Founded in 1985, the Council of Canadians is Canada’s largest citizens’ organization. The Victoria Chapter includes members in all of the municipalities in Greater Victoria (Capital Regional District) and surrounding areas. We are located on the traditional territories of several Coast Salish First Nations, including the Songhees, Esquimalt, Tsawout, Tsartlip, Pauquachin, Tseycum, T’Sou-ke and Scia’new (Beecher Bay) First Nations, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the Saanich Peninsula.

Open Letter to CRD Directors: Take Climate Emergency Seriously, Oppose Highway Expansion

Dear Capital Regional District Board Members, Re CRD response to South Island Transportation Strategy Thank you! Your 2019 votes against a new ‘alternate route’ Malahat highway and for the CRD Climate Emergency declaration has resulted in the provincial government releasing a South Island Transportation Strategy (SITS) that is a significant step forward. We would like […]

Oct 09

Wed June 5: The End of Ice — Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption

The End of Ice — Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption Admission by donation Dahr Jamail is an award-winning climate reporter and former war correspondent. As one of the few unembedded journalists during the war in Iraq, he won praise from writer/activists like Howard Zinn and Naomi Klein. Since then […]

May 29

CofC Annual General Meeting + Workable Solutions to the Climate Crisis Thurs Jan 31, 2019

Workable Solutions to the Climate Crisis Thursday January 31, 2019 First Metropolitan Church – 932 Balmoral Road Featuring speakers from Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 850, LEAP Victoria, BC Sustainable Energy Association and Victoria Chapter Council of Canadians. Download and print a poster http://www.victoriacouncilofcanadians.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/CofC-Climate-Solutions-Poster-Jan-31-2019.pdf (Annual General Meeting for Council of Canadians Victoria Chapter 6:30-7pm […]

Jan 19

Greyhound opens door for B.C. Bus – Op-ed in Times Colonist

Comment: Greyhound opens door for B.C. Bus JOANNE BANKS , ERIC DOHERTY and ANITA STRONG / Times Colonist July 12, 2018 After years of service cuts and declining service quality, Greyhound’s corporate owner (U.K.-based FirstGroup plc) is pulling the plug on bus service in all of Western Canada. This is a huge threat to communities […]

Jul 15

Tues July 10 – Damming the Peace: The Hidden Costs of the Site C Dam

Victoria Chapter members of The Council of Canadians Pacific Region welcome Author Wendy Holm to discuss her new book DAMMING THE PEACE: The Hidden Costs of the Site C Dam. Tuesday July 10 7-9 pm Legacy Art Gallery & Cafe 630 Yates St, Victoria, BC On-going opposition by landowners, legal challenges by First Nations, cost […]

Jul 08

Street Ruckus 4 Wild Salmon – Mon June 18th

The Council of Canadians Victoria chapter is co-sponsoring this important action. See you in the streets! Monday June 18 at 4:30 to 7pm. Starting on Victoria’s Inner Harbour at Government and Wharf Streets (beside the Tourist Info Centre). Pulling Salmon Protectors together for this procession through the downtown streets on June 18th, 2 days before […]

Jun 12

Victoria march against Kinder Morgan Buyout – Thursday May 31st 5:30pm

The Council of Canadians Victoria Chapter is co-sponsoring the March Against Kinder Morgan Buyout, starting on Thursday May 31st at 5:30 pm. When: 5:30pm on Thursday May 31st Where: Government and Wharf Streets, Victoria B.C. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that the Trudeau government is buying out Kinder Morgan completely to prop up […]

May 29

Save the date! March 8 – International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day – a day to recognize women’s achievements and acknowledge the challenges they continue to face in the quest for gender equality. We will gather with music, dance, performance art, and poetry to honour the diversity of women and our collective strength. Centennial Square Victoria BC – March 8, 2018  […]

Feb 14

Victoria CofC members blockade Kinder Morgan Terminal in Burnaby

Early in the morning January 29 close to 100 people joined an action serving blueberry pancakes outside the Westridge Marine Terminal undergoing construction to accommodate the hotly contested 890,000 barrel per day Kinder Morgan pipeline. Yesterday’s actions are part of a series of acts on the part of (primarily) local residents under the banner ‘Justin […]

Jan 31

Sign CofC ‘Trump Not Welcome’ Petition!

The Victoria Chapter of the Council of Canadians co-sponsored the Women’s March attended by hundreds on January 20th. Barbara spoke for the Chapter and promoted the Council of Canadian’s ‘Trump not welcome’ petition which has been getting a huge response across Canada. The online petition to keep Trump out of Canada has already gathered over […]

Jan 21

Expand the transit system, electrify the fleet, and eliminate fares!

The Council of Canadians Victoria Chapter has has endorsed this climate emergency campaign. Please read and take action! This coming Tuesday, June 11, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission is considering a climate action plan to massively expand the regional transit system, electrify the fleet, and eliminate fares by 2022. A number of Commissioners are currently […]

Media Release – Victoria march against Kinder Morgan Buyout – Thursday May 31st 5:30pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Victoria march against Kinder Morgan Buyout – Thursday May 31st 5:30pm. What: No Pipeline Rally When: 5:30pm on Thursday May 31st Where: Government and Wharf Streets, Victoria B.C. VICTORIA, BC – Texas-based oil giant Kinder Morgan gave the governments of Canada a deadline of May 31st to sweep away all impediments to […]

B.C. needs public highway bus service say Council of Canadians members

Check out this op-ed by Council of Canadians members Joanne Banks (Campbell River), Bruce Bidgood (Terrace) and Eric Doherty (Victoria Chapter). B.C. needs public highway bus service Greyhound is threatening to pull out of northern B.C. and many smaller communities across the province unless it gets a public subsidy. We think the best answer to […]

Sign the open letter supporting climate-friendly transportation investments!

The Council of Canadians chapters on the lower mainland recently won a major victory for climate justice and better transit by working with allied groups. The BC NDP government just pulled the plug on the 10-lane Massey Bridge proposal, freeing up over $3.5 billion that can be used for better transit. See https://canadians.org/blog/win-bc-government-cancels-construction-george-massey-bridge-project Now, the […]

Videos – Victoria chapter co-sponsors public forum on Site C dam

The Council of Canadians Victoria chapter co-sponsored a public forum on the Site C dam on February 9. Panel of speakers included Dr. Harry Swain, Dr. Judith Sayers and John Gailus outlines in detail why the Site C Dam is a profoundly costly mistake and an environmental and economic white elephant. BC Government Imposed Strange […]

Victoria chapter calls for spending on public transit, not urban highway expansion

The Council of Canadians Victoria chapter says all levels of government should shift money away from road projects that increase carbon pollution and spend those funds instead on public transit. In a Vancouver Sun opinion piece, Victoria chapter activist Eric Doherty, who is also transportation planning consultant and a founding member of the Better Transit […]

Victoria chapter at massive anti-Kinder Morgan pipeline protest march

The Council of Canadians Victoria chapter participated in a huge march against the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline yesterday. The chapter’s banner can be seen in this 2-minute Facebook video. The Times Colonist reports, “Fuelled by anger and and a belief they had been betrayed, more than 1,000 protesters took to Victoria’s downtown streets Thursday […]

Chapter Activist writes on post-truth climate politics in BC

Council of Canadians Victoria Chapter member Eric Doherty recently published this op-ed, which touches on the transit and the McKenzie Interchange in Greater Victoria. If you have thoughts on the subject, please add a comment on the Georgia Straight website. Eric Doherty: It’s time to challenge post-truth climate politics in B.C. by Eric Doherty on […]

Victoria chapter at #NoDAPL solidarity rally

The Council of Canadians Victoria chapter is at a solidarity rally against the Dakota Access Pipeline at this hour. The Facebook outreach for the gathering says, “Come out in solidarity with the Sacred Stone Camp in Standing Rock, ND. We ask individuals to come out with their drums, rattles, regalia, songs, prayers and voices to […]

Video: Leap Manifesto Event with Council of Canadians

On Oct 30, 2016 Leap Victoria, a new group dedicated to promoting and advancing dialogue about The Leap Manifesto, held their first public event. The provocative panel discussion featured Barbara Mitchell Pollock Co-Chair of the Council of Canadians Victoria Chapter. Moderator – Jessica Van der Veen – RAVEN Marvin Gandall – Leap Victoria Barbara Pollock […]