‘Safe communities now!’ demand BC mayors in Victoria
The Chamber’s call for all levels of government to take urgent action to address social disorder has resonated across the province.
This week, the Union of BC Municipalities annual conference is underway in Victoria, and the loudest concern is the demand to make our communities safer. On Monday, Our Place CEO Julian Daly drew thunderous applause for a speech decrying the failure to address spiraling antisocial behaviour in downtown Victoria.
On Wednesday, City of Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto rallied with her BC colleagues on the Legislature lawn, calling on Premier David Eby to stop things from getting worse.
“Victoria is proud to be one of the best small cities in the world, but we must act now to support our residents, businesses, and visitors, and we cannot do this work alone,” Mayor Alto said. “We urge the provincial government to take action and respond with the same level of urgency, to help bring necessary and lasting change to cities across BC.”
Chamber CEO John Wilson commended Mayor Alto for facing the fire as frustrated downtown businesses demand urgent action.
“The Mayor is the face of Victoria council, which is feeling the heat for the situation in our city,” Wilson said. “It’s a tough spot to be in, and The Chamber is committed to working together on a solution. We need action now, and that means we will be escalating our calls for action to the provincial and federal governments.”
The rally at the legislature was organized by Save-Our-Streets, a coalition of businesses and organizations that includes The Chamber.
“Municipalities cannot address these issues on their own, and it is not sustainable for them to shelve services and projects in order to reallocate funding to address health and housing issues which fall under the provincial government’s mandate,” SOS Co-founder Jess Ketchum said. “Urgency is required.”