Tipping point?

James Bay Neighbourhood Association

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

Presentations at the November 14^th general meeting of the James Bay Neighbourhood Association (JBNA) covered topics relating to JBNA concerns with the harbour, the cruise ship industry and the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA). Where have we been? Can we celebrate any success? Where do we go from here? 

Greater Victoria Harbour Authority:

Work on the Ogden Point MasterPlan is proceeding.  No community consultation has occurred as yet.

The GVHA received a consultant's report in August which focused on cruise-ship marketing and port design. The report includes the following highlights:

 - the cruise-ship industry is expected to double or triple in the next 25 years - an increase of 100% to 200% worldwide.

 - North American growth is predicted to be from 50% to 125%.

 - Every ship that moves their home-port from Vancouver to Seattle, represents an economic loss to British Columbia.  A ship, home ported overnight in Vancouver, is many times more valuable to BC than several hit and run, port-of-call stops in Victoria.

 - Ships travelling between Seattle and Alaska must stop in a BC port.  Victoria exists only as an adjunct to the Seattle market as a result of requirements of the US Passenger Vessel Services Act.

 - The cruise ship industry would like Victoria to provide a fourth berth to accommodate a greater number of vessels at one time during the evening, rather than alter vessel schedules to include daytime visits. Although three ships at one time has been the Thursday-Friday-Saturday practice for years in Victoria, last year five ships were handled in a day. The Ogden Point schedule has been broadened to any or every day of the week. Without putting in another berth, and with the 110 day regular season, GVHA could invite in excess of 600 ships in a season if that many were on the Alaska run. The limiting factor is not berths.  

 - The consultant suggested that more needed to be done to give "the cruise-industry a sense of ownership of Ogden Point". By sense of ownership, the consultant was referring to industry control of most of the activity associated with passengers once in port. The industry and GVHA, through control of the shore-excursion program and preferential treatment over local businesses, has more than enough influence over City operations and local Victoria businesses now.

 - GVHA intent for growth at Ogden Point is to more than double the number of passengers coming to port.  GVHA gets paid by numbers arriving in port, not by how many come ashore. 

 - Larger ships will continue to be built; cruise-industry expansion will be limited only by how quickly ships can be built and home-ported in Seattle.

 - The consultant noted the need to address issues of emissions, noise and traffic in James Bay to ensure growth of the industry.  Unfortunately, that may mean further refinement of a planning process with a broad consultation of "citizens of the region", allowing the very real health and safety concerns of James Bay residents to be dismissed.

Another consultants report delivered to the GVHA in August focused on Diversification Proposals for Ogden Point. Martin Associates was asked to identify viable cargo and related opportunities at Ogden Point that would diversify GVHA revenue sources, be compatible with cruise ship scheduling, create economic activity, and have minimal impact on the community. 

Four of the eight possibilities considered in the report are already being pursued at Ogden Point. Several of the possibilities could have a serious impact on James Bay because of additional traffic and the resultant noise and air quality issues. Some would just move jobs from other areas on the Island while increasing year-round traffic in James Bay. 

The report examines the Advantages/Disadvantages of only some of the possibilities in terms of community impact (James Bay), revenue potential (GVHA), economic impact (Victoria), and the impact on cruise business. The Martin slide presentation did not include this analysis for all of the potential possibilities discussed.

Given Martin Associates 'established track record for objective analysis' and 'use of the most accurate and verifiable industry economic models' (according to their web-site) the report is disconcertingly vague when it comes to giving more than lip service to the concept of how their proposals may impact the community.

One wonders if Martin Associates has ever made a recommendation that does not encourage growth of the cruise ship industry over all other local considerations.

JBNA / GVHA Liaison:

In 2012 the JBNA selected what were considered to be feasible and attainable management targets with the GVHA. Priorities included cruise ship scheduling, cruise ship related vehicular traffic (volume & speed), air quality & cruise ship performance, and noise within the community. 

Despite limitations, the JBNA has had achievements with many of these issues:

  - buses and taxis serving Ogden Point are on notice to comply with posted speed limits within residential neighbourhoods, 

 - the current GVHA RFQ for shuttle bus performance measures is expected to provide efficient vehicles reducing noise and emissions,

 - walking and small marine transport of cruise ship passengers from Ogden Point to the Inner Harbour will be encouraged (although it will not keep up with the increase to passenger traffic from anticipated larger vessels in coming years),

 - open air sound systems are to be eliminated in buses in 2013 and possibly in horse-drawn carriages in 2014.

 - low-sulphur fuel (to be used while entering Victoria harbour and while docked) is to be reduced from 1% sulphur in August 2012 to the targeted 0.1% in January 2015. The JBNA advised federal bureaucrats of the air quality situation in Victoria, and we saw some action. If the numbers of vessels increases as projected, the sulphur dioxide level will quickly return to previous levels.

JBNA Direction:

Although we are fighting a lonely battle against a hostile lineup, we can recognize some results. 

The cruise ship industry sees nothing but expansion in their future, with bigger ships demanding more berthing opportunities at local taxpayers expense. GVHA serves the industry. The GVHA board is made up of 'industry' representatives who fail to take their Board Governance role in the areas of Environment and Resident Impact seriously. Political leadership favours the GVHA, even though the cruise ship industry has been proven to have an overall negative impact on Victoria's economy.

A focused strategy can and must be developed for Ogden Point. That strategy should not be dependent on a seasonal low-paying tourism industry. It should create green jobs that pay a living wage to which young people can aspire. When we will we reach our tipping point?

Looking ahead

December 12, 2012 General Meeting

6:30 pm - 9 pm 234 Menzies St. (New Horizons)

(Note the early start for this meeting.) A short JBNA meeting will be followed by a Public Forum, Inner Harbour - Restoring the Public Realm, hosted by Victoria Councillors Shellie Gudgeon and Ben Isitt.

Join with neighbours for a discussion of ideas for enhancing the public areas around Victoria's harbour, while nibbling on Christmas sweets.

January 9, 2013 General Meeting

7 pm - 9 pm 234 Menzies (New Horizons)

Chief Jamie Graham of the Victoria Police Department will be our first speaker in 2013. His presentation will be followed by Victoria's champion of festivals, John Vickers, who will discuss Municipal Amalgamation and how other communities have accomplished it.