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Global News
2 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Victoria city councillors want to preserve downtown movie theatres
Three Victoria councillors are trying to save the handful of movie theatres that remain in the downtown area for fear of losing key cultural spaces and experiences. Councillors Matt Dell, Dave Thompson and Krista Loughton will bring forward a motion at the Committee of the Whole meeting on June 5 'Downtown cinemas play a vital role in supporting local culture, walkability, and economic vitality,' the motion reads. 'Unlike suburban mall movie theatres, downtown cinemas bring people into the city centre where they can walk, bike, or take transit. Moviegoers grab dinner before the show or drinks afterward, supporting local restaurants and shops. This activity helps businesses and keeps downtown lively. Losing downtown theatres means losing both cultural experiences and economic benefits for local businesses.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Victoria City Council's 2023 to 2026 Strategic Plan committed to supporting small businesses and the visitor economy, while investing in artistic, theatrical and musical spaces to keep the downtown culturally vibrant. Story continues below advertisement MOVIES! We have a motion at council this week asking staff to look into preserving downtown movies theatres, incentivizing new theatres, and supporting film. We're at risk of losing all our large downtown theatres in Victoria – bad for culture, vibrancy and the economy! #yyj — Matt Dell (@mattdellok) June 2, 2025 The three councillors would like to see stronger policy tools as part of the new Official Community Plan and an updated Downtown Core Area Plan to provide additional tools such as zoning incentives, leveraging Development Variance Permits to fast-track or relax requirements for projects that retain or integrate theatres, explore if any city-owned land downtown could be future theatre space and strengthening heritage tools by exploring protections for theatres in historic buildings. Councillors will be looking for council's support to direct staff to 'report on additional options to support cinema in Victoria, including incentivizing the construction of new movie theatres, assisting in maintaining existing theatres, incorporating the support of cinema into its broader strategy for supporting arts and culture in the city, or any other potential policy options.'
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Pemberton chamber of commerce asks Village for clearer vision on Industrial Park
As the Village of Pemberton moves ahead with its comprehensive communities project, the Pemberton & District Chamber of Commerce (PDCC) is seeking clarity on the future of the Industrial Park area. The local business advocacy group wrote to the Village , raising concerns about how a lack of overall vision and clear definition for the area has led to competing uses for the space. 'The business owners and operators in the Industrial/Business Park would like to understand what the long-term strategy is for this dense commercial area and if there is a cohesive strategy for what is being approved,' wrote PDCC director Adam Adams in the letter. 'The chamber is in favour of businesses of all kinds operating in the community. But as this community continues to grow, we will need various forms of commercial entities to service the growing needs. We want assurance that there is a cohesive overall strategy for what that looks like.' The confusion extends to the name itself; industrial parks cater to heavy industry, while business parks are geared toward more office and light-industrial uses, like textiles, food processing and other consumer-grade products. 'The signage to the entrance shows this to [be] the Pemberton Business Park, but it is constantly referred to as the Industrial Park. One implies more commerce and the other implies industry,' Adams wrote. 'From looking at the current make-up of the park, it is not clear what the intent is.' Adams cited feedback from a December roundtable with park operators, in which tenants of the park expressed confusion about the nature of the space. He cited a combination of uses in the park, from light-industrial—including welding and home-building—to waste removal and storefront commercial—like the bakery, nursery, and hardware store—to services like the dance, gymnastic and jiu-jitsu studios, and residential. 'We have heard commentary from residents in the park that they might not be so happy with some of the noise that some business might be creating,' wrote Adams. 'This starts to bring in conflict between users. 'So we are seeing the resulting conflict of integrating various entities without a plan.' The PDCC's questions for the Village are threefold; whether there's an overall vision for the space, whether other local sites that could accommodate more light-to-heavy industrial uses have been discussed or identified, and how the overall vision for the park has and will continue to affect zoning amendments. Local officials discussed the letter during a May 27 council meeting. They acknowledged the issue and discussed the proper setting for ironing out a consistent vision. 'I'm wondering if there's—through our complete communities program and our re-start about to happen on the [Official Community Plan (OCP)]—is there room to capture this sort of work there?' asked Mayor Mike Richman. 'I think there's some really good points here about wanting to see a vision for it but I know that we don't have the planning capacity in our staff to start a whole new project there.' Pemberton's chief administrative officer, Elizabeth Tracy, said staff are aware of and have considered some of the issues raised. 'The OCP update is planned to clarify that vision,' Tracy told council. 'So as we move through that process, there will be more clarity as to what this is… if it's a business park or an industrial park in the future.' Pemberton's OCP update was originally slated to take place between 2022 and 2024 , but was paused in 2023 so the Village could build a 'deeper and more meaningful' relationship with the Lil'wat Nation . It's unclear when work on the OCP update will re-start. Richman reiterated there would be space devoted to the park in the OCP update. Mayor and council also directed staff to respond to Adams with information on how the PDCC would be consulted during the OCP process. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
28-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Upcoming panel aims to address new affordable housing needs across the North Shore
A North Shore organization is gearing up for a panel about new affordable housing next week. The North Shore Community Housing Action Committee, part of the non-profit North Shore Community Resources organization, is holding a panel with industry experts to share insights on the current and future housing landscape while also hearing from the community. Committee chair and housing advocate Jacob Isaac said the panel idea stemmed from the province's recent plans asking municipalities to make changes to their Official Community Plan's to address housing needs, but also for the committee to bring awareness about the new housing regulations and provide a forum for people's voices to be heard. 'This event is designed to engage North Shore residents and community groups who are often excluded from traditional housing discussions,' Isaac said. 'It's kind of a two-fold purpose, to inform and listen.' Experts from Hollyburn Community Services Society, the Housing Research Collaborative and BC Non-Profit Housing Association will focus on questions facing the region, Isaac said, including how we can make housing growth equitable, what policy tools deliver affordable housing and how local communities can shape solutions that reflect their needs. A community member will also speak at the panel, sharing their lived experience navigating the non-market housing system. The event will close with attendees taking part in small-group discussions that will help inform local municipal planners to determine the types and allocations of newly mandated housing, Isaac said. Isaac said he hopes the panel will make conversations around housing more accessible. 'I think this panel will really lend itself well to informing people who might not be familiar with housing planning, how these systems work, while also maybe pushing the needle a little bit to towards non-market and supportive housing that typically gets lost in these supply side affordability discussions,' he said. Mark Friesen, executive director of Hollyburn Community Services Society, said he will be highlighting the different types of affordable housing out there, something not everyone knows. 'For our work achieving our mission and purpose, it's really important that there's a range and a whole spectrum of housing on the North Shore, and that includes everything from emergency shelters, deep subsidy, affordable housing, low end of market and below marketing housing,' Friesen said. Hollyburn Community Services Society is a non-profit that provides resources for youth, seniors and families experiencing social vulnerabilities . Among the various programs they offer, the non-profit provides support for youth and seniors experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Earlier this year, the non-profit also began offering affordable community housing on the North Shore residents and surrounding areas in Metro Vancouver. Some of these projects include a four-storey affordable rental building on West Queens Road in North Vancouver and 20 below-market rate units at a building in Coquitlam opening this summer. With the increase Hollyburn is seeing with housing, Friesen also hopes people will take away an openness to different kinds of housing. 'Understand that affordable housing is a whole variety of different housing types, and by working together, communities across the North Shore can have a constructive conversation around types of development that will ensure complete, healthy, sustainable communities for the long term,' he said. Housing is Coming: Embracing Density, Complete Communities panel When: Thursday, June 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Where: The Great Hall at Kiwanis Cypress (999 21st Street, West Vancouver) Cost: Free. Register online here .
Vancouver Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
A proposed development that could triple its population has divided this B.C. village
A proposal to build 2,200 housing units in Anmore has some residents concerned about over-extended infrastructure and a lack of exit routes in case of wildfire. The development, known as Anmore South and undertaken by real estate developer Icona Properties, would take about 25 years to reach completion in the village of 2,300, just across the water from Port Moody. The proposed development covers 61 hectares of forest adjacent to Belcarra Regional Park. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It would potentially triple our population — we don't know,' said Harriette Chang, who has lived in Anmore for 17 years. 'I think development is inevitable, but that's not what we are concerned about, so much as the planning. 'I'm a resident in Anmore, and I would love to have some say in what that's going to look like.' Chang is one of many residents who have posted 'Pause Anmore South' signs, most of them calling for a referendum — 'Change this big demands one,' 'Back to the drawing board,' 'Process tainted,' and, 'The studies are wrong. What now?' A group calling itself the Anmore Neighbours Community Association hired a lawyer to write village council a letter on May 16 stating that the development process is 'flawed' and criticizing the 'suppression of political expression' in Anmore. 'My client and its many members and supporters have serious concerns about the manner in which Anmore's council is proceeding with the proposed amendment to the Official Community Plan that will allow the Anmore South development to proceed,' lawyer Sean Hern wrote. There are two overarching problems, he stated: A majority of the five-member council have already made up their minds, and that the village council 'has been violating Anmore residents' rights of free expression in an unacceptable manner, suppressing and silencing voices that wish to be heard in relation to the Anmore South development.' For Chang, her biggest concern is the thought of escaping during a wildfire. She pointed to the Paradise, Calif., fire of 2018 that destroyed the California town, killing 85 people and destroying about 19,000 buildings. 'They had a great evacuation plan, but the road infrastructure was insufficient to sustain that amount (of people trying to flee in their cars),' Chang said. 'I think about that, and I think about our hot, dry summer that we just about always get, what could that potentially look like. 'It's terrifying.' Greg Moore , the CEO of Icona Properties, disagrees that there has been no opportunity for Anmore residents to voice their opinions. The former councillor and mayor of Port Coquitlam for 16 years, and a city planner before that, said community engagement began four years ago. Over that period, there have been 28 public engagements and community meetings, he said, on top of open houses, focus groups and neighbourhood meetings. 'I've been in local government for 25 years and I've never seen this level of community engagement for land-use planning,' Moore said. He added that he appreciates that some residents don't want any development at the site, that they would like to keep it the way that it is, or they would like single-family homes. 'But it isn't for the lack of community engagement that we've got to this point to try to find a balance between a diversified housing stock, bringing in some commercial, some recreation, and some other amenities that Anmore just doesn't have right now.' Addressing infrastructure concerns, Moore said Icona is committed to hooking Anmore up to Metro Vancouver's water supply and sewer system. For now, Anmore gets its water from Port Moody and has no sewer infrastructure. Ioco road would need upgrades, Moore said, and Anmore's volunteer firefighting service would, as well. 'We have done a full wildfire study,' he said. 'The biggest challenge there now is there is no water, not even wells, to fight a fire.' A trunk line from Metro Vancouver would mean fire hydrants, which may even extend to Belcarra Regional Park, he said. 'You would create, actually, a safer environment to be able to fight fires when they start.' As for transportation, Moore said Icona will seek a community sponsorship or partnership with TransLink, a case-by-case program the transportation authority has in which new projects may be funded under a 10-year investment plan. As it stands, Anmore is an eight-minute drive from a SkyTrain station. Anmore Mayor John McEwen said the village did all the requisite traffic analysis, as well as financial and environmental impact studies. Holding a referendum is only allowed by local governments for disposal of certain utilities such as water or sewage, disposal of specific parkland, municipal boundary extensions, and municipal loan-authorization bylaws, he pointed out. Anmore resident Leslie Hannigan said she has heard it all before. 'At first glance, you may be convinced that Anmore South is a perfect place for 2,200 homes and an ideal response to the housing crisis,' she said. 'But take another look.' The Anmore Neighbours Community Association's consultant disputed Icona's traffic study, Hannigan said, finding that only 40 per cent of the proposed dwellings could be built without exceeding road capacity. 'More worrisome, there is no evacuation plan in the event of an emergency. We are surrounded by forests at the end of one-lane roads.' Residents aren't against development, she said. 'We are against high-density development with unknown consequences. We want a well-planned community, with solid information on how we will be affected, and a clear, coordinated voice in the future of our village. 'It's time we stood up to the chaos.' gordmcintyre@
Hamilton Spectator
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Anmore group threatens legal action against village over Anmore South development
The Village of Anmore has been threatened with a legal action over its handling of the contentious Anmore South development, with the Anmore Neighbours Community Association (ANCA) alleging procedural and constitutional violations. In a May 15 letter addressed to Mayor John McEwen and council, ANCA's lawyers accuses the village of bias, democratic suppression, and violations of free expression under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The letter warns that unless the Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment process is halted and corrected, ANCA will petition the B.C. Supreme Court to quash any resulting decision. 'If the village chooses to ignore (these complaints) and forge ahead with the OCP amendment, it can expect a legal proceeding brought by ANCA, and perhaps others, to set the decision aside,' ANCA's lawyers stated. The Anmore South project, proposed by Icona Properties, aims to transform 151-acres on the municipality's southwest border into a mixed-use development with approximately 2,200 units, commercial space, a community centre, parks, and a connection to Metro Vancouver's wastewater system. Anmore's population could nearly triple over the next 25 years if council were to approve an amendment to its official community plan changing the designation of the lands from rural to urban. The Village of Anmore did not respond to a request for comment by press time. Accusations of bias ANCA claimed three of the five Anmore councillors – Mayor John McEwen and Couns. Polly Krier, and Kim Trowbridge – have 'prejudged' their decision on the OCP amendment by publicly endorsing the proposed 'preferred plan' before a public hearing has occurred. Several statements from the councillors are provided. ANCA argued that those statements show their 'minds are made up' regarding the OCP amendment. 'The public hearing itself is pointless – the mayor and these councillors will sit and listen to suggestions, but not whether to vote 'yes' or 'no' on the amendment, which is the vote that will come before them,' the letter stated. Earlier this year, McEwen said it would be a loss if only single-family homes were built in the area. 'I think the key thing that we have to remember is, this land is going to be developed at some point,' McEwen said at a February meeting. 'I've said very publicly, I certainly don't want it to go RS-1 the way some areas of the other village have.' Council has discussed development of the Anmore South site since it was designated as a special study area in 2007. More recently, council discussed three visions for the land, including one pitch for approximately 3,500 units. ANCA cited several Supreme Court of Canada decisions, arguing the legal standard for disqualifying a member of council from participating in a decision is if they are no longer capable of being persuaded. It further claims the councillors have shown to prejudge the amendment decision by rushing the process through despite late completion of a consultant reports, an incomplete neighbourhood plan, and treating the first and second reading of the bylaw as routine 'housekeeping' steps. The letter urged all three representatives to recuse themselves from further deliberations, warning that if they do not, any vote on the OCP amendment will be legally tainted. Because this recusal would leave council without quorum, ANCA suggested the village seek direction from the court to allow the decision to proceed with a modified quorum. ANCA stated it would expect Mayor McEwen's participation to be conditional on a court order requiring him to consider public input 'with as open a mind as possible.' Accusations of Charter breaches The municipality is also being accused of suppressing political dissent regarding Anmore South by unreasonably limiting free expression at council meetings and through local signage restrictions. ANCA highlighted recent changes to the village's procedure bylaw , which bar comments on any topic that may be the subject of a future public hearing. They state this 'broadly drafted' clause is unconstitutional because it stifles political expression on pending issues before they are formally up for debate. The bylaw was invoked during the May 6 council meeting, when residents were barred from raising questions about Anmore South during question period, while the developer and two opposing delegations were permitted to speak about the project during the same meeting. ANCA contended this inconsistent application shows the bylaw is being enforced in a discriminatory manner and suppressing community opposition while giving the developer a platform. Icona CEO Greg Moore defended the consultation process, noting that 28 public engagement events have been held since 2021. The ANCA letter also raised concerns about a zoning bylaw which restricts residential signage to only certain types such as real estate or home business signs. Political signage is not permitted, even on private property. While the bylaw is in place to limit visual pollution, ANCA claimed it is being used as a way to prohibit 'political expression on a matter of fundamental importance to the community.' According to the letter, ANCA has received reports that village staff have removed signs opposing Anmore South, while leaving up other signs that also contravene the bylaw. ANCA argued this suggests 'discretionary unfairness' and points to an active effort by the village to suppress opposition to Anmore South. The letter is calling on council to delay the public hearing and OCP amendment decision by 'at minimum several months' until both the procedure bylaw and zoning bylaw are amended to comply with Charter protections. Only after residents are given a 'reasonable period' for unrestricted political expression, should the amendment return to council for a vote, ANCA stated. The letter follows several months of escalating tension around the Anmore South proposal, with groups like ANCA and the Anmore Residents Association describing the process as 'developer-dominated,' and calling for a referendum to decide the project's fate.
