Jan 27 - Massive project approved—but its years of hurdles aren't over

Good morning !

Big news, and I mean 32-storeys big. After years in limbo, the massive Vic West development at the Roundhouse site has been approved.

But as Sidney Coles writes in today’s main story, this isn’t the end of its challenges—or the city’s concerns about it.

— Cam

Today’s approx. read time: 4 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌧️ 11 / 11

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 12 / 10

Monday: 🌧️ 12 / 9

7-day forecast

NEWS

Victoria council approves Bayview project

Twenty years have passed since Ken Mariash, the owner of Focus Equities, bought what he himself has called a “horrible piece of land” in Vic West. He pitched grand plans for it, but the portion allocated for Bayview Phase II hasn’t seen progress.

Re-zoning applications in 2005 and again in 2014 never came to fruition. Promises to restore the rare 19th-century example of a roundhouse and other heritage buildings have remained unfulfilled.

But on Thursday, the latest version of the project was approved by Victoria council, 7-2. It would add nearly 1,900 housing units in 9 towers over the course of a decade-plus.

That proposal has been fraught with concerns about both the scale and the many delays in bringing it this far. Many of those were raised by residents over three days of public hearings, and again by councillors on Thursday.

What won out over those was a very real and pressing need to meet housing demands, make good on election promises, and move Victoria into the big leagues. 

But the massive project’s hurdles are not over.

Read Sidney Coles' full story here about the yellow brick road that led to development history in Victoria. 

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Missing teen: Leonard Peter, 17, has not returned to his residence since Jan. 21. He has issues that require medication and daily monitoring, putting him at an increased risk. 

Weather alerts are released throughout the Island for storms with heavy rain, leading to potential flooding.

4 flu-related deaths of kids in BC this season

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Victoria’s Michael Saunders hits a wall (in a very good way)

His nine-year Major League Baseball career has earned Michael Saunders the good life he currently enjoys.

The Lambrick Park Secondary School product now works as an outfielder coach for the Atlanta Braves, and that means he can stick around the game from which he retired five years ago without having to spend nine months on the road every summer.

Saunders is living a good life in Colorado and boy, does he light up when he talks baseball. Remember Jose Bautista’s crazy awesome bat flip a few years ago? Saunders was there—and he loved it.

Capital Daily caught up with Saunders this week, to discuss his recent inclusion on Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence.

Read Mark Brennae’s full story here.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🐚 Fossil find from Denman Island. [Facebook Photo]

🎟️ Rising Economy 2024 is March 6-8 in Victoria. Save 25% and secure your seat for this transformative business conference about succeeding in the new economy.*

🤝 Now hiring. Operations Coordinator at Sprout Family Health.

❄️ The Blizzard of 1996: With our recent snowy week now in the rearview, see footage of Victoria’s second-most infamous snowstorm.

❄️ The Blizzard of 1916: Now, see archival footage of Victoria’s most infamous snowstorm. Over a metre of snow fell, and the army was called in. [CHEK TikTok].

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🗞️ In Other News

BC to restrict cellphone use in schools, axe photos 
All schools will have policies in place by the start of the next school year. The province also plans to introduce services that would remove intimate images online and pursue damages from predators. Last year, BC introduced the Intimate Images Act to expedite the process of removing intimate images online and seeking damages, with Attorney General Nikki Sharma sending a letter to all social media companies to comply. New legislation is planned for this spring to hold companies accountable for online harm. 

Body found in Nanaimo identified as a liveaboard boater
Ryan Pratt, 35, was reported missing from the area in December. His body was spotted in the ocean on Wednesday by a person walking on the beach. The skiff he used to access his boat washed ashore a nearby island and his canoe was found adrift. [Nanaimo News Bulletin]

Sidney bylaw stops overnight camping near park structures
The new bylaw will prevent camping in any park structure, despite there being no overnight shelters in the township. Previously, some overnight camping was permitted as long as it was more than 100m from picnic tables and playgrounds, but the change was made due to residents’ complaints. [CHEK]

🗓️ Things to do

👠 Sashay Cafe: Local drag performers will take the stage at Caffe Fantastico Quadra for an all-ages drag show. Today. Doors 6pm. Show 7pm.

🎹 The Avram McCagherty Quartet: The guitarist will be joined by pianist Brooke Maxwell, trumpeter Patrick Boyle, and bassist Scott White to perform traditional jazz at Hermann’s Jazz Club. Today. Doors 5:30pm. Show 7pm.

🎙️ Victoria In Love: Broadway vocalist Lizzie Klemperer will perform love songs at the Royal Theatre. Today 7:30pm. Tomorrow 2:30pm.

🎸 International Guitar Night: Luca Stricagnoli, Thu Le, Marco Pereira, and Minnie Marks will play the guitar at The Farquhar at UVic. Today, 7pm.

🎤 David Francey: The Juno-winning folk singer will perform at Mary Winspear Centre. Tonight. 7pm.  

🏀 UVic women’s basketball. Saskatchewan Huskies at Vikes. CARSA Performance Gym. Today. 5pm. [Tix]

🏀 Uvic men’s basketball: Saskatchewan Huskies at Vikes. CARSA Performance Gym. Tonight. 7pm. [Tix]

👀 In Case You Missed It

The 1700 “Big One'“ that hit the West Coast. [Capital Daily]

Jubilee patients caught up in systems failure. [Capital Daily] 

Friday headlines: Oak Bay home for $125K, with a catch; $750K contract for Centennial Square; Taxi company says Uber effect being felt and more. [Jan.26]

Wildland firefighter recruitment: Hiring opportunities are open for BC Wildfire Service until Mar. 31. 

Downtown Victoria Livability (anonymous) Survey. [Here]

Driver, 24, faces multiple charges, $2K+ in fines following collision spree in Langford. [RCMP]

History of Homalco First Nation as remembered by Elders, now in a graphic novel. [CHEK]

Seal and octopus battle off Island’s coast. [CBC Video]

That’s it!

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