Ainslie Kwan, president of the Killarney CCA, sent me this letter to help clarify some points I had raised in an earlier post. Thought it would be helpful for everyone to see this, as it does provide helpful new information. Hi Frances, Thanks for continuing to cover the story about community centre associations. I appreciate […]

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This was posted as a comment on another post. I’ve pulled it up to make sure everyone gets a chance to see it. Some of you who posted comments in response may want to cut and paste those also into here. I know many of you are concerned about future changes of the Joint Operating […]

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As mayors continue to press the provincial government to come up with some kind of solution for funding that will allow TransLink to expand services, the chair of the mayors’ council sent out an open letter yesterday with suggestions for short-term and long-term funding solutions. Short-term: – 0.5 per cent sales tax, which would pull […]

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Just to say it one more time for everyone who has had a hard time understanding who is where in this rugby game of park board versus community-centre associations: There is actually a group of community-centre associations that has been ready to negotiate with the park board and that did not take to the streets […]

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Fascinating article and one that echoes what I heard more than a decade ago from a woman who conducted public consultations about the dangers of large, public meetings: the strongly opinionated will take over, the moderates will get discouraged and go home, any hope of reasonable discussion will end. Perhaps we can conduct a live […]

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No one seems to want to talk about this deal much yet, since the city, developer and church are working out what is going to replace the shelter. But here’s what we know for now.

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You decide what’s going on here. http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/Council+still+tight+despite+casino+divide+Watts+Rasode/7884685/story.html  

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Vancouver’s community centre associations are the closest thing to participatory democracy the city has. We don’t have the kind of neighbourhood independence that exists in Portland, which gives out grants to neighbourhoods to spend as they choose. But, failing that, the centre associations have operated as the neighbourhood councils. Now the park board is acting […]

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And …. more fallout. As some councillors noted, casino decisions really strain a marriage. Here’s what they had to say. Story also attached below

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The Surrey casino: a story that just keeps on giving. Just to try to keep on top of the developments, here’s the chronology. After two long nights of public hearings, Surrey council votes at 2 a.m. Saturday on whether to approve a casino licence. Tweeting reporters send out news of the votes one by one. […]

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