Although the Times Colonist ran an article during the summer that the Sequoia received a temporary stay from demolition, we now have one last chance to save the Centennial Sequoia and Square.
But we must act quickly! We have less than one week!
On November 6, as budget debate begins at Victoria City Council, Councillors Hammond, Gardiner and Coleman will be bringing a motion to Council. It reads, in part, that "Council halt the Centennial Square Revitalization Project which was adopted by Council on July 18, 2024". If this motion succeeds, that should be the end of threats for the destruction of the Sequoia, the Fountain and other parts of the Square; the end of Dell's Folly.
This motion will be brought within the context of this City's expenses and growing debt. The argument will be that Victoria must not spend money from reserves and take on more, and excessive, debt for a project that is not a requirement. There are many items for which money is urgently required (policing, upgrading old water and sewer lines and other infrastructure, more resources for the homeless, etc. etc). In addition, as we all know, there is no public support for the Centennial Square project. Quite the contrary, in fact.
Here is the situation:
The City will have to borrow up to $7 million in order to take on only phase one of the Square project.
Victoria currently has approximately $48.96 million in outstanding debt. The City's growing expenses and debt load are causing property taxes to increase at an astonishing rate. As well, renters will feel the pain as landlords raise rents (to the extent they are allowed) to help cover these costs. Residential property tax in Victoria went up 8.18% in 2025. Expect it to rise further in 2026. At this crucial stage, Victoria residents, please put aside arguments about the beauty of the Sequoia and the historic value of the Square in order to focus on the money aspect.
For those of you who do not live in this municipality, your communications might focus on the absurdity of Councillor Dell's assertions that this project is supported by hundreds of families.
We can try to bring this motion closer to success in the following ways:
1. Phone (leave a message if necessary), or email Councillors Loughton and Kim with positive, constructive messages. Both of these Councillors have previously expressed misgivings about the cost of the Centennial Square. You might urge fiscal responsibility and remind them of the urgent causes which they support and on which City money should be spent - low-cost housing, solutions for homelessness, for instance. And/or point out to them that the community overwhelmingly does not want this project.
Their emails are: kloughton@victoria.ca and skim@victoria.ca
2. Phone (leave a message if necessary) or email Mayor Alto urging her to continue her efforts to be fiscally responsible and ensure that the City does not take on debt for this entirely unnecessary and publicly unsupported project.
Her email address is: malto@victoria.ca
3. Write letters to the Times Colonist and other media with these messages.
We have less than one week to act on this, but success may be within reach! Please help!
4. Call in on Adam Stirling's radio show on CFAX and discuss this issue and the need to preserve the sequoia and the square. Open lines run from 11:00am to 3PM. The studio phone # is: 250-386-1161
We have less than one week to act on this, but success may be within reach! Please help!
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For more information, please contact treesmatternetwork@gmail.com
Thank you again for all your support!!!!
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Please note: It is not necessary to donate to the petition, the money goes to Change.org not the petition.
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