Rockland
Neighbourhood Association: Councillor Chris Coleman's Reports
Neighbourhood Update from City Hall May 3rd, 2010
Councillor Chris Coleman, Liaison to North Jubilee, Rockland
& South Jubilee
This is Emergency Preparedness Week May 2 - 8, 2010
Emergency Preparedness Week is an annual event that takes place each
year during the first full week of May. Activities are organized across
Canada to raise awareness of the importance of having an emergency kit;
making an emergency plan; and identifying risks in your region. The
Victoria Emergency Management Agency is the community’s resource for
emergency preparedness. Here’s what they have planned this week:
Regional Evacuee Assistance Exercise
To launch Emergency Preparedness Week (May 2 – 8, 2010), the Victoria
Emergency Management Agency (VEMA) partnered with the Oak Bay Community
Disaster Assistance Team and Saanich Emergency Social Services to host
a Regional Evacuee Assistance Exercise this morning. The media
were invited to witness what happens to evacuated residents once they
step into an emergency Reception Centre. Due to issues of
confidentiality, media would not be allowed in Reception Centres during
a real disaster. The Trafalgar Pro Patria Legion was set up just as it
would in a real fire evacuation. Evacuee Assistance volunteers greeted
and “triaged” evacuees upon arrival, as some may have been injured,
required comfort or additional services.
It has become standard practice for municipalities in the Capital
Region to provide mutual aid for large scale emergencies as each agency
undergoes the same training and follows the same procedures. Emergency
management agencies participate in regional training exercises in order
to enhance cooperation. VEMA’s Evacuee Assistance volunteers respond to
15 - 20 fire or evacuation incidents annually, many of which occur in
the middle of the night. VEMA volunteers activated a Reception
Centre to assist evacuees of an apartment fire on Oak Bay Avenue just
over one week ago.
NEW - Prepare Your Pet Recipe for Disaster
To coincide with Emergency Preparedness Week, VEMA is launching its
Prepare Your Pet Recipe for Disaster. It’s the third recipe in a
series designed to help prepare residents and small business with the
knowledge, supplies and a plan to cope for a minimum of three days in
the event of an emergency. The new recipe complements its two existing
recipes in the series: Prepare at Home and Prepare at Work.
Learn how to prepare a Pet Disaster Kit for each of your pets and
create an evacuation plan in the event you are away from home when an
emergency occurs. Proper pet identification is key to reuniting lost
pets with their families after a disaster. You can find the
Prepare Your Pet Recipe for Disaster at the SPCA and local pet stores,
groomer and kennels. All three recipes are available at City Hall,
community and senior centres and other venues. The Recipe for Disaster
series has a new look this year - colour coded tabs make it easier to
differentiate between each recipe card. You can also find the
recipes online at www.PrepareVictoria.ca
Free Emergency Preparedness Workshop
The community is invited to attend a free Emergency Preparedness
Workshop on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Victoria
Fire Station #1, 1234 Yates Street. Learn what goes into an emergency
preparedness kit, how to create a family reunification plan, and how to
protect your home from an earthquake. Call 250.920.3355 or email
vema@victoria.ca to preregister.
Recipe For Disaster Tips
A Recipe for Disaster Tip will be featured in the Times Colonist from
Tuesday to Saturday this week. Each tip will also be posted at
www.PrepareVictoria.ca
Contest
In recognition of Emergency Preparedness Week in Victoria, the public
is invited to send a helpful emergency preparedness tip to
vema@victoria.ca to enter a draw for a chance to win one of three,
72-hour emergency preparedness kits. Contest closes Monday, May 31,
2010. Winners will be notified by email.
Many people think an emergency will never happen to them, but
emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. Victoria gets its share of
weather events such as windstorms and snow, which can disrupt power or
make transportation difficult. We’re also due for a major earthquake
and need to be prepared for at least three days with no assistance. To
learn how you can be prepared for an emergency, visit:
www.PrepareVictoria.ca
Sad Goodbye to Niagara, Beacon Hill’s White Peacock
At 15 years old, Niagara, the lone white peacock in the Beacon Hill
Park, died of old age over the weekend. Niagara was often mistakenly
believed to be albino but that is not the case. White peacocks are rare
and prized for their unique colouring.
Niagara will be missed by many park patrons and regular visitors.
Peacocks have lived in Beacon Hill Park since 1896 and there are 23
peacocks still living in the park.
Driftwood Removal on Gonzales Beach (Monday, April 26 to Friday, April 30)
Even though it is illegal to have beach fires in the Capital City, the
Victoria Fire Department still responds to nearly 200 calls each year
to put out beach fires that get out of control or are left
smouldering. These fires pose a risk to those on or near the
beach. The City of Victoria will be removing driftwood from
Gonzales Bay this week as part of a trial project to prevent beach
fires.
City Parks staff will collect wood that is less than two metres long
and 30 centimetres wide from two locations on the beach. The driftwood
will then be taken to the Beacon Hill Park Maintenance Yard, where it
will be chipped for re-use in City garden beds and chip trails.
To minimize any impacts to the beach, Parks staff will carefully place
the collected wood into the bucket of a small tractor, to be located on
two access ramps. Gonzales
Beach will remain open during the work and every effort will be made to
minimize any disruptions to residents, beach users and pedestrians.
The work is timed to take place prior to summer holidays - when the
number of beach fires tends to peak - and when storms are less likely
to bring new driftwood to shore. The removal of wood is expected to be
completed by the end of the week.
Canadian Naval Centennial (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)
The Canadian Navy is celebrating 100 years of service to Canada this
year. The centennial is a momentous milestone for the Canadian Navy and
Canada. "Commemorate, Celebrate, Commit" is the Navy's centennial
slogan, reflecting the desire to honour the past, celebrate the
Canadian Navy's achievements and recognize the Navy's service and
obligation to the nation. Two events are planned for Tuesday, May
4, 2010 downtown.
Freedom of the City Parade
All Maritime Forces Pacific military personnel will take part in the
Freedom of the City Parade on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to
11:30 a.m. in downtown Victoria - the date of the Canadian Naval
Centennial.
Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, will lead
a parade of more than 2,700 Canadian Forces members and the Naden Band
with "drums beating, flags flying, and bayonets fixed" through downtown
Victoria. The celebratory parade replicates a 400 year old ceremony
that demonstrates the good relations between the City of Victoria and
the military. The Maritime Forces Pacific was previously granted
"Freedom of the City" of Victoria in 1985 in recognition of the Navy's
75th anniversary.
The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the corner of Pembroke and Store
Streets. The formation will march along Pembroke, turn right onto
Douglas Street and march to City Hall. There, Chief Constable Jamie
Graham will challenge the parade's advance. Following a short ceremony,
Mayor Dean Fortin will inspect the Guard of Honour and read a
proclamation. Chief Graham will then allow the parade to continue down
Douglas Street. The formation will turn right onto Belleville Street,
and return along Government Street and disperse near City Hall.
Parade participants and their families will be invited to a BBQ lunch
from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Centennial Square, hosted by the City of
Victoria, the Downtown Victoria Business Association and supporting
businesses.
Homecoming Statue Unveiling
At noon, the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific and the Guard of
Honour will return to the corner of Government and Wharf Streets, for
the unveiling and dedication of the "Homecoming Statue" centennial
project.
The statue is inspired by public gratitude for the service of Canada's
sailors and is a gift from the community. It represents the special
moment in the life of any sailor when they return from the sea to once
again meet their family.
Road Closures
Some downtown streets will be closed at times on Tuesday, May 4 to
accommodate the Navy's Freedom of the City Parade and the unveiling of
the "Homecoming Statue." Once the parade passes a specific location,
roads will be reopened. Sidewalks will remain open at all times. For
more information, visit: www.victoria.ca and click on What’s New?
Citizen Insight Councils to Provide Feedback for Official Community Plan Update
In an effort to hear from as many people and different perspectives as
possible while updating the Official Community Plan, the City has
partnered with Wise Democracy Victoria, a local non-profit group, to
facilitate two Citizen Insight Council discussion groups.
Similar to a focus group, a Citizen Insight Council brings together a
randomly selected group of 12 individuals to address a question that is
central to the Official Community Plan update. But unlike focus groups,
which tend to gauge reactions and feelings on specific scenarios, the
Citizen Insight Council will be more conversation and solution focused.
The goal of a Citizen Insight Council is that members develop guidance
and suggestions for possible solutions on a ‘big picture’ question
central to the OCP update.
Any citizen of Victoria 18 years or older has a chance to be selected
to participate, providing a unique opportunity for involvement by a
wide cross-section of community members.
The information gathered from these discussions will be used to help
set direction and policy priorities in the development of a new
Official Community Plan.
The Citizen Insight Council process is based on a format created by the
Centre for Wise Democracy, an internationally recognized organization
that helps to develop creative solutions for citizen engagement.
Similar approaches to citizen engagement have been successful in
communities in the United States and Austria. This is the first time
the City of Victoria has tried this approach with citizen engagement.
For more information about the Centre for Wise Democracy visit www.wisedemocracy.org
Upcoming Closures for Two City Parkades
To accommodate repairs, parking will be affected at two City parkades
over the next two weekends. Businesses will be notified and signs will
be posted.
Bastion Square Parkade Closed on:
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Johnson Street Parkade Limited Access:
Sunday, May 2 to Thursday, May 6, 2010
Closed on:
Sunday, May 8, 2010
Monday, May 9, 2010
The City of Victoria apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.
For more information, contact Bill Carere at 250.361.0305 or email
bcarere@victoria.ca
Council GPC (Governance & Priorities Committee) meeting this week
Below is the link to the online agenda for the May 6, 2010 Planning and Land Use Standing Committee.
On the left panel you will see the agenda faceplate. Scroll down
until you see a report you want to view. Click on the highlighted
link and the report will open in the right panel.