The City of Victoria is celebrating National Public Works Week this week by printing a limited run of a commemorative set of trading cards depicting five vehicles that help maintain the city.
The trading cards feature a garbage truck, zero waste truck, sidewalk sweeper, street sweeper and sewer cleaner on one side with stats on the fleet and little-known facts about the vehicles on the other.
Bill Eisenhauer, head of engagement at the City of Victoria, said the cards are in lieu of an open house the city usually holds at this time every year, welcoming the public to the public works yard to meet the people responsible for keeping the city operating smoothly. The open house has been on hold during the pandemic.
The trading-card initiative is meant to acknowledge the contributions of more than 300 employees who make up the City of Victoria’s Public Works Division, who work in planning, building and managing everyday operations, said Mayor Lisa Helps.
“It’s thanks to their hard work and combined dedication that our streets are clean, our garbage is collected and our underground system is running smoothly,” Helps said in a statement. “National Public Works Week is a great opportunity to recognize this work, while also having a little fun with trading cards while we are at it.”
All 300 employees received a set of cards on Monday, the first day of National Public Works Week. A limited number of the cards are also available to the public at no cost. The cards can be picked up, while quantities last, at Victoria City Hall, 1 Centennial Square.
They may even become collectable, as the city embarks on a plan to phase out the existing fossil-fuel-burning fleet and transition to electric and renewable fuels.
parrais@timescolonist.com
