GARDEN-FENCE GOSSIP

Victoria is known far and wide as Canada's "City of Gardens".

So it's no surprise that we have a few ladies who love to wander down the garden path sharing a titillating tale or two, especially if it has anything to do with the neighbours, ... in particular one "naughty lady from Shady Lane"!

So, if you're bored with the usual fill of "As the World Turns", just tune in to the following feisty fencepost free-for-all.

This week's tarty tidbit:

"Frankly my dear, I think she's having an affair with 'Johnny-Jump-Up', 'Sweet William' and the 'Bachelor Button' don't you!"

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Photo credit insert: Guilda Gossip on flickr.com photos.

JUST HOW POPULAR IS JAMES BAY?

Well, according to the Google search engine, there are more than 242,000 web pages devoted to "James Bay Victoria BC".

And, one of the first internet listings, Vancouverisland.com, points out to visitors that "James Bay still boasts many pristine older residences that have retained their original Victorian splendour, many of which were owned by the original settlers of the Victoria area. The eastern end of James Bay was reclaimed in 1903 for the construction of the Empress Hotel." (See a heritage home in the neighborhood featured in "Snippets & Snapshots").

"Monday Magazine" (Volume 34, Issue #24") however found few assets in James Bay to crow about, preferring instead to describe several as, "the cruiseship deadzone of Ogden Point and the Guananamo charm of the Blackball terminal." Perhaps he overlooked the fact that 163 floating hotels with more than 325,000 visitors expect to park overnight at "the deadzone" in 2008, while two popular U.S. ferry operator call this neighborhood their home, not to mention a helijet service to Vancouver and the Canadian Coast Guard to name a few significant commercial income generators to this City.

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Photo Insert: Sunset June 14, 2008, three cruiseships berthed at Ogden Point.

FEEDBACK RE FIDO & FIFI - FOOD FOR THOUGHT

It seems that the real reason James Bay is being graced with a new off-leash dog park at Shoal Point (Fisherman's Wharf) is due to a surplus of Fidos and Fifis stomping down the grass and scaring the other wild critters along Dallas Road. Apparently the answer is to shift the problem over to a neglected park in a nearby neighborhood, (even though the City has received no petition from households or condo owners adjacent to the park or elsewhere in James Bay).

In a search for a balanced solution to meet the needs of canines and other recreational users of the parks in Victoria's most densely populated neighborhood, one James Bay apartment dweller and former pet owner suggested that dog owners be licensed as we do operators of motor vehicles.

She suggested that owners of dogs wishing to have access to any public space should be required to: 1) register their dog(s) with the City, 2) show proof that their dog has satisfactorily passed a dog obedience training course, and 3) carry insurance so as to mitigate any potential damages incurred to a third party in the event of mishap with a dog. She also added that such a policy and program could be affordably implemented by working in cooperation with veterinary clinics as well as independent pet services or pet retail shops.

(Note: According to a Victoria Parks official at last weekend's "Paws in the Park" open house at City Hall, less than one quarter of canines are currently licensed in the City of Victoria. No information was available in the presentation as to the size of the dog population or the number of dog licenses issued in the Capital Regional District.)

Now if only we could get all the dog-owners to pick up after Fido and Fifi...the world would be perfect!

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE

Well if you happened to have been jogging, walking, or scootering along the water's edge pathway just east of Holland Point (Dallas Road & Menzies Street) between 2 and 3 pm on Thursday, June 13th, you might have caught a glimpse of an usual spectacle.

No it wasn't an itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini floating on the water, nor was it "The Beatles" famed "Yellow Submarine", nor was it a wayward whale.

Visitors to the area were slightly flummoxed if not perplexed, as they were not expecting alien water sprites on their casual afternoon jaunt. Further investigation revealed that the "thing" bouncing around in the water spurting two gorgeous plums of water into the air was none other than an itty, bitty bark (yellow and white to be exact).

This daring display of showmanship was afforded by a professional team of mariners practicing how to put out fires, (or maybe they were simply trying to figure out how to keep in time to the music that will be played at "Symphony Splash" being held on Sunday, August 3rd from 4 to 10 pm in the Inner Harbour.

10 WAYS YOU KNOW THE CRUISE SHIPS ARE IN TOWN

1. The traffic along Dallas Road moves at a snail's pace which clogs up the works not unlike the frigging zebra mussels!

2. Diesel fuel fumes add a certain "je ne sais quoi" fragrance to the air.

3. Oodles of foreigners feed the "starving" seagulls while the rats go hungry!

4. Herds of tourists, sporting humongous ID badges dangling from their chests, parade in single file along Oswego Street.

5. Blue fumes emanating from tour buses compete with hot air from the legislature.

6. Happy, helmeted Vespa vistors (aka bats out of hell) appear out of nowhere.

7. A slightly confused soul stops and asks you, "which way to the drugstore?"

8. A gigantic gaggle of gigglers gather at "Mile Zero" for a photo op or an impromptu sing-along version of "Koom-Bay-Ya".

9. Locals have to dodge the new piles of horse-apples on the roads.

10. Three long blasts on a horrid horn tend to break the solemnity of the cool midnight air, shake residents out of their comfy beds, and wake up the darn dogs if not send the cats scurrying beneath the sheets for cover!

PAWS IN THE PARK - IS THE CITY GOING TO THE DOGS?

The City of Victoria will be holding an "Open House" on Saturday, June 7th from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm on the issue of "Paws in the Park".

They would love to hear feedback from residents about the issue of on-leash and off-leash areas for dogs in Victoria Parks.

Apparently, consideration is being given to a request from a dog-ownership advocacy group to designate the seldom used Fisherman's Wharf Park at Shoal Point as a new "off-leash" dog area.

So express yourself...give the folks at City Hall a bone (yes) or a bark (no)...they need your help in making up their minds how best to serve the diverse needs of Victoria residents including those with animal companions.

5 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT JAMES BAY

1. The Mermaid Mosaic on the corner of Menzies & Simcoe was made by artist, Sandra Millott.

2. One of the early organized baseball teams in Victoria came out of the James Bay Athletic Association which began in 1886 when a group of men from the James Bay neighborhood formed a baseball team called the "James Bays", the other was the "Amity Club", (formed in 1887, and ten years later actually got real baseball uniforms!).

3. One Victoria blogger is devoted to taking daily shots of Victoria...5 of which focus on James Bay.

4. There is a topographical map of James Bay in the Canadian Atlas!

5. The James Bay Inn is the third oldest hotel in the City of Victoria!

ALL THE BLAH BLAH BLAH ABOUT JAMES BAY!

All The Blah Blah Blah You Ever Wanted To Know About Getting Your Bearings in James Bay

For those who have a compass and a sextent or a Global Positioning System device at their disposal, you'll find some interesting landmarks like the "Ogden Point Breakwater" at Latitude: 48°24.811N and Longitude: 123°23.630W.

For those who can't navigate worth a hoot even with a map, a compass, a GPS device, and a back-seat driver ...admit it, you're hopelessly lost!

Fear not, just ask someone for directions to beautiful downtown Victoria (conveniently located at Latitude: 48.4167° N and Longitude: 123.3667° W). So, whether you're looking for tasty tidbits, trinkets, or tokens of affection, there are a whole host of shops in James Bay and the Inner Harbour waiting to empty your wallet or max out your credit card.

Need to figure out what to wear today besides welly boots, a wet-suit, and a brand-name bumbershoot? Then take a gander at the Canada geese who call the parks of James Bay their home in winter, or better yet, why not check out the James Bay Community School Weather forecast. What do you mean you don't like "singing in the rain"?*!

And, for those who want to know what they can expect to see and hear while jogging along Victoria's picturesque Outer Harbour besides some aerial acrobatics performed by a team of squawking, supersized seagulls, the sights and sounds of the delightful dive-bombing crows, or oodles of off-leash canine companions frolicking about on 'play-dates', please go online and check out the Dallas Road Web cam.

"JAMES BAY BABBLER" GOES LIVE!

(Victoria BC) --"James Bay Babbler" (Vol. 1, No. 1) , the voice of wit and wisdom not to mention what's what and who's who in the heart of James Bay, Victoria, British Columbia invites everyone who lives, works and plays here to contribute news, views, opinions, or whatever you want to share with others in this neck of the woods!

You'll find interesting tidbits and treats like photos, videos, polls, contests, short blurbs and blurts, community links not to mention recommended books, places to eat, and oodles of things to do in this really neat neighborhood!

So, drop by Ogden Point Cafe (at the Breakwater), every Saturday morning 10:00 am, grab a latte and a freshly baked sticky cinnamon bun, pull up a chair and join the "JB Conversation Cafe" where we chew the local fat, discover new friends, and dream up all manner of creative projects for the week, the month or the year!

Or, failing that, drop the "James Bay Babbler" a friendly email - jamesbaybabbler[at]yahoo.ca!