Project Status
Thank you to everyone who shared feedback on potential changes to the neighbourhood boundaries.
Here is a summary of the Council motions from the COTW report on June 9, 2022.
1. “That the City recognize the 2700-block to 3000-block of the east side of Shelbourne Street as part of the Oaklands neighbourhood, with the Oaklands Community Association acting as the Community Association Land Use Committee (CALUC) for land use matters in the area.”
2. “That the City recognize the 800-block between Fort Street and Academy Close, and Blanshard Street and Quadra Street, as part of the Downtown neighbourhoodContinue reading
Project Status
Thank you to everyone who shared feedback on potential changes to the neighbourhood boundaries.
Here is a summary of the Council motions from the COTW report on June 9, 2022.
1. “That the City recognize the 2700-block to 3000-block of the east side of Shelbourne Street as part of the Oaklands neighbourhood, with the Oaklands Community Association acting as the Community Association Land Use Committee (CALUC) for land use matters in the area.”
2. “That the City recognize the 800-block between Fort Street and Academy Close, and Blanshard Street and Quadra Street, as part of the Downtown neighbourhood, with the Downtown Residents Association (DRA) acting as the Community Association Land Use Committee (CALUC) for land use matters in the area.”
3. That the City recognizes the area currently described as “Harris Green” as part of the Downtown neighbourhood, with the Downtown Residents Association continuing to act as the Community Association Land Use Committee (CALUC) for land use matters in the area. And that the City recognizes Harris Green as a district within the Downtown neighbourhood, similar to Chinatown and Old Town.
These neighbourhood boundary changes are reflected in the above map and came into effect on June 9, 2022. City staff will work on the administrative changes, including updating all City maps in 2023.
What We Engaged On
In 2019, City Council began a process to help reconcile some geographic anomalies and to align neighbourhood boundaries with residents’ sense of place.
How We Got Here
In 2019, Council introduced an action to ‘resolve anomalies in neighbourhood boundaries’ in the Strong, Liveable Neighbourhoods section of the City's Strategic Plan.
On February 4, 2021 Council held a discussion about current neighbourhood boundaries. For more details, view the Council Led Workshop – Neighbourhood Boundaries agenda item and Council’s discussion at the February 4 meeting here.
Council made several observations including that:
- Reconciling geographic anomalies that may fit better in an adjacent neighbourhood
- There may be opportunities to better match boundaries with the neighbourhoods in which residents perceive themselves to be living
- Neighbourhood populations vary substantially and may present challenges for neighbourhood associations, e.g. too big for effective representation or too small to recruit volunteer support
- Some village centres are divided between neighbourhoods
With the above considerations, several boundaries were discussed as possible areas for change. Council directed staff to engage residents through their neighbourhood associations about the proposed boundary area changes.
A subsequent Council discussion (including specific resolutions) was held on February 25, which you can view here.
As you can see in the timeline to the right, community engagement took place in the summer of 2021. The Council Report (in Reports section to the right) was accepted by Council and they brought forward a series of proposed neighbourhood boundary related changes.
In early January 2022, one of the three proposed changes (relating to merging the North and South Jubilee CALUCs) was removed by Council.
Two proposed boundary changes then moved forward for a final opportunity for public comment. You can learn about these changes that were brought forward at the January 27, 2022 Non- Statutory Public Hearing here.
Following the January 27 meeting Council considered all the feedback and provide staff with direction on moving forward.
Final motions were brought forward on June 9, 2022.
Regarding Fairfield /Downtown. No changes are needed. This area of Fairfield is predominately residential. The DRA has stated that this change is not in character with downtown buildings and development issues. Plus the DRA is over burdened with development issues.....little support. from the city ..DRA has no set meeting space, and difficulty engaging the numerous condo dwellers,.
My main concern is the fact that developers do cross boundaries to say "we are on the border of, so try to use the items of each area to get around height, parking, etc.
Cathyhbr
My family and I live on Haultain Street, west of Fernwood Road. We have deep ties to the Fernwood community and would like to remain Fernwood Residents!!
Please consider leaving the homes, businesses and park between Haultain Street and Bay Street, west of Fernwood Road, within the Fernwood Neighbourhood!!
I don’t have any comments about the boundary changes but would like to propose a change to the name of our neighbourhood. Quadra/Hillside does not sum up the feel of our unique neighbourhood and think developing this area with a new neighbourhood name would be awesome. All the other names have an association with them except ours. It’s time to define what the vibe is for our neighbourhood and think a new name would help!
I strongly disagree with this. I gave called Fernwood my home for 20 years and I find is utterly appling that the council would attempt to change the boundaries arbitrarily. It frustrates me that the council is wasting its time with silly notions such as this when the downtown core is rife with crime and we still lack basic services for homeless. These sort of ideas are why I will be voting to the removal of the this council.
Why on earth does it matter? Are taxes different in particular neighborhoods? Do people despair because “downtown” is across the street and they live in “ Harris green”? Are there not any more useful things our city can spend time money on.....I have a few suggestions....like the Topaz park project that has been on the books for as long as I remember....nothing changing there....or fenced dog parks....nothing there either...come on people, you can do better!
Leave the Fernwood boundries alone. The Fernwood are has been the same since I was a child in the 1950's and is a vibrant district. I am not interested in being part of North Park.
I can’t answer your survey question without understanding the pros and cons to merging South and North Jubilee Associations. Where is that info found?
Doesn't Council have enough on its plate without taking on something as low priority as this? Such a waste of time and energy.
So...with an agreed moratorium against any new supportive housing in Burnside Gorge - agreed by the City and the Province, let's just change the boundary to remove a bunch of Burnside Gorge so we can use that space. Too convenient!!
After working for decades on Rock Bay rehabilitation, just when it's about to come available for development, council wants to move it out of Burnside Gorge and into Downtown. Too convenient
It would be great if there were more questions. For Jubilee, it’s more complex than one question.
North Jubilee could be merged in to Fernwood and Oaklands more easily than with South Jubilee. The crossroads of Fort and Richmond are very distinct in terms of neighbourhoods, there are so many areas converting at that point. I think North Jubilee should be partially merged with South Jubilee. The areas North of Fort and Richmond should be with Fernwood and Oaklands. The area closest to the hospital by Foul Bay could be part of Jubilee, or Oakland or Fernwood could be extended.
Only properties included within DCAP area should be included in the Downtown Harris Green neighbourhood. And more broadly, only properties included under their particular LAP should be included within the relevant neighbourhood. Why should any CALUC/NA have to be familiar with the LAPs of neighbourhoods other than their own? Additionally, there have been a few "housekeeping" issues regarding boundary changes that have been talked about for 15 years, but some of these changes seem random and no rationale has been offered to support them. Why such sweeping changes?
You should include the Royal Museum and the BC Legislature in Downtown
Leave Burnside Gorge alone, council, BC Housing, and Minster Eby have done enough harm and this is just another way to bypass the moratorium on housing in Burnside Gorge by removing a large portion of ready to develop land
Before you push your ideology onto Burnside Gorge, try talking to our residents first. Rather than listen to the partially City funded community association (who do not represent our residents), listen to the voices of those that live in the community.
The new neighbourhood boundaries seem more intuitive as they use major roads as dividers, and I have no concerns about the new boundaries. I think modernizing the neighbourhood boundaries is a good idea.
I note that some people are concerned about the boundary revisions as gerrymandering to obscure increases in supportive housing, or for other purposes, so I request that Mayor, Council and City Staff respond to those concerns with as much transparency as possible.
We are in a pandemic.
Businesses desperately need an economic recovery from the biggest recession since the 1930s.
People are sleeping in parks and on the streets.
There is a climate emergency - and the City postponed / cancelled its Climate Champions Program due to the pandemic.
We are in an opioid overdose crisis.
But neighbourhood boundaries are a priority at this time???
I do not have trust in this Council and don't want any changes to be made to boundaries with the current Council in power. We need to come together as a community of Victoria, not divide us more. With the Moratorium in place for additional supportive housing in Burnside/Gorge, I am worried this is a tactic to continue to put the hard to house in this community by changing it's boundaries. Surely there are other pressing issues the City can focus on now.
Hi - I feel the portion of Fairfield from Quadra to Blanshard and Southgate and Courtney, basically Academy Close area, St. Anne's Academy, and Mt. St. Mary's Hospital, the 800 block, etc., should remain as Fairfield. Area is still older residential style, has historic significance, and needs to be maintained and protected as is. Thank you, Lisa Hebb
Yet another solution in search of problem. How about this: consult the citizens for real on Richardson Street, clean up the parks, potholes, various maintenance issues such as painting, bring back the hanging baskets. ... Once these issues are addressed, then we can talk neighbourhoods.
This is a terrible way to spend time and money. There are serious issues to be addressed in this city - issues that define people's lives on a daily basis. Why is City Hall focusing resources on redefining arbitrary lines on a map? I am extremely disappointed that my tax dollars are being spent in this way. It's appalling.
Changing the Burnside Gorge boundary would be problematic for the neighbourhood. There is currently a moratorium in place that prevents BC Housing from allowing any additional supportive housing in the neighbourhood. If the boundary was changed, how would that impact the moratorium? In addition, efforts are currently underway to establish a Business Improvement Association within the boundaries of Burnside Gorge. The proposed boundary change would reduce the number of businesses and the corresponding tax base that could be reinvested back into the neighbourhood. Currently, the majority of the city's craft breweries are located in Burnside Gorge. This is a unifying characteristic that we would like to maintain. Finally, the area that would be cut off from Burnside Gorge is Rock Bay. This particular area has undertaken tremendous effort to try and establish its own identity for its community of businesses. The question is would the needs of Rock Bay get lost within the downtown core and can the downtown organizations serve that community as well as a Burnside Gorge focused organization could?