Video of weekly Facebook live address. Friday June 19, 2020. Tune in Fridays at 1pm on the City’s Facebook page.

Saturday June 20th is World Refugee Day, a day to mark the challenges faced by refugees world wide. It’s also an opportunity to reassert that Victoria is a welcoming city and a place that has room in it for everyone. We’ve been welcoming refugees for decades and will continue to do so, working even harder through a new Welcoming Cities Task Force to make sure that Victoria is a place where everyone feels safe, welcomed and a sense of belonging. Each year we gather as a community to raise a flag for World Refugee Day. We can’t do this this year, so we’ve recorded a video that will be shown tomorrow.

Sunday, June 21st is National Indigenous People’s Day. In non-COVID times, today would have marked the beginning of the Aboriginal Cultural Festival in downtown Victoria. Again, because we can’t gather together this year, we’ve created a video that will be released on Sunday acknowledging the struggles and racism Indigenous people in Canada continue to face and also the ongoing resilience and generosity of the Lekwungen people on whose lands the city is built.

News from the Province

This week the Province announced that they will begin engagement on BC’s economic recovery plan. I encourage residents to submit their ideas to the Province about how we can build a strong and resilient economy now and for the future as we recover from this unprecedented event. They will also be hosting virtual town halls to gather information. All the information is here.

The Province also recently announced that the Temporary Rental Supplement that offers up to $500 per month to help renters and landlord shas been extended to the end of August. The extension maintains the rent freeze and ban on evictions for non-payment of rent. Living in a place like Victoria where we know rent costs are high, it’s  great to see the provincial government extend their rental support and eviction freeze program that is helping the three out of five residents in Victoria that are currently renters. For more information on the rent supplement and to apply, you can head here.

Build Back Victoria

I’ve got an exciting update on our Build Back Victoria initiatives! We have received over 40 applications from restaurant owners and retailers both large and small for extended patio space and flex space all around the city.  Staff are turning these requests around in days. Council saw the need, staff developed the tools, and businesses are using them. I’ve seen some of these new outdoor spaces full! This is exactly what we envisioned to help businesses to flourish again. And it seems to be working. CHEK news did a great piece tonight on the Build Back Victoria patio program.

Recreation

I’m excited that Royal Athletic Park is shaping up to be the hub for recreation this summer. We have summer day camps available for registration, as well as outdoor fitness programs, such as yoga, bootcamps and even personal training. This is all happening outdoors with proper COVID-19 protocols in place. There will be open community drop-in time for residents to come in and enjoy large grass field in the stadium. Our recreation page has all the information.

Our summer camps program will take up to 80 kids per week in groups of 10-12. You can learn more here and register here. These are great low-cost options for kids ages 5-14 years old.

There’s also an online survey so you can let our staff know what types of programs you’re most interested in.

Creative spotlight

Our Arts, Culture and Events team are in their third week of the Creative Spotlight campaign teaming up with local artists and makers to put a spotlight on creativity in our community.

This week’s feature is performer, song writer and educator Eden Oliver. You can read all about Eden’s favourite things to do in North Park including boulevard gardening, getting Cold Comfort ice cream and preparing for a performance from their porch that will live stream on Saturday afternoon. You can read more at Creative Spotlight.

And tonight Victoria’s Youth Poet Laureate invited the community to check out Youth Verses, a virtual showcase of visual and performing art created by local youth artists and streamed live on Facebook. Over the past three weeks, 12 youth aged 14 – 19 have connected online to participate in workshops facilitated by Neko Smart and guest facilitators, with the overarching intent to facilitate conversations on ways to harness creativity while navigating mental health. You can learn more and find a link to the performance here.

Canada Day

Last week we announced this year’s plans for a virtual Canada Day here in Victoria. A reminder that we are taking your video submissions about what living in Canada means to you. Head to Canada Day Victoria for more info and to submit.

We know that Canada’s history is complicated, and we are working hard to understand this complicated and painful history through the City Family and the City’s Witness Reconciliation Program, led by the Lekwungen speaking peoples. As always the Canada Day events will begin with a welcome from the Lekwungen Dancers.