With survey results still being collected, the City of Colwood is inviting the public to share their thoughts and ideas for the cityB次元官网网址檚 future in a fun and hands-on way.
The Big Ideas Fair runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday (Jan. 28) at Royal Bay secondary and will feature a variety of games and activities for children and adults. Included on the list is a Design Colwood table map that will allow participants to sketch out their design ideas for the city.
Those in attendance will get a chance to step into Mayor Carol HamiltonB次元官网网址檚 shoes with B次元官网网址淢ayor for the Day,B次元官网网址� which allows participants to invest in specific priority areas using budgeted tokens.
A kids drawing station will also compile ideas, and there will be music and a food truck to ensure the event has a festive feel to it.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e just trying to encourage as many people as possible to come out, have some fun and have their say about how they would like to see Colwood grow and change over time,B次元官网网址� said City communications manager Sandra Russell.
The number of submissions for ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 Making Waves survey, which opened in the fall, has now topped 1,000 and staff are continuing to compile data.
The interactive survey, which seeks public input in advance of the 2017 update of ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 Official Community Plan, allows respondents to select their preferred identity for the City, mark special places on a map and select images to represent their vision for future growth.
With data compiled from the first 544 survey responses, B次元官网网址淥ceanfront CommunityB次元官网网址� topped the list when respondents were asked to rank their top five priorities for the City. B次元官网网址淕reen and CleanB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淪mall Vibrant VillagesB次元官网网址� rounded out the top three, while B次元官网网址淎 Suburb of VictoriaB次元官网网址� came in last out of the eight possible responses.
Colwood Corners was marked by most respondents as the current B次元官网网址淐ity Heart,B次元官网网址� but the area had to share the spotlight with Royal Bay when it came to identifying tomorrowB次元官网网址檚 town centre.
B次元官网网址淪pecial PlacesB次元官网网址� markers were clustered around the waterfront and Royal Roads University, while B次元官网网址淧laces Needing HelpB次元官网网址� were broadly distributed, with some clustering around Colwood Corners.
With regards to transportation, streets that prioritize walking and cycling have been identified as being important for future growth, while boardwalks and natural areas scored high in the oceanfront category.
B次元官网网址淭he dataB次元官网网址檚 running pretty consistently,B次元官网网址� noted Russell.
The updated OCP is expected to be finalized by the end of November. For more information on both the survey and the Big Ideas Fair, log on to the CityB次元官网网址檚 website at colwood.ca.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
