Electronic Newsletter

September 2006


In this issue:

Information from the Rockland Neighbourhood Association
Anyone Listening?
Drop By Sometime
Democracy At Work
Graffiti Action
Land Use Update
Communicating to Rockland Neighbours
Rockland Woodland Garden
Rockland Heritage Walking Tour

Coming Events and Opportunities

Call for Artists

Community Arts Book Launch: September 9, 2006

RNA Information Meeting: September 19, 2006

 
Information about Rockland

Quality of Life Survey ˆ The Rockland Picture

Sense of Community Promotes Good Health

 

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Anyone Listening?

On behalf of the RNA Board of Directors, I‚d like to welcome you to the latest incarnation of the RNA Newsletter, published now in electronic form, but still available in paper copy for those without Internet access. The move to an e-newsletter has been part of a larger strategy by your Board to improve communications with our membership. Other initiatives include posting Board agendas on the RNA website, welcoming guests at our monthly Board meetings, and adding email hotlinks on the website to encourage feedback and questions from the membership.

If you have ideas on ways to improve our approach, please drop me a line. - Henry Phillips, President, RNA

Drop By Sometime

As you may know, the Board generally meets at 7 PM on the second Wednesday of each month at the Friends‚ Cottage on Rockland Avenue, through the generosity of Her Honour, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Friends of Government House Garden Society. The cottage space is quite cozy, so your Board will endeavor to periodically book a larger venue (usually one of the local Church halls) to permit guests to attend. Admittedly this injects a degree of unpredictability so, if you plan to attend as a guest, please confirm location and seating by checking the agenda posted on the website. ˆ Henry Phillips, President, RNA

Democracy At Work

I‚d also like to remind everyone that the Annual General Meeting is just around the corner (TBA ˆ early 2007) and one of the key agenda items is election of the new slate of Directors and Executive for the forthcoming year. If you are interested in becoming more active in your community and can spare a few hours per month, this is an excellent way to contribute to the betterment of your community. You can stand for election either for an executive position (President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer) or as one of 8 other Directors-at-Large.  Most of the Board‚s business is actually done by subcommittees, composed of RNA members and chaired by an interested Director, who reports to the Board.  If you would like more information on the nomination process, check out the RNA website (under Œconstitution‚), or contact any of your Board members. - Henry Phillips, President, RNA


Graffiti

Rockland residents are often concerned about graffiti in our neighbourhood. The RNA piloted the „Adopt a Pole‰ program in 2005 which encouraged residents to „adopt‰ the hydro poles in front of their houses and paint over any graffiti as it occurs. In addition, the RNA worked with the City of Victoria on a pilot project to paint BC Hydro poles with a stencil of green leaves over a brown background to discourage graffiti.  City staff advised that a design is less easily retargeted than a solid colour. The three stencilled poles are located at the corner of Rockland Avenue and St. Charles Street.

Now BC Hydro has agreed to provide funding for paint and materials for volunteer community groups to implement an „Adopt a Pole‰ program. Is anyone interested in volunteering to coordinate this?  If you are interested, please contact Wayne Carlow, Manager City Operations Division at 361-0419 for paint, materials and leaf stencil. ˆ Linda Foubister, Past President
 
Land Use Update

Rezoning Application for 1322 Rockland Avenue
On August 11, 2006, City Council considered the most recent rezoning proposal for this heritage property. The plan called for 22 new townhouses, plus 5 units in the former Carolyn Macklem mansion and coach house. The RNA expressed concerns about the scale of the proposal and the Planning Department recommended that it be declined. Council instructed the applicant to revise the plan with consultants who would address landscaping, heritage, and engineering issues. As of this writing, the rezoning signs have been removed because one was defaced by graffiti. However, the application is still active and another proposal may be submitted soon. For more information, including letters drafted by the RNA and a legal commentary, please consult the Association website.  - Mitchell Lewis Hammond, Co-Chair, Land Use Zoning

Communicating to Rockland Neighbours

The Communications Committee oversees the RNA website at http://www.rockland.bc.ca the distribution of information via e-mail to members and residents on the Rockland 'listserve', and the publication of the Newsletter.

Although some important information is regularly distributed by e-mail, neighbours are also encouraged to browse through the website from time to time. It is frequently up-dated with the latest agenda and minutes of RNA Board meetings, with important correspondence between the Board and City Hall (see, for example, the latest submissions regarding secondary suites and the proposed development of 1322 Rockland Avenue), and with general information of interest to Rockland residents.

It is now possible to communicate directly with Officers and Committee Chairs of the RNA by e-mail through the appropriate link on the website.  For example, to contact the President, Henry Phillips, simply click on Board of Directors in the right-hand margin of the site's home page, and then click on the name PHILLIPS, Henry listed next to PRESIDENT.

If you have any suggestions of how information might be better communicated to Rockland residents please send your ideas to communications using the procedure described above.  We are always open to new suggestions. - John Weaver, Chair, Communications


Rockland Woodland Garden
Spring in the garden saw a burst of blooms from bulbs and bushes.  Hundreds of salvaged Camas, Shooting Stars, and Fawn Lilies dotted the rocky eastern end of the garden, while Nootka Rose, Goatsbeard, Oregon Grape, Red Current, Ocean Spray, Indian Plum and Mock Orange provided
successive colour.  Hot, dry July and August have been challenging - during these months, a Garry oak woodland is dormant, so we don't expect lush growth.  In fact, many plants are looking a little punished.  They will be ecstatic to see the wet days of fall.  Our plans for the garden then are to get going on educational signage which will help visitors to identify what they see.
- Janet Simpson, Chair, Garden


Rockland Heritage Walking Tour

The second edition of the Rockland Heritage Walking Tour has been produced and is available at City Hall and the Central Library. The self-guided walking tour highlights the heritage values of the historic Rockland area. It includes Rockland‚s history, architecture and unique environment and can be walked in a few hours. For a downloadable version of the tour, visit the Association‚s website at http://www.rockland.bc.ca/ to print your own copy of the tour. ˆ Linda Foubister


Call for Artists

We are looking for Rockland neighbourhood artists who are skilled at drawing wildflowers / landscapes and are interested in a commission to do the artwork for the interpretive signage in the Rockland Woodland Garden.  Please contact Janet Simpson by telephone at 381-6657 or email at jesimpson@shaw.ca.

 
Community Arts Book Launch

The launch for the book Hanging on to Paradise will be Saturday, September 9th, 2 - 5 pm at the Garry oak room, 1335 Thurlow Road. Hanging on to Paradise features the work of Rockland, Gonzales and Fairfield artists, poets, writers and photographers as they muse about what their neighbourhood means to them.  Music, readings, refreshments, art display. All welcome -- bring friends and family!

Rockland Neighbourhood Association Information Meeting

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Location to be determined
Agenda:

- Community Association Land Use Procedures
- Secondary Suites - Update
- Downtown Boundaries/ Western Rockland Neighbourhood Boundaries
- Issues the Neighbourhood would like to bring to the Board's attention

 
Quality of Life Survey ˆ The Rockland Picture

In 2005, the City of Victoria sent a survey to 1,400 citizens to find out their views on quality of life in Victoria. Some of the results were reported by neighbourhood. Rockland residents included in the survey stated the following:

Place to Live: Most Rockland residents (88%) described the quality of life in Victoria as very good (compared to the City average of 87%).

Rockland residents thought Victoria was a good place to retire (91% compared to City average of 89%), to raise children  (80% compared to average of 82%) and to work (70% compared to average of 69%).

Safety and Security: The majority of Rockland residents (90% versus City average of 89%) report a high sense of safety in their neighbourhoods during the day, but fewer feel as safe at night (66% versus average of 60%).

A total of 63% of Rockland residents feel their home is safe from burglary (similar to 63% average).

Whereas 80% of Rockland residents have a high sense of safety downtown during the day (compared to City average of 79%), only 49% feel as safe at night (City average of 43%).

Citizen Participation: Of all citizens surveyed, 15% participated in a neighbourhood meeting/event and 6% attended a public meeting about City matters.

44% of Rockland residents were satisfied with their neighhbourhood association taking their issues to the City, the highest percentage in all neighbourhoods (the city average was 31%).

Other: 56% of Rockland residents reported that they received good value for the taxes paid, whereas only 53% of average City residents reported this. A total of 66% of Rockland residents use the Internet, compared to 77% of City residents on average.

 
Sense of Community Promotes Good Health

Research indicates that a strong sense of belonging to your local community improves your physical and mental health.  Statistics Canada‚s Canadian Community Health Survey, released in June, reported how respondents rated their sense of community belonging.  In southern Vancouver Island, 69.3% reported that they have "very strong" or "somewhat strong" sense of community belonging ˆ 6th highest in the province. This compares favourably to the Canadian average of 62.3% and to the citizens of Vancouver of whom 62.6% report a strong sense of community belonging. In addition, Statistics Canada data show that people in B.C. are the healthiest in Canada, and those in Greater Victoria and the Lower Mainland lead the pack. Clearly, our area is outstanding in Canada as a healthy place to live.

 

ROCKLAND NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION

For more information, visit the RNA website at  http://www.rockland.bc.ca