Make resolutions for the planet at Victoria levee
They’re putting a climate-action twist on the annual New Year’s Day Levee at Victoria City Hall this year.
Anyone stopping by council chambers from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday will be asked to embrace the reception’s theme and make a resolution for the planet.
“We’re pitching this as the most important decade in human history,” Mayor Lisa Helps said in a year-end interview. “We’ve got to work together as a human species for the next 10 years to keep the global temperature [increase] below 1.5 C.
“But more importantly than that — and this is one thing that’s really come clear to me over the past year — is that addressing climate change is good for health. It’s good for well-being. It’s good for connection. It’s good for the economy.
“So I think we need to talk — at the levee and in the coming year — less about climate change and more about the cool benefits that come with it.”
Helps pointed to a recent report from the Coalition for Urban Transitions that found cities can cut greenhouse-gas emissions almost 90 per cent by 2050 using widely available and proven methods.
“If designed and delivered with care, these measures could also address urgent political priorities, including choking air pollution, chronic traffic congestion, poor services and lost productivity,” says the report, Climate Emergency, Urban Opportunities.
“The bundle of investments would collectively generate an economic return worth US $23.9 trillion in today’s terms.”
Helps said she firmly believes that “some of that should come to Victoria if we position ourselves well.”
“Climate change is awful,” she said. “But also there’s an opportunity in responding to create prosperity and more sustainable livelihoods and more sustainable communities.”
She said cities will be at the forefront of that change because that’s where the population is
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps: “We’re pitching this as the most important decade in human history.” concentrated and where most of the innovation happens.
“One of the things that makes me most optimistic, though — and again this comes from looking globally, not just locally or around the region — is that I’m certain that we have all of the solutions we need,” Helps said. “The key now and the real challenge is scaling, replicating and accelerating, and that’s why cities are so important.”
Helps said Victoria and other cities can cut their emissions significantly simply by moving to more sustainable forms of transportation and by retrofitting buildings.
Victoria, for instance, plans to make it a priority in the coming years to shift away from oil heating by offering residents incentives to get rid of oil tanks and switch to heat pumps.
“So what we need to do as cities isn’t complicated,” Helps said. “We need to empower, incentivize and help residents and businesses take the action that’s needed.”
Helps noted that Victoria is already gaining national and international attention for its efforts. This past year, she was invited to speak about climate action at the United Nations in New York and at the International Conference on Climate Action in Heidelberg, Germany, where she was a last-minute replacement for the mayor of Paris at one of the plenary sessions.
“I feel like for a long time, Victoria was just this kind of little island focus and I feel like in 2019, one of the key successes looking back is the positive national attention we’ve received.”
The city hopes to build on that in the coming year with the rollout of its second economic action plan — Victoria 3.0: Pivoting to a Higher Value Economy.
In a commentary for the Times Colonist in August, Helps offered a preview of the plan’s goals, which include creating “innovation districts” and building on the strengths of the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada program and developing an ocean science and marine economic cluster.
“At the same time as it continues to nurture the local business community, which is obviously our bread and butter and really important, it starts to position Victoria and Greater Victoria as a globally fluent small powerhouse,” Helps said.
“And that’ll take a couple of decades. But I think it matters in a rapidly changing global economy, where jobs are global, where information is everything, where human capital is everything. It matters what the world thinks about Victoria and how Victoria is seen.”
As for those who say the city should focus on delivering core services, Helps said times are changing and that we need to “reconceptualize” cities and their purpose.
“So all these people who are saying, like: ‘Stick to fixing potholes.’ Right, well you know what? Every city around the world is grappling with fixing climate change, not potholes. The engineers can take care of the potholes.
“But I think in terms of people thinking that cities should just do pipes and parks, that is an oldfashioned, irrelevant notion.
“I get so many emails saying: ‘When are you going to solve mental health and addictions? When are going to solve homelessness?’ And then people saying, at the same time you know: ‘Stick to your knitting.’
“So which is it?”
TUESDAY, DEC. 31 New Year’s Eve
The 13th annual First Night New Year’s Eve Celebration at Panorama Recreation Centre. Enjoy an evening of family activities including swimming, skating, fun on our inflatable, hamster balls, laser tag and more, then top the evening off with a fireworks display. Tonight, 5-9 p.m. at 1885 Forest Park Dr. Details at panoramarecreation.ca Early Shift: Reign in the New Year at the Royal B.C. Museum. This annual family-oriented party in the rainforest of the Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises exhibition will be a tropical frolic, with music, activities and games, 6-8:30 p.m. Tickets and details at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. New Year’s Eve Dinner and Dance with Groove Kitchen at the Upstairs Lounge, Oak Bay Recreation Centre. Featuring a multi-course dinner, live band, champagne at midnight and party favours. Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets at eventbrite.ca.
New Year’s Eve Party at the Mary Winspear Centre. A night of dancing led by the Chris Millington Band, with a glass of champagne, party favours, photo booth, full bar and food for purchase by Island Culinary Service, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at marywinspear.ca.
Rock in the New Year with Consenting Adults at the Esquimalt Curling Rink Upper Lounge, 1151 Esquimalt Rd. Tuesday, 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Tickets at Marty’s Mountain Cycle Ltd., Len Fraser Barber/Stylist and Esquimalt Music Centre. Proceeds to benefit Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society.
New Year’s Eve Celebration with the Time Benders at Elements Casino. Ring in 2020 with live music, a buffet dinner, a photo booth and of course a toast to new beginnings with a complimentary glass of champagne. 7 p.m. at 1708 Island Hwy. Tickets at ticketmaster.ca. Join Dr. Yasmin Railton of the Landscapes of Injustice project, Tsugio Kurushima from the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society and Royal B.C. Museum Collections Manager and Military and Homefront Historian Paul Ferguson as we walk and talk about Japanese Canadians in B.C. during the time of Pearl Harbour, the effects of dispossession and internment on thousands of Canadians and the current campaign to restore the Esquimalt Japanese Teahouse. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., meet at the Tillicum Road entrance parking lot of Esquimalt Gorge Park. More at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 31st Annual Run Through Time, a five-kilometre run and three-kilometre walk hosted by Runners of Compassion at UVic. 3800 Finnerty Rd., 6-7:30 p.m. A fundraiser for Shoes for Youth, a program that assists the underprivileged with footwear. Details and registration at raceroster.com. Atomic Vaudeville NYE Cabaret, Mind the Gap. 7:30 p.m. at the Victoria Event Centre, 1415 Broad St. Tickets: $38/$24 at ticketrocket.co.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1 New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day Levee at Government House. The Lieutenant Governor opens the doors to Government House, where visitors have an opportunity to enjoy light refreshments and music from the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums. Wednesday, 10 a.m.-noon at 1401 Rockland Ave. New Year’s Day Levee at Victoria City Hall, Council Chambers, Douglas Street at Pandora Avenue, 10 a.m.-noon. Free admission at the Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre, 2275 Quadra St. Wednesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fitness on the First class, 12-1 p.m. and Everyone Welcome Swim, 1-3 p.m. New Year’s Day Levee 2020 at Esquimalt Recreation Centre. Join Esquimalt mayor and council for a meet and greet session, Wednesday, 1-2:30 p.m. at 527 Fraser St. Recreation facility admissions on New Year’s Day will be free: public swimming will be available 1-3 p.m. at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre and public skating 1-2:50 p.m. at the Archie Browning Sports Centre. Details at esquimalt.ca. New Year’s Levee at the Bay Street Armoury. Join the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s) in the Armoury and their Officers’ Mess and have the opportunity to meet with members of the Regiment. 9 a.m.-noon at 715 Bay St.
Polar bear swims
Esquimalt Lagoon with commemorative shirts, hot drinks, heated shelters available. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Registration fee: $5 with proceeds to KidSport
Peninsula Celebrations Society Polar Bear Swim. 12 p.m. at Glass Beach at the end of Beacon Avenue in Sidney. By donation.
Metchosin Polar Bear Swim begins at 1 p.m. with a six-kilometre run and three-km walk, swim at 2 p.m. at Taylor Beach, 1052 Taylor Rd. Whiffin Spit Park, Sooke, 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m.
Old Music for the New Year featuring La Modestine, led by violinist Marc Destrubé at Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave., 2:30 p.m. By donation, details at christchurchcathedral.bc.ca.
THURSDAY, JAN. 2
Evan Crofton featuring Ryan Tandy and Damian Graham at Hermann’s Jazz Club, 753 View St., 7:30 p.m. Tickets at hermannsjazz.com.
The Bright Side, Thursdays and Fridays at Darcy’s Pub, 1127 Wharf St., 10 p.m.; darcyspub.ca.
Open Mic Night at The Fernwood Inn, 1302 Gladstone Ave. Every Thursday, 8-11 p.m. More at fernwoodinn.com.