Re: “James Bay condo development on duplex lots gets narrow nod,” May 15.

It is an insult to anyone’s intelligence for Victoria Coun. Pam Madoff to say: “In my view, if I supported this I’d be destabilizing the neighbourhood. I’d be further inflating housing prices.”

Increasing density and housing supply is the main way forward to escape the affordability crunch. Trying to shoot down projects, scale back proposals or delay developments, as council has done for decades, is the cause of the crisis.

The prominence and scale of the federal and provincial governments make them an attractive target for citizens’ ire, but urban municipal politicians deserve the brunt of the blame for this crisis in B.C.

Madoff has been on Victoria city council for 25 years, with an impressive track record of never having met a density increase that she has liked. We millennials were still in diapers while civic politicians like her were laying the groundwork for today’s affordability crisis with zero repercussions then or since.

Nobody epitomizes what is wrong with our city hall more than she does. Nobody has done more to harm the future prospects of my generation in this city than she has.

Andrew Reeve
Victoria

Original Times Colonist Link

Saturday was both sad and so beautiful.

David Butterfield took a chance on me, hiring someone basically straight out of university, to be the Head of Government Relations & Communications for his company, the Trust for Sustainable Development. We met at a couple of political fundraisers in 2014 and apparently he saw something in me which prompted an out of the blue “I want you to come work for me.”

Working for David for almost 2 years was an absolute pleasure. I learned a great deal from him and he was always pushing me to strive for more in life. When the opportunity came up to manage a campaign for the Federal Liberals in 2015, I barely even had to ask to take the time off from work for the writ period. He understood my passion for politics and told me to go.

We had the best political conversations and I always had a sneaking suspicion that half the reason he hired me was so that he had guaranteed regular access to someone to talk politics and world affairs with in the middle of the work day. I certainly didn’t mind.

We also both liked to drink and had many a night at Clive’s talking cocktails and mixology. We often hosted events up at the Spirit Bay development site and “Resident Bartender” ended up as part of my responsibilities over time because I always loved making drinks. Near the end of my time working for him I think I had almost mastered “David’s Margarita” a drink that required a truly unprecedented tequila to everything else ratio. To me it was barely drinkable and so far off of standard margarita measurements, to him it was delicious.

It is a regret of mine that life got so busy that the “Let’s grab drinks and catch up” never got around to happening so I didn’t get a chance to see him this year before he died. I know he was proud of me for taking a job at the Legislature in January but I also know part of him was sad to see me go. We sure had some good times.

Thank you for everything David.

It was a pleasure to attend an event featuring BC’s new Children & Youth Advocate, Bernard Richard, put on by my fellow Board Members at Threshold Housing Society.

Glad to hear Richard talk of a “reset” of relations with the BC Government, as well as hearing from two of the youth that we currently serve. Always heart-warming to hear the stories of those who would otherwise be homeless if not for the incredible work that Threshold does in our community.

Remember in 2009 when Victoria City Council promised us this would be a $63 million project, of which $21 million would be from the Federal government?

Looks like we’re approaching the $110 million mark now.

Attending the unveiling of a new memorial on the South Lawn of the Legislature today. It commemorates those members of Search & Rescue as well as PEP Air Volunteers who have lost their lives in British Columbia.

In the Victoria City Council Chambers tonight to support and speak to the development proposal for 220 Cook Street.

Only 44% of Victorians “approve of the overall job performance of city council”.

Unsurprising news, but helpful to have a number on the dissatisfaction in town.

Great news for Victoria. Affordable Housing was named the number one concern of Victoria residents in this year’s Vital Signs Survey, glad to see government listening to the needs of the people and taking action.