Dear Santa,
As the new VRBA President, I hope you will consider these wishes after delivering gifts to all of the good children on your list.
When flying over Greater Victoria, please consider expediting rezonings, development and building permits. This would provide homes for many families and make the holiday season jolly.
The province is promoting townhomes, duplexes and other missing-middle housing for families. However, municipalities boost costs including DCCs, CACs and more.
Your Christmas cap on these fees would help a great deal and your workshop elves could take a break. Standing by to build the homes are VRBA builders, suppliers and trades named Ready, Willing and Able.
I know you are going over your list to see who is naughty or nice. Naughty NIMBYs contribute to housing supply shortages. Perhaps it’s time for a lump of coal in their stockings.
We’re still hoping for a new train to the West Shore, a region that has done much of the house work for the other kids in the CRD.
Santa, we are not leaving everything to you. VRBA is again supporting the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation at the Festival of Trees.
We also donate to the Threshold Housing Society providing housing for youth, CFAX Santa’s Anonymous, TC Christmas Fund, Goldstream Chums and Habitat for Humanity’s Gingerbread House Showcase.
Best wishes on your travels Santa!
And Happy Holidays to all!
Mike
This column appears Wednesdays in the Times Colonist.
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