TV recipe finale Victoria amateur chef awaits online tally Page A10
NEWS: Our Place celebrates weekend opening /A3 ARTS: Hitch a ride to a holiday comedy /A14 SPORTS: Rams repeat as B.C. gridiron champs /A22
VICTORIANEWS VICTORIA Wednesday, December 5, 2012
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Professional canvassing under review City council calls for review of canvassing bylaws in response to complaints about solicitations Do you have a minute to talk? This is a typical greeting from one of the young people, wearing a brightly coloured vest bearing a charity’s name. For some passersby, the question launches a conversation and maybe even a monthly donation. For others, it causes discomfort and a whole host of avoidance techniques: crossing the street, ruffling through the purse, or simply speeding up while staring at a point in the distance. Professional canvassers are a common sight in the downtown for the past several years. For charities, they offer a costRoszan Holmen effective way to raise funds and Reporting awareness. But they aren’t without controversy. Faced with a number of complaints – coming from various sources – Victoria city council took action: it recently voted to review its canvassing bylaws. “We’ve heard concerns, so let’s review it,” said Mayor Dean Fortin. On the one hand, canvassing is a legitimate form of fundraising; at the same time council must make sure they are not detracting from our downtown, he said. Victoria’s streets-collection bylaw was written in 1977. “Several persons have lately been abusing the privilege of collecting money in City streets, thereby creating a nuisance,” reads the original document, still filed in its original typewriter format. PLEASE SEE: Canvassers, Page A7
Don Denton/News staff
Quiet time captured A visitor is silhouetted in front of an image of a resting Japanese macaque, photographed by Jasper Doest of the Netherlands. Patrons of the Royal B.C. Museum and invited guests saw this year’s crop of winners from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012 competition unveiled on Friday. The exhibit, on display now through April 1 at the museum, features images from around the world, including one taken at Fairy Lake near Port Renfrew. See story on page A3.
Downtown condos evacuated after chemical scare HAZMAT team called in to disperse pool chemical buildup Daniel Palmer News staff
A condominium resort was evacuated Monday morning after a pool worker improperly mixed chemicals
and left the batch overnight. Victoria Fire Department crews arrived at the Parkside Victoria resort, 810 Humboldt St., around 8 a.m. and evacuated the east tower as a precautionary measure, said Battalion Chief Paul Kowalyk. “We contacted the two maintenance guys that were here. They were complaining of irritated eyes and throat,” he said. Paramedics responded and took
the workers to hospital for precautionary reasons, but both workers appeared “fully functional,” Kowalyk said. The regional hazardous materials team arrived to dissipate the odour, which originated from about a dozen 19-litre containers. The odour did not pose a threat to passersby, Kowalyk added. Traffic was rerouted for several hours. dpalmer@vicnews.com