Dec 5 - Council pulls plug on Centennial Square revamp

Good morning !

Not the right time.
Not the right design.
And the public wants the city to focus on reducing costs and investing in community safety.
That was the message yesterday as Victoria’s city council took a pass on redeveloping Centennial Square.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

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NEWS

Back to Square 1: Council pulls plug on Centennial Square redo

By an 8-1 vote, Victoria’s city council passed a motion to put a pin in the plan to renovate the public square next to City Hall. 

“The current design simply doesn’t deliver what Centennial Square needs to function as a major public venue and civic square,” said Coun. Krista Loughton.

That wasn’t a slight to city staff who delivered what the council had asked for, she said. 

“But the new drawings fail to create a large, flexible venue capable of hosting a thousand to two thousand people or supporting the daily activation that is required.”

The $12.1-million renovation plan had already been reduced by $2.5 million, which was redirected for downtown safety.
The motion also calls for $2 million in provincial funding earmarked for the project to be diverted to either the Crystal Pool redevelopment or upgrades to Royal Athletic Park.

Mayor Marianne Alto said it would appear “we are going to close a door on this conversation right now, but I would remind folks that in the language of the motion, we are opening another door to either the Crystal Pool or Royal Athletic Park (RAP) and leaving open a further door to a better, stronger, more compelling, and more engaging vision for Centennial Square.”

Last summer, the council diverted $1.5 million of the $8.3 million allocated for RAP renovations to community safety.
The motion calls for city staff to determine where to put the provincial money based, as Alto said, “on the highest impact to the projects.”

Loughton said proceeding with the Centennial Square project would mean ignoring feedback from a public survey on the budget—which the city desperately is trying to pare to soften an impending tax hike currently hovering in the 10% neighbourhood.
 
“Poverty, homelessness, community safety—that’s what people want us to deliver [on],” she said, adding that it was best to kill the project so it didn’t leave “a mess” for the next council. 
 
Coun. Jeremy Caradonna, the lone dissenter, argued that downtown business owners were hoping a revamped Centennial Square could become a beacon of safety that would “attract families, office workers, and tourists to what is currently a marginalized and underactivated space.”

Caradonna called it a difficult decision because while the city has budgetary constraints, it also received grants that may not be available next time.

“It’s challenging to turn down those investments when there was an opportunity to make downtown safer and more activated,” he said.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Saanich road closure: 

• Roy between Carey and Wilkinson. 8am-4pm, through Dec. 15

• Reynolds at Cedar Hill Cross, 9am-3:30pm, through Dec. 12

Saanich single-lane alternating traffic:

• Feltham between Fairburn and Longview, 9am-3:30pm, through Dec. 12

National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day is tomorrow.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Living up to its name: École Beausoleil gets bright new future in Saanich

Beausoleil is French for "beautiful sun" or "sunny place”—and soon it will be the new home for 465 French students in Saanich.

The provincial government yesterday unveiled plans to build a francophone school to replace the existing École Beausoleil and become Greater Victoria’s second all-French K-12 school. 
“This new school will ensure francophone students can learn in a safe, modern environment that reflects their culture and community,” said Bowinn Ma, the infrastructure minister.

Construction is expected to begin in fall 2027. The province did not give an anticipated completion date. 

The new École Beausoleil will include 20 classrooms, childcare, and community programs, and a low-carbon building design to help reduce emissions, the provincial government said.

Currently, Beausoleil is an elementary school with 170 students taking classes in a temporary, modular facility at Braefoot Elementary on Harrop.

The new school will have more than twice that capacity and will be located on a 7.3-acre (2.95-ha) parcel of land that the French-language school board purchased from Landsdowne Middle School in 2021.

The provincial government kicked in $15 million for that purchase and will invest a total of $73 million in the new project. Since 2017, the province has invested almost $300 million in francophone education, it said in a release. 

“With two K-12 francophone schools, francophone families will have more options and better access to schools closer to home,” the province said.

Esquimalt’s École Victor-Brodeur was the first K-12 francophone school in Greater Victoria.

It opened in 1973 as a school for the children of military personnel and later merged with another French program run out of Uplands Elementary.
In the 1980s, it adopted the name École Victor-Brodeur—in honour of distinguished Royal Canadian Navy officer Victor Gabriel Brodeur, Canada’s first francophone rear admiral, who was in command of the Esquimalt base where the learning facility was originally located.

The school moved into its current location on Head in 2007.

SPONSORED BY BELFRY THEATRE

Ronnie Burkett's racy comedy, Little Dickens, is now playing

In Ronnie Burkett’s Little Dickens, the cast of The Daisy Theatre takes on the beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, in the merriest marionette mash-up ever.

Faded Daisy diva, Esmé Massengill, plays the role of miserly, drunken, bitter Esmé Scrooge, in this Burkett-esque retelling of the Dickens classic.

As always with an improvised Daisy show, there is no set script, and in the journey of Esmé Scrooge toward redemption, she encounters all the Daisy favourites portraying Dickens’ familiar characters.

A raucous, adults-only holiday treat, Little Dickens holds true to the heart of A Christmas Carol by featuring The Daisy Theatre’s most iconic and beloved character, Schnitzel, as Tiny Tim (pictured above).

Watch the NFB's short documentary about Ronnie Burkett here.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🧑‍🎄 Festive Bricks of Giving with Santa: Parkside Hotel & Spa. [Tomorrow 9:30am-12:30pm]

🚛 The IEOA Truck Parade & Food Drive is tomorrow, 5-8pm.

🧩 Pick up new skills in small doses. Gain skills when it works for you with bite-sized professional development programs from Continuing Studies at UVic.*

🎼🎄Christmas Pops with the Victoria Symphony. [Twice this weekend]

🎄 A WONDERHEADS Christmas Carol is back by popular demand—running Dec. 19-21 at the McPherson Playhouse. Don’t miss this whimsical holiday show that has become a festive tradition for thousands!*

⚽ Vancouver Whitecaps meet Inter Miami for the MLS Cup tomorrow at 11:30am.

🍽️ Dine Around and Stay in Town Victoria returns Jan. 23-Feb. 8, 2026, with a record-breaking amount of restaurants! How many will you try in 2026? Browse the Menus and Room Discounts!*

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY HEATHER FERGUSON MUSIC

Christmas at the Coda

Celebrate the season with Heather Ferguson’s soulful sounds at The Coda! Join Heather and her stellar band—Attila Fias, Peter Dowse, Kelby MacNayr, Barrie Sorensen, and Miguelito Valdes—for an unforgettable evening of festive classics and heartfelt originals. Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7pm. Let the holiday spirit shine!

🗞️ In Other News

Rustad resigns as leader after BC Conservative caucus revolt
It was only October of last year that John Rustad led the coalition party to 44 seats to become BC’s Opposition. Some in the ranks said Rustad’s views and comments may have cost the Conservatives the election, which they barely lost to the NDP. On Wednesday, the party’s board called Rustad “professionally incapacitated,” and 20 party members said it was time for him to go. Rustad initially refused, but yesterday morning, he agreed to step down. He said he will continue to sit as a BC Conservative. MLA Trevor Halford was named interim party leader. [Vancouver Sun]

Cheeky, R-rated production of A Christmas Carol hits Belfry
You see the ad above, and racy is part of the charm. Puppeteer Ronnie Burkett admits it: “The F-bomb flows freely,” he tells the Times Colonist, so leave the kids at home for this one. Burkett’s one-man performance of Little Dickens, an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, is at the Belfry for the next two weeks. The 68-year-old marionette maestro does something different from most puppeteers—he stands within view of the audience as he pulls the strings. [Times Colonist]

Homes egged, hit with mustard in Oak Bay vandalism
The incidents happened on two nights in late November, resulting in three separate mischief reports. On Nov. 26, a Wednesday, someone threw an egg at the front door of a residence on Burdick, near Mayhew. That same night, a home on Dunlevy near Dorset had mustard sprayed on the front door. On Nov. 28, a Friday, a resident of a home on Musgrave near Burdick heard a loud bang and found egg residue near their front door. [OBP]

🗓️ Things To Do

Girls Night!: Catch some of Vancouver Island's best female comedians in this evening of standup comedy with prizes from Foxy Box. The Mint Restaurant. Tonight. 8pm. [Info]

Holiday Celebration Lunch: Savour a traditional turkey dinner with holiday entertainment at this catered event that requires no cooking or cleanup. Esquimalt Recreation Centre. Today. Noon-1:30pm. [Info]

American Beauties: Experience the music of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen through powerful vocals, bluesy piano, and upright bass in this intimate tribute concert. The Coda, Bar Stage. Today. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8:30pm. [Info]

Student Improv Night: Watch graduates from Garden City's Improv 201 class showcase their comedic talents in this special student performance. Theatre SKAM. Tonight. Doors 8:15pm, show 8:30-9:40pm. [Info]

Museum Tots—Welcome Winter: Introduce children ages 3-5 to museum learning through maritime-themed crafts, play, song, and dance in this drop-in program. Maritime Museum of BC. Tomorrow. 10:30-11:15am. [Info]

Joy in Every Note: Celebrate the Victoria Children's Choir's 25th anniversary season with performances from all ensembles featuring singers aged 7 to 20. Alix Goolden Performance Hall. Tomorrow. Doors 1:30pm, concert 2-4pm. [Info]

Esquimalt Skate with Santa: Join Santa on the ice for music, fun, and free admission with skate rentals available on a first-come, first-served basis. Archie Browning Sports Centre. Tomorrow. 2:30-4pm. [Info]

Painted Lotus Holiday Market: Support local artists and shop for stickers, prints, paintings, and handmade crafts at this festive pop-up market. Painted Lotus on Gordon. Tomorrow. 4-8pm. [Info]

Improv Against Humanity: Watch selected audience members play Cards Against Humanity while improvisers perform scenes based on their hilariously horrible card combinations. The Coda, Bar Stage. Tomorrow. Doors 6pm, show 6:30-8pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Thursday’s headlines: Victoria group rallies to help Palestinian-Syrian family immigrate to Canada; Spectrum sports field finally in sight; BC Conservatives reject leader Rustad. [Dec. 4]

Contagious bacterial infection spreading in the South Island’s unhoused community. [CHEK] 

You would swear they’re twins, but they’re not related. [CTV]

Recall: Various pistachios and pistachio-containing products imported from Iran, due to Salmonella. [CFIA] 

Recycling pop-up: For hard-to-recycle items. [Tomorrow in Quadra Village]

Victoria actor Dominic Fox makes his film debut in the just-released Netflix flick My Secret Santa.

Gingerbread cookie decorating at Mayfair for Habitat for Humanity. [Tomorrow 11am-3pm]

That’s it!

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