Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin 鈥� a longtime New Democrat 鈥� sounded almost like a sa国际传媒 Liberal as he announced the hiring of an economic-development officer for the city.
In a speech to the chamber of commerce last week, Fortin said the issues he has focused on, such as ending homelessness and improving transit service, can be best addressed when the economy is strong. His words echoed those of the Liberals, who said frequently during the recent election campaign that the best way to maintain and improve government services is to ensure economic growth.
While it鈥檚 clear that Fortin is not jumping political ships, he and council seem to recognize that economic development is necessary if they hope to keep tax increases under control and provide needed services to city residents. The appointment of Sage Baker, the founder and CEO of Q5 Innovations and the Prosperity Pollinator movement, to the two-year contract position is an indication of how concerned they are.
The current reviews of downtown parking and the Victoria Conference Centre are also designed to boost the city鈥檚 economy, which has begun to see more investment after years of stagnation. As construction cranes sprout from a number of projects, it will take concerted effort to keep the momentum.
As Bruce Carter, CEO of the chamber of commerce, says, investment in economic development initiatives like Baker鈥檚 appointment is positive because it helps to create jobs.
The chamber teamed up with the University of Victoria, other area chambers, Tourism Victoria and other organizations to create the Greater Victoria Development Agency, which is touted as the region鈥檚 lead agency for development. It markets the area and nurtures local businesses.
Baker鈥檚 efforts will have to complement the work of the agency, but her focus must be on opportunities for the city, rather than for the surrounding communities. While she concentrates on immediate opportunities, council needs to take a long view of the problem.
Carter thinks council is getting too bogged down in operational issues that should be left to staff. He points to the recent debate over what to do about a few businesses that have been using adjacent city land as parking lots.
That鈥檚 an issue for bylaw enforcement, not something that should be taking up councillors鈥� time, Carter says.
Instead of thrashing out a minor topic that affects only a few people, council should devote its attention to broader strategy that would help to revitalize downtown.
As evidence of council鈥檚 efforts at priming development, Fortin pointed to trade missions to China and efforts to find local suppliers for as much as possible of the work on the replacement for the Johnson Street Bridge.
As Fortin pointed out in his speech to the chamber, downtown Victoria hosts 45 per cent of local jobs. He called it the 鈥渆conomic engine鈥� of the region. Getting the engine up to full power in challenging economic times is a key job for the city.
It seems that councillors are feeling that urgency and putting their shoulders to the wheel.
