Public Hearing Information / Background Materials

BC Transit decisions not made lightly

“Somebody in a wheelchair can’t walk. Some- body who’s got problems with their feet like me can’t walk. Somebody who’s older can’t walk … So you’re just saying, ‘Oh well, pretend you’re a fit person who can walk,’ but that’s not the majority of the people who ride the bus.”

Forbes’ youngest opted to attend Camosun College over UVic purely because of the better transit options.

She notes the way most routes send people downtown and then splay out to various desti- nations throughout Saanich and the Peninsula doesn’t seem logical post-pandemic.

“Most people don’t go downtown, COVID killed downtown … We closed the office down- town and all the businesses that can work from home now do. Nobody works downtown any- more. The demand for every single bus in the entire fleet to be servicing downtown is just not logical anymore.”

Tanya Mitchell commutes downtown from Langford for her job at a medical clinic. Both the stops she uses to get on and off are being discontinued with the switch from Route 50 to 95, meaning she’ll have to travel further on foot. For her, it’s not a massive impact, but she worries about people with accessibility issues struggling.

“It feels like the West Shore gets forgotten about.”

A spokesperson for BC Transit said decisions on cutting stops were not made lightly and were done with feedback from local government partners on the West Shore.

Decisions about service levels are made by BC Transit along with the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, a body comprised of mayors from municipalities in Greater Victoria. Seven members sit on the commission (plus a student representative) but only two are from West Shore communities. One is Sooke Mayor Maja Tait and the other is Metchosin Mayor Marie-Therese Little.

BC Transit’s plan for the West Shore includes restructuring routes to move more service to growing areas like Skirt Mountain, Belmont Market, West Hills and Royal Bay.

BC Transit cited a Capital Regional District survey which found “about one-third of West Shore residents now commute within their home community,” precipitating a restructuring of West Shore bus routes.

Phase 1 of BC Transit’s plan for a restructuring of West Shore bus routes will see several exchanges added in quickly growing areas like Skirt Mountain, Belmont Market, West Hills and Royal Bay. (BC Transit map)

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Langford has received an application to amend Zoning Bylaw No. 300 by means of the proposed Bylaw noted below. All persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw will be afforded an opportunity to be heard by presenting written submissions prior to 3 pm on the day of the Public Hearing or by making oral submissions at the Public Hearing. Please be advised that no submission may be received by Council after the close of the Public Hearing and any submissions made to Council, whether orally or in writing, will form part of the public record.

Meeting Date and Time 17 April 2023, 7:00 pm

Meeting Place City Hall Council Chambers, Third Floor, 877 Goldstream Avenue

Bylaw No. 2093

Location 898 and 914 Klahanie Drive as shown below

Purpose To amend the City of Langford Zoning Bylaw No. 300 by amending the zoning designation of the subject properties from the RR2 (Rural Residential 2) Zone to the RT1 (Residential Townhouse) Zone to allow the development of approximately 58 townhouses.

PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will be held electronically and in person at the above address. Information about how to connect to this meeting is indicated in the table below.

Teleconference # 1-855-703-8985 (Canada Toll Free) OR 1-778-907-2071 (long distance charges may apply)

Meeting ID #897 0956 7061 - Zoom.us or Zoom app on your mobile device

Council will not answer questions about the proposal or proposed bylaw except to provide clarification. The purpose of the Public Hearing is for Council to hear the views and opinions of those members of the public who wish to make comments. Please have all your questions answered in advance of the Public Hearing by contacting the Planning Department as noted below.

The Agenda, including material that Council may consider in relation to the bylaw, will be posted to the City’s website: https://www.langford.ca/city-hall/agendas-and-minutes/ no later than the Friday before the public hearing. Correspondence may be submitted by emailing planning@langford.ca or by writing to Langford City Hall, 2nd Floor, 877 Goldstream Avenue, Langford, BC, V9B 2X8. You may also contact the Planning Department at (250) 478.7882.

Braden Hutchins Director of Corporate Services

www.cityoflangford.ca

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Taking tools online turns award-worthy Skookum business

Christine van Reeuwyk News Staff

Langford residents may not even realize a thriving e-commerce company lives on Leigh Road.

Robert McDonald moved the company there in spring 2020, packing a truck in Sidney and traversing quiet early-pandemic roads to Skoo- kum Tools Inc.’s new home on the West Shore. Three years later, Skookum has grown an offshoot business and is up for a provincial award for work in e-commerce.

They started dabbling and investing in online about eight years ago and it was slowly becoming apparent that was the future, McDonald said.

“We were in the process of slowly transitioning … when COVID landed. We hit the ground running and went all in,” he said.

The overwhelming positive in the company’s more than 300 unique Google reviews suggests it’s going well.

Part of the reason is the attention to detail when crafting the website.

“I’ve really studied our user interface,” Mc- Donald said.

He went so far as to enlist his 82-year-old dad to walk through every transaction on the website – noting details that needed clarity for the first-time user.

While every demographic needs for tools at some point – and their clientele runs the gamut – their peak is men aged 55 to 60. Skookum seems to serve a lot of people embarking in online shopping for the first time.

That’s why the website offers a lot of outs, McDonald said, such as at the end when some who become hesitant about sharing credit card or banking information online can pick up the phone to pay.

It’s all about looking at the website from a fresh perspective, likely a reason Skookum Tools is a finalist in the annual Small Business BC Awards for the E-commerce Experience Award honouring their exemplary customer service.

Winning the top prize comes with $10,000, but just making the short list is affirming, Mc- Donald said.

“It just adds credibility to what we’re doing, some of the choices we’ve made.”

Skookum is now an international online sup- plier of band saw blades, abrasives, end mills and other shop consumables.

“We’re three people in Langford who sell $1 million in product across Canada,” McDonald said.

In 2020, the company launched another online store selling board games and trading cards at Elite 4 Games. Created and run by staffer Ryan O’Keefe, the business targets yet another demographic.

“It’s his passion project and it’s growing,” McDonald said.

Now the first Saturday of each month Elite 4 Games hosts trade day, primarily a Pokemon focus Find the online game store at elite4games. com.

Other nominees in the e-commerce category include Copper Pony Poles + Equestrian Sport- ing Equipment in Courtenay; Mint Cleaning in Ucluelet; Timber + Gray in Nanaimo; and Two Brothers Toffee in Vancouver.

Winners will be announced at an awards gala June 2 and winners of each category receive a $10,000 prize.

christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca

Goldstream Gazette Wednesday, April 12, 2023 A5 www.goldstreamgazette.com

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