Metrocascade – The Blog

Days of summer: a pause (explained)

Posted by: metrocascade on: August 24, 2009

I’d blame the lazy days of summer for the dearth of posts on this blog, but that would be disingenuous. It’s actually the case that my energies are diverted elsewhere.

So, for the next little while, the pickings will continue to be very slim here. I’m very involved with a Victoria BC civic issue, which you can read about on the web pages two friends and I maintain as a public service: JohnsonStreetBridge.ORG. Things are heating up around the issue of whether or not the city will pass a bylaw to borrow a whopping $63million for a new bridge right downtown – we’re already shouldered with $45million debt and are staring at government-mandated sewage treatment, estimated to cost billions of dollars. It’s a big deal.

In addition, we have some changes planned for MetroCascade – we realize we need to sort categories better and figure out how to present events and information in an even better way for our users.

The other thing going on is personal: my youngest is leaving for the University of British Columbia in …oh, about a week. Getting everything set up seems to involve a lot of running around and checking off lists.

After Labor Day, we’ll be back on track.

But do look for blog posts on JohnsonStreetBridge.ORG, follow us on Twitter, and if you live in Victoria, consider coming to a public meeting tomorrow evening at 7pm at Central Library. That’s Aug. 25, Central Library in Victoria BC (map). Doors open at 6:30.

(Posted by Yule)

New curations interface thingy on MetroCascade homepage

Posted by: metrocascade on: August 11, 2009

My partners here at MetroCascade built a little application right into our homepage, called The MetroCascade Digest (it’s the big yellow link at the top of the “Read” cascade). That’s where I’ll be posting curations from now on.

I have been taking a hiatus, but finally got around to posting one yesterday.

Since I own the bully-pulpit (as it were), that curation was all about Johnson Street Bridge news continued…, which is potentially the biggest issue facing taxpayers in the City of Victoria, and which is getting lots of coverage from several bloggers – including another site I’m involved with, Johnson Street Bridge DOT org. That site has many useful links, including a blog, of course.

In fact, Mat Wright just posted another entry in the wee hours today. It’s called How not to Communicate Redux: Johnson Street Bridge Victoria BC and asks some tough questions about the site called johnsonstreetbridge.com (not .org), which we have to assume was registered by the City of Victoria as part of its “communications” strategy around this project.

Mat’s analysis and questions are a must-read for how not to do municipal / governmental communication.

(Posted by Yule Heibel)

Off and away on the Johnson Street Bridge

Posted by: metrocascade on: August 6, 2009

I’m sorry about failing to provide timely curations this past week. But if you’re local, you might be aware that the City of Victoria wants to undertake a giant infrastructure project – I had written “is planning to undertake,” but realized that was the wrong word choice, since planning is hardly the right way to describe what is happening.

I’m talking about the intention to demolish Victoria’s Johnson Street Bridge.

In response, I’ve been very involved with creating a website called JohnsonStreetBridge DOT org, writing blog posts for it, helping with getting a letter out to Mayor and Council, and generally spreading the word about what we’re doing. Please check the links and get informed. This is a very big issue.

Also, take a look at Bernard von Schulmann’s blog posts, out today: The Johnson Street Bridge Replacement, Johnson Street Bridge – a bit more, and (my favorite, because it digs deep into the policy and funding issues) The bridge once more.

In fact, Bernard’s last post prompted me to leave a comment:

Months ago a friend asked, “Who is driving the planning bus at city hall?” He wondered whether it was the politicians or the staff.

Looking at the JSB proposal, I’m thinking, “They shot the driver and the bus is going over a cliff.” (And we – Victoria taxpayers – are sitting in it.)

Like I said, click the links – read and get informed.

I hope to be back at curations tomorrow… ;-)

(Posted by Yule Heibel)

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Perspectives on hot

Posted by: metrocascade on: July 30, 2009

It sounds lame, but one of the big topics for local bloggers has been our heat-wave. Since Victoria doesn’t usually get temperature over 30 degrees Celsius, it’s remarkable that we have had high-heat mid-30s weather for several days in a row now.

And the bloggers continue to weigh in: from Miranda Roach and a laid-back approach here to A Runner’s Tale’s record of pain here; and back again to Trainharder Jarhead’s ‘bring it on’ response here to a query from Victoria Klassen about what to wear. Victoria Dogs tells us humans how to keep canines cool in eight easy steps; Loose Moorings found that it even got too hot on the water; and Elizabeth McClung describes what it’s like to be confined to a wheelchair during a heat wave.

For another very different kind of heat check out Davin Greenwell whose photo is on the cover of this week’s Monday Magazine. It’s a terrific capture, and announces the upcoming Victoria Electronic Music Festival (VEMF). So hot, it’s cool.

Oh, and Vibrant Victoria reports on how Victoria’s Mayor Dean Fortin takes heat for hiring additional communication staff.

S-ss-sss-sssss-sssssssizzling!

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Fire (and chainsaw enemas)

Posted by: metrocascade on: July 28, 2009

The weather has been hot, and unusual, too – Victoria bloggers weigh in.

Five Star Whale Watching has some stunning photos of Saturday’s thunder-and-lightning storm (thunder & lightning are not a typical summer occurrence here). You have to click through (and scroll down) – beautifully amazing.

Meanwhile, there were fires not just in the sky, but on land: several buildings burned, most notably a disused motel that had become a magnet for social disorder. Save Feral Human Habitat has an interesting take on the popular response (“let it burn”): Another empty building burns. Read it now and maybe change your mind. (Save Feral Human Habitat also has a blog post about its new tv station if your firelust runs to onscreen pixels.)

Next, take a look at Barbara Julian’s provocative post, Let’s Get Rid of Multi-culturalism in Canada. Sounds rad to soft Canadian ears, but you go read this and tell me she doesn’t have a point.

Finally, Cafe Jabbaccino writes Dear Robbers, a post about being robbed – not just once, but twice. Hers is whence the “chainsaw enemas” line.

Ok, folks, there are many more Victoria creatives to explore on MetroCascade, so go take a look.

You might like…

Posted by: metrocascade on: July 26, 2009

Here are some posts from the last 48 hours that caught our eye at MetroCascade…

First off, I want to mention a new website and blog that folks in Victoria might want to know about, but I have to give full disclosure: I’m an author on that site. It’s Johnson Street Bridge, and it’s a site designed to inform the people of Victoria about the City’s plan to replace the existing Johnson Street Bridge – to the tune of at least $63million. (The city is hoping to get 2/3rds of that covered by the senior levels of government – Provincial and Federal – but brace yourselves, it will without a doubt get  more expensive, and there’s no guarantee that Province or Feds will step up to the plate.)

At present, I’ve got a couple of entries up on the site (start with Bad reason, 1; now there’s also a Bad reason, 2 up), as does Mat, who informs us about Johnson Street Bridge jobs! and reports on the City’s new advisory committee. Explore the rest of the site as well.

In other political news for Victoria, check out the commentary on the Province’s newly announced Harmonized Sales Tax. On Saturday, Sean Holman blogged Living in Harmony, and the day before, Friday, Mike from Vibrant Victoria wrote an informative post, HST to increase average Victoria house price by 3.4%, and Paul Willcocks posted his thoughts on The HST, Gordon Campbell and the Clark government: all three well worth checking out.

If all of this political stuff has your heart rate in the stratosphere, grab a dog – or check out Victoria Dogs, which blogged up a storm about how you and canines can help one another. Some of the entries go back to July 23, but most recently you can learn about walking rescue dogs – which might calm frayed nerves.

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4 Day Digest

Posted by: metrocascade on: July 24, 2009

A 4 day digest? That’s an unplanned pile-up, but here goes: the most active categories over the past 4 days are photos (36 posts), politics (29 posts), hightech (24 posts), and sports (23 posts). That’s followed by music (16 posts), business (6 posts), and movies (12 posts).

One problem with this summary of category updates is that it doesn’t tell us how often currently uncategorized authors are updating – which is why we also still need feedback from bloggers/ authors about which categories they want to be associated with.

In photos, take a look at TheLastSpot for some amazing photos of a cruise ship approaching and docking at Victoria’s Ogden Point.

In politics, read Amalgamate Greater Victoria’s post about Victoria’s graying future and absence of younger (low-paid?) workers – and, different category but similar subject matter, check out Mat Wright’s post on his involvement with the Victoria Johnson Street Bridge issue, Activism, Victoria Style.

The Hightech category is populated by quite a few job postings coming through VIATeC’s Twitter stream, VictoriaTechJob, so check that one out.

Interesting juxtaposition: check out 1889.ca for why we should junk the concept of pages when consuming content online, and Sean Holman on BC librarians developing a contingency plan in the event libraries are cut off from annual provincical government operating grants this year.

Politics, animals, manhunt

Posted by: metrocascade on: July 20, 2009

In the politics category, BC-politics-focused Public Eye Online posts by Sean Holman are five-strong this Monday morning, with reports on how BC Rail Co. got exempted from FOI requests; the inappropriateness of having the same person be house leader and attorney general; and political commentary on the 100 Mile Diet and carbon footprints, among other posts.

Policy Monitor Canada also reports on two BC-related issues: Notice of Public Consultation for Industry Stewardship Plan by Canadian WirelessTelecommunications Association (CWTA) (how to/ where to recycle your old wireless devices); and a pointer to the creation of a “2010 and Beyond” panel.

If politics are driving you up the wall, find the door instead and enter the nature category: try whale watching. Five Star Whale Watching reports on some amazing sightings, including photos. Check out Summer at its finest and the encounter with J-pod.

Or release pent-up energies through another lifestyle modification: try going on a manhunt – the game version played on city streets, that is. Manhunt!!! announced an upcoming game for next Sunday, July 26. Should give participants enough lead-time to polish their sneakers.

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Animals and politics

Posted by: metrocascade on: July 18, 2009

Animals and politics: those two categories make some sort of sense in tandem, no? They appear to be the trending topics of the last 48 hours on MetroCascade.

Victoria Dogs blog enlightens readers with four posts. Those of us with “heavier set” dogs might want to check out Is your dog overweight? (My dog isn’t – he’s just …heavier set, heh.)

Political bloggers were busy. Among other things, Sean Holman reports that Stephen Harper will visit the Lower Mainland early August, and Policy Monitor Canada posted up a storm with six new entries. Their topics range across this vast nation, including pointers to an Ontario Domestic Violence Report, the Northwest Territories being accepted into the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, and Climate Change and Canada’s Forests: From Impacts to Adaptation.

And in really local news and events, Kevin Boyd of Beryllium reports on Friday’s fire at Neverblue’s downtown office.

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The Parenting Environment

Posted by: metrocascade on: July 16, 2009

Parenting and Environment go together, don’t you think?

The Parenting category was quite active over the past 2 days. Real Parenting has a couple of entries – have to say this one on why knitting is such a great activity got my attention: “…knitting takes very little energy to do. Somehow, stealing a few moments to put my sticks to work with a ball of yarn always makes me feel like I’m indulging in a bit of me time, even if junior is driving his trucks over my toes while I’m doing it.” :-)

Swings and Roundabouts is a great resource for area parents: this blog is dedicated to scoping out and rating every playground in the vicinity, including all the CRD municipalities, and even beyond. Great stuff.

The Victoria Stroller blog meanwhile pointed readers to Reptile Day at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary …which takes us to Environment, too…

…Where Corey Burger’s brief post on the safety of 6-story wood frame construction provides food for thought.

(posted by Yule)

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