Victoria's horse-drawn carriage supporters are fighting the City Council's decision to try and phase out the industry by 2023. They have written over 9,000 letters to the mayor and council, and will be rallying outside city hall on Thursday to show their support for the carriage industry.
Spokesperson for the industry, and owner-operator of Tally-Ho Carriage Tours, Donna Friedlander, says she was shocked by the decision last week to have staff examine phasing out the industry.
"The city renewed our stand agreement last year for another five years. So based on that, both the companies have gone forward with investing, and reinvesting, in the companies. I'm in the midst of building a new barn for the horses, and I know Victoria Carriage Tours has bought new horses, and we're both always making improvements in our companies."
She says the industry brings a lot of money into the city through the tourism industry.
"People come to Victoria looking for a quaint city, and we have so many people that come and the horses is the top of their list. It's a bucket list item for people, of things to do. And we really want to make sure that, you know, we're not a transportation company. We're not getting people from Point A to Point B, we're giving people experiences with these horses, and that's really what people are looking for."
Councillor Ben Isitt, who proposed ending the industry, has floated the idea of bringin in e-carriages instead. But Friedlander is opposed to the idea of that, saying the whole reason that people take the carriage tours is for the horses.
"An e-carriage is like being toodled around in a vehicle. There's nothing to that that's really special, and the horses are the special piece of this."
She says the e-carriages cost about $35,000 each, and there's no demand for them in the city. She says if the city tries to enforce how her business is run, she will shut down her company.
"It's shocking to me that somebody on City Council thinks they have the right to tell me what my business should be, and what I should do for employment, and all the people who work with horses should suddenly become non-horse experts and drive e-carriages. Nobody's in this business because we want to drive a carriage. We're in this business because we love horses."
She adds the BCSPCA is not concerned about the industry, but have asked the city should work with the carriage industry to make sure the horses are well cared for, which they are by posting more signs. They are also working together on a few other ideas to improve the streets and make it safer for both horses and commuters.
Friedlander also says they don't have much of an impact on traffic, because they don't make stops and block traffic, they keep moving like any other vehicle. She adds that the busiest intersection they move through has actually seen a decrease in traffic volume over the past decade.
Along with attending the rally at 5:30pm on Thursday at Victoria City Hall, Friedlander is asking supporters of the industry to write the mayor and council and let them know their thoughts on the industry. The organizers of the rally have set up a page online, where people can use to write their letters.