Local Experience

James Bay Neighbourhood Association

An on-going feature on land use & planning - to alert, inform, and prompt community action - and to celebrate success!

The May 2013 James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA) meeting focused on the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Royal BC Museum: Past, Present and Future

Chief Operating Officer Jack Lohman, CBE gave a stimulating presentation of his priorities and short and long-term ambitions for the museum in preparation for Canada's 150-year celebration in 2017. Watch for 'bigger thinking, better design, bolder ambitions - for the benefit of the society and economy of British Columbia'.

The Museum was created in 1886 with the support of politicians and citizens who were concerned about the loss of First Nations artifacts to collectors and collections around the world. Today, the RBCM is one of Canada's most visited museums, housing 7 million objects (larger than either the Royal Ontario Museum or the Canadian Museum of History) and with the largest archive west of Ontario.

The mission of the RBCM is to bring British Columbia's stories together.

Included under the heading of strategic priorities:

• create a unique museum experience,
• strengthen the digital infrastructure with an e-Museum connected to the collections throughout the province and the world,
• create an expanded state-of-the-art BC Archive and Collection Centre (with above sea-level storage), and
• develop a refreshed, progressive and sustainable organization with regional and international partnerships.

A MasterPlan for the RBCM, headed by architect John McAslan of the UK, with local partners including Paul Merrick and Donald Luxton, will set the parameters and phasing for site development. Community consultation for the MasterPlan, an open house/forum, is tentatively scheduled for June, early July 2013.

Major renovation targets planned for 2014 will include the museum entrance, the lobby, reintroduction of a lecture theatre, cafe, retail, and other visitor amenities. Creation of a sense of anticipation and arrival to the museum experience are guiding the entrance/lobby planning. The original carved teak doors, custom-made light fixtures, scraffito walls, and walls of falling water all created an impact and a sense of arrival for many Victorians in the 60s and 70s.

Lohman's dry British wit was evident when he talked about returning the "Nootka Whaler's Scene" to the lobby. In a 2009 report, the Alberni Valley Times describes the scupture and its current location: "The 30-foot diorama depicts eight Nuu-chah-nulth whalers harpooning a California grey whale, in extraordinary detail, including the whalers' long hair flying in the wind. The monument was designed by Vancouver artist Lionel Thomas, and carved by First Nations artists Geoffrey Hunt and Douglas Cranmer. It was featured at the Royal B.C. Museum for many years, until it was acquired by Hupacasath First Nation and installed in the carving shed." Now in possibly its 3^rd location up-island, damage from vandalism includes the helmsman figure torn off the base, a broken fluke on the whale's tail, and damage to hair on the harpooner.

New exhibitions planned for the immediate future include a First People's language exhibition 2014, gold rush 2015, BC First Nation Treasures (of the world) 2017.

Shakespeare by the Sea

Artistic Director Robert Light presented a report on the 2012 performances at Holland Point Park, the inaugural year of the festival. The season was a success (1017 attendees over three weeks of performances), although ecological and archeological concerns regarding Holland Point surfaced. As a result of those concerns, the 2013 festival will be relocated to the sloping grassed area at Clover Point Park. Performances of "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be presented on alternating evenings between August 13^th and September 1^st, with a three-day performance holdover at the Clamshell in Sidney.

Who's in Charge?

Marg Gardiner presented a brief overview of sections of the Canada Marine Act and explained why the Victoria Harbour did not qualify to have a Port Authority and hence why Greater Victoria Harbour Authourity (GVHA) is not an 'authourity'. In theory, a non-profit agency, the GVHA pays no corporate taxes. It also puts downtown businesses at a disadvantage by giving GVHA tenant-businesses rates of 25-50% below market rates.

Harbour Pathway

On May 2^nd, the City introduced a concept plan for the harbour pathway (now David Foster Way) from Rock Bay to Ogden Point. Mayor and Council were very positive about the work undertaken by the Community of Citizens who were convened to forward the project. Councilor Charlayne Thornton-Joe was appointed as the Councilor to continue working with the select Community group to carry the project forward to completion in about 4 years. The group includes businesses and citizens of the broader region including Vancouver. Victoria resident consultation has not occurred.

City of Victoria

To date, JBNA has not received a response to the proposal to the City of Victoria Special Projects Grant program, seeking funding for an Independent Risk Management Process Assessment (ISO3100:2009): Harbour Airport.

Air Quality

Monitoring continues this year; ship visits in 2013 have encountered winds from the north and east, taking the often visible plume away from the single sulphur dioxide monitor.

Five cruise ships have been identified to be boarded for fuel-log inspection by Transport Canada.

GVHA Bus Contracts

GVHA has announced a contract with BC Transit and Wilsons for the cruise-shuttle service in 2013. Detail concerning noise levels created by the buses has not been provided.

60% of the highway buses leaving Ogden Point are for tour purposes, not shuttle service to the downtown area. No change in the fleet of tour-buses is expected.

Next Month:

Who is the PCC?

Have you ever wondered about the role of the PCC (Provincial Capital Commission)? How does the PCC relate to James Bay? To Victoria? To the Province? Who sits on the Board?

Join your neighbours next month for a presentation and discussion on PCC Programs & Properties by Rick Crosby, A/CEO, at the JBNA community meeting on June 12th.

Also on the evenings program will be Doug DeMarzo, City Parks Planning Manager, who will present the Harbour Pathway Visioning of Special Places.