Comment: A return visit to Victoria, and oh how it has changed

A commentary by a visitor from England.

I grew up in Victoria but have lived abroad for 20 years. I try to stay informed with what is happening my hometown (bike lanes, pickleball, tent cities etc.) but alas this past summer I had the chance to see it all for myself.

My thoughts.

The Empress. What? The two most iconic trees in Victoria were cut down because their roots were destabilizing the sidewalk? I understand the ivy on the facade, but those two trees were sacred. Like two mythical giant dogs protecting our most famous landmark. They must come back.

The inside renovations are OK. The main entrance is a little bland, 50 shades of grey. Also, you would think with almost $60 million in renovations they would find an opportunity to evict the shady gift shops, no? The First Nations art gallery where they stand outside the shop to lure tourists in? The fur coat boutique? C’mon… in a five-star hotel?

Government Street is a mess. It is physically impossible to walk a straight line down the street without bumping into something. It seems like a dozen half-baked concepts in urban design. Street busking is rampant, random and all without permits.

I don’t want to get into the car vs. bike debate, but indeed Government Street would lend itself to be a fully pedestrianized street during the main trading hours.

What happened to pedicabs? Have they now morphed into rickshaws? I thought we were trying to ditch the colonialist vibes. You can only feel sorry for the young kids running ridiculously around town with Americans in tow. Not to mention the horse-drawn carriages. C’mon … It’s 2022.

But maybe the most surprising moment of my trip: Overhearing a cruise ship passenger and their thoughts about Victoria. “I like the Inner Harbour, but the rest of the city is kind of scuzzy.”

Excuse me?! Victoria?! But indeed, they were right. Victoria used to be a lot cleaner, put together and safer.

I live in London, England. A city of nine million people and definitely no stranger to crime, homelessness and drug addiction. But despite this, you would never see the types of things that you see in Victoria, at least not in the city core.

With such glaring issues, you would expect to see police patrols, community liaison officers, volunteers from local charities/shelters — people on-the-ground, interacting and helping in the main tourist areas.

Heck, even a Mountie would drum up some buzz and offer photo opportunities whilst giving semblance that Victoria is a safe place.

Victoria. Sort yourself out. Ditch the ideology and focus on being the clean, fun, friendly, inclusive and safe city you are meant to be.

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