Plans to move cruise ship shuttle stop concerns Victoria business owners

Cruise ships will be returning to Victoria in only two months, but not without controversy. Struggling local businesses say the city is crippling their ability to take advantage of the return by moving a bus stop one block.

The plan is to move the old drop-off spot for cruise ship tourists from Fort Street to View Street and Government Street.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps says this 140 metre-move is part of a plan to pedestrianize lower Government Street, which has already been closed to traffic for most daylight hours during the pandemic.

"That balances the cruise ship bus stop a little bit better between all downtown businesses, and puts it more in the center of downtown rather than one end," Helps said Tuesday.

The mayor says businesses on Government Street have known about this plan for two years.

"We’ll see those fears alleviated when we have the cruise ship passengers here this summer, and they get off the bus and they walk down Government Street 140 meters and go to those businesses," she said.

Theresa Palmer, owner of Out of Ireland, disagrees, saying revenue will take a hit. She says the cruise ship tourists only go a very short distance from the bus stop.

"Let us have our cruise buses coming back onto the street for this first summer season back, and then let’s talk about how things have panned out," she said.

In response to business owner concerns, city councilor Stephen Andrew is bringing forward a motion to press pause on the plan.

"I’m glad that Mayor Helps has a crystal ball and she can tell what’s going to happen," he said Tuesday.

"None of know what’s going to happen. We should have a one-year reprieve so that we can look at this in longer terms," he said.

Palmer says business owners are meeting with city council on Thursday night to share their concerns.