While the Blanshard and Fisgard area needs more green space, the city as a whole could desperately use more housing.
The two buildings the city bought could provide just that for a number of homeless people, while the parking lots could be made into, yes, parks.
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Why didn’t Victoria buy a couple of the hideous surface parking lots along Caledonia between Blanshard and Quadra for public green space?
If the city wants a real park, they should team up with Saanich and deal with Blanshard Street, the capital’s Cross-Bronx Expressway. More than a hundred buildings were ripped down just in the Hillside/Rose area to push through this monstrosity. Removing two lanes could produce very long linear parks with bike/transit lanes, landscaping, benches, etc. The congregations of Emanu-El synagogue, St. Andrews cathedral and the members of the Philippine community centre could do doubt provide lots of ideas about what to do with some of this new expanse of public space.
Cities around the world are giving streets back to people. Victoria has made progress with the bike lanes and pedestrianized sections of Government and Broad streets, but there’s way more to do.
Louis Guilbault
Victoria
