One of the upsides of home schooling in the age of COVID-19 is that children sometimes get a real-life education.
In the past few weeks, Colleen O鈥橣arrell鈥檚 two young sons, for instance, have had a first-hand look at civic politics, business, the law and the ability of one person to make a difference.
They鈥檙e just seven and 10, but they鈥檝e already learned that, actually, you can fight city hall and win.
鈥淔or them to see mom standing up and, not wanting to break the law, but wanting to change it, I think it鈥檚 been a really good lesson for them,鈥� O鈥橣arrell said.
The owner of Foxgloves Flowers, O鈥橣arrell set up a flower stand on her Saanich property this spring after her home-based business took a major hit when people began cancelling weddings and other events due to the pandemic.
Initially, she just intended to get rid of a shipment of flowers by arranging bouquets and giving them away in exchange for donations. But the response was so positive, that she quickly realized it might be a way to keep her business going.
鈥淚t literally started by accident,鈥� she said.
The stand soon became a place in the Gorge area where people could meet and get to know one another while remaining at a safe distance, O鈥橣arrell said.
鈥淚鈥檝e met neighbours on my street I鈥檝e never met before. I鈥檝e created relationships with people a couple of blocks away that I never would have met if this hadn鈥檛 happened.鈥�
Then a neighbour complained, bylaw officers arrived and the district gave her 30 days to shut down for violating rules that prohibit roadside stands in urban areas.
Unsure how to proceed, O鈥橣arrell contacted Katherine Little, who fought and lost a similar battle last year to keep her jam stand open on Queensbury Avenue near the Cedar Hill Golf Course.
The two women banded together to fight the bylaw; Mayor Fred Haynes and councillors stopped by the flower stand to check it out and thousands of people rallied to the cause.
鈥淭here was one complaint and I had over 4,000 signatures on a petition,鈥� O鈥橣arrell said. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 pretty powerful.鈥�
Saanich council responded Monday by voting unanimously to suspend enforcement of the bylaw鈥檚 provisions 鈥渢hat prohibit the sale of homegrown and value-added fruits, vegetables, flowers and homemade crafts鈥� from homes in urban areas.
The stands will be free to operate until staff bring back bylaw amendments that will allow council to approve temporary use permits for each stand on a case-by-case basis.
Coun. Nathalie Chambers, a farmer, told council that the district has already taken a number of steps to assist residents during the COVID-19 outbreak.
鈥淏ut we can go a little bit further,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I think that by enabling people to make ends meet by considering their backyards like a bank account, it鈥檚 a different way of achieving stewardship.鈥�
Haynes said in an interview that the changes will add to the community鈥檚 vibrancy. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great step in the right direction,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 applaud Colleen. I applaud the jam lady, Katherine Little, for their interest in providing local foods, local flowers. I think it鈥檚 a wonderful idea.鈥�
The decision overjoyed O鈥橣arrell and Little, who doused her friend with champagne as the two families celebrated.
鈥淚 was thrilled,鈥� O鈥橣arrell said. 鈥淚 was so pleased that they saw fit to do the right thing and step up and help people pivot and be creative with their businesses right now.鈥�
Little, likewise, said she鈥檚 鈥渙ver-the-moon ecstatic鈥� with the decision.
鈥淚t just took a pandemic to get council to do the right thing,鈥� she said.
Little has been pushing for changes to the bylaw ever since her stand was shut down 11 months ago, she said.
鈥淭hen, of course, when Colleen got in the news, we were back in front of it. And I think a lot of the public didn鈥檛 realize that this issue hadn鈥檛 been fixed and they were outraged all over again.鈥�
By Tuesday morning, O鈥橣arrell鈥檚 business was blooming as usual, and jam was back on sale at The Little Stand on Queensbury.
鈥淭hankfully, good or bad, they picked on the wrong flower lady,鈥� Little said. 鈥淎nd they picked on the wrong jam lady.鈥�
