June 17 - Victoria's plan for community safety

Good morning !

More doctors are slated to come to the Westshore next year thanks to a new city-funded clinic in Langford.

While many people in BC are still without a GP, the province has made several moves to draw more health-care workers to our clinics, including running ad campaigns in the US.

Island Health told Capital Daily it hired 1,800 employees last year, including more than 800 new nurses.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

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Day after: ⛅ 16 / 11

NEWS

Langford will help fund new clinic to address Westshore doctor shortage

More than 27K Westshore residents are officially registered as lacking a family doctor. On Monday, Langford announced plans to pair roughly half of them with 10 doctors in a new facility on Bryn Maur Road, opening in 2026.

The project is a collaboration with the Langford Freemasons and South Island Primary Care Society—a charity that runs clinics and received a $3 lease last year to bring doctors to one at 877 Goldstream. Support also came from the Westshore Charity Golf Tournament and from business and individual donors, including MLA Ravi Parmar and ex-mayor Stew Young. 

The new lease is on the ground floor of the new Westshore Masonic Centre; the Freemasons will continue to use the second floor. The city acquired the old Goldstream Masonic Lodge in 2022, to expand Veterans Memorial Park on that land.

Langford will fund up to $1.7M in building upgrades, furniture, equipment, and fixtures. It has also offered temporary living accommodations for doctors, along with tax incentives and marketing help in recruiting more physicians. The city says five doctors have signed up, mainly from the UK. 

City-supported models continue to gain traction

This move echoes Langford’s Westshore neighbour, which earlier this year opened the Colwood Clinic in Royal Bay after 69% of respondents to a survey said having a family doctor was their highest priority. Colwood's model hinges on directly taking over the responsibility of running a medical business, freeing doctors up to focus on treatment. The city then bills the province.

Recently, Colwood announced that its clinic has drawn another doctor from the US, as part of the launch of a new BC ad campaign targeting US health workers.

The idea to have municipalities take more direct responsibility over medical spaces gained steam leading up to the 2022 local elections, with former Colwood mayor Dave Saunders the main advocate. Around that time, the Westshore was losing healthcare capacity with the walk-in clinic closures of Colwood Corners (which later reopened) and Eagle Creek.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Volunteers needed for rebuilding clam wall in Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring. June 25. [WSANEC Leadership Council]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Victoria unveils potential community safety plan

The plan to address multiple safety and community issues downtown—including housing concerns, healthcare for vulnerable people, and downtown beautification—will be considered by the council on Thursday. 

It includes 95 recommendations for the city, province, and federal government to address social disorder and the decline in the number of people visiting downtown.

The plan was created with the input of more than 2K participants, who responded to two surveys and took part in 20 in-person sessions. A panel of 11 community leaders selected by Mayor Marianne Alto—including VicPD Chief Del Manak, Our Place Society CEO Julian Daly, Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division CEO Jonny Morris, and Alto herself—oversaw the project and made recommendations based on their areas of expertise.

Public safety downtown is an ongoing concern

The plan was released days after a damning report from the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) that warned multiple businesses could close if safety issues in the area aren’t addressed. The DVBA reported that 39% of downtown businesses saw a decline in revenue. Almost half—48%—of downtown business owners said they would consider shuttering if their lease were up in the next year.

Public safety has been flagged as a top concern by residents and businesses for years now—crisis response teams and housing initiatives were a key part of Alto’s platform while running for mayor in 2022.

Last week, Alto hinted that more “interventionist moves” would be coming to address disorder and homelessness on Pandora. It appears that these interventions would not be immediately implemented, but in the medium to long term would include an expansion of the program to relocate those tenting in parks and continued wrap-around support for hospitalized mental-health patients who need to transition to supportive housing.

“Throughout the dialogues, among all participants and at various tables in the community, a recurring theme emerged: the city should make some ‘big, bold moves,’ and advocate to others for equally bold actions,” the report reads.

Find out more about some of Alto’s key recommendations for the city, province, and Canada. 

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🦅 Big flex: A bald eagle is seen swivelling its head around. [Facebook photos]

📻 The Debaters: CBC Radio’s hilarious headline show is tonight at McPherson Playhouse.

🦉 The Great Horned Owl chosen as Saanich’s official bird.

🗞️ In Other News

Island Health defends $2,200 cab fares to doctors' appointments
The health authority said it does not cover meter rates for taxi rides taken by patients who must travel outside the community for medical care. A Woss, BC man said a cab taking him to and from Victoria for a doctor’s appointment in April ran up a bill of $2,248.70. Island Health told Capital Daily all 10 contract providers—including cab companies—are paid the same flat rate of $2.72 per kilometre, and at roughly 800km round-trip, the math works out. Last fiscal year, Island Health arranged and paid for 9,600 such rides, applying some of the $743K it receives annually from the province to support non-urgent rural and remote patient transportation. [CHEK / Capital Daily]

A better busking system is on the way for outdoor performers
Victoria’s city council has approved a new busker program that would see buskers audition for key spots—eight ‘elevated’ busking sites in the Upper Causeway, at Ship Point, Bastion Square, and on Johnson, Broad, and Fort. There will also be five ‘busk stops’ on Government. The program, which will establish e-tipping and an artist code of conduct, is in response to complaints about the quality, location, and timing of some of the shows. [Times Colonist]

Culture fund established to fill in the event organizers’ financial gap
Victoria entrepreneur Andrew Wilkinson sees the loans as a way to reinvigorate Victoria’s cultural and event scene. Short-term loans of $1K to $25K will be granted to artists and promoters to help book entertainment events and are to be paid with 3% interest four weeks after the show to keep a “revolving loan pool” flowing and available to the next set of promoters, per the loan’s application website. [CHEK] Wilkinson is the founder of MetaLab and owner of Overstory Media Group, parent company of Capital Daily.

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🗓️ Things to do

📕 Literaturkreis at Victoria Edelweiss Club: Join this cheerful, harmonious gathering to share the beauty of poetry and prose in the German language, at the Edelweiss Club upper bar today. 1:30pm-3:30pm. [Info]

😂 Phillips Comedy Night at the Mint: Catch Morgan Cranny, Drew Farrance, and other hilarious local comedians for an evening of laughs at The Mint tomorrow. 8-9:30pm. [Info]

🎶 JÉHANNE by Colin Doroschuk: A new Canadian operatic exploration of the extraordinary vision quest of the French heroine, Joan of Arc. The world premiere performance is June 27th. Alix Goolden Performance Hall. 7:30pm. [Info]

🥃 Whisky Folk Showcase: Be part of Whisky Folk history as it launches its new partnership with Scottish independent bottler, Signatory, at the Maple Room in Sticky Wicket. Thu. 7pm. [Info]

👐 TD Victoria International JazzFest: Funk, soul, fusion, and more will be performed around town for the 41st edition of this festival. Starts Fri. [Info]

🎵 Kneebody: See the band known for 1960s free-bop, 1970s jazz rock, 1990s hip-hop, and postmillennial indie rock at The CODA. Fri. 9:30pm. [Info] 

🚲 Esquimalt Pride Ride: Celebrate Esquimalt's LGBTQ2S+ community with this fun bike ride that is mostly on bike paths and will make a 7-8km loop around Esquimalt. Sat. 5:30-9pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Monday’s headlines: HMCS Calgary’s birthday celebrated, sans-ship; BC Ferries’ shipbuilding decision saved $1.2B, says transportation minister; Vet shortage making for longer drive for mid-Islanders. [June 16]  

More overdose prevention sites are likely on the way to BC. [Capital Daily]

Our stories of Island fathers & grandfathers. [Capital Daily]

10 restaurant patios for your summer perusal list. [Tasting Victoria]

Commentary: They promised shipbuilding in BC—then gave the contract to China. [Georgia Straight]

Funeral supplement to be fully funded for Sidney family after social service review. [CHEK] 

Ucluelet's historic 1896 shipwreck after it burned on the beach. [Video]

Shooting star blooms in Garry oak meadows—and some facts about them. [TJ Watt photos]

That’s it!

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