Community NewsBurnside Gorge

Vol. 24 No. 1 January 2010 www.burnsidegorge.ca

Community meeting

Possible biosolids treatment facility in the Upper Harbour

You may have been following the news over the last year or so regarding the Province’s require-ment that the CRD come forward with a plan for sewage treatment. We have learned recently that this may have an impact on the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood. To help us understand the pos-sible implications of a proposed biosolids treat-ment facility in the Upper Harbour, we have asked Mayor Dean Fortin and Dwayne Kalyn-chuk, the CRD’s project director for Core Area Wastewater Treatment to join us. Also in atten-dance to help answer your questions will be Da-vid Harper from Westland Resource Group.

If you’d like to view some background mate-rial, please see the following links: http://www.crd.bc.ca/2009-12-09-ww-amendment.htm and http://www.wastewatermadeclear.ca/docu-ments/report-option-one-abc-stantec.pdf

740 Hillside Avenue

This property near Hillside and Douglas, known to most as the former Holiday Court Motel, is the subject of a rezoning application. The owners, Andrew Sheret Ltd. http://www.sheret.com/index.html  are  seeking  a  site-specific  zoning  to allow for the construction of a multi-storey retail and commercial office building. The facility is in-tended to house Andrew Sheret’s business head-quarters and showroom as well as commercial office  space.  Tenants will  enjoy  access  to:  a  fit-ness centre; a multipurpose meeting space; day-care centre; secure, underground parking, office entrances and bicycle storage; and shower and change facilities.

The proponents will be seeking LEED silver designation. Efforts to achieve this will include: green roof with rainwater harvesting for irriga-tion, green space and landscaping with native species;  high-efficiency  HVAC  systems;  low emission paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants; low VOC flooring and carpets; and two levels of underground parking to minimize heat island ef-fect.

The proponents have been headquartered in Victoria  since  1892.  This  expansion  will  allow them to stay in the same neighbourhood where they have been for several decades.

2009: A year of transition & opportunity

The popular Selkirk Waterfront Festival was one of many successful events put on by Burnside Gorge in 2009.Photo: Carmel Thomson

by Carmel Thomson, BGCA past president

It’s been an eventful year for the Burnside Gorge Community Association.

The year began with a weakened economy, which was felt province-wide. Not immune to the effects of the economic downturn the Burnside Gorge Community Association was impacted with some grant adjustments. Despite this real-ity, I am pleased to report that it has been another year of fine performance for the Association. We completed the year in good financial standing. 

Community members look to the Burnside Gorge Community Association to provide child care, education and recreational opportunities to enhance their quality of life. As a consequence, the Association has historically developed pro-grams that support children, youth, seniors and families.

While it is important to maintain traditional programs, during 2009 we improved our core recreational and program offerings. New learn-ing opportunities were added to the activity cal-endar, new courses were offered, and our public events were expanded and enriched in order to maintain existing income streams or generate new ones.

During our 20th year of operation and second year in our recently certified Gold LEED commu-nity centre, the Association was able to improve how and where core family and child support services are delivered. Child care and community outreach programs are benchmark services of the Association and include before and after-school care, summer programs and camps, outings, neighbourhood events, sport and recreational ac-tivities.

Along with other community leaders, in early 2009 the Board President and Executive Direc-tor  joined  the  Greater  Victoria  Commission  to End Homelessness to draw awareness to the

increasing number of homeless families in our community and the work of our Homeless Fami-lies Outreach personnel, and to work with agen-cies committed to develop strategies to address homelessness.

Always on the lookout for opportunities to as-sist community members, the Association during 2009  continued  to  deliver  family  reunification services and a series of outreach supports to help youth and families. In addition, our Family Self-Sufficiency  Program,  an  innovative  voluntary program helped many participants achieve eco-nomic independence and break the cycle of reli-ance on government assistance.

2009 has been an incredibly busy year with some major highlights and memorable moments. In terms of significant milestones, the Board en-tered into a succession planning process and ap-pointed a new Executive Director. The Board of Directors also established a formal Board recruit-ment and application process.

With new leadership comes change and during 2009 there has been internal reorganization and reform of processes. I pay tribute to our staff for accommodating changes to their job descriptions and work environment. It is still too soon to as-sess  the benefits of  these  changes, but  the early signs are most encouraging.

Over the past year, the Association has also been quietly attending to several challenges. Chief among these challenges is its desire to evaluate policy-making, funding and operational respon-sibilities; to embark upon a major review of the Association’s governance and committee struc-ture; and to build the BGCA Strategic Plan. I am pleased to report that the Board of Directors has committed to begin to undertake these initiatives in the first quarter of 2010. 

Agenda: Possible biosolids waste energy recovery plant in the Upper Harbour, 740 Hillside Avenue

When: Monday, January 18, 2010 Time: 7:00pm Where: Burnside Gorge Community Centre, 471 Cecelia Road

Everyone welcome! Doors open at 6:30. There will be light refreshments and a chance for you to view information about these items.

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Burnside Gorge Community News January 20102

by Irene Elrose, new contributor

Victoria Community Branch 3075 Douglas Street, Victoria 250.519.7423 vancity.com

Invest in Vancity and you’re investing in the community. Since 1994 our Shared Success program has contributed almost $140 million to our members and the community.

term deposits mortgagescommunity involvement

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Community NewsBurnside Gorge

650 Hillside AveVictoria BC, V8T 1Z2Guaranteed service since 1959

250-384-4722Fax 250-384-8860

info@russhays.comwww.russhays.com

Published by theBurnside Gorge Community Association

471 Cecelia Rd Victoria BC, V8T 4T4T. 250-388-5251 | F. 250-388-5269

www.burnsidegorge.ca

EditorKim Perkins

ContributorsIrene Elrose, Kate Forster, Martina Kasumovich, Gillian Rowan, Denise Savoie, Carmel Thomson.

TO ADVERTISEAs a not-for-profit organization, we depend on advertising to cover publishing costs. Please contact us for current rates and information:250-388-5251 ext. 223 | newsletter-bgca@shaw.ca

Note: Written contributions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the BGCA or its staff.

Health

10 Tips for New Years weight-loss success

Whenever a new year rolls around, it hits us: that inevitable urge to reform, recharge, resolve-to make ourselves into our ideal selves.

New Year’s resolutions can be great. But if your resolutions are about weight-loss, how do you maintain that new-year excitement over the long haul? Here are ten tips to help.

1. Strengthen your resolve by deciding why weight loss is important to you.

2. Know your weaknesses. Keep yourself out of temptation’s way when possible.

3. Learn to recognize which emotions trigger your worst food habits. Find other ways of deal-ing with these emotions.

4. If simple boredom is the culprit, seek out fun, constructive activities. This makes it less likely you’ll overeat to fill the vacuum in your life.

5. When you make a mistake, acknowledge it and move on. Everyone stumbles once in a while, but the successful person refuses to stay down for long.

6.  Set  specific,  measurable,  realistic  goals.  A small goal you can meet is better than a bigger one that makes you anxious and sets you up for failure. And in time, all those small achievements will add up to a big improvement.

7. Focus on performance, not outcome. You can control whether or not you finish a 2-mile  race; you can’t control whether a faster walker or run-ner happens to beat you to the finish line.

8.  Favor positive over negative goals. Positive goals tell us what to do. Negative goals tell us what to avoid. It’s best to focus on alternatives that give you pleasure and help you move for-ward.

Set priorities. You have a limited amount of dis-cretionary time each day. Spend it on things that really matter in the long run—like your health.

Be flexible. Successful weight-losers have a plan yet “go with the flow” to alter that plan when the need arises.

In the end, successful weight loss and mainte-nance is so much more than a spur-of-the-mo-ment decision. It requires a change in lifestyle.

Sure, the decision to change may have been impulsive, spurred by the New Year’s Eve spirit of reform. But carrying through on that spirit re-quires new ways of thinking and acting. By fol-lowing these ten tips, you’re on the right road—the road to living your resolution.

TOPS Club, Inc. is the oldest nonprofit, affordable weight loss and wellness education organization. For more information phone (250) 743-1851, 1-800-932-8677 or visit www.tops.org.

TOPS BC 1291 meets every Thursday at the Com-munity of Christ Church 495 Burnside Road East, Victoria at 6:00.

by Denise Savoie, Victoria MP

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Getting involved does make a difference

Dear Constituents,

An  eventful  and  often difficult  year  is  behind us, and I begin 2010 with a renewed sense of hope as I reflect on how some unlikely citizen success-es in 2009 bode well for the many challenges that lie ahead.

Canada’s international reputation took a beat-ing in Copenhagen and Afghanistan. Homeless-ness levels are a disgrace. Militarization is on the rise, and regressive federal policies are damaging our health, justice, cultural and education sys-tems.

The risk is that we lose heart. Many of you tell me that you feel powerless to make your voice heard in the face of government policies that don’t reflect us as Canadians.

I would like to offer some words of encourage-ment to those who wonder if anyone is listening. On numerous issues in the past year it was your volunteer time, letters, phone calls and dona-tions  to  non-profit  groups  that  brought  results – on pension reform, housing, BC’s disappearing salmon stocks, employment insurance and ex-port of lifesaving drugs to Africa.

An issue that generated a tremendous amount of  input  to my office  in  2009 was  the proposed 

mega-yacht marina for Victoria’s Inner Harbour. I have no doubt that the principled and well-or-ganized community opposition is the reason why there are still no shovels in the ground.

Similarly, relentless pressure from residents in the James Bay and Songhees neighbourhoods produced strong words from the city to the fed-eral government recommending that quality of life, related to noise and air pollution and effects on human health, be added to their oversight role for the harbour.

This winter, I plan to continue to advocate for our community with respect to the growing cruise ship and float plane traffic. I will be host-ing a public meeting on pensions in February, as well as events on various issues throughout the year.

Please check my website at www.denisesavoie.ca for information about these and other topics. And above all, stay involved, and stay in touch. It makes a difference.

Best wishes,

Denise

Politics

Dodd’s Furnitureacross from Mayfair shopping centre

715 Finlayson StCall 388-6663

We won’t be undersold!

Locally owned and operated. Serving Victoria since 1977.www.doddsfurniture.com

Burnside Gorge Community NewsJanuary 2010 3

...continued from cover

by Kate Forster, BGCA board member

by Gillian Rowan, BGCA recreation programmer

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Sol Food Cafe & Sol Fine FoodsCafe, Deli, Catering

7am-4pmMonday-Friday

T. 250-381-6629F. 250-381-6618

#101-2955 Jutland Rd

solfinefoods.com

BGCA News

6th Floor, 395 Waterfront CrescentVictoria BC, V8T 5K7

Tel (250) 381-7188Fax (250) 381-7804lawyers@carlaw.ca

www.carlaw.caFocusing on personal injury and insurance litigation since 1985. Free initial consultation at our Selkirk Waterfront offices.

Family French offers opportunity for families to play and learn together

Is your family looking for a fun new activity? Burnside Gorge is now offering Family French classes. These classes are designed for families with children aged two and a half to seven.

Each class revolves around a different theme and includes circle time, a story, song, game and craft. From colours to animals to seasonal themes, families will be taken on a journey in French in a fun and playful atmosphere.

No previous French instruction is required for parents or children. The emphasis is on enjoying another language together and sharing some spe-cial family time. Call theBurnside Gorge Com-munity Centre to register, 250-388-5251.

Family French Mondays, 6 - 7pm January 18 - March 8Burnside Gorge Community Centre 471 Cecelia Road

Year-end is a good time to say “thank you” to everyone who has made the Burnside Gorge Community Association successful. It is the con-tinued involvement of community members, do-nors, foundations, government, private agencies, sponsors and, very importantly, our volunteers who every day help to add value to the programs, services and activities enjoyed by members of the Burnside Gorge Community. Thank you for your generosity!

I also extend a sincere thank you to two de-parting board members Beverley Bowes, Safety Chair, and Mike Clermont, Finance Chair. We find ourselves  full  of  gratitude  for  their  service and energy, and their commitment to the Burn-side Gorge Community.

In my seventh year on the Board, I also have de-cided to retire. I am grateful to those community colleagues and members, board directors and staff who have given me the opportunity to be a part of the accomplishments and the great times we have had over the years. It’s been fun and re-warding. Thank you!

Happy New Year from the Board and Staff of the Burnside Gorge Community Association. May you enjoy many successes in 2010!

Sincerely,

Carmel Thomson

2009: A year of transition & opportunity

BGCA bids farewell to a leader

The Burnside Gorge Community Association has been very fortunate to have had a number of committed and hardworking leaders since it started. With the retirement of Carmel Thomp-son, our president of the last 15 months, we have the opportunity to pay tribute and thank one of those committed leaders.

Although Carmel has been the President of the Association for the last 15 months, her involve-ment in many aspects of the organization started over a decade ago.

Carmel started her volunteer work with the as-sociation distributing the Burnside Community Newsletter before it was sent by mail and email. Since that time, Carmel has become more and more involved in the community association. She ha held the position of Safety Committee Chair, spent seven years on the Board of Directors and was the BGCA representative on the Needle Ex-change Committee. Carmel has proven herself a tireless and innovative leader.

This is just a partial list of what Carmel has been involved in but even this partial list shows the amazing energy, commitment and expertise that she brought to this community.

The Community Association will miss her and we wish her well in whatever she becomes in-volved with in the future.

join now

Families with children 2.5-7 yrs learn French together with songs, stories, creative play, games and crafts

Jan 18-Mar 86/$72 (1 child), $112 (2 children)

FamilyFrench

Call 250.388.5251 to register.

We are seeking community members to help coordinate the 2010 sale. Previous organizers are ‘passing on the baton’ to new community members who wish to be involved in making this event a success.

Help this great community event continue!

the Balfour Street Sale needs

Please contact Lona if you are interested in get-ting involved: lmcrae@uvic.ca or call 250-721-7874.

you

Carmel knew that fun is an important part of community. She was a regular volunteer at many of Burnside Gorge’s special events.

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Burnside Gorge Community News January 20104

Are you looking for some new activities to try? Do you want to meet new people? Do you want somewhere fun to hang out with your friends? If so, check out the pro-grams starting up, and continuing in January at ‘The Scene’ Youth Centre.

Drop in nights Hang out with your friends in the youth centre and play: pool, foos ball, Wii, Guitar Hero, movies, lap-top computer, board games, air hockey, and PS2.

Mondays-7:00-9:00 (grades 5+) Thursdays- 5:00-8:00 (ages 7+)

Girls’ Group

Get together with the girls to participate in art activities, cooking nights, yoga, out-trips, movie nights.

Mondays 5:00-7:00 (grades 5-8)

B.A.T (Burnside’s Activity Team) *Registered program for Colquitz students Join us for exciting outdoor activities such as adventure bocce, scavenger hunts, hiking and more!!

Tuesdays 3:00-5:00

250-388-5251 ext. 255/254 www.burnsidegorge.ca

Thank you!

Announcements

A new year and new programs at ‘The Scene’by Martina Kasumovich, Youth Recreation Programmer

UP-4-IT (Recreation and well-being group for girls)*Registered program Includes ‘non-traditional’ physical activities and nutri-tious snacks for girls to try.

Thursdays 3:30-5:00

FreeStyle Fridays Register for a night of fun out on the town with your friends! Activities include basket-ball, swimming, skating, movie nights and much more. Each week is a different out trip. Cost: $2 Fridays- 6:30-9:00 (grades 5+) January 8th – Basketball in the gym January 15th – Swimming at Crystal Pool January 22nd – Gym time January 29th – Skating at Oak Bay Rec. Centre

The Community Christmas Din-ner and the Christmas hampers were a great success this year. 149 people enjoyed a turkey din-ner at the Community Christmas Dinner. More than 70 families received Christmas hampers containing both gifts and food through the BGCA. These suc-cesses were made possible through the generosity of the fol-lowing individuals and groups.

370/380 Waterfront CrestAaron Walker-Duncan Allison and FamilyARESAtsmospHairBCIMCBC Pension CorpCoast Capital Savings - TillicumCOPE 378Carmel ThompsonCharmaine HandCheryl Eason Chloe ReedCindy Robertson Clarks Taekwon-DoCorreen CoonsColleen WolfeColquitz Middle SchoolCommunity CouncilCorrina CraigCraig Paterson

Debbie FrancisDeborah HowellDonnaDorothy CookGeraldine BulosanGillian RowenGloria KunzHeather JohnsonICBCIntegrated Service SolutionsJerry DivorkyJoanne SchniederJohn Howard Manchester HouseJudith BKaren CaithnessKathleen WhittleKevin, Melanie & Parker Olinek  Kim KaldalKris DrapeauLaura ColtmanLaura NashmanLynn KiddMelanie CaircheneMinistry of Attorney GeneralMinistry of Citizen ServicesMinistry of Transport and Infra-structure Monk OfficeOld Navy - TillicumPaul SquiresRicke and Bill WylieRyan CalbickScott Browning

Shaun DevoreSher AndersonShirley CraigSidney BendingSol FoodsTeachers Pension PlanTheresa from SNPThe Link at BurnsideTom ArkellTyler Alain and the DND Firefight-ersWest Coast Taekwon-Do

More than 150 volunteers lent a hand wrapping gifts at the Christ-mas Gift Wrap fundraiser at May-fair Shopping Centre. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped to make this year’s event fun and suc-cesful.

More than 400 people attended Santa’s Pancake Breakfast to en-joy a pancake breakfast, visits with Santa, live entertainment and a craft room. Thank you to all of the event sponsors, partners and vol-unteers of Santa’s Pancake Break-fast.

The BGCA is grateful to everyone who volunteered their time and support this holiday season. Best wishes for the New Year.