“Also, the City of Nanaimo has approached us [about] helping them with a pilot project much larger than this,” he said. “So I think what’s quite beautiful about this project is that these shipping containers are going to probably have a second, third, fourth life. We’re not retaining ownership of them. Our hope is to see these get passed on to another community.” Mari spoke as reporters toured the village next to Royal Athletic Park at 940 Caledonia Ave. Nearing completion, it will provide temporary housing for 30 people currently living in city parks. The tiny houses are expected to remain at the site until the fall of 2022.
Placing the statue in the museum along with an accurate, as possible, description of Macdonald, his government and policies will provide a learning opportunity for all of us. It is not only time to take the statue out of storage; it is time we learn the positive and negative policies of his actions and as the adage says, “learn from our past”. By placing the statue in a public place such as Bastion Square, we are venerating the man and everything he stood for, forgetting that not everyone benefited from his actions and that such statues can be hurtful reminders of a past that favoured certain privileged groups over others.
People who are being offered a spot in either location should be informed this week, and they’ll likely start moving into the shelter during the first week of May and into the tiny-home village the next week, McKenzie said. The delays won’t affect city council’s decision last month to end all-day camping as of May 1, but the bylaw won’t be enforced against people who have confirmed offers of indoor space and are waiting for it to be ready, said Mayor Lisa Helps. The province and the City of Victoria set a deadline of April 30 to offer indoor spaces to people sheltering in parks and ravines, one month later than initially proposed. The province announced in March it had secured enough spaces to move more than 200 people indoors.
“I do believe the social return on these investments is worth it. These are well invested dollars in our community and our society,” said Kelly Roth, executive director of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness. “I appreciate the fact the governments are leaning into and doing the work that needs to be done.” In its support for the government’s ability to find funding for housing, the Coalition has what many might consider an unlikely ally in the Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria. John Treleaven, chair of the citizen’s advocacy group, which pushes for lower taxes and less waste, said governments have had little choice but to act to address the housing crisis and that can mean having to spend more than they wanted.
Victoria city council votes to end all-day camping in parks as of May 1 timescolonist.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timescolonist.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.