@davethompsonvic
Community, housing, climate, urbanism, transportation consulting. Also Victoria BC City Councillor, CRD Director. Civil discourse and good governance. Pragmatic progressive. Please email my City account for City business. My own views only. ☄️⏳#yyj 🇨🇦
My take on the proposed RTA changes. I appreciate @ravikahlon.bsky.social being open to creating the opportunity and @christineboyle.bsky.social for willingness to carry the findings forward into these proposed changes. #bcpoli #housing
Important that the City provides safer choices. Some people are OK riding bikes in traffic - myself included. The protected facilities are for others who are not OK with it.
Cyclists using the corridor along Shelbourne and Pandora might see more safety improvements after fast tracking bike lanes in the area received initial approval.
We can't commit the City to do anything; Council can't bind itself on future decisions.
That said, in this case staff understand Council direction is to proceed on both 1 and 2.
YAY! #yyjpoli - @davethompsonvic.bsky.social and @mattdellvictoria.bsky.social 's motion to prioritize the 'gap' in the Pandora street bike lanes to Oak bay junction and Shelbourne passed unanimously after Gardiners bid to defer failed.. (I bet we'll read about how awful this all is in the TC btw)
BC government has them and yes they can. davethompsonvictoria.ca/time-for-mor...
It's the clearest example we have of the triumph of base politics over good policy.
Before and after pictures of Garry Oak Meadow replaced by single detached mansions
Not a peep for this Garry Oak meadow, a few hundred metres from the famous 902 Foul Bay.
I am not involved in the staff-led process to determine it, and wouldn't want to interfere with their weighting of criteria, but I expect that regional interoperability is an important criterion.
E-Bikes and e-scooters in Kamloops.
#climateaction #sustainability #urbanism #transportation #YYJ
Sprawl costs: some surprising, and we all pay them.
#urbanism #yyj
"The wealthiest 0.01% of Canadian families (1,685 families) hold an average of $448.5 million, 4,041x the average wealth of a family in the bottom 50%" #TaxTheSuperRich #bcpoli #cdnpoli
Photo of promotional poster for movie cited
Photo of panel noted in post
Photo of (mainly female) local elected officials
Saw Prime Minister tonight: about NZ PM Jacinda Ardern. Truly excellent film, followed by a panel of strong progressive women leaders and a fun social. Thanks to Central Saanich Councillor Sarah Riddell and Sidney Councillor Terri O'Keeff for organizing it!
#yyj
Chart from post linked showing Victoria hosting vast majority of supportive housing and shelter spaces in capital region and other municipalities hosting little or none.
5. Other municipalities in this region have space for TT, declined to take it, and are failing to look after their own residents.
davethompsonvictoria.ca/is-your-muni...
3. The City of Victoria doesn't own lots of other vacant land where a TT could be moved to, like other municipalities do.
4. Operating a site is an even bigger issue, and BC Housing closed TT and announced that it is now finished with HEARTH in Victoria.
.../3
A bit of context:
1. Tiny Town was clearly established as, and committed by the previous City Council to be, a temporary site.
2. TT's temporary use permit ran out and was extended 3 times by Council. We were prohibited by law from extending it further.
... /2
The Plan:
1. Distract from Epstein files
2. Pocket bribes
Image of social media post stating "The trick is to remember that acknowledging existence and endorsing worth are not the same thing."
This is a hill to die on.
Also, Ockham.
Detail of chart from report linked in post
Chart from report linked in post
Update on regional sprawl: it was still going strong in 2024. Bad for affordability, regional traffic congestion, air pollution, GHG emissions and more.
BUT, that may be changing. More info: davethompsonvictoria.ca/leveraging-r...
#yyj #climateaction #affordability #sprawl
Hand up if you're anti-fascist and proud of it. ✋
(Please expand your little witch-hunt to municipal and regional governments.)
globalnews.ca/news/1168850...
#cdnpoli #nevertrump #never51 #elbowsup #nevercons
Picture of a social/supportive housing project in the Yaletown community in downtown Vancouver. Text says “if we don’t build housing to solve homelessness, we don’t really want to solve homelessness.” Logo of the urban truth collective in the corner.
If we don’t build housing to solve homelessness, we don’t really want to solve homelessness. #UrbanTruth
Questions nobody asked since Robert Moses started bulldozing neighbourhoods.
Overdose advisory #yyj
Island Health has issued overdose advisories for large swaths of Vancouver Island, including the Capital Regional District, the Cowichan Valley, and the Nanaimo area.
Good to see safety improvements throughout the region.
victoriabuzz.com/2026/02/esqu... #yyj #safety
Victoria is very lucky when it comes to the number of quality ice cream shops and the future outlook seems promising. #yyj #victoriabc
Good. We have a vacancy rate at 3% roughly. First time in decades it's been that high.
4% is balanced. I'd like to see it at least that high for several years.
Interesting! Were they rented out to tenants before? Maybe landlord is a bit slow adjusting the rent downward?
Or maybe were owner occupied but they moved out and haven't been able to sell it yet?
Short-Term rentals, looking to sell?
75% lease-up at downtown Victoria's newest rental tower a nod to strong demand in city centre
victoria.citified.ca/news/75-leas...
#yyj #urbanism
PS it is genuinely far worse for women