Plenty of money spent, just not in Victoria
Next time you’re stuck in traffic in Greater Victoria, rest assured that the province and feds are doing something about it … just not here, but on the mainland, where they get nearly five times the money, per capita, for transportation projects than us Island hillbillies.
If you happen to take a bus on the beat-up Douglas Street bus lanes and ponder why the ride quality is so terrible, keep in mind that planners and politicians usually don’t actually do anything like ride icky transit buses.
And if you wonder if they’re ever going to do something about the bottleneck created by the lack of a ferry/gondola/bridge over Esquimalt Harbour, again, our diligent elected officials are making stuff happen.
Once again, it’s not here, but on Burnaby Mountain.
Compare transportation projects on the Lower Mainland vs. Greater Victoria.
Greater Vancouver 2024 metro population 2,683,000
Greater Victoria 2024 metro population 402,000
Mainland projects:
• Surrey-Langley Skytrain extension $4.01 billion
• Broadway subway $2.83 billion
• Fraser River tunnel $4.15 billion
Total $10.99 billion
Greater Victoria projects:
• Keating overpass $76.8 million
• Victoria bike lanes $65.5 million
• Goldstream highway $162 million
• Burnside bus lanes $35.5 million
Total $339.8 million
Per capita spending:
• Lower Mainland $4,096.16
• Greater Victoria $843.28
Mainlanders get 4.86 times more per capita funding for transportation infrastructure than Greater Victoria residents.
Louis Guilbault
Victoria
A fitting tribute to a retired airplane
I gazed into the sky to my left as I stood beside my home on Government Street in Victoria overlooking the Salish Sea.
I was starting to hear the rumbling of those four powerful engines. Then I saw her.
The Martin Mars was escorted in perfect formation by ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½’s Snowbirds. Perfect. It brought back many memories of years past, fighting forest fires on Vancouver Island.
Hot and sweaty, Pulaski or hose in hand, waiting for the water bomber.
The bird dog (a small plane directing the Mars in for a drop on a hot spot along the fire line) had just flown past. The rumble of the engines rose to an aria of anticipation.
There she was, heading directly toward us, so it seemed, just as the thought of “oh my God, she is going to crash” was on my lips.
The birth of a cloud of red water appeared behind the tail of the fast-rising plane. Then she was gone. What a sight.
Those brave men in this huge flying machine. Reality brings my memories to an end.
She is older than I am, and I will be 80 next year. A great time for her to retire. What tales she could tell.
I will go visit her in her new home at Pat Bay. The engines will be silent. There will be just memories.
Garry Brooks
Founder
African Community Project
Victoria
After the final flight, what is the plan?
Could there have been a more appropriate and respectful retirement for the Martin Mars water bomber? I doubt it.
From the Dallas Road viewpoint the elegance of the big bird and the excellent formation flying of the Snowbirds was clear for all to see.
Just thinking of the lives and forest saved over all those years by this icon gave real gravitas to the moment. One has to ask however, what now?
Will anything with the water-carrying capacity and reliable service of the Martin Mars be brought in to replace it or are we going to have a “camel is a horse designed by committee” government solution that promises to inevitably fall short of what is required?
Wes Wraggett
Victoria
Carbon taxes are misrepresented
There continues to be a widespread misunderstanding about the purpose and function of carbon taxes. This misunderstanding includes the impact of this tax on affordability and is largely being spread, for crass political purposes, by both the federal and provincial Conservative Parties.
Carbon taxes were initially imposed in 2008 by the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Liberals (now ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ United) and intended to act as a disincentive to the use of greenhouse gas contributing fossil fuels.
It was not, as Conservative leaders Pierre Poilevre and John Rustad state, merely “a tax grab.”
Bona fide scientific reviews of the program have reported that carbon taxes have reduced between 23% and 39% emissions since implementation. Subsequent to 2008, the Canadian, federal government has required that all provinces must initiate a similar, carbon-tax regimen.
Therefore, the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ NDP government is constitutionally obligated to continue with this tax.
With regard to the accusations by Poilevre and Rustad that this tax is a major contributor to the ongoing unaffordability problem, their statements do not pass intellectual or common sense muster.
The clear benefits to the resolution of the existential problem of climate change aside, the costs associated with this tax are directly related to personal consumption of fossil fuels and therefore can be personally ameliorated.
In addition, rebates of this tax are available to many. As well, funds associated with this tax are being used to fund environmentally appropriate initiatives such as public transit and home renovation.
Rather than target the carbon tax, which has proven to be quite successful in achieving its stated goal, I submit a elimination or a bold reduction in the regressive PST and GST sales taxes, which unfairly impact affordability for everyone.
These taxes, when implemented, unfairly shifted the tax burden to the middle classes in favour of income tax reductions, which disproportionally favoured high income earners.
Focusing solely on the carbon tax is a red herring.
Dan Rowe
Sidney
James Bay tower better than parking lot
Re: “James Bay tower will destroy neighbourhood,” letter, August 13.
We have lived across from the unsightly parking lot for 27 years and, along with our neighbours, can’t wait to see it developed.
We have hoped this would happen the moment we saw what was happening across from us … homeless people using it as their washroom, leaving garbage, fighting, stealing our lawn furniture, trucks running all night, etc.
This letter is just another example of someone not wanting to accept change. When we moved to James Bay it was not a great area to move to, however, in spite of all the naysayers, it is now one of the most desirable areas in Victoria.
If the naysayers had their way then the Oswego, WorldMark, Shoal Point, The Reef, etc. would not be here.
We have researched the work that the developers have done and believe that when they finish, it will be a “site that enhances a part of Victoria that greets visitors.”
We haven’t been very happy with a lot of decisions our councillors have been making for the past few years, but we are definitely happy with this decision and we will let them know.
Mark Carlow
James Bay
Use high technology to monitor stations
I think the Canadian Coast Guard should hire a tech consultant who can determine what they need in order to operate those four lighthouses remotely, using Starlink, or one of the many other satellite internet providers. They could then hire a team to work from home in order to monitor the conditions at the lighthouses 24/7/365.
One person could monitor all four stations at once.
They could do monthly service checks at the stations? Aren’t there lots of options?
Mark Quarless
Victoria
Closing of lighthouses needs a second look
The Canadian Coast Guard recently stated:
“The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is developing a long-term strategy, which will articulate priorities to 2050 and beyond.
“It is recognized that the marine landscape is evolving as a result of a number of factors including: the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the digitalization of services, the impacts of climate change, international relations, the renewal of the CCG fleet, a changing workforce, and growing interests in the Arctic. “As part of developing a long-term Strategy, CCG is engaging partners and stakeholders on the future of CCG programs and services (BC Boating, July 31, 2024, survey).”
Today, there appears to be a lack of consultation with local First Nations about de-manning two West Coast light houses.
Under UNDRIP the federal government needs to show some good faith and properly communicate with Nations.
This is a step backward in the CCG’s attempt at reconciliation and doesn’t fit with their long-term strategy.
The number of visitors to the area including farther north toward the Broken Group Islands — land and marine — is really high. Safety is paramount to hikers, paddlers and boat users.
If there is any place that needs manned lighthouses it is near Carmanah and Pachena Bay. The CCG needs to re-think this.
Paul Grey
Ladysmith
Police failure discredits the rule of law
On Saturday, when Pro-Palestine demonstrators illegally stopped traffic on Government Street, just as they have every week for the past 40 weeks, we pro-Israel counter-protesters challenged the police on hand about it.
If we tried the same thing, they admitted frankly, we certainly would be arrested. But there were just too many pro-Palestiners for the police to handle.
In recent memory we have seen police stand idly watching as highways have been blockaded, statues overturned, public meetings wholly thwarted and our national capital occupied.
Whether the decisions to do nothing were made by police or their political masters, they bring contempt upon the police and the law they are pledged to enforce.
Steve Weatherbe
Victoria
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