VICTORIANEWS VICTORIA Dino-mite!
Show us Your Esquimalt
The Royal B.C. Museum offers a different spin on dinosaurs with new exhibit. News, Page A3
Check out News readers’ photo contest entries from around the township. Inside, exclusive to Esquimalt homes
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Japanese Restaurant Newly Renovated
Serving Brown Rice Sushi 1619 Store St. 250-386-9121
Proudly serving Esquimalt & Victoria
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Forum on sale of public lands draws interest Transparency, inconsistent policy among concerns relating to city land dealings Roszan Holmen News staff
As the city prepares to entertain the possible sale of a second piece of prominent public land, some are calling for a made-in-Victoria policy to guide such sales in the future. Irwin Henderson presented his research to a standing-room only community forum last week. “It’s a matter of fairness, that you want buyers and the taxpayers to be treated fairly over time, as well as in individual cases, and that’s why it’s important to have a policy,” said Henderson, an active community volunteer. City councillors Ben Isitt and Shellie Gudgeon hosted the community discussion, which attracted nearly 100 people. While some people feel public land should never be sold, others have argued for more transparency, open competition, or other standard criteria. Both Isitt and Gudgeon recently opposed the majority vote by council to consider an offer from Ralmax Group of Companies to purchase the city-owned marine industrial land at Point Hope. That decision sparked the community forum, but the issue of public land divestiture has been a sore point since January. That’s when details of the Northern Junk proposal came to light.
Two years ago, council granted developer Reliance Properties permission to submit a rezoning application for the public land surrounding its privately-owned property on Wharf Street. The company proposes to restore the two heritage buildings on its own lot, and to build a multi-use development extending into property currently owned by the city. While council still has the authority to reject the rezoning application, it risks a lawsuit if it withdraws its offer to include municipal property in the development plan. For many, the irreversible nature of the deal came as a nasty surprise. The public learned of the situation thanks to a motion by Coun. Lisa Helps to report on the council decision made behind closed doors. It was Helps who again made a motion in late April to report on council’s motion to entertain an offer by Ralmax. “That’s important to me that the conversation happens in public,” she said at the time. Isitt argues that the process is backwards. “The city should really be the driving force (behind land sales),” he said. PLEASE SEE: Public lands at issue, Page A6 Our View, Page A8
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Sharon Tiffin/News staff
A taste of the tartan Drum Major Gary Louis from the Canadian Scottish Regiment directs a combined pipe band in front of the legislature as part of the Tartan Parade on Saturday. The parade kicked off the countdown to the annual Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival, happening this weekend (May 19-20) at Topaz Park. Watch Friday’s print edition of the News and online at vicnews.com for a story on the weekend’s activities.
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