Entry to Victoria City Hall requires visitors to ring a doorbell because the doors are locked, but city officials don鈥檛 think that is impacting accessibility.

Colleen Mycroft, manager of executive operations and city communications, told Black Press Media the doorbell at the entrance of city hall was implemented toward the end of October 2022, but there is always someone there to let people in.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e been locked since, I believe, the end of October, beginning of November so this is not new at all,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more just like any other provincial or federal building or CTV鈥檚 building, you just ring the bell and either our ambassador comes to get you or if he鈥檚 busy escorting someone up to the planning centre or somewhere else, then there is a backup security there so folks can always get into the hall. So that is the reason for the security is that we can鈥檛 not let folks into city hall so we always need someone in the lobby manning the doors.鈥�

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said that while there was no inciting incident for the locked doors, it has been used simply as a way to manage the flow of people into the building and assist visitors with directions and information.

Alto also said that since there is always someone there to let people in, the locked doors don鈥檛 hinder accessibility.

鈥淚t is pretty typical of government buildings now, to have some management on the number of people coming in, but I don鈥檛 think it impacts the accessibility,鈥� she said.

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