Rockland Neighbourhood Association:  Minutes 2013

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ROCKLAND NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting
held February 20, 2013
at the Grace Lutheran Church

1.     The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. There were 49 voting members in attendance.

2.     Motion: to approve the agenda (Dave Clark /L. Ollila)                  Carried

3.     President Janet Simpson introduced Jon Tupper who gave an update on the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s development plans

·    4000 members, been here 62 years. Unique gallery in a unique neighbourhood.

·    Emily Carr started the first gallery in James Bay.

·    Strong relationship with Government House.

·    33 years of effort to move away from Moss St. but still here. Now, decided to refurbish and stay.

·    18,000 works held in Public Trust. Most in storage, need more display space.

·    Call for architects’ proposals; no money yet.

4.     Janet Simpson introduced the featured speaker, Danda Humphreys

·      Nursing, Journalist, broadcaster

·      “Welcome to Victoria”

·      “Government St. – Victoria’s Heritage Mile”

·      Early European settlers are the topic of her first books – “On the street where you live” (three volumes)

·      Fort Victoria was 300 feet by 400 feet – James Douglas (JD) was Chief Factor and later Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island.

·      Front door of the fort was Wharf Street – Back door was Government Street; Beyond Blanshard Street was wilderness.

·      1850 - Richard Cheeseman, an HBC worker, traded his downtown property for acreage north of the Fort. Sent for his wife and child – They set out along first nations trail, and in 4 nights and 5 days reached Royal Oak.

·      Belcher Street was renamed Rockland Avenue.

·      1858 – gold brought a huge wave of settlers

·      JD required Americans to start at Fort Victoria to get permits. Population went from 600 – doubled overnight, and 13,000 came through in the next while.

·      Government Street was home to suppliers, outfitters, provisioners.

·      Douglas charged Pemberton with street map. N-S, E-W. 10 blocks by 10 blocks, covering the downtown core.

·      Thomas Harris – butcher from Liverpool – brick house on Government Street. (current location of the Irish Times Pub). 1862 – first Mayor of Victoria. Circle Drive around Beacon Hill was a race course.

·      North on Government – David Spencer’s store. His house “The Poplars” was located at the corner of Government and Belleville. Eventually bought the Green’s home - Gyppeswyk – present home of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

·      John Carrol’s saloon – “the Brown Jug”

·      Charles Haywood – religious gold digger, but reconsidered on arrival, so he set up as a carpenter. Sent for wife Sarah.

·      Charles and Leah Rogers Chocolates enterprise grew from a Fruit and Vegetable store.

·      At Courtney Street – George and Mary Richardson built the first brick hotel.

5.                   Introduce guests

Helen Cain, Planner, City of Victoria

John Hughes, Craigdarroch Castle Historical Society

Pam Madoff, City of Victoria Councilor

(Ben Issit, City of Victoria Councilor, departed earlier)

(Charlayne Thornton-Joe, City of Victoria Councilor, arrived later)

Irwin Henderson, Library Board

Catherine Spencer, Friends of Government House Gardens

Nominating committee:

Eileen Nurmi

Don Hamilton (DH)

Lloyd Ollila (LO)

6.                   Motion Approval of the Minutes of 2012 AGM (JW/LO)      carried

7.                   Reports

President’s report – Janet Simpson reviewed some of the key goals of the RN Plan to illustrate the preservation focus of the Association, and the association’s role in guiding sensitive development. The city has listened to our appeals and instituted changes in building height, rooftop patios, etc. and the city is working on other concerns

(Discussion)

JW – Treasurer’s report – carrying forward a considerable balance. Ans. DC – At Norman Clark’s suggestion, the Board is taking a more proactive approach to budget planning in the new year.

LO-  Land Use Comittee report – last paragraph – concern with rationalizing the Rockland Neighbourhood Plan (RNP) and the Official Community Plan (OCP).  Ans. BJ – The early planning focus will be on Downtown development, but when it rolls around to Local Area Plans (LAP) –the arterial corridors of Fort Street and Oak Bay Avenue, and the small Urban Village at Stadacona will be the first areas in Rockland to be discussed.

Helen Cain – helped develop the OCP before she became an area planner. The OCP has a section on Rockland that reflects the original RNP. Now moving to the Local Area Planning process, and through that process the neighbourhood plans will be updated. These are strategic direction plans. 50% of population growth will be downtown, 50% in urban villages and transportation corridors (Fort Street and Oak Bay Avenue). Rockland is seen to be an area of traditional residential land use, so some infill will be allowed, on a site-by-site basis.

Changes will be initiated within the Local Area Plans.

Motion Approval of the Committee reports (LO/DC)                        carried

8.     Members’ concerns. (none!)

9.   Nominating Committee DH and LO

For President Janet Simpson

For Vice President  Bob June

For Secretary  Dave Clark

For Treasurer  Norman Clark

For director

 David Hambleton, Jane Wheatley, Eric Gubby, Tamsin McIntosh

All by acclamation.

10.                    Motion     to adjourn at 9:00  - (JW/DC)                       carried