Home | Vision | Next Meeting | News | Features | Resources | Directory | Feedback
Home | Vision | Next Meeting | News | Features | Resources | Directory | Feedback
March 2000
By Roger Smeeth, South Jubilee Plastic Recycling Coordinator
I want to make a case for boycotting the upcoming CRD plastic collection process in our neighbourhood. I have strong reservations about it. There is an alternative option that will allow for higher and better use of our plastic waste here in Victoria.
Let me first describe the proposed CRD process steps and their results:
Also, shipping our rigid plastic off the island for high tech separation processing that does not work is silly and wasteful. We want to keep it here on the island for our local plant: it's cheaper, it creates jobs and provides a valuable product. All these points speak to a higher and better use for our plastic. Basically, we need to look after our own garbage.
So, what are we in South Jubilee going to do about this? Each household has a choice. I have a recommendation: boycott the CRD plastic collection. Give them your glass and cans in the blue box, keep your plastic on the island. Bring all your rigid plastic, (not just numbered containers) to our regular collection at the College of Art parking lot at Bank Street on the second Saturday of each month, between 10a.m. and 12 noon. We will collect it and transport it to our island plastic recycling plant. And if everyone brings plastic to those collections, and donated one loonie, we can make this process self sustaining.
Next Plastic Recycling Date – April 8Our Plastic Collection process will continue from 10 -12 p.m.on the 2nd Saturday of every month. Next collection -- April 8th at the corner of Bank Street and Leighton from 10 AM to noon. |
About 50 households brought soft plastic for recycling during the one-time-only soft plastic addition to our usual plastic recycling Saturday. Between them they had around 25 large bags full which generated $75 for Chris…just about right! If there is sufficient interest we can do it again.
About ten years ago, the City Planning Department published the Oak Bay Avenue Plan. The Plan proposed future development as ground floor commercial with two floors of residential over—the idea being that the increased density would support a more commercially vital Avenue—something our association supported. Unfortunately, this proposal was only a suggestion—it permitted this form of development but did not require it. The first development under the Plan's umbrella was the Royal LePage office building which of course did not include any housing component.
Currently, the Tim Horton's chain is investigating a location on the old Payless gas site. Nothing has been presented to our association as yet, but we understand that the proponents are not interested in any response to the potential for residential either.
If you have any thoughts or feelings about this situation, and the future of Oak Bay Ave., why don't you have a chat with Pam Madoff, our liaison councilor, at 361-0221. We do have a place in determining how our neighbourhood grows. We would all like to see our part of the Avenue develop further as a vibrant, pedestrian oriented shopping destination.
We finally have a winner—the students at Sundance, after much deliberation, have selected the mural design proposed by Marianne Corless, a student at the Victoria College of Art. Painting by the students, under the direction of Ms. Corless, is scheduled to begin on May 8 with the unveiling of the finished mural taking place with invited guests at 10:45 am, Thursday May 18th. We are all invited to support this neighbourhood partnership.
It has been brought to our attention that legal neighbourhood parking permits are being provided to the non-residents, who work in the neighbourhood and possibly to hospital staff or construction workers.
Apparently, the City Traffic Department has known for some time that residents are renting their curb space to non-residents. We may not like the idea of having to "police" this situation ourselves, but the city says that if we should discover illegal parkers, we are to phone Deirdre Peters, Parking Fines Supervisor, at 361-0257. She will have them ticketed.
Redfern Park has been the target of graffiti vandals over the past few months. Much of the playground equipment, benches and even the occasional tree trunks were 'tagged' by these spray paint vandals. City police have apprehended the teenagers responsible. Part of their punishment is the cleanup of the park. Some repainting has been completed and more work will be done as the teenagers are available. We're looking forward to a fresh, graffiti-free park for spring.
We would like to welcome a new business to our neighbourhood. Discovery Computers has recently opened at Amphion and Oak Bay, sharing that little mall with the Dollar Store, Salon George and MeeWah's. We are all glad to see more diversity on Oak Bay Ave.
Pat Jones, the Lee Avenue Block Rep has stepped down. His place has been taken by Martin Monkman, a new resident at 1741 Lee, who can be reached at 370-1413. John Meckbach of 1524 Bank now represents Bank St. South and can be reached at 598-8545. Block Reps deliver our newsletter and serve as liaison between their neighbours and our association. We still need reps for Foul Bay Road and the north half of Amphion. Call Roger at 595-3914 if you are willing to help.
In conjunction with the BC Summer Games, the city is organizing LUMINARA, a festival of lanterns, puppets and music for Saturday July 29th. In preparation, Puppet Building workshops (April 15/16 and 29/30) and Stilt Building (March 25/26), Stilt Walking (April 1/2) and Stilt Choreography (April 8/9) workshops are happening at Silver Threads. Call Winnie at 388-4728 if you are interested.
The time for our annual matching grant application is fast approaching. If you have an idea for a one-time project to improve the neighbourhood, life, etc., and you are prepared to lead it, let's talk more. Call Liz Hoar at 595-2685.
A special presentation on Earthquakes and other emergency preparedness will be given by Dick Austin of the City of Victoria at Sundance School from seven to nine pm on Monday, March 27th. What can the city do for us and what can we do for ourselves? Mark it on your calendar. For more info, call Lynn at Sundance. Be an asset, not a victim!
If you have any articles or news items to contribute to the next newsletter,
contact Liz Hoar
phone: 595-2685
fax: 595-4148