Good morning, Westshore! When I was younger, people often told me I should become a teacher. I never liked the idea—probably because I heard my dad, an elementary school principal, vent his frustrations about the job so much (though I now know he loved it).
But as it turns out, I do love giving report cards! For today’s newsletter, I gave each Westshore council a grade on how well they engage their public. There are a lot of ways to evaluate engagement, so I chose to narrow in on digital access. Read on to see how your municipality fared.
Reporter, The Westshore
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
How does your council compare on engagement?
Now that Westshore councils are picking up momentum, it seemed like a good time for a friendly competition. Most councils have stated they want more public engagement—so let’s have a look at how easy they make it for the public to engage.
Each Westshore council meets twice a month, mostly on Monday evenings. Their agendas are posted a few days in advance. According to provincial rules, municipalities allow public participation in the beginning of their meetings, but comments are limited to whatever is on the agenda—it’s not an open town hall. And, any item on the agenda that has already had a public hearing cannot be commented on. These rules are straightforward for people who watch councils closely, but I’d safely bet that's a minority.
All over the Westshore, politicians are looking for ways to meaningfully engage with the public. Not easy, considering rules municipalities follow, staffing constraints, and general lack of attention most people pay to local government.
Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson wants to see dozens more people attending public meetings simply because they’re interested in what’s going on. To that end, he’s planning to renovate council chambers to increase the capacity for viewers. In Sooke, Mayor Maja Tait has put all cards on the table to get people to talk to council.
“We interfere with and upset everybody—uh, routinely. And yet we saw low voter turnout,” she said at the last council meeting.
One way to engage is simply making council meetings easy to watch and understand. So The Westshore came up with a scoring grid to compare each council’s meeting accessibility.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Langford cutting development cost charges for stormwater projects
(📸 Pixabay)
A note for Langford council-watchers: regular city council meetings now start at 7pm instead of 5:30pm in a bid to boost public participation.
Development cost charges (DCC) to fund stormwater upgrades in South Langford are set to drop slightly after council adopted a bylaw update this week.
With only 10 projects deemed eligible for funding from the program—compared to 17 in 2017—staff proposed lowering the stormwater DCC by 13%. Taxpayer contributions to the stormwater DCC program are also expected to decrease by about 10% compared to the projection in Langford’s five-year financial plan, but council still needs to formally approve that change when it approves the budget.
The updated bylaw received initial readings from Langford’s previous council in the spring but could only be adopted following provincial approval—a process that took more than five months.
Council did hear from some residents worried that more ambitious stormwater management upgrades might be needed due to local flooding following last year’s atmospheric river. However, with staff noting that none of the new projects in the program can be funded without the new bylaw approved and that the bylaw can be altered in the future if needed, councillors felt comfortable approving the DCC as proposed.
“It makes sense to me to support this at this time to ensure that we get started on those projects right away and that we don't then have any delays that might increase the cost of those projects,” said Coun. Mary Wagner.
All told, the city expects to spend $4.4 million to get all 10 projects done by 2026.
—By Shannon Waters
Around the ’Shore
🏎**Safe Speed on the hunt for new speedway location.**After the last lap was completed in September, the Westshore Speedway closed for good. The land in Langford sold two years ago, and the new owners are developing a business park and multi-family residential subdivision. The Vancouver Island Safe Speed Association has been looking for a new location, and says it has a potential spot. [Goldstream Gazette]
💙 Looking to connect your aging parents to a family doctor who specializes in complex care and medication review? Care2Talk solves this with unlimited visits per month for the whole family. Sign up and book your appointment today.*
🛹 Construction has started on the Westshore Skate Park. Located at the Juan de Fuca events centre, the skate park has been long hoped for since the Belmont park was torn up in 2015. This park should be ready to go by March 2023. [Chek]
🍁 As your Member of Parliament, Alistair MacGregor can assist you with federal agencies, and help explain how he’s bringing Langford and Westshore voices to Ottawa.*
*Sponsored Listing
SPONSORED POST. CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE WESTSHORE.
TOGETHER WITH BEACON WELLNESS
Are you feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed? You’re not alone
The counsellors at Beacon Wellness see you as a whole person, as someone who makes sense, and as someone who is far from broken.
Beacon honours the survivor inside you, though surviving may not be enough. Helping people thrive is what Beacon is all about.
Learn useful coping skills like self-regulation, self-compassion, and how to apply mindfulness in everyday life. Strive to heal your relationship with yourself, to let go of the past while building the resilience to take on whatever the future brings.
Make sure to take care of yourself as the holiday season approaches.****
Book your free consultation now with one of Beacon's trauma-informed therapists.
Community Events
⛸The outdoor skating rink at Langford’s City Centre Park is open for skating. There are fire pits, snacks, hot drinks, and skate rentals available. Every day from Nov. 25 to Jan. 2, registration is recommended though drop-in is allowed.
🎄 M’akola Housing Society and Jesken Aerie Assisted Living Facility are hosting their first Christmas market, with 20 local vendors, a large bake sale, silent auction, and of course a visit from Santa Claus! Nov. 26. 10am-2pm at 817 Goldstream Ave. Face masks and proof of vaccination are required.
🎭 Join the pantomime fun with Sooke Harbour Players in this latest production of Camelot. This humorous take on the legend of King Arthur and his knights with a script by celebrated UK pantomime theatre writer Ben Crocker. Directed by Susan Browne. Playing on two weekends: Nov. 25-27, and Dec. 2-3.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Nov. 23, 2022 (📸 Tom Gierasimczuk)
🚢 The Emmanuel P is a Container Ship built in 2005 and is sailing under the flag of Marshall Islands. It is sailing from 🇰🇷 Busan, South Korea ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.
⛴ #2 The Pan Freesia is a Bulk Carrier built in 2009 and is sailing under the flag of Panama. It is sailing from 🇰🇷 Pohang, South Korea ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive earlier this week but is anchored off our shore awaiting its berth.
SPONSORED POST. CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE WESTSHORE.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COLOURFUL BUSINESS
Kick off the holidays at this expo!
Check out this FREE all-ages event happening this Saturday, Nov. 26 from 1pm to 7pm.
An expo of local businesses for your holiday needs and more! With amazing live entertainment, it’s going to be a fun-filled Saturday for everyone!
Register and you could WIN****one of three $100 cash cards.
Westshore Snaps
Out on a fall bike ride along the Cowichan Valley trail in Shawnigan Lake, a maple leaf got caught between my wheel and bike frame. —Ken Hall, Shawnigan Lake.
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.