For those who want to stay right up to date with what’s happening in the City on COVID-19, please join me daily on the City of Victoria’s Facebook page at 2:30pm. And please share this link and information with your friends and neighbours. We’re getting lots of emails with lots of questions and we’ll do our best to answer them and keep you and the media up to date with these live daily updates. I’ll also post the videos here from now on. This video is my address from Monday. We’ll be back Tuesday at 2:30pm.
There was no update from the Federal government today in light of the horrific tragedy in Nova Scotia. It’s hard to fathom that our current crisis could still come with additional challenges let alone one as monstrous as this. From our coast to theirs, and on behalf of all Victorians, I send me deepest condolences to everyone impacted by the mass shooting over the weekend. We have the Canadian flag at City Hall at half mast to mark this tragedy and the lives lost.
I also want to acknowledge that today is Yom Ha’Shoah, Holocaust Memorial Day. Today we remember the six million Jewish lives lost – along with millions of others targeted by the Nazis because of their ethnicity, sexual identity or disability – during the Holocaust. This is a solemn reminder of the horrors that can occur when we focus on what divides us, instead of what unites us as a human family.
News from the provincial government
Yesterday the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General has given police and other enforcement officers the ability to issue $2,000 violation tickets for price gouging and the reselling of medical supplies and other essential goods during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Province enacted these new measures under the provincial state of emergency, using the extraordinary powers of the Emergency Program Act. The Minister reminded all of us that, “these orders are not suggestions, they are the law.”
In other news from the Province today, they’ve developed a new collaborative framework will help ensure people living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities in B.C. have access to critical health care they can count on to meet their unique needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The framework was developed through a partnership between the First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health and Provincial Health Services Authority.
It provides flexibility so local leaders in rural, remote and Indigenous communities can adapt it to meet their unique needs. This is important in an era of reconciliation and to the Indigenous communities here on southern Vancouver island.
News from the City
The City is creating more usable space for pedestrians along local streets to ensure people can practice physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting this Thursday in James Bay, we’ll will be temporarily restricting on-street parking on Simcoe Street, between Government and Oswego, and for half a block of Menzies Street approaching the Five Corners retail complex. We’re not closing streets in James Bay, we’re just making more room for pedestrians.
This will give people more space to practice physical distancing when out walking and shopping. Following the first location this week in James Bay, more space for pedestrians will be introduced in Quadra Village, Cook Street Village, Fairfield and Vic West in the coming weeks. Like everyone, this is a new experience for us. Our transportation staff who are implementing these changes are learning as they go and will adjust accordingly
News from the community
This week is Volunteer Week. I can’t think of a time when volunteers have been more important. To those delivering meals to elderly and frontline worker, to those providing services to our most vulnerable populations, we are tremendously grateful to everhone who is giving of their free time to help others. If you want to volunteer, or need volunteers, you can head to Volunteer Victoria.
Every day during my Facebook live update, we ask people to send in their thoughts and ideas. Today, I want to thank the numerous people that have sent in their concerns and ideas for people in Victoria who are experiencing homelessness during this public health crisis. It’s a very complex situation that deserves the utmost thought and care. We’ve shared all the helpful comments with the Province to consider and we look forward to those ideas turning into innovative action to help the most vulnerable among us.
As I’ve said before, if the virus spreads among this population, they will end up using the very same health services we all depend on. It’s vital we do whatever we can to protect everyone. We’re in this together.