Re: “Amalgamation rejection ignores citizens’ wishes,” letter, Aug. 27.
The most effective way to get amalgamation going is for the City of Victoria to take a firm step: Ban the use of the name “Victoria” by any agency or business not established within the city’s boundaries.
The current situation is absurd. The word “Victoria” is like a brand name; it has value, but all and sundry living and working in the surrounding 12 municipalities derive significant benefit from carelessly stating that they are established in “Victoria” without having to pay the price of being part of an urban centre. The street-people problem and the drug problem are not their problems.
Let the University of Victoria be forced to rename itself University of Saanich. Let Royal Roads University proudly proclaim that it is at 2005 Sooke Rd., Colwood, while Costco has a Langford address and the View Royal Casino is in View Royal and not in Victoria, as it likes to advertise. For Butchart Gardens to be a Victoria sightseeing attraction is nuts; it is in Central Saanich, and that municipality does not even border the City of Victoria.
Location is a key driver in our economy. Let it drive a rational approach to urban planning. The postal addresses we use outside of the city of Victoria are not just misleading, but also constitute an inadvertent, sly, forced, business subsidy paid for by a municipality of 80,000 souls to benefit the 230,000 living and working in the surrounding districts.
It is time the City of Victoria lays claim to its name.
Boudewyn van Oort
View Royal
