It’s a lovely, rain-free day, warm enough for people to walk around with light jackets. That’s good news for voter turnout here, which is always seen as a crucial element in who wins. Last time, 132,000 people voted. In 2002, it was about 140,000 — a high that hadn’t been seen since the 1980s. What’s […]

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I have this story in today’s Globe and Mail about Tony Pappajohn, a local guy, who has been caught in the economic downdraft and credit squeeze. That’s put in jeopardy the beautifully designed new tower he was building on Hastings Street, a sad chapter for a family that’s part of the history of Vancouver.

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At last, a sane day. No more sworn affidavits, no more leaks from city hall incriminating this or that person. Instead, people actually did some real campaigning and cheering each other up. All the parties were out at the Burrard Bridge Burma-shaving with their signs. It was so crowded it’s a miracle no one fell […]

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Someone took offence at my suggestion that whoever is leaking information about the Olympic loan and/or current city investigations into same is “someone with nothing left to lose.” Rod wrote: If you are implying Sullivan is involved, may I ask how exactly? He can hardly hold papers as is. I don’t imagine he has the […]

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Okay, people, this may be a little incoherent because I’ve had a few glasses of wine — it’s all you can do under these conditions. But, really, aren’t you finding this Olympic-loan, hunt-for-the-leaker saga is all really like a Tom Wolfe novel? We have the mass media in full hyena mode (I’m one of them, […]

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This the latest: One of the city clerks who works with the councillors has sworn an affidavit saying that the missing documents relating the the $100-million Olympic loan turned up in B.C. Lee’s office at a different time than he has said. Cecelia Smith says B.C. Lee called her into his office around 4 p.m. […]

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We let Gregor Robertson and Peter Ladner go at each other one more time, with all kinds of fresh news unspooling at every moment. Today, Mayor Sam Sullivan asked for a police investigation into who took the documents relating to the $100-million loan to the Olympic village builder, while all the councillors offered to take […]

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Think City, the group that has been working to promote interest in city issues, posted results of a survey they did of 2,500 people who came to their workshops or responded to their questionnaires, showing what those people wanted in the way of solutions for housing, transportation and citizen involvement at the city. The survey, […]

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I think I speak for many when I say, “Let us give thanks that there are only 72 hours of this left.” Four news conferences skedded for tomorrow (NDP saying who they endorse — can’t imagine who their choices might be); Kashmir Dhaliwal and Ujjal Dosanjh on crime; Gregor Robertson and Jim Green on Woodward’s; […]

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A few weeks ago, there was a cascade of stories about how the city had scuttled a private developer’s effort to restore the historic Pantages theatre in the Downtown Eastside. We didn’t get much information about that, except for the general impression that the city had been the bad guy squashing a feisty entrepreneur. This […]

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