VICTORIA -- Victoria residents are getting their first look at the city's long-term financial plans Thursday.
The city government is presenting its draft economic plan, Victoria 3.0 – Pivoting to a Higher-Value Economy – 2020-2041, at council Thursday night.
The plan, which is now available online, highlights several big-picture projects the city intends to take on over the coming two decades, including creating a tech innovation district and redeveloping the Victoria Conference Centre.
"What if we turned the Victoria Conference Centre into a facility that can hold more and larger conferences and also develops an international reputation?" the draft plan asks.
"Our desired future state is to be able to host two, mid-sized conferences concurrently or one large meeting. In order to achieve these objectives, and the greater economic returns that will come with them, a significant renovation or rebuild is necessary."
The draft plan also calls for the creation of a "ocean futures cluster," described in the report as a dense network of businesses and institutions focused on marine sciences, transportation and ecology.
Residents are invited to read the Victoria 3.0 plan and provide input by completing an online feedback form or emailing engage@victoria.ca by midnight on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Public feedback will be presented to city council for their consideration early this year.
