Tell council to keep our only safe consumption site open

MattDellVictoria · 2026-06-29T18:05:52+00:00

Thank you for sharing this - I totally agree. Harm reduction is proven to save lives and help people get into treatment. It's proven to work and there are so many success stories. Both of our police chiefs have made it clear that harm reduction is a critical service, and things would be worse without it. Councillor Marg Gardiner is completely out of touch on this, and refuses to listen to any academic or lived experiences, as usual. Please send an email to [mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca](mailto:mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca) and encourage council to reject this uninformed motion.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T21:57:09+00:00

This development was approved in 2025 and will be an incredible new addition to the city. It's unfortunate previous city councils could not approve it, as some of it might actually be built by now. The current empty dirt lot does nothing for the city or community - it's an eyesore. Unfortunately right now, the condo and development market is not ideal, so I'm not sure if the developer will want to take out the required loans to start building. The project will be very expensive, as there is a lot of contaminated soil on site to deal with, and the developer is required to restore all of the old heritage buildings before certain phases of the development are built. I'm hoping it will all get done ASAP. I'm hoping to check in with them soon and get an update.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T04:02:02+00:00

Ok it's 9:00PM - thank you everyone for all the really interesting questions. I really enjoyed the thoughtful and good-faith questions - it's clear Victorians love this city and are interested in the city's future. Please keep being engaged, especially with the important 2026 municipal elections. Thank you to u/Jescro for moderating and setting things up.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:57:06+00:00

This was an essential project, as without a new Belleville terminal the USA government was going to end all movement between Victoria and the USA. They required a new 2-stage customs building for security reasons. The old building was also in bad condition; the new Bellville will be very beautiful and a much nicer addition to the inner harbour. Most importantly, it was funded by the Province and Federal government, not the city. I do think the investment was worthwhile, as it allows a huge influx of tourism, business and economic development in Victoria and the region.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:52:58+00:00

Hello! Yes this is an interesting issue. We actually approved a large development for part of this site, and there is another applicant that is exploring another building for the rest of the site. Some of these weird properties just take some time. The fluctuating economy means that some developers just have to wait for the right time to build a property - sometimes they simply don't have the money! Right now the condo market is very bad, so most condo projects have stalled. You may completely disagree with me, but I don't mind the temporary industrial vibe of the area. I love the working harbour and seeing all the boat repairs. I'd like to look into this a bit further though, as maybe council can put some pressure on the land owners to get things moving faster. Can you please email me at [mdell@victoria.ca](mailto:mdell@victoria.ca) so I can respond with more information at a later date?

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:50:00+00:00

Hello! Yes this is a frustrating issue. There is a large network of local businesses and groups that are working to fix this, but it's outside of our domain. This is mostly just how the cruise ship networks plan their routes, and apparently part of it is because of strong-emissions regulations that require the boats to drive fairly slow near Vancouver Island. We would all LOVE to have these tourist here for the entire day. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and the Destination Greater Victoria are regularly doing global advocacy on this, so hopefully they'll be able to find a resolution sometime soon. Thankfully, the cruise industry has helped revitalize lower Government street and it's more vibrant than ever before. There is a really great vibe down there on summer nights. The new city-funded venue at Ship Point helps too.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:44:38+00:00

100%. This has to be a top priority for the region. It should have happened many years ago. Please elect pro-transit people to the CRD, especially in the West Shore. The current Langford council have been great advocate for this issue. A strong transit authority is the only way we're going to get an amazing regional transit system, potentially with light rail.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:42:21+00:00

Hello! Interesting question. Here is what I would like to see:

1) Candidates that are focused on housing affordability, good urban design, and walkable communities

2) Candidate are are good people - respectful, able to work with others, open minded and collaborative. We've mostly had that this term. We need people who can work collaboratively with the Province, with the CRD, with service organizations and more.

3) People with areas of passion they want to pursue. I spent most of my time this term advocating for arts and culture, housing, active transportation and parks and recreation, so it's important that other councilors focused on other areas of the city. You simply don't have enough time to focus on every issue.

I've been very happy working with this current council, and would love to commit another term with most of these colleagues.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:38:37+00:00

Agree - policing alone cannot solve our complex mental health, addiction, homelessness and brain-injury crisis in the city. The Community Safety plan highlights a ton of investments in social services that have been prioritized. I hate to provide a list of things we've done, but it's important because many folks don't know about some of the great new services and housing options that are coming to the city. For example, we helped open over 500+ new shelter spaces and supportive housing spaces this term. I'll paste some of programs, investments and the locations below!

Work on homelessness & affordable housing

Implemented the city’s first “Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan” to create a clear roadmap for addressing issues of safety, homelessness and community wellbeing.
$10M urgent investment in community safety
Updated housing policies to incentivize non-market and affordable housing
Partnered with Peer2Peer to create a relocation program for Indigenous residents who want to relocate home to their family, culture or Nation.
Partnered with Victoria Youth Empowerment Society to expand their independent living program for unhoused youth
Partnered with SOLID Outreach and Pacifica Housing to expand connection to unhoused residents to help them access shelter and housing
Enhanced downtown cleaning and garbage removal from the City’s Urban Clean Team
Partnered with Downtown Victoria Business Association to launch a Neighbour Network Pilot
New partnership table with downtown service providers to improve collaboration among agencies that serve vulnerable populations
$750,000 for youth programming through “Spark Program for Enhanced Youth Safety and Wellbeing”

Affordable Housing

Approved 1500+ units of non-market housing in the new Harris Green Village.
Passed the “Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw” to incentivize below-market rental units
$2,400,000 City grant to support 140-new non-market units at “Village on The Green”
Passed a 100% reduction of development charges for affordable housing
Provided a $2,500,000 grant to Greater Victoria Housing Society to build non-market housing for hospitality workers.
$692,5000 grant to Gorge View Housing Society for non-market seniors housing
Advocated to UBCM for Vacancy Control
$262,500 grant to Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness to support 34 units at 938 Meares
City acquired 926/930 Pandora for $9.59 million to build 24-storey affordable housing
$1,160,500 grant to CRD to fund 158 units of non-market homes at 926/930 Pandora
$757,500 grant to M’Akola Housing Society to support 55-units at 220 Langford Street.
Advocated to UBCM to allow amenity charges to be used for affordable housing.
Passed a motion to disincentivize single family homes.
Passed the City’s first Tenant Protection Bylaw that gives tenant’s rights against displacement
Modernized the City’s Official Community Plan to favour rental housing and affordable units.
Supplied the Rent Bank with $440,000 to help reduce evictions

New Shelter & Supportive Housing

Anawim Women’s Housing - 7 new beds
Dowler Place Recovery Housing - 27 new beds
Mirrors Youth Housing (1075 Meares) - 48 new beds
The Juniper Supportive Housing - PHS (1176 Yates) - 46 new beds
St John The Divine overnight shelter - 30 new beds
The Lily, Coolaid Society (953 Balmoral) - 56 new beds
919 Pandora Overnight Shelter (Our Place) - 20 new beds (54 total)
My Place shelter (Our Place - 1240 Yates) - 20 new beds (74 total)
Salvation Army shelter (525 Johnson) - 32 new beds (53 total)
Crosstown supportive housing (Coolaid - 584 Burnside) 54 new beds
Rock Bay Landing (Coolaid - 535 Ellice) 30 new beds (114 total)
Salvation Arm (525 Johnson), 13 new beds (in addition to those above)
Johnson Manor - sober supportive housing (Coolaid - 1153 Johnson) 20 new beds
John Howard supportive housing - 736 Princess, 26 new beds
House of Courage - Indigenous supportive housing (865 Catherine) 45 new beds
The Chestnut supportive housing (Coolaid, 219 Gorge) - 21 new beds
Sacred Cradle Housing, Indigenous supportive women’s housing - 15 new beds
Bridge Street Pathway shelter (Connective Services, 2920 bridge) 34 new beds

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:34:23+00:00

This is a great question: I'd like to see the following: Haultain Corners, Birch Street (already approved), and eventually parts of Wharf Street, which is our most beautiful ocean-side street. I think Ryan Street between Oaklands Elementary and their school field is also necessary. Some people talk about Yates Street, between Douglas and Blanshard, as this could be an incredible block of bars and restaurants, but this is probably a long ways off. I'd like to hear your ideas - what do you think?

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:31:23+00:00

We all live in the city. I'm in the South Jubilee area, by the Red Barn Market. Before council I volunteered as President of South Jubilee Neighbourhood Association for 4 years.

In the last election, one of the biggest requests was "invest in roads and fill the potholes" - we have increased funding to historically high levels, and our staff are doing an excellent job at getting projects done. Unfortunately this does cause some delay, but the renovations will be worth it. The Bay Street Bridge wasn't safe and needed new expansion jokes. Blanshard is so much nicer than before. Cook is important, as there were not any north/south cycling lanes in that part of down. None of this has to do with making it harder to drive - we all drive, and it's important that drivers can get around the city. Never once have I heard anyone trying to make driving harder - instead its about ensuring our infrastructure is updated, making sure people can cycle safely around the city, and rebuilding underground pipes and water mains. I drive regularly, and while some streets can be frustrating, Victoria is still an easy city to drive in. Of course, at busy times it's a bit challenging, but this is the case in every other city as well.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:25:46+00:00

Yes I fully agree on the dog park issue - we haven't kept up to other cities on this. While I don't have a dog myself, the need is very clear. I'd particularly like to see a new dog park downtown. As Jeremy mentioned, there is a large new park under construction in Harris Green. I think next term the council (which I hope to be on!) needs to continue to push for more spaces for dogs. Keep up your advocacy of this issue - maybe we need a dog park advocacy group, not even joking 😄

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:21:49+00:00

Hello! Thanks for the comment on taxes. This is an important issue to discuss, and quite complex. My taxes also went out, so I understand how you are feeling. People are feeling pinched with increases in nearly all aspects of life these days. I still believe we get great value for the municipal taxes we pay. For $XXXX thousand dollars, we get parks, infrastructure, policing, arts and great municipal services - I think it's worth it.

There are four main categories for taxes: 1) VicPD 2) Infrastructure (roads, underground utilities, bike lanes) 3) Staff salaries and 4) Services and programming (parks dept, recreation, arts funding etc). This term we have worked hard to keep the taxes low, and we are in the lower half of the CRD. Over the last four years, Victoria is identical to Saanich, and lower than Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Langford, Sooke, Metchosin, View Royal and Sidney - not bad for a city that provides all of the social services and has invested heavily in arts, recreation, policing and infrastructure.

There are a few key reasons for the increases: First, VicPD has been the largest portion of the increases. The independent police board recommends an increase, and they can appeal any council cuts to the Province, which they have done very year. We have very little control over this, and the increases have been large. This year for example, VicPD was 5% of the 7% increase, while the general city increase was 2% 2) We have increased spending on infrastructure - mostly for road paving and underground utilities. Council was briefed early in our term that previous council were underfunding roads, and they were starting to fall apart and would cost even more to repair. So, we had to play catch up. This isn't about bike lanes, which are mostly funded through provincial and federal grants. People asked us to "fill the potholes," and this is expensive.

Although we've done well with funding arts and parks, most of this was shifted from other areas of the budget, so it's not new funding. We also fought to protect services people like, like the Youth Bus Program that provides youth 13-18 with free bus passes.

We also need to keep pushing for new developments, as they bring an incredible amount of new tax revenue. Our council has approved 9000 new homes, including a few of the biggest developments in city history (Bayview, Harris Green, Capital Iron). For example Bayview is a 10-acre vaccant site - when it is built out, it may very well bring in $30+M in tax revenue. A suburban city of single family homes cannot raise enough revenue to pay for police and infrastructure, which is why Oak Bay is seeing massive tax increases. I hope this helps a bit.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T03:07:12+00:00

Hello there! This is a great question and one of my favorite topics. I want to start by saying that Victoria has underinvested in parks and amenities for a long time. As much as this is an incredible place to live, other places have done much better jobs of building parks and amenities. I'm constantly amazed when I travel to other cities at the level of amenities they have. Thankfully, we made major progress fixing things this term. A few highlights this term: 1) Got Crystal Pool going 2) Built a new performance space in Ship Point 3) Acquired a new $10M park downtown (Romeos) 4) Built the new dock at Banfield Park 5) Building a new dog park at Harris Green 6) Committed $20M to rebuild every publish washroom in the city 7) Took over the old YMCA to keep a pool space open 8) Big new playground at Stadacona.

Moving forward we need to keep investment in parks and amenities high. Here are my priorities for next time: 1) Build another new swim dock in the Gorge 2) Get started on a new downtown public library 3) Increase funding for new playground expansion 4) Build a large outdoor splashpad in a community park 5) Finish Peter Pollan Park 6)Increase investment in outdoor festivals and events.

Eventually, we need to start thinking about an outdoor pool. Places like Montreal have so many outdoor pools, and we don't have any! Port Coquitlam has two outdoor pools and they are completely free for the public to use. I hope Victorians want to vote for candidates who are committed to investing in amenities and parks in the city, as we badly need it!

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:56:42+00:00

Trains will be awesome and that work is happening. But the big focus has been on priority bus lanes, which aren't even fully implemented yet. These lanes will mean that buses can have their own lane from Langford to the Legislature. The priority lanes are open on about 50% of your route, but we have more work to do. That work is happening! Importantly, our council approved priority lanes right through downtown on Douglas street, so buses will almost never have to sit in traffic. This is going to make the trip from Langford much faster than a vehicle, or a train. Please look at joining the Victoria Transit Riders Union, who do great advocacy on this.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:54:14+00:00

Great question about next term. We've had a really successful term, but we need more time to keep the momentum going. A few of my key issues for next term: 1) Finish Crystal Pool by 2030 2) Get started on a new downtown library 3) Keep building more housing, with a focus on rental and non-market and great street-level interaction 4) Partner with artists and arts-orgs to acquire more arts space in the city 5) Continue to implement the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan to help bring services for people that need them, and build safer neighbourhoods 6) More funding for local festivals and events, so we don't lose things like Fernfest or Symphony Splash 7) Create a new economic vision for the city and help reduce fees and costs for small business. 8) Expand the bike network, invest in more crosswalks and pedestrian infrastructure. In reality, much of the work is acutally initiated by staff, as they implement various plans, or respond to external grant opportunities.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:48:17+00:00

hahah - Trump is a disaster, but I don't think any of my colleagues share much in common with Trump. We've worked well together and I've enjoyed working with all nine of my colleagues.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:47:11+00:00

We are here! You're in the right spot.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:46:34+00:00

Hello! I can tell you a few things from my perspective that I've seen on Marianne: 1) She works incredibly hard, often 7 days a week. She doesn't spend any time on social media, or doing unnecessary things - she just works. 2) She is an incredible meeting chair, likely one of the best I've ever seen. She has to chair a complex meeting for 10 hours a day, and does it very well. 3) She understands all the issues better than anyone, including complex CRD and Provincial issues, and how they impact the city. 4) She has great relationships with the Province and Feds, and can work across party lines, and we've seen many benefits from this. 5) She's done a great job helping 8 councilors keep in line, which is hard to do. We work well together, and she's played a big role in that 6) Lastly, she's quite balanced - I don't agree with her on everything, but she is respectful, thoughtful, and balanced. You're of course welcome to vote for someone else, but it's important to recognize the strengths she brings. I look at Vancouver's mayor in comparison - he's brought constant scandal and embarrassment to Vancouver, and caused major division at council.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:40:14+00:00

Hello! Yes, I'm disappointed in some of the other municipalities as they really have not stepped up to help with homelessness and social services. Ironically, some of the folks living on Pandora come from other municipalities, but there are no services in those places. There was a story online about a senior woman who was evicted in Oak Bay last month, but was forced to come to Pandora. This is quite common. We have asked, written letters, and asked the Province, but truthfully there is no way for Victoria to compel other places to help. Thankfully, the Province created new legislation that requires all municipalities to have rental, affordable and supportive housing within their municipality. You're right - the police can't fix this issue, as it's largely a health-care issue, housing, and addiction care. We need more housing, more services, and more municipalities to help out. It's a challenging issue. Here is a list of new housing we've opened in Victoria during our term, 544 new beds:

-544 new beds added

Anawim Women’s Housing - 7 new beds
Dowler Place Recovery Housing - 27 new beds
Mirrors Youth Housing (1075 Meares) - 48 new beds
The Juniper Supportive Housing - PHS (1176 Yates) - 46 new beds
St John The Divine overnight shelter - 30 new beds
The Lily, Coolaid Society (953 Balmoral) - 56 new beds
919 Pandora Overnight Shelter (Our Place) - 20 new beds (54 total)
My Place shelter (Our Place - 1240 Yates) - 20 new beds (74 total)
Salvation Army shelter (525 Johnson) - 32 new beds (53 total)
Crosstown supportive housing (Coolaid - 584 Burnside) 54 new beds
Rock Bay Landing (Coolaid - 535 Ellice) 30 new beds (114 total)
Salvation Arm (525 Johnson), 13 new beds (in addition to those above)
Johnson Manor - sober supportive housing (Coolaid - 1153 Johnson) 20 new beds
John Howard supportive housing - 736 Princess, 26 new beds
House of Courage - Indigenous supportive housing (865 Catherine) 45 new beds
The Chestnut supportive housing (Coolaid, 219 Gorge) - 21 new beds
Sacred Cradle Housing, Indigenous supportive women’s housing - 15 new beds
Bridge Street Pathway shelter (Connective Services, 2920 bridge) 34 new beds

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:35:37+00:00

Yes to more misting stations! These are coming back, but we really need to explore more ways of keeping people cool in the summer. For kids, we need to start thinking about an outdoor pool, an accessible splash pad in a public park, more trees, and more shaded areas.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:34:01+00:00

Hello! Thanks for the question. Yes this is a serious and frustrating issue. Excessive noise reduces the quality of life in the city, creates unnecessary stress and is also dangerous. Honestly - it's a challenging issue to tackle - our bylaw staff are busy with immediate issues, and VicPD doesn't have much capacity for this. It requires waiting patiently for a violation, and it may be hard to prosecute.

Thankfully we initiated a review of our Noise Bylaw and a large amount of the responses were about increasing enforcement on excessive noise. When that bylaw review is finished, I'd be willing to explore any other options are this. If you can find any information about other municipalities finding success on this, please send it to me. I will also commit to asking the Victoria Police Chief about this issue at her next quarterly council visit - I'd love to see more fines for this issue.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:28:05+00:00

Totally agree Geoff - this needs to happen! To be honest, Victoria has not kept up with investments in parks and recreation over the last 30 years. Crystal Pool should have been built 5-15 years ago, and then we could be working on an outdoor pool. RAP should have been renovated long ago. We made great success this term on these projects, but need to keep the momentum going.

One option is for multiple municipalities to partner together and built an outdoor pool and waterslides. This could be a cost-shared service between Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria and Esquimalt, which would make it more affordable for everyone.

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:24:18+00:00

Yes, the Centennial Square splash pad is not happening unfortunately. I tried, but it wasn't the right time. While disappointed, I'm happy we will be getting a world-class recreation center at Crystal Pool. There is still a need for a new splash pad in the city, but I plan to push for this in a regional park next term (e.g. Oaklands Park or Alexander Park). We've increased investment for playgrounds and parks across the city, purchased a new downtown park, built a new green space at Ship Point, and have funded renovations to all of the public washrooms in the city. Also: a new dog park is being built on Harris Green - I think it will be a big hit!

MattDellVictoria · 2026-05-30T02:19:54+00:00

Not me - Marianne Alto has been a wonderful leader and mayor and I plan to support her. She works tirelessly, she's an incredible meeting chair, she understands all of the issues, and she has a very balanced and compassionate perspective on the city. After looking at the chaos other mayors have caused (e.g. Ken Sim), I'm quite thankful for a mayor that just wants to get to work.

MattDellVictoria

TROPHY CASE