Pop-Up Native Bee Apiary designed by Border Free Bees and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. It is one of eight projects vying for $50,000 in Victoria’s first Participatory Budgeting process. Photo courtesy City of Victoria.
For the first time, residents of the Capital Regional District get to decide what to do with a portion of Victoria’s budget.
The city is holding a participatory budget process, where you can vote among eight community projects that have been short-listed for up to $50 thousand in funding.
The first vote was cast this morning at Victoria City Hall, the location of one of three voting options.
The others are by either online or a street team will have pop-up voting stations January 10.
Eight projects were shortlisted from 28 proposals that were submitted in the fall, which were vetted to ensure they were viable and could improve life in Victoria.
The shortlisted projects include:
- A pop-up garden and native bee art installation with educational workshops.
- Solar power and batteries for the aquaponics system at the Compost Education Centre.
- An art and music program for seniors with dementia.
- An employment training program, connecting vulnerable adults with local employers.
- An arts program for marginalized people in the Victoria area.
- A new electronic community resource board at Victoria High School to serve the Fernwood community.
- A pedal-powered Victoria Bike Music Festival and summer concert series.
- A community learning garden in the courtyard by the Downtown Branch of the Victoria Public Library.
Voting will be accepted until January 20 and the winners will be announced in late January.
The winners will be announced in late January.
Andy Neal
