Transcript: Council - 2026/09/10

We are a full complement tonight. Council's Gardner and Thompson are joining us, but they're online this evening, so they are here. Tonight we have a very interesting agenda. We are going to hear from three of our city committees. They're going to talk a little bit about the amazing work they've been doing over the last term. And in addition, we will also hear from nine individuals who wish to address Council on a variety of topics. We hope that you remember that City Hall is a place where we try to strive for civil discourse. And so when we want to listen to one another stories, we want to do so with high degree of respect and politeness and patience. And so we will ask you, of course, when you're listening to people to do so fairly quietly and thoughtfully and not to interrupt them or not to respond particularly aggressively or with any type of response that might cause anyone to become uncomfortable. Before we begin, of

course, we always, when we gather here at City Hall, we want to start by taking a moment or two just to express our gratitude and our acknowledgement to the two nations on whose territories our city sits in its entirety. The Songhees Nation and the Kussup Sub Nation. The La Punkan people hostility these lands and the waters that surround them for many, many, many generations. And it is because of that stewardship that we have an opportunity to join together and to have these conversations and to do the work that we do and make the decisions that we must and talk with one another about how to do that with a certain degree of respect for the past. The acknowledgement of the many challenges of the presence within I, of course, to trying to make the best decisions we can for the future. And those people who come after us. When we do that, we like to at least try a little bit of the language of

the indigenous people. And so we will say thank you, which is to say hi to good or hichuka Sam, or to say hi to Kasim Ndokulia, which is to say thank you, but also to say, I honour those of you who are here in this room and throughout our community who take a moment every day, one hopes to do something that improves, increases, makes happy the life of another person. So I will say to all of you with hope, hi, Chika Siam Nikolia. Tonight we were supposed to hear for the remarkable words and voice of Chantel Dick Charleston, who is our youth poet laureate. Unfortunately, Chantal was called away the last minute and had to Council. So we will not have the honour of hearing her this evening. However, however, I have to laugh. I would normally be able to make some remarks as the chairs remarked tonight, but tonight when I'm going to do instead, since we were hoping for poetry to inspire our

evening and given that yesterday, the 2026 finalists for the Victoria Book Prize were announced. And I believe this evening, we also have two speakers later tonight to speak about that. Uh, I thought that I would actually read a short poem that was written by last year's Victoria Book Prize winner in The Prize for Poetry for the very first time. So bear with me. I certainly won't be able to do it justice, but I thought it would make sense this evening. That book is called Signal Infinities. It was written by Melanie Siebert. And this particular poem is one called More Than existential crisis in the mirror.

I'll do my best. Vulnerable, as we all are, to certain messaging contaminants poor through the channels. Whether blows in without explanation for the fury, a creature has slipped a glass case. Clouds flow drawn by wind into the finest underfuring across the uneasy error codes in swallows beaks. Mud is transported. A lake can't shake its sky awareness. It flaunts and acquired ability to take it. Tremendously electric, not just a lot of whiskers. Lake aspires to build a reputation as a serious documentarian contacting a present moment. Inviting feelings previously too dangerous to feel. Memories laid down before words. Nine local authors, our finalist for the 2026 City of Victoria Book Prize, The City Victoria Children's Book Prize and the DC Reed Poetry Prize. The winners will be announced November 14th. We'll each receive a 5, 000 dollar cash prize to which the city has contributed. And I know that we're going to hear more about that when we have a couple of our speakers a little later

on this evening. I will leave to our guests from the book prize society. The pleasure of announcing the finalists, if they're going to do that, and their remarks, uh, when they address Council later tonight. I would just add that I think that, uh, although this isn't poetry month, which is April usually. The fact that the book prize has the ability to do this with the supportive of a variety of other organisations, not the least of which has been the greater Victoria Public Library from whom we'll also hear some representatives tonight is truly extraordinary and something that I think we all should revel in and take the time to celebrate not just the authors, but in particular, I will say in my own biased way, the booksellers who support the officers, the authors and actually sell their books. With all of that, then we come up to the regular part of the agenda and that would first be the acknowledgement that we do not have any

late items to add to our agenda this evening. And so we would move on and I would look for, therefore, a motion to approve the published agenda. Thank you Councillor Kim. Seconded by Council Coleman. There's an inside joke from that because all of Councillor Kim and Coleman seemed to repeatedly do the agenda publishing. And so I confused him by doing it backwards. Uh, thank you very much for proving that. Is there any discussion of the agenda is published? Not seeing any. All right. All those in favor of the agenda. Anyone opposed. I will occasionally look at my screen over here just to make sure that both councillors have an opportunity to participate as they like.

All right. So first up tonight we are going to, as I mentioned here from three city advisory committees. It's a very special item. We don't very often have a chance to do this. And so it's a great pleasure for us to provide the time for this. These committees have been working together throughout this term on a variety of different projects, programs, and policies, primarily working to bring our community together to have an opportunity to speak with one another, share their stories, plan, execute, and just make our community a better place for us all to live. Uh, each presentation tonight has up to 10 minutes. And this is the same type of format as we use for our dresses to Council. So this is not a Q and a or a back and forth. It's an opportunity for Council and the public to listen and learn.

And to do so, as I mentioned earlier, respectfully. So first up, we're going to hear the accessibility advisory committee and then the welcoming city advisory committee. And then finally, the International Decade for People of African descent, advisory committee. So up first, uh, is the accessibility advisory committee. And I believe Suzanne Jennings is speaking on behalf of the committee, if I'm not mistaken. There you are. And I think that you are expecting to come well done. Over here to this mic in the front table. Welcome, Suzanne. It's lovely to see you. Jack one, two, three. You got it. Sounds good. I had to do that. You're a pro. So before you start timing me, I apologise for how I sound. I lost a tooth last week and got pneumonia. But I'm here. Oh, wow. So thank you for coming and welcome. Now you can start. Okay.

How do you? Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Susanne Jennings and I'm the chair of the accessibility advisory committee. And thank you for, uh, inviting us to speak tonight. The committee's history stretches back nearly 10 years, beginning with the accessibility working group and later becoming The Accessibility Advisory Committee. That history matters. It shows that Victoria's commitment to accessibility did not begin with legislation. It reflects a longstanding belief that people with disabilities must have a voice in shaping the city. We live in. When the province introduced the accessible BC Act in 2021, it required public organisations to establish an accessibility advisory committee and accessibility plan and an accessibility feedback mechanism. The city of Victoria was already doing that. The city had already had people with disabilities helping to identify, remove and prevent barriers throughout the organisation. More than 40 percent of Victoria residents report experiencing at least one activity limitation, whether physical, sensory, cognitive, or related to mental health. Accessibility is not a niche

issue. It affects a significant part of our community. Disability is also an identity that any of us could acquire any point in our lives for many people disability becomes part of their experiences they age. That means accessibility benefits all of us, whether today or sometime in the future. Tonight we want to focus on what's happened over the past four years. Why this work remains so important to the City of Victoria's future. During this Council's term, the committee has grown from a group that provides occasional feedback into an active partner in the city's accessibility work. We've built relationships across city departments, strength and connections with community organisations. And brought the perspectives of people with disabilities into conversations where they can make a real difference. Our committee includes people with many different experiences of disability. We cannot represent every disability or every experience. But together we bring knowledge and expertise that cannot be replicated through research. Technical knowledge, or consultation after decisions have already been made. We

know what it feels like when information is available, but not accessible. We know what it means to arrive somewhere that realises that participating will be more difficult than it needs to be. We know what it's like when a barrier is invisible to everyone else, but shapes your experience or service of a program, a meeting, or a public space. We know what it means to navigate systems that we're not always designed with everyone in mind. And we know that disability is not one experience. It can be visible or invisible. Permanent or temporary. Physical sensory cognitive neurological or related to mental health. That knowledge is expertise. It helps create better decisions, better services, and better outcomes. Because when people with disabilities help shape a city, everyone benefits.

There's a phrase that is fundamental to the work, the accessibility advisory committee. Nothing about us without us. Ta - da! For us, that means accessibility works best when people who experience barriers are involved in identifying them, shaping solutions, and evaluating whether those solutions actually work. Over the past four years, we've seen that principle becomes increasingly embedded the way city staff work with our committee. Transportation staff returned to our meeting quite a regularly. Facility staff bring projects to us and makes us feel like we're part of their team. And other department seek us out for their input when it touches accessibility. They do not have to do this, because they're not required to. They include us because they see the value of the perspectives we bring.

Over time, we've earned that trust. They invite us and we show up. We show up as people with disabilities who care deeply about this city. And the changes we can bring. We show up with experience, expertise, and a commitment to making Victoria more accessible to everyone. We show up because we know that seemingly small decisions can have profound effect on whether someone can participate in community life. Accessibility is not an abstract concept to us. It shapes how we move through the city every day. Because these relationships exist, accessibility is no longer something that happens only at the end of a project. It's increasingly part of the conversation from the beginning. That shift matters. It means barriers can be prevented instead of corrected. That means people with disabilities can help shape decisions rather than reacting after the decisions of already been made. And it means that the city is building a stronger and more accessible foundation for the future. These relationships have also produced tangible results.

This year our community conversation on accessibility held in recognition of national accessibility week brought together more than 50 people, including residents, community organisations, city staff, members of Council, and accessibility advocates. These are not isolated accomplishments. Together, they demonstrate how accessibility is becoming part of the way the city plans, designs, builds, and deliver services. And this represents a significant shift. We bring forward concerns that might otherwise be missed. We connect city staff with community knowledge. We help test whether or not I do works in real life, not just on paper. The committee's relationship with the office of equity, diversity, and inclusion has been an important part of this process. When the work began, there was no office of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Over the years, we've watched both the committee and the office grow together. The office provides continuity between our meetings. It connects committees, members with departments, community organisations, grants, and opportunities that we might never reach. Advisory committee work does not begin and end

around a meeting table. Relationships need to be maintained. Projects need to be followed up. Questions need answers. Connections and opportunities need to be developed. We would like to express our gratitude to Albert Galeev and Sarah McKenzie for supporting these connections and helping turn committee discussions into action. Their work between meetings has allowed the committee's knowledge and contributions to reach far beyond what could happen at meetings alone. Our relationship have extended into a broader community, including organisations such as CNIB, The Victoria Disability Resource Centre, Garth Homer Society, The Rick Hanson Foundation, The Greater Victoria Public Library, and others. These relationships strengthen the city's accessibility work and help ensure the committee remains connected to the wider community.

It's a shared responsibility. How they use a washroom, how they evacuate a building, how they charge a mobility device, how they attend an event, how they find their way through a public space, how they access information and services, how they participate in community life, whether they can participate independently, whether they free welcome, whether they feel belong. And ultimately whether they experience Victoria's, the city that was designed with them in mind. Accessibility matters to residents, but it also matters to visitors. Victoria welcomes people from all around the world and through our airport, ferries, cruise ships, attractions, businesses, festivals, conferences, and events. When visitors can navigate our city, access our facilities, find information, participate fully everyone benefits.

Accessibility is part of what makes a city welcoming. It's part of what makes a city inclusive and increasingly it's part of what makes Victoria a leader. We're proud that we've accomplished this during this Council's term. But the work is not finished. We need more accessible public washrooms. We need to continue improving sidewalks and carefully considering placing of the tactile walking service indicators. These are all important conversations still to have about entertainment. How about accessibility of pubs. Comedy venues, cultural events, and other places where people come together. As technology, transportation and the built environment continue to evolve new accessibility questions will continue to emerge. Accessibility is not something a city contemplates once and then moves on from. It's an ongoing commitment. Even as Victoria becomes more accessible, there are, and always will be, ways to engage directly with people with disabilities. The City of Victoria is increasingly recognised across the province as a municipal leader. We're proud that the role of the accessibility working group, the

accessibility advisory committee, City staff, The Office of Equity Diversity Inclusion and Committee Partners of All Played in The Building of That Reputation. The City Victoria has accomplished a great deal over the past decade, and we're proud that we've been part of that journey. Our goals not simply to remove barriers as we find them. Our goal is to make Victoria the most accessible city in Canada. And we can get there. In June, 2026, the accessibility advisory committee passed a motion, recommending that Council established the Committee as a permanent advisory committee, continuing beyond the term of Council. The motion recognised the city's ongoing responsibilities under the accessible BC Act and the Committee's role in helping to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers. The formal recommendation is recorded in the committee's Council Presentation Materials. That recommendation reflects something we have learned over the past decade. Accessibility as strongest when people with disabilities continue to have a seat at the table. As we look ahead at the next Council's

term, we're excited about the work still to come and the opportunity to work with the new Council. We hope the new Council will recognise the value built over the last decade and make the accessibility advisory committee a permanent part of how the City engages with people with disabilities. Over the years, the committee has become more than a meeting. It's become a trusted place for collaboration, a place where relationships are built, a place where barriers are identified before they become a problem. A place where people with disabilities and city - staff work together. It's defined by our willingness to keep learning, keep improving, and keep listening to people with disabilities. There will always be opportunities to do better. There will always be barriers to remove. And in many ways, we feel like we're only getting started.

Thank you, Marin Council, for this opportunity to share our story with you this evening. And thank you for your continued support of people with disabilities and the accessibility in the city of Victoria. Thank you, Suzanne. Very well said. Thank you. Up next is the welcoming city advisory committee, and I believe that is both Sandra Huff and Daniela Pinto, I believe, together. Welcome.

Can you hear me? Yes. Yes. Awesome. We have. First of all, as you said, Mayor Alto, my name is Sandra Huff, and I'm honoured to be to serve as the chair of the Welcoming City Advisory Committee. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight. Uh, The Welcoming City Advisory Committee brings together residents and community organisations who care deeply about making Victoria a place where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. Especially newcomers, immigrants, and refugees and people who face barriers to being fully included in community life. Over the past five years, this committee has helped hold space for important conversations about belonging community safety, inclusion, and economic participation. Just as importantly, it has helped bring forward community perspectives that can support a more thoughtful and welcoming city for people who are building their lives here. Tonight, we're pleased to share a brief overview of the committee's work, what we have heard and learned, and why this work continues to matter. Not only

as a policy priority, but as part of how people experience Victoria every single day. I'll now turn it over to Daniela. Who will speak more directly to the committee's work and the impact it has had. Thank you, Sandra. Good night, Mayor Alto. Good night distinct Council members. It's a pleasure to be here by Sandra speaking a little bit about the work that Work Homing City Advisory Committee has been done over the last five years. So the welcoming city committee has never worked alone. We have been serving the City Council as a catalyst of a strong and diverse network of support and belonging for thousands of people in Victoria. The power of the committee comes from a strong collaboration among several organisations such as the intercultural association of Victoria, VRX, City staff, such as the office of the Ecute Diversity and Inclusion Council members, public institutions such as The Graded Victoria Public Library and Grassroot in Volunteers, organisations, and also residents. It became a true network

of support for community members. The welcoming community committed today is a catalyst of human connection. Over the past five years, our network has delivered several activities that supported the implementation of the welcoming City Action Plan. Public celebrations such as the, oh, sorry, next slide, please. Next slide, please. Sorry, I forgot about that. So over the past five years, can I go back home slide, please? Thank you. Thank you. I'm sorry about that. So over the past five years, our network has delivered several activities that supported the implementation of the Welcoming City Action Plan, Public Celebrations such as the World Refugee Day, the International Women's Day, welcoming day in several cultural festivals, have energized public spaces all over the city. The welcoming committee also spread the idea of welcoming to other networks, such as the greater Victoria Local Immigration Partnership and the greater Victoria Social Development Community of Practs. Partnerships, human connection is a critical community asset in a world of social isolation. The committee also

serves the Council in a key function. Over the years, it became a bridge and a safe space for dialogue between the community members and the municipal government. Next slide, please. So the welcoming city conferences is one example of our collaborative approach. Forthest three years, the committee successfully delivery and all conferences that brought together community leaders, service providers, municipal staff, newcomers, and long - term residents to learn from each other, to talk about what the seven welcoming city standards mean to them safe cities, civic engagement, econômic development, and all the other standards. Participation is increasing over the years, more than 80 people attended last year's conference, and this year's conference connected communities was the welcoming standard with the highest score voted by participants in the conference.

Those spaces welcome the network to the City Hall. It created a safe space where people could come to speak, to listen, and to expand and build together. Data about Victoria's diversity and evidence - based decision - making, for example, were identified as one of the most impactful areas of discussion today and for future years. Participants also express the need to participate in other collaborative models that could improve newcomer services and civic inclusion. So the conferences generated ideas that led to further strategic municipal actions. Those insights directly informed the engagement model that our colleagues in the accessibility committee also used, which are the community conversations. Next slide, please. So since 2025, the community conversations offer the members of our community an opportunity of more frequent engagements.

Those conversations connect people with experts and practitioners working in topics that are of interest for the community. They want to talk about, they want to share their lived experiences about those topics and find a community of support. Those community conversations, they may seem simple, but they are extremely powerful. And I would like to share a story to demonstrate the power of the community work, Next slide, please. So I'd like to share a story. Of Alisin to community members. We learned that Alice Middle School Newcomer from Brazil was going through tough times adapting to the new scope, new culture, new language. She was struggling. Alician, her mother, attended one of our community conversations to talk about belonging in schools. They shared their story, their struggles in a small roundtable conversation. Across the table, it was one person from a school district in one longtime volunteer group.

The superheroes of Victoria. You probably know about them. In that community conversation, Alice felt listened to for the first time, because folks, on the other side of the table, they were really listening to what she was saying. And they were able to act. So superheroes of Victoria contacted Ali C and her mother after the community conversations. And on Lysi became a superhero young volunteer. So from a vulnerable kid struggling at school, she is now helping other school. Other kids in her school that are struggling. It's a true example of a success intergenerational dialogue, Youth Engagement, Community Support for Emerging Immigrant Leaders. And it showcases the power of connecting e - commerce with long - term residents and how simple initiatives, like this, can forge through belonging. Other non - profit organisations also had the opportunity to get to know each other and find common activities to work together. The convening power of a network in community conversations may sound simple, but is ineffective in the

economical way to maintain the City Connected and Vibrant. Next, like please. Other contributions of the welcoming committee also extended into municipal decision - making. Synce 2021, members have provided feedback into major CD projects and programs, including the official community plan, the financial plan and recreation services. The committee also provide advice on the resident and inclusion to cities department, like planning, arts and culture, economic development, infrastructure and communications. And we would like to highlight two tangible examples. One is the equity community profile developed by the series of Victoria Equity Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with Licker Geospatial that receive national recognition through the 2024 Canadian Open Data Democracy Award. This initiative directly address Community needs voice doing the welcome city conferences and can be used strategically to support evidence - based municipal decision - making and monitoring of progress. Towards Victoria's 2050 goals. These work is an example of the principle of nothing about us, without us. In action. The second initiative is the welcoming sticker.

An image is a worth of thousand words. Today, every public library branch, municipal public building, and several other organisations are sharing the welcoming message across our community. So to sustain for the long term, our committee is finalising a report outlining the results achieved through the Welcoming City Actions in the strategic recommendations for Council's considerations. Victoria's long - term vision of a diverse, livable and welcome community in 2050 is a goal that no one city department, one committee or one community organisation can achieve on its own. You need a strong, connected and welcoming village to raise strong and resilient families and bring life to the public build space. So today, on behalf of the welcoming advisory committee, Sandra and I would like to put forward a motion for the Council to establish. Thank you. I'm bad with that. So we would like to formally put a motion for the Council to establish the welcoming advisory committee as a permanent and ongoing commitment to continue fostering inclusion,

equity, and belonging for all residents, particularly immigrants, refugees, newcomers to the implementation of the Cities World Coming City strategic and action plan. And thank you. Thank you very much. Really helpful. That takes us on to the third of our presentations tonight, and this is from the International Decade for People of African descent advisory and committee. I believe this is both Barbara Hudlun and Caleb Isaac. Evening mayor and Council. My name is Barbara Haddon. I'm the president of the African descent committee. I would like to introduce you to my junior president. Caleb Isaac. Thank you, Barbara. Thank you, Mayor and Council. I apologise as we've decided to step away from our deck to presentation last minute today, but I'm even more sorry, because it means you have to look at me for longer. Good evening, Mayor and Council. I would like to begin by thanking you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Caleb Isaac, and I am the member of a 2025 - 2026 International Decade for People of African descent,

also known as the IDPAD Council Advisory Committee Committee. I also want to begin by thanking fellow members of my committee. We have Liz here, we have Brian, we have Jamila, and we have Barbara. Way more than I expected, a go team. And I'd also like to take some time to thank the entire EDI office who has been an integral part of why we're even here in the first place. I rise before you today alongside my colleagues to humbly request the formal extension of the IDPAT Council Advisory Committee for another eight years until 2034. Following the extension of the iDPad mandate within the United Nations. And the adoption of this extension by the federal government of Canada, we believe it would not only be appropriate, but incumbent upon you, our honourable Council, to lead this initiative at the local government level. During our last meeting, the IDPAD Committee passed the resolution to formally seek this extension until 2034. Our motion is backed by the ongoing need

for fostering an identifying the next steps in the city's direction in fulfilling the iDPad mandate. Through the key pillars of recognition, justice, and economic development for the black community here in Victoria. I wish to share with you now some key statistics about the IDPAD committee since its inception. Since 2021, the IDPAD advisory committee has distributed 24 grams to the Black Youth Community Groups nonprofit organisations operating here in Victoria, published two community impact reports in partnership with the coastal research education and advocacy network, also known as QREAN, and organised a town hall and community forum bringing black voices from across the city and across the CRD together. The last thing here that I will share is that we provided a recommendations on the city's official community plan, newcomer recreation initiatives, and anti - racism policy development.

To name a few. The IDPAD has also played critical roles in supporting some of the most notable black - lead initiatives within the city. Two examples are Black Red, where educational achievements of black students in this community are celebrated and grind basketball, one of the most successful young basketball programs in Victoria. The reason I chose D2 specifically is because they go beyond the scope of what you might think the IDPad does. They're reaching to different facets of sports, of education, and lifting kids up and the things that they love to do every day. Yet despite the countless work that we have done to involve ourselves in community, from grassroots initiatives to well - established organisations, there is a growing call for more action, more leadership, and more support. Black people in Victoria are still disproportionately disadvantaged, especially in terms of opportunities for our youth. The intersectional barriers, many of our children in this community face are far from resolved. Since the fall of 2021, our

committee appointed by Council has been given this mandate provided with recomendations on all things affecting the African design community. Largely modelled on the UN mandate. Then the Mayor and Council members before me recognised the parallel challenges our community has faced. As proclaimed by Vited Nations, and today I implore you to once again, consider those challenges in your decision - making. 2026 marks the fourth year that we've administered the IDPAD Youth Grant and The Fifth Year that we've organised as a group. We did so by searching for projects that created safe spaces for promoting leadership, educational initiatives, uplifting culture, confidence, and worked against systemic racism, mainly for the youth of our community. The grants have focused on three general areas, education, the arts, and empowerment. From our key findings, it is very clear that the current program has increased visibility for people of African descent, especially in regards to grassroot initiatives that may have not had those equitable opportunities to shine. Overall, the grant program has

allowed local projects to form safer and more empowering spaces for black children across Victoria. The IDPAD has also worked to form recommendations for Council based on lived experiences of the residents we aim to represent. For the sake of time, I will not read those recommendations today, but they have been made available to you. In recognition of the large list of work that I have presented to you all today, I understand if much of it is difficult for you to remember or even retain at this moment. After all, I don't have a slide deck, and it is years of work done here by multiple individuals. Some of them who stand before me today, beside me today, representing an even vast or demographic. However, let that be a representation of the necessity in our call for action.

We do this work on your behalf. After all, if we didn't, who would. Because the United Nations decade has been formally extended to 2020 - 34. Because the government of Canada has been committed to the decade through to 2028. And because legislation through the anti - racism act of BC directly aligns with IDPAD priorities, we the IDPAD Council Advisory Committee of Victoria wished to see a similar extension of our work in the city until 2034. This will allow us to take our recommendations from where they are now into the implementation phase. We recognise the significant impact of local governments that they hold in regard to empowering community initiatives. And because we've already established these leaderships, connections, and the capacity to work through our community together.

We aspire to continue this work through sustained municipal engagement that will ensure our commitment to the international decade. We are a voice, an avenue, and a place within the City of Victoria to lead this work and in BC and Canada. A project for black people by black people. If you don't believe me, just hear a couple of quotes from residents, which I pulled from Querence 2024 report. The city, creating a grant centres African descent communities in a light of excellence rather than a deficit lens. Centring black excellence is a very key move and important for the city to invest in. The second quote goes, this impact goes beyond numbers and statistics. It is about seeing smiles, fostering relationships, and creating lasting attitudinal change in our community. And I kid you not, some of the things that I quoted in there hadn't even read yet when I wrote my speech. So that's why you know it's true. As you can see, we have set the precedent.

We have established a relationship, and we have served as a beacon of leadership and guidance for our people. We are committed to accountability and look to improve on the work we have already done. I hope that you can all see now that the ID pad goes further than the original decade it was set to promote. IDPad is the continuation of a movement that started long before any of us were here. We are setting the tempo here in Victoria, and for the rest in BC. We have been contacted by other municipalities, federal and international organisations, and provincial bodies such as the Human Rights Commission for our ability to make such an impact with such minimal resources.

25, 000 dollars isn't a lot. In terms of how much this city has to spend every year with everything that it does. But 25, 000 dollars can make a kid's dream become a reality for years to come. And being able to say the City of Victoria had their name on that, goes a long way. It is our wish to continue at that pace. To make the most of the space we are given. That has always been the story of black people in Canada and across this globe. Resiliency and our pathway to success. Mayor and Council, I thank you for being a part of this journey and plead to you to allow us to continue into the next chapter together. Before I bring my statements to a close, I want to leave you all with the final story and a personal one, one that I shared at our last community forum. I am the son of an immigrant father who left his home country in search

of a better life for himself and his future family. At 17, he fled his home in Ethiopia to neighbouring Sudan, and at 21, he came here. I am the son of an immigrant mother who gave birth to me an Erythrea in East Africa after being kicked out of her home country of Ethiopia and forced to serve in a deadly armed conflict similar to the one we just saw in 2020, pregnant with me. Together, my parents built a life for themselves in Victoria. They opened a successful restaurant in 2004 called The Blue Nile, which many of you may know because it's down the street. And they raised two kids in this beautiful town. I and myself, Emmangrant to this country, moving here as a one - year - old child. I have loved Victoria as my home, and I always will. But I've long for the ability to support young black children in Victoria to an official capacity that would allow me to improve the life

of a new young immigrant, like I once was, like my father once was and my mother once was. I have been able to establish my political roots begin a career here, get a job at the provincial legislature, and volunteer whatever time I have left in various community organisations. But not once have I been able to serve my brothers and sisters of African descent in the way that this i. adipad committee has allowed me to. At our community uniform earlier this year, my father, Michael Isaac, stood as a witness. Someone who moved to this city in 1987, when our community was so small that you knew everyone by name. Where his son is now able to stand here today, holding the honour of being a member of a team that can represent thousands of people who look like him. That is the Canadian dream. That is why we are a mosaic here in Canada, not a melting pot. It is a dream where my parents can

hold the pride of nearly 22 years in business, working to promote traditional East African food and supporting new young immigrant workers in Victoria. A dream where both children would go on to university degrees and pursue their own passions. Something my parents never had the chance to do. This is a dream, but it is my reality. It is only one story. Our committee holds nine seats. A few of them which are here today. Those are nine stories. In our city holds thousands. You see, the ID pad is not a project. It is not an establishment, and it is certainly not a movement to be constrained by the decade it was born in. The international decade for people of African descent is a message. That people who look like you, people who look like me, can work together to break through generational systems and chains that have long oppressed us. That is why we need to continue advocating for future generations of our community. Our committee allows

the Pan - African identity to shine in an official capacity that has never existed on this island prior to this committee's existence. That is why I stand humbly before you all today, pleading my case with my colleagues, that we can extend the ID pad for another generation to come here in our shared home of beautiful Victoria British Columbia. Thank you. Thank you very much. Loes are inspiring presentations, I have to say. Thank you. Interview just for the information of the Public and reach view. Each of you very eloquently told your stories and all of you concluded with the hope that they will continue. I will remind you that certainly current policy within the city requires each Council to terminate, uh, but not permanently, let me say the Derwin's Advisary Committees that are established in each term. However, it is certainly the appetite, I think, of every Council to address the important issues of the community and determine very quickly how those can be addressed. And

so each of those three committees will go forward with these eloquent stories. They will also go forward. I'm quite certain with a great deal of support from the current and I suspect future councils. And so I look forward to the opportunity and continue to work with each of you and all of those three tremendous, tremendous series of stories, commitments, and activity. I'm going to just, uh, for a moment, uh, Diver, just for one moment, and that is to comment on the fact that in our audience is an individual who is working very closely with one of those committees. And that is, of course, the welcoming city committee and note to that, uh, I'm going to call you the leader of the greater Victoria Public Library is in the audience, more in Sawa, and we always like to take an opportunity to, um, single someone out when we won't have a chance to do it again.

And while every speaker who is here and every person who is here in the room, of course, deserves an accolade. Moraine has devoted much of her life to one of the most extraordinary contributions to community, and that is the library. And so while I always admonish the audience, not to clap when people sing or speak or read, I think in this one case, it would be appropriate to give Maureen a round of applause. With that then, we will move on to the balance of our agenda, which is a series of individuals who wish to address Council on a variety of different issues. As you can see, you are all welcome to stay, but you are, of course, also welcome to depart if you have other commitments. Uh, we have nine speakers this evening. And the first of them is James Davis, who wishes to speak with us around the community garden pilot project on the roof of the Johnson Street Parque. Is James here. I'm

not sure I saw James come in and I have met him before. So perhaps we'll just hold on to that one and ask if he arrives a little bit later. Let us move on then to our second speakers who is Sahasi Irvin. Speaking with, yes, Sahasi here. Yeah, I've got the same when you have, yep. Yep. That's what I'm trying to figure out. Is Sahasi here. Also don't see them as well. Okay. Blake is Blake here. Sorry, hang on. Who are you pointing to at the end? Is this Sahasi. Or is this Blake. Which are you. Neither. Pointed in secret. You're just pointing at, say, I'm not getting the message. There you go. Oh, you're just waving. There you go. Okay. Okay, we're going to go through this again. All right. Up, let's, we're just going to go through these and see who's here. How about Cybil and Susan? Yay. Okay. Come on up. Yeah.

Okay. All right. Okay. Civil Harrison and Susan Henderson from Shockingly, The Victoria Book Prize Society. Very good. I neglected to say earlier for the folks who are addressing Council, you have, um, only five minutes. And your lights, of course, is your familiar with. They go green when you start yellow and you have a minute left and red when you should be wrapping up. So please over to you. Um, good evening. My name is Cyble Harrison and I'm the president of the Victoria Book Prize Society. And I'm here with another board member Susan Henderson. I want to start by thanking you, Meroralto and councillors for the support, um, for this opportunity to share highlights of our work. Work, the City of Victoria has supported for 23 years. The book prizes were launched in January 2004 when founding board members, Merilyn Bowering, D. C. Reed, Steven Scoby, Jim Monroe, and others support submitted a feasibility report for a Victoria book prize committee for a Victoria book prize

to this committee of the whole. The Council of that time approved their request and committed funds to support the award. That November, the first prize was awarded and it went to Kevin Patterson for a country of cold. Since then, 22 authors of a one - that award and 2008, we added a children's prize. And last year, a prize for poetry. In that original feasibility report, I've got the original copy. Reiter John Gould put it this way. Victoria may never be officially known as a city of writers, but the label would well suit. There's something almost uncanny about the way Victoria produces writers. As though the city were employing some kind of literary hydroponic system. A Victoria Book Prize would be a credit to the city.

And would express the city's commitment to culture and to the remarkable talents of its own citizens. 23 years on, I think that's proven true. Penguin Books still lists Kevin Patterson as the winner of the inaugural city of Victoria Book Prize on its website. The recognition travels far beyond our city and reflects well on it. But aboard that's been out this for 23 years also has to ask, what do we need to change to remain relevant and sustainable. Tonight I want to share two answers. The first is financial sustainability. We're deeply grateful to the city's ongoing support and the sponsorship from the library, local booksellers, publishers and businesses. But it isn't enough to sustain three professional prizes long - term. We recently apply to the Canada Revenue Agency for charitable status, which required us to overhaul our Constitution, bylaws, and financial record keeping. We expect a decision sometime in 2027. Charte will status will allow us to pursue more donors and apply for grants more effectively.

And build the kind of financial footing that outlasts any one board. Second is community engagement. We moved away from a single more invitation - oriented gala towards a series of public events. Last year, a poetry reading filled cafe fantastico on quadricete. Over 80 people came out to hear all nine finalists in an evening of conversation at Kamoso College. And the achievement that we're proud is of is our three authors shortlisted for the children's prize visited local schools, connecting with over 200 children. And then that was thanks to the financial support of a local family foundation. We're repeating all three events this year. The poetry night, author conversations and school visits. You may have seen, as you remarked earlier, that we announced this year's nine finalists yesterday. And a complete set of those books has been left with the mayor's office. I hope all of members of Council have some time to read some of this year's outstanding books. Um, they were selected by three independent

juries as the best of the 50 submissions we received. And this year, were for the first time were honoured to be able to hold the announcement of the free prize winners right here in the antechamber on November 14th. Last year, councillors Dow Coleman and Gardner joined as the government house for the prize announcements. And we were very grateful for that support. And we hope the new Council will adjoin us again this November. I'm going to close with two thoughts. A New York Times piece last month observed that in a world where fewer people read, those who still read a lot lean on literary prizes for discovery and a signal of what will last. Prizes as a recommendation engine built on human taste, not algorithms. And a literate community is an engaged community. Tom Peters once wrote, celebrate what you want to see most of. That's what the Victoria Book prizes has always done. And finally also again want to extend our thanks to City Council.

And of course, the City staff, including Amar Mahewalla, Alicia D'Souza, Colleen Mycroft and Nicola Redding. For 23 years of professional guidance and partnership. With that continued support, we look forward to another 23 years. Thank you. Thank you very much. Five minutes. Exactly. Up next is Brenda Dean. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Brenda with us tonight. Come on up, Brenda. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening, Meroralto. Councillors and Council staff. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening. My name is Brenda Dean and I'm The Chair of the Downtown Condo owners and tenants association. Our members live in downtown condominium buildings comprising 346 stratalots. I am here. With a simple request. That Council consider amending zoning bylaw 2018 so that the current 160 day allowance for short - term rental of a principal residence is also limited to a maximum. Of four rental occurrences per year. We support the principal or spirit behind the 160 - day allowance. It gives principal residents reasonable flexibility when they are away for an extended period. And

it can accommodate situations such as work assignments, seasonal travel, and other temporary. Absences. The difficulty is that without a limit on the number of occurrences, these same 160 days can be divided into a continuous series of two and three nights stays. In practice, that can and has created commercial style turnover in what is meant to remain a principal residence. For residents and condominium buildings, the issue is the volume and frequency of unfamiliar people entering secure residential spaces. Often through remote access, with no on - site accountability. High turnover can make it harder for residents, strata councils, and city enforcement staff to distinguish responsible use from unlicensed or non - compliant activity. It can also weaken the sense of stability and security that people reasonably expect in their homes. There are also broader public safety concerns when accommodation is highly transient and difficult to monitor. Recent investigative reporting from the Global Mail and CNN has exposed an alarming escalation of illegal operations tied to short -

term rentals. Human trafficking. And prostitution rings, led by criminal organisations and predators use platforms like Airbnb because properties lack the strict guest registries and concierge oversight typical of traditional hotels. It becomes anonymous, allows high mobility with no ID required. Drug stash and gang activity also led by organised crime rings utilise short - term rentals to store large quantities of drugs and cash, potentially exposing residents to theft and gang violence. Rather than dwell on worst - case scenarios, I would like to focus on a practical step that the city can take to reduce risk while preserving the flexibility the bylaw was designed to provide. A four occurrence limit would preserve the 160 - day allowance for genuine principal residents. Reduce rapid hotel - like turnover and residential buildings, and make patterns easier to identify and enforce.

This would also deter unlicanced operators. It would also make the current gap less lucrative to license operators who may be using the principal residents provision as an ongoing short - term rental business rather than for occasional absences. This is a measured change. It does not eliminate the 160 - day allowance. It's simply aligns the number of rental occurrences with the purpose of a principal residence. Our goal is not to close the door on responsible visitors and responsible owners. It is to protect the balance between flexibility and residential stability and to make our downtown homes safer, more accountable and easier to manage. We respectfully ask Council to consider adding a four occurrence annual limit to the 160 - day principal residents allowance. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you very much, Brenda. Up next we have Eva Cassetti and Kate Hollowachek from the Canadian Union of Public Boys. Public Postal Workers, sorry. I made your public employees, sir. Welcome. Thank you. Podium would be

good. Gives you your timing. Oh, geez. Oh, gee. One sec. Glass is off so I can actually see. Thanks. Okay. Good evening Mayor and Council. I just want to say thank you for having us here tonight. My name's Kate Hollowachik. I'm the president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Victoria Local 850. We represent about 700 members, greater Victoria area. Some of the golf islands all the way up to Duncan and out to Souk. Um, I've got Georgina Johnston with me here. She's the first vice president and Ava Cassetti. She's our executive shop steward. 68 years of experience at the post office, uh, before you tonight. So we do have a slide deck that's, I don't see. There you go. There it is. Okay, it's there. Okay. And if I click this, it goes, sorry, excuse me, I've not done this before. What do I press? Steph, can you give them a bit of help there? Oh, there we are. Okay. So I'd like to

begin this presentation by stating that CUPW recognises the need for Canada Post to evolve, to meet the needs of Canadians. So for three local postal codes, V9A, BNC. This will mean the end to door to door delivery and a complete conversion to community mailboxes, or CMBs in late 2027. No public consultation or mandate review was undertaken prior to this decision to cut this public service. Canada Post has many opportunities with the largest retail and delivery network in the country to invest in service expansion instead of investing in infrastructure that cut services and jobs. There's larger conversation to be had, but today we're focusing on the CMB conversion in your area specifically, which is Vic West.

That's V9A. Canada post delivery accommodation program, uh, claims to offer solutions for seniors and those with mobility issues and disabilities who make up over 40 percent of the population Who cannot get to a CMB to retrieve their mail. Qualification requires a personal request, an extensive documentation, including medical certificates. Even with a successful accommodation, their service will be substantially diminished with home delivery only once a week. This site has 240 households, putting a larger site on a quiet road brings a lot more traffic than the roads were designed for. We can see safety concerns with the lack of lighting and visibility from the street. People should feel safe when retrieving their mail. Can depose current practice is still to have larger sites. These were put in just over a month ago in a new development in Langford. The more boxes condensed together, the further that your constituents will need to go to get their mail. This location is 1. 5 kilometers round trip for some household.

There are 128 households here. In 2015, the CMB conversion was underway in Vic West. This was the determined location. There is a big difference between 36 residents going to a quiet street and 112 neighbourhoods should have their integrity kept and both respect to aesthetics and traffic. Having smaller amount of boxes is favorable over multiple ones. CMBs don't work in all locations, forcing them in a certain area can create a hazard, such as this site. People often park on the corner to retrieve their mail, causing cars to turn blindly into the other lane. Originally the boxes on Joy clothes were located 1. 3 kilometers away on Latoria. It was the community that petitioned to have it moved. 2. 6 kilometers round trip may not seem like a lot for some, but for someone with mobility issues, retrieving their mail becomes a daunting task. Asking Canada post how far your constituents will need to go is a great starting point when talking about locations. We need to

be aware that community mailbox can bring hazards to a neighbourhood. If he comes an easy excuse for an opportunistic person to say they are simply waiting for mail. It is why questions need to be asked of Canada Post. What are they doing to keep the public safe in these situations? And our community mailboxes truly what the public needs. There are a couple of issues that we foresee. The left picture shows the overgrown bushes covering the parcel lockers. There could be no obstructions in front of the boxes or deliveries could be suspended. On the right, the CMBs have been tagged with graffitis. In some areas, we find that C and B's are easy target for vandalism, specifically on a larger site. It is up to the municipality to clean off graffiti, keep maintenance around these boxes such as snow and ice removal. Damage to the actual box can take weeks to get fixed. Sorry. It took a while for the slides to come up. Okay, so

what do we need to do? We need to demand a faux public mandate review that considers all stakeholders'interest. Losing door - to - door delivery and closing post offices will not make Canada post more relevant or competitive. We must question why in maintenance costs that C and B sites are being downloaded to municipalities, while the security and service is reduced. We supply to resolution template for this Council to consider and hope you will send a written submission to the federal government, demanding a halt to the service cuts and a transparent public review of Canada Post and its service charter. Lastly, we want to you to ask yourselves and your constituents about their concerns with KatSet Canada Post, including CMB Conversion and closing post offices. Be their advocates, seniors and people with disabilities must be considered.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Up next is John Ro. Hi John. How are you? Since you're there, you don't have a timer, so don't be surprised if I interrupt you when you get close to five minutes.

That. S easy. Council. Member, please. And. Your drink water there too. That's okay.

It's slow. Thank you. There you go. It's been since 2017 since my last confession. My name is John Rowe. I am a founder and a director of the Veins of Life Watershed Society and the dead boat disposal society. We have also a founding member sitting his Council, Mr. Coleman there. It's sad to see you go, but, uh, I haven't seen you for a while. So we have a long history with Council on that stormwater. As you know, it's probably one of the most favourite topics to rate to Council about and complain and do whatever. But, uh, we do have an issue out here. And I just wanted to make more front and centre exactly what the problems are going here and how they can be resolved. As Chris Novos for my long history of working municipalities, I don't come complaining. I usually bring money. We were missing the opportunity right now because we're not integrated in this community of getting a few hundred million dollars from our federal government because we're so

tardy. Anyways. I wanted to talk today really briefly on. The Stormwater Report, as you see in front of you. We got involved with the CRD 1994. They started the year before that with the stormwater report. And so it's a, it's for me, it's just a, uh, a marker. It tells us exactly what's going on in our community. It's a very small snapshot of what exactly coming out of the end of our outfalls, but it gives us a starter. We are the only place you only regional district in BC and most of Canada that actually has a storewater quality report. It's, I'm quite proud of that.

I work a lot up the Fraser right now with 18 other municipalities. So I have a bitch fest with just about everybody. But the reality is, is we show this as an example of what it can be done. So the big difference between collecting data and doing something about data. We've been lacking in Victoria for serious amount of time. I campaign heavily with my endear friend that you, Vic. Uh, Environmental, euvic environment a law to help build a utility for this community. You're the wording you see and the majority of it, it belongs to, guess what? The work of our organisation in UVic. We spent many, many years lobbying to get this done to get that in place. My assumption was that it was going to be used for storm letter. Well, from my investigation for last little while, my difficulties with, with trying to get an FOI through, which is another story in itself.

We go on for days about that. But the reality is, is that the waters that we promised would you clean up the water. So it's actually gone to I and I. I know the reasoning why. But you got to change that. This is a serious problem we have here. You're promoting more swing in the harbour and gorge. The water equality is worse than I've seen it since I started in 1994. And that you can take for work for that. I have the experience in Know - how and the technology to show that. And I can show that clearly. We need to clean up our waterfront.

When we need to stop the water, we need to stop the pollution at the source before the federal government can finish fixing our harbours. So that's pretty what I got to say today, Council. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. Up next is Janie Rollins. Hi, everybody. Hi Janie. I'm always. First of all, I... Janie, can you just give John a chance to get away? Pardon. Just give John a chance to get away. Oh. Sure. Stop me. That's okay. I'm not exactly young. Great. Thanks. Go ahead, Jeni. Hi. The last time I came here, I was told the meeting wasn't happening. By the fellow downstairs and a woman downstairs. So that's why I didn't turn up. Because I had turned up there. So anyway, that wasn't me. Anyway, I tend to be brief. As we know, we need more low income rentals. It's always down to that. More low income rentals. I saw an article in The paper where they talked about low income and

they said 2, 200. I go, no. My pension is 1, 500. So excuse me. It's a good thing I have savings. So low income needs to be lower than that. Um, and people need to be informed what they're eligible for. Things like you go on welfare. Things happen. You end up well. They don't tell you things. They're such a thing that you can get a bus pass. If you are informed, then you can get around and go and apply for jobs and be employed quicker. So we want to work on preventing people from being coming homeless in every way we can. And there are things like bus passes that really do help. In that. Um, and we also have to go after bad employers. I have had several of those. I managed to protect myself.

Most of the time, but twice I didn't. And they did things like go on a holiday. Owing me three weeks. Wages. And I was not giving anything. I turned up for work and everything's closed. And they don't go after them. So that was the second time I had to go on well there was wasn't my fault, you know, but they don't go after them. Like, Oh, they own a business. They're heroes. I go, well, sometimes they're not. And so it's mainly a lot of this is prevention. And I have spoken to youth just on the way here. And they were telling me. I said, what do you want me to tell you guys? And they said, tell them to stop the sweeps. And these were, I gathered, they lost some of their things. They're in the youth shelter right now. And also there was another fellow that I ran into who said, we need places for couples. And they were staying on the street because

even though individually they could go into a place, though his wife did not feel safe. So they stayed on the street. You know, so we need to work on all sorts of angles, all sorts of people and get more and stop putting people down for being on the street. Things happen in life. You know, they do. And I worked in the shelter, said, well, no. Things happen. So let's help the people get them off the street. And do a lot of preventive work. So people know we can go, before we end up losing the roof of our head. Anyway, thank you very much. Thank you, Janie. Bye - bye. Nice to see you. I don't see Diana here tonight. And so that's, that's okay. Uh, and so with that then, that exhausts our list of speakers for this evening. And so I would look for, um, motion to adjourn. There's no closed meeting required tonight.

So look for Mosho Adurn. Yes. Thank you Councillor Coleman and Councillor Kim. All those in favor, anyone opposed. That is unanimous. Thank you very much, Councillor Thompson and Gardner. Have a lovely evening and we will see you in two weeks.