For your reading pleasure. Doesn’t seem to me that there’s all that much new here, but interesting to see how local events get summarized and transmitted back to Washington. Note the section on the Olympic village further down. US embassy cables: Vancouver Winter Olympics feel economic chill guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 December 2010 13.19 GMT Thursday, […]

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There is a lot to complain about on the civic scene — just read this blog for the complete list! — but one thing that we should appreciate is the way the city (over several administrations) and the province (over Rich Coleman’s last four years) have worked together to tackle homelessness here. Thanks to the […]

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Rita Ko is the latest hire in the mayor’s office, as a mat-leave replacement for Maria Dobrinskaya. Ko comes with an interesting background. She’s worked as a researcher for Greg Lyle’s Innovative Research (more usually associated with B.C. Liberal campaigns) and is a founder of the private tutoring operation, Kumon Learning Service, according to the […]

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Every municipality is struggling with tax increases right now. They all got hit by big jumps in their wage bills, as the four-per-cent increase (negotiated by unions, but usually also given to the non-union staff) hit, while their businesses and residents are still in the throes of the recession. Plus they’re getting less in interest […]

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Live and learn. Who knew the limo business was going green? I didn’t, til a little report popped up on the city’s website this week, aimed at encouraging same.

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The latest report is out putting forward Vancouver planners’ best efforts to identify some new spots for tall buildings in the downtown peninsula. Aiming for a 700-foot building in the central business district is not too surprising, nor is the 500-foot spot for the Toyota Pattison block on Burrard. (Though the developers’ current plan is […]

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It seemed like just another Christmas party, but clearly there was a lot going on Saturday night at the traditional gathering, hosted by Bill Tieleman, Harvey McKinnon and Vanessa Geary among others, of the green/progressive/media/COPE/Vision/NDP crowd — which has also attracted NPA councillors Peter Ladner and Gordon Price in the past —  frequently called “the […]

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Every so often, it’s great to take a break from Vancouver politics and do something totally different. This time, I got to spent time with at her unique art space in the False Creek Flats — a little like going on a mini-trip to Berlin or a quiet corner of the Tate Modern in London. […]

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Yikes, we think road rage against nasty cyclists who take up pavement space is bad here. Didn’t realize that anyone who got in the way of cars, i.e. light rail or streetcars, might be next on the list. Watch out, people in crosswalks! Your days may be numbered

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So sad to hear this news about Virginia Greene, the former head of the Business Council of B.C. I met Virginia years ago at a party, not having a clue who she was. We spent half the evening swapping stories about dealing with difficult teenagers. Her utter frankness about how hard it was (she didn’t […]

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