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Friday, January 1, 2016
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A look back at 2015 With the mayors of Victoria and Esquimalt Kendra Wong and Pamela Roth Victoria News
Highly productive and action-oriented is how Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps would describe 2015 and she plans to continue that into the new year. At the top of Helps’ proudest accomplishments was the creation and action of the mayor’s task force on economic development and prosperity, including the opening of the new business hub at city hall earlier this month; and a housing affordability task force, aimed at promoting the construction of affordable housing in the city. But the year hasn’t been without challenges. In the summer, city council’s proposed plan to create a temporary tent city in Topaz Park sparked outrage from the public and forced Helps to backpedal. She later apologized for the way the plan was rolled out and hosted a public forum on the issue of
homelessness in the park, which gave birth to a plan to borrow $30 million from the Capital Regional District Hospital Board to build housing. “Some people might say Topaz Park was a low point, but that was one of the highest points of the year because of what came out of it, which was the idea to borrow $30 million for housing and that also has moved into reality,” she said. Most recently, Helps, who is also the co-chair of the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board, came under fire for the handling of the investigation into Victoria police chief Frank Elsner after he sent inappropriate Twitter messages to a fellow officer’s wife. “It’s been very challenging. There’s been public perceptions on one side and then there’s the truth and reality on the other side and there’s only so much we can say,” Helps said, adding she prides herself on being upfront, open and transparent. Heading into the
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That’s a wrap The Fairmont Empress Hotel, currently undergoing extensive restoration work to the outside of the building, spor a partial false front wrapping to cover up the scaffolding on the building’s exterior. The wrapping is decorated to look just like the front of the hotel it is covering. new year, Helps hopes to focus on bringing the city’s strategic plan to fruition. Council’s 13 objectives, as laid out in the plan, include innovate and lead, engage and empower the community, make Victoria more affordable, enhance and steward public spaces, green spaces and food systems, and
steward water systems and waste streams responsibly. Specifically, Helps hopes to create a task force on social enterprise on how the city can create conditions for businesses, and nonprofits to make money and “do good at the same time,” and bolster partnerships with the University
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of Victoria, Royal Roads University and Camosun College. Council will also be working on an arts and culture and parks master plan, along with beginning construction on sections of the David Foster Harbour Pathway. “It’s all laid out for us, all we need to do is follow the road map,” Helps said. “We
set a really strong framework, we set the ground work, we spent a year doing some things, but really laying a strong foundation for the next three years.” ***** For Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins, 2015 has been a productive and busy year full of events that challenged
people to view the Township in a different light. Most of the year has been filled with good news stories for Desjardins, noting council was given a clear mandate to move forward on a handful of important items. PlEASE SEE: Economic development, Page A2
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