Tomorrow I will jump on the back of a B-train up Shelbourne as far as Knight, nip over Tolmie, skirt UVic, and back to the Uplands where I will investigate the ends of the public right-of-way below, along with some other possibly obscured gems.
To get to James Bay coffee, I will hit the Camas Trail, Windsor Park and then some bumps heading west: Anderson (Blueberry) Hill, up Craig's stairs to Walbran Park (Gonzalez Hill), Moss Rocks, and Beacon Hill.
I'd like to join you but do you think it's doable on my road bike? My cyclocross rig is in the shop for repairs.
I'll be sure to wear my Hotel Z outfit, in case there is a chance of naughty behaviour.
If not, I'll just ride with Johnny Tyre, and massage his head for fun
Everything's do-able on a road bike (just ask Joe.)
But you'll be uncomfortable. Did I mention riding stairs? Up and down. (Okay, carrying up.) To make coffee, we'll have to keep walking/carrying to a minimum...
And this ride will be devoid of naughty behaviour. That wouldn't be TSCXy; we leave that to Stuckylife sorts.
I went and got my cross bike back from the shop. So I will be able to join you on this adventure.
Will have to get a raincheck on massaging John's scalp...
You’ll be scaling fences. You can’t get through (at any point of any of the 4 streets) . It’s ridiculous and I encourage you to do it, but it’ll take awhile..... Email the municipality and complain so it’s dealt with...... rbuser@oakbay.ca
Nottingham will be easier although the second alley will also involve fence climbing
Midland is good, just bush whacking and some rubbish
Here’s to learn all the hidden paths.. https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=public
Thanks, Julie! We didn't scale any fences, David D. just took some pictures (and we had to stop Alan from "marking his territory".) The Uplands ROW appears to be used for some utility lines. There were some also very mature trees and deliberate landscaping obstructing access.
I think it's entirely the local government's election of whether or not to have them cleared and open for public passage. So all we can really do is register our interest in seeing them open. However, I'm not sure they're worth expending public funds to do so.
The east one of the last two you posted here was my childhood back alley! My parents still live on it. We head down it on TSCX rides at least a few times a year...
Why would the city have to pay for the removal of fences and landscaping that the homeowners build on public land? They should have to pay. Homeowners get consideration for their property value if a public access path is beside it. These people have already gotten reduced prices, now extra land and no public access.
If they keep it the way it is everyone who’s built on the access needs to pay for ownership. Put money back into oak bay.
I had the municipality check the pathway isn’t for any utility lines.
The midland back alleys? I like those ones on either side.
Last edited by Julie on Fri Apr 26, 2019 12:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Would you mind posting here what you learn from the municipality? For pedestrians and crossdressers alike, that would be a great corridor to have available.
If we don't get the answers we're looking for, then I suggest starting with a soft protest,
Last edited by JTyre on Sun May 05, 2019 7:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
The municipality also told me to lodge a formal complaint via email, but since I’m not a resident of oak bay my opinion won’t carry much weight.
Everyone should email the municipality and ask the pathway accessible, but not on the municipality dime. The 12-6 houses built fences and landscaping on a public pathway. rbuser@oakbay.ca
I would tend to side with Julie on this one and say that if there is any cost involved in returning these public paths to public use, that cost should be borne by the homeowners. It might be just one of my peccadillos, but there is something about the private usurpation of public goods that irks me. Yeah, go ahead Mr. Rotundo d'Oak Baie, go ahead and dump your garden refuse on a public path and block anyone else from enjoying it, maudit tete de merde, tabernac. Just on principle I think we need to take back what rightfully belongs to all of us. Where's my machete?
Do others detect a certain hauteur of entitlement and arrogance among Oak Bay residents that just makes you want to pee on their flowers?
Do we not see ourselves as Modern Day Robin Hoods, where our courage is called upon to steal from the Rich (Les Snobbistes de Oak Bay) so we can give to the poor (Les Cyclocrosseurs du monde)?
Do I hear the wings of censor monkeys flapping my way to erase my blasphemy...?
I love peaceful trails, pathways and alley options. This one infuriates me because 4 blocks got away with it.....and not with just cars, signs and refuse blocking access. It’s completely and impossibly blocked by all of the home owners. That’s 12-6 homes from beach dr (who doesn’t love opting off beach?) to Norfolk. It’d be a great way to access uplands park
Was it ever open? When I bought my place I was surprised that the homeowners did all maintenance on the path along my house. If those paths never had neighbour support to keep them open and the city ignored them, who's fault is it? Building a fence over the path is a bit cheeky and might have been done to keep the deer out (devils advocate).
Deer!! Now there's a topic I can really get riled up about!
I should have added that taking back our land from the land barons of Oak Bay won't be easy.
Plus, there are some big-assed animals living in them overgrown footpaths...
(actual footage of Rolf running away from some three-toed sloth...)
I’m not talking about maintenance of pathways. I’m talking about building on them, outright falsifying your property line. Do you think they should get tax breaks because of a path, and then just claim/steal the path anyway? It’s criminal.
It’s worth bringing attention to, even if it’s just bought by the landowners and the money goes back into the municipality of oak bay, although I’d love a path exit off beach dr.
Last edited by Julie on Fri Apr 26, 2019 5:51 pm, edited 6 times in total.
