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Victoria locking city hall doors during day, mayor says it won’t impact accessibility

Mayor Marianne Alto says the doorbell system is common among government buildings
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The doors to Victoria City Hall have been locked since late October 2022. Visitors can get in using a doorbell. (Hollie Ferguson/News Staff)

Entry to Victoria City Hall requires visitors to ring a doorbell because the doors are locked, but city officials don’t 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.

“They’ve been locked since, I believe, the end of October, beginning of November so this is not new at all,” she said. “It’s more just like any other provincial or federal building or CTV’s building, you just ring the bell and either our ambassador comes to get you or if he’s 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’t not let folks into city hall so we always need someone in the lobby manning the doors.”

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’t hinder accessibility.

“It is pretty typical of government buildings now, to have some management on the number of people coming in, but I don’t think it impacts the accessibility,” she said.

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