Change is happening on Pandora
I’ve been asked lately about changes on Pandora Avenue. A lot is changing. Here’s a partial list, with more info on each point below. Some of these are changes that …
Is your municipality protecting its housed and unhoused residents?
At the Capital Regional District Board meeting Wednesday, we had a very informative presentation from Hon. Christine Boyle, BC’s Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. I made the above chart …
Julian Daly at UBCM: Disordered Downtown – Rethinking care for those in need
The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) 2025 convention stirred up a lot of media coverage, especially the session “Disordered Downtown – Rethinking care for those in need,” and especially the …
Helping people access the detox-treatment-recovery pathway
This past Thursday, I brought a motion to help people get into the Detox-Treatment-Recovery System. The motion will be decided upon later during budget deliberations, but here’s a quick outline …
Homelessness and street disorder are not unique to Victoria
Update: two recent Globe and Mail articles note homelessness in towns and rural and northern areas. January 17, 2026: Small and remote towns across Canada are struggling with a surge in …
Chatting with people at Our Place on Pandora (community coffee chat)
I enjoy my community coffee chats; I get to meet interesting people, and hear first-hand their concerns and ideas. I also enjoy bringing new customers to cafes and restaurants. I’ve …
Pandora: People need better places to go
This issue comes up daily, and in many forms. People ask: How can we better care for the people on Pandora? (By the way I’m using “Pandora” to also cover …
Street disorder and solutions
As Council’s Downtown Neighbourhood Liaison, I attended the DVBA’s AGM today. I had to leave for a CRD meeting before the panellists’ opening remarks were finished. I later heard that …
Street problems – where to advocate for improvements
(Update: Victoria City Council has endorsed (an 8-1 vote) the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, which identifies needed actions by the relevant levels of government (more on that below), and …
What are the plans for Pandora and sheltering?
I hear questions from people like “what are the plans for Pandora and for sheltering in parks?” and “what actions are governments taking?” etc. The short answer is that there …