The Victoria Horse Alliance is condemning Victoria city council’s decision to renew the horse carriage companies leases despite ongoing documented welfare concerns with the industry.
On Thursday March 14th, council voted at the Committee of the Whole to extend the horse carriage lease agreement 6 years until 2030. It was affirmed at the April 4th council meeting by a vote of 5-4.
The staff report council received on the lease renewal contained errors and omissions, including listing Black Beauty Line as an active carriage operator even though there is no evidence of them operating carriages at the Menzies and Belleville lease area since 2013. Carriage operators have also not been providing the required bi-annual vet certifications and BC SPCA inspection reports to the City. Victoria Horse Alliance noted that the BC SPCA does not even do the required inspections listed in the Vehicles for Hire bylaw and the City has falsely reported to the public that this has been taking place since at least 2018.
Jordan Reichert, founder of the Victoria Horse Alliance said that members of council are wearing blinders if they think public concern around the carriage industry is going away. His group had recommended for city councillors to phase out and ban the carriage industry over 1-2 years based on ongoing welfare and safety concerns with the industry.
“Today city council endorsed animal exploitation in Victoria. By opting to extend the lease renewal period and hand the matter to staff, they have abdicated their responsibility to take seriously the numerous documented welfare concerns with this industry.”
In the past, the lease was renewed for four years at a time. It was renewed in 2018 for five years and then a month later a serious horse carriage incident with a two-horse trolley took place at Ogden Point. When questioned during the meeting, the city clerk noted the reason staff had recommended keeping the status quo was because of ongoing political concerns surrounding the carriage industry.
Reichert was especially disappointed with Matt Dell’s language suggesting a 10-year renewal, which he said made the councillor sound like a “mouthpiece” for the carriage industry on council. After review of pertinent documents, it is Victoria Horse Alliance’s view councillor Dell misled council by wrongly referencing a unique circumstance that led to a one time 10-year lease renewal in Vancouver with the horse trolley’s in Stanley Park.
“The credibility of council to take an unbiased, evidence-based approach to this issue is severely compromised by the undue influence of the carriage industry present in council’s discussion of the matter.”
The Victoria Horse Alliance has been documenting and reporting on the horse carriage industry since 2015. They cite numerous documented concerns raised since the last lease was renewed in 2018 including carriage accidents, horses being worked during extreme heat and smoke conditions, safety and welfare complaints, whistleblower reports from previous carriage staff of unaddressed welfare concerns, and more.
The last major carriage incident was in July 2023 when a horse bolted from their stand at Menzies and Belleville and ran down the street until turning and crashing into a bike curb on Superior St, throwing both the horse and carriage driver to the pavement with injuries.
Reichert noted that despite nearly a decade of welfare, safety, and operational issues with the carriage industry no council over that time has taken any action to address the public’s concerns.
“Through its inaction on horse carriages, what the city of Victoria advertises to its citizens and tourists is that archaic displays of animal suffering are acceptable here. Come visit.”
To sign a letter to council voicing your opposition to renewing the lease agreement with the inhumane carriage industry, click here.
Victoria Horse Alliance