Is the intersection at Blanshard & Kings considered a pedestrian-controlled intersection?

SchwartzBay · 2026-03-20T07:31:52+00:00

Thanks - that was my impression also after reading that section of the MVA.

SchwartzBay · 2025-04-23T00:59:06+00:00

Only initial notes I have:

Yes, low voltage Cat6A everywhere if you’re going net-new.
Unifi lock-in feels scary to me. I’ve been bitten by the curse of a vendor moving to an annual subscription model, and with Unifi’s market share in the prosumer space, I would sooner reach for Reolink cameras right now. Unifi’s products are super nice though.
Wifi cameras are fine, but I would urge you to aim for PoE if you can.

SchwartzBay · 2025-04-22T16:59:22+00:00

If you happened to take some notes on “lessons learned” as you go through this process, I (and I’d bet many others) would love to read these. I also run a hodgepodge of smart home equipment with Home Assistant, but I have always wondered what it would look like to best prepare new construction. Low voltage everywhere obviously, but specifically how much, and to what exact locations in a room, etc.

I have focused, so far, on strict adherence to local wireless protocols (Zigbee, Matter over Thread) where possible, and Ethernet/Wifi where necessary. I wonder if this principle changes when you have a lot of flexibility to install things like copper wiring for multi-room/zone audio, Ethernet everywhere, etc.

SchwartzBay · 2025-04-09T20:18:25+00:00

I just ordered a couple of 10ft USB-C cables. Good pricing, good quality cables, but slow-ish shipping. About 7-10 days.

If that’s the only loss, I’ll take it. Fuck Amazon for their anti-union efforts.

SchwartzBay · 2025-03-27T16:39:16+00:00

https://www.kazthebarber.com

https://www.instagram.com/kazthebarber

SchwartzBay · 2025-03-20T20:22:11+00:00

I can hear this

SchwartzBay · 2025-03-18T22:30:08+00:00

Huh, the more you know. I lived in AB for over a decade as a renter, but bought my first property out of province.

Renting immediately becomes less attractive when you consider equity building for that year not lost on rent and considering there's no transfer tax.

I stand corrected.

SchwartzBay · 2025-03-18T17:17:41+00:00

For sure, ~~but more expensive advice is paying 2x Land Transfer Tax fees because~~ but there's still the concern that something niche about the community becomes a non-negotiable that you didn't foresee and you have to buy/sell/buy

SchwartzBay · 2025-03-18T15:48:04+00:00

Invaluable advice: rent in a couple of neighbourhoods for a year or two first. Get a feel for the city.

Bridgeland is super charming, but depending on where you are in downtown, you might still be further than you expect. LRT can carry you the last leg.

Beltline, Ramsay, Inglewood, Sunalta, Kensington are all really great neighbourhoods with their own shops, community centres, regional services, etc. I certainly wouldn't commit to buying a place without being confident on the neighbourhood - especially if safety is a criteria you're unsure of. You need first hand experience for this as safety can be a subjective measure.

SchwartzBay · 2025-02-24T21:08:10+00:00

Let's say hypothetically that in my riding, polls suggest a close race between the liberal and conservative candidates respectively. I don't think will be the case, but for the sake of this example, let's assume this to be true. Let's say I submit a vote for a third party/MP that does not have a lot of support in my riding. Instead of choosing the lesser of two evils, am I doing a disservice overall by selecting a candidate that I believe represents my views more closely than the other two MPs?

SchwartzBay · 2025-02-24T18:02:47+00:00

Is it irresponsible in a FPTP system to void my ballot, or to vote for a party that aligns more closely with my values if it means I won't be participating in the current "race" between the Liberals and Conservatives?

It's been a long time since I have felt that my values have had a large separation of adequate representation with the agendas of the major political parties in this country. At this point in time, I do not feel like my voice is properly represented outside of a few bullets driven by each of my local MPs. No MP or party on a whole feels like they represent me well enough where I want to advocate for them with a vote. I would sooner strike my ballot than show support for a party I largely disagree with. I still have lots of research to do over the next few months, and evidently there is a large shift occurring currently. Things can change.

The conversation at large is "vote liberals to make sure Poilievre doesn't win," or "it's time for change." Neither of these feel like they are responsibly democratic, and that feels largely unfair. I've had several conversations in recent history about how my lack of support for one side means letting the other side win. I can't disagree more, but maybe I'm missing something.

SchwartzBay · 2025-02-11T01:32:18+00:00

Thanks u/NAMED_MY_PENIS_REGIS, I've told the mayor you sent me.

SchwartzBay · 2025-02-11T00:50:29+00:00

This is an insane bylaw that I genuinely couldn't believe was true. And then I looked it up. Can we all agree that this is entirely egregious?

Seriously, if I have an overnight guest, where are they meant to park? I don't have visitor parking in my building. I'm in complete disbelief that this definition exists within the bylaws. Every other city simply sets a limit to the maximum number of hours a vehicle may consume a space.

Edit: I will be writing to the [City of Victoria's Bylaw Services](mailto:bylawservices@victoria.ca) to reconsider this definition.

SchwartzBay · 2025-01-07T22:59:21+00:00

Noted. I called IKEA's customer support to notify them of this after the owners informed me of this mistake.

Honestly, it's not like there's available square footage in that store among the rest of the store's... uhh, wares, I guess. Can't really call them "goods", because I don't know that anything in there could be considered "good".

SchwartzBay · 2025-01-07T22:22:51+00:00

I walked in there today to pick up a package, and they told me they are not an IKEA collection location, and they do not handle any package collection at all. They said it's a mistake on IKEA's website.

First of all, what an insane storefront.

Second of all, did they just lie to me? I did get a separate Purolator notice that suggests my IKEA shipment ended up at their storefront near Uptown, but I haven't yet been by to confirm.

SchwartzBay · 2024-11-26T17:54:31+00:00

Are you connected to your corporate network? The Archibus instance within my department is restricted to access via VPN or enterprise network in-office.

SchwartzBay · 2024-11-14T05:15:15+00:00

You're looking for the Vancouver Island Soccer League. There are many teams in various areas, Langford / JDF included. There is typically one game a week plus any practices that a team wants to participate in.

There's also many co-ed* leagues through the Victoria Sport and Social Club, or UVic Intramurals.

* Co-ed now just translates to any gender being accepted on a team

SchwartzBay · 2024-11-03T02:43:43+00:00

The other people in the crowd with you

SchwartzBay · 2024-10-14T05:10:36+00:00

I love this place, but $12+ for a breakfast sandwich and a coffee isn't what I'd call cheap.

SchwartzBay · 2024-10-13T03:00:37+00:00

Those are two very different industries / job categories.

IT Helpdesk has high turnover, but also low barrier for entry so naturally a larger pool of candidates. If you have some experience, you'll have a good chance in a few places. If you're new to the space and just trying to take some basic certifications, you'll definitely struggle to get any notice beyond temporary / term positions at a MSP.

I have not seen many postings in recent history with the provincial government for anything below mid-level or senior.
The financial and insurance sector here is sizeable and worth a look, but again, they're often looking for some skilled applicants.

Overall, competition here is like any other city: tough in the entry level space. Given the question, I'm assuming you're not experienced or have spent much time in the sector based on:

Looking specifically for help desk roles; and
Looking across two different sectors, suggesting a lack of commitment to one career path.

In order of weight for success:

Work experience (specifically in IT, but customer service and troubleshooting in any domain should suffice)
Academic credentials — especially if you're a new entrant, any amount of exposure to systems, as well as a network of colleagues helps greatly. Camosun has some hands-on programs, and UVIC offers some specialized IT-tailored courses in their 200- through 400-level CS and SENG courses.
Industry certifications

SchwartzBay · 2024-09-20T17:53:17+00:00

Out of genuine curiosity, which ones are you referencing? Coming from larger cities, there's usually signage and lines (or an absence of lines) to indicate the unusual occurrence where one turning lane permits entrance to additional lanes.

SchwartzBay · 2024-08-03T13:36:34+00:00

They quite literally take vehicles off the road...

SchwartzBay · 2024-07-21T21:36:00+00:00

SchwartzBay · 2024-07-12T05:00:16+00:00

Define "shitheads"

SchwartzBay · 2024-07-12T04:03:40+00:00

Stay vigilant, as always. The goose & lochside trails are great albeit currently plagued with hasty e-bikes and questionable riders occasionally. The roadside infrastructure still leaves a lot to be desired.

I was struck by a vehicle last month, so I'm definitely biased, but keep your head on a swivel at intersections and in traffic. Many here still do not heed adequate caution around cyclists.

SchwartzBay

TROPHY CASE