Blog
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VCAN Community Mapping Project
A conversation about the distribution of biodiversity within and between the City of Victoria’s neighbourhoods. To complement the City’s excellent inventory of all trees on public land, the Victoria Community Association Network (VCAN) has involved each neighbourhood in an inventory of Garry oaks and other elements of biodiversity on private property. Each neighbourhood developed their… Read more
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Calls for saving the Sequoia Mount as the City of Victoria Council faces increasing public scrutiny over a lack of transparency and signs of potential significant inconsistencies on the matter.
Originally posted at CRD WATCH https://crdwatch.ca/2025/02/09/calls-for-saving-the-sequoia-mount-as-the-city-of-victoria-council-receives-growing-public-scrutiny-over-a-lack-of-transparency-and-among-indications-of-what-may-be-gross-inconsistencies-on-the/ By Mary Fowles and Jennifer ButtonFeb 9, 2025 In July 2024 Victoria City Council approved (6 to 3) (1) a design (2) for Centennial Square which included the destruction of the square’s Sequoia tree. Following the decision, several citizens wrote to the Mayor and Council to express their concerns.… Read more
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Dear Developer: Invitation template
Document published through the VCAN Community Mapping Project (Appendix “Dear Developer: Invitation template”) The scale of land use changes in the City of Victoria created a discussion by the VCAN Mapping Team on how start a conversation about the Garry oak ecosystem with market actors like builders and developers. The City of Victoria’s Tree Protection… Read more
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Open Letter to Matt Dell and City of Victoria Councillors about the Urban Forest
Dear Councillor Matt Dell, This letter serves as an open invitation for you to consider some of the unique community forest qualities in the territory that you now call home. The urban landscape of Victoria is characterized by Kwetlal, known also as the Garry oak ecosystem (GOE). This is a crucial detail often overlooked in… Read more
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BC Municipalities – Tree Protection Bylaw
Colwood (2022) Central Saanich (2021) Esquimalt (2022) Highlands (2001) Langford (2024) Metchosin (2013) North Saanich (2022) Oak Bay (2020) Saanich (2019) Victoria (2021) View Royal (2022) BC Tree Protection Bylaws in British Columbia, Raincoast Conservation Foundation Read more
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UBCM Resolutions – EB32 Supporting Biodiversity in Local Communities
WE DID IT! Thank you to the executive of the Rockland Neighbourhood Association for agreeing to support my request, and Marg Gardiner for bringing to City of Victoria Council agenda and Chris Coleman for seconding. Many thanks to Rockland Neighbourhood Association for supporting a request to ask Victoria City Councillor Marg Gardiner (seconded by Chris… Read more
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UBCM RESOLUTIONS – City of Victoria
We were invited to join a workshop to help move the dial on biodiversity in local communities, and reached out to City of Victoria Councillor Marg Gardiner to consider bringing a motion to council agenda Supporting Biodiversity in Local Communities (UBCM Resolution). It was seconded by Councillor Chris Coleman. The resolutions were passed at June… Read more
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City of Victoria 2013 and 2019 Tree Canopy Estimates by Neighbourhood
CITY OF VICTORIA 2019 TREE CANOPY ESTIMATES BY NEIGHBOURHOOD Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Area (Ha) 2019 Tree Cover (Ha) Percent of city-wide canopy Burnside 237 34 6% Downtown 77 7 1% Fairfield 297 92 17% Fernwood 175 56 10% Gonzales 136 53 9% Harris Green 24 4 1% Hillside/Quadra 166 57 10% James Bay 236 63 11%… Read more
