The Beacon as it Was and Is

By Jim Gerwing

Twenty years ago the James Bay Newspaper Society emerged from a remarkable history of local community newspapers. One of its first steps was to find a new name. They selected The James Bay Beacon. It is interesting to compare some of those first issues with today's.

There are some obvious differences. The masthead has changed somewhat. The number of pages has increased from a normal 12 to the usual 20 now. Advertising costs have tripled. Dramatically different layout and printing methods have occurred, from cut-and- paste to fully computerized systems. Gone are the days when volunteers laboured into the wee hours to produce the templates which had to be transported to a photo shop, then to the printer. Now a one-finger jab sends everything to the printer. Although early on it had to resort to requests for donations to keep it solvent, The Beacon has now been operating in the black. Circulation has increased from 6500 to 7500, reflecting population growth.

Community organizations are doing much the same as today; the Community Centre, the Project, the New Horizons, all are advertising basic services they still offer, though meals at the Centre have gone from $5.00 to $7.50. The James Bay Neighbourhood Association was then called the Neighbourhood Environment Committee (NEC), but its struggles with city hall are similar to what it deals with today: population density, environmental concerns, and community input into decisions.

Much like today, the paper did not report news stories. Yet, the November 1992 issue did report what the police called a "malicious" fire, which destroyed the grandstand and storage buildings at Macdonald Park and damaged many of the nearby homes and yards. Neighbours had heard firecrackers during the night; the area was well-known as a hangout for local youth. Damages were assessed at over a million dollars. No injuries resulted from the fire.

Some organizations seem to have disappeared. COPS (Community Oriented Police Station) is gone. Its purpose was to assist police in keeping folks in James Bay safe from crime. One irate letter to the Beacon called the organization "neighbourhood snoops," and wrote, "I have the right to walk the streets without being monitored by people hiding in the bushes."

The Victoria Accord, an attempt to bring together the various groups with interests in the future development of James Bay, has also died a natural death. One of its members lamented the absence of links between the Accord, the harbour and community members. The principal issue was what to do about the Legislative Precinct. At stake was whether there could possibly be a partnership in the redevelopment of major areas of Victoria and James Bay, along with a rapid transit system to support it.

This project anticipated the "most massive building program since the construction of the Parliament Buildings." Its aim was to accommodate some 2,000 new jobs with the provincial government, and 650,000 square feet of office space they would need, most of it to be built where the parking lots are. Part of the project would be to find housing for the anticipated flood of workers. No details about sites or increased density were reported. They envisioned an electric transport loop between downtown and the precinct. They contended that this would be cheaper, quieter, and cleaner than diesel buses.

What they could not secure was community backing for the project. The NEC pointed out the absence of any new amenities (like a recreation centre or swimming pool) for James Bay residents, which already comprised 25% of the population of Victoria. They also pointed out that the proposed transit loop would not help the people of James Bay, suggesting that it should be extended to include the cruise ship terminal at Ogden Point.

Meanwhile, the NEC was also dealing with Inner Harbour development plans, mostly in the form of dreams.

Despite the rapidity of change in our lives here in James Bay, there are still some things that never change.