Of Cars and Bikes, Chickens and Ducks

Living in downtown Victoria it is possible to go car-less. We used ours the first day we arrived, to get groceries, and have not moved it since.

Between walking and public transit - and bicycles if we had them here - we do not need a vehicle.

We have met many people who have chosen to go carless, including one couple who live in Vancouver and came to Victoria via public transit for a weekend cultural getaway to take in the opera and two plays. They even brought much of their own food for the weekend, in suitcases!

Going without a car is not a hardship for the people we have talked with; rather, they are enthusiastic about it. They enjoy the cost savings, the hassle-free nature of their lives, and the enjoyment and healthy living they get from walking and cycling.

For trips out of town, they use public transit or rent a vehicle if it is absolutely necessary.

Year-round cycling is a feature of life in Victoria. Here is an iconic image that the Times-Colonist published during the big snows earlier this month:

Source: Victoria Times-Colonist

Victoria is going all-out to expand its network of separated bike lanes, fast-tracking 35 km of separated bike lanes in the next three years. This decision has been controversial, as in some cases, roadway or parking capacity is being reduced. 

There is also a rumour that cherry trees are being removed to make bike lanes, but it seems that this has been overblown. The issue of loss of cherry trees has more to do with planting drought-resistant native species, to adapt to climate change, than it has to do with bike lanes. The mayor talks more about this in a recent post on her blog.  https://lisahelpsvictoria.ca/2019/02/25/cherry-trees-urban-forest-management-and-climate-change-the-facts/

Fort Street Separated Bike Lanes.
Notice the two-way markings, the barriers separating bikes from traffic,
and the green markings for intersections.

Navigating these bike lanes can be challenging for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers, especially the process of turning. I watched a YouTube video that explained it, and I was confused. There is definitely a learning curve involved. 

But in the long term, road safety will be much improved, especially for cyclists. And that is the aim! The risks of cycling in traffic have definitely prevented me from enjoying riding my bike on busy roads.

If we are to successfully reduce private vehicle usage in cities, alternative modes of transport, like walking, cycling and public transit, must be attractive and seamless.

The first North American roll-out of U-bicycles was in Victoria, in 2017. These are a dockless rental bike that is based on a barcode stamped onto the bike's locking mechanism. An app allows users to rent them and leave them anywhere.

U-Bicycle in Victoria

Helmets are included with the bike rental

Projects like this will contribute to reducing our dependency on private automobiles. 

Over ten years ago, the phrase "Climate Code Red" described the emergency that we are facing globally as a result of climate change. 

The authors compare our current situation to that of World War II, when the economy diverted a huge percent of spending to the war effort. 

They argue that we must make similar investment decisions now, to prevent the worst effects of climate change. 

That was over a decade ago, and we have not yet stepped up to make those tough decisions. The time is now!

Part of the ability to move away from private vehicles is for communities to become much more self-reliant. "Resilient community" is one of the terms I have heard to explain this. 

One aspect of resilience is food self-sufficiency, or "sustainable" local food. This involves supporting local food production, buying locally for example. 

In James Bay, I have encountered a couple of folks who are going far beyond herbs in pots or raised vegetable beds. Two of the more well-known are Chris and Susannah Adams, who describe themselves as "urban farmers".

The home of Chris and Susannah Adams on Battery Street

The James Bay Beacon, a community newspaper, has published a couple of articles about the Adams, in 2013 and again in 2016: http://www.jamesbaybeacon.ca/?q=node/1086 and http://jamesbaybeacon.ca/?q=node/1952

We walk by the Adams place regularly, and have chatted with Chris a few times. He has taught himself much about organic farming and how to develop integrated farming systems. For example,  Welsh Harlequin ducks - a heritage breed which is hard to find - provide rich eggs high in protein and fat. They are productive; one duck laid 300 eggs in a year. They also perform important work on the farm, eating slugs which accumulate under the mulch that Chris and Susannah use to protect their crops. 

Welsh Harlequin Ducks in James Bay

Chris is also an advocate for native plants, and is experimenting with a bed that has some of the plants which grow in Garry Oak meadows which used to be so widespread on southeastern Vancouver Island. 

Garry Oak meadow, Uplands Park, Victoria, with Camas in bloom.
Source: http://www.goert.ca (Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team)

One of the plants Chris is growing is Camas, a beautiful blue flower with an edible bulb which was a staple of the local First Nations diet. The picture to the left shows a remnant of this native ecosystem.

The photo below shows more detail of Chris and Susannah's farm. Notice the raised beds, made of ferrous concrete.

Chris made the material for the raised beds from ferrous concrete, finished with an iron oxide pigment.
The closest bed has been planted with Camas bulbs, native to this area, as well as a filbert tree.

Ken was very interested in the raised beds made of ferrous concrete, and researched the process. Here is one link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzAOAWQb_hY

As well as ducks, Chris and Susannah have chickens, in this case, a hybrid chicken known as the ISA brown (ISA for the French company which originally developed the hybrid).

ISA chickens are known for being productive egg-layers 

We have seen chickens elsewhere in James Bay. Sustainable local agriculture is one part of a resilient community. I will write in my next post about other components of resilience.