Why does Councillor Gardiner feel entitled to go on and on about opposition to the Centennial Square project after the Mayor explicitly asked everyone to focus on RECEIPT OF THE REPORT. Discussion on the contents is next week. #yyj

1/ The typical nitty-gritty business of Council. AFAIK, there's no indication that cannabis shops are associated with "disorder" of any sort, so I feel they should be regulated identically to liquor stores (whatever that is). I hope they follow through with a staff review. #yyj

Land use matters first. Staff have recommended a decline for a rezoning at 1555 Vancouver St (right next to Panago at Vancouver/Pandora) for a cannabis retailer. Presentation rolls out.

This is a fine overview of transportation cycling in Victoria, BC, where I live. My wife and I are seniors and largely get around by bike all year long. Cycling in Victoria isn't just for the hardcore—it's become a convenient way to shop, go to appointments, visit restaurants, etc. #yyj

My next community coffee-chat will be Tuesday November 25, 2025, 5:30pm to 6:30pm at Spinnaker's Gastro Brewpub, 308 Catherine St. Feel free to drop by and share what you’d like City Council and the CRD to do in the coming months and years. I'll be there to listen and learn. :⁠-⁠) #yyj

Interesting article about transportation demand and the importance of urban form on translation energy usage. Another reason why the safe bike & roll network in Victoria should be considered "core infrastructure". #yyj www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/art...

I never understand this. My street gets very little traffic, it’s a dead end. Yet it is fully lit, paved, 3 lanes wide, maintained. Meanwhile, the Goose, 100 meters away, is pitch black for commuters after 5pm in the winter, and god forbid it snows. For hundreds and even thousands of trips daily.

While I agree with Gardiner about not deferring core funding, her gratuitous "bike lane" comments bug the hell out of me. I use my bike for transportation. I don't even own a bleeping car, and Victoria's bike network lets me shop without putting my life at risk. To hell with her bias. #yyj

Discussions on the City of Victoria, BC, 2026 budget continue. Kudos to Councillor @susankimyyj.bsky.social for live posting this so I don't have to watch the whole thing. #yyj

It's a bit much to listen to Jason Kenney talk about how running tankers along the BC coast is "worth the risk" when all of the benefits flow to Alberta and Big Oil, and all of the risk lands in BC. Except for the CERTAINTY of increased global warming, which affects all of us.

1/ I know that a lot of people are looking for Canadian made items. Back in 2022 we got an induction stove, and I replaced my prehistoric stainless steel cookware. I bought a number of Meyer Canada "SuperSteel" 3-ply items, which are made on PEI.… meyercanada.ca/pages/range-... #MadeInCanada

Been trying to read up to make sense of wht the Fed #budget means for #housing and #homelessness. Here’s a 🧵 I agree with CHRA in that I’m hopeful in the committed investment and what I am sensing is a sincere interest in supercharging efforts. chra-achru.ca/news/chra-ap...

Different decade, same problem. Back then, the “boogeyman” for local residents was townhouses; today, it’s towers. I wonder how many of the people opposing the Quadra–McKenzie plan now are living in homes that were fiercely opposed in 1977.

I think this is a great addition to the region's supportive housing mix. The key word is ADDITION. I would oppose any effort to get rid of low barrier supportive housing—there's too much evidence that expecting people living in the street to "recover" is wishful thinking. People need homes. #yyj

At about noon my friend who works the Bike Valet was assaulted. They were cycling to work WB in the Pandora bikelane and got cut off by a driver turning into McDonald's. Words exchanged; my pal left. The driver followed on foot to the Bike Valet, punched them in the face and fled. #yyj #VictoriaBC

1/ In 2022, much of the pubic concern about social disorder was focused on tenting in Victoria's parks. Pandora Avenue was talked about, of course, but was not the centre of attention it is today. I suspect that's partly because Council ACTED to restrict tenting in #yyj.

Really great point about the lack of SRO-type housing in US cities. www.ryanpuzycki.com/p/the-banish...

I'm shocked, shocked! open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

We need your help to tell transit commissioners that airport service should come alongside all-day 71 service, which would give Sidney residents and ferry riders an all-day direct downtown connection. Transit doesn't have to be zero-sum. See the proposal: www.bctransit.com/wp-content/u...

Grateful to receive support for Bill M216 from Homes for Living YYJ. A community housing advocacy group. “To meet affordability goals, we must ensure that it is faster and easier to build dense infill housing rather than suburban sprawl.” #bcpoli #Nanaimo #Lantzville #Victoriabc

This is a good short-form video from @russilwvong.bsky.social. I constantly hear people use the "greedy landlord" argument for why building more homes won't bring down costs. The facts say otherwise, but it's really a feelings conversation. #housing #yyj open.substack.com/pub/morehous...

WATCH: Seriously, if you’re following ANY bike-lane debate, you HAVE TO WATCH this news story. You actually can’t make this up. Ford claims without evidence that bike-lanes are bad for small business, and THE ACTUAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION obliterates him with data. Safe bike-lanes mean business.

www.stopamalgamation.ca #yyj I lived through amalgamation in Toronto. Its touted benefits do not pan out. Cost saving looks good on paper but in practice it did not perform. Distinct areas have different needs which can be met easier without amalgamation.

Unsurprisingly, it's not going well. www.thestar.com/news/gta/for...

Yeah. We voted to pay more in taxes for a new pool. If they're trying to keep the tax increase at a fixed level including the pool cost, that's not what we voted for. Pull the Crystal Pool line into it's own section like the police budget and look at what's left. (Hope that's what they're doing)

1/ The cost of the #yyj Crystal Pool were clear to everyone during the referendum. I voted yes on the assumption that we were taking on EXTRA debt repayments. If the city had said the new pool would come at the expense of active transportation programs, I would have fought it tooth and nail.

This is SO relevant in #yyj and #saanich.

1/3 Wow… the @timescolonist.bsky.social is really letting their biases show. Saying "refuses to call for" sounds like they removed a staff recommendation or a well reasoned report, instead of what they did: reject an unserious, poorly thought out, non-evidence based spam motion from one councillor.

www.cfaxsantas.com/pages/toy-dr... - shame on @cfax1070.bsky.social for using this AI generated slop. Maybe try giving back to the community by hiring a local photographer and by using your own volunteers and children in the community 🤦‍♂️ #yyj #yyjpoli

One of the great things about #yyj is that it's easy to get to shockingly beautiful places like Tofino. We experienced beautiful rain, great fireplaces, and even some unexpected sunshine. Taken with a Fuji X-Pro3 and a 33mm (50mm equivalent) lens.

Apparently people have been complaining about towers in James Bay for nearly my entire life. It demonstrates impressive commitment. #yyj

In 1960 it was thought that James Bay was a logical place to place density in the form of highrises to accomodate growth. The neighbourhood had a bad reputation and many saw the run-down houses adjoining Downtown as urban blight.

1/ I'm disappointed by the #yyj council member motion from Mayor Alto and Councillor Dell (the James Bay liaison) called "James Bay neighbourhood as a Heritage Conservation Area" that's on the agenda for this Thursday's Committee of the Whole: pub-victoria.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...

Another cynical attempt (their.. 3rd chance?) to kill the Centennial Square project completely even though it’s already basically toothless. I’m so sick of do nothing, rich, conservatives ignoring staff and engineers because “taxes” - which i’m sure both Marg and Coleman defer anyways. #yyj #yyjpoli

This is a really good article. If you're wondering what all the pairing is about give it a read.

6 units with 16 bedrooms in a twinned point access block on ~75% of the floor plate area of this double loaded corridor w/ 9 units and 10 bedrooms. one of most compact i've ever seen to get the same number of bedrooms in the double loaded corridor - it would have to grow by at least 2,400 sf

I have to hand it to Pierre Poilievre. In the last election he blew a 20 point lead blaming everything on Justin Trudeau. Most politicians wouldn't have recovered, but he has. And he's totally changed his strategy! Now he blames everything on Mark Carney. Flexibility is a key leadership skill! /s

1/ A smart analysis piece by @russilwvong.bsky.social on Vancouver Needs More Housing. Very relevant to #yyj, especially for anyone who watched the hyperlocal opposition to Victoria's OCP update: open.substack.com/pub/morehous...

1/ Maybe it's time to consider whether supporting these polluting entertainment machines is really in the best interest of #yyj and the world. Read the article, check out what the GVHA chair SAYS, and look at what the ship's DO. www.timescolonist.com/business/gre...

Every once in a while the evil algorithm shows me something pretty cool! This is about the type of early Bausch & Lomb anamorphic len adaptor used to film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. youtu.be/Vg0ftclnwzI?...

1/2 I think of the federal government's legal reforms as giving tools to provinces, which then need to use them effectively, so I don't agree that the reforms "ignore the problem." I do agree that provinces need to end their legal "culture of delay." www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/39c067e...

An interesting article about #visionzero efforts in Pittsburgh that brought 2024 fatalities down 32% from the 20 year average. Possible lessons for #yyj around overcoming businesses fear of change. #yyjbike www.pghcitypaper.com/news-2/infra...

A million thanks to @susankimyyj.bsky.social for live posting the police board meeting. I really appreciate it.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #yyj

Victoria has a *lot* of cargo bikes. More than Montreal maybe? Certainly more than you’d see in downtown Montreal.

I spent a glorious gloriously cold and wet day taking photos for the first day of the 2025 Head & Tail of the Gorge regatta. This is a fun event right here in Victoria, BC. #yyj #rowing gorgerowing.ca/hogtog.html

Victoria is Halifax mixed with Vancouver, but with more bikes.

This video is really good. I think it's significant that the housing minister in Finland that oversaw the rollout of Housing First was from a centre-right party. Doing housing first well, which means fully funding supports, makes good economic sense no matter your politics. #yyj #homelessness

Fall in Victoria is full of little pleasures! #yyj

European Wall Lizards are a nasty invasive species here on Vancouver Island. They're impossible to get rid of, so I guess it's a good thing I find them delightful! I remember them from a trip to Italy when I was a teenager. Love them or not, I wish we hadn't introduced them here. #yyj