If Esquimalt and Oak Bay can be independent, why not James Bay?
Throughout my life, the importance of fairness has resonated strongly. From elementary school to family, from business and most recently to municipal politics, when the principles of fairness and transparency are evident, apparent and strongly upheld, communities grow, relationships bloom, children thrive and businesses succeed.
When fairness and transparency are the foundational principles, human beings from eight to 80 behave in unexpected ways; they work together and they are willing to compromise.
However, I have also learned throughout my life that when people put up walls, withdraw into their silos and and turn a blind eye to social injustice, it is imperative that someone speaks out. It might even be necessary for those people affected by this childish behaviour to similarly withdraw and to take care of their own needs and not those of their neighbours. Sadly, they might have to fight fire with fire and, as unbecoming as it might seem, they might have to be as petty as others and protect their people first.
Recently, folks primarily from Esquimalt and Oak Bay are banding together, saying that they do not want to undertake a study that might suggest a new, fairer and more effective way to govern ourselves. They espouse that nothing could be better than the status quo and that their representative democracy serves their residents. And yes, a study could indeed identify how grossly unfair the existing system is.
However, I have been listening and maybe they are right.
If they are, it is long overdue that the neighbourhood of James Bay embark on its own study to become a standalone municipality.
The population of James Bay is similar to that of both Esquimalt and Oak Bay. James Bay is its own geographical enclave, as are Oak Bay and Esquimalt. James Bay has unique circumstances. It houses the seat of the provincial government and bears the brunt of the operations at Ogden Point, both of which benefit the whole region.
James Bay residents do not have a seat at any table. Oak Bay and Esquimalt both do. In fact, the James Bay Neighbourhood Association is perceived by the powers-that-be as a nuisance. Further, in the city of Victoria, James Bay is only one of 13 neighbourhoods, once again not having the voice that it deserves.
James Bay has to fight tirelessly for respect, recognition and funding. It currently has no meeting space, no funding and no budget. The association is composed of dedicated and smart volunteers who spend countless hours devoted to improving the quality of life for their residents. Despite being bullied and diminished repeatedly, James Bay people continue to soldier on.
Trust me, these volunteers work harder than most elected officials.
James Bay also has no community police force and has to fight for every scrap of improvement in the community. Like Oak Bay and Esquimalt, James Bay would have no need to contribute large amounts of money to the Johnson Street Bridge, to the arts or to solving homelessness and it represents a substantial tax base. James Bay, too, could simply tell folks that “grant opportunities” are available.
Maybe Esquimalt and Oak Bay have got it right. Maybe it is time for James Bay to rise up and begin serious discussions about incorporation. Given the facts, it is only fair, isn’t it?
I think the Royal Borough of James Bay has a nice ring to it.
Shellie Gudgeon of Victoria West is a former Victoria city councillor.
