Victoria Construction - #7

[Metro-One]

So strange that developers don't clue into this.

Not as if it hasn't been done in Victoria before. Just think of Oak Bay, could you image how much of its splendour would be lost if the streets were lined with Eastern Maples or Scarlett Oaks instead of the twisting and cascading gary oak trees?

And no rocky outcrop is complete without an Arbutus (again, a species currently in need of a helping hand).

And for my own personal niche, a few more palms involved in some of these developments would be nice

[aastra]

The redevelopment of all of the rocky properties in Vic West would have been an ideal area for a bunch of Garry Oaks. But then again, if people don't want them and the city doesn't want them then why would a developer ever plant them?

If the city is going to turn the Wharf Street parking lots into useless green space then a bunch of shady oaks and some arbutus would work there as well.

When we were kids that's what undeveloped lots in Victoria were all about: oak trees, big rocks, yellow grass, and garter snakes. It would be such an easy ecosystem to recreate. I think a lot of people don't like it because to them it doesn't look like the pacific northwest. It doesn't look like Canada. They want tall evergreen trees and lush green grass.

pic by David Cure-Hryciuk from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/79703701

[vicdevelopments]

Victoria was considered a prairie town. It was totally flat and filled with grasslands and oaks.

One of my neighbors has planted 3 Garry Oak trees in her back yard. I don't know where she got the trees to plant but they were planted 3 years ago and they are growing slowly. I'm not sure if any nurseries sell mature garry oak trees as my neighbors are now only two feet tall.

[millerman]

Garry Oaks, as most oaks are a very slow growing species. You can guess how old the few mature stands of Garry Oaks are in the Greater Victoria area are. There are two specific soil types Garry's grow on, deep or shallow soil. Both are endangered in BC (i.e. Red listed). Less than 0.3% of the coastal Douglas fir biogeoclimatic zone supports the Garry Oak ecosystem, and a significant amount is located within the urban development zone of Greater Victoria. Only 3% of the historical range is present today. It would take the city, and municipalities like Saanich to pass stringent protection requirements for development approvals, and invasive plant species prevention to see private land with these ecosystems left undeveloped. Unlikely considering the obvious.

[aastra]

Methinks the best place to start would be to keep on planting new ones in areas where they used to be abundant. Otherwise a name like "Oaklands" will one day be meaningless.

[Metro-One]

Yeah, I hope there is more of a push to use Garry Oaks and Arbutus trees. That is a big part of what makes Victoria special, the northern California look.

Seems so strange that they would want to look more like "Canada" when they are in the best position in Canada to be unique.

If not native species than I also enjoy the complete other side of using exotic species (more palms / bananas / monkey tail / etc...) All these species can be grown quite well in Victoria but without the threat of being invasive.

In other news, has any word been spoken about the Victoria LRT of recent? The new federal Liberals are pretty open to rail transit and we do have a provincial election coming up soon. Seems odd no one has said anything. Several mid sized metros in Ontario are now moving forward with LRT. Seems to me with the existing rail ROW for many sections and the general compact urban form of Victoria the LRT could actually work.

[zoomer]

Well since 1 billion is being spent on our sewage treatment I'd say LRT is on the back burner.

[Phil McAvity]

^"spent"? You mean squandered

I'd like to see more palm trees and other tropicals in Victoria to show off it's freakishly un-Canadian climate. Does anyone remember the controversy that emerged after the city planted those palm trees in the middle of Douglas St by the Mayfair Mall years ago? You know it's a government city when people get that involved over a couple of trees.

Does anyone know how tenants at the Bay are driving down to the parkade since the old ramp off Herald St. is now blocked by a couple of shipping containers?

By the way, was anyone else happy to see that silly old fool Peter Pollen finally expire? He was the main reason Victoria has always had such a low, tabletop skyline.

[millerman]

Originally Posted by aastra

Methinks the best place to start would be to keep on planting new ones in areas where they used to be abundant. Otherwise a name like "Oaklands" will one day be meaningless.

Agreed aastra. Ecological restoration can go a long way in areas where there is the potential. You need the correct conditions though, and this is not always easy to restore or re-create. Easiest way is to protect them, or develop with a light footprint (i.e. green leave areas are the remaining Garry oak community).

It's hard to strike a balance with private lands a lot of the time. I remember the controversy when the Christmas Hill development went in near the Pat Bay/Mackenzie interchange in the early 90's. I believe some of the Garry Oak forest was left wasn't it?

[vicdevelopments]

Im not sure about Arbutus trees but windmill palms and Garry Oak trees are very slow growing. Thus plantable Palm trees at a decent size are extremely expensive. Scarlet Oak trees when properly watered and fertilized can grow 2 feet a year. though they are cheap they take a fair bit of maintenance pruning etc. The cherry trees along View street are quite beautiful in the spring. I think years ago the city had their own nursery for trees but they sold it. Now they buy from Kimoff Farms and some other nurseries.

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by zoomer

Well since 1 billion is being spent on our sewage treatment I'd say LRT is on the back burner.

didn't someone in Langford propose to get the E&N railway up and running while the McKenzie overpass is getting built?

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by vicdevelopments

Im not sure about Arbutus trees but windmill palms and Garry Oak trees are very slow growing. Thus plantable Palm trees at a decent size are extremely expensive. Scarlet Oak trees when properly watered and fertilized can grow 2 feet a year. though they are cheap they take a fair bit of maintenance pruning etc. The cherry trees along View street are quite beautiful in the spring. I think years ago the city had their own nursery for trees but they sold it. Now they buy from Kimoff Farms and some other nurseries.

I am aware that they are slow growing, but they are well worth the return when they mature. Gary Oaks and Arbutus trees for celebrating the natural northern tip of the sub Mediterranean Douglas-Fir ecoregion and palms for taking advantage of the mild climate and unique gardening opportunists compared to the rest of Canada. I don't know why windmill Palms would be so expensive, there are many hobbiest who grow them in their yards from seed that would be happy to provide them. I even knew one such guy only a block away from my old house is South Van. He had about 30 windmill palms growing in his yard.

Using Scarlet Oak trees seems like such a waste of opportunities. The cherry trees are okay since the hybrid with our natural cherry trees and have been part of the city landscape for a century or more.

Also, again, with that stupid fungus the Arbutus could use a little help in being planted again where it has been removed.

[Phil McAvity]

Wow, who stuck a shiv in this thread and killed it?

[vicdevelopments]

I agree the thread was motoring along there for a while then the tree talk stalled it. hahaha.

I will go out tomorrow and take some photos of the current and uptodate developments. I will post them on here.

[Metro-One]

No, the tree talk was one of the most active bursts of conversation this thread has had.

It has never been an active thread... And people are welcome to post other updates on it at any time

And sorry, landscaping is an important aspect of the urban realm, especially in Victoria where so much more can be done than anywhere else in Canada.

[vicdevelopments]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

No, the tree talk was one of the most active bursts of conversation this thread has had.

It has never been an active thread... And people are welcome to post other updates on it at any time

And sorry, landscaping is an important aspect of the urban realm, especially in Victoria where so much more can be done than anywhere else in Canada.

I agree actually. Especially since a lot of the newer developments have green roofs like The Falls The Juliet and others.

[vicdevelopments]

a 13 and 10 story buildings rental units
thumbnail_IMG_0171 by steven roberts, on Flickr

17 and 15 story buildings Johnson Street condos
thumbnail_IMG_0172 by steven roberts, on Flickr

9 story building on View Street
thumbnail_IMG_0173 by steven roberts, on Flickr

17 story building on Yates Street Condos
thumbnail_IMG_0174 by steven roberts, on Flickr

3 towers at up to 20 stories each mix of Condos and Rental units
thumbnail_IMG_0175 by steven roberts, on Flickr

15 and 11 story buildings on Yates Street both rental units
thumbnail_IMG_0176 by steven roberts, on Flickr

just finished a 10 story condo building on Broughton Street
thumbnail_IMG_0177 by steven roberts, on Flickr

Mix use phase 1 on Superior Street
thumbnail_IMG_0178 by steven roberts, on Flickr

Hudson phase 2 and 3 17 and 24 story buildings
thumbnail_IMG_0179 by steven roberts, on Flickr

1515 Douglas Street 13 and 6 story office buildings
thumbnail_IMG_0181 by steven roberts, on Flickr

Hudson Walk phase 1 and 2 16 and 15 story rental buildings
thumbnail_IMG_0184 by steven roberts, on Flickr

bayview phase 3 songhees hilltop 17 story condo tower
thumbnail_IMG_0186 by steven roberts, on Flickr

[aastra]

It has never been an active thread...

Victoria Construction #7 has never been particularly active but the earlier threads were crazy busy up until the controversial invention of www.vibrantvictoria.ca.

Edit: I take it back. Even #7 was busy back at the start.

[Phil McAvity]

^"controversial"? Was that a joke?

I'm obviously the only one that thinks it's kind of amazing that in the middle of a building boom this thread can be dead for over a month when the Kelowna thread, with a small fraction of the amount of construction as Victoria, is livelier.

[Metro-One]

Awesome update, thanks!

Yeah, Victoria needs a little more love on this site, but sometimes I am glad it is usually off the radar during Canadian section pissing matches.