Capital Region Watch E14: Arthur McInnis & What’s Really Happening in Victoria’s Biggest Development

Описание: In this powerful episode of Capital Region Watch, host Jack Etkin speaks with Arthur McInnis, a former construction and projects lawyer and community advocate, about one of Victoria’s most controversial projects: Bayview Place in Vic West.

What began as a vision for a heritage-protected, community-oriented waterfront district has turned into a cautionary tale of broken promises, missing transparency, and questionable rezoning practices.

McInnis walks viewers through a two-decade saga involving toxic soil, missing public amenities, and shifting master agreements, revealing how public safeguards vanished from city documents and how one developer’s leverage grew unchecked.

Topics include:
🏗️ How Victoria’s Bayview Place redevelopment evolved from a heritage restoration to a high-density mega-project
⚖️ Why the 2008 Master Development Agreement (MDA) protected public interest, and how the 2025 MDA quietly removed those protections
☣️ What it means that the site is too toxic for a playground, and why “dig and bury” remediation is being approved
💰 How speculative “land banking” shapes Victoria’s housing market
🏢 Why experts and heritage panels opposed the rezoning, and why their voices were ignored
📉 What this case says about City Hall, accountability, and the future of Victoria’s democracy

This is a must-watch episode for anyone concerned about urban planning, transparency, and the future of Victoria’s built environment.

📅 Recorded December 8, 2025

🎙️ Capital Region Watch is your go-to source for thoughtful, independent interviews on the key issues shaping Victoria and surrounding municipalities. Each week, host Jack Etkin — with over 25 years in community television and public discourse — brings you candid, in-depth discussions with local leaders, thinkers, and changemakers.

📍 Filmed in Victoria B.C., this episode highlights the issues that matter most to citizens of Vancouver Island and beyond.

👥 Whether you’re a resident, journalist, policymaker, or simply civic-curious, this episode offers insight and context rarely found in mainstream media.

💬 Join the conversation: Like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated on future episodes and help elevate independent community journalism in B.C.
🔔 Subscribe for more:    / @capitalregionwatch  

👍 Like the video if you support local voices
🗨️ Comment with your thoughts on local issues in your area

📌 About the Show: Capital Region Watch is a public affairs interview series focused on politics, society, and civic engagement in Victoria, the Capital Regional District and southern Vancouver Island. Hosted by Jack Etkin, a long-time advocate for democratic media, the show brings serious attention to underreported issues and offers a platform for real dialogue. Jack previously co-hosted the CFUV radio program “Solutions” and launched “Face to Face” and “Citizen’s Forum” on SHAW community TV.

📺 See Capital Region Watch on Rogers TV Victoria and in the Cowichan Valley and on Salt Spring Island. Learn more at https://crdwatch.ca/capital-region-wa...

#VictoriaBC #CommunityMedia #CapitalRegionWatch #BCPolitics #CivicEngagement #JackEtkin #ArthurMcInnis #PublicAffairs #LocalNews #vicpoli #bcpoli #BayviewPlace #VictoriaDevelopment #UrbanPlanning #HeritagePreservation #Transparency #EnvironmentalPolicy #Rezoning #CityCouncil #VicWest #DevelopmentDebate #Accountability #PublicInterest #CommunityAdvocacy