Victoria council to receive report tackling declining social order in B.C.'s capital

A view of the Victoria Police headquarters in Victoria, B.C., on Friday, December 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
VICTORIA — A plan with 95 recommendations to address what it calls a 'declining social order' in Victoria will appear before councillors today for endorsement and additional financial analysis.
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto says she hopes council endorses the comprehensive plan, because it gives the city permission to act.
She says the plan represents a 'watershed moment' in the history of Victoria, adding it's time for council to consider the 'harsh reality' that the city faces with homelessness, addiction and a mental-health crisis.
Alto acknowledges that the final price tag of the plan is not yet known, but says endorsement of the plan will allow staff to put some numbers together.
The mayor says many of the recommendations in the report fall outside of municipal jurisdiction, but the city is 'tired of waiting' for senior levels of government to do their part.
Specific recommendations within Victoria's control include measures to improve downtown safety, explore the establishment of designated shelters and tiny homes for people transitioning from homelessness, and support the delivery of mental health first aid training.
Alto says the city will fill some of the gaps for now, with the hope that other levels of government will see what works and do their part to help the city.
The report was commissioned in 2023 and responds to what it calls 'increased disorder' and a 'diminished sense' of community well-being in the face of multiple challenges.
The report says people in B.C's capital are 'discouraged, upset, and frustrated' with visible and invisible levels of poverty, homelessness and service gaps, despite efforts to revitalize the downtown, increase housing and improve safety.
The report says that concerns about safety and the impacts of social disorder are 'negatively impacting business vitality' in Victoria, whose success as a renowned tourism destination depends on the local economy with its array of unique businesses.
Article by Wolfgang Depner.

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