Victoria Downtown Residents Association

Happy New Year from the Yates Street Community Gardeners! 2020 was quite the year! Here’s a look back at our 2020 season! Despite all of the challenges and obs...tacles we faced, our community of gardeners were able to pull together to: build new garden beds, add 5 small fruit trees around the garden, plant two boulevard gardens, build two raised boulevard beds for community harvest, add new signage to our community beds and entrance, create how to videos for the community, participate in two distribution rounds for Get Growing, Victoria!, host small workshops, hold socially distant work parties to clean up and plant around the garden, and take care of our mason bees. A BIG heartfelt thanks to all of our gardeners and volunteers for all of your contributions throughout the year! Thanks also to the Downtown Residents' Association, the City of Victoria and the Get Growing, Victoria! initiative and My Great Neighbourhood grant for providing funding for our garden projects this year. We couldn’t have done it without you. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we are adaptable and resilient! We look forward to all the exciting opportunities 2021 will bring! #HappyNewYear2021 #victoriabc #communitygarden #communitybuilding #urbangardening

The Red Cedar Café operates a dine-in service alongside our Community Meal Program, to provide an inclusive community space, expand our revenue stream and susta...in our operations long term. In the New Year, our facility at 1900 Douglas Street (the former Paul's Diner) will be buzzing with all of our operations and a fully operational restaurant Diner. In the meantime, join us in our brand-new space making use of the wifi, enjoying a hot beverage, supporting us and getting to know what we’re doing in the community! Thank you for helping spread the word!

December E-News - Land Use Projects Updates, 2021 City Budget, Downtown Delivers, Go Electric, Red Cedar Café, Zero Waste, Silver Threads, DRA Update - https://mailchi.mp/a825e57c3653/december-e-news

1244 Wharf Street, Yates Block Rezoning Application Since May 2020, the DRA LUC has been in discussions with the Applicant, Mr. Robert Fung, and the City planning department regarding the proposed Rezoning at 1244 Wharf Street to allow for hotel use and for residential uses to be permitted below the ground floor. As a result of the new restrictions outlined by the City, no CALUC meeting took place for this proposal, so there has been no opportunity for the community to pa...rticipate in any information sharing related to this project. Therefore, the community must rely on the relevant documents posted on the City’s Development Tracker. For this proposal, the information provided on the Development Tracker consists of two old site plans, some photos of the existing building and the applicant’s letter to the City. As such, the current process has not served the public interest when the City solicits community feedback, as the general public cannot provide an informed opinion when insufficient meaningful information has been supplied. We request that for all applications going forward, that a staff review report is posted on the Development Tracker before the 30day period begins, as it provides greater clarity of information, context and background. To further inform the public it would also be appropriate to post any Staff Reports to Council, ADP and Heritage Advisory Panel to the Development Tracker as they become available. https://victoriadra.ca//1244-Wharf-CALUC-Letter-21-Sept-20

506 Herald Street Application for a Structural Change to a Lounge Endorsement for a Manufacturing Licence he applicant is now applying for an additional 99-person roof top patio that was held back from the original application for the 178-person interior capacity that was approved by Council in 2019. Operating hours are proposed to be the same as what was approved for the interior brewpub: 9:00 am to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 9:00 am to 1:00 am Friday and Saturda...y. The applicant proposes to situate an onsite kitchen on the rooftop patio but has recently expressed the intention to add a service bar on the rooftop patio. The DRA strongly supports a vibrant Downtown, which includes late night drinking establishments in appropriate locations. Downtown residents are concerned about impacts on their liveability this type of establishment will create and have been patiently awaiting the recommendations of the Alcohol Policy Review conducted in June of 2019. We trust Council will assess this application on the basis of the solutions the policy review was anticipated to provide to support a harmonious co-existence of residents and businesses while upholding residents’ right to quiet enjoyment of their homes. Downtown has been absorbing the majority of residential growth for the region, so Council needs to thoughtfully consider the impacts decisions such this one will have on the quality of life for this rapidly growing community. https://victoriadra.ca//2020/09/506-Herald-Sept-25-2020.pdf

The DRA LUC met with the applicant in 2017 prior to application to discuss an earlier version of this application. The DRA has expressed ongoing concerns regarding the loopholes of the R48 Zoning Bylaw and Council’s apparent lack of interest in closing them. The DRA has long expressed concerns about how the R48 zone has been egregiously gamed far beyond current OCP maximums and the original intent of the Council that created the zone. This application facilitates the undermining of our core planning documents. It is high time for Council to support liveability Downtown and support the principles enshrined in the City’s core planning documents. https://victoriadra.ca//1150-Cook-CALUC-Letter-14-Sept-202

September E-News - Development updates, Open VicPD, Victoria 3.0, Orange Shirt Day, Yates Street Garden .. more.. https://mailchi.mp/e85af72e74ee/september-e-news

If you have been by the garden recently, you may have noticed these awesome new additions to the boulevard! Our volunteers worked hard this past weekend fillin...g the beds and planting them with veggie and herb starts that will provide the community with access to fresh greens through the fall and winter. The Yates Street Community Garden Team and the Downtown Community, would like to extend a BIG thanks and much gratitude to the following supporters of this project: To Paul, for his hard work and craftsmanship in building these beautiful raised beds for us! We are so pleased with how the beds turned out and are grateful to see this project come to fruition and have more greenery in our downtown neighbourhood! To the Victoria Downtown Residents Association for their continued support in the garden’s projects and community building! To the City of Victoria - Local Government for their support of this project through the My Great Neighbourhood Grant! This grant has helped us improve accessibility to garden space, providing fresh vegetables and herbs for community members without access to a garden of their own. Last, but not least, to our dedicated volunteers who helped with the planning and planting of these boulevard beds! #communitybuilding #cityofvictoria #mygreatneighbourhoodgrant #foodsecurity #communitygarden #boulevardgardening

Press Release -September 9, 2020 Victoria Downtown Residents Association Frustrated by Proposed Resumption of Sheltering in Centennial Square The Victoria Downtown Residents Association expresses frustration with the decision made by City Council at its meeting on September 3 to resume sheltering in Centennial Square. Centennial Square is a very important open space and gathering place for downtown residents, both housed and unhoused. The DRA has consistently been vocal about... the lack of parks and open spaces in the downtown, especially in Chinatown and Old Town. https://victoriadra.ca//VDRA-Press-Release-09-September-20 See more

Posted @withregram @discoverycoffee This year we are proud to work with and support Victoria Orange Shirt Day with shirts available for sale at all Discovery ...Coffee locations for the month of September. A bear to help us follow the right path, an eagle to help us have a vision of a bright future, a hummingbird to keep mind, body and spirit healthy, a flower to feed the connection of all these elements. Local artist Bear Horne created this logo and gave it to Eddy Charlie and Kristin Spray (Victoria Orange Shirt Day City Ceremony co-organizers) to use in their work to commemorate the survivors of the residential school legacy. Orange Shirt Day is an annual national event that is held on September 30. For more information on Orange Shirt Day visit www.orangeshirtday.org. . . . #orangeshirtday #coffee #yyjcoffee #discoverycoffee #baristadaily #yyj #victoriabc #latteart #yonnisdoughnuts #doughnut #yvr #yvrcoffee #canadiancoffee #coffeeroasters #yyc #CAFN8ME See more

Managing Neighbourhood Construction Project Impacts By nature, construction activity is often noisy, dirty and generally incongruent with neighbourhood life. The impacts of development can be significant over many months of construction activity. This can be amplified when there are simultaneous and serial construction projects going on in a particular area. Nonetheless, residents accept construction as a legitimate and relatively short-term impact on quality of life. Despite... widespread understanding and acceptance of this inconvenience, frustration can occur when there are unnecessary impacts that could be avoided or mitigated. Residents have reported several impacts from construction sites in the downtown where there has been an elevated level of building activity. https://victoriadra.ca//Construction-Impacts-on-Residents. See more

Posted @withregram @victoriapublicmarket We are in the count down now to the end of @farmfreshfridaysyyj at the Market. Many farmers ending crops and weather ...will be playing a big part in what we will be able to bring to our downtown market in the coming weeks. Our goal is to stay open until September 11th but nature will ultimately decide how long we can go. If you haven’t been a FFF regular we would encourage you to come out now and see what this amazing market place is all about. Here’s what to look for this week: Figs! this will likely be the last week for fresh figs get yours now and freeze them for enjoyment all winter. Blackberries We have amazing Triple Crown Berries from Brett Smyth in North Saanich. The best blackberries you will ever taste. Stock your freezer last week for these too. Strawberries We are into the very dense and flavourful ever bearing crop of late strawbs. Meatier, smaller and more intense than their June cousins, these are the true connoisseur strawberries. Heirloom Tomatoes so many wonderful tomatoes right now. These always sell out first so get there early on Friday for the best selection. Duck Eggs! - many of you have been asking and we have sourced lots from four local farms. Similar to chicken eggs except almost twice as big and very flavourful. Certified Organic produce from Kildara Farm, Lockwood Farm, Agua Dulce Farm, City’s Edge Farm, Sun Trio, 8 1/2 Acres, Dancing Dandelion Farm, Glenora Farm, Holy Stick Farm and many more. Almost half of our entire market his week is certified Organic! Plus: True Grain Artisan Bread from the Cowichan Valley, Haltwhistle Chevre, Cure Charcuterie smoked cheddar, French Oven Sourdough, stunning salad greens from The Plot Market Garden, Massive fresh rainbow chard from Brett Smyth, edible flowers from Allium Co-op, Red Russian Garlic, free range organic eggs, field cukes from McKay Farm on Oldfield rd., Organic purple cauliflower from Lockwood, Okanagan peaches from Cawston, black plums from Metchosin, Romaine lettuce, pickling cukes, baby cabbage, leeks, New Zealand spinach, fingerling potatoes, yellow wax beans, scarlet runner beans, Blue Lake green beans, Si

Remember the times before online shopping, when the only option was to shop local? Major online retailers are making it tough for small, local retail businesses..., especially now. Please, for the sake of our community and economy, shop local! #SavetheSales - Don't forget, every time you make a purchase downtown (including an online purchase from a downtown store) you can submit it to the Support-O-Meter on www.SavetheSales.ca for your chance to win weekly prizes and the grand prize of $5,000! - #downtownvictoria #dvba #downtownyyj #yyj #yyjsupportlocal #supportlocalyyj #shopyyj #retro #1980s #1990s #yyjcommunity See more