Victoria can't afford to lose its downtown, Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said as city councillors agreed to gather public input into a draft downtown core plan.

"Every great city has a great downtown," Fortin said. "It's sad to see a city lose its downtown. San Diego took 30 years to get its back. Kamloops still hasn't done it."

The draft plan has been in the works for the past two years and builds on public-engagement efforts between 2005 and 2008. It anticipates that Greater Victoria's population will grow by 31 per cent or 111,000 new residents over the next 30 years and the number of people living in Victoria proper will rise by 18,800, surpassing 100,000.  read more »

Tree planting ceremony with Mayor of Morioka Japan at 11 today in Beacon Hill park, and then off to the opening Ceremonies of the Highland Games!  Sun just peeked through - lets go Victoria!

"This agreement will translate into significant business and economic benefits," said Klein. "Once Mayor Fortin had opened the door for us at the official level, we found enormous receptivity from Changsha educational institutions wanting to work with us."

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin will ask city council on Thursday to abandon any idea of charging for evening and Sunday parking downtown.

“I’m going to bring back the parking motion for reconsideration,” Fortin said.

Two weeks ago, while Fortin was leading a trade mission to China, councillors voted to ask municipal staff to look at charging for those traditionally free times and report on the potential impact.

Fortin called the idea of charging for parking on Sundays and evenings premature and “not something we’re interested in doing.”  read more »

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin will ask city council today to abandon any idea of charging for evening and Sunday parking downtown.

"I'm going to bring back the parking motion for reconsideration," Fortin said.

Two weeks ago, while Fortin was leading a trade mission to China, councillors voted to ask municipal staff to look at charging for those traditionally free times and report on the potential impact.

Fortin called the idea of charging for parking on Sundays and evenings premature and "not something we're interested in doing." "Rather than have staff go do work that no one is interested in, let's just end all speculation," Fortin said yesterday, adding the council discussion of extending pay-parking times caught him off guard.  read more »