Unhappy condo owners at the Olympic village filed their lawsuit last month. Now the city’s fighting back.

Maybe they should just do best out of seven games.

Jesse Johl, we hardly knew you. For those who don’t recall, Johl was acclaimed as one of two NPA candidates acclaimed to run in the November election last fall, as a way of giving some support to lone councillor Suzanne Anton.

Bill McCreery, the other acclaimed candidate, has been busy peppering blogs, emails and live events with his presence, giving his opinions on political developments, nipping at Vision, and generally doing what a pre-election candidate should do. Johl, apparently not so much.

NPA president John Moonen told me today that the board has voted not to approve Johl’s candidacy, because he kind of disappeared after the acclamation.

“He wasn’t communicating, he wasn’t replying to correspondence or emails, he wasn’t attending training sessions. He didn’t seem all that engaged, said Moonen.

I was a bit surprised by this turn of events, as I’d always thought once a candidate was voted in or acclaimed, they were there until the election was over.

But Moonen says no, the party can choose at any time to disallow someone from running. Same could happen with those voted in in June. As we all know these days, things keep popping up during campaigns that have been unearthed from Facebook or bankruptcy records, so I guess nothing is a for sure any more.

In the meantime, though, other candidates are starting to emerge for the NPA. I went to Mike Klassen’s announcement last week, in a small art-supply room at the Roundhouse Community Centre, with excellent muffins supplied by his mother. His speech is here so you know what he had to say.

I’ll be interested to see how Mike turns out as a candidate. In his blog posts on CityCaucus, he can seem nasty and partisan. In person, he’s much more likely to talk about community gardening or long-term city planning, as I’ve noted on the occasions when we’ve gone out for a gab and lunch. It seems like it’s the latter incarnation who is going to be campaigning, from his speech.

He was asked one question by the faithful, about whether he would have approved a casino expansion. His answer was roundabout. It’s a moot point, he said, since Paragon will be long gone by the time November elections happen so there’ll be no point voting for an expansion.

The room was filled with people planning their run for an NPA position. Among them:

– Elizabeth Ball, on council with Sam Sullivan and trying for another run

– George Affleck, a public-relations consultant for whom I have a soft spot. He’s a Langara journalism grad and has a long-time affiliation with community newspapers. He lives downtown, loves the city, expresses thoughtful ideas about the place, families, the people who live here when I talk to him.

– Sean Bickerton, the neighbourhood guy from near the casino who helped kickstart the anti-casino movement.

– Francis Wong, a Chinatown businessman

– Bill Yuen, a former school-board trustee planning to run again

– Melissa de Genova, who won the vote to run for park board

– Joe Carangi, a lawyer who will be trying to get a council slate seat. I don’t know Joe at all, but here’s a YouTube video of him announcing his candidacy

– Not at the meeting but two others who will be running for park board for the NPA: John Coupar, who helped save the Bloedel Conservatory, and Dave Pasin, who has been an NPA board member.

Others in the crowd included former mayor Sam Sullivan, for whom Klassen did a lot of web work, MLA Colin Hansen, for whom Klassen worked on campaigns,

Who won’t be joining the crowd include:

– Rob Macdonald, the developer whose outrage over bike lanes and poor business decisions at council is well-known, as is his predliction for speaking his mind in blistering terms from time to time. Although I haven’t been told personally he’s not running, others say he called various associates two weeks ago and said he was out. Civic journalists are in some mourning, as Macdonald would have provided unmistakeable fireworks.

– Rick Peterson, the former journalist and investment counsellor who tried to run for the B.C. Liberal nomination in Fairview at one point but lost to Margaret McDiarmid. Another strong candidate. But, he says, his business is not at a point where he could leave it.

Moonen says there are still four candidates talking about running as the NPA mayoral candidate, though. And more for other positions to declare themselves to the NPA, though not necessarily us out here in media land, by May 4

I’ve been longing to get my own copy of Harland Bartholomew’s 1928 plan for Vancouver ever since I saw it in Andy Yan’s hands. But Yan and his boss, Bing Thom, have done all of us a favour by digitizing this book for the Vancouver Archives as a birthday present for the city. The link is here to look at the plan Barthlomew created. Although not all of it came to pass, he did create a grid that city engineers today like to brag is “very robust” — i.e. it allows drivers to access the city by multiple routes, preventing the kind of major pile-ups common to cities with a few large arterials and not much else. Think Calgary.

As well, he created the foundation for future neighbourhoods by spacing school locations in such a way that communities could build up around them. And much more. But read the book.

From the group that tried valiantly to save the Mount Pleasant pool:

The first Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Society for Promotion of Outdoor Pools is scheduled for Saturday, May 7th , from 2PM – 4PM.
Meeting location: Mount Pleasant Community Centre, #1 Kingsway, Multipurpose Room 3 on the second Floor.
Everyone is welcome, membership not required. People can become members at the door. Annual membership is $5 individual, $10 family, and $25 organization.
Agenda:
1. Introduction to Society
2. Election of directors
3. Financial Statements
4. Status of Mount Pleasant Park and Pool
5. Outdoor Aquatic Study – Park Board staff report to Planning and Environment Committee of Park Board May 12th at the Park Board Office
6. Capital Plan Process
7. Strategies for acquisition of new outdoor pool in upcoming Capital Plan
8. Strategies for building our society membership
9. Next Meeting: TBA
Please bring others to this meeting who are interested in the preservation and promotion of outdoor pools and aquatics in Vancouver.
Society website: http://vancouveroutdoorpools.org
To become a member, please contact Anita Romaniuk, Treasurer, at [email protected] or 604-720-7647
Facebook: Vancouver Society for Promotion of Outdoor Pools
Volunteers needed for registration, setup, counting election ballots, and distribution of information. Please contact the pool society through our website for information.
POST THIS TO YOUR BLOGS> FACEBOOK> SUPERMARKET> LIBRARY> APARTMENT> SCHOOL> WORKPLACE>CHILDCARE> NEWSLETTERS> ETC

My story in the Globe here and the full motion here. More to come.

A. THAT the application by BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) to rezone the following:

a portion of 777 Pacific Boulevard (PID: 008-332-614, Lot 153 False Creek Plan 20421 (“BC Place Site”);

a portion of Terry Fox Way to be closed and conveyed to the registered owner of the BC Place Site (the “Surplus Road Area”);

a portion of 10 Terry Fox Way (PID: 025-540-866, Lot 288 False Creek Plan BCP1977) to be dedicated as road (the “Smithe Street Extension”);

portions of 10 Terry Fox Way (PID: 025-540-866, Lot 288 False Creek Plan BCP1977) east of the Smithe Street Extension (the “Triangle Site”); collectively, the “Rezoning Site” and shown within heavy bold outline on an Explanatory Plan attached as Map 1, (Appendix D) from BCPED (BC Place/Expo District) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District, to permit development of a mixed-use hotel/entertainment complex, that includes the relocation be Approved, together with:

(i) plans prepared by IBI/HB Group received August 9, 2010;
(ii) draft CD-1 By-law provisions, generally as presented in Appendix A; and
(iii) the recommendation of the Director of Planning to approve, subject to conditions contained in Appendix B;

B. THAT, subject to approval of the rezoning after Public Hearing, Council approve the
relocation of the casino operated by Paragon Gaming (Paragon Holdings [Smithe
Street] ULC) at the Plaza of Nations (750 Pacific Boulevard), known as the Edgewater
Casino, to the Rezoning Site on the terms set out in this report.

C. THAT Council approve the relocation of the casino operated by Paragon Gaming (Paragon Holdings [Smithe Street] ULC) at the Plaza of Nations (750 Pacific Boulevard), known as the Edgewater Casino with 600 slot machines and 75 gaming tables and as a condition of approval, Paragon will make legal commitments, to the satisfaction of staff, to provide priority hiring for any workers displaced or laid off from Hasting Park Race Track as a result of closure or permanent downsizing of that operation; and implement, to the satisfaction of the city’s legal department and the VPD, a system for the provision of the highest possible standards to protect against money laundering, fraud and other criminal activity based on an assessment of best practices in the gaming industry.

E. THAT the application from PavCo to amend the Sign By-law to establish regulations for this CD-1 in accordance with Schedule E (assigning Schedule “B” [DD]) be Approved

F. THAT the Noise Control By-law be amended to include this CD-1 in Schedule B, as set out in Appendix C;

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary
by-law to amend the Noise Control By-law at the time of enactment of the CD-1 By-law.

G. THAT the BCPED (BC Place/ Expo District) By-law be amended to delete sub-area 10 from the by-law, as set out in Appendix C;

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary by-law to amend the BCPED (BC Place/Expo District) By-law at the time of enactment of the CD-1 By-law.

H. THAT Council approve in principle the proposal to stop-up, close and lease a volumetric portion of the Smithe Street Extension (to be dedicated as road) to the registered owner of the BC Place Site to accommodate the underground parking structure proposed to be within the Smithe Street Extension, and the Director of Real Estate Services be instructed to report back to Council on the terms of the lease;

FURTHER THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services be instructed to bring back to Council, prior to occupancy of the development, a report to seek Council approval to stop-up, close and lease this volumetric portion of the Smithe Street Extension.

I. THAT Recommendations A, B, C, E, F, G and H be adopted on the following conditions:

(i) THAT passage of the above resolutions creates no legal rights for the applicant or any other person, or obligation on the part of the City and any expenditure of funds or incurring of costs is at the risk of the person making the expenditure or incurring the cost;

(ii) THAT any approval that may be granted following the Public Hearing shall not obligate the City to enact a by-law rezoning the property, and any costs incurred in fulfilling requirements imposed as a condition of rezoning are at the risk of the property owner; and

(iii) THAT the City and all its officials, including the Approving Officer, shall not in any way be limited or directed in the exercise of their authority or discretion regardless of when they are called upon to exercise such authority or discretion.

J THAT if required the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare the necessary by-laws to amend the ODP at the time of enactment of the CD-1 by-law.

K. THAT a moratorium shall be imposed on any and all applications to expand gambling and/or gaming venues in the City of Vancouver. Specifically that while the moratorium is in effect the City will not accept either of (1) applications to develop, use or operate a facility as a new gaming facility as described in section 18 (1) (a) of the Gaming Control Act or (2) applications to substantially change the extent of lottery schemes at existing gaming facilities under section 18 (1) (c) of the Gaming Control Act. This is not intended to affect applications to relocate an existing facility under section 18 (1) (b) of the Gaming Control Act, or applications to the City to change the mix of lottery schemes within existing facilities.

AND THAT this moratorium shall be in effect until such time as the Province of British Columbia, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and/or their agents:

(I) undertakes a comprehensive public consultation on the issue of expanded gambling in the City of Vancouver, and the results of this consultation are deliberated on by Vancouver City Council and

(II) implements internationally recognized best practices in:
– promotion of responsible gambling
– prevention of problem gambling
– treatment for problem gamblers
– protection against money laundering, fraud and other criminal activity

Douglas Coupland called Vancouver The City of Glass because of its forest of greenish-glass towers. I always imagined the glass towers were only about trying to maximize views and build modernist.

As I discovered in doing this story, it’s really all about the money. Glass is cheap. But not for much longer.

One, people don’t like the sameness. I’ve heard endless griping in Vancouver about glass towers. People want something different. Concord recognized that a while ago and started putting colours on some of their more recent buildings.

Second, the push for buildings that are not such energy pigs means that something is going to have to change in those glass towers, which require more heating and air-conditioning that buildings with other materials.

Council meeting with casino vote starts in two hours. This was my story today about why there’s not much incentive for council to approve a casino expansion that would triple the size of the current Edgewater.

What I’m not sure of is how they will vote on the relocation from the current Plaza of Nations site to one beside BC Place.

I remember one editor I had many potlatches ago, who said he just couldn’t believe there was no fraud or hijinks going on in Vancouver, with all the cranes around. Surely someone was paying someone off, he suggested. I said that I thought the whole system ran on a more instutionalized payoffs: developers who wanted their projects to move along paid hefty fees that went to all of us.

In my 15 years covering city issues, I’ve heard of only very few exceptions to my guess at the time. That’s why I’m finding this Surrey case so interesting: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/04/14/bc-surrey-watts-bribery.html

2. Since about 10 people have sent me this, okay, here it is, children, I will pass the Vancouver Nazi Bike Lane video on to my wider audience (though I do think the Michael Jackson death version was funnier). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C7AYsfB_dM

3. On the casino front, David Podmore suggested the number of slots be reduced from 1,500 to 1,200 (still 200 more than what River Rock has); a group of police officers came out with a statement against the casino expansion (letter below); and the Marriott was announced as the hotel chain that would go into the casino project, if approved.

Happy weekend.

[Read more →]

It’s been a rough time in journalism the last decade (or three?). It’s also been one of the most exhilarating times, as you feel journalism re-inventing itself under your feet.

Like many in this profession, I still wake up many mornings after 25 years, thinking, “Wow, people pay me to do this? How great is that.” I was reminded of that yesterday when a tweet rolled by, linking to a a stream of comments for high-school students on why it’s still important (and fun) to have a career in journalism.

As many of you know, I also teach journalism at Langara, where I see new, young people coming into the field and feel energized by the new ideas and passion they’re bringing to the job. We just waved goodbye to another class, where people are off to jobs at the Vancouver Sun, at Global, in Terrace, in Fort St. John, and elsewhere across the country. Students from my previous classes are all over the city and province. (Plus a few in Alberta — hi Victoria and Doug!)

For those out there who feel the call, I urge you to listen to it. Yes, the industry is going through big upheaval. But it’s still thriving in many ways, and new jobs are starting to come onstream to replace some of the ones that disappeared from the old model.

It’s become increasingly obvious, in the information-overload world, that journalists — people who will search out information for the public whether they agree with it or not, people who will double-check and doubt even the most credible-sounding information, people who will sort through the tsunami debris of fake facts, conspiracy theories, perpetual opinion yellers, obfuscation, genial spin and more — are more valuable than ever.

Plus, it’s a great new world with so many ways to tell stories.

There are good journalism schools all over Canada, but Langara, where I teach, has been a pillar of the B.C. journalism world for over 40 years. It’s where people come when they are really sure they want to work in field and they’re looking for an intense program that is completely focused on learning all the skills you need to function out there.

There are two programs — a one-year certificate program for people who have degrees already and a two-year diploma program for those without degrees. If you’re looking for a degree, there are various paths to follow post-diploma at other universities that can get you there.

You can look at Langara’s Facebook page (Langara Journalism) or check out the official website for the program. It’s not too late to apply for next fall.

It looks like that to many with this post.

http://www.citycaucus.com/2011/04/why-i-think-mike-klassen-should-run-for-vancouver-city-council#more