New $304M ferry terminal

Victoria moved a step closer to a snazzier, state-of-the-art ferry terminal with the province’s funding confirmation on Friday.

The Belleville Terminal has fallen into disrepair to a degree that falls short of the standards of the Canada-US Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport Preclearance Agreement (LRMA). Unless it is upgraded, the US could remove its customs and border protection services, which would significantly reduce or even shut down ferry operations, wounding BC’s economy.

Price tag higher than expected

The province also confirmed that the federal government will give $41.6M. Federal help was expected as of Feb., but the amount was uncertain and BC wanted to lock federal money down before moving ahead with the projects. The province had hoped last fall that it would be half the total cost; this $41.6M is much lower. Meanwhile the total project cost is above even the high end of the $220-290M range projected last fall, and the opening target is later (tourist season 2028).

But the hope is that the terminal will be an economic driver.

“The new facility we’re building is going to generate hundreds of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional visitor spending over the coming decades,” said Victoria – Swan Lake Rob Fleming, BC’s transportation and infrastructure minister.

Construction will be in two phases

• The first phase, set for 2024, will include a temporary terminal in the neighbouring Steamship Building and a wharf to service the Clipper and US Customs and Border Protection. Canada’s customs operations will expand into the lower levels of the current BlackBall Coho building, with Clipper passengers also using that location for pre-clearing.

• The second phase will demolish the existing Clipper terminal and replace it with a larger, all-electric building made of mass timber and renewable materials to reduce emissions.

Statistics provided by the BC government suggest that in 2019, 680,000 people used the existing provincially owned, privately run marine terminal en route to helping generate $164M in revenue.

By Mark Brennae and Cam Welch, with files from Jolene Rudisuela

• Yes, many times
• Just a few times
• No

There’s nothing better than finding heavenly, heart-warming food at a low price. But in Greater Victoria, it can be hard to find meals for cheap.

Whether it is for a late-night snack or an affordable lunch-time meal, here are a few of the most prominent places that are the exception.

Read the story at Tasting Victoria.

Westshore locals have been frustrated with the inability to easily access Colwood Corners after Onni Group, the complex’s owners, launched paid parking in April. Parking costs $1.25/hour after an initial 90 minutes free, and monthly passes are minimum $110.25.

“I was very disturbed by it,” said Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi. “I guess it was something that certainly got approved before my time.”

Indigo parking, which enforces the rates, states it leaves tickets when customers do not pay. But it has no relation to city parking enforcement, and many customers don’t know how it will follow up with the tickets.

“I ask that same question—what if someone didn’t pay?” Kobayashi says. “They’re getting threats, that's my understanding, someone I talked to said they were threatened with a debt collector, but there is no real enforcement.”

Locals who normally visit the corner’s stores have been taking their business elsewhere, and the mayor says the city and Onni are working toward a resolution

“It’s certainly a lesson, because going forward if we continue to have issues, and they want to expand, the city controls zoning and so there might be tension.”  

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