Back from lunch and, in a standard procedurally clever move, Mayor Alto puts forward a motion to refer the Evergreen Terrace conversation to next week in order to buy the applicant time to talk to the actual BC Housing decision-makers and give Council a chance to make a more informed decision.

Committee of the Whole concludes, and we're shifting over to Daytime Council now for ratifications and new business.

Onto G2, Alto and Caradonna's Council Member Motion requesting funds from the Major Community Initiatives & Event Grant be allocated to Vic's Canada Day festivities. Alto's remarks pointedly raise how BC does not contribute to the capital city's Canada Day celebrations, while other provinces do.

I'm the Council rep on the GVHA Board, and it's been eye-opening to see how much of the harbour we enjoy in the City is actually privately managed by this organization. Board Chair spends time discussing GVHA's partnerships with Songhees and Kosapsom Nations; now intro'ing interim CEO Don Krusel.

COTW for #yyj begins a few minutes late, but we begin. Mayor Alto acknowledges the reality our responsibilities to the local First Nations with her land acknowledgment. #yyjpoli

I’m not sure how much notice this has received but the Assembly of First Nations in Canada has issued a travel advisory for the United States after reports that Indigenous people are being increasingly questioned and detained by ICE. www.instagram.com/p/DT-_SacDEH...

🚨 Requesting help: I am looking for an agent who can facilitate more speaking gigs, podcast appearances, and interviews with journalists I want to more widely share my story and expertise as a trans geneticist who understands the reality and complexity of "biological sex" 🏳️‍⚧️🧬 Please signal boost?

Societies turn to intoxicants when there is suffering without hope; when living conditions deteriorate and the conviction that things might improve become untenable. Addiction is a symptom. Our economy is the sickness.

Downfall Bovino Edition. You're welcome.

A Canadian-made armoured vehicle was spotted on Minneapolis streets the day ICE murdered Alex Pretti. The company that sold ICE that monster as part of a $10 million deal? Roshel. What’s more: Canada’s government brought Roshel’s CEO on a trade mission SIX DAYS AFTER Renee Good was murdered.

BC'ers - register, grab your lunch, and join us tomorrow to talk all things municipal government - what it's like to run and serve and how you can be involved. Panel includes Cllr Leslie Payne from Nelson and Nadine Nakagawa from New Westminster. www.womentransformingcities.org/events-colle...

The entire Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution calling on Governor Tim Walz to impose an eviction moratorium during the ongoing ICE raids. spokesman-recorder.com/2026/01/23/i...

My reactive rescue dog is the creature that keeps me tethered to hope and reality every day. I sincerely wish each of you has similar love in your life to make it through these tough days.

"Operated by the University of #Victoria, the service, which takes in samples from across #VancouverIsland, has been noting an increase in the frequency and concentration of #medetomidine since the beginning of last year" @uvic.ca #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada www.timescolonist.com/local-news/v...

Alex Pretti, a 37-year old nurse, was just murdered by ICE in Minneapolis. We must organize and build solidarity across borders to #AbolishICE. First up - BC billionaire Jim Pattison owns a US warehouse that will soon be turned into an ICE processing facility. Tell Eby to shut down the deal. #bcpoli

Reflections on the meet and greet with @votetanille.bsky.social last night: • these events bring out *highly* informed local voters • this leadership race is key for tone setting the NDPs future • candidates have different approaches; it’s refreshing to have such varied perspectives to choose from!

Action for Canadians today: Contact your MP regarding this report regarding ICE wanting to use Hanover warehouse for immigrant processing (Hanover = Jim Pattison Group, aka Save On Foods) www.vpm.org/news/2026-01...

Bluesky never trends these things. Never.

Listening in on a BC Ferries call for electeds and it’s wildly informative. • logistical ✨marvel of operations✨ • hitting 90+% usage in peak season; anything above 80% is high • constrained by federal regs • infrastructure is sad; strategy is “life extension” rather than renewal or rebuilds 1/x

Our new review of beluga sociality and culture just dropped at Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology! Some of our key conclusions summarized 🧵 doi.org/10.1007/s002... @marine-valeria.bsky.social @dmennill.bsky.social @raincoast.org

For anyone following the federal NDP leadership race in #yyj and #yyjpoli, come out and meet @votetanille.bsky.social with me tomorrow night! I met her at a regional local government conference years ago and was wowed. Among the most relatable and amicable elected officials I’ve met this term.

“Kids want to belong, but they’ve lost trust [in adults].” -Dr Charlesworth [oof that hits hard]

“We default to what’s familiar, not what’s right.” -Dr Charlesworth

“2002-2008, there were tremendous cuts to youth services…. I think we let those young people down.” -Dr Charlesworth

Dispelling the Youth Crime Myth -No dramatic rise in youth violent crime -Increased visibility of crisis does not equate to increased criminality -Youth crime in Victoria peaked in mid-2000s -Recent year-to-year increases remain well below historical levels

Shifting gears slightly here, I’m at the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee AGM, with special guest speaker Dr Jennifer Charlesworth, BC Rep for Children and Youth. Some jarring facts: 1/x

Onto H3, Hammond's Council Member Motion: Request city staff to find best practises to implement rodent abatement program and bylaw. Addressing concerns he's hearing from North Park residents as a result of nearby building demolitions. Acknowledges that rats are a part of living in #yyj.

Onto H2, Council Member motion with @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social: AVICC resolution re: pursuing a class-action lawsuit against Fossil Fuel Companies. Can't cover it too much because focused on my comments and following the conversation a little more closely than usual.

Back from break. Onto item H1: Council Member Motion advocacy to AVICC and UBCM for the Province to create enabling authorities allowing local govts to regulate carbon pollution from existing buildings. Put forward by @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social and @davethompsonvic.bsky.social

Committee of the Whole for #yyjpoli has begun for the day. I'm personally excited for the motion Coun Caradonna and I are putting forward: an AVICC resolution to pursue a class-action lawsuit against fossil fuel companies. Let's goooo.

Waiting for your friend to text you photos from your hangout a while back is my version of waiting for photos to get developed. Anyway, good morning.

Reminder to all Metro Vancouver residents that access to The Globe and Mail is free online with a library card. This is a trial VPL program until April 2026 - so the more we use it, the better. #vanpoli

the knitters too. this is the top pattern on ravelry right now

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President: “By ending the decriminalization pilot, the Province is failing to treat addiction as a public-health issue, not a criminal one, and is doubling down on policies that have already caused immense harm to First Nations.“ www.ubcic.bc.ca/ubcic_deeply...

Passing through some additional bylaws quickly and unanimously: 2026 Temporary Borrowing, Amendment Bylaw for Delegation Bylaw, 1132+1134 Empress Ave Housing Agreement, 1029 Queens Ave Housing Agreement, and 2002 Richmond/1903, 1909 Birch/1769 Pembroke Street Housing Agreement.

Moving onto item F2. 1905+ 1907 Fort St/1923+1929 Davie St update:" "revised plans dated October 23, 2025 to incorporate various amenities and adjustments to bicycle and vehicle parking. The variances have been updated to reflect the new Town Centre District - 1 Zone (TCD-1)."

Back for the daytime Council meeting. Extensive presentation on Works and Services draft bylaws and regulatory directions. 45 minute presentation here: pub-victoria.escribemeetings.com/filestream.a...

We have what looks like a deceptively shorter set of agendas for Council's consideration today. Mayor Alto leads us with a land acknowledgement. "When we make our decisions, we hope we reflect that history and honour it."

one payoff of being a bureaucracy understander is functionally achieving goal of ‘abolish ICE’ without the slogan and its political overhead. republicans know how to do this and have done it often

But when we hide from the painful truth that our enemies are scared humans like we are, we ignore the social structures that actually need intervening in to stop this mess, and thus the demons that have a hold on the hearts of these colonizers laugh all the way to more destructive power

Aaaand I had to step out because of another Council commitment for the next hour. Coverage will be back if they don’t wrap up by the time I get back. If the timing doesn’t work out, reminder that we have an evening council and public hearing tonight. The Capital Iron lands are up for rezoning!

Onto Coun Gardiner's third Council Member Motion "requesting amendments to the Code of Conduct Bylaw to revise the complaint process and expand eligibility criteria for Complainants." [interesting that I'm named over and over in the document, but not in my colleague's direct remarks right now]

Moving onto Coun Gardiner's second Council Member Motion requesting Mayor Alto invite Dr Daniel Vigo to present to Council Committee of the Whole. [eep]

Onto Coun Gardiner's motion requesting Mayor Alto invite economist Warren Lovely, or qualified substitute, to provide a presentation to Council. Coleman checked and apparently that economist who spoke at UBCM didn't charge a speakers fee but everything else was covered by the National Bank.

Coun Caradonna's advocacy motion requesting the Mayor urge the Province to enshrine BC's Coastal Marine strategy into law passes unanimously.

I totally forgot to mention we broke for lunch... so we're back! Still on the agenda item around Council Procedures Bylaw Update. Very line-by-line approach right now.

Oh oh oh, this one is fun. A Councillors "may ONLY give notice of motion... by noon AT LEAST 13 DAYS before that meeting." This just adds one week to our current practice to provide better time for consideration, as well as staff awareness and input.

Onto Mayor Alto's Council Procedures Bylaw Update. Just cleaning up house to allow for flexibility for technical issues, for example, and rules clarifying procedures for speakers addressing Council, and permitting pre-recorded audio and video submissions for public hearings.

Onto staff report on membership fees. "A report outlining the organization-wide memberships the City holds and any additional payments made to the organizations." Mayor suggests that any proposals arising from this be submitted as a Council Member Motion afterward. It's just a report for receipt.