{"videoId":"https://video.isilive.ca/victoria/Compact%20Encoder%201349_VCC_2026-09-10-09-33.mp4","source":"isilive_vtt","segments":[{"t":13,"text":"We are a full complement tonight. Council's Gardner and Thompson"},{"t":17,"text":"are joining us, but they're online this evening, so they"},{"t":19,"text":"are here. Tonight we have a very interesting agenda. We"},{"t":21,"text":"are going to hear from three of our city committees."},{"t":25,"text":"They're going to talk a little bit about the amazing"},{"t":26,"text":"work they've been doing over the last term. And in"},{"t":29,"text":"addition, we will also hear from nine individuals who wish"},{"t":31,"text":"to address Council on a variety of topics. We hope"},{"t":36,"text":"that you remember that City Hall is a place where"},{"t":39,"text":"we try to strive for civil discourse. And so when"},{"t":43,"text":"we want to listen to one another stories, we want"},{"t":45,"text":"to do so with high degree of respect and politeness"},{"t":49,"text":"and patience. And so we will ask you, of course,"},{"t":52,"text":"when you're listening to people to do so fairly quietly"},{"t":55,"text":"and thoughtfully and not to interrupt them or not to"},{"t":57,"text":"respond particularly aggressively or with any type of response that"},{"t":61,"text":"might cause anyone to become uncomfortable. Before we begin, of"},{"t":66,"text":"course, we always, when we gather here at City Hall,"},{"t":68,"text":"we want to start by taking a moment or two"},{"t":71,"text":"just to express our gratitude and our acknowledgement to the"},{"t":74,"text":"two nations on whose territories our city sits in its"},{"t":77,"text":"entirety. The Songhees Nation and the Kussup Sub Nation. The"},{"t":81,"text":"La Punkan people hostility these lands and the waters that"},{"t":83,"text":"surround them for many, many, many generations. And it is"},{"t":87,"text":"because of that stewardship that we have an opportunity to"},{"t":89,"text":"join together and to have these conversations and to do"},{"t":92,"text":"the work that we do and make the decisions that"},{"t":95,"text":"we must and talk with one another about how to"},{"t":98,"text":"do that with a certain degree of respect for the"},{"t":101,"text":"past. The acknowledgement of the many challenges of the presence"},{"t":106,"text":"within I, of course, to trying to make the best"},{"t":108,"text":"decisions we can for the future. And those people who"},{"t":110,"text":"come after us. When we do that, we like to"},{"t":113,"text":"at least try a little bit of the language of"},{"t":116,"text":"the indigenous people. And so we will say thank you,"},{"t":118,"text":"which is to say hi to good or hichuka Sam,"},{"t":121,"text":"or to say hi to Kasim Ndokulia, which is to"},{"t":123,"text":"say thank you, but also to say, I honour those"},{"t":126,"text":"of you who are here in this room and throughout"},{"t":128,"text":"our community who take a moment every day, one hopes"},{"t":132,"text":"to do something that improves, increases, makes happy the life"},{"t":136,"text":"of another person. So I will say to all of"},{"t":138,"text":"you with hope, hi, Chika Siam Nikolia. Tonight we were"},{"t":144,"text":"supposed to hear for the remarkable words and voice of"},{"t":147,"text":"Chantel Dick Charleston, who is our youth poet laureate. Unfortunately,"},{"t":152,"text":"Chantal was called away the last minute and had to"},{"t":155,"text":"Council. So we will not have the honour of hearing"},{"t":157,"text":"her this evening. However, however, I have to laugh. I"},{"t":162,"text":"would normally be able to make some remarks as the"},{"t":165,"text":"chairs remarked tonight, but tonight when I'm going to do"},{"t":168,"text":"instead, since we were hoping for poetry to inspire our"},{"t":172,"text":"evening and given that yesterday, the 2026 finalists for the"},{"t":176,"text":"Victoria Book Prize were announced. And I believe this evening,"},{"t":179,"text":"we also have two speakers later tonight to speak about"},{"t":181,"text":"that. Uh, I thought that I would actually read a"},{"t":185,"text":"short poem that was written by last year's Victoria Book"},{"t":189,"text":"Prize winner in The Prize for Poetry for the very"},{"t":191,"text":"first time. So bear with me. I certainly won't be"},{"t":194,"text":"able to do it justice, but I thought it would"},{"t":196,"text":"make sense this evening. That book is called Signal Infinities."},{"t":201,"text":"It was written by Melanie Siebert. And this particular poem"},{"t":205,"text":"is one called More Than existential crisis in the mirror."},{"t":211,"text":"I'll do my best. Vulnerable, as we all are, to"},{"t":216,"text":"certain messaging contaminants poor through the channels. Whether blows in"},{"t":222,"text":"without explanation for the fury, a creature has slipped a"},{"t":226,"text":"glass case. Clouds flow drawn by wind into the finest"},{"t":232,"text":"underfuring across the uneasy error codes in swallows beaks. Mud"},{"t":238,"text":"is transported. A lake can't shake its sky awareness. It"},{"t":243,"text":"flaunts and acquired ability to take it. Tremendously electric, not"},{"t":249,"text":"just a lot of whiskers. Lake aspires to build a"},{"t":253,"text":"reputation as a serious documentarian contacting a present moment. Inviting"},{"t":260,"text":"feelings previously too dangerous to feel. Memories laid down before"},{"t":265,"text":"words. Nine local authors, our finalist for the 2026 City"},{"t":272,"text":"of Victoria Book Prize, The City Victoria Children's Book Prize"},{"t":275,"text":"and the DC Reed Poetry Prize. The winners will be"},{"t":278,"text":"announced November 14th. We'll each receive a 5, 000 dollar"},{"t":281,"text":"cash prize to which the city has contributed. And I"},{"t":283,"text":"know that we're going to hear more about that when"},{"t":285,"text":"we have a couple of our speakers a little later"},{"t":287,"text":"on this evening. I will leave to our guests from"},{"t":290,"text":"the book prize society. The pleasure of announcing the finalists,"},{"t":293,"text":"if they're going to do that, and their remarks, uh,"},{"t":295,"text":"when they address Council later tonight. I would just add"},{"t":299,"text":"that I think that, uh, although this isn't poetry month,"},{"t":301,"text":"which is April usually. The fact that the book prize"},{"t":304,"text":"has the ability to do this with the supportive of"},{"t":306,"text":"a variety of other organisations, not the least of which"},{"t":308,"text":"has been the greater Victoria Public Library from whom we'll"},{"t":311,"text":"also hear some representatives tonight is truly extraordinary and something"},{"t":315,"text":"that I think we all should revel in and take"},{"t":317,"text":"the time to celebrate not just the authors, but in"},{"t":320,"text":"particular, I will say in my own biased way, the"},{"t":322,"text":"booksellers who support the officers, the authors and actually sell"},{"t":325,"text":"their books. With all of that, then we come up"},{"t":328,"text":"to the regular part of the agenda and that would"},{"t":330,"text":"first be the acknowledgement that we do not have any"},{"t":332,"text":"late items to add to our agenda this evening. And"},{"t":335,"text":"so we would move on and I would look for,"},{"t":337,"text":"therefore, a motion to approve the published agenda. Thank you"},{"t":340,"text":"Councillor Kim. Seconded by Council Coleman. There's an inside joke"},{"t":344,"text":"from that because all of Councillor Kim and Coleman seemed"},{"t":347,"text":"to repeatedly do the agenda publishing. And so I confused"},{"t":351,"text":"him by doing it backwards. Uh, thank you very much"},{"t":353,"text":"for proving that. Is there any discussion of the agenda"},{"t":355,"text":"is published? Not seeing any. All right. All those in"},{"t":358,"text":"favor of the agenda. Anyone opposed. I will occasionally look"},{"t":362,"text":"at my screen over here just to make sure that"},{"t":363,"text":"both councillors have an opportunity to participate as they like."},{"t":367,"text":"All right. So first up tonight we are going to,"},{"t":370,"text":"as I mentioned here from three city advisory committees. It's"},{"t":373,"text":"a very special item. We don't very often have a"},{"t":375,"text":"chance to do this. And so it's a great pleasure"},{"t":377,"text":"for us to provide the time for this. These committees"},{"t":380,"text":"have been working together throughout this term on a variety"},{"t":382,"text":"of different projects, programs, and policies, primarily working to bring"},{"t":386,"text":"our community together to have an opportunity to speak with"},{"t":390,"text":"one another, share their stories, plan, execute, and just make"},{"t":394,"text":"our community a better place for us all to live."},{"t":398,"text":"Uh, each presentation tonight has up to 10 minutes. And"},{"t":400,"text":"this is the same type of format as we use"},{"t":402,"text":"for our dresses to Council. So this is not a"},{"t":404,"text":"Q and a or a back and forth. It's an"},{"t":406,"text":"opportunity for Council and the public to listen and learn."},{"t":410,"text":"And to do so, as I mentioned earlier, respectfully. So"},{"t":413,"text":"first up, we're going to hear the accessibility advisory committee"},{"t":416,"text":"and then the welcoming city advisory committee. And then finally,"},{"t":419,"text":"the International Decade for People of African descent, advisory committee."},{"t":422,"text":"So up first, uh, is the accessibility advisory committee. And"},{"t":426,"text":"I believe Suzanne Jennings is speaking on behalf of the"},{"t":428,"text":"committee, if I'm not mistaken. There you are. And I"},{"t":432,"text":"think that you are expecting to come well done. Over"},{"t":437,"text":"here to this mic in the front table. Welcome, Suzanne."},{"t":441,"text":"It's lovely to see you. Jack one, two, three. You"},{"t":446,"text":"got it. Sounds good. I had to do that. You're"},{"t":450,"text":"a pro. So before you start timing me, I apologise"},{"t":458,"text":"for how I sound. I lost a tooth last week"},{"t":461,"text":"and got pneumonia. But I'm here. Oh, wow. So thank"},{"t":464,"text":"you for coming and welcome. Now you can start. Okay."},{"t":468,"text":"How do you? Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name"},{"t":471,"text":"is Susanne Jennings and I'm the chair of the accessibility"},{"t":474,"text":"advisory committee. And thank you for, uh, inviting us to"},{"t":478,"text":"speak tonight. The committee's history stretches back nearly 10 years,"},{"t":483,"text":"beginning with the accessibility working group and later becoming The"},{"t":487,"text":"Accessibility Advisory Committee. That history matters. It shows that Victoria's"},{"t":493,"text":"commitment to accessibility did not begin with legislation. It reflects"},{"t":497,"text":"a longstanding belief that people with disabilities must have a"},{"t":501,"text":"voice in shaping the city. We live in. When the"},{"t":505,"text":"province introduced the accessible BC Act in 2021, it required"},{"t":510,"text":"public organisations to establish an accessibility advisory committee and accessibility"},{"t":516,"text":"plan and an accessibility feedback mechanism. The city of Victoria"},{"t":522,"text":"was already doing that. The city had already had people"},{"t":525,"text":"with disabilities helping to identify, remove and prevent barriers throughout"},{"t":530,"text":"the organisation. More than 40 percent of Victoria residents report"},{"t":537,"text":"experiencing at least one activity limitation, whether physical, sensory, cognitive,"},{"t":544,"text":"or related to mental health. Accessibility is not a niche"},{"t":549,"text":"issue. It affects a significant part of our community. Disability"},{"t":554,"text":"is also an identity that any of us could acquire"},{"t":558,"text":"any point in our lives for many people disability becomes"},{"t":561,"text":"part of their experiences they age. That means accessibility benefits"},{"t":566,"text":"all of us, whether today or sometime in the future."},{"t":570,"text":"Tonight we want to focus on what's happened over the"},{"t":573,"text":"past four years. Why this work remains so important to"},{"t":576,"text":"the City of Victoria's future. During this Council's term, the"},{"t":581,"text":"committee has grown from a group that provides occasional feedback"},{"t":585,"text":"into an active partner in the city's accessibility work. We've"},{"t":589,"text":"built relationships across city departments, strength and connections with community"},{"t":594,"text":"organisations. And brought the perspectives of people with disabilities into"},{"t":599,"text":"conversations where they can make a real difference. Our committee"},{"t":603,"text":"includes people with many different experiences of disability. We cannot"},{"t":608,"text":"represent every disability or every experience. But together we bring"},{"t":613,"text":"knowledge and expertise that cannot be replicated through research. Technical"},{"t":620,"text":"knowledge, or consultation after decisions have already been made. We"},{"t":625,"text":"know what it feels like when information is available, but"},{"t":628,"text":"not accessible. We know what it means to arrive somewhere"},{"t":631,"text":"that realises that participating will be more difficult than it"},{"t":635,"text":"needs to be. We know what it's like when a"},{"t":638,"text":"barrier is invisible to everyone else, but shapes your experience"},{"t":642,"text":"or service of a program, a meeting, or a public"},{"t":646,"text":"space. We know what it means to navigate systems that"},{"t":650,"text":"we're not always designed with everyone in mind. And we"},{"t":654,"text":"know that disability is not one experience. It can be"},{"t":658,"text":"visible or invisible. Permanent or temporary. Physical sensory cognitive neurological"},{"t":665,"text":"or related to mental health. That knowledge is expertise. It"},{"t":670,"text":"helps create better decisions, better services, and better outcomes. Because"},{"t":676,"text":"when people with disabilities help shape a city, everyone benefits."},{"t":680,"text":"There's a phrase that is fundamental to the work, the"},{"t":684,"text":"accessibility advisory committee. Nothing about us without us. Ta -"},{"t":691,"text":"da! For us, that means accessibility works best when people"},{"t":695,"text":"who experience barriers are involved in identifying them, shaping solutions,"},{"t":702,"text":"and evaluating whether those solutions actually work. Over the past"},{"t":707,"text":"four years, we've seen that principle becomes increasingly embedded the"},{"t":711,"text":"way city staff work with our committee. Transportation staff returned"},{"t":716,"text":"to our meeting quite a regularly. Facility staff bring projects"},{"t":720,"text":"to us and makes us feel like we're part of"},{"t":722,"text":"their team. And other department seek us out for their"},{"t":726,"text":"input when it touches accessibility. They do not have to"},{"t":730,"text":"do this, because they're not required to. They include us"},{"t":733,"text":"because they see the value of the perspectives we bring."},{"t":738,"text":"Over time, we've earned that trust. They invite us and"},{"t":742,"text":"we show up. We show up as people with disabilities"},{"t":746,"text":"who care deeply about this city. And the changes we"},{"t":750,"text":"can bring. We show up with experience, expertise, and a"},{"t":755,"text":"commitment to making Victoria more accessible to everyone. We show"},{"t":760,"text":"up because we know that seemingly small decisions can have"},{"t":763,"text":"profound effect on whether someone can participate in community life."},{"t":769,"text":"Accessibility is not an abstract concept to us. It shapes"},{"t":773,"text":"how we move through the city every day. Because these"},{"t":776,"text":"relationships exist, accessibility is no longer something that happens only"},{"t":781,"text":"at the end of a project. It's increasingly part of"},{"t":784,"text":"the conversation from the beginning. That shift matters. It means"},{"t":788,"text":"barriers can be prevented instead of corrected. That means people"},{"t":792,"text":"with disabilities can help shape decisions rather than reacting after"},{"t":796,"text":"the decisions of already been made. And it means that"},{"t":800,"text":"the city is building a stronger and more accessible foundation"},{"t":804,"text":"for the future. These relationships have also produced tangible results."},{"t":811,"text":"This year our community conversation on accessibility held in recognition"},{"t":816,"text":"of national accessibility week brought together more than 50 people,"},{"t":821,"text":"including residents, community organisations, city staff, members of Council, and"},{"t":827,"text":"accessibility advocates. These are not isolated accomplishments. Together, they demonstrate"},{"t":834,"text":"how accessibility is becoming part of the way the city"},{"t":837,"text":"plans, designs, builds, and deliver services. And this represents a"},{"t":844,"text":"significant shift. We bring forward concerns that might otherwise be"},{"t":849,"text":"missed. We connect city staff with community knowledge. We help"},{"t":853,"text":"test whether or not I do works in real life,"},{"t":856,"text":"not just on paper. The committee's relationship with the office"},{"t":860,"text":"of equity, diversity, and inclusion has been an important part"},{"t":864,"text":"of this process. When the work began, there was no"},{"t":867,"text":"office of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Over the years, we've"},{"t":872,"text":"watched both the committee and the office grow together. The"},{"t":877,"text":"office provides continuity between our meetings. It connects committees, members"},{"t":883,"text":"with departments, community organisations, grants, and opportunities that we might"},{"t":889,"text":"never reach. Advisory committee work does not begin and end"},{"t":894,"text":"around a meeting table. Relationships need to be maintained. Projects"},{"t":898,"text":"need to be followed up. Questions need answers. Connections and"},{"t":903,"text":"opportunities need to be developed. We would like to express"},{"t":906,"text":"our gratitude to Albert Galeev and Sarah McKenzie for supporting"},{"t":911,"text":"these connections and helping turn committee discussions into action. Their"},{"t":916,"text":"work between meetings has allowed the committee's knowledge and contributions"},{"t":920,"text":"to reach far beyond what could happen at meetings alone."},{"t":925,"text":"Our relationship have extended into a broader community, including organisations"},{"t":930,"text":"such as CNIB, The Victoria Disability Resource Centre, Garth Homer"},{"t":936,"text":"Society, The Rick Hanson Foundation, The Greater Victoria Public Library,"},{"t":941,"text":"and others. These relationships strengthen the city's accessibility work and"},{"t":946,"text":"help ensure the committee remains connected to the wider community."},{"t":952,"text":"It's a shared responsibility. How they use a washroom, how"},{"t":960,"text":"they evacuate a building, how they charge a mobility device,"},{"t":965,"text":"how they attend an event, how they find their way"},{"t":968,"text":"through a public space, how they access information and services,"},{"t":973,"text":"how they participate in community life, whether they can participate"},{"t":976,"text":"independently, whether they free welcome, whether they feel belong. And"},{"t":981,"text":"ultimately whether they experience Victoria's, the city that was designed"},{"t":985,"text":"with them in mind. Accessibility matters to residents, but it"},{"t":990,"text":"also matters to visitors. Victoria welcomes people from all around"},{"t":995,"text":"the world and through our airport, ferries, cruise ships, attractions,"},{"t":1000,"text":"businesses, festivals, conferences, and events. When visitors can navigate our"},{"t":1005,"text":"city, access our facilities, find information, participate fully everyone benefits."},{"t":1013,"text":"Accessibility is part of what makes a city welcoming. It's"},{"t":1016,"text":"part of what makes a city inclusive and increasingly it's"},{"t":1019,"text":"part of what makes Victoria a leader. We're proud that"},{"t":1023,"text":"we've accomplished this during this Council's term. But the work"},{"t":1027,"text":"is not finished. We need more accessible public washrooms. We"},{"t":1031,"text":"need to continue improving sidewalks and carefully considering placing of"},{"t":1036,"text":"the tactile walking service indicators. These are all important conversations"},{"t":1041,"text":"still to have about entertainment. How about accessibility of pubs."},{"t":1047,"text":"Comedy venues, cultural events, and other places where people come"},{"t":1050,"text":"together. As technology, transportation and the built environment continue to"},{"t":1056,"text":"evolve new accessibility questions will continue to emerge. Accessibility is"},{"t":1062,"text":"not something a city contemplates once and then moves on"},{"t":1065,"text":"from. It's an ongoing commitment. Even as Victoria becomes more"},{"t":1070,"text":"accessible, there are, and always will be, ways to engage"},{"t":1074,"text":"directly with people with disabilities. The City of Victoria is"},{"t":1078,"text":"increasingly recognised across the province as a municipal leader. We're"},{"t":1084,"text":"proud that the role of the accessibility working group, the"},{"t":1087,"text":"accessibility advisory committee, City staff, The Office of Equity Diversity"},{"t":1092,"text":"Inclusion and Committee Partners of All Played in The Building"},{"t":1096,"text":"of That Reputation. The City Victoria has accomplished a great"},{"t":1102,"text":"deal over the past decade, and we're proud that we've"},{"t":1105,"text":"been part of that journey. Our goals not simply to"},{"t":1108,"text":"remove barriers as we find them. Our goal is to"},{"t":1111,"text":"make Victoria the most accessible city in Canada. And we"},{"t":1116,"text":"can get there. In June, 2026, the accessibility advisory committee"},{"t":1121,"text":"passed a motion, recommending that Council established the Committee as"},{"t":1125,"text":"a permanent advisory committee, continuing beyond the term of Council."},{"t":1131,"text":"The motion recognised the city's ongoing responsibilities under the accessible"},{"t":1136,"text":"BC Act and the Committee's role in helping to identify,"},{"t":1140,"text":"remove, and prevent accessibility barriers. The formal recommendation is recorded"},{"t":1146,"text":"in the committee's Council Presentation Materials. That recommendation reflects something"},{"t":1153,"text":"we have learned over the past decade. Accessibility as strongest"},{"t":1157,"text":"when people with disabilities continue to have a seat at"},{"t":1160,"text":"the table. As we look ahead at the next Council's"},{"t":1164,"text":"term, we're excited about the work still to come and"},{"t":1167,"text":"the opportunity to work with the new Council. We hope"},{"t":1170,"text":"the new Council will recognise the value built over the"},{"t":1173,"text":"last decade and make the accessibility advisory committee a permanent"},{"t":1178,"text":"part of how the City engages with people with disabilities."},{"t":1183,"text":"Over the years, the committee has become more than a"},{"t":1185,"text":"meeting. It's become a trusted place for collaboration, a place"},{"t":1190,"text":"where relationships are built, a place where barriers are identified"},{"t":1194,"text":"before they become a problem. A place where people with"},{"t":1199,"text":"disabilities and city - staff work together. It's defined by"},{"t":1204,"text":"our willingness to keep learning, keep improving, and keep listening"},{"t":1208,"text":"to people with disabilities. There will always be opportunities to"},{"t":1212,"text":"do better. There will always be barriers to remove. And"},{"t":1216,"text":"in many ways, we feel like we're only getting started."},{"t":1219,"text":"Thank you, Marin Council, for this opportunity to share our"},{"t":1223,"text":"story with you this evening. And thank you for your"},{"t":1226,"text":"continued support of people with disabilities and the accessibility in"},{"t":1231,"text":"the city of Victoria. Thank you, Suzanne. Very well said."},{"t":1235,"text":"Thank you. Up next is the welcoming city advisory committee,"},{"t":1241,"text":"and I believe that is both Sandra Huff and Daniela"},{"t":1244,"text":"Pinto, I believe, together. Welcome."},{"t":1274,"text":"Can you hear me? Yes. Yes. Awesome. We have. First"},{"t":1280,"text":"of all, as you said, Mayor Alto, my name is"},{"t":1285,"text":"Sandra Huff, and I'm honoured to be to serve as"},{"t":1288,"text":"the chair of the Welcoming City Advisory Committee. Uh, thank"},{"t":1293,"text":"you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight. Uh,"},{"t":1296,"text":"The Welcoming City Advisory Committee brings together residents and community"},{"t":1301,"text":"organisations who care deeply about making Victoria a place where"},{"t":1307,"text":"everyone can feel a sense of belonging. Especially newcomers, immigrants,"},{"t":1314,"text":"and refugees and people who face barriers to being fully"},{"t":1318,"text":"included in community life. Over the past five years, this"},{"t":1323,"text":"committee has helped hold space for important conversations about belonging"},{"t":1328,"text":"community safety, inclusion, and economic participation. Just as importantly, it"},{"t":1334,"text":"has helped bring forward community perspectives that can support a"},{"t":1339,"text":"more thoughtful and welcoming city for people who are building"},{"t":1343,"text":"their lives here. Tonight, we're pleased to share a brief"},{"t":1347,"text":"overview of the committee's work, what we have heard and"},{"t":1351,"text":"learned, and why this work continues to matter. Not only"},{"t":1355,"text":"as a policy priority, but as part of how people"},{"t":1359,"text":"experience Victoria every single day. I'll now turn it over"},{"t":1363,"text":"to Daniela. Who will speak more directly to the committee's"},{"t":1367,"text":"work and the impact it has had. Thank you, Sandra."},{"t":1373,"text":"Good night, Mayor Alto. Good night distinct Council members. It's"},{"t":1378,"text":"a pleasure to be here by Sandra speaking a little"},{"t":1382,"text":"bit about the work that Work Homing City Advisory Committee"},{"t":1386,"text":"has been done over the last five years. So the"},{"t":1391,"text":"welcoming city committee has never worked alone. We have been"},{"t":1394,"text":"serving the City Council as a catalyst of a strong"},{"t":1398,"text":"and diverse network of support and belonging for thousands of"},{"t":1402,"text":"people in Victoria. The power of the committee comes from"},{"t":1406,"text":"a strong collaboration among several organisations such as the intercultural"},{"t":1411,"text":"association of Victoria, VRX, City staff, such as the office"},{"t":1417,"text":"of the Ecute Diversity and Inclusion Council members, public institutions"},{"t":1422,"text":"such as The Graded Victoria Public Library and Grassroot in"},{"t":1426,"text":"Volunteers, organisations, and also residents. It became a true network"},{"t":1432,"text":"of support for community members. The welcoming community committed today"},{"t":1440,"text":"is a catalyst of human connection. Over the past five"},{"t":1445,"text":"years, our network has delivered several activities that supported the"},{"t":1448,"text":"implementation of the welcoming City Action Plan. Public celebrations such"},{"t":1454,"text":"as the, oh, sorry, next slide, please. Next slide, please."},{"t":1459,"text":"Sorry, I forgot about that. So over the past five"},{"t":1463,"text":"years, can I go back home slide, please? Thank you."},{"t":1469,"text":"Thank you. I'm sorry about that. So over the past"},{"t":1473,"text":"five years, our network has delivered several activities that supported"},{"t":1477,"text":"the implementation of the Welcoming City Action Plan, Public Celebrations"},{"t":1481,"text":"such as the World Refugee Day, the International Women's Day,"},{"t":1485,"text":"welcoming day in several cultural festivals, have energized public spaces"},{"t":1489,"text":"all over the city. The welcoming committee also spread the"},{"t":1494,"text":"idea of welcoming to other networks, such as the greater"},{"t":1498,"text":"Victoria Local Immigration Partnership and the greater Victoria Social Development"},{"t":1502,"text":"Community of Practs. Partnerships, human connection is a critical community"},{"t":1509,"text":"asset in a world of social isolation. The committee also"},{"t":1515,"text":"serves the Council in a key function. Over the years,"},{"t":1519,"text":"it became a bridge and a safe space for dialogue"},{"t":1522,"text":"between the community members and the municipal government. Next slide,"},{"t":1527,"text":"please. So the welcoming city conferences is one example of"},{"t":1531,"text":"our collaborative approach. Forthest three years, the committee successfully delivery"},{"t":1538,"text":"and all conferences that brought together community leaders, service providers,"},{"t":1543,"text":"municipal staff, newcomers, and long - term residents to learn"},{"t":1547,"text":"from each other, to talk about what the seven welcoming"},{"t":1552,"text":"city standards mean to them safe cities, civic engagement, econômic"},{"t":1557,"text":"development, and all the other standards. Participation is increasing over"},{"t":1562,"text":"the years, more than 80 people attended last year's conference,"},{"t":1567,"text":"and this year's conference connected communities was the welcoming standard"},{"t":1571,"text":"with the highest score voted by participants in the conference."},{"t":1577,"text":"Those spaces welcome the network to the City Hall. It"},{"t":1583,"text":"created a safe space where people could come to speak,"},{"t":1587,"text":"to listen, and to expand and build together. Data about"},{"t":1593,"text":"Victoria's diversity and evidence - based decision - making, for"},{"t":1597,"text":"example, were identified as one of the most impactful areas"},{"t":1601,"text":"of discussion today and for future years. Participants also express"},{"t":1607,"text":"the need to participate in other collaborative models that could"},{"t":1612,"text":"improve newcomer services and civic inclusion. So the conferences generated"},{"t":1618,"text":"ideas that led to further strategic municipal actions. Those insights"},{"t":1623,"text":"directly informed the engagement model that our colleagues in the"},{"t":1629,"text":"accessibility committee also used, which are the community conversations. Next"},{"t":1634,"text":"slide, please. So since 2025, the community conversations offer the"},{"t":1641,"text":"members of our community an opportunity of more frequent engagements."},{"t":1646,"text":"Those conversations connect people with experts and practitioners working in"},{"t":1652,"text":"topics that are of interest for the community. They want"},{"t":1656,"text":"to talk about, they want to share their lived experiences"},{"t":1659,"text":"about those topics and find a community of support. Those"},{"t":1663,"text":"community conversations, they may seem simple, but they are extremely"},{"t":1667,"text":"powerful. And I would like to share a story to"},{"t":1672,"text":"demonstrate the power of the community work, Next slide, please."},{"t":1680,"text":"So I'd like to share a story. Of Alisin to"},{"t":1686,"text":"community members. We learned that Alice Middle School Newcomer from"},{"t":1692,"text":"Brazil was going through tough times adapting to the new"},{"t":1695,"text":"scope, new culture, new language. She was struggling. Alician, her"},{"t":1700,"text":"mother, attended one of our community conversations to talk about"},{"t":1704,"text":"belonging in schools. They shared their story, their struggles in"},{"t":1709,"text":"a small roundtable conversation. Across the table, it was one"},{"t":1715,"text":"person from a school district in one longtime volunteer group."},{"t":1720,"text":"The superheroes of Victoria. You probably know about them. In"},{"t":1725,"text":"that community conversation, Alice felt listened to for the first"},{"t":1729,"text":"time, because folks, on the other side of the table,"},{"t":1733,"text":"they were really listening to what she was saying. And"},{"t":1737,"text":"they were able to act. So superheroes of Victoria contacted"},{"t":1741,"text":"Ali C and her mother after the community conversations. And"},{"t":1745,"text":"on Lysi became a superhero young volunteer. So from a"},{"t":1750,"text":"vulnerable kid struggling at school, she is now helping other"},{"t":1755,"text":"school. Other kids in her school that are struggling. It's"},{"t":1760,"text":"a true example of a success intergenerational dialogue, Youth Engagement,"},{"t":1765,"text":"Community Support for Emerging Immigrant Leaders. And it showcases the"},{"t":1769,"text":"power of connecting e - commerce with long - term"},{"t":1772,"text":"residents and how simple initiatives, like this, can forge through"},{"t":1777,"text":"belonging. Other non - profit organisations also had the opportunity"},{"t":1782,"text":"to get to know each other and find common activities"},{"t":1786,"text":"to work together. The convening power of a network in"},{"t":1792,"text":"community conversations may sound simple, but is ineffective in the"},{"t":1796,"text":"economical way to maintain the City Connected and Vibrant. Next,"},{"t":1801,"text":"like please. Other contributions of the welcoming committee also extended"},{"t":1809,"text":"into municipal decision - making. Synce 2021, members have provided"},{"t":1813,"text":"feedback into major CD projects and programs, including the official"},{"t":1819,"text":"community plan, the financial plan and recreation services. The committee"},{"t":1824,"text":"also provide advice on the resident and inclusion to cities"},{"t":1828,"text":"department, like planning, arts and culture, economic development, infrastructure and"},{"t":1833,"text":"communications. And we would like to highlight two tangible examples."},{"t":1837,"text":"One is the equity community profile developed by the series"},{"t":1842,"text":"of Victoria Equity Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with Licker"},{"t":1847,"text":"Geospatial that receive national recognition through the 2024 Canadian Open"},{"t":1852,"text":"Data Democracy Award. This initiative directly address Community needs voice"},{"t":1858,"text":"doing the welcome city conferences and can be used strategically"},{"t":1863,"text":"to support evidence - based municipal decision - making and"},{"t":1866,"text":"monitoring of progress. Towards Victoria's 2050 goals. These work is"},{"t":1872,"text":"an example of the principle of nothing about us, without"},{"t":1875,"text":"us. In action. The second initiative is the welcoming sticker."},{"t":1881,"text":"An image is a worth of thousand words. Today, every"},{"t":1885,"text":"public library branch, municipal public building, and several other organisations"},{"t":1889,"text":"are sharing the welcoming message across our community. So to"},{"t":1895,"text":"sustain for the long term, our committee is finalising a"},{"t":1900,"text":"report outlining the results achieved through the Welcoming City Actions"},{"t":1905,"text":"in the strategic recommendations for Council's considerations. Victoria's long -"},{"t":1909,"text":"term vision of a diverse, livable and welcome community in"},{"t":1914,"text":"2050 is a goal that no one city department, one"},{"t":1919,"text":"committee or one community organisation can achieve on its own."},{"t":1924,"text":"You need a strong, connected and welcoming village to raise"},{"t":1929,"text":"strong and resilient families and bring life to the public"},{"t":1933,"text":"build space. So today, on behalf of the welcoming advisory"},{"t":1940,"text":"committee, Sandra and I would like to put forward a"},{"t":1944,"text":"motion for the Council to establish. Thank you. I'm bad"},{"t":1949,"text":"with that. So we would like to formally put a"},{"t":1953,"text":"motion for the Council to establish the welcoming advisory committee"},{"t":1956,"text":"as a permanent and ongoing commitment to continue fostering inclusion,"},{"t":1960,"text":"equity, and belonging for all residents, particularly immigrants, refugees, newcomers"},{"t":1967,"text":"to the implementation of the Cities World Coming City strategic"},{"t":1971,"text":"and action plan. And thank you. Thank you very much."},{"t":1976,"text":"Really helpful. That takes us on to the third of"},{"t":1979,"text":"our presentations tonight, and this is from the International Decade"},{"t":1982,"text":"for People of African descent advisory and committee. I believe"},{"t":1985,"text":"this is both Barbara Hudlun and Caleb Isaac."},{"t":1996,"text":"Evening mayor and Council. My name is Barbara Haddon. I'm"},{"t":2000,"text":"the president of the African descent committee. I would like"},{"t":2004,"text":"to introduce you to my junior president. Caleb Isaac. Thank"},{"t":2013,"text":"you, Barbara. Thank you, Mayor and Council. I apologise as"},{"t":2018,"text":"we've decided to step away from our deck to presentation"},{"t":2021,"text":"last minute today, but I'm even more sorry, because it"},{"t":2024,"text":"means you have to look at me for longer. Good"},{"t":2027,"text":"evening, Mayor and Council. I would like to begin by"},{"t":2030,"text":"thanking you for the opportunity to speak today. My name"},{"t":2032,"text":"is Caleb Isaac, and I am the member of a"},{"t":2034,"text":"2025 - 2026 International Decade for People of African descent,"},{"t":2039,"text":"also known as the IDPAD Council Advisory Committee Committee. I"},{"t":2042,"text":"also want to begin by thanking fellow members of my"},{"t":2045,"text":"committee. We have Liz here, we have Brian, we have"},{"t":2048,"text":"Jamila, and we have Barbara. Way more than I expected,"},{"t":2051,"text":"a go team. And I'd also like to take some"},{"t":2053,"text":"time to thank the entire EDI office who has been"},{"t":2056,"text":"an integral part of why we're even here in the"},{"t":2058,"text":"first place. I rise before you today alongside my colleagues"},{"t":2061,"text":"to humbly request the formal extension of the IDPAT Council"},{"t":2065,"text":"Advisory Committee for another eight years until 2034. Following the"},{"t":2070,"text":"extension of the iDPad mandate within the United Nations. And"},{"t":2074,"text":"the adoption of this extension by the federal government of"},{"t":2077,"text":"Canada, we believe it would not only be appropriate, but"},{"t":2080,"text":"incumbent upon you, our honourable Council, to lead this initiative"},{"t":2083,"text":"at the local government level. During our last meeting, the"},{"t":2087,"text":"IDPAD Committee passed the resolution to formally seek this extension"},{"t":2090,"text":"until 2034. Our motion is backed by the ongoing need"},{"t":2095,"text":"for fostering an identifying the next steps in the city's"},{"t":2098,"text":"direction in fulfilling the iDPad mandate. Through the key pillars"},{"t":2102,"text":"of recognition, justice, and economic development for the black community"},{"t":2106,"text":"here in Victoria. I wish to share with you now"},{"t":2109,"text":"some key statistics about the IDPAD committee since its inception."},{"t":2115,"text":"Since 2021, the IDPAD advisory committee has distributed 24 grams"},{"t":2120,"text":"to the Black Youth Community Groups nonprofit organisations operating here"},{"t":2124,"text":"in Victoria, published two community impact reports in partnership with"},{"t":2128,"text":"the coastal research education and advocacy network, also known as"},{"t":2131,"text":"QREAN, and organised a town hall and community forum bringing"},{"t":2134,"text":"black voices from across the city and across the CRD"},{"t":2138,"text":"together. The last thing here that I will share is"},{"t":2142,"text":"that we provided a recommendations on the city's official community"},{"t":2145,"text":"plan, newcomer recreation initiatives, and anti - racism policy development."},{"t":2150,"text":"To name a few. The IDPAD has also played critical"},{"t":2153,"text":"roles in supporting some of the most notable black -"},{"t":2156,"text":"lead initiatives within the city. Two examples are Black Red,"},{"t":2160,"text":"where educational achievements of black students in this community are"},{"t":2163,"text":"celebrated and grind basketball, one of the most successful young"},{"t":2166,"text":"basketball programs in Victoria. The reason I chose D2 specifically"},{"t":2170,"text":"is because they go beyond the scope of what you"},{"t":2173,"text":"might think the IDPad does. They're reaching to different facets"},{"t":2176,"text":"of sports, of education, and lifting kids up and the"},{"t":2179,"text":"things that they love to do every day. Yet despite"},{"t":2182,"text":"the countless work that we have done to involve ourselves"},{"t":2185,"text":"in community, from grassroots initiatives to well - established organisations,"},{"t":2189,"text":"there is a growing call for more action, more leadership,"},{"t":2192,"text":"and more support. Black people in Victoria are still disproportionately"},{"t":2196,"text":"disadvantaged, especially in terms of opportunities for our youth. The"},{"t":2201,"text":"intersectional barriers, many of our children in this community face"},{"t":2204,"text":"are far from resolved. Since the fall of 2021, our"},{"t":2209,"text":"committee appointed by Council has been given this mandate provided"},{"t":2213,"text":"with recomendations on all things affecting the African design community."},{"t":2217,"text":"Largely modelled on the UN mandate. Then the Mayor and"},{"t":2222,"text":"Council members before me recognised the parallel challenges our community"},{"t":2225,"text":"has faced. As proclaimed by Vited Nations, and today I"},{"t":2229,"text":"implore you to once again, consider those challenges in your"},{"t":2232,"text":"decision - making. 2026 marks the fourth year that we've"},{"t":2236,"text":"administered the IDPAD Youth Grant and The Fifth Year that"},{"t":2238,"text":"we've organised as a group. We did so by searching"},{"t":2241,"text":"for projects that created safe spaces for promoting leadership, educational"},{"t":2246,"text":"initiatives, uplifting culture, confidence, and worked against systemic racism, mainly"},{"t":2251,"text":"for the youth of our community. The grants have focused"},{"t":2253,"text":"on three general areas, education, the arts, and empowerment. From"},{"t":2258,"text":"our key findings, it is very clear that the current"},{"t":2261,"text":"program has increased visibility for people of African descent, especially"},{"t":2265,"text":"in regards to grassroot initiatives that may have not had"},{"t":2267,"text":"those equitable opportunities to shine. Overall, the grant program has"},{"t":2273,"text":"allowed local projects to form safer and more empowering spaces"},{"t":2277,"text":"for black children across Victoria. The IDPAD has also worked"},{"t":2282,"text":"to form recommendations for Council based on lived experiences of"},{"t":2285,"text":"the residents we aim to represent. For the sake of"},{"t":2287,"text":"time, I will not read those recommendations today, but they"},{"t":2290,"text":"have been made available to you. In recognition of the"},{"t":2295,"text":"large list of work that I have presented to you"},{"t":2297,"text":"all today, I understand if much of it is difficult"},{"t":2299,"text":"for you to remember or even retain at this moment."},{"t":2302,"text":"After all, I don't have a slide deck, and it"},{"t":2304,"text":"is years of work done here by multiple individuals. Some"},{"t":2308,"text":"of them who stand before me today, beside me today,"},{"t":2310,"text":"representing an even vast or demographic. However, let that be"},{"t":2314,"text":"a representation of the necessity in our call for action."},{"t":2317,"text":"We do this work on your behalf. After all, if"},{"t":2320,"text":"we didn't, who would. Because the United Nations decade has"},{"t":2326,"text":"been formally extended to 2020 - 34. Because the government"},{"t":2330,"text":"of Canada has been committed to the decade through to"},{"t":2332,"text":"2028. And because legislation through the anti - racism act"},{"t":2336,"text":"of BC directly aligns with IDPAD priorities, we the IDPAD"},{"t":2340,"text":"Council Advisory Committee of Victoria wished to see a similar"},{"t":2343,"text":"extension of our work in the city until 2034. This"},{"t":2347,"text":"will allow us to take our recommendations from where they"},{"t":2350,"text":"are now into the implementation phase. We recognise the significant"},{"t":2355,"text":"impact of local governments that they hold in regard to"},{"t":2358,"text":"empowering community initiatives. And because we've already established these leaderships,"},{"t":2364,"text":"connections, and the capacity to work through our community together."},{"t":2367,"text":"We aspire to continue this work through sustained municipal engagement"},{"t":2370,"text":"that will ensure our commitment to the international decade. We"},{"t":2374,"text":"are a voice, an avenue, and a place within the"},{"t":2378,"text":"City of Victoria to lead this work and in BC"},{"t":2381,"text":"and Canada. A project for black people by black people."},{"t":2385,"text":"If you don't believe me, just hear a couple of"},{"t":2388,"text":"quotes from residents, which I pulled from Querence 2024 report."},{"t":2392,"text":"The city, creating a grant centres African descent communities in"},{"t":2395,"text":"a light of excellence rather than a deficit lens. Centring"},{"t":2398,"text":"black excellence is a very key move and important for"},{"t":2401,"text":"the city to invest in. The second quote goes, this"},{"t":2405,"text":"impact goes beyond numbers and statistics. It is about seeing"},{"t":2408,"text":"smiles, fostering relationships, and creating lasting attitudinal change in our"},{"t":2413,"text":"community. And I kid you not, some of the things"},{"t":2415,"text":"that I quoted in there hadn't even read yet when"},{"t":2417,"text":"I wrote my speech. So that's why you know it's"},{"t":2419,"text":"true. As you can see, we have set the precedent."},{"t":2422,"text":"We have established a relationship, and we have served as"},{"t":2425,"text":"a beacon of leadership and guidance for our people. We"},{"t":2427,"text":"are committed to accountability and look to improve on the"},{"t":2430,"text":"work we have already done. I hope that you can"},{"t":2432,"text":"all see now that the ID pad goes further than"},{"t":2434,"text":"the original decade it was set to promote. IDPad is"},{"t":2438,"text":"the continuation of a movement that started long before any"},{"t":2440,"text":"of us were here. We are setting the tempo here"},{"t":2443,"text":"in Victoria, and for the rest in BC. We have"},{"t":2447,"text":"been contacted by other municipalities, federal and international organisations, and"},{"t":2452,"text":"provincial bodies such as the Human Rights Commission for our"},{"t":2454,"text":"ability to make such an impact with such minimal resources."},{"t":2458,"text":"25, 000 dollars isn't a lot. In terms of how"},{"t":2461,"text":"much this city has to spend every year with everything"},{"t":2464,"text":"that it does. But 25, 000 dollars can make a"},{"t":2466,"text":"kid's dream become a reality for years to come. And"},{"t":2469,"text":"being able to say the City of Victoria had their"},{"t":2471,"text":"name on that, goes a long way. It is our"},{"t":2475,"text":"wish to continue at that pace. To make the most"},{"t":2477,"text":"of the space we are given. That has always been"},{"t":2479,"text":"the story of black people in Canada and across this"},{"t":2482,"text":"globe. Resiliency and our pathway to success. Mayor and Council,"},{"t":2487,"text":"I thank you for being a part of this journey"},{"t":2489,"text":"and plead to you to allow us to continue into"},{"t":2491,"text":"the next chapter together. Before I bring my statements to"},{"t":2494,"text":"a close, I want to leave you all with the"},{"t":2496,"text":"final story and a personal one, one that I shared"},{"t":2499,"text":"at our last community forum. I am the son of"},{"t":2502,"text":"an immigrant father who left his home country in search"},{"t":2505,"text":"of a better life for himself and his future family."},{"t":2507,"text":"At 17, he fled his home in Ethiopia to neighbouring"},{"t":2510,"text":"Sudan, and at 21, he came here. I am the"},{"t":2514,"text":"son of an immigrant mother who gave birth to me"},{"t":2516,"text":"an Erythrea in East Africa after being kicked out of"},{"t":2518,"text":"her home country of Ethiopia and forced to serve in"},{"t":2521,"text":"a deadly armed conflict similar to the one we just"},{"t":2523,"text":"saw in 2020, pregnant with me. Together, my parents built"},{"t":2529,"text":"a life for themselves in Victoria. They opened a successful"},{"t":2533,"text":"restaurant in 2004 called The Blue Nile, which many of"},{"t":2536,"text":"you may know because it's down the street. And they"},{"t":2538,"text":"raised two kids in this beautiful town. I and myself,"},{"t":2541,"text":"Emmangrant to this country, moving here as a one -"},{"t":2543,"text":"year - old child. I have loved Victoria as my"},{"t":2547,"text":"home, and I always will. But I've long for the"},{"t":2549,"text":"ability to support young black children in Victoria to an"},{"t":2552,"text":"official capacity that would allow me to improve the life"},{"t":2555,"text":"of a new young immigrant, like I once was, like"},{"t":2558,"text":"my father once was and my mother once was. I"},{"t":2562,"text":"have been able to establish my political roots begin a"},{"t":2564,"text":"career here, get a job at the provincial legislature, and"},{"t":2567,"text":"volunteer whatever time I have left in various community organisations."},{"t":2571,"text":"But not once have I been able to serve my"},{"t":2573,"text":"brothers and sisters of African descent in the way that"},{"t":2575,"text":"this i. adipad committee has allowed me to. At our"},{"t":2579,"text":"community uniform earlier this year, my father, Michael Isaac, stood"},{"t":2582,"text":"as a witness. Someone who moved to this city in"},{"t":2585,"text":"1987, when our community was so small that you knew"},{"t":2588,"text":"everyone by name. Where his son is now able to"},{"t":2592,"text":"stand here today, holding the honour of being a member"},{"t":2594,"text":"of a team that can represent thousands of people who"},{"t":2597,"text":"look like him. That is the Canadian dream. That is"},{"t":2600,"text":"why we are a mosaic here in Canada, not a"},{"t":2602,"text":"melting pot. It is a dream where my parents can"},{"t":2605,"text":"hold the pride of nearly 22 years in business, working"},{"t":2608,"text":"to promote traditional East African food and supporting new young"},{"t":2611,"text":"immigrant workers in Victoria. A dream where both children would"},{"t":2615,"text":"go on to university degrees and pursue their own passions."},{"t":2618,"text":"Something my parents never had the chance to do. This"},{"t":2622,"text":"is a dream, but it is my reality. It is"},{"t":2626,"text":"only one story. Our committee holds nine seats. A few"},{"t":2630,"text":"of them which are here today. Those are nine stories."},{"t":2633,"text":"In our city holds thousands. You see, the ID pad"},{"t":2637,"text":"is not a project. It is not an establishment, and"},{"t":2639,"text":"it is certainly not a movement to be constrained by"},{"t":2641,"text":"the decade it was born in. The international decade for"},{"t":2645,"text":"people of African descent is a message. That people who"},{"t":2649,"text":"look like you, people who look like me, can work"},{"t":2652,"text":"together to break through generational systems and chains that have"},{"t":2655,"text":"long oppressed us. That is why we need to continue"},{"t":2659,"text":"advocating for future generations of our community. Our committee allows"},{"t":2663,"text":"the Pan - African identity to shine in an official"},{"t":2666,"text":"capacity that has never existed on this island prior to"},{"t":2668,"text":"this committee's existence. That is why I stand humbly before"},{"t":2672,"text":"you all today, pleading my case with my colleagues, that"},{"t":2676,"text":"we can extend the ID pad for another generation to"},{"t":2678,"text":"come here in our shared home of beautiful Victoria British"},{"t":2681,"text":"Columbia. Thank you. Thank you very much. Loes are inspiring"},{"t":2687,"text":"presentations, I have to say. Thank you. Interview just for"},{"t":2691,"text":"the information of the Public and reach view. Each of"},{"t":2693,"text":"you very eloquently told your stories and all of you"},{"t":2696,"text":"concluded with the hope that they will continue. I will"},{"t":2699,"text":"remind you that certainly current policy within the city requires"},{"t":2703,"text":"each Council to terminate, uh, but not permanently, let me"},{"t":2708,"text":"say the Derwin's Advisary Committees that are established in each"},{"t":2712,"text":"term. However, it is certainly the appetite, I think, of"},{"t":2715,"text":"every Council to address the important issues of the community"},{"t":2719,"text":"and determine very quickly how those can be addressed. And"},{"t":2723,"text":"so each of those three committees will go forward with"},{"t":2726,"text":"these eloquent stories. They will also go forward. I'm quite"},{"t":2729,"text":"certain with a great deal of support from the current"},{"t":2733,"text":"and I suspect future councils. And so I look forward"},{"t":2736,"text":"to the opportunity and continue to work with each of"},{"t":2738,"text":"you and all of those three tremendous, tremendous series of"},{"t":2742,"text":"stories, commitments, and activity. I'm going to just, uh, for"},{"t":2748,"text":"a moment, uh, Diver, just for one moment, and that"},{"t":2750,"text":"is to comment on the fact that in our audience"},{"t":2752,"text":"is an individual who is working very closely with one"},{"t":2754,"text":"of those committees. And that is, of course, the welcoming"},{"t":2757,"text":"city committee and note to that, uh, I'm going to"},{"t":2761,"text":"call you the leader of the greater Victoria Public Library"},{"t":2764,"text":"is in the audience, more in Sawa, and we always"},{"t":2767,"text":"like to take an opportunity to, um, single someone out"},{"t":2770,"text":"when we won't have a chance to do it again."},{"t":2772,"text":"And while every speaker who is here and every person"},{"t":2775,"text":"who is here in the room, of course, deserves an"},{"t":2777,"text":"accolade. Moraine has devoted much of her life to one"},{"t":2781,"text":"of the most extraordinary contributions to community, and that is"},{"t":2784,"text":"the library. And so while I always admonish the audience,"},{"t":2791,"text":"not to clap when people sing or speak or read,"},{"t":2795,"text":"I think in this one case, it would be appropriate"},{"t":2797,"text":"to give Maureen a round of applause. With that then,"},{"t":2806,"text":"we will move on to the balance of our agenda,"},{"t":2808,"text":"which is a series of individuals who wish to address"},{"t":2811,"text":"Council on a variety of different issues. As you can"},{"t":2813,"text":"see, you are all welcome to stay, but you are,"},{"t":2815,"text":"of course, also welcome to depart if you have other"},{"t":2817,"text":"commitments. Uh, we have nine speakers this evening. And the"},{"t":2821,"text":"first of them is James Davis, who wishes to speak"},{"t":2824,"text":"with us around the community garden pilot project on the"},{"t":2827,"text":"roof of the Johnson Street Parque. Is James here. I'm"},{"t":2834,"text":"not sure I saw James come in and I have"},{"t":2837,"text":"met him before. So perhaps we'll just hold on to"},{"t":2840,"text":"that one and ask if he arrives a little bit"},{"t":2843,"text":"later. Let us move on then to our second speakers"},{"t":2846,"text":"who is Sahasi Irvin. Speaking with, yes, Sahasi here. Yeah,"},{"t":2854,"text":"I've got the same when you have, yep. Yep. That's"},{"t":2858,"text":"what I'm trying to figure out. Is Sahasi here. Also"},{"t":2862,"text":"don't see them as well. Okay. Blake is Blake here."},{"t":2869,"text":"Sorry, hang on. Who are you pointing to at the"},{"t":2870,"text":"end? Is this Sahasi. Or is this Blake. Which are"},{"t":2875,"text":"you. Neither. Pointed in secret. You're just pointing at, say,"},{"t":2881,"text":"I'm not getting the message. There you go. Oh, you're"},{"t":2882,"text":"just waving. There you go. Okay. Okay, we're going to"},{"t":2884,"text":"go through this again. All right. Up, let's, we're just"},{"t":2887,"text":"going to go through these and see who's here. How"},{"t":2888,"text":"about Cybil and Susan? Yay. Okay. Come on up. Yeah."},{"t":2891,"text":"Okay. All right. Okay. Civil Harrison and Susan Henderson from"},{"t":2896,"text":"Shockingly, The Victoria Book Prize Society. Very good. I neglected"},{"t":2901,"text":"to say earlier for the folks who are addressing Council,"},{"t":2904,"text":"you have, um, only five minutes. And your lights, of"},{"t":2906,"text":"course, is your familiar with. They go green when you"},{"t":2908,"text":"start yellow and you have a minute left and red"},{"t":2910,"text":"when you should be wrapping up. So please over to"},{"t":2912,"text":"you. Um, good evening. My name is Cyble Harrison and"},{"t":2916,"text":"I'm the president of the Victoria Book Prize Society. And"},{"t":2919,"text":"I'm here with another board member Susan Henderson. I want"},{"t":2923,"text":"to start by thanking you, Meroralto and councillors for the"},{"t":2927,"text":"support, um, for this opportunity to share highlights of our"},{"t":2930,"text":"work. Work, the City of Victoria has supported for 23"},{"t":2934,"text":"years. The book prizes were launched in January 2004 when"},{"t":2940,"text":"founding board members, Merilyn Bowering, D. C. Reed, Steven Scoby,"},{"t":2945,"text":"Jim Monroe, and others support submitted a feasibility report for"},{"t":2949,"text":"a Victoria book prize committee for a Victoria book prize"},{"t":2953,"text":"to this committee of the whole. The Council of that"},{"t":2956,"text":"time approved their request and committed funds to support the"},{"t":2959,"text":"award. That November, the first prize was awarded and it"},{"t":2964,"text":"went to Kevin Patterson for a country of cold. Since"},{"t":2967,"text":"then, 22 authors of a one - that award and"},{"t":2971,"text":"2008, we added a children's prize. And last year, a"},{"t":2975,"text":"prize for poetry. In that original feasibility report, I've got"},{"t":2980,"text":"the original copy. Reiter John Gould put it this way."},{"t":2985,"text":"Victoria may never be officially known as a city of"},{"t":2987,"text":"writers, but the label would well suit. There's something almost"},{"t":2992,"text":"uncanny about the way Victoria produces writers. As though the"},{"t":2996,"text":"city were employing some kind of literary hydroponic system. A"},{"t":3001,"text":"Victoria Book Prize would be a credit to the city."},{"t":3004,"text":"And would express the city's commitment to culture and to"},{"t":3007,"text":"the remarkable talents of its own citizens. 23 years on,"},{"t":3012,"text":"I think that's proven true. Penguin Books still lists Kevin"},{"t":3016,"text":"Patterson as the winner of the inaugural city of Victoria"},{"t":3020,"text":"Book Prize on its website. The recognition travels far beyond"},{"t":3024,"text":"our city and reflects well on it. But aboard that's"},{"t":3030,"text":"been out this for 23 years also has to ask,"},{"t":3033,"text":"what do we need to change to remain relevant and"},{"t":3036,"text":"sustainable. Tonight I want to share two answers. The first"},{"t":3040,"text":"is financial sustainability. We're deeply grateful to the city's ongoing"},{"t":3045,"text":"support and the sponsorship from the library, local booksellers, publishers"},{"t":3049,"text":"and businesses. But it isn't enough to sustain three professional"},{"t":3053,"text":"prizes long - term. We recently apply to the Canada"},{"t":3058,"text":"Revenue Agency for charitable status, which required us to overhaul"},{"t":3062,"text":"our Constitution, bylaws, and financial record keeping. We expect a"},{"t":3067,"text":"decision sometime in 2027. Charte will status will allow us"},{"t":3071,"text":"to pursue more donors and apply for grants more effectively."},{"t":3075,"text":"And build the kind of financial footing that outlasts any"},{"t":3079,"text":"one board. Second is community engagement. We moved away from"},{"t":3084,"text":"a single more invitation - oriented gala towards a series"},{"t":3088,"text":"of public events. Last year, a poetry reading filled cafe"},{"t":3092,"text":"fantastico on quadricete. Over 80 people came out to hear"},{"t":3096,"text":"all nine finalists in an evening of conversation at Kamoso"},{"t":3100,"text":"College. And the achievement that we're proud is of is"},{"t":3104,"text":"our three authors shortlisted for the children's prize visited local"},{"t":3108,"text":"schools, connecting with over 200 children. And then that was"},{"t":3113,"text":"thanks to the financial support of a local family foundation."},{"t":3117,"text":"We're repeating all three events this year. The poetry night,"},{"t":3120,"text":"author conversations and school visits. You may have seen, as"},{"t":3125,"text":"you remarked earlier, that we announced this year's nine finalists"},{"t":3129,"text":"yesterday. And a complete set of those books has been"},{"t":3132,"text":"left with the mayor's office. I hope all of members"},{"t":3135,"text":"of Council have some time to read some of this"},{"t":3137,"text":"year's outstanding books. Um, they were selected by three independent"},{"t":3141,"text":"juries as the best of the 50 submissions we received."},{"t":3146,"text":"And this year, were for the first time were honoured"},{"t":3149,"text":"to be able to hold the announcement of the free"},{"t":3151,"text":"prize winners right here in the antechamber on November 14th."},{"t":3157,"text":"Last year, councillors Dow Coleman and Gardner joined as the"},{"t":3162,"text":"government house for the prize announcements. And we were very"},{"t":3165,"text":"grateful for that support. And we hope the new Council"},{"t":3169,"text":"will adjoin us again this November. I'm going to close"},{"t":3173,"text":"with two thoughts. A New York Times piece last month"},{"t":3177,"text":"observed that in a world where fewer people read, those"},{"t":3180,"text":"who still read a lot lean on literary prizes for"},{"t":3183,"text":"discovery and a signal of what will last. Prizes as"},{"t":3187,"text":"a recommendation engine built on human taste, not algorithms. And"},{"t":3193,"text":"a literate community is an engaged community. Tom Peters once"},{"t":3197,"text":"wrote, celebrate what you want to see most of. That's"},{"t":3200,"text":"what the Victoria Book prizes has always done. And finally"},{"t":3205,"text":"also again want to extend our thanks to City Council."},{"t":3208,"text":"And of course, the City staff, including Amar Mahewalla, Alicia"},{"t":3212,"text":"D'Souza, Colleen Mycroft and Nicola Redding. For 23 years of"},{"t":3216,"text":"professional guidance and partnership. With that continued support, we look"},{"t":3220,"text":"forward to another 23 years. Thank you. Thank you very"},{"t":3224,"text":"much. Five minutes. Exactly. Up next is Brenda Dean. Thank"},{"t":3229,"text":"you. Thanks. Thank you. Brenda with us tonight. Come on"},{"t":3238,"text":"up, Brenda. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening,"},{"t":3247,"text":"Meroralto. Councillors and Council staff. Thank you for the opportunity"},{"t":3253,"text":"to speak this evening. My name is Brenda Dean and"},{"t":3258,"text":"I'm The Chair of the Downtown Condo owners and tenants"},{"t":3261,"text":"association. Our members live in downtown condominium buildings comprising 346"},{"t":3268,"text":"stratalots. I am here. With a simple request. That Council"},{"t":3276,"text":"consider amending zoning bylaw 2018 so that the current 160"},{"t":3281,"text":"day allowance for short - term rental of a principal"},{"t":3284,"text":"residence is also limited to a maximum. Of four rental"},{"t":3289,"text":"occurrences per year. We support the principal or spirit behind"},{"t":3297,"text":"the 160 - day allowance. It gives principal residents reasonable"},{"t":3302,"text":"flexibility when they are away for an extended period. And"},{"t":3307,"text":"it can accommodate situations such as work assignments, seasonal travel,"},{"t":3312,"text":"and other temporary. Absences. The difficulty is that without a"},{"t":3321,"text":"limit on the number of occurrences, these same 160 days"},{"t":3325,"text":"can be divided into a continuous series of two and"},{"t":3329,"text":"three nights stays. In practice, that can and has created"},{"t":3336,"text":"commercial style turnover in what is meant to remain a"},{"t":3339,"text":"principal residence. For residents and condominium buildings, the issue is"},{"t":3346,"text":"the volume and frequency of unfamiliar people entering secure residential"},{"t":3350,"text":"spaces. Often through remote access, with no on - site"},{"t":3356,"text":"accountability. High turnover can make it harder for residents, strata"},{"t":3361,"text":"councils, and city enforcement staff to distinguish responsible use from"},{"t":3367,"text":"unlicensed or non - compliant activity. It can also weaken"},{"t":3372,"text":"the sense of stability and security that people reasonably expect"},{"t":3376,"text":"in their homes. There are also broader public safety concerns"},{"t":3383,"text":"when accommodation is highly transient and difficult to monitor. Recent"},{"t":3389,"text":"investigative reporting from the Global Mail and CNN has exposed"},{"t":3394,"text":"an alarming escalation of illegal operations tied to short -"},{"t":3399,"text":"term rentals. Human trafficking. And prostitution rings, led by criminal"},{"t":3408,"text":"organisations and predators use platforms like Airbnb because properties lack"},{"t":3414,"text":"the strict guest registries and concierge oversight typical of traditional"},{"t":3418,"text":"hotels. It becomes anonymous, allows high mobility with no ID"},{"t":3424,"text":"required. Drug stash and gang activity also led by organised"},{"t":3429,"text":"crime rings utilise short - term rentals to store large"},{"t":3433,"text":"quantities of drugs and cash, potentially exposing residents to theft"},{"t":3438,"text":"and gang violence. Rather than dwell on worst - case"},{"t":3444,"text":"scenarios, I would like to focus on a practical step"},{"t":3448,"text":"that the city can take to reduce risk while preserving"},{"t":3452,"text":"the flexibility the bylaw was designed to provide. A four"},{"t":3457,"text":"occurrence limit would preserve the 160 - day allowance for"},{"t":3461,"text":"genuine principal residents. Reduce rapid hotel - like turnover and"},{"t":3466,"text":"residential buildings, and make patterns easier to identify and enforce."},{"t":3473,"text":"This would also deter unlicanced operators. It would also make"},{"t":3480,"text":"the current gap less lucrative to license operators who may"},{"t":3483,"text":"be using the principal residents provision as an ongoing short"},{"t":3487,"text":"- term rental business rather than for occasional absences. This"},{"t":3493,"text":"is a measured change. It does not eliminate the 160"},{"t":3498,"text":"- day allowance. It's simply aligns the number of rental"},{"t":3502,"text":"occurrences with the purpose of a principal residence. Our goal"},{"t":3508,"text":"is not to close the door on responsible visitors and"},{"t":3512,"text":"responsible owners. It is to protect the balance between flexibility"},{"t":3516,"text":"and residential stability and to make our downtown homes safer,"},{"t":3522,"text":"more accountable and easier to manage. We respectfully ask Council"},{"t":3527,"text":"to consider adding a four occurrence annual limit to the"},{"t":3531,"text":"160 - day principal residents allowance. Thank you for your"},{"t":3536,"text":"time and consideration. Thank you very much, Brenda. Up next"},{"t":3540,"text":"we have Eva Cassetti and Kate Hollowachek from the Canadian"},{"t":3544,"text":"Union of Public Boys. Public Postal Workers, sorry. I made"},{"t":3549,"text":"your public employees, sir. Welcome. Thank you. Podium would be"},{"t":3558,"text":"good. Gives you your timing. Oh, geez. Oh, gee. One"},{"t":3565,"text":"sec. Glass is off so I can actually see. Thanks."},{"t":3574,"text":"Okay. Good evening Mayor and Council. I just want to"},{"t":3577,"text":"say thank you for having us here tonight. My name's"},{"t":3579,"text":"Kate Hollowachik. I'm the president of the Canadian Union of"},{"t":3583,"text":"Postal Workers, Victoria Local 850. We represent about 700 members,"},{"t":3588,"text":"greater Victoria area. Some of the golf islands all the"},{"t":3592,"text":"way up to Duncan and out to Souk. Um, I've"},{"t":3594,"text":"got Georgina Johnston with me here. She's the first vice"},{"t":3598,"text":"president and Ava Cassetti. She's our executive shop steward. 68"},{"t":3603,"text":"years of experience at the post office, uh, before you"},{"t":3606,"text":"tonight. So we do have a slide deck that's, I"},{"t":3614,"text":"don't see. There you go. There it is. Okay, it's"},{"t":3618,"text":"there. Okay. And if I click this, it goes, sorry,"},{"t":3622,"text":"excuse me, I've not done this before. What do I"},{"t":3626,"text":"press? Steph, can you give them a bit of help"},{"t":3628,"text":"there? Oh, there we are. Okay. So I'd like to"},{"t":3634,"text":"begin this presentation by stating that CUPW recognises the need"},{"t":3638,"text":"for Canada Post to evolve, to meet the needs of"},{"t":3641,"text":"Canadians. So for three local postal codes, V9A, BNC. This"},{"t":3647,"text":"will mean the end to door to door delivery and"},{"t":3649,"text":"a complete conversion to community mailboxes, or CMBs in late"},{"t":3653,"text":"2027. No public consultation or mandate review was undertaken prior"},{"t":3659,"text":"to this decision to cut this public service. Canada Post"},{"t":3663,"text":"has many opportunities with the largest retail and delivery network"},{"t":3666,"text":"in the country to invest in service expansion instead of"},{"t":3670,"text":"investing in infrastructure that cut services and jobs. There's larger"},{"t":3675,"text":"conversation to be had, but today we're focusing on the"},{"t":3678,"text":"CMB conversion in your area specifically, which is Vic West."},{"t":3682,"text":"That's V9A. Canada post delivery accommodation program, uh, claims to"},{"t":3691,"text":"offer solutions for seniors and those with mobility issues and"},{"t":3694,"text":"disabilities who make up over 40 percent of the population"},{"t":3698,"text":"Who cannot get to a CMB to retrieve their mail."},{"t":3703,"text":"Qualification requires a personal request, an extensive documentation, including medical"},{"t":3709,"text":"certificates. Even with a successful accommodation, their service will be"},{"t":3713,"text":"substantially diminished with home delivery only once a week. This"},{"t":3719,"text":"site has 240 households, putting a larger site on a"},{"t":3723,"text":"quiet road brings a lot more traffic than the roads"},{"t":3725,"text":"were designed for. We can see safety concerns with the"},{"t":3729,"text":"lack of lighting and visibility from the street. People should"},{"t":3732,"text":"feel safe when retrieving their mail. Can depose current practice"},{"t":3736,"text":"is still to have larger sites. These were put in"},{"t":3738,"text":"just over a month ago in a new development in"},{"t":3740,"text":"Langford. The more boxes condensed together, the further that your"},{"t":3746,"text":"constituents will need to go to get their mail. This"},{"t":3748,"text":"location is 1. 5 kilometers round trip for some household."},{"t":3751,"text":"There are 128 households here. In 2015, the CMB conversion"},{"t":3758,"text":"was underway in Vic West. This was the determined location."},{"t":3764,"text":"There is a big difference between 36 residents going to"},{"t":3769,"text":"a quiet street and 112 neighbourhoods should have their integrity"},{"t":3774,"text":"kept and both respect to aesthetics and traffic. Having smaller"},{"t":3778,"text":"amount of boxes is favorable over multiple ones. CMBs don't"},{"t":3785,"text":"work in all locations, forcing them in a certain area"},{"t":3789,"text":"can create a hazard, such as this site. People often"},{"t":3793,"text":"park on the corner to retrieve their mail, causing cars"},{"t":3796,"text":"to turn blindly into the other lane. Originally the boxes"},{"t":3801,"text":"on Joy clothes were located 1. 3 kilometers away on"},{"t":3804,"text":"Latoria. It was the community that petitioned to have it"},{"t":3806,"text":"moved. 2. 6 kilometers round trip may not seem like"},{"t":3810,"text":"a lot for some, but for someone with mobility issues,"},{"t":3812,"text":"retrieving their mail becomes a daunting task. Asking Canada post"},{"t":3816,"text":"how far your constituents will need to go is a"},{"t":3818,"text":"great starting point when talking about locations. We need to"},{"t":3822,"text":"be aware that community mailbox can bring hazards to a"},{"t":3825,"text":"neighbourhood. If he comes an easy excuse for an opportunistic"},{"t":3828,"text":"person to say they are simply waiting for mail. It"},{"t":3830,"text":"is why questions need to be asked of Canada Post."},{"t":3833,"text":"What are they doing to keep the public safe in"},{"t":3834,"text":"these situations? And our community mailboxes truly what the public"},{"t":3837,"text":"needs. There are a couple of issues that we foresee."},{"t":3842,"text":"The left picture shows the overgrown bushes covering the parcel"},{"t":3845,"text":"lockers. There could be no obstructions in front of the"},{"t":3848,"text":"boxes or deliveries could be suspended. On the right, the"},{"t":3852,"text":"CMBs have been tagged with graffitis. In some areas, we"},{"t":3855,"text":"find that C and B's are easy target for vandalism,"},{"t":3860,"text":"specifically on a larger site. It is up to the"},{"t":3863,"text":"municipality to clean off graffiti, keep maintenance around these boxes"},{"t":3867,"text":"such as snow and ice removal. Damage to the actual"},{"t":3870,"text":"box can take weeks to get fixed. Sorry. It took"},{"t":3878,"text":"a while for the slides to come up. Okay, so"},{"t":3883,"text":"what do we need to do? We need to demand"},{"t":3885,"text":"a faux public mandate review that considers all stakeholders'interest. Losing"},{"t":3889,"text":"door - to - door delivery and closing post offices"},{"t":3892,"text":"will not make Canada post more relevant or competitive. We"},{"t":3896,"text":"must question why in maintenance costs that C and B"},{"t":3899,"text":"sites are being downloaded to municipalities, while the security and"},{"t":3902,"text":"service is reduced. We supply to resolution template for this"},{"t":3907,"text":"Council to consider and hope you will send a written"},{"t":3909,"text":"submission to the federal government, demanding a halt to the"},{"t":3912,"text":"service cuts and a transparent public review of Canada Post"},{"t":3916,"text":"and its service charter. Lastly, we want to you to"},{"t":3920,"text":"ask yourselves and your constituents about their concerns with KatSet"},{"t":3925,"text":"Canada Post, including CMB Conversion and closing post offices. Be"},{"t":3930,"text":"their advocates, seniors and people with disabilities must be considered."},{"t":3935,"text":"Thank you. Thank you very much. Up next is John"},{"t":3939,"text":"Ro."},{"t":3949,"text":"Hi John. How are you? Since you're there, you don't"},{"t":3958,"text":"have a timer, so don't be surprised if I interrupt"},{"t":3961,"text":"you when you get close to five minutes."},{"t":3987,"text":"That. S easy. Council. Member, please. And. Your drink water"},{"t":3994,"text":"there too. That's okay."},{"t":4016,"text":"It's slow."},{"t":4030,"text":"Thank you. There you go."},{"t":4043,"text":"It's been since 2017 since my last confession. My name"},{"t":4049,"text":"is John Rowe. I am a founder and a director"},{"t":4053,"text":"of the Veins of Life Watershed Society and the dead"},{"t":4055,"text":"boat disposal society. We have also a founding member sitting"},{"t":4059,"text":"his Council, Mr. Coleman there. It's sad to see you"},{"t":4063,"text":"go, but, uh, I haven't seen you for a while."},{"t":4066,"text":"So we have a long history with Council on that"},{"t":4069,"text":"stormwater. As you know, it's probably one of the most"},{"t":4073,"text":"favourite topics to rate to Council about and complain and"},{"t":4077,"text":"do whatever. But, uh, we do have an issue out"},{"t":4079,"text":"here. And I just wanted to make more front and"},{"t":4082,"text":"centre exactly what the problems are going here and how"},{"t":4084,"text":"they can be resolved. As Chris Novos for my long"},{"t":4087,"text":"history of working municipalities, I don't come complaining. I usually"},{"t":4090,"text":"bring money. We were missing the opportunity right now because"},{"t":4093,"text":"we're not integrated in this community of getting a few"},{"t":4096,"text":"hundred million dollars from our federal government because we're so"},{"t":4100,"text":"tardy. Anyways. I wanted to talk today really briefly on."},{"t":4109,"text":"The Stormwater Report, as you see in front of you."},{"t":4112,"text":"We got involved with the CRD 1994. They started the"},{"t":4117,"text":"year before that with the stormwater report. And so it's"},{"t":4121,"text":"a, it's for me, it's just a, uh, a marker."},{"t":4124,"text":"It tells us exactly what's going on in our community."},{"t":4126,"text":"It's a very small snapshot of what exactly coming out"},{"t":4130,"text":"of the end of our outfalls, but it gives us"},{"t":4131,"text":"a starter. We are the only place you only regional"},{"t":4136,"text":"district in BC and most of Canada that actually has"},{"t":4139,"text":"a storewater quality report. It's, I'm quite proud of that."},{"t":4143,"text":"I work a lot up the Fraser right now with"},{"t":4145,"text":"18 other municipalities. So I have a bitch fest with"},{"t":4148,"text":"just about everybody. But the reality is, is we show"},{"t":4151,"text":"this as an example of what it can be done."},{"t":4154,"text":"So the big difference between collecting data and doing something"},{"t":4157,"text":"about data. We've been lacking in Victoria for serious amount"},{"t":4161,"text":"of time. I campaign heavily with my endear friend that"},{"t":4166,"text":"you, Vic. Uh, Environmental, euvic environment a law to help"},{"t":4172,"text":"build a utility for this community. You're the wording you"},{"t":4175,"text":"see and the majority of it, it belongs to, guess"},{"t":4178,"text":"what? The work of our organisation in UVic. We spent"},{"t":4182,"text":"many, many years lobbying to get this done to get"},{"t":4184,"text":"that in place. My assumption was that it was going"},{"t":4187,"text":"to be used for storm letter. Well, from my investigation"},{"t":4191,"text":"for last little while, my difficulties with, with trying to"},{"t":4194,"text":"get an FOI through, which is another story in itself."},{"t":4198,"text":"We go on for days about that. But the reality"},{"t":4200,"text":"is, is that the waters that we promised would you"},{"t":4204,"text":"clean up the water. So it's actually gone to I"},{"t":4206,"text":"and I. I know the reasoning why. But you got"},{"t":4209,"text":"to change that. This is a serious problem we have"},{"t":4211,"text":"here. You're promoting more swing in the harbour and gorge."},{"t":4215,"text":"The water equality is worse than I've seen it since"},{"t":4217,"text":"I started in 1994. And that you can take for"},{"t":4220,"text":"work for that. I have the experience in Know -"},{"t":4222,"text":"how and the technology to show that. And I can"},{"t":4224,"text":"show that clearly. We need to clean up our waterfront."},{"t":4228,"text":"When we need to stop the water, we need to"},{"t":4230,"text":"stop the pollution at the source before the federal government"},{"t":4232,"text":"can finish fixing our harbours. So that's pretty what I"},{"t":4237,"text":"got to say today, Council. Thank you very much. Thank"},{"t":4240,"text":"you, sir. Up next is Janie Rollins. Hi, everybody. Hi"},{"t":4246,"text":"Janie. I'm always. First of all, I... Janie, can you"},{"t":4252,"text":"just give John a chance to get away? Pardon. Just"},{"t":4255,"text":"give John a chance to get away. Oh. Sure. Stop"},{"t":4260,"text":"me. That's okay. I'm not exactly young. Great. Thanks. Go"},{"t":4270,"text":"ahead, Jeni. Hi. The last time I came here, I"},{"t":4275,"text":"was told the meeting wasn't happening. By the fellow downstairs"},{"t":4280,"text":"and a woman downstairs. So that's why I didn't turn"},{"t":4282,"text":"up. Because I had turned up there. So anyway, that"},{"t":4286,"text":"wasn't me. Anyway, I tend to be brief. As we"},{"t":4293,"text":"know, we need more low income rentals. It's always down"},{"t":4296,"text":"to that. More low income rentals. I saw an article"},{"t":4301,"text":"in The paper where they talked about low income and"},{"t":4303,"text":"they said 2, 200. I go, no. My pension is"},{"t":4308,"text":"1, 500. So excuse me. It's a good thing I"},{"t":4311,"text":"have savings. So low income needs to be lower than"},{"t":4315,"text":"that. Um, and people need to be informed what they're"},{"t":4322,"text":"eligible for. Things like you go on welfare. Things happen."},{"t":4328,"text":"You end up well. They don't tell you things. They're"},{"t":4330,"text":"such a thing that you can get a bus pass."},{"t":4333,"text":"If you are informed, then you can get around and"},{"t":4338,"text":"go and apply for jobs and be employed quicker. So"},{"t":4343,"text":"we want to work on preventing people from being coming"},{"t":4348,"text":"homeless in every way we can. And there are things"},{"t":4352,"text":"like bus passes that really do help. In that. Um,"},{"t":4357,"text":"and we also have to go after bad employers. I"},{"t":4363,"text":"have had several of those. I managed to protect myself."},{"t":4368,"text":"Most of the time, but twice I didn't. And they"},{"t":4370,"text":"did things like go on a holiday. Owing me three"},{"t":4373,"text":"weeks. Wages. And I was not giving anything. I turned"},{"t":4378,"text":"up for work and everything's closed. And they don't go"},{"t":4382,"text":"after them. So that was the second time I had"},{"t":4386,"text":"to go on well there was wasn't my fault, you"},{"t":4391,"text":"know, but they don't go after them. Like, Oh, they"},{"t":4393,"text":"own a business. They're heroes. I go, well, sometimes they're"},{"t":4396,"text":"not. And so it's mainly a lot of this is"},{"t":4400,"text":"prevention. And I have spoken to youth just on the"},{"t":4405,"text":"way here. And they were telling me. I said, what"},{"t":4408,"text":"do you want me to tell you guys? And they"},{"t":4409,"text":"said, tell them to stop the sweeps. And these were,"},{"t":4413,"text":"I gathered, they lost some of their things. They're in"},{"t":4415,"text":"the youth shelter right now. And also there was another"},{"t":4420,"text":"fellow that I ran into who said, we need places"},{"t":4424,"text":"for couples. And they were staying on the street because"},{"t":4429,"text":"even though individually they could go into a place, though"},{"t":4434,"text":"his wife did not feel safe. So they stayed on"},{"t":4437,"text":"the street. You know, so we need to work on"},{"t":4440,"text":"all sorts of angles, all sorts of people and get"},{"t":4443,"text":"more and stop putting people down for being on the"},{"t":4446,"text":"street. Things happen in life. You know, they do. And"},{"t":4453,"text":"I worked in the shelter, said, well, no. Things happen."},{"t":4456,"text":"So let's help the people get them off the street."},{"t":4459,"text":"And do a lot of preventive work. So people know"},{"t":4463,"text":"we can go, before we end up losing the roof"},{"t":4468,"text":"of our head. Anyway, thank you very much. Thank you,"},{"t":4471,"text":"Janie. Bye - bye. Nice to see you. I don't"},{"t":4474,"text":"see Diana here tonight. And so that's, that's okay. Uh,"},{"t":4479,"text":"and so with that then, that exhausts our list of"},{"t":4482,"text":"speakers for this evening. And so I would look for,"},{"t":4484,"text":"um, motion to adjourn. There's no closed meeting required tonight."},{"t":4487,"text":"So look for Mosho Adurn. Yes. Thank you Councillor Coleman"},{"t":4490,"text":"and Councillor Kim. All those in favor, anyone opposed. That"},{"t":4494,"text":"is unanimous. Thank you very much, Councillor Thompson and Gardner."},{"t":4498,"text":"Have a lovely evening and we will see you in"},{"t":4499,"text":"two weeks."}],"words":10962,"fetchedAt":"2026-10-03T04:18:05.651Z"}