In spite of a forecast for a wet and grey Walktober Friday, Saturday turned out to be sunny – just perfect for wandering through some of the parks and along several of the scenic trails in Saanich. By starting and finishing at Copley Park, it is easy to plot a long, oval route that goes through, past or along Panama Hill Park and Panama Flats, Hyacinth Park, the Colquitz River Trail, the back of the Canadian Forestry Research Centre, the Galloping Goose Trail, Swan Creek Park and Brydon Park.
Saanich has added some new marked pedestrian crossings, wider concrete sidewalks and blacktopped trail entry points in this area, all of which make walking here a safer and more enjoyable experience.
This particular Saturday saw lots of people out walking and cycling. Families were using many of the small park playgrounds. Friends sat on benches to chat. And lots of well-behaved, leashed dogs were out walking their humans.
The wide gravel path through Panama Flats is perfect for physical distancing and still allows lots of room for cyclists to pass.
The Colquitz River Trail can be accessed from multiple points in Saanich. Features include well-groomed paths, many footbridges, lush riverine vegetation and a signed salmon habitat restoration project.
There is more than one name for this, the tenth month of the year. Of course, “Walktober” suits this span of 31 days very well but it is also a month when “Fogtober” is also appropriate. And when the fog rolls in, what better place to walk than the Ogden Point breakwater?
Actually, the breakwater is a perfect place to walk any time of the year – and in any weather. And now that the Dallas Road multi-use path is (almost) finished, more people will be able to access this prime walking spot. The new crosswalks, signage and accessible parking spaces send two clear messages: “all are welcome” and “let’s share this wonderful renewed place.”
There has been much discussion in Greater Victoria on lowering speed limits over the past few years, which Walk On, Victoria supports. If you have travelled across the the region, you may be confused about the different speed limits in different areas, and the inconsistency of speed limits, even on portions of the same road. On some roads there are clear signs notifying drivers of the speed limits, but on others, there are no posted signs. This problem is especially evident when looking at two neighbouring schools: Quadra School and Cloverdale School.
Most people are aware that the speed limit in school zones is 30km/h between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. when school is in session. The speed limit is set at 30km/h because this is the speed at which, should a child be struck by a car, the risk of serious or fatal injury is reduced. Should a driver neglect to slow down, fines for driving over the speed limit in a school zone are higher than those for driving over the speed limit on other roads: $196 for those driving up to 20km/h over the 30km/h speed and $283 for those driving 21km/h or more over the posted school zone speed.
Driving with caution in a school zone is serious business, so you might be surprised to learn that one of the two elementary schools, located just blocks apart on Quadra Street, does not have a posted 30km/h speed limit.
Cloverdale School, located at 3427 Quadra, does not have a 30km/h posted speed limit. Quadra School, located at 3031 Quadra does.
Location of Quadra and Cloverdale Schools (click to enlarge):
Quadra School
Quadra School, located in the municipality of Victoria, is fully fenced on both the Finlayson and the Quadra sides of the school. The speed limit on this portion of Quadra is 40km/h when school isn’t in session, and there are 30km/h school zone signs on both Quadra and Finlayson. There is also a traffic calming median with plants at the intersection of Quadra and Finlayson. No cars are able to park on the school grounds in front of Quadra School, and there is no turn off from Quadra onto the school grounds. Traffic moves slowly in this area during school hours.
The message is clear: Drive slowly and keep children safe.
Proceed a couple of blocks along Quadra, where at Tolmie, motorists cross the municipal border between Victoria and Saanich. On the Saanich portion of Quadra, the speed limit increases to 50km/h.
Cloverdale School
At 3427 Quadra, where Cloverdale School is located, there is a roadside sign with a picture of children but no speed limit posting of 30km/h. Motorists can drive 50km/h on this portion of Quadra even when school is in session. Furthermore, Cloverdale School is not fully fenced on the Quadra side of the school grounds, and there is a driveway in front of the school allowing motorists to pull off Quadra onto the school grounds. Cloverdale School is located directly next door to the Cloverdale Thrifty Foods Store, and motorists sometimes mistake the school driveway for the Thrifty’s driveway.
If you are a pedestrian who walks in this neighbourhood, you know that the intersection at Cloverdale and Quadra feels dangerous. Drivers are focused on looking for breaks in traffic to make left or right turns or to turn into one of the two gas stations or the stores located at this intersection.
The message is clear: Hang onto your kids. This is not a safe street to walk on.
Walk On, Victoria advocates for consistency in posting 30km/h school zone signs throughout the CRD.
Walktober is an excellent time to explore Victoria – from southwest to northeast – and back again. Following is a personal account of an urban walk – full of autumn colours.
My jaunt took me across Victoria – twice. I live in James Bay and had an appointment to keep on Hillside, at the Victoria-Saanich border. The trek took about ninety minutes each way; going “out” I noticed one handful of tourists in front of the legislative buildings, taking photos, and another small group waiting to board the solitary double-decker bus in front of The Empress. The level of activity reminded me of an early fall morning back in the 1990s, before the Coho docked on its first run of the day and long before legions disembarked from the final cruise ships of the season and overwhelmed downtown.
There was a large circle of like-minded folks engaged in some sort of contemplative gathering in Pioneer Cemetery and many people sipping coffee at numerous Cook Street cafes.
Many of the Haultain curb-side gardens were still in flower; some householders had even put excess produce out for neighbours to take home.
Along Shelbourne, single-family houses, well-past their primes and never candidates for heritage designation, continue to give way to multiplexes and townhouses. Nonetheless, there were pockets of colour along this busy corridor.
On the way “back”, I took residential streets in Oaklands, skirted Jubilee and passed through Fernwood. I saw freshly-painted fences, new backyard benches and families enjoying playgrounds and the outdoor plaza on Gladstone.
When I finally returned to James Bay I paused to reflect; other than the lack of downtown tourists, the “new normal” isn’t so different from the “old normal” and our city is going to be okay.
Today was one of those glorious early autumn days: warm – not hot; breezy – not windy; fresh – not humid. I began my trek at the Oak Bay Rec Centre and had a glorious stroll. Oak Bay, with its heritage homes, manicured lawns, tailored gardens and thick arboreal canopy, was the perfect place to walk. Add in Willows Beach and the marina plus the green of the golf course and the attraction for this walker is obvious.
But there are two hidden gems in Oak Bay that make walking here more than special. The first is the network of back alleys. The alleys of Oak Bay are not overwhelmed by trash cans, discarded mattresses or derelict vehicles; they are lined with painted bird houses, twirling whirly-gigs and vegetable gardens (I saw a spaghetti squash just ripe for picking). Some alleys end in a “T”, giving walkers the choice of turning right or left. Others are home to artists’ studios, workshops, old-fashioned carriage houses with haylofts up-top or proper garages housing classic cars. Each alley is a jewel on its own; together they form a beaded necklace, wound through Oak Bay.
And the biggest gemstone hanging from that necklace is Anderson Hill. My favourite approach to Anderson Hill is up an obscured little path leading off Transit Road. As I climbed up, the path narrowed and squeezed between old, lichen-covered rocks. I walked through grasses that were pale yellow and dry; the fallen, leaves crackled under foot. I walked past Garry oaks that have been stunted and twisted from frequent winds. In a few minutes I reached the top and there – before me – was a West Coast panorama of sea and mountains. I took a deep breath and marveled at the wonderful walking adventures we can have here on Southern Vancouver Island.
Every October, Walk On, Victoria celebrates what makes walking great in our communities. This year looks a little different than previous years, as our community is facing many challenges due to the covid-19 pandemic. Many of us are working from home, distance learning, and have had our daily routines upended. Where our members may have walked to work or school, this has been replaced by a short commute between rooms. This has given us a new opportunity to explore the benefits of walking in other contexts, such as walking for exercise, stress relief, or just a way to get out of the house! Areas of our cities have been turned over the streets to pedestrians and our local businesses have taken advantage of this by creating patios.
This Walktober, we encourage you to reflect on what walking means to you, especially during this particularly difficult year. Have you been walking more or less than your normal routine? Have you found any unexpected benefits of walking? Most of all, we encourage you to get out and walk!
Contest Time!
Stay tuned to our social medial channels for details on how you can win great prizes! Each week, we will post a challenge on our social media channels and will do a prize draw. Make sure to follow us to find out how you can win:
Facebook “Walk On, Victoria”
Instagram @walkonvictoria
Twitter @walkonvictoria
Where to walk
While in the past, we have hosted some in-person walks, the pandemic has made this challenging. We have some suggestions for guided walks up on our Blog and will post additional walks during Walktober.
In previous years, we held a step-counting contest as part of Walktober but we are not able to host it this year. We have learned that ParticipACTION has launched a team challenge, running all October and featuring $20,000 in prizes. Some Walk On members have created our team, and we challenge you to an informal step challenge! https://www.participaction.com/en-ca/programs/app
How to make your neighbourhood more walkable
Residents and visitors alike have consistently rated the walkability of the area as one of the best things about Greater Victoria. However, we know that there are many challenges that pedestrians face- whether it is narrow sidewalks (or no sidewalks at all!), lack of crosswalks, debris, lighting, etc. At Walk On, Victoria, we advocate for pedestrians at all levels of government to make Greater Victoria a safer and more enjoyable place to walk.
One way you can learn more about the walkability of your neighbourhood is by doing a walk audit! A couple of our members did one for a Saanich neighbourhood in honour of Jane’s Walks:
We encourage you to report any issues you see to your local government. You can use our handy reporting tool to find out where to report issues (this tool directs you to the correct place to report and does not make a report on behalf of you).
Walk On, Victoria uses the word “walking” when referring to pedestrians (it’s even in our name!) To us, walking more than just moving on two feet, it includes all pedestrians, regardless of mobility. We aim to advocate for all pedestrians.
