸 Three Point Properties)
“This feels like a bait and switch.”
“I’m really getting tired of council allowing developers to rezone and rezone and rezone and rezone. It’s not fair. I feel like you guys just rubber stamp things. I personally had hope that with this new council coming in that you shared the same views, because that’s certainly the impression I had. Now I’m wondering if I voted incorrectly.”
“Langford appears to do well in erecting apartment buildings. We should let them do what they do so well.”
These were some of the comments from public speakers at Colwood’s council meeting on Monday night who were deeply opposed to a proposed 142-unit apartment building on Bezanton Way.
Many were neighbours to the now vacant lot, who said they bought new homes in the neighbourhood adjacent to Olympic View only after carefully reading development plans and the Official Community Plan. They knew about the previous plan for a townhouse development, but collectively expressed frustration at feeling duped by this new plan that will bring significantly more traffic and neighbours.
Apartment building will need less rock blasting than townhouse plan
The new proposal came after Colwood changed its blasting rules, said the developer, Three Point Properties. Staff were concerned at how much blasting would be required for the townhouse proposal. Even though they’re less dense, townhouses require more rock blasting, and would have a larger footprint than the apartment building, developer representative Ian Laing told council.
Shrinking the townhouse proposal to an acceptable blasting impact made it too small to be financially viable, Laing said. So they pivoted to an apartment building, which dramatically increases the density but manages to have a smaller footprint.
Much of the proposal falls within the boundaries of the current zoning, including the density ratio—and managed to leave 57% of the property undisturbed—but the developer is asking for an increase to the allowed height (to six storeys from three) and to open up what kind of tenant the apartments are for. The current zoning rules allow apartments for seniors (or less dense homes for anyone); the developer wants to build apartments that aren’t exclusively for seniors.
“I would love to support a project like this that has less blasting and more land preserved, but I’m in a hard spot because this plan is not sitting well with our community. It’s not my job to convince the public to accept this plan, that’s your job,” Coun. Cynthia Day said.
Coun. Ian Ward said that, in isolation, the proposal looks good. “But I cannot look at it in isolation, I have to look at the bigger picture,” he said, acknowledging that the rules changed part way through for this developer.
With sympathy expressed to the developer, council unanimously voted to reject the proposal.
Around the 'Shore
🍰 John Fowler settles back into his Langford kitchen after a stint in the most wholesome of reality television. The Great Canadian Baking Show contestant shared a flourless chocolate cake recipe with us last week. [Tasting Victoria]
👩 💻 Emotionally Aligned Counselling & Coaching can help your mental and emotional health by breaking through the walls preventing you from connecting to yourself and others. Learn more.*
🚍 Sooke Mayor Maja Tait will chair transit commission as six new members join. Oak Bay mayor Kevin Murdoch is the only other returning member of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, which decides on local bus routes, service levels, fares, and budgeting. Newcomers appointed by local MLA Rob Fleming, the minister for transportation, are: Marianne Alto (Victoria mayor), Dean Murdock (Saanich mayor), Ryan Windsor (Central Saanich mayor), Marie-Térèse Little (Metchosin mayor), Chris Coleman (Victoria councillor), and Colin Plant (Saanich councillor). All eight members are also CRD directors.
🏠 Make homeownership a reality with a mortgage helper. Several GableCraft Homes floor plans can accommodate 1- or 2-bedroom legal suites to further assist with mortgage financing.*
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TOGETHER WITH REIMAGINE WORK
Find, keep, and grow the right people
Hiring, training, and retaining great talent can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. When people become a pain point, Reimagine Work offers flexible retainer support that provides the experience of a team of senior people and operations (HR) pros without the cost of a senior-level salary.
Retainer support goes beyond administration to do ‘HR’ differently. Every retainer client receives on-call expertise and agile services matched to their org’s needs. Reimagine’s consultants are culture champions, needle-movers, and change-makers who work with leaders to find, keep, and grow great teams.
Community Events
🌲Rally for Old Growth forests: Elders for Ancient Forests, Sierra Club BC, Stand.earth, and the Wilderness Committee are hosting a rally for old growth forests at the provincial legislature buildings on Feb. 25. They’ve created a declaration which to date has been signed by more than 160 organizations.
☕️ Council and Coffee: join Sooke’s elected leaders for coffee and tell them what you really think! “Council meetings are quite structured, so we hope this will be a refreshing opportunity for residents to connect with their elected officials in a more casual setting,” said Mayor Maja Tait. The next monthly coffee chat will be Feb. 27, 10-11:30am at the Sooke Municipal Hall, 2205 Otter Point Rd.
🤝 Community grants available in Sooke: non-profit organizations that work in Sooke are invited to apply for a grant from the district of up to $7,000. The grants are meant for projects that benefit Sooke residents that would not be able to operate without financial assistance. Read the details and submit applications here; the deadline to apply is March 15.
🎸Chilliwack is coming to Sooke! No it’s not a geographical phenomenon, Chilliwack the band is performing at the Sooke Community Theatre on March 30. Tickets are $50.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Feb. 13, 2023 (📸 Zoë Ducklow)
⛴ #1 The CS Wu Han is a bulk carrier built in 2021 and is sailing under the flag of Hong Kong. It is sailing from 🇨🇳 Tianjin Xingang, China ➡ 🇨🇦 Tsawwassen, BC and was scheduled to arrive more than a month ago on Jan. 2. It’s been moored off shore since Jan. 18.
🚢 #2 The HL Vision is a bulk carrier built in 2011 and is sailing under the flag of South Korea. It is sailing from 🇰🇷 Gwangyang, Korea ➡ 🇨🇦 North Vancouver, BC and was scheduled to arrive Feb. 10.
🛳 #3 The Mariloula is a bulk carrier built in 2008 and is sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands. It is sailing from 🇨🇳 Qingdao, China ➡ 🇨🇦 Victoria, BC and was scheduled to arrive on Feb. 11.
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MALAHAT SKYWALK
Celebrate Family Day weekend and save
This Family Day weekend enjoy 50% off single admission tickets at Malahat Skywalk, when purchased online. Enjoy an adventure with family and friends or plan a fun day out for your visitors.
The Westshore is giving one lucky reader a 4-pack of Malahat Skywalk tickets for this Family Day weekend. Enter here for your chance to win!