Category: Economic Development and Prosperity
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Climate Action, Active Healthy Transportation, and the Heidelberg Challenge
I’ve recently returned from a trip to Heidelberg where I attended ICCA 2019, an international conference on Collaborative Climate Action. The conference focused on the role of cities in the lead up to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ Climate Action Summit in New York this September. It was an honour to have been invited to Heidelberg…
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The Future of Government Street and Other People Places
Photo taken standing on the edge of the Hauptstrauss (highstreet) in the centre of town, Heidelberg Germany. 5:15pm on a Thursday evening. I’ve recently returned from trip to Heidelberg where I attended ICCA 2019, an international conference on Collaborative Climate Action. The conference focused on the role of cities and was a key step in the…
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Vélo Canada Bikes: The Case for a National Cycling Strategy
I was in Ottawa recently as a representative of the South Island Prosperity Partnership which had been shortlisted for an Infrastructure Canada Smart Cities Challenge prize. Coincidentally, and luckily, one day earlier, also in Ottawa, was the third annual National Bike Summit. I’m so glad I was able to attend. Even as an already strong…
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Smart Mobility Manifesto and Our Transportation Future
Last week I posted a story to Twitter about Oslo becoming a car-free city centre this year. There were some typical social media responses: “I think you should move to Oslo. You would like it there. I have a car not a bike.” But there were also many thoughtful comments: “We need better public transportation…
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Pandora Street Businesses Celebrate Bike Lanes and Endorse Lisa Helps
The owners of three popular businesses on the 500-block of Pandora in Downtown Victoria have endorsed Lisa Helps for re-election. They say that bike lanes are good for business. They submitted this joint statement to our campaign: “As established small business owners working downtown, we hear a lot of discussion about bike lanes, and, occasionally,…
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Mayor’s Economic Development and Prosperity Task Force 2.0
Today, Mayor Helps announces Making Victoria 2041, a second Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development and Prosperity to hit the City’s target of 10,000 new jobs in Victoria by 2041. Making Victoria 2041 will set Victoria on a path for sustainable, equitable and inclusive job growth out to mid-century. In the last election campaign, empty…
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300 New Affordable Childcare Spaces Coming to Victoria
Today, the Helps Campaign is announcing the creation of at least 300 new affordable childcare spaces in neighbourhoods across Victoria. Working with non-profit childcare providers, School District 61, and Island Health, a funding application has been submitted to the Province to fund the creation of new childcare spaces in Victoria starting in 2019. This announcement…
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Compact living doesn’t shrink quality of life
Photos from inside a new apartment building in downtown Victoria. This building was approved in 2012 – the first new rental building approved in the City in the last 30 years. There have been questions from certain corners of our community on the need for rapid densification – why do we need so many new…
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Wholehearted Support for Songhees Games Bid
Something remarkable happened in Victoria recently. Late last Monday morning I walked into the Songhees Cultural Centre on the lower floor of the Steamship Terminal Building in the inner harbour. I’m not sure what I was expecting. But I was thrilled to see such a packed room. And happy to see so many of my…
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First National Sustainable Tourism Conference Hosted in Victoria
Panel Discussion: Lessons from the North Photo Credit: Impact Conference In late January, Victoria hosted Impact: Sustainability Travel and Tourism, Canada’s first national conference on sustainable tourism. Organized by Tourism Victoria, Starrboard Enterprises, Beattie Tartan, and Synergy Enterprises, the conference was buzzing with energy from the moment it began. Our local hosts and guests from…
