James Bay in the New Century

By Doreen Marion Gee                                

We need a new vision for James Bay based on the old one. The last time that we had a formal plan for our community was 1993. Since that time, a lot has changed here and in the world. But some social problems are still with us and have become chronic. We are seeing homelessness and poverty in Victoria and James Bay on a scale never imagined in the rich affluent nineties. It is time to step into the new century and develop a plan for James Bay that meets these challenges and also addresses other community problems like noise, pollution, over-development, and the erosion of our green areas. The people at City Hall are working on updating our Official Community Plan for Victoria. After that they will bring our neighbourhood plans into the modern era. It is time for a revamped plan for James Bay but we need to keep the values and objectives of the old plan that promised a bright future for everyone who lives here. In many ways, they had it right back in 1993.

The 1973 James Bay Neighbourhood Plan was updated in November 1993 and it has served as a guide for making decisions ever since - like housing, land use, parks, traffic, etc. Its mandate is clear: "A primary purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is to provide guidance for Council when considering future development and initiatives in James Bay."   The1993 James Bay Neighbourhood Plan foresees the future by urging that we preserve "existing natural amenities...including existing housing stock and streetscapes..."  It deals with many concerns but for the sake of brevity, I will address a major local issue that has significantly worsened since 1993: the lack of affordable housing in James Bay.

One goal of the old plan was to "support initiatives for housing families, the elderly, disadvantaged and needy," and providing a "range of housing opportunities to accommodate a balance of family and non- family development." In the list of recommendations, the old Plan specifies that Council adhere to a policy that prohibits the demolition of existing residential buildings. A  1994 addition to the document enshrines the right to housing for all people, whether single, part of a family, rich or poor : " New housing should be affordable for households with a range of incomes... including those with or without children, and seniors."

James Bay is inaccessible for many people seeking housing. Rents here are some of the highest in Victoria. Affordable social housing is mainly geared to specific groups like First Nations, people with disabilities and the elderly. This is excellent progress but it excludes many people who are economically disadvantaged. It is virtually impossible for any single adult on a low income to live here. Have we abandoned those humanitarian goals set down by those smart people in 1993? In any new neighbourhood plan, we should be upholding the values of the old one with its focus on inclusion and equality in housing and we should be making its goal of housing for everyone a reality.

Cameron Scott, Planner for the City's Community Planning Division, is very excited about the current process to update Victoria's Official Community Plan (OCP). Over the next twelve months, the City will be engaging the public in bringing the OCP into the 21^st Century. To reflect massive changes in our world, the new OCP will address climate change, the environment, the need for affordable housing and other pressing issues. The first strategy is a survey to gauge public priorities from now until March 10, 2010. The OCP should be completed in 2011. At that time the City will undertake an update of every individual community plan, including James Bay, with public consultation. Each neighbourhood plan will address the specific issues of that area. But the new OCP will also provide directions for all neighbourhood plans that are linked to the overall city. This ensures consistency in tackling city wide problems that affect every community. Scott is "keen on a robust public process - public consultation is critical to the overall process."

The old James Bay Neighbourhood Plan envisions a "safe peaceful community." It hopes for a future with abundant housing "that meets the needs of a rich diversity of residents."  Maybe with a new James Bay Plan that respects the old one, we can finally make that happen.

Please view the details of the old James Bay Plan and the progress of the new Official Community Plan on the City website : www.victoria.ca. There will be community forums on the new OCP at the Crystal Garden on March 26 and 27, 2010.